“Cookie.” He pinches my sides and Iscream with laughter. “Tell me, Cookie.”
“Cole—I—” He lifts my shirt up, giving mea raspberry. “Oh my heck—I think you were a deprived child.” I laugh.
“Say the words, Cookie.” His fingerssnake up my sides.
“I love you, I love you, you’remine—forever.” I breathe between tickles.
Cole stops tickling me. “Mine.” His eyesget dark with desire.
“Yours.” I echo. Cole lowers his head tomine. I wrap a hand around his dangling tie, pulling him closer until his lipstouch mine. Warmth and love spread through my body. I part my lips and ourtongues mate together. Cole’s hands roam over my chest, cupping my breasts.“Take me to bed,” I whisper, breaking our kiss.
Cole looks me over, concern flutteringacross his face. I arch my hips into him. Is he going to make me beg?“Cole…please.”
“You’re sure you feel okay?”
“Yes, it’s just been an awful couple ofdays. You make everything better.”
The elevator dings and before Cole and Ican move,allof my family walk into the villa. They just gape at us,opened mouthed, not saying anything. Cole stands and then helps me up. “How wasshopping?”
My mother turns on her heel, walking backinto her bedroom, Annie following.
“I had a wonderful time at the mobstermuseum.” My grandmother croons, coming down the stairs. “I even bought me amovie.”
“What movie?” I move to the stairs tohelp her the rest of the way down.
“Oh, it’s one I haven’t seen before. It’scalled Public Enemies, with that handsome Johnny Depp and Christen Bale. Let’swatch it, shall we?”
“I’d love to watch it with you, Grandma,”I say as Cole puts in the DVD. My grandma sits in the loveseat, her feetpropped up with her knitting in her lap. Cole takes off his suit coat and tie,laying them on the back of the sofa.
“You can go back to the office if youneed to.”
“No.” He glances upstairs where everyoneis graciously avoiding us. Well, everyone but my grandmother. “I think it’sbetter for me to be here with you. I do have a report that’s coming in, but itcan wait until later.”
“Okay,” I cozy up to Cole and he startsthe movie. Twenty minutes in and my grandma is fast asleep, snoring from theloveseat. Mobster movies hold no interest for me, and Cole has spent most ofthe time checking emails on his phone. I click the movie off, laying my headdown on Cole’s lap. “Cole?”
“What is it, baby?” He asks, gliding hisfingers through my hair.
“Thank you for being here with me. Youmake everything better.”
CHAPTERTWELVE
I let everyone know Cole has planneddinner in one of the private dining rooms again. The only person who evenacknowledges me is my mom. If I had to pick the one person who’d staydisgruntled the longest—it’d be her, but she seems to have gotten over it. Themost talkative person at dinner is my grandmother, who recounts her story ofthe museum to my mom, Cole, and me.
After dinner, Cole leaves with Luke,promising he won’t be too long. My mom and Annie show me the dresses and shoesthey bought. They make Jill and Laura, who are both not speaking to me, try onthe two different dresses.
“I like the longer dress.” My mom staresat Jill, who’s in a cap sleeve navy blue dress that’s covered in lace with afull-length tulle skirt.
“And I like the shorter one,” Annie putsin, and we all look at Laura, who’s wearing the same dress, only with aknee-length skirt.
“They’re kind of puffy.” My grandmareaches her hand out, pushing the fabric of Laura’s dress in. “Oh, and itchy.”
“What do you think, Kate?” My mom looksat me.
“The dresses are pretty, but did theyhave different colors?”
“I thought you approved of the weddingcolors?” Annie huffs, put out.
Uh—I don’t even know what they are, Iwant to say. She nor my mother have consulted me about one thing on thiswedding. “Um—what are they again?”
