Chapter 10
Cole
Ididn’t see Oakley the day after that phone call. Or rather the day of because she’d called in the early hours. She spent the day shopping with her mum and then had dinner with her grandparents. We spoke on the phone and texted, but it wasn’t the same.
She’d been on my mind all day, making concentrating on anything other than the hardness in my jeans impossible. I had to take care of myself three times yesterday, her breathy moan on repeat as I came.
As soon as it turned one o’clock, I left the office and made my way to the diner where Oakley had informed me we were meeting for lunch.
Tomorrow, Max’s trial was going to start. I would only be working a half-day, so I could spend the rest of it with her.
I parked outside the diner, smiling like an idiot when I saw her already sitting at a table inside. I opened the car door, but instead of getting out, I sat for a moment, staring at her, enjoying seeing her completely unaware that I was looking.
Her long blonde hair fell down her back in big, loose curls. I fucking loved it when she curled her hair. I could still feel the silky strands between my fingers.
My heart stuttered as she bit her bottom lip, waiting for me.
I realised I was nervous to see her again.
Something had changed since our phone call in the dead of night.
“You’re early,” I said when I eventually made it inside and sat down.
“Sorry. I’ll go away for a bit, shall I?”
“That’s rather theatrical,” I said, shaking my head when she handed me the menu. “I already know what I’m having.”
“Let me guess. Cheeseburger and chips?”
I smirked. “No, actually, I’m having the chicken salad.”
“You’re going to have to go through with that now or I’ll know you were lying.”
Damn.
“You can always admit I know you that well and have the burger.”
“I’m having the salad.” And stopping at McDonald’s on the way back to work.
“Great. I’m having the burger.”
“Of course, you are,” I said, resigned to being tormented.
It made me hard.
Ten minutes later, a plate of shit was placed in front of me while Oakley received a large cheeseburger and chips.
Why did I always have to win? This felt very much like a loss.
Oakley popped a chip in her mouth. “Mmm, so good.”
“You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “You have no idea how much. Don’t forget your tomato.”
“If you’re not careful, I’m going to throw it at you.”
And then, inevitably, she broached the event looming on the horizon. “So, you’re coming over at one tomorrow?”
“Yep, unless I can get off any earlier,” I reassured her.
Just as abruptly as she’d brought it up, she shut down the topic.
“How’s your lettuce?”
“Shit. Give me a chip.”
Taking pity on me, she dropped a handful on top of my salad. I wasn’t opposed to healthy shit really. I just thought it belonged on the side of something else… like a big juicy burger.
“So, you going to call me again to talk about getting naked?” I asked, leaning against my car, once we were outside the restaurant waiting for Jasper to pick her up.
A blush crept up her neck. “Shut up.”
Trying not to laugh, I placed my hands on the glass on either side of her body. Her eyelids fluttered as she looked up into my eyes.
“You don’t want me to shut up. I can tell by the way you’re looking at me. By the way you push your body flush with mine.”
Her lips parted as I held her closer. She gripped a fistful of my shirt, and I had to remind myself that we were in a public place.
“What if I don’t just want to talk about getting naked?” she whispered.
My heart hammered in my chest. Every single part of my body was screaming out for her.
I pressed my forehead to hers, both of us panting with the need to strip off and make each other come. “Then, let’s get out of here.”
Oakley grinned and ran her finger along my bottom lip.
Self-control, Cole. You’re not alone.
My eyes wandered down to her full lips. There was nothing I wanted more in the world than to kiss her. I was so fucking crazy about her it was unreal.
“Thing is, I’m not that easy,” she said, pushing my chest away from her with her hands, making me stumble back.
I closed my eyes, breathing through my nose. “That wasn’t nice. You need to make it up to me… and not with ice cream.”
“Bet I can guess what you want.”
I pulled her back into my arms, and she giggled. “Me. You. Bed. Whipped cream.”
She laughed again, feebly pretending to push me away, but her nails curled into my skin, holding me there. “Whipped cream would get sticky.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” I said, running my hand down her back.
She traced her index finger along the collar of my shirt, and I shuddered at the sensation that ran through my entire body, igniting every nerve.
“Jasper’s here,” she said.
“Hands,” Jasper growled.
Oh, fuck off!
Oakley ducked her head, blushing. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Okay, hurry up and finish the flirting because we need to go.”
I didn’t want to.
“See you later, Cole. Thanks for lunch.”
Oakley’s eyes were tight with stress as I pulled up outside Ali’s house the following morning. She stomped towards me with a clear, single purpose—to get away from whatever had been going on inside.
“What’s wrong?” I asked once she got into my car and slammed the door, rocking it on the wheels.
“If I don’t leave now, I’m going to kill them both, I swear!” She took a deep breath. “And, new rule: don’t ask me if I’m okay.”
The trial had started. It bothered me more than I could ever verbalise, so it must’ve been killing her.
“I take it you’ve heard that a lot today.”
“Every five seconds. If I left the room for longer than a minute, one of them would follow me and ask how I was.” She laid her head back against the seat, the tension ebbing from her shoulders.
“It’s only because they care.”
“I know it is, but it drives me crazy. Can we change the subject? How was work?”
“Fine.”
“That’s what you used to say when your mum asked how school was. I thought you liked your job?”
I did until you came back. “Just had other things on my mind.”
“I would ask what those things were, but I have a feeling I’ll have to tell you to behave yourself again.”
I pulled out onto the road. “Smart girl.”
