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He lets go of me all at once and takes a step back, turning to grab the large envelope and a set of keys off his desk.
I’m breathless, panting after him, and holy crap, is this the real Cole? Is this who he is when he finally lets go and drops the façade? This version of him is intense, but I’m a hundred percent here for it.
I feel like I’m partially in a daze as the two of us leave his office, walking side by side down the hallways of the packhouse until we emerge in the foyer. I follow Cole down the stairs to the underground parking garage, and I only snap out of my dreamlike state when he pulls his keys out of his pocket, clicks the fob, and I see which car’s lights flash in response.
Becauseof courseit would be the Camaro convertible that I was salivating over last time I was down here.
“No way,” I blurt, head swinging between the beautiful car in front of me and the beautiful man beside me.
The tiniest smirk of satisfaction pulls at his lips. “You like cars?”
“I like this one,” I breathe, rushing forward and running my hands along the smooth fender. I spin back around to face Cole, a wicked grin on my face. “Can I drive?”
“Absolutely not.”
“What? Why not?!”
He gives a little shake of his head, his expression stoic. “Nobody drives my car.”
I roll my eyes because I’m not at all surprised- that’s such a Sarge response. “Whatever, Sarge,” I say, heading around to the passenger side of the vehicle.
I see his jaw tick in response to being called by that nickname- which I know drives him crazy, but I can’t help that it fits him perfectly- though he doesn’t respond. He just acts like he didn’t hear it and gets into the drivers’ seat, starting up the engine. I throw my hands in the air and let out a little ‘whoop!’ as we leave the parking garage and pull out onto the street, the wind in my hair, the sun shining down from above.
Cole brings me to campus first, and I figure he’ll just pull up so I can run in and grab the book I need, but he surprises me by parking and escorting me into the bookstore. He loiters by the door while I do my thing, chatting up the clerk about the semester starting soon and purchasing my textbook, but I can feel Cole’s eyes on me the entire time. It’s like he’s out with me as a bodyguard, and I’m not sure whether I should be flattered or insulted.
I try not to read too much into it, for now, because I’m genuinely having a nice time. When Cole and I aren’t at each other’s throats (or trying to stick our tongues down said throats), it turns out we can just chat about mundane things like two normal people. Conversation flows easily, and sure, I’m undressing him with my eyes the entire time, but I’m also learning more about him. And the more I learn, the more I like.
After leaving campus, we drive over to a crumbling red brick building where Cole says he’s meeting a business associate. He parks in the back alley and grabs the envelope he brought from the back seat, opening the car door and turning to level me with a stare before climbing out.
“Stay here,” he says firmly. “I won’t be more than five minutes.”
I look past him at the mysterious building, my curiosity piqued since he’s being so cagey. “Can’t I come in with you?”
Cole shakes his head. “Stay here,” he repeats. “I mean it, Juliet.”
I flop back against the seat, rolling my eyes. “Whatever, Sarge,” I sigh with the wave of a hand.
He exits the vehicle and heads for the building, tossing me one last warning look over his shoulder before going inside. And I guess I’m a nosy bitch, because that only piques my interest more.
Still, I stay in the car like he told me to. I fiddle with the radio. I recline my seat and throw my feet up on the dashboard, adjusting my aviator sunglasses on the bridge of my nose and closing my eyes against the harsh sunlight beating down.
Five minutes pass.
Ten.
Fifteen.
If he doesn’t want me to come snooping around, he really shouldn’t keep me waiting. What the hell is taking him so long, anyways?
I swing my feet down from the dash, sliding them back into my sneakers before getting out of the car and heading toward the building. The door that Cole entered through is still unlocked, and I pause for a moment after I pull it open to allow my eyes to adjust to the dim interior lighting. Then I step inside, the door swinging closed behind me with a thump.
I’m in a dingy windowless entryway, a single door ahead the only access point to the building. The only light is a single bulb on a string over my head, making the whole thing feel a little eerie and ominous, but I’m far too curious to go back now. What kind of business is Cole involved with, anyways? This feels like the setting for some gangster movie.
I step forward boldly, pushing through the next door into a large open warehouse-like space, blinking against the sunlight spilling in through the upper windows of the building and sweeping my gaze around to take in the interior. It’s like a maze full of pallets, the boxes stacked upon them boasting various liquor brands. There’s a table in the middle of the room with an array of chairs around it and a half dozen guys hanging around, as well as Gavin Holley, the guy from the club the other night. Cole’s with him, and from here, it looks like they’re engaged in a heated conversation- one that’s cut short when the door bangs closed behind me and all the men in the room turn to look my way.
Nothing like making an entrance, eh?
A wide grin spreads across Gavin’s face when he sees me, eyes eagerly roaming my form and lingering on my bare legs in my cutoff jean shorts. “Well this is a nice surprise,” he clucks, turning back to Cole with a gleeful chuckle. “I see your game now, Bauer. This is your way of trying to get a better deal, right? You play hard to get, then bring in a gift for me to sweeten the pot?”
