Her growling stomach eventually forced her from her room. The coward in her hoped Cole wouldn’t be around. She needed more time to figure out the best way to deal with her screw up without Cole’s emerald-green gaze scattering her thoughts. She got her wish. She did, however, find someone who may be exactly the right person to talk to.
“Hey, Laurella.”
Calum’s girlfriend looked up from the magazine she was flicking through with a big smile. “Hi.” She patted the seat next to her. “Come, sit. Are you hungry?”
Millie nodded. “Starved.”
Laurella got to her feet. “I’ll make you something.”
Millie gestured for her to sit back down. “You will do no such thing. I’ll do it.”
She rustled up a cheese and ham bagel, even though it still felt awkward to simply help herself to food she hadn’t paid for. Maybe having a discussion about household expenses was her opening gambit for striking up a conversation with Cole. He would undoubtedly disagree that she should contribute, and she could drop in a hint along the lines of her not being his girlfriend or anything. She could laugh, say it jokingly. And then, depending on his reaction, she’d have her answer. It had to be a better approach than blurting out how she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She understood the allure of the bad boy, of course. Jeez, with Calum and Tanner as her history, some may say she was a glutton for punishment. But she’d had enough of that type of guy to last her a lifetime. A man like Cole was just about perfect. How he hadn’t been snapped up by some gorgeous woman was beyond her.
“What are you looking so serious about?”
Startled from her thoughts, Millie lifted her head. “Was I? Sorry.”
Laurella briefly frowned. “Are you going to be okay? Cole mentioned your husband turning up.” A faint blush colored Laurella’s cheeks. “Not that he was gossiping or anything. He was worried, that’s all. We all are.”
Millie gave her a reassuring smile and went to sit beside her on the couch. “Truthfully, if you’d asked me that a few weeks ago, I’d have said no. But now? Yeah, I think I’m going to be okay. In time.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that. I was abused, too.”
Millie’s eyebrows shot up. “By who?”
“A guy I used to work for. Mine was physical abuse, though, not emotional, and while I can’t fully understand what you went through during all those years, I do understand the horrifying feeling of not being in control.”
She didn’t know why she did it. She wasn’t a hugely tactile person but regardless she wrapped her arms around Laurella’s neck, and hugged the other girl to her. “I’m so sorry.”
Laurella’s head bobbed against Millie’s shoulder. It was a few seconds before they broke apart. “You know, Millie, I think you and I are going to become great friends.”
“I hope so.”
She ate her bagel, put the plate in the dishwasher, and went to sit next to Laurella once more.
“Is Cole around?”
Laurella shook her head. “Gone to the gym, and then he mentioned something about heading to the shooting range.”
Millie hesitated. Who knew when the next time would be that she’d get Laurella on her own and have an opportunity to grill her about Cole? “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Why isn’t Cole with anyone?”
Laurella’s lips pressed together in a slight grimace, and her usually bright smile wavered. “Have you asked him?” When Millie shook her head, Laurella patted her hand. “Perhaps you should.”
A sudden thought occurred to her, and her eyes widened. “He’s not gay, is he? Not that there’s anything wrong with being gay, but, well”—she grinned—“it’d be a downer, that’s for sure.”
Laurella chuckled. “No, he’s not gay. And am I to infer from your comments that you have a soft spot for him?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.” She smiled apprehensively. “He’s the complete opposite of Tanner.”
Laurella considered her words. “That’s possibly the attraction.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Her head flopped back onto the couch and she groaned. “How do I even start to tell him how I feel? I’m not exactly experienced.”
Laurella grimaced. “I don’t think I’m the right person to advise you on that.”
“How did you and Calum get together?”
“Painfully.” Laurella grimaced. “Calum and I didn’t exactly get along when we first met. In fact, it would be fair to say we loathed each other.”
Millie rubbed her hands together. “Tell me more.”
Laurella chuckled. “Put it this way, Calum did not think Necron needed a marketing director, and he made his feelings very clear. The bad news for him was my Italian heritage. We’re known for being fiery, passionate, and rarely backing down from an argument. We clashed. A lot.” She shrugged. “Now, I can’t imagine my life without him. Sure, we still have our moments, but we work through them.” She patted Millie’s hand again. “Talk to Cole.”
She nodded. “I will.”
* * *
Cole stepped into the living room and caught the tail end of a conversation between Laurella and Millie.
“Talk to Cole.”
“I will.”
He dropped his gym bag on the floor. “What’s up?” he asked.
“You look exhausted,” Millie said, a faint flush staining her cheeks pink. “Are you okay?”
“Didn’t get much sleep last night.” He sank into a chair and pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “What did you want to talk to me about?”
“It can wait,” she said. “Why don’t you take a nap?”
Still irked from her ‘let’s be buddies’ comment yesterday, he scowled. “Thanks for your concern. Still, I guess that’s what friends do, right?”
Millie flinched, and Laurella flashed him a ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ glare. Millie recovered her composure damned quick, though, pulled in her lips, and set her steady gaze on him.
