Cole's Mistake (Haven, Texas 8)

“And I don’t see what the big deal is, lots of people do juice diets every day without anyone making a fuss.”

“I don’t care about other people,” Julian growled at her. “I care about you.”

She bit her bottom lip, her guilt clear.

“And you kept this from me. Because you knew I wouldn’t approve. You snuck around behind my back.”

“It wasn’t like that,” she said, panicked. “It’s just, I knew if I lost some weight, I’d feel more confident about going into the club half-naked.”

“Keira, you are beautiful. You don’t need to lose weight.” Julian brushed her hair back from her face. “Okay?”

She shrugged. “I think I could stand to lose a few pounds.”

“Then we do it together,” he told her firmly. “A healthy way. Not by drinking juices and keeping things from each other.”

A tear dripped down her face. “I’m really sorry about that. I feel awful for not telling you.”

“We can’t lie to each other, Keira, you know that. Honesty always.” It really hurt that she’d kept it from him, but he knew her issues went deep.

She nodded. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“Why did you lie to him?” Cole asked her.

She glanced away. “I knew he wouldn’t be happy.”

Julian sighed. His girl hated upsetting people. “Keira likes to try all the latest diets. Some of them aren’t healthy. I just want her to be happy and healthy.”

“I don’t know why you have such a skewed view of your appearance,” Cole told her. “You’re absolutely gorgeous. An hour-glass figure with curves in all the right places. Do you know how often I’ve had to hide how turned on I get around you? For a man who prides himself on his control and professionalism, getting turned on around you in those tight skirts has been more than a little embarrassing.”

Keira blushed, but Julian could see the happiness in her gaze. He felt a stab of gratitude towards the other man. Even though Keira’s beliefs ran deeper than a few words could heal, he knew it would help hearing it from Cole.

“I don’t want you to lose even one inch of those curves, understand me?” Cole said in a deep voice. “I get that there are things I don’t know. If you need some professional help, then you or Julian will tell me, and I’ll arrange it. But sneaking around and lying about what you’re doing when it affects your health is going to stop, understand me?”

They both gaped at him. Fuck. That tone of voice, it made him want to agree immediately and it wasn’t even aimed at him. Maybe . . . maybe Cole would take a dominant role. They didn’t have to go to a club if he didn’t like that. But he certainly acted enough like a Dom at times to make Julian think he might actually be one.

“Yes,” Keira whispered.

“You put your health at risk, Keira. Not just with the diet, but by hiding it.” Cole’s voice was a silky, dark rope tying the three of them together.

Keira reached over and grabbed his hand in her tiny, cold one. And Cole placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I know. I’m really sorry.”

Julian watched her steadily. “She’s already in trouble for putting herself down.”

“Is she? Hmm. I’m not happy about that.”

He watched Keira start to shut down. There were certain things that set her off. For the most part she was very open. But there were parts of herself she kept hidden from everyone but him. And Cole had just stepped on a trigger.

“He’s not unhappy with you, kitten,” he said to her. “He just knows how wonderful you are and wishes you knew it as well.”

“I messed up, didn’t I?” Her voice had a lost, little girl quality to it.

Cole’s eyebrows rose in surprise, and Julian sent him a sharp look. If he dared to say anything to hurt Keira, he’d fucking end him.

Okay, that had been more violent than might have been appropriate, but then he’d always been that way about Keira. She was everything. His very sanity.

“You didn’t—”