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My phone beeps with another message, and a smile stretches my face so wide, my jaw hurts.
Cole: I wanted to let you know I was on my way home. What else was I meant to say?
Willow: How are you? How’s Mia? Is she safe or have you let the Boogieman take her?
Cole: I’m starting to worry about your sanity and if it was safe leaving Mia alone with you.
Willow: Aww. I think we could defo be besties. You’re already worrying about me and it’s so early in our friendship.
Cole: I’m on my way.
Willow: Tough crowd.
I don’t get a message back, but then, I didn’t really expect one. It is fun teasing him. I can picture him now, glaring down at his phone, all dark and broody. It makes me wonder if his lips twitched at all during our exchange.
Looking back at Mia, I smile. She’s gone back to being distracted between colouring and watching the movie we put on. We spent the morning playing, getting to know each other and having fun. I’ve already come to adore the little girl. She’s so much fun to be around and is so easy to babysit. I’ve had no problems whatsoever. She’s also the politest child I know.
A key in the door startles me. Mia hears it too, then looks to me and grins. She’s up on her feet in seconds, running towards the front door. Getting up, I follow, but I don’t show the same enthusiasm as Mia, even if inside I am pretty excited to spend some time with Cole and get to know him.
“Hey,” I greet with a wide smile when I walk around the corner. He’s freshly showered and is now wearing jeans and a hoody. He looks edible and smells just as good.
“Hey. Has she been good?” he rumbles, not taking his eyes off me.
“I’m always good, silly,” Mia announces, looking up at her brother. “Can we go now? Can we?” She jumps up and down, her hands pressed together in a praying gesture.
“Yeah, Snot-face. Go and get your shoes and coat on,” he orders, his voice still soft.
“I’ll grab my coat,” I mutter, not knowing what to do with myself now she’s left us alone. I’m about to walk off when his hand reaches out, tagging my elbow. The skin-on-skin contact burns my skin, and I can’t fight the shiver that runs up my neck. My eyes drift to where his hand is still touching me, before slowly looking up and finally meeting his penetrating gaze. Everything changes the second I do. His deep blue, crystal eyes stare down at me, the depths so deep I can’t force myself to look away. Instead, I find myself staring at him with just as much intensity as he is me. It’s like it’s just us two, nothing else around us mattering.
That pull between us grows stronger, the connection mind-blowing, and all my instincts are thrown out the window. I don’t even blink when he takes a step forward, looking ready to pounce. It’s not like me. None of this is like me. It’s like my body has been taken over, no longer in my control.
Another step forward and my breathing escalates, my body completely frozen to the spot.
“Ready,” Mia squeals.
Shaking my head, I take a step back, putting some much-needed distance between Cole and I. I try to disregard the thoughts running through my mind, thoughts I have no right thinking about. My cheeks heat and I don’t dare to look back up at Cole, not wanting him to see how badly he’s affected me. Instead, I distract myself by bending down to Mia’s level and tying her shoelaces up properly.
“All done.” I tap her on the nose.
She beams up at me, and I hear Cole open the front door. Mia runs straight out to the car. I’m about to follow, when Cole opens his delicious mouth. I end up looking, breaking my promise to not look at him. It’s his eyes. Fuck, no, it’s his chiselled good looks that have me acting all kinds of stupid. I have a boyfriend, for Christ’s sake. I shouldn’t be drooling all over another lad, even if he is good looking, intriguing, and intense. Don’t even get me started on how my body lights up when he’s around either. I’ve never felt anything like it.
“Low,” he calls, his voice rough and full of sex. I have to bite my lip to focus on the pain instead of the wetness between my legs. It’s infuriating. And damn him for using the nickname my mother calls me.
“Come on, Mia is waiting for us and I’m starving,” I whine, forcing a smile. I’m hoping it covers how wildly my heart is beating and how flushed my body is, inside and out.
“Yeah. Yeah,” he says, clearing his throat.
*** *** ***
It’s getting late into the evening when we sit down on the sofa. We ate at McDonalds, and after, we spent the rest of the afternoon at the park since the rain had dried up. We came back half an hour ago. Cole has just finished giving me the grand tour, when Mia speaks up.
“So, are you two, like, boyfriend and girlfriend?” Mia asks.
I shift uncomfortably at her question while Cole gapes at his little sister.
“Because it would be so cooool. I heard Uncle Pete ask Daddy if Liam loved boys once,” she informs us, her nose scrunched up like she doesn’t understand why her uncle would say that.
I’ve never seen anyone move so quickly in my life. Cole’s head whips to Mia, his eyes wide with disbelief.
