Chapter 30 Cole
COLE
I breezed past the receptionist on the executive level of Carter Industries, only for her to squeak and run after me. “Mr. Carter! Mr. Carter! You can’t go up there!”
I turned, an eyebrow raised, well aware I was the spitting image of my father in my designer suit, my hair slicked back, cruelty etched into every line of my face. “Why not?”
“There’s a board meeting today,” she said, raising an eyebrow as if I were a fucking idiot. “Your father’s busy.”
“I’m invited,” I reminded her. I took a bracing breath and pushed through the double doors of the room.
My father looked up from the head of the conference table, surprise on his face.
“Son,” he said carefully, “I’m glad you made it.” Anyone who didn’t know him would think he meant every word, but I heard the subtext—what the fuck?
I swallowed then looked around the table, unsure where I should sit. I hadn’t taken my place on the board when I inherited my shares at eighteen, and my father had held my proxy ever since.
My father waited for me to answer, letting me hang awkwardly at the entrance. Fuck him.
No.
I had to convince him this was real.
Deep breath, Cole. “I’m here to—” My heart pounded so hard, it skipped, and I wished I’d had a drink before coming this morning. “I’m here to learn more about how Carter Industries works,” I said, somehow not mangling the words as they poured out. “I should have before, and I haven’t.”
“Cole,” he breathed, his face lighting up with pleasure. It didn’t matter that he was a horrible man who abused my mother, who’d blackmailed Eva, who’d tortured me my entire life—I wanted his approval so fucking bad, and I was afraid I always would.
His expression warmed, and it annoyed me how much I liked that I’d done that to him. “There’s a seat for you,” he said, gesturing to his left, and, not far from where I stood, I found a name tent with my name on it. “There’s always been a seat for you.”
I closed my eyes for a moment to gather my equilibrium then took a seat between the two men in suits who were doing a piss-poor job of hiding their surprise.
He raised me for this, I reminded myself. He raised me on politics, he raised me on psychological games, he raised me to be a tough motherfucker who ate his enemies for breakfast.
The meeting passed in a blur. I understood most of it—I was my father’s son, after all. I was careful to vote with my father on all issues, watching his face carefully for clues as to what he wanted.
After, when we adjourned, instead of staying for small talk, I headed for the door.
“Cole!” My father called my name from across the room. “Stay for a moment.”
Shit.
I shook my head and smiled my most charming smile, hoping he didn’t see how fake it was. “I have practice.”
His eyebrows flew up. Time to play the game, Cole.
“I can’t abandon the team now, not after everything that’s happened,” I said, meeting his eyes, knowing the board was hanging on every interaction.
Our fight over my future was as important to them and the future of the company as it was to me, and I was no doubt upsetting a thousand apple carts of ambitious succession plans by showing up today. “But I know where my future is.”
As I walked out the door, I hated the warmth in my chest at my father’s obvious pleasure with my presence. I hated that, even as I was plotting to take his power away from him, a tiny part in the depths of my soul bloomed under his approval.
Tristan
I’m proud of you.
Me
Fuck you, you condescending asshole.
Tristan
That’s the idea.
Me
Christ, is this how Eva felt?
Tristan
*imp emoji*
Me
*middle finger emoji*
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Eva as she stood beside Coach, my cock hardening every time she tilted her face up to him, chattering too quietly for me to hear.
The urge to mark her, to leave bruises on her thighs and bite marks on her throat so everyone would know she was claimed, burned through me like acid.
She thought she could say no to me? Fucking laughable.
She was mine, whether she admitted it or not.
Despite the professionalism of their relationship, possessive rage clawed up my throat. Watching her tilt her head up to speak with him made me want to drag her away, bend her over my knee, and remind her exactly who she belonged to.
“Cole,” Tristan muttered beside me as we showered, water sluicing over muscles I shouldn’t be eating up with my eyes, “whatever you’re thinking, it’s a bad fucking idea.”
Haruto turned and stared at the two of us. “Leave Eva the fuck alone. Today’s the first time I’ve seen her relaxed at practice in weeks, and I sure as fuck know it wasn’t due to anything the two of you did.”
Tendrils of jealousy tightened in my gut, sending poison racing through my veins like fire.
Tristan gave me a look he must have thought was significant, but I was tired of this shit—tired of tiptoeing around the team, tired of pretending that Eva didn’t want us. Fucking tired.
