“Chances are I’ll be out of town anyway. I won’t even know.”
“I highly doubt that. Have you seen how messy I am?”
“Clumsy, maybe. But you’re not messy.”
“That’s because I’m being good. Let me stay, and that might all change.”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“Well, I appreciate it.”
“Just let me know when you have plans in town, and I’ll make sure the guest room is ready for you.”
What the hell are you doing, Cole?
As if it isn’t bad enough that she spends her days in your kitchen. You don’t need her in your guest room as well.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she says as she undoes her seat belt and hooks her purse over her shoulder.
“Wait,” I say quickly as she reaches for the door handle.
I throw my door open and climb out so I can do it for her.
As she stands to her full height in front of me, she stares up into my eyes and asks a question that has my heart jumping into my throat.
“Which one of your parents taught you to be such a gentleman?”
My eyes bounce between hers. The truth is dancing on the tip of my tongue.
I don’t talk about my former years with anyone. It’s all in the past now, where it belongs.
So why do I suddenly feel so compelled to tell her everything I went through all those years ago?
“Neither,” I say, letting just a small part of the truth free.
“Well, whoever it was must be pretty incredible. You’re one of a kind, Cole Hansley.”
Time stops as we stand there staring at each other.
My heart races and my blood heats as desire courses through me.
I haven’t felt such a strong urge to kiss a woman in…well…maybe ever.
It’s because you can’t have her,a little voice says.
She’s off-limits, and that makes you want her more.
“Good night, Cole,” Freya finally whispers, her soft voice floating through the air like a promise I can’t quite catch.
“Good night, Whirlwind.”
Her lips part as if she’s about to ask about the nickname, but she obviously thinks better of it, because she takes a step back and rushes toward her parents’ house.
I tell myself to be good, to walk around to the driver’s side and take off the moment I know she’s safe, but I can’t make myself do it. Instead, I stand there frozen to the spot, my eyes locked on her ass, aware that her father is probably watching me eye-fuck his daughter from a window.
It’s not until she turns around once she has the front door open that I snap out of my trance and force my feet to move.
Goddamn it, Cole. You only have yourself to blame for this.
