Shaun awoke from the lustful haze and laughed. “Keep dreaming!” She pushed Cole back and sat up next to him. “Nothing will ever get done.”
“Precisely,” he added with a wink.
Shaking her head, Shaun turned her body to face his and sighed. Content. Happy. Cole reached for her hand, entwining their fingers. “You know, I was thinking maybe we could ask Violet to come down here for a few weeks. She did such a great job for you in Mason, she could help get something set up for you here since you’re all into tech and shit. She could stay with my mom and Carl. Lacey would love her, and she could have my old room. What do you think?”
Shaun’s joy screeched to a halt.
“Cole, there’s something I need to tell you.” She cursed to herself, wishing she didn’t have to talk about this now. Their reunion had been so perfect.
“What? Tell me.”
“It was Violet, Cole. The person who sneaked information to Robert about all my accounts and who stole your drawings from your desk, it was Violet.”
“No way.” He shook his head, and Shaun could read his hurt and disbelief. Just one more person who had used him for their own personal gain. Then his disbelief transformed into anger. “Is that what Robert told you?” he asked darkly, sitting straight up. “He lies, Shaun. You know that. You have to know that.”
“I know, Cole, but Robert didn’t tell me. Violet did. After I threw you out of my office, she came to me and confessed.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Cole ran a hand through his hair. “The whole fucking time I thought she was my friend, she was also playing me for Robert.”
“I honestly don’t know.” At the time, she’d had no more anger left to give. Devastated by the loss of Cole, she’d collapsed in her office chair and broke down. When she’d looked up again, Violet was gone. “I’m sorry, Cole. I didn’t want to tell you like this. More like over a burger and beer. Lots of beer.”
Cole glanced up at Shaun and released a small chuckle when she gave him a hopeful smile. “Fuck me. Well, lucky for her, I never have to see her ass again.”
“Nope,” Shaun agreed.
He blew out a breath. “All right, where were we?” Cole relaxed back, and Shaun sidled up against him.
“You were just telling me how brilliant and beautiful I am.” She curled a short lock of his hair around her finger. “Oh, and how you will run every business decision by me, because let’s face it, I know my shit.”
All humor draining from his expression, Cole cradled her face in his hands and forced her to look into the depths of his celestial blue gaze. “All jokes aside, I have so much to thank you for, Shaun.” Shaun swallowed, still uncomfortable with this level of intimacy. “You said before that you were drawn to me.” Not sure if he was asking a question, she nodded in agreement regardless. “Well, I was drawn through you. You showed me where I should be. What I should do with my life. You brought here, where I belong.” Cole brushed his lips over her mouth. “I love you.”
Cole sealed his words with a kiss so passionate that Shaun felt his love in every cell of her body. He had traversed the wall she had built around herself, dismantling the solid boundary, brick by brick, from the inside. When their lips parted, Shaun nestled herself into the crook of his neck and inhaled his scent.
“Just so we’re clear, once I find a place, the bed is mine.” She felt his laugh resonate from his throat.
“You bet your sweet ass it is.” Cole flipped Shaun onto her back and positioned himself above her. “But first, we need to make sure it’s sturdy enough.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To my husband, Marcos, hey baby, it’s real! To my editor, Jenny Govier, thank you for taking a chance on me, and for helping release the story inside of me that I didn’t even know existed. To Dana Decker-Richey, thank you for being there in the very beginning before any of this was thought possible. To Jillian Stein, you are the best cheerleader and friend a girl could have. You are amazing, lady! Thank you. To Stacey Symes Tardif, it was your tweet that set the course for this wild and crazy ride. Thank you so much. To Elisa Esquivel, you were a strong shoulder to lean on when I needed it most. Thank you, my sunshine. To my Sistergirls – Tiffany Hurlbut, Andie Daniels, and Samantha Dean Howard – family is not defined by blood alone and you ladies are true family. To Jacqueline Cramer Barnhart, your interest in my story from the humble start encouraged me to finish and for that I will forever be grateful. And last but certainly not least, to those too numerous to name who were there for me through the highs and lows, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maintaining a suburban orbit of NYC all her life, Sarina Rhoads ran the gamut of odd jobs in pursuit of a one true passion. Once exposed to a world of creative storytelling through online role-play, she fell completely in love. Now she finds pleasure in penning both contemporary and paranormal romance, possessing notebooks chock full of ideas only waiting to be released. For more information please visit Trystbooks.com/drawn-through-you or Sarina's website, Rhoadofawriter.com.
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