by Cassie Cross
“Cole, I-“
With one cold, steely look, Cole silenced him.
“I suspect that this news doesn’t surprise you. But what will surprise you is that each copy of the specs was embedded with a serial number that is specific to the person it was sent to. So, I knew immediately that this one was yours. What I didn’t know was exactly what you were planning on doing with it. I had IT search your computer for anything they could find, but you were at least smart enough to cover your tracks in the office. It might’ve taken me a while to figure out what you were up to, but luckily for me, you played right into the only hand I had available.”
“Which hand was that?” Josh asked cockily.
Cole had to give the guy credit; even though he knew exactly where he’d misstepped, he was going to play dumb until the end.
“Abigail.”
“You have no idea how much she despises you,” Josh said. His angry eyes formed narrow slits.
Those words wounded Cole, even when he took into account who they were coming from and why they were being said. He had to pretend, both for his sake and for Abigail’s, that they didn’t bother him at all.
“Apparently she doesn’t despise me enough.”
“That bitch.” The words came softly from Josh’s mouth, whispered under his breath. But they reignited the rage Cole felt yesterday, and this time he didn’t have to hide it. Cole banged his fist on the desk and then stood, towering over Josh. His lawyers gave him warning looks, and Cole took a deep breath before he spoke again. He was not going to give this little prick the satisfaction of suing him for anything.
“Security is standing right outside of this door. They’ll escort you out.”
“What about my stuff?”
Cole let out a bitter, cold laugh. “Nothing in this office belongs to you, no matter how much you wish it were so.”
Josh was indignant. “So, you fire me and then I walk out of this door and find another job in seconds. With my education and credentials, anyone would fall over themselves to have me. “
“See, that’s where you’re wrong,” Cole replied, smiling.
“What do you mean?”
“Employers generally don’t like to take chances on people who steal their work. In order to be employable, you have to be trustworthy.” Cole could see that the reality of what Josh had done was just starting to sink in. “I am a very well-known and well-respected businessman, Joshua. You will soon find out that I have a very long reach.”
Josh stood, but he was no match for Cole. “Wait until my father hears about this!” he yelled.
Coming from the background Cole came from, he wasn’t surprised by Josh’s threats to contact his father. In fact, he’d anticipated them. Rich, influential parents were usually the safety net of spoiled, entitled brats like Josh.
“Your father and I both serve on the Yale Alumni Board of Governors. He’s already aware of what you’ve done. I don’t think he’ll be rushing to help you anytime soon.”
Cole walked over to Josh, looking him straight in the eye. “Abigail told me that you offered her a job as well as legal protection from my team.” Cole eyed him with the iciest glare he’d ever used. “We both know that you could offer her no such protection.”
“Cole-“ a lawyer warned. Fuck the law, he was going to say what needed to be said.
“You’ve shown yourself to be lacking in every single mark of a man, Josh. And conning someone into doing your dirty work for you is the lowest of the low. Since you seem to be incapable of taking responsibility for your actions, I would feel remiss if I didn’t tell you that Abigail is off-limits to you now. You will not call her, you will not email her. You will not see her, you will not threaten her. The walls have eyes now as far as you are concerned, and if I find out that you so much as breathe the air within a two-mile radius of her, I will end you. And that, Mr. Hamilton, is a promise.”
Cole motioned for the security guards standing outside of the door. “Get him out of here.”
CHAPTER SIX
“WHAT COLOR is the dress?” Becca asked, sounding like she was ready to jump out of her skin. She was the best kind of friend to have; sometimes Abby thought Becca was happier for her than she was for herself. Tonight seemed to be one of those occasions.
“It’s red. Boatneck collar, cowled back.”
“Make sure you wear your hair up.” Becca sounded like a kid on Christmas.
“I am. I’m almost finished with it,” Abby told her as she curled a strand of hair around her finger and pinned it to her head. She probably should’ve paid to have someone do her hair for her, but a messy up do always seemed to work for her and tonight was no exception.
“Have you been doing your hair all this time?”
“Yes, thanks to the technological wonder that is speaker phone.”
“Take a selfie and send it to me.”
“Okay,” Abby replied as she brushed back a few stray hairs. She misted a little hairspray on top of her chignon, just to make sure it stayed in place. “Hold on a sec.”
Abby pulled up the camera app on her phone and snapped one picture of herself from the front and one from the back in the reflection of the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door, then texted them to Becca.
“I sent a couple,” Abby said, placing the phone on the bathroom counter so she could give herself a once-over in the mirror. Her makeup was perfect, her hair was flattering. There was nothing else to be done but meet Cole. She wondered if she should walk out into the living room or wait for him to knock on her door. It was close to seven already.
“Holy shit!” Becca yelled. “Oh my god, Abby. You look…you just look amazing. Do you get to keep that dress?”
“I don’t know, someone came over with a rack full of dresses and I picked this one out. She left me shoes and jewelry too. She told me it had already been taken care of.”
Becca sighed. “I want to be rich. Seriously, rich people don’t know how good they have it.”
