I watch him pick at the cheese on his plate, and decide to just go for it.
"Declan gave you the talk, didn't he?"
Colt looks up, studying me carefully before nodding through a sigh. "He gave me… aversionof it."
My heart squeezes.I knew it.
They’re protective, and they love me… but sometimes it feels like they still see me as the girl left behind, not the woman who’s been standing on her own for eight years.
"He didn't mean to scare you," I say softly. "He just wants me safe."
Colt sets his fork down. The look in his eyes isn’t scared. It’s serious.
He nods, but doesn’t say anything else.
Instead, he reaches for the bottle of red wine and pours us each a glass. The wine is rich, smooth, warming my chest as it goes down, and when we finish eating, Colt clears the plates, then takes my hand and leads me to the couch.
We sink into the soft leather, his arm sliding around my shoulders, my head finding its spot against his chest as we listen to the music.
“You know,” he murmurs, his lips close to my ear, “when Delaney told me about the partnership program, I thought it was just another PR thing. Another checkbox.”
“And now?”
“Now I think it’s the best damn thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I tilt my head up to look at him. “Even though it got you saddled with a single mom and a ten-year-old who asks too many personal questions?”
“Don't forget the grumpy brothers.” He grins. "But yes, I think it's possibly the best thing that's ever happened in my life."
My heart does that annoying little stutter, so I curl my fingers into the fabric of his hoodie, tugging him closer.
"Come here," I say, letting my lips meet his.
He kisses me deeply, his tongue sliding against mine, tasting of wine as I moan into his mouth, my hands sliding up to tangle in his damp hair.
"Mmmm," he grunts, licking my tongue and slowly pulling back to bite down on my bottom lip. He tugs gently, then releases it with a slow, deliberate drag that makes my whole body hum.
"Fuck," he breathes against my mouth, his forehead resting against mine. "I missed you today."
I deepen the kiss, the fire in my body suddenly turning hungry as I remember the lingerie in my bag that's sitting by the door. My body arches into his, and I can feel his cock, hard and thick already, pressing against my hip through his jeans.
I can’t help myself.
My hand slips between us, palming the length of him through the denim.Oh God.He’s big. Really big. And so hard it makes my breath catch.
Colt groans, a low, rough sound that vibrates through both of us. But then his hands come up, wrapping around my wrists, slowing me down.
“Hey,” he whispers against my lips. “Wait.”
I pull back just enough to see his face. His eyes are dark, intense, fixed on mine like I’m the only thing in the room. In the world.
But there’s something else there too…
A hesitation I haven’t seen before.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, remembering the first time we were on this couch and it wasmewho was pulling back.
“Nothing’s wrong.” He brushes a thumb over my cheek. “I just… I want to make sure you’re okay.”
