Until Cobi (Until Him 3)

“Whatever.” I shift again then press the button on the side of my chair. When the waiter arrives, I ask him to bring me two glasses of wine and an order of nachos with extra jalapenos, and Brie asks for a Diet Coke and a popcorn with extra butter.

“I can’t wait for tomorrow,” Brie says when the waiter leaves, and I glance over at her.

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Um, hello? Cobi is coming to your house tonight and you just got a wax job.”

“I’m not having sex with him, Brie.”

“Sure you’re not.” She smirks at me.

“I’m not,” I state firmly as my stomach twists. I can’t even fathom the idea of sleeping with Cobi. If one brush from his lips sent me into a tailspin, sex with him would likely leave me brainless.

“Yet,” Brie mumbles, but I ignore her and focus all my attention on the movie as it begins to play.

When the movie comes to an end, I look over at Brie and we both grin. “Chris Pratt is so hot.”

“So hot,” I agree with a cheesy smile.

“Cobi is hotter.”

“Here we go again.”

“Just sayin’.” She grabs her purse, and I grab mine off the chair next to me. “Cobi could totally give Chris a run for his money.”

“Does Kenyon know that you’ve become obsessed with Cobi?”

“My man knows exactly what he gives me. Trust me, he is not concerned.” She smiles at me over her shoulder as we walk down the stairs.

“Good to know.” I laugh as we head out the front doors of the theater. Halfway across the parking lot, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I look around for the source of my unease. I shake off the feeling and open the door when I don’t notice anyone or anything that would make me uncomfortable.

“You okay?” Brie asks as I buckle my seat belt.

“Yeah, just a weird feeling.” A shiver slides down my spine.

“Weird feeling?”

“I think it’s just the parking lot and what happened. Ya know?”

“I didn’t even think. I should have remembered,” she says, looking worried.

“It’s okay. I’m okay.” I rest my hand over hers. “Trust me, I’m fine. It’s just going to take time.”

“I’m going to call Monday and set up your appointment.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?” she asks, surprised by my easy agreement.

“I know I need to talk about it. I’m not looking forward to it, but I know I need to talk about what happened.”

“I’m here for you. Whatever you need, I’m here for you and so is Ken.”

“I know,” I agree with a shaky breath.

“Let’s get you home.” She puts the key in the ignition then starts up her car. When we pull out of the parking space, I swear I feel eyes on me and look around but don’t see anyone. I try to push the feeling aside, but until I get home and into my house, that feeling only seems to grow more intense.

Chapter 5

Cobi

WITH A PIZZA BOX tucked between my bicep and hand, and a case of beer in my grasp, I make my way up toward Hadley’s front door. When I see that all the lights in her place are once again on, my jaw tightens. I hate that she’s living in fear. I hate that she’s afraid to even be in her own home alone. I hate it worse that there is nothing I can really do but be here for her until she talks everything out and finds a way to move past what she went through. Knowing I can’t protect her from her own mind makes me feel helpless, a feeling I’ve never felt before.

Then again, she seems to bring a lot of feelings out of me that I have never felt in the past. Protective, possessive, and a little crazy with lust. When I’m not with her, I’m thinking about her, and when I’m with her, I’m thinking about all the things I want to be doing to her. Not only is she sweet, but she’s the sexiest woman I have ever met, with brains and a smart mouth that seems to leave me panting after her like a lost dog.

When I reach her front door, I ring the bell and wait while looking through the glass at the side. I watch her approach, and my cock twitches behind my zipper. Normally when I come over, she’s already dressed for bed, but tonight she’s dressed, wearing tight jeans that are destroyed from ankle to thigh, showing skin sporadically, with a tight tank top that leaves little to the imagination. As her eyes meet mine through the glass, I watch a million emotions filter through her gaze—lust, confusion, and apprehension, the strongest of the three.

“Hey,” I greet. Before she can open her mouth to reply, I dip my head and brush my lips against hers. Fuck, her lips are soft, so fucking soft I want to spend weeks or maybe years exploring their texture. Even though I want to, I don’t stop to study the look on her face after I’ve kissed her. Instead, I head for her kitchen, which is open to her small living room, and drop the pizza on the counter. When I turn, I find that she’s still standing at the door with it wide open, her eyes on me, looking dazed.