Page 71 of Friend Zone to End Zone

“There,” he said. “It’s still a little chilly in here before the sun’s up.”

I smoothed my hands along the soft fabric of the quilt, liking how warm and cozy it was. Then, sitting up a little straighter, I said, “Sorry again that I was so out of it last night. I hope I didn’t say anything too embarrassing to Incognito.”

But when Cole fought a smile back, I knew my worst fears had happened.

“What did I say?” I asked. “Please tell me I didn’t act like a complete idiot.”

“You didn’t act like a complete idiot,” Cole said in a robotic voice as he repeated what I’d told him to say.

I smacked his arm gently. “Please, just tell me how bad it was. I didn’t completely fangirl over him, did I?”

“You didn’t fangirl overhim…” his voice drifted off.

“But I fangirled over someone else?” I asked, confused at why he said it that way.

“Just a little.”

I frowned. “Was it his drummer?” I remember him being cute, but not cute enough that I’d mention it to anyone.

“It wasn’t his drummer.”

“The lead guitarist?”

He shook his head.

“The pianist?” My voice went up at the end, because while the pianist had been super amazing on the keyboard, he was definitely not my type.

“No,” he said, a wicked glint in his eye. “You were fangirling over me.”

“What?” I furrowed my brow.

And he just gave me the most contented grin before saying, “You told Incognito all about how rich and famous I am and how much you like my muscles and face and butt.”

My hand went to my mouth. “I did what?”

Cole laughed, clearly loving teasing me about it. “Hey, it’s okay. I know how overwhelming it must be to be in the same room as all of this.” He pointed at his face and his arms, and then the rest of his body. “It’s not every day that someone like me walks by.”

“Cole!” I smacked his shoulder. Hard.

“Hey, that hurts.” He laughed some more while trying to fend me off from smacking his muscled shoulder again.

I tried to fight him back, to get him for teasing me, but when he locked his arms around my torso and held my back to his chest, I gave up.

“Are you done trying to beat me up?” he asked.

“I guess,” I said, trying to catch my breath from the exertion. “Though it’s really not fair that you’re so much stronger than I am.”

He tightened his hold on me, and in a low voice he whispered, “But isn’t that what you like most about me?”

My stomach muscles clenched with that simple sentence because of just how right he was.

I did love his muscles and how they always made me feel safe when we were together.

We sat like that for a moment longer, still needing to catch our breath, and then he slowly released me.

When my cheeks had cooled, I turned back toward him, tucking some of my hair behind my ear. “Did I really say those things to Incognito?” I asked, needing to be sure of just how much of an open book I’d been last night.

And when he nodded slowly, his dark eyes searching mine as well, anxiety built in my chest over the fear of just how much I might have revealed. Because if I’d completely blown the cover I’d worked so hard to maintain all through the time I’d been dating Chad, I’d be in such big trouble.

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