“You were the boyfriend I wanted but your attitude changed in that last month.” Her voice carried a hint of the confusion and hurt from that time. “I had loved you, Cole. Didn’t you see that?”
He was stunned. His heart stopped and his ears started to buzz. The room kind of slanted as his whole world went off balance. “You loved me?”
Angie blushed but she held his gaze. “Why are you so surprised? I wouldn’t have talked about moving in otherwise.”
She loved him. She had never said those words before. All he wanted was Angie’s love but he didn’t think he had it. He had left because he didn’t think he could earn her love. Now he realized he had thrown it away.
The regret and loss weighed heavily on him. He felt like he needed to hold on to something before he slid down to the ground. He wanted to lean against Angie and hold on to her until his world righted itself.
She had loved him. Once. How did she feel about him now? No, he didn’t want to ask that question. What if she couldn’t love him again? What if he couldn’t get her back?
He’d take whatever she was willing to give as long as she didn’t shut him out. Cole took a step closer. “Invite me in,” he said in a husky voice.
Angie swallowed roughly. “That’s not a good idea.”
“It’s a very good idea. I’ve been thinking about it and so have you.” When she didn’t deny it, he boldly took a step closer. “I can’t stop thinking about you. How good we were together.”
“It’s best if we don’t try to recapture what we once had,” she whispered.
He wanted what they once had. Angie was the only one who had cracked the protective wall around him. She was the only person he could trust and the only woman who could turn him into knots. The power she had over him was at times troubling. There was so much he kept to himself because he knew from experience that knowledge was power. But as their relationship grew stronger, he noticed that he was sharing more about himself and his life with her. It was scary and at the same time deeply gratifying. He’d never had anything like it and he never would again.
He knew they couldn’t get what they had. Too much time had passed. Too much distance. But he wanted her back. He was willing to work toward something different. Something better. He wanted a fresh start.
Cole’s body grazed hers. He wanted to demonstrate how much he missed her. How much he loved her. “Let me in.”
She stared at him with wide eyes. “This is insane.”
Cole lowered his head and brushed his mouth against hers. Angie’s lips clung to his. Hope squeezed his chest when she didn’t pull away. He gathered her close, stepped into her apartment and kicked the door behind him.
8
ANGIE PRESSED COLE against the door. Her apartment was dark and quiet but her mind was a whirlwind. She’d wanted this since she had seen him on stage. His lap dance had invaded her dreams. It had been so long since she had felt aroused. Felt anything for a man. It was sharp and instant, making her movements clumsy as the lust poured through her veins.
A sense of urgency pulsed through her but Cole was in no rush. He savored her mouth with thorough kisses. He teased her with his tongue, darting the tip along her reddened lips before plunging into her mouth, only to withdraw.
She shivered when she felt his large, rough hands slide down her back. She leaned into Cole, arching her spine as he trailed his hands down to her bottom. He squeezed hard and she growled in the back of her throat.
Angie froze. She shouldn’t do that. The last thing she needed to remind Cole was how unladylike she was in the bedroom.
She rubbed her body restlessly against him. She wanted to tear off his clothes and climb onto his naked body. She flattened her hands against his chest and felt the heavy and uneven beat of his heart. She didn’t want to follow his lead and go slow. She needed this to be hard and fast. Next time they could have a leisurely exploration.
Next time. The words swirled in her head and she stopped rocking her hips against Cole. There would be no next time. Nothing had really changed. He said he missed her. He missed this.
This was sex.
Angie hesitated as the realization hit. Should she grab this opportunity or kick him out? Sex with Cole was once about love and connecting two souls. She had shared everything with him when they were in bed. Now he was offering this one night. There was no promise of a future yet she wanted more. It wasn’t enough.