by Autumn Reed
I linked my arms around his neck. “We could turn your imagination into reality.” Thunder rumbled in the distance, making me smile. “Sounds like it’s going to rain, anyway.”
His eyes drifted to my mouth then back up to my eyes. “I just want you to know, I had every intention of taking you out and showing you a good time.”
“I have no doubt.” Ever-so-slowly, I slid my hands over his shoulders and down his chiseled torso before stepping back. “Just as I have no doubt we’ll have a better time staying in.”
I tugged on my zipper and let the dress glide down my body to pool on the floor. Standing before him in nothing but my strapless bra, lacy thong, and stilettos, I waited for him to make the next move. It only took a split second for him to grasp my hand and lead me to the bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt on the way.
Once I was perched on the edge of the bed, he began removing his clothes. “Whatever you do, do not take those heels off.”
“Wouldn’t dare,” I breathed, my eyes glued to every new inch of skin he uncovered. I could never tire of watching him undress. He always added swagger to his stripping, making a show of it. This time, he didn’t move too slow or too fast, just kept his eyes trained on me, his lips set in a knowing smile.
I wanted to call him out for being too cocky, but it would have been a lie. He knew what I liked, and he delivered every…single…time.
Growing impatient, I unhooked my bra and tossed it out of sight. Cole sped up then, climbing out of his boxer briefs and removing my thong. As the first drops of rain hit the windows, I reached for him, my desire growing more desperate by the second. We hadn’t even kissed yet, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed him inside me.
“Fuck me, Cole. Now.”
Likely surprised by my urgency, he froze for a second before grabbing a condom and rolling it on. My legs dangling over the edge of the bed, I lay back and stared up at him, ready and waiting.
Without another word, he grasped my hips, pushing inside of me with a single thrust. I gasped in pleasure and hooked a leg around his waist, careful not to stab him with my heel. As he slowly started moving in and out, he leaned down and captured my mouth, his need for me evident in every swipe, suck, and bite.
When I finally released his lips, he buried his head into my neck. “You feel so fucking good, Em. I’ll never get enough.”
I would never get enough. Shutting my eyes, I reveled in the slow glide of skin against skin as he pumped into me.
He jerked out of me suddenly, and my eyes popped open.
“I feel like I’m missing something,” he said, and reached for my hands. Confused, I placed them in his. He yanked me to my feet before spinning me around. “Hands on the bed. Ass in the air.”
Slowly, I turned but hesitated for a moment. His hand went around my throat, cupping it gently and then angling my head back. His lips trailed along my neck until he got to my ear and nibbled the lobe.
“You’re beautiful, Em,” he whispered. The sensation of his breath along my ear had me shivering.
Meeting his gaze, his deep brown eyes blazed, and for a moment, I saw myself in them. Carefully, eyes still on his, I leaned forward until the palms of my hands touched the sheets, and I stood, legs spread and exposed to his stare.
“Those heels.” He grasped his erection in one hand but smoothed the other down my back. His fingers trailed along my cleft and then toward the apex of my thighs. I watched as he ran them back and then sunk them into me. He took his time, and a storm began building inside me more violent than the one raging outside my window.
“Cole,” I warned him and wiggled my butt. His fingers disappeared and a second later, he was in me. In this position, he was hitting all the right places. He rolled his hips against me, and I cried out. The drag of his skin revved me up faster than I could have anticipated, and soon I was chasing him.
“Em…”
His breath came faster, cooling the overheated skin against my neck and back. A fever built inside me until I couldn’t contain it. Consumed, I cried out, clutching the sheets as if they could anchor me while I exploded into sparks.
Cole’s rhythm became hectic and uncoordinated. He pushed into me once more, holding himself as deep as possible. I felt him twitch inside me while I continued to pulse around him.
He lifted me back but stayed inside me. “These shoes…” he whispered. He withdrew from me while turning me to face him. His gaze roamed my body, and he shook his head. “I’m definitely going to be seeing them in my dreams.”
My knees wobbled as he released me to remove the condom. I collapsed on the edge of the bed while he went into the bathroom and then came out. He jumped onto the bed and opened his arms. “Come here.”
He didn’t have to ask twice.
Tucked into Cole’s side, with his fingers skimming over my back, I felt at ease for the first time in days. And it wasn’t just the afterglow of amazing sex. He had this way of making me feel better; all it took was his presence. The amazing sex was just the delectable cherry on top.
“You want to tell me why you had such an awful day? Before I showed up, of course.”
I laughed. “Of course.”
Though my fury had abated since leaving the Daily, I knew my voice still held anger as I told Cole what Jason had done. I probably wouldn’t be able to talk about it for a long time without getting upset.
“That shithead,” Cole said while kneading my shoulder muscles. “You know I’m more a lover than a fighter, but I can make an exception and beat him up for you.”
After giving myself a few moments to imagine Jason with a bloodied nose and two black eyes, I sighed. “As much as I’d love to see that, it’s not necessary. The damage is already done, and he’s leaving town next week. If we’re lucky, we’ll never have to set eyes on him again.”
