AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cole wrapped his arms protectively around me when we finally went to bed. He pulled me close. I was still tired and sore from our lovemaking earlier, but somehow, I wanted him again.
“I think I’m gonna fall asleep,” Cole admitted. “Is that okay with you?”
I grinned at him. “Of course, it’s okay. We can just sleep.”
“And snuggle,” he said hopefully, pulling me closer.
“Of course, we’re going to snuggle.” I nestled against him. My desire shifted, turning into something else. I wanted him, but the fact that he was too tired for more sex—and brave enough to tell me so—was better than having sex. And nothing was better than sex with Cole.
He sank his hands into my hair and kissed my forehead. “I love you, Jenny. I don’t know if I should keep saying it. But it’s so obvious. I love you, and this is real for me.”
I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. “I love you, too.”
“Why are you pulling away from me?” He sounded hurt.
“I’m not,” I explained. “I’m giving my feelings space. I can’t think straight when I’m all tangled up in you. But I am thinking straight right now, and I love you.”
“Okay,” Cole said.
“Okay,” I agreed.
“What are we going to do?” he asked. “Are you going to talk to me about why you left?”
I hesitated for a moment. More than anything, I longed to confess about all the trouble I was in, about how my auntie Theresa had come back from the dead and that his father was blackmailing me. But if I did that, I’d put him at risk.
Be noble,I told myself.Don’t be selfish.
“It was like I said in my stupid note,” I said. “I don’t think I’m the right girl for you. You might want to find someone who didn’t work at Sizzler and, even worse, hook for a living.”You might want to find someone Daddy approves of.
I sighed. “Someone from your world, you know what I mean?”
“There’s only one world, Jenny,” Cole said. “And I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I paused for a beat. “Why don’t we be real smart and just leave it at that, huh?”
I could feel him watching me, but he said nothing for a minute. “Sounds like a plan,” he finally said. He pulled me close again, and I felt we had a reluctant truce or some sort of agreement.
He loved me.
I loved him.
For the moment, we were going to leave it at that.
I said a silent prayer. I prayed that this would all work out and that, somehow, there might be a happy ending for a girl like me. I didn’t let myself think about the how. I refused to consider my past and the probability that I didn’t deserve anything so pure and so good. I knew the truth. I knew who I was and what I’d done.
I prayed anyway.
Then I fell asleep in my billionaire’s arms.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
jenny
I wokeup early the following day. I didn’t want to miss a second of our time at the beautiful ranch, and Audrey and I were going horseback riding first thing.
Audrey had already sent me a couple of texts.
It’s horseback riding day!