“Hey, do you think I should walk out to meet him or wait until he knocks on my door to see if I’m ready?”
“I’d probably wait until he knocked on my door, so you should do the opposite. Go out there and let him know you’re ready to go.”
Abby took a deep breath an exhaled. “Okay, wish me luck.”
“Call me tomorrow and tell me all about it. First thing.”
“You’re picking me up from the airport tomorrow evening, Beck.”
“Like I said, call me first thing in the morning and tell me all about it.”
Abby laughed. “Okay, I will.”
“Have fun tonight, Abs. You look beautiful.”
After Abby ended the call, she gave herself a once-over before she grabbed her tiny evening bag and gripped the doorknob. She took a deep breath, then pulled open the door.
COLE WAS sitting at his computer, unable to let go of work even for the few minutes before a night out on the town. His head turned the second Abby’s door opened, and he stood when he saw her, wearing a dopey, love-struck look on his face that made Abby smile.
“Hi,” she said, feeling slightly unnerved because he was just standing there staring at her.
It only took a moment for Cole to remember himself; he shook his head and then gazed at Abby warmly while he walked toward her.
“Abigail, wow,” he replied. Abby didn’t cringe at his use of her full name. She thought it felt fitting this evening, while they were both dressed to the nines. She expected him to say something else, but he was frozen there, staring at her. She took that as a compliment.
“You look handsome.” Abby admired Cole’s broad chest under the clean lines of the tux. He always had a way of turning a simple garment into something spectacular, something you couldn’t take your eyes off of.
“Thank you. You look so…” He paused, seemingly unable to find the right words. “Beautiful. Gorgeous. Perfect.”
“Thank you.” Abby grinned, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks.
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Cole stood there looking at her for a beat longer before he held out his arm. “Shall we?”
Abby hooked her arm around his, and they made their way to the elevator.
The curious stares of fellow hotel patrons followed them as they walked through the lobby. Even though Abby usually did what she could to avoid being the center of attention, she thought it was nice for once. Especially since most of the people in the hotel were probably stinking rich, and they’d most likely seen plenty of couples on their way to elegant dinner parties before. Abby was turning heads tonight, an experience that was completely new to her, but it made her confident that she’d chosen the right dress, the right hairdo and the right makeup. She hoped Cole thought so, too. A week ago Abby never would’ve guessed that she would so desire his good opinion, but tonight she was desperate for it.
Abby and Cole were mostly quiet in the car, exchanging pleasantries that quickly died out. Cole wasn’t his usual unshakable self; he almost seemed…nervous? The two of them were sitting close together. So close, in fact, that Abby could feel the heat from Cole’s thigh against hers. Her hands were folded in her lap, and his rested on his knees. Never before had Abby been so desperate to reach over and twine her fingers with Cole’s. She wanted to be connected to him in any way that she could, and this was the first time she’d felt that way towards him that wasn’t related to sex. For now, it was enough for her just to be close to him, to have him near.
It wasn’t long before the car pulled into the small driveway of another hotel. When they came to a stop, Cole let himself out, and Abby heard him tell the driver that he would be opening her door. She quickly skimmed her fingertips across her hair to smooth it down, wanting to look perfect. The car door opened, and Cole held his hand out for Abby to take. She held onto him for support as she stood.
Once the door was closed, Abby and Cole stood face-to-face next to the car. She reached up and straightened his tie, which had become ever so slightly crooked. He looked into her eyes, smiling softly, and his fingertips skimmed the back of her hand for a fleeting moment before his cool confidence returned. Cole held out his arm, and Abby linked hers with his as they walked into the hotel.
Inside, Cole introduced Abby to several people whose names and faces she recognized from newspapers and magazines. She was feeling very frazzled and out of place, even though every time she shook another hand her nerves abated, she was never truly at ease. Not until she and Cole were finally seated at a table, sitting side-by-side. They exchanged small talk with other couples nearby, and Cole schmoozed some investor and his wife who were sitting across from them. Abby frequently chatted with a woman sitting next to her who, for some reason, spoke about ten decibels higher than everyone else in the room. Every once in a while Abby glanced over at Cole, who was listening intently to whomever was talking to him as he ate. Just as often, Abby would catch Cole looking at her, and he’d smile at her warmly before engaging someone else in conversation.
Abby wasn’t sure what exactly was going on between them, but it was obvious to her from the very start of the evening that something had changed between them in a very real, tangible way.
After dinner was over and the dessert dishes were cleared, a small band began to play on the stage near the edge of the ballroom. Abby already knew that Cole didn’t much care for dancing, although she couldn’t help but hope for a change of heart. He had been speaking to a gentleman named Robert throughout the dessert course.
After the first few bars of music had been played, Robert looked at Abby. “My wife can’t dance like she used to, and I know Cole here doesn’t like to do anything remotely fun. Care to join me for a spin around the floor?”
Abby looked to Cole, who grinned and nodded his approval.
Itching for a chance to dance in such a fancy place, Abby nodded. “I’d love to.”