But it was more about the trial than wanting her right now. Though, that desire never went away.
“Do you have the room measurements?”
With no chain, the house purchase was going through fast. The market was slow at the moment, so my solicitor wasn’t overrun with work. I could be a homeowner in as little as another four or five weeks.
“Yep. Ready to be bored to death in a carpet shop?”
“Yep,” she replied.
I had a feeling this was about getting out and taking her mind off today… and not committing murder.
The shop smelled of new carpet and being broke. How fucking much per metre?
Samples of different pile and colours were everywhere. How the hell were you supposed to choose? There must have been a hundred different shades of each colour.
“This is going to be so boring,” I said.
She took my hand and pulled me to the first stack. “Pick.”
I didn’t want to, couldn’t be bothered with this when the sale was still weeks off, but this wasn’t about me, and it wasn’t about my house.
So, I sucked it up, taking her to furniture shops and DIY stores. We had paint samples and charts. I’d chosen a brown, soft leather sofa, and a dining table.
Oakley threw herself in to all of it, wanting to organise everything weeks before I had anywhere to put it. With every shop we’d gone in, she lost a little more of that tension. The distraction hard worked.
“Are you coming in?” she asked once I parked outside Ali’s house after the longest day in history.
“Are you asking?”
“Did that sound like a question?”
“It was a question?”
With a tight jaw, she said, “Come on.”
Now she didn’t have a distraction, the stress had crept back in her eyes.
The house was empty when we got inside. Oakley read a note from Sarah, letting her know they’d all gone to her grandparents again and she could join if she wanted.
Turning to me, she asked, “Pizza?”
“You don’t want to go?”
“Pizza?” she repeated.
“Sounds good.” She tried to walk out of the living room, and I caught her hand. “Stop. I get it, you’re having a rough day, but don’t fucking shut me out, too.”
“I just want…” Averting her eyes, she pulled out of my grip.
How was she angry with me?
“To forget. Isn’t that what we’ve been doing all day?
Or did that not work because no amount of pretending can cover this shit up.
Fuck.” I shoved my hands through my hair as frustration coiled in my stomach.
“If you’re going to push me away, I’m going home.
I can’t stick around for it. You’ll know how that feels. ”
Shit, I was losing control.
Her brow rose. “That was real subtle, Cole. I couldn’t stay.”
“Yeah, I know that’s what you thought.”
“No, that’s what I knew. I had to go, and you couldn’t come. I’m sorry if that didn’t fit the perfect fantasy of how we were supposed to be.”
Well, we were certainly getting down to it now. Good. It needed to be said.
“You never thought of that shit? What was I, something to pass the time?” Red hot anger, pumped through my veins. “Hey, I helped you out and showed you that you could have a normal relationship, ready for the one. Who is he, Oakley, huh? The guy in your fantasy?”
“Oh, that’s bullshit, and you know it!”
I wanted to push more, to keep going, keep pushing that wound until it split open. There was so much… so much that I wanted to say.
“Is it? Because that’s exactly how it felt. I told you I wanted to come, and you said no.”
She sucked in a sharp breath that sounded like pain. “You have no idea how hard that was. You think it didn’t kill me, too?”
“Then, why did you fucking do it?” I shouted, throwing my hands up as the agony of those early days resurfaced with a vengeance.
“I’ve told you why. I’m sorry if you don’t like that explanation.” She breathed heavily, her glassy, tear-filled eyes glaring into mine, and her hands clenched at her sides.
“I’m so fucking angry with you,” I told her.
Taking a step closer, she nodded. “I’m angry at me, too.”
Scratching the back of my neck, I swore, watching her move closer, each step testing how I’d react.
“I’m not going to push you away,” I told her.
“Because you’re not the one who does that.”
I raised a brow. “You said it.”
“You’re tense.”
“You pissed me off.”
“I can tell. Do you want me to leave?”
“That’s a stupid fucking question.”
“You’re swearing a lot,” she said.
“You’ve gotten under my skin. As usual. Why can’t I get over you?”
“You don’t want to.”
She stopped when we were toe-to-toe.
“No, I think I do. Four. Years,” I said.
“Maybe you should start seeing someone else, then,” she said,
Her breath blew across my face. I inhaled, and my stomach clenched. I wanted to grab her and shake her. I wanted to walk out the door and show her how much it hurt to be left.
But, more than anything, I just wanted her to be mine again.
“I tried that.”
“Didn’t work at all?”
I narrowed my eyes. “They weren’t you. I couldn’t even come unless I thought of you. I’m ruined.”
“Cole…”
My eyes slid down to her full lips, and I hardened in my jeans. The blinding desire to take her upstairs was so overwhelming I had to
“Are you still mad?” she asked.
“Yes,” I bit out.
Reaching out, her fingers brushed my neck. I closed my eyes to the sensation, her touch spreading wildfire across my chest.
“Oakley,” I murmured, groaning. Reaching out, I gripped her hips as her mouth replaced her fingers. She planted featherlight kisses to my skin. Then, she ran her hand up my back, and I shuddered at the touch.
Her mouth moved along my jaw, to the corner of my mouth, and my lungs emptied. If I turned my head a centimetre, we’d be kissing.
Gasping, she pulled back, and my eyes flew open.
What?
The front door closed, door slamming. Someone was home.
No. Fucking. Way. Fuck off!
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” I groaned.
Backing up to a respectable distance, she rubbed her mouth, and I hoped she could still feel me on her skin because I could sure as hell feel her.