Page 61 of Cole

Janice leaned forward and took it from his fingers with her teeth, watching his eyes darken at the contact. "You're right. That's amazing."

When they finished their burgers, he surprised her with a large slice of apple pie. Gasping, her eyes lit up as she eagerly set the plastic container onto the bed.

“Damn, I forgot to ask for forks,” he muttered.

“Don’t worry. We can eat it with our hands.”

He picked up the piece of pie and held it out. She took a bite and groaned, then watched as he did the same.

He held out another bit, and this time, her lips closed over his fingertips as she took it, and she heard his sharp intake of breath.

"You're playing with fire," he warned, his voice low.

"Maybe I want to get burned."

The words hung in the air between them. Cole set the food aside, his movements slow and deliberate, giving her every chance to pull back. But Janice didn't want to pull back. She wanted to lean in.

"Janice." He reached out, tucking a strand of still-damp hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her jaw, tilting her face up toward his. "I need you to be sure about this. Because once I kiss you, I'm not going to want to stop."

Her heart hammered against her ribs. "I'm sure."

"This isn't just... adrenaline? Proximity? We've been through a lot together in a very short time, and sometimes that creates feelings that aren't⁠—"

"Cole." She placed her hand over his, pressing his palm more firmly against her cheek. "I've been trying to figure that out too. Is this real? Is it just the situation? But then I realized something."

"What?" The word came out more as a growl than a question.

"It doesn't matter how it started." She turned her head, pressing a kiss to his palm. "What matters is that it's real now. What I feel for you… the way my heart races when you look at me, the way I feel safe when you're near, the way I want to know everything about you. That's not adrenaline. That's not proximity. That's something more."

Cole was quiet for a long moment, his thumb tracing slow circles on her cheekbone. When he finally spoke, his voice was thick with emotion.

"I've been on a lot of missions. Worked with a lot of people under pressure. And I've never, ever felt anything like what I feel when I'm with you." He leaned closer, his forehead touching hers. "This is different, Janice. You're different. And whatever this is between us, it's the most real thing I've felt in years."

She closed the distance between them, desperate to erase any space.

The first kiss was gentle, tentative. Almost a question and an answer all at once. His lips were warm against hers, tasting of salt from the fries and something uniquely him. Janice sighed into his mouth, and the sound seemed to break something loose in him.

The second kiss was deeper, hungrier. His hand slid into her hair, tilting her head back as his tongue swept against hers. She grabbed fistfuls of his Henley, pulling him closer, needing more contact, more heat, more of him.

"Tell me to stop," he breathed against her lips. "Tell me to stop, and I will."

"Don't stop." She pulled back just far enough to meet his eyes, letting him see everything she was feeling. She wanted him to understand her want, the need, the absolute certainty coursing through her body. "Please, Cole. I want this. I want you."

He groaned, and then his mouth was on hers again, hot and demanding. The empty food bags got pushed aside, forgotten as he lowered her back onto the mattress, his body covering hers.

"Wait." He pulled back, breathing hard, his dark eyes searching her face. "I need to say something first."

Janice's heart clenched. Was he going to stop? Was he having second thoughts?

"This means something to me," Cole said, his voice raw with honesty. "You mean something to me. This isn't a hookup, a one-night thing, or whatever else you might be thinking. When this is over, when the investigation is over, and you're safe, I want to see where this goes. I want a chance at something real with you. I know we can’t say what that’ll look like, but I just wanted you to know.”

Tears pricked at her eyes. "I want that too."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She pulled him down, kissing him softly. "Now stop talking and show me."

And he did. His fingers slowly unbuttoned his shirt, the one she was wearing. “This shirt never looked so good as it does right now.”