“Speaking of my brother,” she says with absolutely no shame. “He said that Cole’s been reading a lot.”
More carefully this time, I take a sip of my coffee. A puff of heat hits my face, making the stray hairs at my temples flutter. I’m honestly surprised it took her this long to mention Cole. The woman has not been shy about telling me she thinks we’re perfect together.
I’m worried that I’ll accidentally admit that Cole’s the sexiest man I’ve ever seen, and that’ll send her straight to the internet, where she’ll use some program that takes individual photos of us and morphs them in a way that swears it’s what our children will look like.
“Hmm,” I say, keeping my tone even. “Good for him.”
“Oh come on.” She slumps back in her seat. “You’ve got to give mesomething.”
“There’s nothing going on with Cole and me. We’re just friends.”
I’ve used that phrase at least twenty times in the past week, since neither she nor Kennedy will leave me alone about it. If I had juicy details to divulge, I’d be more than happy to share, but Cole and I are friends. That’s it. And the more I remind myself of that truth, the more apt I am to believe it.
“Either admit you like Cole or promise me you’ll look into a writing class,” she says with a sneaky grin.
Apprehension swirls in my stomach. “You weren’t this diabolical when we first met.”
Sophie clinks her coffee cup against mine, sealing the deal. “You’re welcome.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
maya
The sprayof the hot water kneads my sore muscles, pulling an unbridled groan from my lips. I soap my body, digging my fingers into my overworked muscles to rid them of any lingering tension.
Once a month, I take inventory and do a major restocking, which means lifting and carrying tons of boxes. I thought hiking up and down the stairs of my building would’ve prepped me better for the exertion, but my muscles don’t appreciate the strain.
As I run my soapy hands over my chest, I can’t help but imagine it’s Cole’s rough fingers plucking at my nipples.Fuck. Friends most definitely do not do this, but in the privacy of my own shower, I let myself live out the fantasy. If he wanted a casual situation that involved hot, heavy sex, I’d be more than down, but he wants adate. And that’s dangerous. Cole Berrett is a genuinely sweet guy who asks me questions and remembers even the smallest details and is reading alien smut just because I teased him into it. That’s marriage material, and I’m… not sure what to do with that. Turning people away is an emotional reflex for me. It saves me from having to deal with the fallout when they eventually walk away. But so far, Cole is sticking like that extra-sticky Gorilla glue from Home Depot.
With a huff, I force my hands from my breasts and run them through my hair, washing out the conditioner. I need to stop fantasizing about Cole and have a date with my vibrator instead. Once I’ve turned the shower off, I tighten the fluffy white towel around my body and assess myself in the mirror. I bite back a sigh, cursing the winter weather for making my skin so pale. Though I suppose it’s better than looking like an Oompa-Loompa, which is what happened when I let Kennedy give me an at-home spray tan.Never, ever again.
My phone rings on the counter, so I snatch it and accept the call without looking at the display.
It’s a mistake.
“You answered,” a familiar voice says. “Does that mean you forgive me?”
Shit.
“Do I forgive you for cheating on me, Josh? No. For some weird reason, I do not.”
My ex lets out a dramatic sigh. “C’mon, babe. I told you it was an accident.”
My hackles raise and my free hand clenches, like I’m the kind of person who’d ever actually punch someone.Lord, give me strength. “Right. Please tell me how one’s dick accidentally slips into someone? I’m dying to know.”
“She meant nothing,” he continues, as if this factoid is supposed to make me feel better. “Why can’t we just move on? All couples have their issues. Let’s just work through this. Please?”
I bite back a scoff. Did I enjoy spending time with Josh? Sure. But he’s certainly not irreplaceable. And I’m sure as hell not interested in giving him another chance when he so epically broke my trust the first time around.
“An issue is when a couple can’t agree on where to go for dinner. What you did is an entirely different problem.” I cannot believe I’m even entertaining this conversation.
Though I can admit that it’s doused all the desire that swirled in my belly while I was in the shower.
“But I miss you.”
Tucking my towel tightly beneath my armpits, I take a calming breath. “That sounds like a you problem. Listen. We’re done. I shouldn’t have to keep repeating myself to get my point across. Please just stop texting and calling. You’re only making it harder on yourself.”
“But—”
