CHAPTER ELEVEN
Elsa
Cole was going to be a good father.
Look at him, holding Elena in his arms, gazing at her with so much love.
Elena. I was the one who named her. The name was similar to mine.
Thank fuck for the little tuft of blonde hair and those grayish-blue eyes. She looked just like me.
Cole glanced at me and smiled.
Smiled! Fucking finally!
I smiled back. "She's lovely, isn't she?"
He nodded, his gaze soft as he looked at her again.
I scrunched up my nose. He'd been staring at her the whole damn time, barely sparing me a glance.
"Aren't you tired of holding her?" I asked sweetly.
I needed to call the nurse to take her away to the nursery for at least a few hours. Was there a damn call button around here? This hospital was so fucking old and gross.
I sighed. I could've been in a private VIP hospital suite in the city. A dedicated nurse would handle all the baby stuff while I relaxed on a plush, adjustable bed with premium linens. Instead, I was stuck in this basic, fluorescent-lit room, listening to a baby's whiny little cries and watching Cole act like she was the only thing that mattered.
This wouldn't have happened if that whining, obnoxious Sara hadn't come to my house—and if Cole hadn't refused to come back to me.
"I'm fine," Cole said, cutting through my thoughts, still grinning at the baby. "I love holding her."
Ugh. She's only a day old, and she's already stolen him from me.
"You want to hold her?" Cole rose from his seat and walked over to me.
Panic instantly gripped me. It surged through me like a tidal wave, crashing into my chest and choking my breath. It coiled tight in my stomach, twisting, making me feel sick.
"No!" I almost shouted, my hands instinctively shooting up to block him from whatever he was about to do.
Cole looked stunned.
Shit. What do I even say now? "I'm still in pain. I still can't move comfortably."
I held my breath, waiting for his response.
"Right." Cole nodded, his expression softening as he looked at the baby again. "You need to feed her, though," he said.
I blinked. "What?"
"You need to breastfeed her," he repeated, his tone matter-of-fact.
"But I just fed her a few hours ago," I said, my eyes widening in disbelief. This baby was going to wreck my boobs. I shivered, picturing them sagging and deflated like old, empty balloons. What the hell would Cole think if he saw them all stretched out and hanging? The thought twisted my stomach, and I felt completely ruined.
"She's hungry again," Cole replied, walking closer.
I stared at the baby while Cole carefully placed her against my chest. "Lean to the side and feed her," he instructed.
The baby nuzzled her tiny nose against my chest, instinctively seeking the source of her meal.
I was the meal.
I held in a sigh, pushing through the discomfort as I lowered the collar of the hospital gown and pulled out my left breast. It felt swollen and heavy, and I could feel Cole's eyes on it. Did it turn him on? Good, I guess.
But then, he barked, "What are you waiting for? She's chasing you."
"Okay..." I mumbled. Reluctantly, I fed her. The baby sucked on me eagerly, as if starving for days.
"Good." Cole's smile softened as he gazed at the baby. Not at me. "She's going to grow up pretty and healthy, isn't she?"
All he talked about was the baby.
"I'm going to make a call," he said, already spinning around. "I'll be outside."
"Don't!" I blurted, my voice sharper than I intended. I knew exactly who he was going to call.
Sara.
How could he? While I lay here, stuck feeding the baby, he was going to call her?
Sara, Sara, Sara. Always Sara.
Cole glanced over his shoulder at me, his eyebrows rising in silent question.
I scrambled to come up with an excuse, my mind racing. "I'm going to need you to help me put the baby in the bassinet after this," I said quickly, hoping the urgency in my voice would mask my unease. "I can't move around too much yet."
"I'm only going to be a few minutes," he insisted, his back already turned as he headed toward the door.
"Please!"
He stopped and spun around to face me, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
But then, a miracle happened. As Cole glanced at his phone, his expression shifted. "Shit, the battery died," he muttered, his gaze flicking up to me. "Do you have a charger?"
"My phone is Samsung, and yours is iPhone," I said.
Thank fuck for that.
"Oh, right. I forgot about that," he said. "Is there anywhere I can buy or borrow a charger around here?"
I gave him a shrug, casting him an innocent look.
He glanced at his phone again, then shrugged. "Oh well. I'll ask around then."
I felt a tight knot in my chest. I needed to get rid of that phone.
But then he'd just ask to borrow mine. Would he dare call Sara from my phone?
I couldn't risk that. I had to do something about it. Fast.
But how could I prevent him from borrowing a phone or charger from someone at the hospital?
Threats. That usually worked with him, especially now that he was so infatuated with the baby.
Elena. Her name was Elena. I had to keep reminding myself—Elena, not just the baby.
My mind was racing. Spinning. What to do, what to do?
He sat down in the chair next to my bed, his eyes glued to the damn baby again. They softened like he'd just found the Holy Grail.
I stared at his face. Sigh.
Cole was so damn gorgeous it was unbearable. How could anyone be so perfect? Tall, built, flawless skin, that face—oh my God.
