One Beautiful Promise

by Layla Hagen

  Laughing, I shook my head. “Not really necessary. I was at Isabelle’s yesterday, and Josie was there too. She confirmed it.” I glanced at him and continued, “She only had good things to say. Dylan and Ian, on the other hand...”

  “Those two. Don’t believe everything they say.”

  “I guess we’re back to you working that first impression, huh? Or well, second.”

  He brought his hand to the middle of my back, his mouth to my ear. “I’m on it. As soon as we’re alone.”

  “Why do we need to be alone?”

  He pulled back just a notch. “For now, trust me.”

  “I don’t know. I might need more details.” I was trying to tease him, but honestly, I was already breathless.

  “Rome wasn’t enough proof?”

  “I might need some reminders.”

  “You’ll get them... as soon as we’re alone.” I felt his exhale on my lips, and my knees weakened a little. We’d barely spent a few minutes together, and I was already completely wrapped up in him. His eyes were just molten hot, and so was his body language.

  We bought burgers and fries from a food truck next to my building. My apartment seemed even smaller with Cole inside it. I hadn’t finished doing the laundry, and the mess made the space even smaller. I placed the bag with food on the chair by the entrance.

  Cole was behind me. I felt his hand at the side of my waist, pulling me against his back.

  “So my apartment is pretty small.” It felt so good to have Cole here. He fit right in with that charming smile.

  “I just want to spend time with you, Laney. I don’t care about where or how.”

  His hot breath on my ear, and the possessive grip on my waist was too much. I let out a low sound—a whimper. Instinctively, I covered his hand with mine, pressing his fingers against my waist. I just needed to touch him... more than that, I needed him to touch me.

  The next second, he whirled me around and claimed my mouth. Feeling his lips against mine was exhilarating. I whimpered again at the first touch of his tongue. Heat coiled through me slowly, from my toes up my body, until it was unbearable. I fisted his shirt. He deepened the kiss, walking me backward until I felt the edge of some furniture against my ass. Cole lifted me up on it the next second. Now I was slightly towering over him. I loved this new angle. I placed my hands on his neck for leverage. He smelled amazing. He hadn’t worn any cologne in Rome, but now he did: it was a mix of cypress and lemon.

  Cole’s fingers skimmed my upper thighs and came to rest on my hips. He slipped one thumb under my shirt. My skin broke out in goose bumps. I moaned against his mouth, pressing my knees at the sides of his torso. When he feathered his fingers down my thighs, I moaned again.

  “Fuck, I love kissing you,” he whispered against my mouth. I curled my hands in the collar of his shirt, swallowing hard. I’d missed kissing him too. Cole took a step back, watching me intently. I blushed.

  “You look pretty up there. Thoroughly kissed.”

  “Look at me. A few minutes with you, and I’m already being kissed up against my shoe cabinet. I don’t even remember how I got here.”

  I placed my hands on his cheeks, smiling against his lips. I felt so light, as if Cole’s kiss had set something inside me free. He was pulling me out of my shell. I wasn’t even sure how it was happening, but I wanted to continue down this road. It felt even more right than before that he was here in my apartment. I jumped back down, smoothing my palms down my skirt. My stomach rumbled.

  “Let’s eat,” Cole said.

  I yawned as we entered the living room. There was a real danger I might fall asleep the second I sat down.

  I felt the tiredness creeping up on me.

  “Sit. I’ll take care of everything,” Cole instructed.

  Oh, wow. “Okay.”

  I was in danger again, albeit of a different kind. I was close to swooning. I was also close to spontaneously combusting. How the man could make me feel so many things at the same time, I had no clue, but I had to give credit where credit was due.

  I sat down on the couch, folding my feet under me, looking at Cole put the food on plates. The kitchen was tiny, and he found everything within arm’s reach.

  “Is this a bad time to admit I’m swooning?” I asked as he handed me a plate, sitting next to me. I answered my own question. “It is. I’m giving you too much ammunition.”

