“Why me though? I’m still so new to this.”
“I trust you, of course. And now that you’ve landed this dream job, I know you’ll do right by my words.”
I grinned. “Well, I appreciate your confidence in me. And not gonna lie, this is going to make me look so good to everyone! Your book is a very intriguing read. Much darker, though, so I get the aim for a new pen name while still letting people know it’s you. The older crowd will eat it up for sure.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.” Cole looked back at Darla and Heath, who were still chatting. “Will you meet me after you’re off? Maybe for dinner and drinks?”
My heart galloped in my chest, the same way it had when I was in college, when I’d see him for the first time every day. My mind went back to the time I’d spent with him in Orlando, lounging on the bed with him, soaking up the sun on the balcony…bathing with him, skin to skin, and then making the sweetest love, nose to nose.
“Yes,” I said. “I’ll meet you.”
“Good.” Cole winked as Heath turned and cleared his throat, ready to begin the meeting. “I’ll text you the place.”
We all took our seats, and Cole’s agent strolled in, flustered and red-faced, declaring how much he couldn’t stand the busyness of New York, to which everyone laughed and told their own stories. The meeting officially began after that, and for the duration of it, it was hard for me to concentrate. Cole was sitting right next to me, his agent on the other side of him, while the others sat on the opposite side of the table. As Heath spoke about the potential of Cole’s novel and the plans they had in mind, I felt his hand skim under my skirt and up my thigh, and my breaths became shallow.
Our eyes connected for a fleeting moment, and I felt his hand turn over. I looked down, and he had his fingers spread open on my lap. I placed my hand in his, and he closed his fingers around mine and squeezed, like he always used to do to comfort me. Then he sat forward and answered one of Heath’s questions, as if he hadn’t been distracted whatsoever.
But I was, utterly and completely distracted and consumed by this man. Just like that, it felt like we were one again, and this time, I knew we would make it work. There were no rules to set us apart. No reasons to hide, to lie. And whatever commitments he was afraid of, I would help him through them this time. I wouldn’t give up on us, not when I knew how strong our bond was and how much love we had for one another.
Cole Grant was my world, and now that he’d found his way here and was holding my hand beneath the table, I knew I was his too.
* * *
THE END