“Yes. I knew I needed some fresh air to clear my head and the whiskey. I started walking and found myself here.”
Anna walked back into her apartment and set her things down. She grabbed a roll of paper towels. She crouched down by him and cleaned up the spill. He didn’t move, but she felt his eyes fixed on her. She went to stand up when she was done, and he grabbed her arm preventing her from walking away from him. The look in his eyes was that of a lost boy’s. His eyes were bloodshot and welling up. She didn’t know if it was because of the alcohol or if he had been crying. Seeing a tear escape from his eye, she guessed it was both.
She helped him up, and he was still unsteady on his feet. “Look, you are welcome to come in to my place, clean up, and sleep it off. I have to get to work.” She guided him into her apartment.
“Anna, please. Wait!”
“Cole, you are still drunk. Don’t bother.” She grabbed her bags and headed to work.
Chapter Ten
Becca walked in around eight in the morning. She popped her head into Anna’s office. “I have great news,” she announced with excitement. Anna looked up from her computer and Becca’s excitement turned into concern. “Anna, what happened?”
“Nothing, just a rough night. What’s up? I could use some good news.”
“The good news, oh yeah, Holly, from my old firm, wants to come work here. I had drinks with her yesterday, and she hates that place. Apparently the husband of the CFO keeps hitting on her and threatening to get her fired if she doesn’t give in to his wants.”
“What the fuck is wrong with people?” she asked feeling disappointed in mankind. “I like Holly. Tell her she can start tomorrow if she doesn’t mind working at a table until we get her a desk.”
“Will do.” Becca lingered in the doorway for a few moments. “Anything you want to talk about?”
Anna sighed. She fought back the tears and told Becca everything that happened last night and this morning.
“I really do believe he loves you, Anna. I think there has been a major miscommunication, and he acted like an immature ass for some reason. You two need to talk this out.”
Part of Anna was hoping Becca would take her side and have a male-bashing-pity party with her this evening, but that wasn’t Becca. She said things how she saw it. Even if she was right, Anna still didn’t know if she wanted to continue with Cole.
So what if he was scared or overwhelmed. You can’t just close down, run away, or drink yourself into a stupor when shit gets tough. Life gets tough sometimes. It is inevitable. You have to stick together and push through.
Anna looked at her watch and headed out to her first two appointments. They went well, and she left both with signed contracts, which was exactly how she liked to do business. One was for a lobby of a medical practice—simple enough. The other was for an elite child care center. Anna would definitely call her niece and nephews to get some ideas on the latest trends with characters, toys, and television shows. She always loved designing spaces for children. They were bright, fun, and she got to challenge her organizational skills. Finding storage space for odd-shaped or large toys was always a task, but she loved seeing the kids’ faces light up when they saw the space.
For the next few days, she focused on work. Even though she was right in the middle of designing the club, she had everything planned and ordered for the lobby.
Anna video chatted with her family. The kids and her sister-in-law gave her some great ideas for the child care center. Alayna gave her an amazing idea for a play table. It would need to be custom built, but wouldn’t be out of the budget. It would allow space for a number of children to play all at once. The next day, Anna ordered a number of storage units and picked out the paint colors for the child care center.
* * * *
Cole had called and texted Anna a number of times over the past few days. He sent her flowers, too, hoping she would call him. He needed to talk her. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say other than he was sorry. He didn’t remember a lot of the night thanks to the alcohol he consumed, and it was just making matters worse. How did things go from being awesome to fucked up so quickly? He was walking around like a lost puppy dog. If anyone asked him questions, the sadness turned into a damn chip on his shoulder. People around him were doing whatever they could to avoid him.
Trent busted in his office and closed the door. He stood in front of Cole’s desk demanding attention from his brother.
“What?” Cole snapped at him.
Trent pointed his finger at him. “You fucked this up! You are going to pull your head out of your ass and fix this! You are going to start being nice to people around here again, or they are going to start quitting!”
Cole grumbled at his brother’s commands.
“No, Cole! You have to stop this. I don’t know what happened last week with you and Anna. By the way you described the night, neither do you. Now, we have a meeting with her and Elijah today, so pull yourself together and be professional.”
“Or what?”
“Or…I’ll call Ma,” Trent said with a serious face.
Cole laughed at first at his brother’s threat. Were they ten again? Trent wasn’t laughing. He was dead serious. Then Cole thought about it. His mother could still kick his ass. If she found out about his behavior, she would never let him live it down. He took a deep breath in and exhaled. “You are right. I’m sorry. I will apologize to our employees, too.”
“Thank you. Now, let’s head over to the warehouse.”
* * * *
Anna finished up her appointments and grabbed a quick salad and a lemonade for lunch. She headed over to the warehouse to meet the artist, Trent, and Cole. She didn’t know what to expect with Cole, and it made her feel uneasy. She was greeted at the door by the contractor and directed to their meeting area.
Trent came over to her and gave her a hug. Cole kissed her cheek and whispered his apology. She closed her eyes realizing how much she missed his touch and the sound of his voice. Now wasn’t the time or place to hash out what happened. She focused on the task at hand. “Let’s get to work, gentlemen.”