“Correct, Cole.” Tone clipped and chilly enough to give him frostbite. “Friends do show one another concern, and when you’re done snapping at me, we’ll talk. Until then, I suggest you sleep off your bad mood. I’ll be in my room when you’re ready.”
While he mentally scrabbled around, trying to find his goddamn tongue so he could apologize, she gracefully rose from the couch. Standing erect, she gave Laurella a tight smile and went into her room, closing the door quietly behind her. Despite his utter frustration, pride rushed through him. A few weeks earlier, she wouldn’t have answered back with so much composure and control. Slowly, the girl he’d known in high school was emerging, and he fucking loved it—despite the slap down.
“What on earth was that about?” Laurella asked.
Cole dragged his fingers through his hair and allowed his head to fall back. He blew out his cheeks and blinked.
“Sorry.”
“It’s not me you should be apologizing to. What’s wrong with you, Cole? This isn’t like you at all.”
He ignored her question, because right then, his answer would go something like, “Oh yeah. Well, maybe I’m sick of being the fucking nice guy.” Instead, he said, “What does she want to talk to me about?”
“You’ll have to ask her that.”
He huffed. “Come on, Laurella. Cut me a break.”
She tapped her fingers to her lips. “Let’s just say, being friends is often a precursor to something more.”
A rush of adrenaline fueled his blood. Could he have misread the signals? Yeah, knowing his track record with this particular woman, that was extremely likely.
“Are you saying she’s interested in being more than friends?”
Laurella rested her hand on his forearm. “I’m saying talk to Millie.” She got to her feet. “I’ll give you some space.”
She disappeared into Calum’s room. Cole closed his eyes and rubbed the center of his forehead to alleviate the tension. Goddammit. He’d beha
ved like a dick, and he would completely deserve it if she tossed his apology back in his face. He strode across the room and lightly tapped on Millie’s door. She answered a few seconds later.
“Yes?”
He grimaced. “I’ve come to eat a large slice of humble pie.”
She hitched a shoulder, her face impassive. “Make sure you wash it down with antacids. I wouldn’t want you to get a stomach ache.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “I’m so sorry. I’m tired and fractious, and I took it out on you. I shouldn’t have.” He stuck out his hand. “Friends?”
She left his hand lingering in the air, her teeth grazing over her bottom lip. “I don’t want to be friends.”
He let his hand fall back to his side as her words lacerated his skin as efficiently as a scalpel. “I see.” He turned away.
“Cole?”
He kept his back to her. “Yeah?”
She came to stand in front of him, her mocha eyes locking on his. “I want more than that.”
He stood there, stunned at her revelation, his heart in his throat saying precisely… nothing.
Her gaze fell to the floor. “I-I’m sorry.”
She went to walk away. He clasped her arm.
“Millie.”
She lifted her chin. “Yes?”
He gently cupped a hand around the back of her neck and tilted her head back. If any of his family blundered in right this second, he’d take out his gun and shoot them.
He brushed his lips over hers, tentatively at first, but as she parted her lips beneath his, he deepened the kiss. She tasted so sweet, like candy, and equally addictive. He drew back, because if he kissed her for much longer, he wouldn’t be able to stop.
He caressed her bottom lip with his thumb. “I want more than that, too.”
Her eyes lit up… and his heart stopped. He took a deep breath. “Would you like to go on a date with me? And when I say a date, I mean a real date—like two people who are attracted to each other go on.”
Her eyes shone and her smile melted his heart.
“I would love to go on a date with you.”
Chapter 15
Millie examined her reflection in the mirror—and the new dress she had bought specially. It was an extravagance, given her current financial situation, but she wanted to look nice for him, and for herself. This was a big deal. Agreeing to a date meant she had finally left her old life behind and accepted the possibility of a future. She still had a long way to go to recover her self-esteem and confidence but at least this was a start.
She slipped her feet into a pair of flats and grabbed a light jacket. With a final glance in the mirror, she picked up her purse and left her room.
Cole was in the living room chatting to Jax. He didn’t see her immediately, so she had a chance to check him out. They’d barely spoken this week because he’d been working long night shifts and she’d had her days taken up with her own job, which she’d grown to love over the last few weeks. But during the time apart, she’d replayed their kiss over and over in her mind.
He’d chosen a pair of slim-fit dark jeans, a black open-necked shirt, and sneakers. He looked good. Better than good—hot, in fact. A shiver of pleasure crept down her spine. It was like she’d been given a new pair of glasses and, now Tanner was finally out of her life, she could see what was right in front of her.
I see you.
Cole’s words in Central Park, before Tanner had turned up and ruined the moment, came back to her. Well, she saw him now, too. Her one regret? She hadn’t noticed him years ago.
He spotted her hovering, and smiled, beckoning her over. “You look lovely,” he said.
A tremor of delight fluttered across her skin as he inched his gaze down, his compliment and open appraisal skyrocketing her confidence.
“Ready to go?”
She nodded. “Where are we going?”
“A quick dinner first, nothing fancy, and then I got us tickets at the comedy club over on Broadway.” He playfully bumped her shoulder. “I thought we could both do with a bit of fun.”
