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“Everything,” she breathed.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Eva didn’t know what she was saying, only how she felt. She was supposed to like West, wasn’t she? Right?
Since the moment the two of them had met, everything had been about that man.
Her heart wasn’t telling her that right now. It beat up against Cole’s as she buried her face into his chest in this cold goat cellar. Her shoulders were frozen, her knees too, but mostly she was warm with happiness.
The confusion rocked her, making her feel unsteady. Or maybe that was Cole’s earth-shattering kisses. Eva had wanted nothing more than for her little chick champion to cross that finish line. She could admit that now. Wasn’t that why she’d kept throwing that wager in his face? She’d just been so afraid that she was imagining what they had, and she was some flighty romantic who couldn’t make up her mind.
Her dashing cowboy was all that consumed her now. He held Eva so tightly that she’d never fall. She hadn’t felt so secure and insecure at once.
“Eva, you have to know that I’m crazy about you!” Cole’s obliging mouth returned to hers, taking away all the rest of her inhibitions with his kisses, so that she couldn’t remember why she’d fought this so hard.
She’d been too used to feeling numb, unlikeable, not enough—and yet, didn’t West still need her? She’d excused everything that he’d done with some lie that she eagerly swallowed like poisonous candy:
He’s got too much on his mind.
He’s been dealt hard cards in life.
He’ll change once we get married.
And likewise, she’d excused everything between her and Cole as some trick of the mind:
He has to watch over me because he’s West’s brother.
He’s just nice to everyone.
He looks way too good for any female not to notice… must be those new jeans.
Not to say that Cole didn’t look amazing. She was very proud of how she’d brought out the blueness of his eyes and the broadness of his shoulders with those clever purchases, but he was more than what he wore, and she knew that very well.
Her fingers found his face in this darkness, feeling the roughness of his neck and cheek. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I really have been a horrible handful these past few days.”
“I wouldn’t say horrible.” His hands found her knee, tickling her.
Eva jumped. “Oh!”
“Sorry!” he returned.
She laughed. These misadventures had become the norm this past week. What would a future with him be like? Eva had meant what she had said earlier—Cole and West already were feuding. She never wanted to add fuel to that fire.
Yet, here she was responding and returning every one of his blazing hot kisses each time he planted one on her. “I can’t wait to spend even more time with you,” he said, “… as soon as we get out of here.”
“I’m okay getting stuck in here with you,” she said.
He chuckled, tucking her skirt around her knees while they talked. Now that he’d discovered her legs, he wouldn’t leave them alone. “I know, but you’re cold,” he said. His voice held a touch of guilt, like he actually blamed himself.
Wow, that wasn’t something she was used to… and yet, strangely, she liked how protective he was. She didn’t want to compare him to West. They were brothers, and as different from night and day, and yet, a part of her couldn’t help marvel at how well he treated her in comparison.
Eva just didn’t know how it could be.
“We need to figure out how to get out of here,” he said. “No one knows we’re here and no one will see that we’re missing.”
She sighed, knowing who would. “What about West? He said he was coming tomorrow.”
Cole turned silent.
