She went on to tell him between hiccups and streams of tears how a foster family took her in shortly after that and how they slowly nurtured her back to physical and mental health. They helped her become normal again. They gave her hope and opened her eyes to the beauty and happiness of the world. They repaired her so that she could see only good things around her. But sometimes the darkness lingered. It tried to show its face. And that terrified her.
Bile rose in Cole’s throat as he tried to imagine the horror Seraphina had gone through, the pain she had suffered at such a tender age. Cold rage gripped him and the sudden protective instinct he felt for her made him want to kill the man with his bare hands.
“He’ll never hurt you again, Seraphina. No one will hurt you. Not if I can help it,” he promised as he placed a light kiss on her forehead.
She wiped her face on her sleeves and looked up at him. “The bastard got knifed in prison during his fifth year. Apparently, he wasn’t very popular with the other prisoners.” She gave him a grim smile and settled her head on his chest again. “Even dead, he has the power to hurt me with the memories.”
“Don’t give him that much power,” Cole said harshly. “You were a victim then but you’re a survivor now. A strong, beautiful one. Don’t let him get to you from beyond the grave.”
His heart was beating normally again. It had spiked in between and she had gotten a glimpse of murderous intent in his eyes even as he’d kept his countenance clear. She felt warmth seep into her soul at his words. She did not need protection any more. She was stronger now, mentally and physically, but it felt nice to hear it nevertheless.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For listening. And for not judging me.”
“Why would I ever judge you?”
She shrugged and hid her face in his chest again.
“Seraphina …” he said softly, lifting her face up so that she was looking directly at him. “Anyone who judges you needs a good thump for their stupidity. I would never judge you. Especially not when I see what kind of woman you have become.”
“What kind is that?”
“A woman who in charge of her life. She’s amazing, strong and very beautiful,” he replied, giving her a toothy grin.
“I don’t feel like I am in charge of anything when I am around you. I just feel out of control.”
His breathing hitched. And he felt another twinge. Was it acidity? He did not say anything, just moved on to comb his fingers through her scalp as she undulated against him.
“I’m glad he is dead,” he murmured. Some of the tension was releasing from his body as she hummed in approval at the scalp massage.
“Me, too.”
They stayed in silence, just listening to each other breathe. Then Seraphina spoke up.
“Can you stay the night?”
“Yes,” he said simply, tracing her jawline. An odd feeling came over him as watched her eyes light up at his response. He knew that after bringing up the ghosts of the past, she would need him there. And surprisingly, he was willing to be there.
Seraphina was let up to Cole’s condo by the smiling receptionist. She could not help but grin the entire ride up in the elevator as butterflies fluttered in her tummy. She felt nervous every time she was near him or just thought about him, but it was also accompanied by a warm feeling that she was starting to love. Love. The grin broadened just at the thought of the word. Even though it had been just a while since her bump-in with him, she was certain that she’d fallen too hard for him. Of course it was bound to happen, what with it being written in the stars. If the universe decided something was right, it had to be right. She was extremely glad that this time the universe had worked in her favor.
She rang the bell and waited patiently, her breathing starting to get a little uneven from the anticipation of seeing him. Tonight was another formal event and he would be wearing a tuxedo that was probably custom-tailored and fit him like a glove, emphasizing all of his lean, splendid structure. She groaned quietly just as the door opened.
“What’s wrong? Is my bowtie shapeless?” Cole asked immediately, staring anxiously down at himself.
She could not help it. She laughed. “No. I was just picturing how great you would look in your tux and I was wrong.”
Cole looked bemused. “You were?”
“Yes, you look greater than what I had in mind,” she said, flashing him a mischievous grin as she kissed him softly before stepping back to fully examine him. Her fantasy did not do much justice to the real man standing in front of her. It would be a tough night of having to control her emotions. She was sure the vultures would descend upon him with him looking like God. Everyone always wanted a piece of the richest and most handsome guy in the room. She groaned again.
“Are you having dirty thoughts of me now?” he asked with a toothy smile.
“Not exactly... I…”
Her explanation was cut off as the doorbell rang. They looked at each other, puzzled.
“Were you expecting someone?”
“Other than you? No.” He frowned as he reached forward to open the door. “They usually tell me who is coming…” The words died in his throat when he saw who stood behind the door.
“Hello sweetie! Please forgive me for being late… You know how Paul can be. I should fire him for incompetence but I do love a good-looking driver. Well, hello. Who is this?”
Seraphina gaped at the woman standing in front of Cole who was now eyeing her critically, having just spotted her behind him. She was dressed flashily in a low-cut red gown that put most of her cleavage on display in a non-flattering way. The woman did not seem to feel even a bit conscious about that.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” Seraphina asked her in a polite tone before Cole could open his mouth. Suddenly she felt the acid in her stomach start to churn unpleasantly.
“I’m Brandi…Cole’s date,” the woman, Brandi said it like it was obvious and that Seraphina was an idiot even for asking. “Who the heck are you?”