If she’d designed her ideal first date, that would be it. Nothing heavy, nothing serious, a chance to giggle together.
“Sounds perfect.”
Cole captured her hand without asking. Holding his hand felt so natural, and so right. In comparison, Tanner would grip her far too hard, roughly stamping his ownership.
“Catch you later, bro,” Cole said while Millie added, “Bye, Jax. Have a good night.”
“Be good, kids.” Cole rolled his eyes at Jax’s teasing.
Outside, darkness had descended, and the warmth of the day had been replaced with a chill breeze. Millie slipped on her jacket.
“Cold?” Cole asked.
“A little. Fall is on the way, I think.”
In response, Cole wrapped his arm around her shoulders and nestled her into his side. “Better?”
She nodded. God, he felt good: strong, muscled, warm. She tried to remember when she’d last felt so cosseted, so safe. She couldn’t recall. A long time ago… too long. Slowly, the ties that had bound her to her past self were unraveling.
“Any time you think I’m overstepping the mark, you tell me. If you want space, you got it.”
She tilted her head back and looked up at him. “I like it when you touch me.”
His emerald-green eyes flared, and for a split second, she thought he was going to kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her. And he did, but not in the way she’d hoped when she parted her lips and held her breath. Instead of kissing her mouth, he touched his lips to her temple and tightened his hold on her.
She fought between disappointment—because when he had kissed her, she’d seen stars—and a deep thrill at his demonstration of tenderness.
He took her to a small restaurant off Broadway. The walls were covered in bright, abstract paintings, and it had a real funky vibe. When they’d been seated and ordered their drinks, she grinned over at him.
“This doesn’t seem like your type of place at all.”
“Why do you say that?”
She wrinkled her nose. “It’s kinda artsy. I never took you for the artistic type.”
“I’ve always liked art. I’d love to learn to paint. Maybe one day when I have more time.”
She tilted her head. “I didn’t know that about you.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
Her heart clenched at the wistful note to his tone. “I can’t wait to learn,” she whispered.
Her stomach did a flip at the intensity in his eyes. His hand reached for hers, and as their fingers interlocked, he gently brushed his thumb over her skin. The way he was looking at her stole her breath. The noise inside the bustling restaurant faded into the background as she mapped every angle, every shadow of his face. Silent moments with Tanner were to be feared, but sharing silence with Cole felt like being enveloped in the softest blanket. She craved the warmth he provided.
And then the damned server came over and broke the spell.
Millie ground her teeth as they gave their order. Alone once more, Cole recaptured her hand. His behavior around her had changed. He seemed more…open somehow.
“You’re different,” Millie said.
“Different how?”
She twisted her lips to the side. “I’m not sure. Freer maybe.”
“That’s because I don’t need to hide how I feel anymore.”
A fluttering set off in her chest. “And you felt you had to hide it before?”
He nodded.
“Why?”
He hitched a shoulder. “Because I didn’t want to get in between a husband and wife, and I wasn’t sure whether you’d go back to Tanner eventually.”
She violently shook her head. “I am never going back to Tanner. It took me so long to pluck up the courage to leave, but I stopped loving him years ago, Cole. He killed whatever love I once had for him, slowly and painfully. I may have only physically left him six weeks ago, but in my h
ead, I checked out years ago. Our marriage has been over for a very long time. You’re not getting in between anyone.”
He brought her hand to his lips, but instead of kissing the back of it in a somewhat old-fashioned manner, he turned it over and touched his lips to the inside of her wrist. Goosebumps pebbled her skin, and her nerve endings tingled deliciously.
“That’s good to know.” His gaze inched lower until his eyes rested on her mouth.
The nape of her neck prickled, the hairs standing on end. Her lungs flattened. What if she wasn’t sitting across from him but adjacent? Would he kiss her in front of all these people? Would she let him?
Yes!
He stroked his beard thoughtfully, then expelled a soft sigh, his expression resigned. Her pulse jolted. She sensed he was about to share something important.
“It’s always been you,” he said. “That’s why I’m not with anyone. I couldn’t commit to a long-term relationship with someone else because I’d already fallen for you.”
Shock rolled through her, and her heart raced. Okay, there was sharing something important, and then there was rocking her very foundations. She had not expected such a momentous revelation. She spotted the server on his way over with their food and gave a firm shake of her head. He turned on his heel and headed back to the kitchen.
“Since when?” she managed to croak.
Another hitch to his shoulder. “Before Tanner. Before Calum.”
She clasped a hand to her chest. “Oh, Cole.” She felt breathless, as if she’d run at full pelt for a good few minutes. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
He gave a short, bitter laugh, his gaze drifting away from hers. “Because I’m a fucking idiot who was too stupid or scared or whatever to stake my claim. To show you that I was the one you should be with. I was your destiny. Instead, I stood on the sidelines while Calum, and then Tanner, took the very thing I wanted more than anything in the world.” He looked her right in the eyes. “You.”
Dazed and overwhelmed, she fell silent. This was huge. How did she even begin to process Cole’s confession?
His to Protect: A Brook Brothers Novel Page 11
