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As we embraced and she left, I felt a newfound sense of purpose. I was exhausted, but there was no time like the present.
So, I did what I always did when I got motivated. I turned on the oven.
While it preheated, I went to my room. The stuffed toys were still in the corners, and the posters of my schoolgirl crushes were still up on the walls, but I wasn't a silly little girl. Not anymore.
I opened up my lingerie drawer and rifled through my options. Eventually, my fingers brushed against a silky, black number that I'd bought for a special occasion I never had a chance to use. The lacy bra had thin straps and a plunging neckline, while the matching panties were scandalously skimpy. As I slipped into the seductive ensemble, I felt a surge of confidence.
I admired my reflection, and even Anthony, lounging on my bed, seemed to approve with a nod.
"All right, Elara," I murmured to myself, "let's do this."
I wanted to make sure that Cole would eat well tonight.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Cole
The moment I knew I was in trouble was when I downloaded a damn chess app on my phone. It was a move of pure desperation. I didn't like chess. I barely knew the rules. But I wanted something that took total focus. Nothing else had worked: I'd run five miles, swum in the ocean, and punched my bag until my muscles felt like they were going to explode.
None of it had scratched the itch that Elara had started in my head. An itch that would have been so easy to scratch, if only I'd let myself.
At the bar, being close to her all day long was torture. At home, the knowledge that she lived next door gnawed at me.
Maybe chess was the answer.
At first, using the app had been going kind of okay. Obviously, I lost every game I played. That was a given. But for a few moments, as I moved the damn pawns around the board, I almost forgot about her.
All that changed when I heard a knock at her trailer door. Elara had a visitor. My thoughts went to the worst possible place. Clearly, some young stud was visiting her. Here I was, on a chess app, and she’d probably downloaded some no-strings sex app. She’d gotten the message that I wasn't interested loud and clear—and now, she was fucking me out of her system forevermore.
Jealousy surged through me like a riptide.
I was meant to be past this. I was a grown man, a father. But I'd forgotten how primitive my raw emotions could feel. Deep down, I was nothing but a caveman. Lustful. Fierce. Possessive.
When I finally heard Elara’s front door creaking open, I couldn’t help sneaking a look to see who was leaving. The moment I saw it was just Lily, relief washed over me, followed quickly by frustration at myself for being so damn pathetic.
"Get a grip, Cole," I scolded, running a hand through my hair. "You're better than this."
I poured myself a bourbon and got back to my chess app.
“Time to lose myself in some hardcore pawn,” I muttered with a weary sigh.
An hour later, a knock. Light, delicate, tempting. I knew it was her before I even opened the door.
Holy fucking shit on a Sunday, she looked incredible.
"Hi." A little wave. A tiny smile. The blush of youth and hope on her cheeks.
I'd never seen her dressed up like this. I took her in, drinking in her beauty like a tonic. She wore a black, off-the-shoulder dress that hugged her figure just right, accentuating the curves of her waist and the soft line of her shoulders. The fabric had a subtle sheen to it, catching the dim light in a way that made her skin glow, a stark contrast to the dark material. A delicate gold necklace drew my eye to her collarbone, and her hair cascaded in loose waves.
But the thing she wore best was her confidence.
"Elara. You look . . . nice."
Way to go, nerd.
"Are you busy?" One hand rested on her hip and the other gripped a Tupperware.
"Uh, no, not really," I stammered, feeling my pulse pound in my ears. "Just playing some chess."
