Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
T en hours later, I tripped out of the diner, catching myself before I toppled onto the street. I had no idea what I stumbled over. A rock. The door. My own damn feet. Exhaustion nipped at my heels, making my legs heavy and my feet clumsy.
The worst fucking part, other than just completely a nearly double shift?
I had to walk home.
Feet aching, I sat on the curb and pulled out my phone. I need to start driving the car.
Swiping my finger over the screen, I searched my contacts. Hating to be a nuisance to anyone, I could always pay for an Uber home, but that cost money, and despite the bills stuffed into my pocket, I was hesitant to spend any of it. One could argue I’d be coming into some money once I accepted Cole’s offer, so a ride home shouldn’t be a big deal.
For me, money was always a big deal.
I could call Cole.
We had yet to talk, and although making him wait was fun, my overdue bills weren’t getting paid sooner by me holding out. I should call him and get it over with like ripping off a Band-Aid.
Just think of it as a job .
But not the type of job that requires me to blow him. I was providing a service. No, damn it, that didn’t work either. No matter how my mind spun it, I always circled back around to feeling like a prostitute, and that was so not what this arrangement was.
I had to figure out how to make my brain disconnect my deal with Cole and being paid for sex. Cole and I weren’t having sex.
God, the argument even sounds weak in my head.
Ignoring the screaming protest from my feet, I pushed upright and robotically moved, detaching my mind from my body. Just keep going, Arie.
Eventually, I’d make it home. It might not be at any record-breaking speeds, but the goal was to get there before the sun fully disappeared. I had about an hour.
It was sad to see the devastation some businesses and houses suffered from the storm. Water damage could be crushing, as could wind. Although it would take the city weeks to clean all the debris and for the water to dry up, it could have been worse.
When I reached the long stretch of road where I lived known as the Strand, I regretted my decision to walk. The street seemed endless much like the ocean it ran parallel with.
I stumbled again on the side of the road, something that seemed to be happening more frequently. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. Why my legs were so damn wobbly and weak. Why I couldn’t seem to pick up my feet. They dragged along the gravel, tripping on the smallest of pebbles.
My vision wavered as well, going in and out of focus.
I squeezed my eyes shut, dying to pop my contacts out and toss them into the sandy grass, which wouldn’t help. Imagine me walking down the road nearly blind and unsteady. It sounded like a recipe for disaster.
Get it together, Arie. You’re almost home.
Almost was a stretch, but I had to do whatever I could to make my legs keep going, even lie.
An unsettling feeling came over me, and my pace became a crawl. I wasn’t even sure I was still walking.
When I was seconds away from plopping down on the side of the road, a car rolled alongside me, and I was about to throw my body in front of it and beg the driver to let me ride on the hood when I saw his face smirking at me from the open window.
The very same person I’d thought about calling for help.
Cole Riley.
But there were two blurring images of him, weaving together and then separating. His name formed on my lips as I watched the car stop and the door open. Is he frowning?
Of course, he is.
All Cole does is scowl at me.
Except maybe when he was kissing me.
A sudden rush of cold surged through my veins, and black dots danced behind my eyes.
Fuck. I’m going to pass out.
“Arie,” Cole called, and despite him only being a few feet in front of me, his voice sounded miles away. The world went topsy-turvy, and soon I saw nothing but blue skies and cotton-ball-white clouds.
Arms banded around my waist, catching me before I hit the ground, and my neck snapped back. I never fully lost consciousness, but what I felt was unpleasant. It was as if I’d lost control of my body. Nothing wanted to function properly.
“Jesus Christ,” someone with a grouchy voice hissed.
I nearly smiled. I might have if I’d been able to rally the energy to move my lips. I couldn’t.
“Damn it, Arie,” he growled, lifting me off my feet.
It was nice to no longer be required to support my weight. I didn’t have the strength to do anything but rest my head on his sturdy shoulder. The world spun a little less, and the clammy feeling that had taken over me slowly receded, but I still felt off. “Hmm, you smell good,” I mumbled, my face buried into the side of his neck.
We were moving, his legs eating up the ground. “You’re dehydrated and hallucinating. When was the last time you ate or drank anything?”
“I don’t know. Stop yelling at me.” The vibrations of his voice rumbled under my ear.
“You’re lucky I found you.” He deposited me into the passenger seat of his car.
I was grateful to have the support underneath me, unable to trust my legs c ould stand yet. My eyes followed his face as he leaned over and snapped my seat belt into place, my head resting on the back of the leather seat. “Were you looking for me, Cole?” I murmured.