Accusing eyes turned towards Cole who had a dazed look on his face. In just a few seconds of assessment, Seraphina came to the conclusion that the Brandi woman was a bitch and she would probably try to act superior and enjoy it. She would not give the trashy woman a chance to do that.
“I am Cole’s date. I’m afraid you have had some sort of misunderstanding. Right, Cole?”
The sound of his name being called out woke him out his daze. What the hell was Brandi doing in his apartment dressed like that? And what was she doing claiming to be his date? The way she was eyeing Seraphina was not good. He knew how vicious she was and how she could inflict lasting damage with just her words. While Seraphina could hold her own, he did not want to subject her to that tonight.
“Brandi, what the hell?” he snarled, moving in front of Seraphina, as if shielding her. “What are you doing here?”
“Cole,” the woman whined and then moved towards him so that her breasts were within brushing distance of his body. “I dressed up so prettily for you and no comment? And who the f--k is this girl?”
Recoiling at the strong scent of perfume, he stepped back almost on Seraphina’s toes. As his shoulders brushed against hers, he felt her bristle at the comment from Brandi.
“As for what I am doing here, you invited me! Remember?” Brandi continued ignoring the tension in the room. “We had just finished some really fun bed play and you said you needed a date for the event and I agreed. You even called me up last night to remind me. My body is still aching after that wild ride.” She added the last bit with a smirk on her face directed towards the wide-eyed Seraphina.
Cole was about to call her on her lies and call security when suddenly a memory hit him. “Oh, shit!”
Pain lanced through Seraphina as she looked from Cole to the other woman. Cole’s shift in expression was enough to tell her what she needed to know. She had thought it a misunderstanding before but the guilt
y look spoke volumes. A sob caught in her throat but she refused to show weakness. She would give neither of them the satisfaction.
“Seraphina …” Cole started, taking a tentative step towards her after catching the panicky look in her eye. He was familiar with that look. It usually meant the woman was about to bolt. He did not want her to bolt. He wanted to explain himself to her and remove that hurt look from her eyes. “Just--”
She did not want to hear anything. She did not want to look at either of them, especially the smug-looking skank who was standing too close to Cole. She took a deep breath, put on a cool expression and said what had to be said.
“I didn’t expect this from you. But maybe I was wrong about who you were. Goodnight Cole.”
With her head held high, she walked out without another glance at the couple.
“Wait!” He yelled at her retreating back and tried to untangle himself from Brandi’s grasp.
“Let her go, sweetie. She needs to go home and lick her wounds,” Brandi said in a whiny voice that held triumph in it. “Where are you going?!”
The elevator doors shut before he reached it and he cursed loudly. Even if he took the stairs, he would not make it downstairs in time. He called the front desk and asked them to stall Seraphina. His heart thundered frantically when he got to the lobby only to find it empty.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the woman said nervously. “She was quite determined to leave.”
“Did she take a cab?” Cole barked at her, making her take a hasty step backwards.
“Y-yes, but…”
Cole ran outside only to find Ethan standing there, glaring at him with accusing eyes.
“What?” he snapped at him. “You were standing right there. Couldn’t you have stopped her?”
“The cheerleader or Seraphina?” Ethan asked scornfully.
“Ethan!”
“She looked very upset. I knew better than to stop her. She needs time alone, Cole. Did you really have to screw over the sweet girl?”
Cole closed his eyes and prayed for patience. His friend was understandably upset but he did not know the entire story. Balling his hands into tight fists, he tried to control the rage that swept through him. At Brandi, at himself and even a little bit at Ethan.
“I did not…”
Ethan held up his hand. “Save it. I saw the cheerleader. I don’t want to know where and how you screwed. Just fix it. Dude, Seraphina was crazy about you. With that woman showing up, you totally screwed it up. Fix it.” Throwing him a final glare, he changed his expression to neutral. “Shall I drive you to the event now, sir?”
He did not want to go to the stupid event now. He wanted to go and see Seraphina. He wanted to clear the misunderstanding before it was too late. The devil on his shoulder suddenly spoke up in his mind. Maybe it was best she was not with him. She was too sweet to be around someone like him. He was crass, did not believe in true happiness and liked to live life on the edge. She needed someone more mature, caring and sweet, just like her. Maybe things really happened for the best. Dejectedly, he turned around and walked inside, feeling as if someone had just reached in and broken a part of him.
♥●●♥
Chapter 10
“Seraphina, honey, you have to believe me! I swear that’s what happened. Why would I invite another girl just after I invited you?”
Seraphina stared mulishly at the ground. While one part of her wanted to believe him, another part nagged her that this was just an attempt to get himself out of a difficult situation. Apparently he had invited Brandi to the event weeks ago, way before Seraphina and he had crossed paths, and he’d completely forgotten about it. Other things that the witch of a woman had mentioned were just attempts to get a rise out of Seraphina. She had partially succeeded.
