by Ella Frank
Shaking her head, she finally took a step back. “No, thank you, not here and not now.”
Following her retreat, Cole pushed. “When and where then?”
It wasn’t fair, he knew that, but as her back met the wall, Cole kept up his approach until his shoes met hers and their clothes were touching. He knew she had no idea, but every time she looked up at him from under her lashes, it made him want to lean down and take her mouth with his.
“When, Rachel?”
Her glittering eyes were conflicted, and her breathing was coming out hard enough that her breasts were brushing against his chest with each exhale. Pulling one hand from his pocket, he was shocked when the desire he saw in her dampened, and he was sure a hint of fear appeared. Moving back a few inches, Cole brought up his hand to show her he wasn’t doing anything more than unwrapping a piece of candy.
Her eyes shifted to his fingers before returning to his with questions. As he started to unwrap it, he asked again, “When and where, Rachel?”
She remained silent as he brought the small square to her mouth. Pressing it against her bright red bottom lip, he wasn’t surprised when she opened immediately, taking the candy into her mouth.
As she sucked it between her lips, Cole leaned down to her ear and informed her smoothly, “Caramel. You asked me the other day what I was sucking. I love caramel. In fact, I will do just about anything for it. Now, tell me, Rachel, when and where are you going to get me out of my suit?”
He could hear her sucking on the caramel square as she turned her head and met his eyes.
With the smell the sugar emanating from her breath, she whispered, “Tomorrow night. Eleven o’clock at Whipped.”
Cole winced. “I can’t.”
“More like won’t.” Rachel shook her head, breaking the spell.
“I said that I couldn’t. I never lie. You should know that about me right now.”
Cole thought about what he needed to do tomorrow. Knowing there was no way out of it, he came up with a compromise “How about tonight?”
“I work, hotshot. Now, can you move? I need to close up and head that way. You snooze, you lose.”
He stepped back, letting her walk away from him, but not before he warned her. “Rachel, I never lose. What about after work?”
“Tonight?” She stood behind the counter again, effectively protecting herself.
“Yes, after your shift at Exquisite. If you’re feeling brave, tell me where to be, and I’ll be there.”
He watched as her hands gripped the counter, her knuckles turning white.
“It’s not a matter of bravery. It’s about you keeping a promise. Will you be able to do that?”
“If I tell you I will do something, I will do it, no matter what it costs me. So, what will it be?”
He stared at her as she moved the caramel in her mouth, and he found himself fighting the urge to go and take a taste.
“Okay, tonight, but not at Whipped. Meet me here at one.”
Cole looked around the small shop, assessing the space. He wasn’t about to argue with her. The plan had been for him to be alone in a room with her. He didn’t care which room, and as she shook her head, letting her hair fall down her back, he found he didn’t give a shit about anything other than that.
If she wanted him naked, that was fine by him. The next stop after that would involve her minus her clothes, so however they got there didn’t bother him as long as they got there.
“I’ll be here,” he told her. When she gave him an amused look, he added, “And, Rachel, this better not be some trick of yours. If you don’t show, I will find you, and when I do, you best believe that this offer will be off the table.”
As her face turned serious, Cole tilted forward in a mock bow and then turned on his heel. Moving to the door of the shop, he couldn’t help the immense feeling of satisfaction he felt when he heard her mutter, “Know-it-all jerk.” All he could think was, Got you.
He’s not insane. I am, Rachel thought as she stood with an arm wrapped around the pole in the center aisle of the train. I’ve lost what is left of my mind. The dye has finally seeped through my thick skull and penetrated my brain.
She hadn’t even bothered with the earbuds as she made her way downtown with the rest of the rush hour crowd. She was too busy trying to decipher exactly what had happened this afternoon. Cole Madison had happened, and he had happened to make her want him between her thighs. She thought back to his words that had seductively stroked over her.
“Is that what you want? To control me?”
Hell, I am insane. Nothing could control a man like that, let alone her. But what’s the alternative? Let him hold the power? No way.
She had this. Just get it over with, and then he’ll be out of my life. Itch scratched.
Plus, it wouldn’t be a hardship for her to rub all over him. Maybe she could ask him to keep the suit on. She found it hard to believe that anything could top that look, but apparently, she was willing to risk her sanity to find out.
The train pulled up to her stop, and as she stepped onto the platform, she was immediately reminded of her run-in with Cole yesterday. She thought back to when he’d accused her of playing a part. Deep down, she knew he was right. The problem was she wasn’t sure which part was truly her, or maybe it was more that she just hadn’t found out yet.
Ugh, the jerk is already in my head. Shaking it like it would clear away all the confusion, she wrapped her arms around the coat tied at her waist as she pushed her way through the evening crowd. Maybe if she tried really hard, she could block out the wall of a man she had stupidly dared to challenge.
Cole had just made it back to his office when Jane popped her head around the corner.
“So, did you get those flowers?”
Cole looked over his shoulder at his paralegal. “I did actually. They have nice stems,” he told her without missing a beat.
