by Ella Frank
Mason still hadn’t bothered to look at her. His eyes were still on the calm and put-together Cole, and Cole now had his hands in his pants pockets and was refusing to drop his own eyes from her brother’s.
“How did you two meet?” Mason probed.
“Mason!” Rachel exclaimed. She swung her eyes to Cole’s, pleading with him to keep his mouth shut.
The message must have been received because cool-as-you-please Cole replied, “I don’t think that’s really any of your business unless Rachel wants to tell you. Now, is this over with? Or should I go and grab my dueling pistols and meet you out back at high noon?”
“Cole,” Josh warned again.
“Yes, Joshua?” Cole questioned.
Rachel was just trying to keep up with everything that was going on.
“Cool it, man. Mason’s just worried about his sister.”
Cole nodded slowly before he asked pointedly, “And you? Who are you concerned about? His sister, your friend, or your business partner?”
“You know what?” Rachel finally cut in. “You two are acting like overprotective jerks. I am a grown woman, and if I want to date someone, I do not need permission from either of you. And as for you,” she stressed, turning to look at Cole across the table.
She had been feeling extremely confident until she saw an expression that screamed, Remember who you are talking to, cross his face.
Deciding she was already screwed, she thought, To hell with it. Bluntly, she stated, “You promised me something, and I want it!”
“Rachel, calm down,” Mason muttered.
Spinning on her brother, she poked him in the chest and glared up at him. “I will not calm down! I asked you for space, and I asked you to wait back there. I did not ask you to come out here and act like my father—who, by the way, would have never embarrassed me!”
“That’s not true, Rach. He was just more discreet than Mason. He pulled me aside and read me the riot act before I took you to the formal that year.”
As those words left Josh’s mouth, Rachel’s eyes flew to Cole’s to see how he would react to this new information. His eyes had shifted to Josh and narrowed slightly, but other than that, he did nothing else.
She could feel her heart thumping hard in her chest as she thought about the way Ben had reacted to the mere mention of Josh, and Josh hadn’t even been in the same state as them then. Her worries were laid to rest though when Cole began speaking again.
“Well, it’s a good thing Rachel is no longer fifteen or sixteen, and she is now woman enough to make her own decisions. I actually don’t understand the issue here, Josh. You had originally told me you’d be happy to introduce us.”
Just as Josh was about to answer, Rachel hissed, “Stop it, all of you. You two leave now. No more words, or I will walk out of this restaurant and leave you screwed.” She pointed to Mason and added, “And I will not cook you any more beignets for a whole year.”
The minute the threat was out of her mouth, both men told her in unison:
“Aww, come on, Rach.”
“Rach, we were just worried.”
“Just. Leave. Us. Alone,” she gritted out between her teeth.
Without any more words spoken, the men she had grown up with turned and walked away, leaving her to stand alone, opposite Cole, with most of the dining room watching them.
She hurried around the table, so she was standing beside him. Looking up at Cole, in a lowered voice, she said, “I’m sorry about that. I told them to—”
“Rachel?” he interrupted.
“Yes?”
“I don’t care about that, and now, it’s done and over with. I have, however, lost my appetite.”
She didn’t blame him one little bit.
Stepping to her, he cupped the back of her neck, tugging her forward. As he lowered his head, she thought for sure that he was about to kiss her in the middle of the dining room and under the judgmental eyes of Mason, Josh, Lena, and Shelly.
Instead of doing the expected though, he moved his lips to her ear. “I’ve been patient all day, and now, I am very ready to sin. Be ready for me. I’ll be back to pick you up.”
As he let go of her, Rachel felt her knees go weak. He straightened to button his suit jacket, and he gave her a smug look that told her he had accomplished exactly what he had set out to do tonight. Then, he turned and made his way over to the hostess to retrieve his coat.
As he left the restaurant, Rachel realized she was still standing exactly where he had left her. Making herself move, she turned on her heel and stormed back to the doors where Lena and Shelly were both standing with huge we-knew-it grins on their faces.
Rachel glared at them both as she stopped in front of the doors.
“Not your type, huh?” Shelly asked.
“Not interested?” Lena reminded her.
Rachel shook her head, but she couldn’t help the small tug at the corner of her mouth as she pushed through the large double doors. “Oh, shut the hell up, you two.”
And as the doors swung shut behind her, she heard the two women laugh, and she couldn’t help chuckling a little to herself.
Several hours later, after the final customer had eaten and the last drink had been drained dry, the head chef, Ryan, walked through the dining room to lock the front door. “I’m getting ready to leave,” he informed Rachel.
Rachel was busy making sure everything was ready to go in the morning when she heard his familiar voice closer this time.
“Front doors are locked, but I found this guy out there. He said he was picking you up.”
Rachel poked her head out of the walk-in fridge to see Cole in her kitchen leaning back against a stainless steel prep table. His long legs were crossed, and he had a neutral expression plastered on his face.
As their eyes collided, she felt the air crackle with immediate sexual tension, and she knew he had come for her. Yes, I’m honest enough to admit that I can’t wait to come for him.
Belatedly, she remembered they were not alone, and she pulled her eyes away from his to nod over at the head chef.