I'd never seen someone so damn beautiful.
And successful. The guy had more money than he knew what to do with.
He was perfect.
Except he was married. Why the hell was he with Sara? She was cute, sure, but not even close to being someone who could snag a man like him.
He showed up one day at the office with her, all smiles, announcing he was marrying Sara and throwing a damn wedding party for the entire office.
Fucking hell.
It took months of shameless flirting with him.
And he was obsessed with her.
All that effort, all that flirting... for nothing.
Since then, I had resigned myself to the fact that I could never have him. So, for years, I merely watched from afar, consumed by my obsession. Until, at last, my chance came.
It all happened that night. The one night I finally had him all to myself. The office party was in full swing right here in the office. We'd just landed our biggest project yet, and everyone was celebrating. Cole had drunk a little too much and retreated to his office, needing some space to cool off.
I followed him. His office was tucked away at the back, and I was pretty sure nobody noticed me.
I found him slumped on his sofa, head tilted back, eyes closed, either asleep or too drunk to function. I approached slowly, kicked off my shoes, and then sat down on his lap.
At first, he didn't even realize it was me. He called me Sara.
I kissed him. He smiled against my lips and mumbled, "Sara."
Choosing not to register that in my brain, I ignored it. I was on a mission.
Sliding down, I started working on his belt.
I pulled his zipper down and took out his shaft. It was already swollen and hard.
I believed that was because of me, not fucking Sara .
But when I sucked him, he immediately realized it was me, not his wife.
I could tell by the way his eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, it looked like he was about to pull away.
I froze for a second.
But he didn't stop me.
So, I sucked harder.
Suddenly, he cupped my face and started guiding my head up and down, up and down, turning completely feral. He made me gag until tears burst from my eyes, then he released himself in my mouth, growling, his body shaking wildly.
After that, without a word, he tucked himself in, adjusted his pants, and left the room, leaving me alone.
The next day, I did it again. He let me. And again, and again.
When we finally fucked, it was insane. Cole was wild—brutal, even. Not everyone would be into that.
But me? I loved every second of it.
And because of it, I knew I had him in the palm of my hand.
Now, here we were.
"She's asleep," Cole's voice interrupted my thoughts. He picked up the baby—Elena—so carefully, like she was his most precious cargo, cooing sweet nothings to her as he walked over to the bassinet and gently laid her down.
First Sara, now Elena. I would never have Cole to myself, would I?
Oh, right. Back to the phone problem again. I needed to do something.
While I was still processing it, Cole said, "When we get back, can you take care of Elena by yourself? Will your mother be able to come with you?"
What? What was he talking about? I didn't want my mother there. Excuse me.
"I think I might hire a nanny. I'll need one anyway when I go back to work."
Cole's expression suddenly twisted into horror. I frowned, staring at him. What did I say?
"Work where?" he growled.
"Your office, of course," I said, confused as I looked at him.
"With Sara there?"
I blinked at him.
"Are you out of your fucking mind?" he suddenly roared, making me flinch.
"But I can go back to working at your office, right?" I asked quickly. Sara was on a different floor, anyway. Besides, there's no way I'd let Cole be there with Sara without my supervision. He would run back to her again. Now that I had the baby, I needed to make sure he would always be with me.
Cole was visibly trying to control himself. His fists curled tightly like he was about to punch me.
"You will not work in my office ever again. Not with me, not with Bobby, and certainly not with Sara. You can work anywhere the hell you want, but not in my office."
I frowned at him. "But you can't just fire me like that, right? There are laws against this."
"Watch me, Elsa," he snarled. "I can make you look like the worst employee in the world, and no one would hire you." He leaned down, his face close to mine, looking very pissed. "The only reason I'm here is because of Elena. That's it. I'm here to make sure she's alright, not because of you." He straightened up. "So, stop being so delusional."
He scared the fuck out of me, but I still held a card against him. "Careful, Cole. I still haven't agreed for you to sign the acknowledgment of paternity yet."
He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "I can take you to court over this, Elsa. I can hire the best lawyers in the country to fight for full custody, and you won't stand a chance."
"No judge will grant that," I scoffed. "We're not married, and the court usually favors the mother."
Cole was shaking with fury. I felt the need to brace myself.
"Why are you both yelling at each other?" my mother's voice boomed from behind Cole.
Cole closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself, clearly annoyed with my mother. Or perhaps with me.
"Nothing, Mom," I mumbled, picking at the hem of my gown. "Just a couple quarrels, as usual."
She walked around the bed and stood at the foot of it, looking from Cole to me and then back to Cole.
"Now, young man, you better listen up," she said sternly. "I won't allow you to sign the acknowledgment of paternity. No way." She shook her head. Clearly, she had been listening to our arguments. "You're married. You have a wife." Then she pointed at me. "If you sign it, there's no way my daughter will ever have a chance to marry a good man who will take care of her and her daughter. Until you divorce your wife, you don't get to sign it!"
I grinned. Well, Mom, finally, you said something right.
Now, about that phone again...