I grimaced. “You make a valid point.”
I had thought that there may have been some kind of awkwardness with the four of us spending the afternoon together, but there hadn’t been.
Not at all.
Quinn had been genuinely interested to find out what had happened between Colt and me, and if anything, she was eager for him to move on.
She already had, after all.
Colt had seemed to cope being around Quinn and Harrison just fine. The two of them had gotten more comfortable showing affection in front of him as the day wore on and I’d even noticed Colt smiling when Harrison had whispered something in Quinn’s ear and made her blush like a school girl. It was a massive transformation from the Colt I’d witnessed in their presence on Friday night.
“It was good.” He smiled out the window. “I missed feeling like this.”
“Like what?” I asked softly, studying him as he spoke.
“Happy... you know, content,” he answered after a beat. “I got so caught up in the hurt and the... I guess you could say betrayal.” He nodded. “Yeah, I definitely felt betrayed, by both of them.”
His confession damn near broke my heart.
“Anyway, I was so caught up in it, I couldn’t see it... I couldn’t see how good they were together. I couldn’t get over myself long enough to realize it wasn’t their fault that they came into each other’s lives when they did. If they’d met six months earlier it would have been an entirely different story.”
“It’s hard to find perspective when you’re hurting,” I told him sympathetically.
He nodded in agreement. “And I guess the fact that I can see it now is testament to the fact that I’m finally over it.”
“I’m glad.”
“It’s a lot to do with you, you know that, right?” He shot me a smile before looking back at the road.
I was overjoyed at the knowledge that meeting me had helped Colt to kick-start his life again, but I was also worried.
What happens when I leave...
I must have had my thoughts written all over my face.
“What’s wrong?” he probed.
“I’m just worried you’ve replaced one hurt with what will eventually become another.”
He reached for my hand and pulled it into his lap.
“It’s not like that at all, when I say you helped me move on, it’s because you helped me see that Quinn wasn’t right for me. You pulled me away long enough for me to finally see that I was holding on to something that never really existed.”
I just looked at him with wide eyes.
“It’s not that I’ve replaced her with you, Lex, you’ve just helped me to see that there’s more out there for me than what I thought there was.”
My heart soared at his confession.
Is he talking about me?
“But where does that leave us when I go back home?” I asked quietly.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But we’ll figure that out when the time comes,” he promised.
I’ve never been very good at leaving things to the unknown.
“But seriously, Colt, I think we both know it’s going to hurt... and I’ve accepted that, it’s worth it to spend the time with you.” I sighed. “I just can’t figure out a way to avoid it.”
“I’m scared too,” he replied quietly. “Let’s just give it some time,” he suggested. “See how these few days go, and then we can talk about it. But I think it’s pretty safe to assume I’m open to almost anything when it comes to you, Lexie.”
I fiddled with the zip on my jacket.
He was right. There was no point in getting ahead of ourselves – worrying about things that might not even matter.
“Okay,” I agreed. “I can live with that.”
He reached for my hand and pulled it up to his lips, placing a chaste kiss on my knuckles.
“Colt?” I asked, as he drove us through the quiet streets.
“Yeah?” he answered, squeezing my hand at the same moment.
“Do you think it’s too weird... that you’ve, you know... slept with one of my best friends?”
It was a question I thought I should ask him too. I’d asked Quinn, but Colt and I hadn’t spoken about it since the first night at his club. It wasn’t that it bothered me, even though it probably should have... and it wasn’t as though I actively thought about it; I seemed to be able to ignore it as though it had never really happened. Even so, it needed to be discussed.
The thought of Colt with anyone but me made me feel surprisingly jealous, but no more so because it was Quinn than it would if it were any other woman.
He was quiet for a moment, obviously thinking through his answer.
“You know what I think?” he finally said.
“What?” I replied quietly, feeling slightly worried about what he might say.
“I think that it was meant to be like this.”
His response shocked me, but I didn’t get a chance to reply before he carried on.
“Sure, it might have been easier If Quinn had just met Harrison before she’d met me, and if I had met you before I’d met her... but that’s not the way life works sometimes.”
He paused for a moment, thinking it through.
“I think it’s all just stepping stones. I was Quinn’s stepping stone on her way to finding Harrison... and she was my stepping stone on my way to finding you.”
His words gave me tingles.
He laughed lightly. “Maybe I’m just a sap.” He shrugged. “But I like to think that everything happens for a reason.”
I was so far gone over this man, I couldn’t even think of a reply.
14. Colt
“Remind me how the hell we forgot this bloody thing again?” I called out as I entered my apartment with the morning-after pill I’d just retrieved from my car.
The truth was, I knew exactly how we’d forgotten.
After leaving Harrison’s, I’d attempted to drive us around town, to show Lexie some of the sights. I’d even suggested another driving lesson, but it was a total waste of time. We only had eyes for each other. It was a struggle to even keep my eyes on the road with her sitting right next to me, giving me seductive looks.