“Yeah, that’s right. He’s here for me.”
“So, you’re good if I leave then?”
Rachel found her eyes had, unconsciously, moved back to the silent man who was dominating the kitchen more effectively than the man speaking.
“Yes, you can leave,” she replied dismissively.
Feeling Ryan’s eyes on her, she turned to see him looking back and forth between her and Cole.
One last time, he asked, “Are you sure, Rach?”
Rachel turned back to face Cole, and her eyes didn’t waver as she watched him pull a hand from his pocket with what she now knew was a caramel. He slowly unwrapped it and put it in his mouth.
Without a second glance at Ryan, she confirmed, “Yes. Positive. Go.”
As the words left her mouth, she noticed the left corner of Cole’s lips twitch as though he wanted to smile, but at the last minute, he held back.
It would have been comical to Rachel if she wasn’t so damn annoyed with all the men in her life who were suddenly taking an inordinate amount of time in securing her safety around the man she couldn’t currently tear her eyes from.
So, maybe it wasn’t just her that sensed who he really was. With all of that hidden strength simmering just beneath the surface of that pristine suit, he was giving off a sense of barely restrained control.
When I look at him, I swear I can feel the power radiating from him. It isn’t that he is trying to project it; it’s just such an innate part of who he is, Rachel thought as she felt his eyes watching her intently. At least I know I am not imagining it.
When the back door shut loudly, signaling that they were now alone, Rachel shut the fridge door and leaned her back against it. “I won’t be long,” she assured him. She walked to the prep table with a towel in her hand and put the utensils back in their proper locale. As she moved efficiently around the kitchen, she knew he was tracking her moves. Damn!
The man still hasn’t said a word. And that made her nervous as hell. In my own domain, no less.
Several seconds passed until he spoke finally. “Don’t rush on my account. I like seeing you here. I’m only disappointed that I didn’t get to try any of your desserts.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Rachel’s feet stopped moving, and she turned her head. She let her eyes zero in on the immaculate suit, covering what she now knew was a wicked work of art, and Rachel found that all she could think about was what they had discussed this morning—a taste. Suddenly, she had a brilliant idea.
“So…” She moved closer to where he was standing. “You have a real sweet tooth, don’t you?”
Stopping in front of him, Rachel threw the small towel she was holding onto the bench. Removing his hands from his pockets, Cole pushed himself up tall, and she kept her eyes trained on him, tilting her head back.
“Yes, I suppose I do. You could call it a vice of mine.”
“Your only vice?” Rachel probed, stepping closer.
Raising her right palm, she placed it on the middle of his chest, directly over the blue tie that was hanging there. He glanced down at her hand for a moment and then lifted his gaze back to hers. The look that came into his eyes lit a fire deep in the pit of her belly.
“Definitely not, but it’s one of the few I am able to admit to in public.”
“I see,” Rachel murmured. She traced her hand down his chest to his abdomen where she then began to finger his belt buckle. “So, are you going to continue to deny me and yourself this for the second time today?” Leaving no question as to what she was referring to, she boldly ran her finger down over the hard bulge that was now pressing against his perfectly tailored pants.
“Technically, it’s not really the same day, and no, I was thinking that if you were still interested, I’d be up for the discussion.”
Rachel couldn’t help the sultry smile that spread across her mouth as she daringly flattened her whole palm against him and squeezed. Just the thought of getting her mouth around him was making her body heat and her thighs clench. “Well, you’re definitely up. I’m starting to wonder if you’re ever down.”
Cole was trying to remind himself that this was not the time or the place, but as Rachel leaned into him and squeezed his rapidly growing cock, he was having a hard time remembering anything at all.
Reaching down to cover her hand with one of his own, he pressed her palm harder against his throbbing frustration as he flexed his hips forward. “Around you, Rachel, I’ll admit that I find it close to impossible to remain decent.”
“Who said I wanted you to be decent?” she challenged as she licked her plump bottom lip, reminding him of exactly what she wanted to do to him.
Removing his hand from hers, he reached out and cupped the back of her neck, tugging her forward. “Go and get your coat or whatever else you need before I forget my manners.”
Still stroking him, Rachel let her eyes fall closed. “What are you doing to me? I can’t seem to think of anything but having you naked against me.”
Cole had no idea, but he knew she was doing it to him, too. He was a second away from bending her over the prep table and taking her, but that wouldn’t happen. He wanted her in private, and he wanted it as soon as possible.
Placing his mouth on hers, he licked her top lip and sucked it between his lips. As she continued to palm him through his pants, he groaned against her mouth and released her lip. “Get your things, and I’ll meet you in the dining room.” With that, he stepped away from temptation and moved out into the empty space, gathering and hanging on to what little control he had left.
Rachel was left standing in the kitchen, aroused and shaking. She didn’t know how he did it, but Cole had the ability to make her lose her ever-loving mind. All he had to do was glance in her direction, and she’d forget that she had specific plans for him or ideas of her own when it came to getting naked. Yep, one look from him, and I’m a useless, horny mess.
