“Yeah, the first was eating you out on my island. Hottest thing I’ve ever seen and done. Hands down.”
My face burns bright red as I imagine what we might have looked like in those moments.
I’m never going to look at his counter the same way again.
“I meant what I said earlier. If I can have your taste on my tongue every single day, I’ll be a very happy man.”
“You’re crazy,” I muse.
“Yeah, crazy about you,” he confesses before he kisses me.
We don’t come up for air until the elevator dings to say we’ve reached our destination and the doors have been open for a good few minutes.
“I can’t wait to peel this dress off you,” he groans in my ear.
A little anxiety twists in my stomach. It’s been some time since anyone has seen me naked. And I’d be lying if I said I had the same body confidence I once did. I lost my curves after the breakup, and I’m still working on getting them back. But Cole hasn’t once given me a reason to think he cares that I’m a little thinner than I’d like to be. That my hip bones and ribs stick out a little more than they used to, and that my ass isn’t as round.
Sucking in as much confidence as I can muster, I slide my hand into his and allow him to lead me out of the elevator and down the hallway toward his apartment.
We’re about halfway there when a door closes ahead of us. I don’t think anything of it. Just because we’ve never seen anyone else up here since the elevator went down, it doesn’t mean the apartments are empty.
I keep my eyes locked on Cole’s shoulder muscles rippling and pulling as he races ahead of me; I don’t even register that someone is in the hallway with us until I hear his voice.
“Good evening.”
The words rip through me like a point-blank shot, and my blood runs cold.
“Hey,” Cole responds, having no idea who he’s talking to.
But I do.
I don’t need to look up to know who is standing before me.
“Evening,” a soft female voice joins.
A laugh almost tumbles out of me.
Of course, he’s with a woman.
I’m not jealous. I really don’t care. It’s just a reminder of what he did the moment he cast me aside without a second thought. Cole continues, but my legs have stopped. Panic has me frozen, even though I know it’ll make everything worse.
“Freya, wha—” Cole turns back to look at me, concern written across his face.
I stare at him with wide eyes, silently begging for him to get me out of this hallway and away from this entire situation.
I knew it was inevitable. Bumping into him has been on my mind all night. But I thought it would be at the club, or some other promotional event. Not in Cole’s freaking hallway.
I swallow thickly, but despite trying to find words, they just dry up.
“Whoa, Freya?” Rowan says, having closed the space between us all. “It’s been a while, huh?” It’s as if we’re long-lost friends.
I grit my teeth and turn to look at him.
He looks…well, awful, if I’m being honest.
His eyes are dark, his cheeks are sunken, his lips thin.
And tucked under his arm is an incredibly beautiful woman. A little recognition flickers in the depths of my brain, but I can’t put the pieces together. I’m too busy spiraling out of control.