Giving in, Seraphina said, “okay. I believe you.”
The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had acted like a child and jumped to conclusions before assessing the entire situation with a clear mind. Had she done that she would not have missed the manipulative look on the skank’s face. She knew women like her and knew exactly how to handle them but finding one standing in the way of someone she really cared about blinded her to the obvious. She felt kind of ashamed about it.
Cole let out a huge sigh of relief and almost jumped around in joy. The way she had run out on him had bothered him a lot and he had spent the night tossing and turning. The next morning he tracked her down at her work and took her aside for a sincere conversation.
“Thank you…thank you!”
“She wasn’t an ex, was she?”
Cole paused his celebration.
“You dated her?!”
“No! I mean… I don’t… I didn’t used to date!” Cole backpedalled as fast as he could. Shit was going to hit the fan once again.
Seraphina’s lips thinned. “So she was just your sex partner?”
“Was is the term you’re looking for.”
Seraphina knew she was acting irrationally. He had not even showed the slightest interest in the Brandi woman so she had no reason to feel insecure but she still did. The green monster within her showed its ugly little head just a bit.
“How many Brandis did you have before?”
Cole looked uncomfortable at the question and scratched his head, unsure how to answer. “You don’t want to know the answer to that. Besides, let the past stay in the past. Right now, I have eyes only for you.”
He did not date because women tended to get clingy fast and most of them wanted more – they were after his money and name. No one really cared to get to know him for who he was until Seraphina. Seraphina was sweet like that. She shied away from presents and fancy places and enjoyed the simpler things in life even while she was with him. Just as women used him for his money, he used them for his pleasure and then discarded them once he grew bored. It was something he was not proud of and he did not wish to reveal that to Seraphina. The tabloids had quite a few stories but they did not know half of it.
Placated, Seraphina let him treat her to a quick lunch and then had him return her to her job.
“I missed work the other day because I was busy crying over a stupid mistake. I can’t afford to keep missing work on a regular basis. I really need the money right now.”
Cole felt a sharp pang at her first comment and then frowned as he processed the rest of her sentence.
“I didn’t know you were having money problems.”
“I wasn’t. I just need the extra cash to fund a charity back home,” Seraphina said evasively.
“What charity?” Cole felt a hint of suspicion enter his mind but he quickly dismissed it. Seraphina was not like the others.
“For the orphans. The local orphanage is running low on supplies there and despite the small donations that people there make, it’s not enough. They have taken in too many children and if they don’t get funds soon, they will have to shut down.” Tears formed in Seraphina’s eyes and she quickly looked away. “I donated my entire month’s salary but it’s not enough.”
Cole felt deep respect for the woman standing in front of him. He’d had Ethan do a bit of background checking on her the first time she had contacted him. Seraphina Claire made monthly small donations to various charities around the state and a few outside. She was so selfless. He had never known anyone quite like her other than his mother. His mother dug out charities from hidden rocks and helped them out. May St. John would love Seraphina if she ever met her.
“I’ll help.”
“What? No.” Seraphina’s brown eyes widened. “I didn’t tell you because I knew you would say that.”
“You don’t want me to help?” he asked, perplexed.
“No.”
“Why not?” He felt indignant at her calm replies. He could not see why him helping out would be such a problem for her.
“You’re just giving away money because you have so much of it. I can’t let you do that. It�
��s okay if I have to work double time to give them the money, but I want it to go sincerely to them,” she explained, staring at the wall behind him.
“You think I don’t care?” he asked in a deadly calm voice.
“I didn’t say that,” she protested, still refusing to look at him.
“Seraphina… Look at me.” For good measure, he added, “please?”
Brown eyes clashed with his stormy grey ones. “You implied it. But I care. I care a lot. I was nearly made an orphan and I know a little about the pain they go through. So I’ll be giving the money because I genuinely want to help. I donate to a lot of charities, Seraphina. But that doesn’t mean that once I do it, I forget about them. I remember each and every one of them and I do follow-ups on them. I make sure every penny of my money goes to the right place.”
Pride swelled in Seraphina’s chest as she stared adoringly at the amazing man. She knew he cared but she still did not want him to donate just to get her out of a situation. She also did not want him to think that she was like the others, exploiting him for his money even though it would be going to a right place.
“Thank you,” she said softly. Her lips quirked up as her eyes shone brightly.
He leaned forward and stole a quick kiss. “You’re still going to work twice as hard, aren’t you?”
She nodded. Just because he would make a donation did not mean she would change her mind. Her share of the money was still going to go to them. The more money they had, they more they would improve and the better the children would fare.
“My little saint,” he murmured against her lips.
“I’m not…”
“You are too. Shh… Don’t talk. Just let me enjoy this.” He took her mouth softly, showing her just how much he appreciated her and just as the level of heat started to build, he broke away. “You have to get back to work. I shouldn’t be distracting you.”
Romance: He Done Her Wrong (Cuddlesack Queens #2) Page 20