  He leaned closer, brushing his lips across my forehead. “Just sit back and relax.”

  We both practically inhaled our burgers and fries, not speaking one word until the plates were empty. We set them on the small table next to the couch.

  “You totally deserve the charmer nickname,” I informed him.

  “Is that so? What made you change your mind?”

  “All this take-charge thing you’ve got going on. It’s very hot.” I covered my mouth. “Shouldn’t have owned up to that yet.”

  “I disagree.” His eyes were playful, and so were his fingers. They kept moving up my arm. When our gazes crossed, I bit my lower lip. This tension between us was escalating with every passing moment, and I had no idea what to do about it.

  “I wonder what other skills go into being a charmer.” My voice was light as I counted on my fingers. “I’ve already experienced a few: flirting, complimenting, kissing. Making me laugh. What else?”

  “You’ll see. Can’t lay all my cards on the table at once.”

  I leaned back on the armrest, crossing my fingers over my stomach. “That’s right.”

  “I promise I’m a charmer in all the ways.”

  “Your mind is in the gutter.”

  “It is.”

  My breath stuttered. My belly clenched. Holy shit, his admission only made the tension between us even thicker, somehow. I cleared my throat, breaking eye contact.

  “So, which sister was the one who cornered you in your office?” I asked, not just to change topics. I wanted to know.

  “Tess. I’m seeing her and Skye tomorrow for breakfast. It’ll give her a chance to ask me if I put her advice into action.”

  “Oh?”

  “She insisted I call you.”

  I chuckled. “Cole Winchester. You’re telling me that if it weren’t for Tess, you wouldn’t have called?”

  He closed the distance between us in a fraction of a second, caressing my lower lip with his thumb.

  “Tess or no Tess, I would’ve called. You’re so branded in my mind that I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  “Oh.” I looked him straight in the eyes, gathering my courage. It was fair to warn him. “Cole... I have some serious baggage.”

  He smiled, still touching my lower lip. “I thought you might.”

  I swallowed, pulling back a little. “How?”

  “I can’t say. Just got that feeling in Rome.”

  “And you still called.”

  “Like I said... I missed you. And you don’t have to tell me anything more right now. When you’re ready... if you want to.”

  I nodded, almost melting from relief. I wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. I wasn’t even sure how to do it. I was afraid that I might be overwhelmed by the memories and the sadness, but I knew I would have to open up soon enough.

  He leaned back, winking at me. “Tess just gave me a push. And I know she’ll check on me tomorrow.”

  “Where are you meeting?”

  “Their store. They have a lingerie shop in Soho.”

  “What’s the name?”

  “Soho Lingerie.”

  “That’s easy to remember. I’ll check it out.”

  “It’s doing very well. They’ve worked hard for it. Skye’s taking it much easier now, only coming into the city once a week. She’s working from home on their online shop the rest of the time.”

  “And Tess goes to the store every day?”

  “No, she’s cutting back on that. They used to be there seven days a week. Tess says that she likes to observe clients. I just don’t want them to overwork themselves.
”

  I could listen to him talk about his family all night long. There was so much pride and affection in his tone. I slid a little lower on the couch, flexing my feet. Cole gripped my ankles, pulling them in his lap before pressing his thumbs in all my sore spots.

  “Oh, no, no. Not a good idea,” I mumbled.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I might not let you back out the door.”

  I was only half joking. And when he actually started massaging my feet? Bliss. Pure bliss. I was in heaven. I didn’t want to overthink any of it. How amazing this felt, how much adrenaline thrummed through my veins just because I was in the same room with Cole. And I definitely didn’t want to think about how many times my heart somersaulted since I’d first seen him tonight.

  At the back of my mind, I knew that Cole would want more. Not right away, but eventually. It was there in his kisses, the way he touched me. I didn’t know if I was ready for it, for anything really. But this felt so good, and this evening had been so amazing, that I couldn’t help wanting just a little bit more of whatever Cole wanted to give me.

