Cole (Bachelors On Sale #1)

by Diana Nixon

I brought the folder closer to my eyes and read some more.

  The man surely knew how to please a woman and wanted nothing less than the same in return. He would give you several orgasms in a row, and then ask for a blow job at breakfast. If you were about to spend a night with him, you should be ready for a very exhausting one, because judging by the list of Cole’s favorite positions in bed, you would need to work really hard to get a praise from him.

  When he said he liked women to be on top of him, he wasn’t kidding.

  Except he liked them on top, beneath him, next to him and against the shower wall as well.

  Sweet baby Jesus…

  Again, I wondered if Michael White was out of his mind. Or maybe he gave me the wrong folder. Then who was this one supposed to be addressed to?

  Something was obviously wrong about this whole situation, and I made a mental note to call him later and clear a few things.

  One of them in particular wouldn’t let me go…

  The feeling of excitement that I could so clearly feel with every fiber of my body.

  Shit, I was on fire.

  After almost two years of abstention, I was on fucking fire! A memory of my last failed date flashed in my mind and I swore aloud. The guy Willow made me go out with turned out to be a stripper, and when he asked if I wanted to see a private dance – for three hundred bucks – I knew I needed to end the damn date as soon as possible. Willow always set me up with exemplary bastards, because she thought I wasn’t ready for serious relationships, and making me date nice guys would break their vulnerable hearts.

  Well, thank you very much, Willow. Next time better find me a fireman, so I don’t burn myself alive with the memories of this reading.

  “Harlee, do you mind if I…”

  I shut the folder I’d been reading and stared at Cole standing at the door.

  “Sorry, I should have knocked. I didn’t think you could be watching porn at noon.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Either that or you are working on something X-rated, which would be the only explanation for your flushed cheeks and that almost crazy look in your eyes.”

  Shit…

  “I’m not feeling well,” I lied and put the folder under the pile of my work papers.

  Cole frowned and stepped into my room. “You seemed to be okay at breakfast. Do you think you have a fever?”

  I sure do have it… But not the kind you think.

  “I’ll check it later. I need to finish the article first.”

  “Right.” He gave me another worried look.

  “What do you want?” I asked, pulling my laptop a little closer and pretending I didn’t have time for talks.

  “Do you mind if I borrow your car? I was going to rent one when at the airport, but I was too tired to take care of it. I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

  “Sure. The keys should be on a table near the door.” I frantically thought about the things I kept in my car, trying to remember if there was anything he could use against me in the future.

  He nodded. “Thanks.” He took a few steps to the exit, then turned around and smiled. “By the way, if you need more inspiration for your article, I’m here to heat you up a little. Looks like you write best when inflamed.”

  Damn you, smartass.

  “Thanks. But I’m good.”

  “From what I can see, you aren’t. But you will be if you accept my help.”

  Will they lock me up for digging out his all-knowing eyes with my pencil?

  “Get out.”

  His smile turned into a cat-like grin. “Whatever you say, sweetie. It’s your room now. Though if I knew about Michael’s plans on letting you sleep in my bed, I would have asked him for a higher rent. Or maybe you know of other ways to thank me for this generosity…”

  You have a nerve.

  I watched him leave the room, thinking about the level of insanity a woman should have to get in one bed with him.

  As impossible as this man was, I doubted he would ever end up with a wedding band on his finger.

  He was a player to the bone. And games like his, never ended up well.

  At least not to someone like me.

  ***

  Cole

  Driving a bright red RAV-4 was the last thing I was going to do when in New York.

  But I needed to be in my lawyer’s office in less than forty minutes and I didn’t have time to wait for a taxi.

  I stopped at the red light and looked to my left where a guy from a black sport car smiled brightly at me. He brought his hand to his ear and mouthed something like Can I call you, candy?

  You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.

  I hit the gas pedal as hard as I could. Maybe borrowing Harlee’s car wasn’t such a brilliant idea after all. In addition to its color, it was much slower than the one I drove in Los Angeles, and I hated the idea of being late. Today’s meeting was the very reason for my arrival, and I couldn’t screw it up.

  A week ago, I received a letter saying my wife, Carol, wanted to get a divorce.

  Well, it wasn’t a surprise at all, considering I hadn’t seen her for a long time. Still, a very unpleasant feeling filled my chest.

  She and I had been married for almost four years now. But none of those years we spent together.

  Turned out the love of my life was nothing but a gold digger, and by the time I realized what was going on, it was too late to take my wedding vow’s words back.

  I parked at the building where my lawyer’s office was and looked at my watch. I was about to see Carol for the first time since a week after the wedding when she told me we made a mistake and needed to go separate ways.

  Her words broke me, but I refused to believe she meant them. I tried to understand what made her leave me, but I seemed to be unable to see the obvious, that became so very obvious to me much later.

  I loved her too much to believe that our story was over, after almost ten years that she and I had been together. But the day I received the divorce papers, I knew it was over, once and for all.

