Page 55 of Untamed Heart
‘I don’t mean . . . Just . . . stay,’ I said. ‘I just . . . don’t want to be alone.’
He nodded, getting up to walk around to the other side of the bed, and I heard the sound of boots hitting the floor and the creak of the bedframe as he moved in close behind me without actually touching. I hesitated, then closed the gap between us, my eyelids fluttering shut as his arm wound around my waist, fingers weaving through mine.
We said nothing, my body reacting as it always did to him, but I resisted the temptation to turn over and start something quite different. I knew it would happen in an instant, the flame just inches from the fuse, but I knew better than to let that happen tonight, after everything that had taken place. Eventually, as my breathing slowed and the warmth from his body mingled with mine, his steady heart setting the pace of my own, I felt my eyelids flutter shut.
‘Goodnight, Lottie,’ he whispered. ‘I’ll be here.’
‘Thank you,’ I mumbled, squeezing his hand, finally letting myself go.
When I finally stirred, the light filling the room was muted, softened.
I stretched and my leg bumped up against something. Someone.
Awareness flooded over me and I turned to see Cole grinning, sitting up against the headboard, the bed already made on his side, sipping a steaming coffee as he read something on his phone.
‘Morning, Princess. You stretch just like a cat, you know that?’
Temporarily speechless, I took him in, from the fitted plaid shirt, two buttons open at the neck and sleeves rolled up to reveal smooth, tanned skin beneath, to the perfectly fitting Wrangler jeans, hatless dark hair and heartbreaking smile that lit up those warm, deep eyes.
‘You’re here,’ I breathed, instantly feeling stupid. ‘I mean, you stayed.’
‘I said I would,’ he replied, his gaze softening as he looked me over. ‘I’ve been up for a while now, but I wanted to be here when you woke up. You look pretty with your hair like that. And that dress is . . . uh, yeah. You always look this good in the morning?’
I looked at him in horror, hearing only sarcasm.
‘I’ll be right back,’ I said, getting up and escaping to my ensuite, then staring at my chaotic reflection in the mirror to assess the damage.
My hair was . . . wild. An untamed mass of long curls, only somewhat hiding what was threatening to spill out of Bailey’s strapless dress. Mercifully it hadn’t worked itself down, but the amount of cleavage it did show was a long way from modesty. Since I had thankfully chosen waterproof mascara, only a little had smudged in the corners of my eyes. And somehow, the whole effect was more . . . party girl after a hot night of sex, rather than emotionally wrung out.
So . . . Cole had meant it. He thought I looked pretty like this.
Frowning at my lack of ability to differentiate between sarcasm and sincerity, I stripped off and had a quick shower, aware during every second of it that he was next door. The door wasn’t locked. The thought of him coming in here . . . stripped naked like he had been on the moonlit night by the pools . . .
I turned the temperature to cold and stifled a scream before switching it off altogether.
Bundled up in a big bath towel, I let my hair down as I wandered back into the room, half expecting him to have left. Instead, he was in the same position on the bed, a rigid stillness to his whole frame.
But now his eyes burnt as they watched me cross the room. I sat on the edge of the bed, using the corner of the towel to dry the droplets of water that ran down my collarbone to my chest.
‘Time for me to get the day started,’ he said, slowly getting up and clearing his throat. ‘Lil let me have the morning off, but . . . I’m pushing it now.’
He slipped on his boots, still by the side of the bed.
‘Okay,’ I replied, heart falling. I’d had no idea what to expect, but somehow the idea of time apart was not it.
He turned, hearing the change in tone.
‘Lottie, I’d spend the whole day with you, but honestly, Lil would kill me. And I know I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands to myself. I’m just not sure that’s what you need right now.’
I nodded, accepting the words, the thoughtfulness behind them, but my heart fell even further.
‘Well, I’m not sure how much I like you being a gentleman,’ I murmured, earning a gravelled chuckle as he came round to my side of the bed and paused by the door.
‘Don’t you have a job interview today?’ he asked, his voice suddenly quiet.
I groaned.
‘Fuck, yes. Ugh. How did I forget?’ I said, standing too quickly and almost losing my grip on the towel.
