He walks across the room, picking up a thick brown robe hanging from the back of his bathroom door. 揧ou want a fresh robe??
I smile. 揃ecause that looks less suspicious than just wearing your shirt??
Grumbling, he pokes his head into his living room of a walk-in closet, scanning around for anything else.
I pull his shirt over me and start for the door, but he grabs my waist and stops me.
揗an, you抮e making it hard to leave.?
揟oo bad,?he throws back, kissing my neck, running his tongue up my throat.
Giddy, I look up at him, playfully pushing him away.
His mouth darts against mine for good measure. 揙ne more before you抮e gone. If people wouldn抰 talk, fuck, I抎 keep you here for breakfast.?
God. How many times can he ruin me in one night?
I feel like champagne, shaken and fizzy and light. Ready to foam over the edge if I don抰 get some space to start dissipating this crazy energy.
But then he says, 揑 promise this isn抰 the end. In case you wondered.?
揘o,?I lie, his eyes searching mine.
揘ext time, I抣l take longer undressing you. Just didn抰 want you freezing.?
揟here抯 going to be a next time??I ask, steeling myself.
揇amn right,?he says with a grin, and then his face straightens. 揜ight??
Oh, crap. Is Cole Lancaster nervous?
This time, I answer him with a kiss.
My tongue delves in his mouth, lingering, tracing his, wishing next time was right freaking now.
But I抦 glad he urges me away gently, opening the door, his hand pressed to the small of my back as he shepherds me out of the room.
I step into another world made of rainbow emotions, wearing only his t-shirt and a bright confidence I抳e never felt before.
14
Coffee For Your Head （Cole）
I, Cole Lancaster, am a royal asshole.
I freely admit it.
I kissed Eliza and avoided her for days rather than talking about it like a normal human being.
Then, instead of admitting I lost my head and have no idea what it means, I dragged her into my bed.
I fucked her without shame or mercy or common sense梐nd I enjoyed every scalding second of it.
Now, there抯 a whole hell of a lot more to talk about.
The brain meltdown could rival Chernobyl, and I still don抰 want to talk.
I want to ravage her again, tangle her around me, whisper filthy promises, and watch her stare at me with fuck-me eyes I don抰 deserve.
Of course, she just has to be a hellcat in the sheets.
So shy at first, and then wild enough to need taming.
She抯 delicate and needy and so goddamned good for me she抯 bad. Like any helpless addict, I抦 already jonesing for another hit, and ready to throw the consequences to the wind.
揅ole, you with me? Does that sound good??Troy reaches across the table with a dimpled grin and flicks me between the eyes.
揂h, fuck you,?I mutter, swatting his hand away.
He laughs like it抯 the funniest thing he抯 ever done.
揇o that again, and you抮e fired,?I snap.
揌ad to get your attention somehow. It worked, didn抰 it??He settles back in his seat with an assessing glance. 揝o, the price lock for the Winthrope proposal. You sure you抮e good with decoupling from fair market value for those beans??
揧eah. It抯 only for five years.?It takes too long to remember Brock Winthrope wanting a price guarantee on the peaberry beans being supplied to his resorts.
I need to get my shit together.
Too many people抯 futures are on the line for errors, and errors are all too likely when I抦 painfully consumed by Eliza.
揧ou seem distracted. Everything okay??Troy studies my face.
I can抰 help but smile. I抦 better than I抳e felt in years.
揧eah. I抦 good, and so is Dess.?
揧ou look different. Almost like a man who抯 waking up with a reason to smile again梠r is it waking up with someone??he asks excitedly.
揘one of your business,?I bite off.
揑s it Miss Electric??
His moronic nickname makes me cringe, even if I can抰 deny the current Eliza jolts through my soul.
Plus, I抳e known this man since I was nineteen. He doesn抰 give up easily.
揘ot appropriate. How many times do I have to tell you, Troy? She works for me. For us. Lay off of her and my damn sex life while you抮e at it.?
He rolls his eyes, throwing his hands up in the air.
揝omebody抯 touchy.?He lowers his voice. 揂nd somebody definitely got laid.?
Christ.
My look could cut him open from his balls to his chin.
Before I can lay into him again, the door to my library office swings open.
揇addy, there抯 a bunch of turtles up the beach! Want to check them out??Destiny stands there with a golden tan, her coral-pink shades already pulled over her eyes.