After Saturday’s board meeting, I needed her. I needed to hear her cries of pleasure, needed to know this was worth it. I needed to know that selling my soul was worth it.
While Eva was getting breakfast, I set up my books at the library on the third floor where she liked to study on Mondays before her classes began.
By the time Eva got to the library with Vi and the puck bunnies, I was ensconced at their table, my books open, half studying, half waiting in anticipation of Eva’s expression when she found me there.
The shock in her eyes, followed by unexpected softness, was interrupted by Katie’s cry of frustration.
“Cole! What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Studying,” I said, holding Eva’s gaze.
Violetta narrowed her eyes then began packing up my books while the girls tried to figure out how to evict me without causing a scene.
“He can stay,” Eva breathed. They didn’t hear her over their hubbub, but she slid into the seat beside me. “Don’t be a dick,” she murmured before opening her textbook and getting to work.
My heart thudded unevenly, embarrassingly, with relief. I’d expected her to throw a temper tantrum.
The girls settled around us, surprising me with their studiousness. I hadn’t realized that they genuinely studied here instead of simply hanging out until class started.
One by one, they packed up to go to class until it was just Eva, Katie, and me. Katie eyed her watch with misgiving.
“Go to your class,” Eva said quietly to Katie. “I’ll be fine.”
Katie’s lips twisted in frustration, clearly not pleased to be leaving her friend.
“The woman said go,” I repeated, my lips curling in cruel amusement.
Forty-five minutes later, Eva packed her books up. I followed suit, not saying a word as she stepped toward the stairs, only to wrap my arm around her waist and shove her down an aisle of stacks.
“Cole, what are you doing?” she whispered. “I have to get to class.”
“You’ve got time,” I murmured, walking her backward through the stacks until she had nowhere else to go.
She shoved against me, but she was too small, too weak, and I knew what I wanted—a taste of my girl.
My hands shook as I lifted her tote from her shoulder. She knew what was coming. I could see it in the rapid pulse at her throat, in how she pressed her thighs together even as she pressed backward into the wall.
“Cole, don’t do this,” she said. “You’re engaged.” The hurt in her voice tore through the jagged wound in my heart.
I ignored her, rubbing my cheek against hers and inhaling her citrus and vanilla scent.
Fuck, I’d missed touching her. Every time she flinched away from my touch, only to unconsciously lean back in, I wanted to gather her close and never let go.
To protect her and possess her. To earn back her trust while making her submit.
The contradiction of it all was driving me fucking insane.
I dropped careful kisses down her jaw then down her neck, until I got to the collar of her cashmere sweater, one Tristan and I had bought for her.
I traced the fingers of my free hand down her stomach and then up the layers of clothing until my palms rested against her stomach.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” I murmured in her ear before cupping her breast with my hand as if weighing it, then teasing the nipple through the lace of her bra—another one of our purchases.
Eva’s body betrayed her—her nipples hardened under my touch, her thighs trembled, and when I pressed closer, she unconsciously arched into me before catching herself and trying to pull away.
Fuck, it was hot when she wore what we’d bought her. I lifted her breast out of the cup, and Eva moaned.
“Shhh, sparrow,” I breathed as I played with her breast, marveling at her softness before shifting so one of my thighs pressed between hers.
“Cole, don’t,” she protested. “I don’t want this. Don’t cheat on her with me. I couldn’t bear it.” Her voice broke. Fuck.
“She doesn’t mean anything,” I said then cursed at what a douche I sounded like.
Eva scoffed as I shoved up her sweater, revealing the tank top she wore underneath, marveling at the shadow of her nipples visible through the white cotton. I lowered my mouth to one, sucked hard through the fabric, then teased her with my teeth, worrying the taut nub until she cried out.
“Good girl. Let me know how much you don’t want this.”
“I don’t want— I—”
“I know I haven’t earned your trust,” I breathed against her skin, shifting my thigh to grind against her pussy, her heat burning into me through the thin layers between us.
She’d worn that plaid skirt I fucking couldn’t get enough of, and I couldn’t wait to dive between her thighs and see how wet she was.
“Cole—”
“I need you,” I whispered, half hoping she couldn’t hear my confession. “I wish I could undo every stupid fucking thing I did from the moment I caught you in Coach’s office. I wish I’d never blackmailed you. I wish I’d earned your trust instead of forcing you into a relationship. I wish—”