Cole's Mistake (Haven, Texas 8)

“From the floor? Why were you on the floor?”

Julian shot him a look, and redness filled Keira’s pale cheeks. Oh. Right. They’d just come from a BDSM club. He guessed she’d been kneeling or sitting on the floor. Jealousy flooded him, surprising him. He didn’t want her kneeling for him, did he?

Of course, you don’t. It’s barbaric. Demeaning.

“And you kept going?” He glared at Julian. The other man dropped his gaze, his pose one of shame. Guilt stabbed at Cole. He didn’t mean to make Julian feel bad.

“Don’t talk to Julian like that,” Keira snapped, surprising him. She’d never been anything but polite and sweet to him, although, he knew she had a fiery side. But it only came out rarely, and usually in his defense. When someone was trying to get to him after he’d asked not to be disturbed.

So, her attack on him was unexpected. But not undeserved.

“It’s not his fault,” she told Cole. “I told him I was fine.”

“I should have insisted we stop, Keira,” Julian said miserably. “I should have made sure you ate more for dinner. Unless you think it’s something else. Do you feel ill?”

Cole frowned. A suspicion formed. “You’re not still doing that stupid juicing diet after I told you to stop, are you?”

He saw her tense in Julian’s arms.

“Oh, Keira,” Cole drawled at her guilty look. “You’re in so much trouble.”

Fuck. Crap.

Why did she have to have such an observant boss? Why did he have to care what she ate? It was nobody’s business if she wanted to lose a few pounds.

Okay, maybe it was kind of Julian’s business. She knew he wouldn’t be happy. He was always telling her how gorgeous she was. He didn’t understand. Look at him, how could he? He was the gorgeous one. Totally out of her league.

“Juice diet? What’s he talking about, Keira?” Julian asked.

“Can you put me down?” She wiggled in his arms. “You’ll get a sore back.”

“Why would he get a sore back, Keira?” Cole asked in a low voice. “Does he have a back problem?”

“No, but I’m too heavy for him to hold like this.”

Aw. Fuck. She blamed her fatigue for letting that slip out. That stupid juice diet left her constantly hungry, and she was always having to pee. She’d lost five pounds, but it was probably all water.

If she’d been in her right mind, she’d have realized saying those words was like waving a red flag in front of an angry bull. Actually, make that two angry bulls.

“Too heavy?” Cole muttered, he gently grasped her chin and lifted her face so she had to look into his gray gaze. Most of the time, his eyes were incredibly cold and chilling. But, right now, they were filled with heat. A mix of anger and arousal.

“Did you hear that, Julian?”

“I did,” Julian grumbled. Oh, no, she hated making him unhappy. It made her feel sick inside. Julian was her big teddy bear. Her biggest supporter. Her love. He always sought to make her happy, to give her what she needed. “You know what happens if you put yourself down, Keira.”

Crap.

She glanced over at Cole.

“What happens, Keira?” Julian pressed.

“I get punished,” she whispered.

She wanted to protest that she didn’t deserve to be punished. But she’d hidden her diet from Julian, which had filled her with such guilt she almost couldn’t take it. A punishment would help erase that icky feeling. Would help her sleep at night.

And she did know how much he disliked her putting herself down. So, yeah, she kind of deserved it. She just didn’t know how Cole would react to that.

Cole stiffened and shot Julian a look. “You’d hurt her?”