Jane smiled back at him with a look of pure mischief. “I’m sure they do, Mr. Madison.”
“Cole,” he reminded as she walked out of sight.
Cole shrugged out of his coat and draped it over his arm as he walked around his desk, looking at the notes Jane had put there.
God, Becky called again.
Placing his coat over the back of his chair, he looked down at his watch. There was no point in calling now. First thing tomorrow morning, he would call and let her know that he would arrive in the evening.
Incompetence at its finest. Yeah, well, that shit is not going to fly anymore.
Besides trying to distract himself, he couldn’t do anything about it tonight.
Cole sat down and looked at the papers in front of him. God, I need a vacation. How long has it been since I truly took one? Years? It has to be years.
Glancing up at the clock, he noticed it was now approaching six thirty.
“Mr. Madison? Will that be all today?” Jane’s voice drifted into his office.
Turning to face her, he gave her a nod. “Yes, Jane, that is all. Please go home to Gary.”
“Only if you promise you will go home soon. You work far too hard.”
Picking up the paper in front of him, he waved it once. “I need to look this over for tomorrow, and then I promise to leave.”
“You promise?”
“Promise.”
She gave him a warm smile and bid him good night. “See you tomorrow, sir.”
“Jane,” he warned with a low voice.
She moved away from his desk with a wave. “Night, Cole.”
At her departing two words, he chuckled.
Closing time rolled around much quicker than Rachel had expected, especially considering she had spent every minute of the last several hours thinking, panicking, and collectively freaking out about what she had gotten herself into this evening.
Shit, I’m stupid!
No, I’m not. I’m strong. I can be in control. Just remember, Rachel, he chased you.
“Rachel!”
Spinning ar
ound with a piping bag midair, she came face-to-face with Mason. He was standing at the entryway to the kitchen, looking at her with a frown on his face. He moved between the two large stainless steel tables and made his way toward her.
Rachel looked around and saw that most of the kitchen had emptied out. A few people were at the sinks, and a couple more were out in the dining room, but essentially, it was her and her perceptive brother.
“I’ve been calling your name for nearly five minutes.” He stopped in front of her and leaned against the table.
“You have?” she asked, trying to appear clueless.
“Yes, I have. What’s going on with you lately?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re lying.”
“Am not,” Rachel fired back. Yeah, real mature.
“Rach, if something’s wrong, you can talk to me.” Mason reached out to squeeze her shoulder.
She looked up into eyes that mirrored her own and replicated their father’s. Those eyes made her heart ache at times, and this was one of them. Looking away from the confusion and compassion in Mason’s eyes, Rachel tried to pull herself together.
What else can I do? Tell him I’m going crazy, and the best way to forget how lonely I am is to lose myself in sex? Oh, and I could mention that I don’t like men to control me, so I make sure they don’t touch me. Yeah, that would go over well.
“I’m fine, Mason, really. I’ve just been a bit stressed out lately with working at Precious Petals in the morning and then coming here at night.”
“Well, let’s do something about it,” he suggested, a frown still present between his brows.
“Stop worrying about me, would you? I already placed an ad for part-time help. You have a wife to worry about now. I’m good.”
Cocking his head to the side, he gave her a thorough look over. “Okay, I’ll let it go for now.”
“Gee, thanks,” Rachel sassed, turning away from him.
He moved around her, heading toward the fridge. She watched him disappear inside, and then she closed her eyes, exhaling a deep breath. Between Mason, Lena, Josh and Shelly, she had a hard time hiding anything, but she wasn’t ready to talk. Honestly, she had no idea what she would say anyway.
Cole made his way down the dark street with his hands burrowed inside his pockets. The wind was whipping around tonight, and the bite from the cold air was harsh. He was glad the cab had dropped him only a few feet away from the small flower shop’s front door.
Stepping up to the entryway, he knocked twice and waited. He was surprised she had left on the small light overhead. It was currently illuminating the snowflakes falling silently to the ground.
Reminding himself of the promise he’d made, he bit back a curse. No touching was going to be difficult. The door to the shop opened with the sound of bells, and when Rachel appeared, covered in leather, he thought difficult was the wrong fucking word.
“Right on time,” she announced as she stepped aside, inviting him in.
Brave woman. “I try to be.”
“So, you’re never late? What else do you try never to be?”
Standing right beside her, he took a moment to take in the full impact of her outfit. “Something I’m not.”
Annoyance flashed across her face at his not-too-subtle jab.
What the hell? I told her I don’t lie, and I’m not going to start sugarcoating shit for her benefit.
Taking several steps into the dimly lit shop, he noticed only the lamp by the cash register was on. Makes sense really. She doesn’t want anyone to know she’s here at one in the morning.
Hearing the door shut with a lot more force than when it had opened, he turned to face her.
Fucking hell. She sure is something to look at right now. He let his eyes wander over every inch of soft black leather that seemed to mold to her body. She was wearing a pair of pants that were held together only by the crisscross of black satin ties running down the outside length of each leg from her hip to her ankle. It showed off smooth skin he wanted to lick. With that thought, his cock started to throb inside his pants, and that was before he took the time to admire the black strapless corset that perfectly completed the ensemble.
