“Cole, what is all this? Why are you doing this?”
"I know that technically I'm your ‘employer,’ and I'm paying you for everything you do for us, but I don't want you to take for granted that I understand what you're sacrificing for us. I wanted to bring you here because I know how important this place is to you, and I want you to know how important you are to us."
“Oh.” It was the only thing I could say without bursting into tears. My eyes stung and I quickly turned my face to the window, gripping Cole’s hand as the driver pulled away.
CJ was still asleepwhen we met up with Kimberly and Adam. Part of Cole's plan for the night was for CJ to have a sleepover with Auntie Kimmy, so we left him in his car seat and climbed into their SUV.
“Alone at last,” he said as he slammed the door and turned to me. “Lisa, I had all of this romantic stuff planned for tonight.” His arm flexed to reach into his hair to start ruffling it, but I caught it and squeezed.
He took a deep breath.
"I wanted to bring you here and find the perfect place and the perfect moment, but the problem is every single moment today was the perfect moment to tell you that I love you, and I can't wait anymore." He looked me in the eye. His were glossy with emotion. "I'm in love with you."
My eyes stung with tears. Cole just told me he loved me. I wondered how long we'd been orbiting around each other, pretending when we were actually in love. How much time had we wasted? A chuckle I couldn't repress bubbled out of me and grew until I was laughing with fat tears rolling down my cheeks.
"This was not the reaction I was expecting." Cole's suntanned face paled, and he loosened his grip on my hands.
I squeezed them and pulled them into my lap. I kept trying to talk, but I’d only end up wheezing with laughter. Finally, when I was able to take a breath, I pressed Cole’s hands into my chest. “Cole,” I managed to say between giggles. “I’ve been trying to figure out how I was going to tell you I love you all fucking day.”
“Well, shit.” His face split in a wide grin. “All fucking day?”
“Yeah.” I nodded and leaned forward. “All fucking day.”
Cole closed the distance between us, and our mouths met. His fingers slid into my hair and wrapped around the nape of my neck, pulling us closer together. This wasn't the chaste kiss we shared at my grandmother's kitchen table. This kiss was the fulfillment of every unsatisfied desire from the last two months. I didn't have to fantasize about Cole's kisses or his hands exploring every inch of my flesh. He was mine. This kiss was full of passion and promise.
The car jerked to a stop, and we separated.
“We’re here, sir,” the driver announced.
"So, what are all these romantic things you had planned?" I smiled at him and pressed my fingers to my lips, which already felt sore.
"Well." Cole brought one of my hands to his lips. "I made dinner reservations at a very fancy restaurant, then we were going to take a private cruise for two around San Juan Bay, and then I booked a two-bedroom suite with an oceanfront view for the night."
“Two bedrooms?” I asked.
Cole shrugged. “In case I struck out.”
“How long have you been planning this?”
“A while.”
"Would you be upset if we skipped dinner and the cruise, and instead, went straight to the hotel suite and ordered room service?" I raised my eyebrows and tucked my bottom lip between my teeth.
Cole pulled me into his lap, brushed a thumb over one of my nipples, and it stiffened immediately. "You're in charge."
cole
twenty-five
The hallway was desertedwhen we stepped off of the elevator, so I hoisted Lisa onto my shoulder, ran to our suite, and opened the door one-handed.
She squealed when I tossed her on the bed, and I crawled on top of her before she could bounce a second time, kissing her and pushing my tongue between her lips.
“How long do Kimberly and Adam have CJ?” she panted when I moved on to the shell of her ear and sucked the lobe between my teeth.
"All night." I dragged my lips over her throat. "Are you really thinking about CJ right now?"
She giggled. “Sorry, I just wanted to know how much time we had.”
