Chapter 8 #2
Cole was behind me. I felt his hand at the side of my waist, pulling me against his back.
“So my apartment is pretty small.” It felt so good to have Cole here. He fit right in with that charming smile.
“I just want to spend time with you, Laney. I don’t care about where or how.”
His hot breath on my ear, and the possessive grip on my waist was too much. I let out a low sound—a whimper. Instinctively, I covered his hand with mine, pressing his fingers against my waist. I just needed to touch him… more than that, I needed him to touch me.
The next second, he whirled me around and claimed my mouth.
Feeling his lips against mine was exhilarating.
I whimpered again at the first touch of his tongue.
Heat coiled through me slowly, from my toes up my body, until it was unbearable.
I fisted his shirt. He deepened the kiss, walking me backward until I felt the edge of some furniture against my ass.
Cole lifted me up on it the next second.
Now I was slightly towering over him. I loved this new angle.
I placed my hands on his neck for leverage.
He smelled amazing. He hadn’t worn any cologne in Rome, but now he did: it was a mix of cypress and lemon.
Cole’s fingers skimmed my upper thighs and came to rest on my hips. He slipped one thumb under my shirt. My skin broke out in goose bumps. I moaned against his mouth, pressing my knees at the sides of his torso. When he feathered his fingers down my thighs, I moaned again.
“Fuck, I love kissing you,” he whispered against my mouth. I curled my hands in the collar of his shirt, swallowing hard. I’d missed kissing him too. Cole took a step back, watching me intently. I blushed.
“You look pretty up there. Thoroughly kissed.”
“Look at me. A few minutes with you, and I’m already being kissed up against my shoe cabinet. I don’t even remember how I got here.”
I placed my hands on his cheeks, smiling against his lips.
I felt so light, as if Cole’s kiss had set something inside me free.
He was pulling me out of my shell. I wasn’t even sure how it was happening, but I wanted to continue down this road.
It felt even more right than before that he was here in my apartment.
I jumped back down, smoothing my palms down my skirt. My stomach rumbled.
“Let’s eat,” Cole said.
I yawned as we entered the living room. There was a real danger I might fall asleep the second I sat down.
I felt the tiredness creeping up on me.
“Sit. I’ll take care of everything,” Cole instructed.
Oh, wow. “Okay.”
I was in danger again, albeit of a different kind. I was close to swooning. I was also close to spontaneously combusting. How the man could make me feel so many things at the same time, I had no clue, but I had to give credit where credit was due.
I sat down on the couch, folding my feet under me, looking at Cole put the food on plates. The kitchen was tiny, and he found everything within arm’s reach.
“Is this a bad time to admit I’m swooning?” I asked as he handed me a plate, sitting next to me. I answered my own question. “It is. I’m giving you too much ammunition.”
He leaned closer, brushing his lips across my forehead. “Just sit back and relax.”
We both practically inhaled our burgers and fries, not speaking one word until the plates were empty. We set them on the small table next to the couch.
“You totally deserve the charmer nickname,” I informed him.
“Is that so? What made you change your mind?”
“All this take-charge thing you’ve got going on. It’s very hot.” I covered my mouth. “Shouldn’t have owned up to that yet.”
“I disagree.” His eyes were playful, and so were his fingers. They kept moving up my arm. When our gazes crossed, I bit my lower lip. This tension between us was escalating with every passing moment, and I had no idea what to do about it.
“I wonder what other skills go into being a charmer.” My voice was light as I counted on my fingers. “I’ve already experienced a few: flirting, complimenting, kissing. Making me laugh. What else?”
“You’ll see. Can’t lay all my cards on the table at once.”
I leaned back on the armrest, crossing my fingers over my stomach. “That’s right.”
“I promise I’m a charmer in all the ways.”
“Your mind is in the gutter.”
“It is.”
My breath stuttered. My belly clenched. Holy shit, his admission only made the tension between us even thicker, somehow. I cleared my throat, breaking eye contact.
“So, which sister was the one who cornered you in your office?” I asked, not just to change topics. I wanted to know.
“Tess. I’m seeing her and Skye tomorrow for breakfast. It’ll give her a chance to ask me if I put her advice into action.”
“Oh?”
“She insisted I call you.”
I chuckled. “Cole Winchester. You’re telling me that if it weren’t for Tess, you wouldn’t have called?”
He closed the distance between us in a fraction of a second, caressing my lower lip with his thumb.
“Tess or no Tess, I would’ve called. You’re so branded in my mind that I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“Oh.” I looked him straight in the eyes, gathering my courage. It was fair to warn him. “Cole… I have some serious baggage.”
He smiled, still touching my lower lip. “I thought you might.”
I swallowed, pulling back a little. “How?”
“I can’t say. Just got that feeling in Rome.”
“And you still called.”
“Like I said… I missed you. And you don’t have to tell me anything more right now. When you’re ready… if you want to.”
I nodded, almost melting from relief. I wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. I wasn’t even sure how to do it. I was afraid that I might be overwhelmed by the memories and the sadness, but I knew I would have to open up soon enough.
He leaned back, winking at me. “Tess just gave me a push. And I know she’ll check on me tomorrow.”
“Where are you meeting?”
“Their store. They have a lingerie shop in Soho.”
“What’s the name?”
“Soho Lingerie.”
“That’s easy to remember. I’ll check it out.”
“It’s doing very well. They’ve worked hard for it. Skye’s taking it much easier now, only coming into the city once a week. She’s working from home on their online shop the rest of the time.”
“And Tess goes to the store every day?”
“No, she’s cutting back on that. They used to be there seven days a week. Tess says that she likes to observe clients. I just don’t want them to overwork themselves.”
I could listen to him talk about his family all night long. There was so much pride and affection in his tone. I slid a little lower on the couch, flexing my feet. Cole gripped my ankles, pulling them in his lap before pressing his thumbs in all my sore spots.
“Oh, no, no. Not a good idea,” I mumbled.
“Why not?”
“Because I might not let you back out the door.”
I was only half joking. And when he actually started massaging my feet?
Bliss. Pure bliss. I was in heaven. I didn’t want to overthink any of it.
How amazing this felt, how much adrenaline thrummed through my veins just because I was in the same room with Cole.
And I definitely didn’t want to think about how many times my heart somersaulted since I’d first seen him tonight.
At the back of my mind, I knew that Cole would want more.
Not right away, but eventually. It was there in his kisses, the way he touched me.
I didn’t know if I was ready for it, for anything really.
But this felt so good, and this evening had been so amazing, that I couldn’t help wanting just a little bit more of whatever Cole wanted to give me.
I slid lower, making myself comfortable, closing my eyes and just feeling his hands move expertly on my feet… right until I fell asleep.