He angled toward me, a glint of something flashing in his eyes. Ire? I couldn’t be sure. One minute, Cole could be flirty and fun. The next, he was a bigger asshole than the devil. “I should have been given the state you’re in.”
God, even disorientated, he was too close. A warm flush spread into my blood, and my eyes darted to his lips, eyeing the hoop at the corner. “I almost called.” A short, zany laugh expelled from my chest. “That’s how desperate I was.” Why is my mouth flapping so much? I lifted my eyes.
Big mistake.
Heat flared in the center of his irises. “And yet you didn’t. Don’t make that mistake again, Killer. I won’t allow it.”
My hand lifted, and before I realized what I was doing, my thumb stroked over the crease of his bottom lip. “What are you going to do? Drive me to and from work every day?” The suggestion was meant to be sarcastic and absurd. I should have known Cole would take it literally.
He nipped at my thumb. “Yes.” The word escaped him in a low growl.
I flicked my eyes up, a small part of me understanding I was playing a dangerous game I was unable to stop. “I thought you would be happy to see me. Isn’t this what you want? Me, at your house?”
His expression was painted with an antagonism I didn’t fully understand. “I didn’t ask for you sick and malnourished.”
My eyes tracked him as he stalked to the other side of the car and got in. He shifted into drive and eased us onto the road.
I shouldn’t stare at him, but I couldn’t look away. Stubble shadowed his chin and lower jaw. He wore gym shorts and a tee and looked like he just finished working out. His dark hair was sexily messy. “Why are you so pissy?”
His eyes stayed on the road, but a muscle in his jaw worked. “You need to take care of yourself, Killer.”
He was angry at me for nearly fainting? Where was the concern? I didn’t need him scolding me; my cheeks already burned with humiliation. “Don’t make this a big deal when it’s not.” It was easier not to pull my gaz e from him, but irritation had my eyes snapping to the front. However, the land blurring by didn’t help the minor dizziness still assaulting me.
How fast is he driving?
It was best not to think about it.
Closing my eyes, I pressed a hand to my temple, cursing my weak body. Why did it have to give out on me now? It couldn’t have waited until I’d made it home. Now I had to deal with Cole and his derisive self-righteousness as if he knew what was best for me.
He barely knew me!
His fingers on the steering wheel flexed before griping the wrapped leather tighter. “So, you don’t frequently skip meals?”
I didn’t like his tone or the insinuation that I couldn’t afford food. Perhaps it was my insecurities, and it hadn’t been his implication at all. Regardless, my ire rose, defenses automatically erecting into place. An old habit I hadn’t grown out of. When I felt attacked or judged, I became detached, hard, and a bitch. I hated nothing more than being made to feel as if I was less. “That’s not your concern,” I snapped.
The car jerked to a stop in front of his house, and Cole whirled toward me. “Maybe not, but if I don’t say it who will? You might not like it, but from what I can tell, you need someone to look out for you.”
“I don’t need anyone,” I ground out, refusing to look at him.
“Yeah. I know.” He got out of the car, and I didn’t budge.
I sat in the front seat stewing, my arms crossed over my chest, glaring out the window.
The passenger door flew open. “Let’s go,” he ordered, looming over me like the devil’s shadow.
The only place I was going was home.
I swung my legs out of the car, using the opening to brace myself as I stood. To my pleasure, my knees didn’t buckle, despite swaying slightly. I managed to stay upright; however, I did feel the coloring in my face blanch.
I went to brush past him, but Cole snatched my arm, his fingers pressing into my biceps. “This way, Killer.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I huffed, attempting to shake him off unsuccessfully. “You’ve done enough—” The complaint just left my lips w hen Cole hauled me off my feet a second time in the span of fifteen minutes. This time he tossed me over his shoulder.
Too weak to protest, I lay like a limp dick swinging down his back. I’m not sure he would appreciate the comparison. I wasn’t sure I appreciated it.
He carried me inside, straight into the kitchen, setting me down on the island counter. Cole didn’t move away but stayed between my legs, frowning.
I tried not to think about his muscular body. “That was so unnecessary,” I said, blowing the hair out of my face.
He leaned toward me until our faces were only inches apart. “Stay. Don’t budge an inch.” His hot breath teased my lips.
“What if my nose itches? Or I get a cramp?”
“Killer,” he growled. “This isn’t a game.”
“You’re acting ridiculous. I got a little lightheaded. That’s all. I’m sure if I eat something I’ll be fine.” I went to scoot off the edge, but Cole was right there, scowling at me, his hands attaching to my thighs.