It should have bugged the hell out of her, but the more she gave in, the more she was learning to enjoy that side of herself again. It had been a long time since she had given herself permission to do that.
Moving back into her office, she stripped out of her smock and grabbed her sweater, tugging it on over her head. After she picked up her bag and switched off all the lights, she ran over to the fridge and pushed the large stainless steel door to the side. Reaching in to the third shelf, she grabbed a small clear container, and with a grin, she put it in a brown paper bag and closed the fridge.
Oh yes, this will be just perfect.
When they reached the condo at around one thirty in the morning, Cole let her in and took her coat from her. He couldn’t help but admire the tight fit of her purple turtleneck as she moved down his hall into the living room. It fit her like a second skin, and he wanted to see what was under it sooner rather than later.
Shrugging out of his coat and suit jacket, he hung them both on the coatrack and walked through the room to find her over by his microwave.
“Do you mind if I use this?” she questioned as she pushed the button to open the door.
Frowning, Cole moved to the opposite side of the island and took a seat on one of the bar stools. “Go right ahead. Did you bring home a late-night snack?”
She placed a microwavable container in the center, closed the door, and hit the button to start it, and then the microwave hummed to life. She turned back to face him, and without answering, she crossed the kitchen area toward him. He found his eyes slide down from the high neckline of her sweater to her firm perky breasts and tight abdomen.
“See something you like?” Her tone of her voice indicated that she knew he liked everything he was looking at.
Oh yes. If his rigid cock was any kind of indicator, it would seem this feisty side of her worked for him quite a lot.
“I don’t know why, but that top is really flicking my switch right now,” he admitted as he reached up to tug his tie loose.
“No, don’t,” Rachel told him as she rounded the kitchen island.
Keeping his eyes focused on the woman moving closer to him, Cole reminded her in a firm tone, “I don’t think you have been paying attention to how this works, Rachel. If you want something from me, ask me. Nicely.”
As she stopped in front of him, Rachel raised her eyes to his. She seemed to realize she had overstepped her line. “Please don’t take off your tie. I like it.”
Cole wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her forward. “What’s in the microwave?” he asked again, more curious now than ever.
“A surprise. Where’s that patience of yours?”
“So, you aren’t going to tell me then?”
Giving him a mischievous look, she shook her head. “Nope.”
“Troublemaker,” he accused lightly before reverting back to the statement she had made just moments ago. “What do you like about my tie?” As her breathing came harder, he pushed, “The fact that it makes me look—” He had been about to say educated, but she interrupted with a word that just about had him falling off the stool.
“Civilized.”
Cole felt his shoulders tense at the implications she was throwing his way. So, what is she trying to tell me? That she knows I’m not really civilized? Fuck, she is going to kill me.
“Lift your arms, Rachel,” he ordered in a tone that was almost a growl as he released her.
Immediately, she did as she was told, raising her arms above her head, and then she stood there, waiting for him. He gripped the hem of her sweater, peeled it off, and tossed it to the side, leaving her in a tiny black tank top, and from what Cole could tell, a lacy bra.
As she lowered her arms, Cole fingered the strap. “You don’t think I’m civilized, Rachel?”
Her breasts began rising and falling more rapidly, and as he stroked a finger down her right arm, she jumped as the microwave beeped loudly.
He gave her a look that screamed, Well? Answer the q
uestion.
She swallowed deeply, and with a slight tremble in her voice, she replied, “I think you can be.”
Cole lowered his head until they were eye-to-eye. “That’s an interesting choice of words. You think I can be…but? That is definitely an answer that is screaming for further explanation. Lift,” he instructed again. Gripping her tank top, he tugged it up and pulled it off of her as well.
Tossing it aside, Cole kept his eyes on hers as he brought his finger down to trace the see-through material cupping the curve of her breast. “So?” he pushed, his voice calm while his cock pounded between his legs. “You think I can be civilized, but—”
Her mouth parted, and her eyes were starting to glaze over in that delicious lust-crazed way. “But I don’t want you to be,” she admitted.
Rachel bit back a whimper as Cole’s fingers pulled the black lace away from her sensitive breasts. As he sat on the bar stool with his long legs spread apart with her standing between them, she felt her pussy tighten and her body moisten at the picture he made. He was so refined in his black pants, shirt, and tie, but he was looking at her like he wanted to fuck her into next week, and Rachel couldn’t help the way her body was responding.
When her breasts were free, he cupped her in his palms and lowered his head. Without any teasing at all, he took one of her hard nipples between his lips and sucked. Gripping his head, she pulled him tight to her chest as he repeatedly flicked his tongue over the hard tip.
She groaned loudly, pushing her flesh harder against his lips. “Cole,” she sighed as she spread her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp as he continued his sensual torment.
She could feel his other hand as it slid up her back, and suddenly, her bra was loose and free. He pulled it from her and threw it behind him. Moving back a little, he reached up with both hands, plumping her breasts up to him like a meal, before he lowered his mouth to the neglected tip. He made sure to keep their eyes connected as he licked the tight, hard flesh. The sexy dark glint in his eyes was just as effective as if his fingers were sliding between her thighs. She felt her panties grow damp from his seductive play.