I’d pulled the pin on the tour and the minute we’d parked in the underground parking area of my building, Lex was on me. I didn’t know when she’d unbuckled, but the second I had the key out of the ignition she’d been right there in my lap, her gaze hot and urgent.
It had taken every inch of my self-control to not take her right there and then, but it was a public garage and exhibitionism wasn’t exactly my thing. In fact, the thought of someone seeing Lexie like that made my blood boil.
The morning-after pill was long forgotten as we’d hurried upstairs and spent the rest of the night naked, tangled up in one another.
Lexie made me forget everything.
“Well I don’t know about you... but my mind was on other things.” Lex purred as she strolled out into the living room wearing nothing but my shirt. She’d claimed it as her own on her first night and I didn’t have any intentions of ever getting it back.
My t-shirts have officially become our t-shirts.
She shot me a suggestive smirk as she approached.
I swallowed deeply, my throat suddenly dry. There was just something about this woman. She had this aura of innocence – a kind of purity about her, but she was sexy as sin at the same time.
She drove me wild with desire. It didn’t seem to matter how many times I had her, it was never enough – last night was testament to that, because even though we’d been at it half the night, here I was, getting hard again at the very sight of her.
“You’re a terrible influence.” I groaned as she pressed her tight little body up against mine. She was bare under my shirt and it wasn’t helping me focus.
“Who, me?” she teased with a sexy pout.
My eyes traced the curve of her lips as her tongue darted out to moisten them.
Shit.
She bit down on her bottom lip and my mind turned to mush.
“Food,” I mumbled. “Energy,” I blurted out.
What the hell am I trying to say?
Lexie giggled. “Are you hungry, babe?”
I’m hungry alright. But not just for food...
My stomach growled in protest of my thoughts. My body needed fuel. We’d forgotten to eat last night entirely – that’s how we’d missed the pill.
Lex giggled again. “Food it is. I gotta take care of my man now, don’t I?”
She turned and breezed into the kitchen, her sexy legs on full display.
I stood stock still, gawking like a fool at the woman who was slowly making me question every single priority I had.
Right now, all I saw was her.
I’d be her man every damn day of the week.
***
“Do you need to rest or something now?” I asked her with poorly concealed concern lacing my voice.
She’d finally taken the morning-after pill, and I had to admit, there was a tiny pang of sadness watching it go down.
A baby in her belly would have ensured this woman would be in my life forever.
Dial down the crazy, man; dial that shit riiiiggghhhtt down...
It’s done now and it’s for the best.
I was worried about how the medication might make her feel. I’d searched online for the side effects while she was in the pharmacy yesterday, and I didn’t like what I saw.
Headaches, nausea, vomiting, cramps, dizziness...
My palms started sweating at the thought of her being unwell. I rubbed them on my jeans and tried to stay calm. The last thing she needed on top of all of that crap was stress.
“I’m fine,” she reassured me.
I frowned at her and opened my mouth to spurt off the side effects I’d already informed her of.
“I know, Dr. Google, I know I might get sick, but right now, I’m fine. So, let’s go do something fun.” She pushed her chair back and it made that awful scraping noise against the flooring.
I shuddered.
She scooped up our plates and giggled at my grimace.
We’d fallen into an easy habit where one of us would cook and the other would clean up after. Although most of the time we both found ourselves in the kitchen watching the other one work, as neither of us really wanted to be too far away from each other.
“You really hate that noise don’t you?” she mused.
I leaned back and threw an arm over the back of my chair, watching her every movement with a fascination that went way beyond a man watching a woman doing the dishes. “Doesn’t everyone?”
“I dunno.” She shrugged. “But I like knowing that you hate it.”
I chuckled. “You some kind of sadist, Lexie Chase?”
She slid the plates into the dishwasher and her sweet laughter rang out through the room. “I meant so I could avoid doing it, you nut bar. I like learning about what you like and dislike.” She shrugged and loaded some of the ingredients we’d used to make the omelets back into the fridge. “And not so that I can punish you,” she added with a giggle.
“Good to know,” I drawled, a smirk on my face. I knew what she meant. I got a little thrill every time I learned something new about her too. I loved knowing that she put her socks and shoes on, sock, shoe, sock, shoe, rather than sock, sock, shoe, shoe like I did.
It was the stupid little nothings that meant the most.
She bent down and my shirt rose up even higher on her thighs, revealing the bottom of her butt cheeks.
I groaned.
This woman was literally trying to kill me.
“I think you should put some pants on,” I suggested, my eyes glued firmly to the curve of her ass.
“And why is that?” She smirked, clearly enjoying teasing me.
“Because you need another driving lesson, and if you stay here looking like that, we’ll never make it out of this apartment.”
She stood up straight and the shirt dropped lower, covering her again. She had a devious smirk in her eye. She wandered over towards the doorway, knowing full well that my attention was entirely on her.