He pinned me with an effective I-told-you-not-to-move glare. “Which is exactly why I’m making you something.” His voice held an air of strain as if he was getting frustrated with me.
“You’re going to cook for me again? You better watch yourself, or I might think you’re trying to impress me.”
The hoop winked at the corner of his mouth as it tipped. He’d put the piercing back in, and my heart fluttered, causing my frown to deepen.
“I’ve already made a lasting impression.”
Truer words had never been spoken.
It was no hardship watching Cole in the kitchen, and it stirred memories of the night he cooked in the dark for me. I could scarcely believe it was only two days ago. As he gathered items from the fridge, he handed me a can of soda. It fizzed when I popped the top and took a drink, my eyes never wavering from Cole.
He looked nearly as good as whatever he was concocting. If I were honest, I couldn’t decide if I should take a bit of him or the food first.
“Here, eat this,” he demanded, setting a plate of toasted sandwiches before me. They were little sliders, dusted with butter and seasonings on top, and smelled freaking delicious .
I blinked. “I can’t eat this all.”
“Just eat. It won’t go to waste. Trust me.” He leaned against the counter, waiting with an expression of steel determination that said if I didn’t pick one of the sandwiches up in seconds and stuff it into my mouth, he’d gladly do it for me.
My stomach growled.
Melted provolone cheese oozed into my mouth before the zest of Italian meats hit my taste buds. But the kicker was the salad mixture he’d scooped on top. I’d watched him put the lettuce, mayonnaise, red onion, minced pickles, and oil blend together. I’d been skeptical, but holy shit. This was the best damn sandwich I’d ever had.
“What is this?” I asked after I swallowed the first bite, going in for the second.
“A grinder.”
“My dad would love this. It’s really good.”
“Good. Eat another.” Satisfied I was eating, he opened the fridge to put away the ingredients, giving me a pleasant view of his backside, and oh, what an ass.
“Are you always so pushy?” I ate slower after the first one, knowing if I gobbled it down as my stomach desired, I’d more than likely hurl it up as quickly as I inhaled it. Since I’d embarrassed myself enough for one day, I refused to puke on Cole.
“Are you always so careless?” he asked, plucking a slider for himself, which he ate in two bites.
“I prefer the term reckless.”
Cole reached across the countertop and helped himself to my drink. I guessed he didn’t have a problem with sharing or asking, but I didn’t mind. Not really. “That I can understand.”
Why did I find this scenario so intimate? It wasn’t like we were eating in bed naked, but with the feelings churning within me, we might as well have been. “I bet you can.”
His thumb brushed over the side of my mouth before bringing it to his lips and licking off a speck of mayo. “Have you made a decision?” I wondered how long it would take for him to bring up the deal. To his credit, it was longer than I’d accounted for.
I squeezed my legs together, a bloom of heat moving into my cheeks. “Just s o we’re clear. We’re not having sex.” Yet the fire in my core begging to be stoked suggested otherwise.
A single brow arched. “Are you trying to convince me or yourself, Killer?”
My lips pressed together, and I hurdled off the counter before Cole could get his hands on me. “Thanks for the sandwiches. I should go.” It was best to escape the web Cole weaved around me before I got trapped, lured by the scent of him, the appeal of his lips, and the touch of his fingers.
Cole stepped in front of me. I cursed his reflexes and craned my neck back to meet his gaze. “We’re not done yet, Killer. We have unfinished business.”
My eyes betrayed me, straying to his mouth. I knew his implication had nothing to do with kissing me again, but a part of me, that treacherous part of me, hoped it would.
His lips curled like he could read the dirty thoughts running through my head.
If he only knew.
Perhaps he did.
Licking my lips, I snapped my gaze up. “I have nothing left to say to you.”
“Fine. I’ll do the talking.” As if he didn’t trust me to stay put, he laced our fingers together, dragging me to a built-in desk on the other side of the kitchen. He opened a drawer, pulling something out, before turning to face me. “Here.” He handed me an envelope.
I glanced at it and then back at him. “I haven’t agreed to anything,” I said.
“But you will. I don’t see the point in beating around the bush.” He lifted my hand, stuffing the envelope into it.
“It’s taking everything in me not to tell you to eat shit, Cole.”
He chuckled. “I commend your restraint. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
I only stared at him before letting loose a long sigh. “Let’s hope we don’t kill each other before the end of summer.” Taking the envelope, I walked out, praying I wasn’t about to make the biggest mistake of my life.