She introduced Elijah to Trent and Cole. They showed the artist the space. Elijah measured the wall. They discussed a number of ideas while Elijah took careful notes. At the end of the meeting, he suggested to do the wall with spray paint to give it a graffiti look. Everyone loved the idea, and it was his favorite art form.
After the meeting, Anna was heading toward the door when Cole stopped her. His touch on her arm made her feel all warm inside. Dammit! She could try to fight it all she wanted, but the feelings were still there.
“Anna, please have dinner with me tonight. I am just asking for dinner, so we can talk. That’s all. I miss you.”
Anna nodded without giving away all the emotions brewing inside her. She would give him dinner and see what happens. One baby step at a time. “I can be ready by seven.”
* * * *
Cole picked a quiet Italian restaurant for dinner. He wanted to talk to Anna and find out what really happened the other night. He ordered a glass of wine. She ordered a ginger ale. Typically she drank wine or martinis when they were out, so he found it odd when she ordered a soda.
“Anna, I’m really sorry about the other night. I drank too much. Shit was going on in my head and at the bar, and I handled it poorly. I let my emotions spiral out of control. I behaved like an immature, irrational ass.”
Anna nodded and kept perusing the menu. She needed to keep her head on straight. She didn’t know what to say to him. Should she tell him everything he said to her?
Cole pulled the menu out of her hands. “Will you please look at me?” he pleaded.
She looked up into his eyes. She saw pain, agony, and regret, just as she felt in her heart. “What do you want me to say, Cole? Do you want me to tell you everything you did and said that night? Would it make you feel better? Because honestly, if you can’t remember what you said, then maybe it isn’t true. Maybe it was just
the alcohol talking or you aren’t ready for some things. So why bother rehashing all the emotions again?”
He had to fix this somehow. He wanted her back in his life but wasn’t ready to tell her all of his feelings until he completely understood them himself. He reached across the table and held her hands. “I’m so damn sorry, Anna. I know I can’t take back my actions or words. But please know I miss you, and I want you in my life. I can’t picture my life without you. Please give me another chance, Anna.”
She saw his eyes tearing up and knew his apology was genuine. But his words and the tone he used toward her last night still hurt. “Cole, I have enjoyed getting to know you and love spending time with you. But the other night”—she closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to pick the right words to express her emotions— “I just don’t understand. I felt like you were shutting me out. Please don’t keep secrets from me. When you asked me to be your girlfriend and I accepted, it meant we were in this together. If you are struggling with something, please talk to me, not yell at me. We have all had moments when we drank too much for one reason or another and said shit. But so help me God, if you ever walk to my house in the middle of the night again… you could have been killed.”
“I promise I won’t,” he said without hesitation. His heart twisted when she said he yelled at her. What kind of heartless dumb fuck yelled at a woman he cared so deeply for? And she was right, she had every reason to be worried about him and angry with him. Walking through the areas he did was stupid, not to mention he did it while he was drunk.
The server came and they placed their dinner order.
Cole reflected on their talk. He was thoroughly convinced Anna, like his mother, could kick his ass, too. They were both spitfires. Like a streak of lightning illuminating the sky, it hit him. For years, he was with women who never challenged him. His mother challenged him enough for a lifetime, so he tended to stay clear of similar women. Now, he was falling hard and fast for a strong, successful woman who pushed him, one who made him a better man. His ma would be proud of him, not to mention she was going to love Anna…if he could get her back.
“Cole, maybe it is best if we slow things down a bit. I think things were moving too quickly for the both of us, and it was scaring the shit out of us. We both have careers to focus on. Let’s just go out and enjoy each other’s company. We can see where it goes from there.”
“So are we still boyfriend and girlfriend? Cole asked with his lips quirked in a slight smile. She nodded and giggled at the adolescent-like question, just like she did when he first asked her soaking in a tub at the hotel.
Anna was back.
Cole felt relief and a bit of hope. He wasn’t sure if either of them would actually be able to ease up. Anna said it herself in New York City. Slow wasn’t a word in either of the vocabularies.
He squeezed her hands just as their food was placed on the table. They enjoyed their dinner, although the chicken parmigiana Anna ordered wasn’t nearly as good as Cole’s. They relaxed a bit and had a lovely conversation over dinner and dessert. They talked about their favorite movies and made plans to see some upcoming releases. Anna and Cole talked about the club as well. Both were very thrilled about the progress which was well under way.
Cole didn’t want the night to end with her. But if he wanted her back in his life, he would have to do it on her terms. It was probably for the best anyway. She seemed to be the only rational one in this relationship.
He walked her to her door and kissed her good night, lingering his lips for a while.
His touch had heat flooding through her body. She had thoughts to take things slower with Cole after what happened the other night. She did believe he was truly sorry for his behavior and was willing to keep things going on her terms after their conversation at dinner. Who was she kidding? After months and months of keeping their attraction under wraps, the word slow really didn’t suit their relationship.
When he went to walk away, her instincts took over. She pulled on his arm and started kissing him with so much intensity, he was instantly aroused.
“But I thought—” Cole began to question her actions.
