Page 49 of Untamed Heart
I blushed but didn’t deny it. Thanking her as she chuckled to herself, I ran back to the house and got myself ready. Reaching into my make-up bag, hair freshly washed and already curling at the ends, I stopped myself. The automatic instinct to plaster on a full face of make-up suddenly felt ridiculous after two weeks of concealer and mascara at most.
Instead, I applied the minimum and gently combed through the length of my hair, allowing the natural waves and tighter curls to do their thing. It fell right to the middle of my back now, to just where the zip ended on Bailey’s dress, which was strapless, tight and pushed my breasts into a fairly compromising position. But she was right – the fit was perfect, and with my boots, loose hair and cowboy hat, it felt right.
And that made me pause. Everything about me, about this moment, was the antithesis of my life in London. The stress, the loneliness, my lack of choice in anything – pushed from pillar to post by work or Kyle. And now, here, I was making the call to go on a date with someone I could never dream of meeting there, on my own terms, supported by my cousin and in clothes loaned by a new friend.
As I left my room, I wondered when it’d switched over. When I’d stopped running from my life and started living it. The change had been subtle, but it was obvious now I’d noticed it.
Lil was still in her office, so when I walked into the kitchen to find Cole waiting, hat in his hand, black shirt tucked into indigo jeans, we were alone.
‘Ready?’ I asked, trying to hold it together as I took him in, the way he stared at me, eyes lingering on my chest.
‘You look . . .’ He stopped, gathering himself before letting out a long breath. ‘How the hell am I supposed to behave when you look that fucking good?’
I swallowed, feeling the tension begin to gather, knowing there was a very good chance we wouldn’t leave the house unless I stopped it. I raised a stern eyebrow.
‘Because that’s the deal,’ I reminded him. ‘A platonic date to get to know each other first.’
The implication of what came second was loud and clear in the silence.
‘Okay, let’s go then,’ he said, almost shaking himself, sliding his hat on. ‘Afraid I haven’t got a fancy ride, just the truck.’
Thirty minutes and a very charged, quiet drive in the dark later, we found the restaurant. Cole held the door open, trying so hard not to openly stare at my body that I laughed as we removed our hats.
‘What?’ he asked, a sheepish smile appearing as the waiter took our drinks orders.
‘It’s okay, you can look – just no touching,’ I replied, thankful for the busy, low hum of other diners around us, our conversation blending in.
He smiled back as I looked around, the low ceiling and clever lighting making it feel cosy and intimate. It could’ve passed for a London restaurant, with modern and expensive-looking tables and chairs, flawless white linen and polished wood floors.
‘What do you think?’ he asked, settling back in his chair and taking his drink from the waiter. I did the same, swirling mine around the glass, realizing how odd it felt to hold a wine glass.
‘Gorgeous,’ I said, holding his gaze for a moment. ‘But unnecessary. You didn’t need to bring me somewhere fancy – you know I’m down for a regular bar and some live music.’
He huffed a laugh, taking a drink.
‘I wanted to go somewhere nice. It’s been a while since I’ve had someone I wanted to go with.’
We stared at each other, slowly getting lost before the waiter arriving to take our order broke it up.
‘So, you first,’ I said, matching his pose and leaning back in my chair. ‘Did you grow up here? How do you know Lil?’
He told his story well, his deep, whiskey-smooth voice almost distracting me from the words, but as he talked about meeting Lil as a teenager, not long after we’d stopped visiting the ranch, I was rapt. He smirked as he told me about their initial flirtation, telling me easily in a way that made it clear that those feelings were long gone. His life had become about rodeos – riding broncs, the injuries and wins, competing at ever higher levels, becoming state champion.
‘No time for women?’ I asked as he paused, watching as I smiled.
‘A little,’ he admitted. ‘But it’s hard to settle down on the circuit. A lot of buckle bunnies too, more interested in your wins than you.’
My stomach fell at the thought of the attention he would’ve received, the inevitable hook-ups. The thought of seeing him with someone else filled me with a sudden, burning jealousy.
‘You ever thought about going back to it?’ I asked softly, aware that we were moving into sensitive territory.
Cole’s face changed, but his eyes remained warm. Trusting.
‘I think about it every now and then. I think Seth would be pissed that I stopped because of his death. But . . . I don’t know. Bronc riding is still a crazy-ass thing to do. Money’s okay if you get it right, though.’
I nodded.
‘If it makes you happy, you should do it,’ I said. ‘The rodeo last week was awesome. I’d be there to watch,’ I added, giving him a shy smile. ‘I could even learn to scream and holler like all the regulars do.’