“If he’s smart, he’ll never get within a hundred miles of me, Shane, or Nic again.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t tell Nic. It won’t change anything, and I don’t want him to cause himself more trouble by going after Jason.”
Cole stayed quiet for a while before agreeing. “It’s your decision, Em. Do you want to talk about what happened between you and Nic? All he would tell me and Shane is that you’re pissed at him and he didn’t want to talk about it.”
At that, I sat up and stared at him, covering my chest with the sheet. “Wait, he didn’t tell you we broke up?”
Cole’s eyes widened in obvious shock. “Shit, for real?”
“Yeah, for real.”
He shook his head. “No way. I mean, I figured he was giving you space to cool off after that whole stunt with Alyssa. Why wouldn’t he tell us?”
I thought back to that last scene with Nicholas. Was it possible he didn’t consider us broken up? I had assumed that my parting I guess you’re not my Prince Charming after all shot made it abundantly clear. Maybe he just didn’t want to be the one to break the news to the other members of our foursome.
“I don’t know. He told you about his plan to continue ‘being seen’ with Alyssa, right?”
Cole bolted up so fast, he barely avoided hitting his head on mine. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Hiding my face in my hands, I groaned. “What has he told you?”
“Nothing, really. He’s barely been around. I thought he was dealing with everything in his usual stoic way. I didn’t even know there was a plan. What is he thinking? The whole thing will die down in a few weeks.”
“He wants to keep me a secret, at least until the primary is over.”
“No!” Cole hopped out of bed and started pulling his clothes on. “He wouldn’t do that. Tell me he wouldn’t do that.”
Unable to deny it, I kept my mouth shut. Once he was fully dressed, he appeared ready to dash out of the apartment, in the middle of a storm, no less. When he finally looked at me still sitting there with the sheet pulled to my chin, his expression softened, and he slumped onto the bed.
“I’m sorry, Em. I had no idea
that happened.”
“It’s not your fault. I didn’t want to bring it up when I saw you yesterday, and I assumed Nic had told you and Shane.”
He wrapped me in a hug and held me tight. “It’s going to be okay. He’s overreacting right now. He’ll figure it out and make it up to you. I’m sure of it.”
If only I was.
Chapter 13
I parked in the nearest lot to Chelsea’s office, trying to ignore Loft25 looming in the distance. Even after Cole’s outburst two nights ago, I still hadn’t spoken to Nicholas. I couldn’t bring myself to call him, but it wasn’t like he’d reached out to me either. At least I’d convinced Cole to calm down and leave it alone for now. The last thing I needed was for him and Shane to take sides, isolating Nicholas even more.
The whole situation still struck me as odd, though. Why wouldn’t he have told them we broke up? He knew they would talk to me—it wasn’t as if he’d be able to hide it indefinitely. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something else going on, but for the life of me, I had no idea what it could be. And part of me didn’t want to know…which is probably why I hadn’t sucked it up and called him.
I wanted to laugh at Past Emma, who believed ending her years-long relationship with Matt was the hardest breakup she’d ever endure. Yeah, right. That was a cakewalk compared to this. Not only did it hurt so much more, Nicholas was inextricably connected to my life as long as Shane and Cole remained in it.
When I stepped through the door into Chelsea’s office, I was amazed at the transformation. The ceiling had been repaired and appeared brand new, with lights throughout brightening up the entire room. New dry wall was up and being painted a warm shade of gray. And boxes of wood flooring were stacked against the wall, ready to be installed.
Chelsea walked toward me, a massive grin across her face. “Isn’t it amazing?”
“It’s fantastic! Almost unrecognizable from when I was here two weeks ago.”
She glanced around the room, so happy she was glowing. “I know. I can actually picture how it’ll look when it’s done now. Even my parents have admitted that I wasn’t completely insane for renting this place.”
I laughed. “Just wait until it’s finished. They’ll be singing your praises.”
“More like your boyfriend’s praises. I swear Nicholas is a genius.”
I could feel my smile faltering but managed to freeze it in place. “That he is.”
Thankfully, Andy found that exact moment to enter the room, saving me from further conversation about Chelsea’s fabulous designer. Not that I wanted to mislead her. But my relationship status was complicated in more ways than one, and now wasn’t the time to get into it all.
“Hey, Andy. Meet Chelsea, the business owner I told you about. Chelsea, this is Andy, photographer extraordinaire.”
Chelsea’s eyes widened a bit when she caught sight of him, and I looked between them, noticing when Andy held Chelsea’s hand a little longer than necessary during their handshake. Interesting. Now that I thought about it, Andy was nice looking and probably only a few years older than Chelsea. Potential love match in the making?
“It’s really nice to meet you,” Andy said politely. “This is a great space.”
“Thank you. It’s coming along.”
He walked around, checking everything out as he removed his camera and a lens from his backpack. “I’d like to get some shots with the workers first, but then would it be possible to empty the room for a few minutes?”
“Absolutely. Emma and I will wait outside while you do your thing.”
Andy grinned. “No way. You have to stick around. You’re a necessary part of the scenery, after all.”
Chelsea smoothed down the front of her shirt, which was already perfectly tailored and wrinkle-free. “I don’t know…” She turned to me, a question in her eyes.