  I slid lower, making myself comfortable, closing my eyes and just feeling his hands move expertly on my feet... right until I fell asleep.

  Chapter Nine

  Laney

  Beep. Beep. Beep.

  I reached out blindly, grabbing my phone and snoozing the alarm. I opened one eye, and then the other one. The room was semidark since it was only five o’clock in the morning. And I’d slept on the couch. Rolling from one side on my back, I smacked into Cole! He was still here! I vaguely remembered that I’d fallen asleep last night, and then when he’d tried to leave, I greedily pulled him in with me, refusing to let go. This was the first time in two years that I was not waking up alone, and far from being scared or feeling uneasy, all I wanted was to be even closer to him. Grinning, I carefully turned to my other side so I could face him. I just wanted to admire him before I hopped in the shower. To my surprise, Cole was up.

  “Morning.”

  “I didn’t think you’d be up this early.”

  “The alarm woke me.”

  “I’m sorry. I forgot you were here.”

  “Ouch. I’m that forgettable, huh?”

  “Not at all. I just... was sleepy last night. But I do remember pulling you back on the couch.”

  “And not letting me go. At all. You were basically using me as pillow.”

  I hid half of my face on the armrest because I was certain I’d climbed him.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

  “Damn. You’re charming from early morning until very late into the evening, huh?”

  “Yes. It’s a twenty-four-hour service.” His tone was serious, but his gaze was playful. I laughed, scooting a little closer to him, wiggling my toes.

  His lips curled in that smile I loved, and I couldn’t help but scoot a further inch. Cole tipped his head, feathering his mouth against mine, then parting my lips, slipping in his tongue in a slow, lazy morning kiss. The buzz started from my lips, but it spread through me like wildfire until my whole body thrummed. This was so different from our other kisses, but it was all-consuming nonetheless. I didn’t think Cole could kiss any other way. He gripped my hip with one hand, pressing his chest against me. My nipples were hard and so very sensitive. He moved his hand to my ass, then down my thighs. When he trailed his fingers up again, I felt that touch intimately, and all my nerve endings caught fire. On instinct, I rolled my hips forward and felt his hard-on pressing between my thighs. I gasped as my skin turned to goose bumps. My breath hitched.

  When my alarm rang again, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I turned to the other side, picking up my phone and snoozing it.

  Cole was looking at the phone over my shoulder. “Your shift starts at five thirty, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Go shower, beautiful girl.” His voice was playful, and so were his eyes. He practically shooed me off the couch. Standing, I looked over my shoulder, suddenly feeling feisty and greedy. I wanted a few more minutes with him. I shuddered at the sexy glint in his eyes, then ran to the bathroom. The truth was, I didn’t have too much time left. I showered quickly and dressed at top speed.

  I found Cole in my living room. Now that I was a little more awake, I noticed his shirt and pants were completely crumpled from sleeping in them. He still managed to look sexy as hell, though. My cheeks warmed as I remembered how he’d touched me...

  Cole looked at my cheeks intently before focusing on my eyes. “What’s with this blush?”

  “Nothing.”

  His chuckle told me he knew exactly what that nothing was. I headed to my tiny kitchen nook, opening a drawer. “Do you want coffee? I just have these instant coffee capsules...” I spoke quickly, biting my lower lip.

  “Why are you nervous?”

  “I don’t know.” It was the truth. I’d been so at ease when I woke up, but now I was wringing my hands, all jittery. A few seconds later, I felt him behind me. Placing a hand on my hip, he whirled me around. Our gazes locked, and just like that, some of my nerves subsided.

  “I have a proposition.” He skimmed his thumb from one corner of my mouth to the other, eyes fixed on me. “Let me spoil you some more soon. The proper way.”

  “I’d say your excellent foot massage and the dinner was amazing. The only improper thing was my falling asleep on you.”

  “I didn’t mind one bit. Had some perks.”

  “Such as?”

  “You fondle me in your sleep.”

  My jaw dropped. “That can’t be true.”