Robert stood and helped Abby up out of her chair, then led her out onto the dance floor.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“SHE’S LOVELY,” said Robert’s wife, Victoria, as she and Cole watched Abigail and Robert dance.
“Indeed she is,” Cole agreed, admiring Abigail as she moved. She and Robert were engaged in a lively conversation, and Cole felt something inside of him stir when she laughed, tossing her head back in that carefree manner she had about her. He wanted her badly, in a way he’d never wanted another woman before.
“I hope you can help me Cole, I’m a bit perplexed,” Victoria said, leaning closer to Cole.
“About what?”
“I’ve known you since you were a boy. I’m not sure who this woman is, but I do know that she is completely unlike any other woman you’ve brought to one of these functions. And, truth be told, I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you look at her.”
Cole grinned, remembering why Victoria and his mother were the very best of friends. The two of them had a way of nagging him like no other women could. He found it difficult to be too annoyed, however. Because she was completely right.
“Your point is,” Cole asked dryly.
“My point, young man,” she said, picking up her wine glass, “is that you’re a fool if you let this one slip away. And sending her out there to dance with my husband isn’t doing you any favors.”
Nodding playfully, Cole leaned in closer, engaging her in her reprimand. “What do you suggest I do then?”
Victoria took a sip of her wine and rolled her eyes. “I suggest you go out there and get her, you adorable imbecile.”
Cole threw his head back and laughed, then took her hand and kissed it before he headed out to the dance floor to reclaim Abigail.
“May I cut in?” Cole asked.
Robert looked surprised, but he nodded and stepped aside. “I was wondering how long it would take you to get your ass over here,” he said quietly, so only Cole could hear him. Robert patted Cole’s arm before he walked away.
Cole placed his arm on the small of Abigail’s back, and laced his right hand with her left as they began to move to the music.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked, his eyes meeting hers.
“Very much. I’ve never been to anything like this.”
“The novelty wears off, I’m afraid.”
Abigail laughed, sounding nervous. “I don’t know that getting all dressed up and wearing pretty clothes would ever get old to me.”
“I don’t think pretty is the right word to describe it,” Cole said.
“What is the right word?”
“Stunning,” Cole replied, gazing at her. Abigail looked down, unable to hold his eyes. But she was smiling; he could see it. He didn’t like her hiding her smile, so he crooked his finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up. “Do you want to get out of here?” Cole wanted to take her to the hotel room, take her anywhere the two of them could be alone. Just him and her and that smile.
“What about the rest of the benefit?”
“I made a sizable donation to the foundation already. They have my money, they don’t care if they have me anymore.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss against her knuckles. “Please tell me you want to leave with me.” He so desperately wanted her to himself.
Abigail’s beautiful smile lit up her eyes. “I want to leave with you.”
IN THE car, Cole sat close to Abigail, staring at her hands, debating whether he should reach over and twine his fingers with hers.
Christ, she’s making me nervous. He wanted to laugh; he couldn’t remember the last time a woman had made his stomach flip the way Abigail did. He felt like he was back in high school. Just as he was about to reach over to take her hand, he heard her stomach growl over the low hum of the engine. Cole felt Abigail stiffen from embarrassment, and he grinned.
“Next time I’ll have to take you to a seven-course dinner, since it seems the five courses weren’t enough.”
Abigail laughed, clutching her stomach. “I didn’t want to say anything.”
Cole was confused. “Say anything
about what?”
Looking contrite, Abigail made her admission. “I’m allergic to shellfish.”
Cole recalled the shrimp, lobster and scallops they’d been served for dinner. “We should get you something to eat. What do you want?”
“Honestly, I could really go for a hot dog.”
Cole rolled down the window separating the back of the car from the front. “Tony,” he said, smiling.
“Yes sir.”
“We need hot dogs. Take us to the best place around.”
TWENTY MINUTES later, Abigail was sitting on the back of the town car, hot food in hand, while Tony leaned against the hood devouring his food. Cole stood behind the car, watching Abigail open the bag. He’d slipped a waiter a hundred-dollar bill in order to avoid the long line, and the look of appreciation on Abigail’s face made that little gesture completely worth it.
“Oh god,” she said after she took a bite. “This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”
Cole watched Abigail as she enjoyed her food. “Did you have fun this evening?”
“Any night I avoid dying from anaphylaxis is counted as a win in my book.”
Cole laughed, loving the way she always lightened him up, made him forget about all the things in his life that ultimately didn’t matter. “Do you have any other allergies I should know about?
“No, just shellfish. And vacuuming, I guess. You?”
“Nope, nothing.”
“I should’ve known,” Abigail said before taking another bite.
“What does that mean?”
She shrugged. “You’re Cole Kerrigan. Of course you have no weaknesses.”
“Allergies and weaknesses are two different things. I don’t have allergies, but I do have weaknesses.”
Cole caught Abigail’s eye and held her gaze for a moment.
“If you say that your weakness is beautiful women or something cheesy like that, I’ll kick you in the shins.”