“It’s totally up to you, but you look great.”
She peered down at herself and then eventually nodded. “I guess I’ll stay.”
After squeezing her arm in encouragement, I snuck outside to stay out of the way. A few minutes later, Miguel and the other workers strolled out, looking more than ready for a break.
“Hey, Emma,” Miguel said. “How was the visit with your brother? He seemed to be having a good time at Loft25 last week.”
“Yeah, I’m glad the guys talked me into letting him go. I was hesitant since he’s underage.”
He laughed. “If it makes you feel any better, he didn’t even try to get me to serve him alcohol.”
“Actually, that does make me feel better. How is this project going?” I asked, inclining my head toward Chelsea’s building.
“Really great. We’re ahead of schedule, which means I’ll get a bonus when we’re done. One step closer to my own construction company.”
“That’s great, Miguel. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” Chelsea was headed our way, so he started toward the other workers. “Well, I better take advantage of my break. See you later!”
“Bye.”
When she reached me, Chelsea’s cheeks appeared flushed, and I couldn’t resist teasing her. “You and Andy seemed to hit it off.”
She shook her head in embarrassment, but she couldn’t hide her smile. “He seems nice.”
“And cute,” I added.
“And cute.” She took my arm and led me to a shady spot. “I’m glad we have a few minutes alone. Have you given my job offer any more thought?”
“Not really,” I answered honestly. I’d sent her my resume, transcript, and two letters of recommendation after our last meeting. But I hadn’t spent much time actually thinking about whether I wanted to work for a marketing firm. There always seemed to be more pressing issues. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather hire someone more qualified?”
“Honestly, anyone right out of college will start at a similar level. Although a marketing degree is helpful, it’s not necessary. It’s all about experience.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
Her expression turned serious. “I don’t want to give you the wrong impression, though. Since you’re starting at the bottom of the totem pole, you’ll have to deal with a lot of the not-so-fun tasks. Filing, accounting, taking and returning phone calls, answering e-mails. And in between all of that, you’ll assist me and start learning the business.”
Weirdly, that made me feel better. Any entry-level position was going to require grunt work, and I didn’t expect special treatment. “Hypothetically, if I was interested, when would you want me to start?”
She grinned like she’d already won. “As soon as you can after graduation. I’m sure you’ll want a couple weeks off to relax or take a vacation or something, but we can discuss that more later.”
“Okay, I promise to really consider it. When do you want an answer by?”
“Is three weeks to soon? If you turn me down, I’ll need to post a formal job announcement and start the interview process.”
It suddenly hit me how quickly things were changing. Was this what it felt like to truly be an adult? Having to make important decisions with minimal information and limited time? It was a little scary and a lot freeing. My choices were mine alone, and I liked it. A lot.
“No, that should be plenty of time.”
“Great. I’ll email you the formal job description and salary and benefits information tomorrow.”
My very public Naughty Goldilocks status came to mind, and I decided she should know what she was getting into. Even though the news involving me seemed to be dying down, there was no telling how many more times it would pop up during the campaign.
“Chelsea, one more thing. Before you send me an offer, run a search of my name online. If you decide I’m not the right candidate for the job after all, I will completely understand.”
She started to laugh but stopped abruptly. “Oh, you’re serious.”
I nodded. “No hard feelings either way.”
“Okay.”
Kn
owing I couldn’t emotionally handle going into the dirty details right then, I caught up with Andy and set an appointment to go over the photos with him in the Daily office the following week. I’d almost made it back to my car when I heard my name being called, and I froze. Without looking, I knew Nicholas was jogging up behind me, and I wasn’t prepared to see him. At all. The five days of silence between us felt like an impenetrable chasm, one I wasn’t sure I wanted to breach.
“Emma,” he said again, when he was only a few feet away. “Can we talk?”
With my heart caught in my throat, I slowly turned around. When I allowed my eyes to drift his direction, he was barely recognizable as my Nicholas. If anything, he was more disheveled than when he’d finally made it home early Friday morning. His hair lacked its usual style. Behind his glasses, dark circles framed his dull green eyes. His polo shirt was wrinkled, and I even spotted a stain near the hem.
My instinctual reaction was concern. But the darker part of me soon took over and got a little too much delight out of his wretched appearance. That part wanted to believe it was because of me. He missed me, knew he screwed up, and he was here to beg for forgiveness.
However, the realistic part of me knew he might have missed out on sleep because of misplaced guilt over damaging James’s campaign. Even worse, he might have spent the last few nights going out with Alyssa…or someone else. The possibilities were endless.
Realizing I still hadn’t spoken, I cleared my throat. “Hello, Nicholas. What are you doing here?” As soon as the question left my mouth, I knew it was a stupid one, but my brain was currently running on fumes.
“I was on my way to Chelsea’s and saw you. Can we talk?” he asked again.
“What did you want to discuss?”
He glanced around the parking lot. Was he worried someone might spot us together? “Why don’t we do this at the club?”
I didn’t know whether it was the words themselves or the way he said them, but the ominous question hit me straight in the gut. As much as I wanted to refuse him, we did need to talk, and the sooner we got this over with, the better.
