The first tear falls down my cheek. He wipes it away with a small smile. “But you’re here now, Austin. And I don’t plan on you going anywhere.”
“I …” I pause, not knowing what to say.
“What is it, sweetheart?” he asks softly.
I shake my head and pull away from him. “What is your end game?’
“What?” he asks, standing.
I wipe the tears from my face and look up at him. “What do you want from me?” My heart pounds at those words. That his answer isn’t going to be what I want to hear.
He frowns.
I stand. “No more games, Cole. No more secrets. And no more lies. Just tell me …” I let out a long breath. “What is it that you want from me?” He’s going to break my heart, and I deserve it because I allowed it. You don’t fall in love with a man like him and expect him to feel the same about you. It doesn’t work that way.
He cups my face with both of his hands. “I want you, Austin. That is not a lie.”
“You want to break me—”
“Not anymore,” he interrupts me. “I did want that, yes. But it’s no longer enough.”
“What does that mean?” I whisper.
He pushes his body into me. He tilts my head back, and he lowers his lips to mine. A simple kiss that takes my breath away. This man has taken so much from me already. I’m not sure I have anything else to give.
“I want you to want me. I want you to need me.” His eyes search mine. “Because that’s how I feel about you. I’m not the same since I met you. You have bled for me, but I’m starving for you. People say when you meet the one you love, that person can calm you down. Make you better.” He shakes his head. “You fucking fan my flames. You make me feel invincible.” He sighs heavily. “You deserve better than me,” he whispers, placing his head against mine, “but I’m too selfish to let you go.”
I give him a soft smile. “I want you just the way you are.” He pulls away. I cup his cheek. This man is the devil himself, but I’ve never been afraid of hell. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
He gently kisses my lips. “What about Kellan?” I ask, knowing we have a long way to go. And that he is pissed at me.
“Everything is gonna be all right, Austin. Trust me.”
As my eyes search his, I realize just how much I want him to be right. “I trust you, Cole,” I say, licking my wet lips, tasting my tears.
He watches the motion and leans forward, but comes to a stop with his lips inches from mine. I lean in, closing the distance and pressing mine to his. His fingers slide into my hair, and I moan into his mouth as his tongue meets mine. That familiar feeling that only he can give me starts to build, and I wrap my arms around his neck.
Two weeks of not even looking at him has me worked up.
He pulls away. “Austin, we shouldn’t.”
God, I’ve missed him. My body craves him in an unhealthy way.
“I want you,” I say breathlessly.
His eyes search mine and then land on my stitches. He gives me a small smile and takes my hand, pulling me up to the loft.
Then his lips are on mine. The next thing I know, he is undressing me.
“Fuck! I’ve missed you,” he growls before nibbling on my lip.
“Me too …” I trail off, sucking in a deep breath. “I want you.” I pant as my hands go to his jeans.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
COLE
I LIE NEXT to her. My heart pounding, and her breathing is still ragged. I turn onto my side and push her hair from her damp face. Her eyes are closed and a soft smile on her lips.
She opens her eyes, and her smile widens. “Who owns this place?” she asks.
I frown.
“You guys spend a lot of time here. Does someone’s dad own it?”
“I own it.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “You own it?”
I nod. “When my mother passed, she left Lilly and me each a trust fund. I got access to mine when I turned eighteen and bought this that day. It was abandoned and cheap. The guys and I wanted a place to get away, so it just made sense.”
She nods. “When you told me what my dad tried to do to you, I thought that he had something to do with your mother passing.”
“The thought crossed my mind for many years,” I admit.
“But not anymore?”
I shake my head. “Although I miss her and wish she could have been here to see Lilly grow up, I think it was just something that happened. I was angry about it for a very long time, but it was no one’s fault.”
She lies down and runs her hand over my chest. “Why did you quit the group?”
“Because it wasn’t safe for you, and I knew you wouldn’t drop out unless there was no longer a group at all.”
“So, it’s just over?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I say with a smile. “It’s just over.”
“What do we do now?” she wonders.
“We enjoy what’s left of our senior year as a real couple.”
She gets up and straddles my hips. I place my hands on her bare thighs as she smiles down at me. Even with a bruised eye and stitches in her face, she is still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
“Does this mean you’re gonna go to prom with me?” she asks.
I laugh. “Yes. That’s exactly what it means.”
“Guess I better start looking for a red dress then.” She wiggles her eyebrows.
I groan. “I love when you wear red.”
She gives me her wicked smile that makes my cock hard. “I know.” She leans down, giving me a soft kiss.
I pull back. “What are your plans after graduation?”
“Haven’t really thought about it. Why?”
I take a deep breath and let it out. “You know when I had you take Lilly to ballet and I was gone the following day? I told you I had something personal to do?”
“How can I forget? That’s when Celeste pretended to be sleeping with you.”
I ignore that. “I was in Texas.”
Her eyes widen. “You flew to Texas?” I nod. “Why?”
“Deke and I have scholarships to the University of Texas. And I needed to see my counselor about housing because I’m taking Lilly with me, and kids can’t live in the dorms.”
Her eyes fall to my chest. “Oh. I didn’t think about Lilly leaving with you.”
I place my hand in her hair and force her to look back up at me. “While I was there, I bought a house for Lilly and me.” Texas is where I’m going to call home for the rest of my life. I’m going to go to college there and swim while I get my degree. Then Deke and I are going to open our own business together. We’ve had it planned for years.
Her eyes widen once again, but she says nothing.
“And I want you to come with us. I want you to live with me and Lilly.”
“Cole … that’s …” She licks her lips. “Too much.”
“No, it’s not.” I sit up. “Tell me you’ll come with us. Tell me you’ll live with us.”
“If you want, I can help you with her …”