“I know what I said earlier. Fuck it. I want you, Cole, and I know you want me.”
“Are you sure, Anna?” he asked breathlessly. She was moving her heated center right over his crotch. He wanted nothing more than to get lost deep inside her.
“Please don’t question me. I don’t like it. Just don’t break my heart,” she pleaded as she tugged on his lip with her teeth. “And tonight, Cole, I am taking.”
Well damn, she put him in his place. They went inside her apartment. Cole followed Anna back to her bedroom.
“Take your clothes off,” she told him, and he did as she wished. “Now lay down in the middle of my bed.”
Cole followed her instructions without saying a word. She was being pushy tonight, and he was fucking loving every second of it. He realized he would do anything for her.
She put on some sexy music. Then stood at the foot of her bed and began unbuttoning her shirt. “Touch yourself for me. I want to watch.”
The woman was seducing him, and it turned him on. Cole took his hard cock in his hand and began stroking it. Moving his hand up and down, he kept his eyes glued to Anna as she slowly rid of her clothes. After a few minutes, which seemed like an eternity to him, she was standing before him completely naked. She was the most stunning sight in the universe. He wanted to be inside her. His cock twitched for her. He needed to be buried deep inside her.
“Anna—”
“Shhh,” she whispered with her finger at her mouth. “I’m taking, Cole,” she reminded him. “I like watching you touch yourself. It makes me wet.” She slid a finger between her legs to feel her arousal and then licked it off her fingers.
“Oh cazzo me.”
She got on the bed and dragged her naked body up his. “I’m in charge, Cole. All. Night. Long.” She stopped by his face, licking his lips, and reached in her nightstand drawer. She took out a silk scarf and pulled his arms above his head. She tightly secured them to her headboard. “I want you to make me scream, Cole.” She moved up his body and positioned her pussy over his mouth. “I want to scream loudly and come hard. I know you can make it happen.”
He looked up at her and nodded as she sat down on him. He devoured her like a famished wild animal. He licked her wet folds, fucked her with his tongue, and played with her clit and her piercing over and over again.
She gripped the headboard tightly. She felt her orgasm building and her body beginning to lose control. The headboard was banging against the wall. He continued lavishing her with his mouth until she was screaming his name, and his face was covered with her cum.
She didn’t waste one moment after the peak of her orgasm. Her insides were still quaking when she moved back down his body. She cupped his face and kissed him. Their tongues played. She enjoyed tasting herself mixed with Cole. She licked his face cleaning the remnants of her cum off of him.
“You are so fucking beautiful, Anna.”
She smiled at him. “I want you inside me with no barrier. I’m on the pill and clean.”
“I’m clean, too. I never had sex without a—”
She sat down on him, taking him in so deep his breath hitched. The feeling of being bare inside her was like nothing he ever felt before. It was so fucking amazing he swore he couldn’t see straight.
She moved up, almost to the point he was out of her, then crashed back down on him. He watched as his cock disappeared inside her each and every time. He loved it, but he wanted to touch her, especially since she was playing with her breasts. He wanted to play with them and touch her all over.
“Untie me, babe. Please.”
“No, not yet.”
“Anna,” he cautioned.
She shook her head and continued riding him. “My night to take,” she reminded him.
Cole pulled on the silk scarf really hard. Sounds of breaking wood filled the roo
m.
Anna stopped moving and glared at him. “You owe me a new headboard.”
He flipped her over to her back and pinned her to the bed.
Anna gasped at the sudden switch.
“I’ll buy you a dozen. I have a feeling it won’t be the only one we break.” Anna squirmed a bit under him. “You wanted me to make you scream, Anna. It is much easier and more enjoyable for the both of us if I can touch you the way I know you love to be touched.” Cole pulled her legs over his shoulders nearly lifting her off the bed. She could be a royal pain in the ass sometimes with her take-charge attitude, but he loved it. He also knew how to make her melt under his touch.
“You didn’t enjoy what I was doing? It sure as hell looked like you did.” Anna wanted Cole to clarify what he said.
He brought her pussy straight to his mouth and licked the entire length.
Anna moaned at the sensation of Cole’s tongue against her swollen sex.
“I did, every fucking second of it. But I can only take so much, Anna. I want to taste you and touch you. I love the way your skin feels and how you respond to what I do to you—what we do together. It would be my pleasure to make you scream my name all night long. It would be music to my fucking ears. It would make me hard all night long. I love watching you come undone under my touch.”
“Show me,” she challenged him in a breathy voice.
Cole never backed down from a challenge, but knew he was already well under way to conquering this one. He licked, sucked, and fingered her with every ounce of passion. In less than five minutes, she had two orgasms. Barely coming down from the last one, he thrust his cock inside her. He was so turned on by watching her peak, but he wanted to give her more. His thrusts were powerful and fast. He knew she liked it this way. He knew everything about her body. In the short period of time they were intimate, he studied it closely. He knew exactly what she liked, and he gave her everything for hours.
Orgasm after orgasm shattered her, making her come completely undone at the mercy of his skilled hands, mouth, tongue, and cock. There was not an inch of her body that wasn’t worshipped by him. She felt like a fucking queen, high upon a throne.
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