  I knocked at the door of Mr. Brightmore’s office, hoping I would be able to play it cool. Showing Carol just how much everything she did affected me was the last thing I needed today. She didn’t deserve to see my pain. On the other hand, I didn’t know if there was any. Maybe those were just the ghosts of my former feelings for her that made me so pissed every time the memories of her hit me hard.

  “Come in!”

  I walked into a spacious office and my eyes found her at once; my heart missed a beat.

  She was with her back to me, probably too nervous to look me in the eye.

  Has she changed? I thought to myself. Is she as beautiful as the day I realized I was so deep in love with her, I couldn’t breathe? Does she feel anything for me? Does she remember how good it was to be together? Why, why did she leave? What made her break up things after so many years?...

  There were so many questions I wanted to ask her, but none of them seemed to matter anymore. She was here to put an end to our story and, to be honest, I wanted it to be over too.

  “Cole, it’s nice to see you again,” Mr. Brightmore said, rising to shake my hand. “How are you? I’ve heard about the opening of a new hotel in San Francisco. Great job!”

  “Thank you. Hope it becomes one of the best in the city.” Then I turned to my soon-to-be ex-wife. “Carol.” Who would have thought I would be nervous to see her again? I felt like the air was too hot, as if I were back to L.A. Or maybe I was scared to know I still felt something for that woman. Scared to realize that what I had been fighting with for years, was still there – in my heart.

  “Cole.” Her eyes were as cold as the tone of her voice. She was so much different from the girl I fell in love with, years ago. A part of me was glad she looked like a complete stranger now. Otherwise, it might complicate things between us. And I wanted nothing more than to end this marriage as soon as fucking possible.

  I took a seat on a chair next to Carol’s and watc
hed her.

  She was an example of composure. As graceful as she had always been, adding a little style to her appearance only made her look even more perfect. She was wearing a simple white dress that fit her like a glove. As smart as she was, she probably chose it specifically to show me what I was about to lose. Not that it was my fault we were here today. Her black hair was in a high bun, dark-brown eyes highlighted with a black liner that accentuated their almond shape. Red lips completed the image of a prosperous young woman, who didn’t do a damn thing to get what she had now. Jumping from one bed to another seemed to be her favorite way to get what she desired.

  And that was nothing but money.

  “Cole, have you read Mrs. Griffin’s claims?”

  “Hope you are not keeping the name,” I said to Carol, ignoring Mr. Brightmore’s question. I hated the idea of her using my name in the future.

  She smiled. “I’m not. I’m getting married, again. And my future husband wants me to take his name.”

  “Poor thing. Does he know you are probably marrying him for his bank account?”

  Not a muscle moved on her poker face. What was she thinking? I wondered if she ever loved me at all. Because I still couldn’t believe she broke things with me so easily after a lifetime of what seemed to be a perfect union of two soulmates. Fuck, I couldn’t believe I was so naïve to believe her love performance, which was nothing but a pretense.

  “I don’t have much time,” she said to the lawyer.

  “Of course. If both parties agree to the terms and conditions of your divorce, it won’t take long to finish things.”

  I looked briefly through the documents on my way to New York. Carol was obviously unaware of how much I actually earned these days, so what she wanted to get after the divorce was nothing to me.

  “Give her whatever the hell she wants,” I said, still staring at the woman on my right.

  Her face stayed unreadable.

  “Good,” said Mr. Brightmore. “Then put your signatures on every page of the agreement.”

  I took a pen and instantly signed it. Then gave it to Carol.

  “Do I happen to know your soon-to-be husband?” I asked. I didn’t really care who she was going to marry. But I’d be damned if I didn’t try to learn a little more about her plans for the future that no longer included me.

  “I doubt you do. He’s from Washington.”

  “So, you are leaving The Big Apple?” Last I checked, living in the city was one of her biggest dreams ever. She was from a small town in Oregon and moving to New York was like getting the most wanted present for Christmas.

  She signed the agreement and gave it back to Mr. Brightmore. “Yes, I am,” she said without looking at me.

  “Tired of parties and glamour?”

  She stood up and readjusted her perfectly fitting dress. “It was nice to see you for the last time, Cole.” It had been the first time since the beginning of this meeting that our eyes met for longer than two seconds. God, she became even more beautiful with time. No wonder men worshipped every word she said.

  Too bad I was the one to know the real Carol. She wasn’t as perfect as she was trying so hard to seem. True they say – beauty is not in the face. If your soul’s ugly, no amount of jewels and makeup will help you mask it.

  “Likewise.” I stood up too. “Are we done?”

  Mr. Brightmore nodded. “The papers will be sent to your mailing addresses.”

  “Thank you,” Carol said and hurried to the door.

  I was about to follow her out, but then I changed my mind. We were done now, and there was nothing else to talk about.

  “Thank you, Mr. Brightmore. Hope it’s the last time I’m here for such a stupid reason.”

  The man gave me his best polite smile. “It was one of the easiest divorces I’ve ever dealt with.”

  “Some people should never get married at all. Have a nice day.”

  “You too, Cole.”

