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“Just stretching my legs.”
I narrow my eyes. “You’re lying.”
He steps toward me, taking the air with him. “Takes one to know one, Dove.” His hand brushes my collarbone, sending shivers zipping through me. “Why do you trust me, Hadley?” The intensity in Cole’s eyes pins me to the spot.
“I don’t know... I guess something inside me recognizes something inside you.”
“You like the pain,” he says as if he’s got me all figured out.
“And you like the control.” I stare back at him, unwavering. “You don’t scare me, Cole.”
“I should,” he says, before grabbing my hand. “Come on, before I change my mind and fuck you right here, against your wall.”
Cole is quiet on the ride to wherever we’re going. I crank the window down and let the frigid November air blast my face. When I look over at him, he’s watching me with a strange expression. “What?” I ask.
“Enjoying yourself?” He quirks a brow.
“I like the feeling.” My lips curve, but he doesn’t reply so I change the subject. “How much longer?”
“Not too long.”
I notice we?
?re driving out of Sterling Bay along the coast. Cole doesn’t stay on the main road though, pulling off down a dirt track leading to the beach.
“What is this place?”
“You’ll see, come on.” He climbs out and goes around to the trunk, pulling out two bags.
“Are we burying a dead body?” The words just spill from my lips as I join him. “Oh my God, I didn’t mean—”
“Relax. Nobody is dying tonight.” He thrusts a bag at me and takes off toward the sand. It’s almost dark, that time of the evening when the sun gives way to the moon. Light gives way to darkness.
A shudder rolls through me and I shuck further into my hoodie to stop the bite of cold air.
“Cole, wait up.” I stumble after him, wondering just what kind of date this is before instantly correcting myself. Because this isn’t a date.
Is it?
We’re in a secluded part of the Bay. Steep, grassy banks create a natural windbreak, but it’s still cold. I lose Cole in the shadows for a second, my heart galloping in my chest, but then I spot him, and I can hardly believe my eyes.
He’s pulling a blanket out of his bag and fighting against the gentle wind to lie it down on the sand.
“Need a hand?” I ask, approaching him.
“I’ve got it.” And he does, adding big stones to each corner of the blanket. Then he sets about placing the two camping lights down.
“Who knew Cole Jagger could be romantic?”
“I’m full of surprises,” he grunts, dropping down on the blanket. He stares up at me, asking me a silent question, and I join him.
“This is... wow. What’s in the other bag?”
“Take a look.” I drag it toward me and open it.
“Ellen’s cookies?”
“There are some sandwiches too, and some other shit I found in the refrigerator.”