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” she asked as she turned and leaned against the door fame, her eyebrow raised and her pose sexy as hell.
God, I wanted her so badly, but my body needed a break. It felt like I’d had more sex in the past few days than I’d ever had in my entire life.
She laughed lightly, apparently able to read my thoughts now and shrugged. “Oh well, there’s always later.”
She swayed her hips down the hall, and I nearly fell off my chair leaning out to watch her.
Oh hell yes, later it is.
15. Lexie
“Seriously, woman, not so heavy on the gas,” Colt hissed as he braced his hands on the dashboard.
“Sorry!” I squeaked.
I tried to press more lightly on the pedal this time, but the car still lurched forwards again.
Fail.
I slammed my foot down on the brake and nearly gave us both whip-lash as it came to a screaming halt.
I grimaced as I turned slowly to look at the only man that had ever been brave enough to get into a car with me twice.
Colt took a deep breath and released the death grip he had on the handle of the door.
“I really thought you’d be better this time.” His words sounded like an apology.
I stared at him before bursting out laughing. “I’m sorry,” I choked out between giggles. “I’m so terrible.”
He’d joined me laughing. “I’m sorry, babe, but you really are the worst.” He shook his head. “I don’t think you’re teachable.”
“I tried to tell you,” I insisted, wiping the tears of laughter from the corners of my eyes. “My dad swore he was never getting in the car with me ever again after the first time, I nearly wrapped us around a lamp post.”
“Maybe I should consider myself lucky then.” He winced.
“Maybe you should do the driving from now on?”
“It pains me to give up on you like this, but I think that might be wise.”
“Consider it self-preservation.” I snickered.
He barked out a laugh. “Let’s go do something that won’t get us both killed.”
***
“There is no way I’m spending precious time with you, shopping.”
“Please?” I pouted, giving him the puppy-dog eyes I knew he couldn’t resist.
“What’s wrong with my apartment?” he grumbled.
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” I cooed, like I was talking to a small child. “It just needs a few touches.”
“What kind of touches?” he huffed as he let me drag him into the homeware section of the store.
“Some throw rugs, maybe a few cushions.” I pointed out some things on display, but didn’t stop. “Ooooh what about a print for the wall?”
He groaned and tugged me back against his body. “I’m not feeling tired anymore.” He ground his hips against mine suggestively in what he must have known was a futile attempt to get out of the store.
I just laughed and kissed his lips. “Cute, babe, but you’re not getting out of it that easy.” I peeled his hands off my hips and tugged him along behind me again. “C’mon, we’ll have the bachelor pad feel slapped right out of that place in no time.”
***
Colt was now the proud new owner of several cushions, two throws, a floor rug, some framed prints and a variety of pointless knick-knacks that he’d shaken his head at. I’d even managed to convince him to buy a new cover for the duvet on his bed, complete with matching pillows.
He’d grumbled and groaned about eighty percent of the time, but I think, secretly, he had actually enjoyed himself. He certainly seemed more than happy with the finished product.
“It does feel more like a home now,” he mused as he looked around the room.
“See? I told you it would make a difference,”
I boasted from my spot on the couch.
“It’s not the cushions.” He laughed lightly. “It’s you.” His expression turned serious. “You make this place a home.”
My breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t handle it when he talked like that. He had this unique ability to turn my insides to jelly.
I knew I was blushing, again. I don’t think I’d blushed as much in my entire life as I had these past few days with him. He made me feel things no one else ever had, and I doubted ever would.
“You make me feel like I’m home,” I replied in a whisper.
He didn’t say another word. He sauntered towards me, sexy as anything I’d ever seen, and lifted me clear off the couch and into his arms.
I clamped my legs around his waist and looked right into his golden eyes that were full of heat and passion.
He walked us down the hall and into his bedroom, kicking the door shut as he went. I could feel the pull of his strong muscles under my hands and god, it felt so good.
There was no better place to be than in Colt’s arms, he made me feel so safe and protected, like nothing bad would ever happen to me while he was around.
He turned and sat himself on the edge of his bed, so I was in his lap, straddling him. The look in his eyes was so tender... so loving. I could have spent all day looking into those eyes.
There was something else in there too, right now he was worried. I could see that he was waging a battle within his mind about us, about what would happen... what we would do after this magical time together was over.
I knew, because I was facing the same thing in my own head.
I can’t do this right now.
“Lexie, I need...”
“Shhh,” I cut him off, placing a finger softly to his lips.
He looked at me in question.
“Right now, I just need you,” I whispered. “Please,” I begged. “Just let us have this moment.”
He nodded and tugged me in closer before his lips met mine.
16. Colt
Shit, shit, SHIT.
I wasn’t entirely sure how I’d managed to get myself in this situation. The only explanation I had was that Lexie had me so distracted I’d forgotten about the life I had before she arrived.
Love like Yours Series Box Set: Books 1 - 4 Page 75