  And yet... I could see myself doing that.

  “I’d say I’m sorry, but you don’t seem unhappy about it.”

  “Not one bit. I make the best of every situation.”

  I inhaled deeply. “I haven’t been on a date in a long while. I’m not sure I even know how to do it anymore.”

  Cole smiled, taking both my hands in his, kissing each, then just holding them. “I’m more than up to the task of reminding you, but I don’t want to hurry you. We can take things at your pace.”

  He lowered my hands, tilting forward, placing a kiss at the corner of my mouth, inching toward my cheek, then down the right side of my neck. My whole body strummed tight, every muscle contracting. I liked the way he skimmed his lips over my skin—almost reverently. I had no idea how he put me at ease so fast—no matter if he used words or kisses. It was liberating. My chest felt lighter, as if I was learning how to breathe again properly with Cole. Butterflies roamed in my belly. A giddy feeling took hold of me.

  “This is your way of taking it slow?” I teased.

  Clearing his throat, Cole straightened up. “This wasn’t planned. Just wanted to kiss your cheek.”

  “And you somehow ended up down my neck?”

  He turned on the charm, flashing one of his devastating smiles. “What can I say, doc? It’s hard to keep myself in check around you. So, what do you say?”

  My heartbeat accelerated. Adrenaline thrummed in my veins. “Yes. But let’s make it on my day off, so I don’t fall asleep on you again.”

  “As I said, I didn’t mind. But more time with you is just what I wanted. When’s your day off?”

  “Sunday.”

  “Perfect.”

  Those butterflies were now absolutely out of control... as was my grin. Yesterday evening had been amazing, but judging by the intense glint in Cole’s eyes, I hadn’t seen anything yet.

  Chapter Ten

  Cole

  Today was a fine day... except for the worst case of blue balls I’d had since I was a teenager. The cold shower I took didn’t fix things, but my right hand did. I came to my apartment after leaving hers, working from home for a few hours. Since I was meeting Skye and Tess in Soho, it didn’t make sense to go into the office.

  I made calls for the Centenarian submission, then checked on permits of an older project, which had hit a roadblock. As chief of operations, I liked to get my hands dirty
with every project. Hunter preferred to handle strategic decisions, only keeping an eye on the financial key performance indicators, but that wasn’t for me. I loved being in the thick of things, always had. I was a problem solver and thrived on finding solutions—especially in issues others deemed too difficult or complex.

  In between calls and emails, my mind circled back to Laney. I couldn’t shake off thoughts of her even if I wanted to, and I didn’t; quite the opposite. Laney was funny and easygoing, but there were moments when a sadness passed in her eyes. I wanted to find out what that was about, help if I could... or just erase that sadness completely. I could ask Isabelle, but I preferred to talk to Laney about it. I already knew some of the things she enjoyed, and I was going to be very thorough in exploring her to find out more.

  I chuckled at myself. Ryker would give me so much shit about this. I willingly admitted that I’d been shocked when Hunter and then my brother broke out of the bachelor pack and settled down. I’d never felt the urge to even get to know a woman too well. But now, it was like an inner driving force that I couldn’t stop. Laney was cautious and kept her cards close. I couldn’t tell if it was because she didn’t want to open up in general, or just with me. I was determined to find out.

  After making a few calls, I opened up the 3D rendering of a project we’d just completed. I’d noticed some discrepancies that I wanted our team to fix.

  I was writing notes to the team when Tess called. I was meeting her and Skye in two hours, so maybe they needed something. I answered right away. I had a golden rule: never ignore a call from the family. Typically no one called without reason during work hours. Pointless calls to give each other shit were acceptable in the Winchester family, but we had the good sense to only do it in our spare time.

  “Morning, sis.”

  “Cole.”

  I went from relaxed to tense in a fraction of a second. Her voice was strained.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m with Skye... and she’s not feeling well.”

  I stopped dead in my tracks, as if someone had sucker punched me in the stomach.