“You’re such a pretty little girl,” I told Ella, and pretended to tickle her neck without even touching her, not that she noticed, because she giggled loudly as if I had.
Enzo had said she was his goddaughter but hadn’t specified if she was Cole’s daughter. He was so young. Was it possible he had a kid already? He barely looked twenty.
“Do you have any books for toddlers?” he asked, and it took me a second to notice he was talking to me and not whispering to Enzo.
When I did, I shot up so fast, I nearly knocked the poor guy over.
What’s wrong with you, Sami? Get a grip.
“Sure thing. Follow me,” I mumbled and spun around, practically running toward the kids’ section.
When I finally got the nerve to look behind me, I found only Cole had followed me. He must have noticed my confusion, because he rushed to say, “Cat.”
And it didn’t need further explanation. One of the cats must have paid a visit to Ella, probably even jumped in her stroller to get acquainted with the young human. Probably Lord Bookworm if I knew my cats. Which, I did.
“Ha, I hope you’re ready to leave with one today,” I told him. “Along with your books.”
Cole smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Is it, like, a buy-one-get-one-free deal?”
I laughed.
“No, but that actually sounds good. I’d be out of cats in no time. Although that would make me sad.”
Cole paused and narrowed his eyes.
“So you run a cat shelter, but you don’t want to give them away?”
I shrugged.
“I guess so. It’s hard when you look after them all day every day.”
“So no buy-one-get-one-free deal for me, I suppose.”
“I guess not.” I sighed.
He could take me home with him if he wanted. Though I wasn’t sure what his wife-slash-girlfriend-slash-partner would think of that.
“Ah well. Probably for the best. Honeybee is a terror as it is.”
I cocked my head. “Honeybee?”
“My brother’s lab. She’s a sweetheart really, but she doesn’t need an accomplice.”
I stared into his eyes, struggling to even listen to what he was saying. How could I when his gray eyes were so fucking beautiful, so piercing, so hypnotizing?
He truly was one hell of a man. Did he have any flaws or had every inch of him been graced by Allah?
“Is there something on my face?” he asked, putting his hand on his cheek, and that snapped me out of my daze.
“Huh? What? No. Why?”
He shrugged, his fingers slipping to his lips and staying there as if framing how perfect and plump they were for my benefit.
“N-nothing,” he said, and was it me or did his face turn red?
And just like that, I was enchanted by his charm, forgetting who I was, where I was, and what I was doing.
But he seemed to be just as… taken. Or maybe I was projecting. It wasn’t as if I had any experience with men. As if I’d dated, flirted, or anything. I didn’t know what others saw when they looked at me, but if Cole’s face was anything to go by, it was… good.
