I search her face for doubt, for hesitation, and find none. "Do you hear me, Meredith? I do not share. If you're mine, you're mine until the day I die."
She holds my gaze, a soft smile plays in the corner of her mouth. "I heard you the first time, Cole."
"And you're okay with it?"
"I mean, I didn't think you'd go through with the kiss, but here we are." Her fingers start tracing patterns on my shoulder. "Tell me, how long have you wanted this?"
"Since the moment I saw your photo. Since the day I walked into your father's office and realized the photo didn't come close to doing you justice."
Her mouth curves into a full smile. "That long?"
"That long." I run my hands down her sides, feeling the dip of her waist, the flare of her hips. "How long for you?"
"Since you walked through the door. All tall and serious and..." She waves a hand at my general person. "All of this."
I grin at her gesture. "All of what?"
"Don't make me stroke your ego, Farrell. It's already big enough."
"Among other things," I whisper against her ear, enjoying the way she shivers.
"Oh my God." She laughs, shoving at my chest without any real intent to push me away. "I knew you'd be like this."
"Like what?"
"Demanding. Possessive. A tad egoistic."
“ Atad?” I tease, raising an eyebrow. "Having second thoughts?"
"Not a single one."
"For the record, Meredith, I can back up my ego. It's not inflated with hot air."
Instead of answering, she pulls me down for another kiss, this one slower but no less intense. "I've been having extremely inappropriate thoughts about you, Cole. It's about time you caught up."
I laugh against her mouth, my hand sliding to her ass, something I've wanted to do for a long time, and pull her against me. Her mouth forms an 'o' at the bulge in my pants. "I've been having plenty of inappropriate thoughts. I just had the good sense to keep them to myself."
"Until now."
"Until now." I trail kisses along her jaw and bite her earlobe lightly. "Hard to keep anything to myself when you're looking at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you want to climb me like a tree."
She blushes but doesn't deny it. "I've been very subtle."
"About as subtle as a brick through a window."
She gasps in mock outrage. "I have been the picture of professional decorum."
"Says the woman who just ordered me to kiss her."
"That was a momentary lapse in judgment."
"Want me to stop?" I ask, pulling back slightly.
She yanks me back. "Don't you dare."