  We shook hands and I left the office, dying to get back home. Despite the fact that today was my very first day there, the place felt like a perfect one to hide in for a while.

  The house was supposed to be my wedding present for Carol. The designer and I had been working for months to make my dream come true. I really hoped to impress her. But I failed.

  Because we never made it as far as to live there together.

  She broke up with me a few days before the house was ready. And I never got a chance to tell her I built it for her.

  I let her go and after some time, I moved on with my own life. When the house stayed empty for years.

  I guess I was scared to live there without Carol. There wasn’t anything that would remind me of her. But the memories of what I used to feel for her were too painful to give the house a second chance. Still, I refused to sell it.

  Then, a few months back, my friend Michael White, who was the owner of a real estate agency and helped me find the land for the house, called me asking if I ever wanted to let it go. I told him I would think about it.

  And then this morning, I found out the house wasn’t mine anymore. Well, at least for the next year. The new owner turned out to be a walking provocation. Whatever she said, I wanted to bite her for it. Not to mention devouring those illegally perfect lips of hers that promised so much more than their owner would agree to give me.

  I stopped at Harlee’s car, playing with the key in my hand and smiled. My mood sucked just like a lot of other things about my life. But somehow, the thought of going back to Harlee and spending some more time with her made everything so much better. I wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that I couldn’t stop thinking about her naked body and the way she looked at me when I came to borrow her car.

  The fire in her eyes made me think about all the inappropriate things that I’d like to do with her.

  Maybe not today, but one day…

  CHAPTER 4

  “What the fuck is this?” I entered my house that looked like a glowing balloon now.

  “Candles! Don’t you like candles?”

  “Did someone die?” I hated candles, not to mention scented ones. They always made me sick.

  “No. But I can’t live without candles.” She lit another candle and put it on a coffee table.

  God, I was about to vomit. The impulse was so strong, I had to turn my head and breathe some fresh air through the opened door, so I didn’t let my stomach turn upside down.

  “If you start a fire here, I swear I…”

  Harlee turned to look at me. “You what?”

  She had changed into a pair of bright-pink yoga pants and a matching top that revealed her navel with a small shining piercing ring in it.

  I shook my head at the thought of running my tongue across her navel. “Forget it. Do whatever the hell you want.”

  She smiled. “Always.”

  That made me smile too. “Hate following the rules?”

  “Rules? It’s the first time I hear the word.” She winked at me in that playful manner that, in any other case, I would gladly use against her. But a couple of hours under the same roof with Harlee were more than enough to know that she would never flirt with a complete stranger, who just happened to see her naked ass before any other part of her body or face.

  She took a remote and turned on the TV that showed one of those shows that I hated so much, I never understood people’s passion for based-on-books shows. Or maybe I was that much of a stuffed shirt, always grumping about things others would never pay any attention to.

  But Harlee seemed to be really interested in what was happening on the screen.

  What was she up to?

  And just then, I got my answer.

  She walked to a yoga mat lying in the middle of the living room and bent with her knees straight.

  Fuck… Did I mention she had a great ass?

  “Wanna join me?” She asked as if it was not a big deal. Unlike the one that was about to make a hole in my pants.

  “I don’t do yoga.�
��

  “You should try it.” She stood up straight again and closed her eyes. “It helps you to relax.”

  I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms, with my eyes following her every slow move. “Ever heard of better ways to relax?”

  “I sure have. But I still think yoga is the best one.”

  “If you let me share a bedroom with you, I’ll make you believe differently.”

  “You give yourself too much credit.” She stood on all four and lowered her head, arching her back.

  “Are you saying that you are not attracted to me?” It looked like I would need another cold shower, very soon. Double fuck.

  “Attracted?” She smirked. “I barely know you, Mr.” She was now lying on her stomach with her hands behind her and holding her legs.

  “How much more time with me do you need to feel attracted?”

  She paused her exercises and looked at me. “Don’t waste your time, Cole. You and I – not gonna happen.”

  I gave her a ‘we will see’ look and headed upstairs to find a charger for my phone that was about to die. Besides, I still felt a little lightheaded because of the damn candles and their bittersweet smell.

  Disgusting.

  When passing by the master bedroom, I saw that the door was half opened.

  Curious, I looked inside and found Harlee’s laptop on the bed. It was opened.

  Even more curious, I came closer and made the screen go live.

  The first thing I saw was her schedule for the day. Even though she was working from home today, the list of her to-do things was longer than my weekly one. One line in particular got my attention.

  10.00 PM – swim in the pool.

  I smiled. Since she was obviously up to something with her candles and yoga show, I needed to come up with a payback. And I knew exactly what I was going to do at 10 PM tonight.

  ***

  Harlee

  There’s nothing better than to close your laptop at the end of an exceedingly long day, knowing how productive it has been. I wrote a couple of articles for the magazine’s next issue, and sent them to Vivian, knowing she would be more than happy to read them. Yoga didn’t just help me to relax, it also gave me several ideas I could use in my writing job.