Cole (All In Book 2)
Page 8
“She’d already made up her mind before we got there,” his friend noted. “I don’t think anything we said today could have changed that, and I seriously doubt our proposal would have gone over well.”
“Perhaps ambushing her on her first day at a new job wasn’t ideal either.”
Cole’s jaw clenched briefly before he glanced out the window. “Well. No. I suppose we could have used more tact.” He huffed. “I need a cigarette.”
“Like I’d let you spiral into that filthy habit.” Finn smiled at the waitress as she dropped off two mugs and a bowl of creamers. Seconds later, she set a pot of cold milk down, but was then out of their hair. All around them, the Seashell View Hotel and Suites buzzed with activity, as it was around the standard check-in time and tourists flocked to Coral Bay’s charming downtown and relatively open, uncluttered public beaches. Finn and Cole, meanwhile, sat in that damn booth with a veritable storm cloud hanging overhead, one that threatened to burst at any moment.
“Well,” Finn muttered as he layered up his coffee with cream and sugar, “we’ll just have to get her back.”
“How?” Cole shook his head. “Skye can be very stubborn when she wants to, and I have no interest in steamrolling over her like her voice doesn’t matter.”
“So, you’re done? You’re giving up on her?” He couldn’t keep the bite out of his voice. While Cole had more to lose with Skye’s decision, Finn, too, wanted to pout and sulk and throw a tantrum. This wasn’t what he wanted. He and Cole had spent time devising the perfect strategy to make everyone happy. Their relationships with Skye would be separate entities, yet one wouldn’t stand above the other. Equal. A partnership in love. They had agreed not to let their friendship suffer. Logistics had been discussed at length. The only thing they hadn’t accounted for was Skye bolting before they could even put the offer on the table.
He should have realized she was so distraught over all this. He should have pushed harder when she stopped answering his calls and texts. He shouldn’t have been so damn cocky in his belief that by the end of the day, it would be all sunshine and roses and naked Skye as far as the eye could see.
“Of course I’m not giving up on her,” Cole snapped. “She’s… I can’t imagine my life without her. But what can we do?”
“We’ll show her that this can work,” Finn said, more determined than ever. “We’ll show her that she doesn’t need to choose, that we can all be happy together. We’ll give her time to collect herself after today, and then…”
Cole’s eyebrows shot up. “And then?”
“And then…” He cleared his throat, mind blank. Finn had no idea. He had been so certain before, with all his ideas and plans, and then, just like that, he had lost her. “I don’t know.”
Slowly, Cole’s expression softened, as though just realizing that he wasn’t the only one hurting here. “We’ll figure it out,” he said. “I’m not done fighting for her. I feel like I haven’t even started, honestly.”
Finn cocked his head to the side, pleased that his friend had finally seen the light. “What an astute assessment.”
“Fuck off, Finn.”
They grinned at one another, then shifted gears into work mode, armed with an unlimited supply of caffeine and an unfettered view of the woman they both adored.
Operation Win Back Skye was officially a go.
TO BE CONTINUED in SKYE, the last and final instalment of the ALL IN trilogy. Preorder your copy today for 99c, or snag it at full price November 1, 2017!
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Thanks for reading!
Thank you so much for reading! You’re awesome. Seriously. Go treat yo’ self for being such a fabulous human being.
I’m sorry to leave you high and dry like this, but our three lovebirds will be back in SKYE, and things are gonna get real. I hate to see my book babes cry as much as you do, and I promise to make it right!
If you enjoyed COLE and want to support the ALL IN trilogy, please consider leaving a review at the retailer of your choice, including Goodreads. Reviews help indie authors thrive. I also use reviews as a way to gauge what series to work on next. If contemporary erotic romance is your thing, let me know!
Best wishes,
Liz
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About the Author
Liz is a Canadian author who grew up in the Middle East. She has a degree in Bioarchaeology from Western University, and when she isn't writing about her own snarky characters, she is ghostwriting romance novels, loitering on social media, or taking care of her many animals.
As a freelance ghostwriter, she has written over a dozen books ranging from romance to horror, full-length to novella-sized. A handful are currently on the market, and she stalks their "authors" with fiendish delight. She loves writing realistic characters in fantastical settings.
More from Liz Meldon:
PARANORMAL/FANTASY ROMANCE:
Lovers and Liars – a Paranormal Romance Serial
Manhattan (2014) – Book #1 (FREE)
Vancouver (2015) – Book #2
Westwick College (2016) – Book #3
Tuskin Island (2018) – Book #4
Lovers and Liars: Immortal Wars – a fantasy and paranormal romance series based in the Lovers and Liars Universe
Court of the Phantom Queen (2017) – Book #1 (fantasy romance)
Apollo’s Priestess (2017) – Book #2 (shifter paranormal romance)
To the North (2018) – Book #3 (fantasy romance)
It Begins Here: An Anthology (2015)
It Ends Here: An Anthology (2016)
Games We Play – a (Vampire/Hunter) Paranormal Romance Duology
The Fool (2015) – Prologue
The King (2016) – Book #1
The Queen (2018) – Book #2
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE AND EROTICA:
Erotic Short Shorts – an Erotic Short Story Series
Happy Hour (2016)
Holiday Hell (2017)
All In Trilogy – a Contemporary Erotic Romance Trilogy (2017)
Finn (#1)
Cole (#2)
Skye (#3)