Oh yes. Here was the woman who had intrigued him ever since the first time he had seen her.
He reached up and loosened the gray scarf he had wrapped around his neck as he kept his eyes on her, daring her. She accepted the challenge by taking a couple of steps toward him in heels that screamed, don’t fuck with me.
It was such a shame really, because fucking with her was exactly what he wanted to do.
Rachel could feel her blood starting to boil. She had known this was a mistake the minute she had opened the door and seen him looking up at the snow. For a moment, she had almost forgotten what an insufferable jerk he was, and then he had opened his mouth, giving her a much-needed reminder.
Stepping forward, she placed her hands on her hips. She felt her breath catch as Cole slid the gray scarf away from around his neck.
I can do this.
I. Can. Do. This.
He’s just taking off his scarf for God’s sake. How can that be so fucking sexy?
He turned and placed the scarf between the lamp and the cash register on the counter. When he looked back at her, Rachel took great satisfaction in the way he couldn’t seem to take his eyes away from her.
This is your chance. Take it.
“So, are you trying to say I’m fake? Is that it? That’s kind of insulting, considering what you want from me.”
Rachel concentrated on his large hands as they unbuttoned his coat, just as they had done earlier in the day. Once the buttons were undone, he shrugged out of his coat, and she allowed herself to look up into his eyes. He was assessing her with a shrewd stare that was filled with so much fire she was surprised Precious Petals hadn’t burst into flames.
His short dirty-blond hair was sticking up in the front. Rachel couldn’t be sure, but she figured, as pedantic as he was, he had probably styled it that way.
“I don’t think you’re fake.” He threw the wool coat over the counter without turning away from her. “I think you are hiding.”
That pissed her off. She wasn’t hiding jack shit. She just didn’t want some control freak trying to hold her down—literally. That was why her ex, Charlie, had been such a great choice. There was a mellow guy if she had ever met one.
Now, the man currently in front of me? Anything but mellow. More like a dormant volcano waiting to erupt.
Raising her chin, she tilted her head to the side. “I’m not the one who wears five layers of clothing everywhere.”
“This is an image. That,” he told her, looking over her leather-clad body, “is a costume.”
Shaking her head, Rachel asked incredulously, “Are you really stupid enough to think that I would remove any of my clothes after this conversation?”
Calm and so annoyingly casual, he went about undoing his suit jacket without hesitation. His remaining ensemble—gray pinstripe pants, a perfect white shirt, and a matching pinstripe vest—was all neat and precise, positioned exactly where they should be.
The damn man even has cuff links.
So busy caught up in her inspection of him, Rachel hadn’t even noticed he had taken a step toward her until his voice cut through the air.
“As far as I was aware, you’re not supposed to remove your clothes. You’re supposed to be removing mine.”
For the first time this evening—and she was sure it certainly wouldn’t be the last—Rachel lost her footing. She couldn’t seem to formulate the words to tell him to get out even though that was exactly what she should say.
At every turn, the man had been rude and insulting. Begrudgingly, she had to admit that he had also been more honest than she had been.
Suck it up. Come on, show him he’s wrong.
“You’re right. I am,” she agreed.
“That’s what I said.”
“Do you always have to have the l
ast word, Cole?”
Fuck, there it is—my name on her tongue. Finally.
“Say it again,” he demanded softly, taking the final step he needed to put them only inches apart.
“Say what?”
Angling his face down toward her, he repeated, “My name. Say it again.”
That was when she realized she possessed a new weapon in her arsenal, and Cole found it fascinating to see the wicked calculation flash in her eyes. He tracked her gaze when she deliberately dropped it to his mouth as she considered the request as if it were a life-or-death decision.
“Make me,” she challenged, raising her eyes back to his.
You have no idea what you just invited, Cole thought as he let a devious smile finally spread across his lips. Then again, when his teeth appeared, the look that crossed her face seemingly showed that perhaps she did realize what she had gotten herself into.
Yes, teeth. Get a good look at them. I am going to eat you up.
“Remember this moment, Rachel, because I don’t plan to forget it until you’re screaming my name so loudly that every single person within a ten-mile radius knows what it fucking is.”
Her painted lips parted as she bravely raised a hand, laying it on the left side of his chest.
“You know, for a man so immaculately dressed, your mouth is filthy, and your manners are terrible.”
Looking down at her hand, Cole watched as it moved to the buttons of his vest. “I don’t really think it’s my manners that you’re interested in.”
“Well, obviously not since you lack even the basic ones,” she fired right back, flicking the first button out of its hole. “You promised you wouldn’t touch me,” she stated, looking up at him. “Will you keep that promise?”
Cole acknowledged her question with a slight nod as he placed his arms behind his back. “I will. But are you ready for what is about to happen here?”
Her eyes narrowed as she freed the second button. “And what exactly is that? I get you out of your suit and do what I like. It’s not rocket science, is it?”
Opening the final button, she boldly placed both hands against his stomach and spread the vest apart.