Page 64 of Honey Bee Library
“Friday night? The diner?” he asked as he extended his hand.
I hesitated but then took it. We shook hands, and I had to almost wrestle my fingers back from his grasp. “Fine,” I said again.
He winked, which induced an eye roll from me. He didn’t seem bothered as he nodded. “Good. I’ll see you then.”
20
WILLOW
The entire dayfelt like a blur. I woke up determined to keep my relationship platonic with Cole, only to have him take charge and kiss me until I was breathless in the kitchen. After lunch, he took me and Jasper on a tour of Miami’s aquarium, and we stopped to check on his Gran on the way back to his house.
After Jasper was settled in the living room with macaroni and cheese and a movie, I got ready for the gala. When I opened my bedroom door and stepped out, Cole was waiting for me in the hallway. He’d been leaning against the wall, fiddling with his cuff links, when I approached him. He turned, and almost in slow motion, his gaze drifted slowly down the black satin dress I’d picked up with Maddie.
When his gaze returned to my face, the world around me faded away. He took no steps to hide the heat and desire he felt for me. It was almost overwhelming. There was so much I wanted to believe about us, but I couldn’t ignore the truth. Cole and I were from two different worlds, and those worlds were never meant to meet.
I smiled and dropped my gaze. I smoothed out my dress as I forced my body to relax. “I’m ready,” I whispered.
“You’re beautiful.”
My cheeks warmed as I paused for a millisecond to commit his words to memory before I glanced back up at him. “You don’t look half bad yourself,” I said, motioning to his black tux.
His grin was genuine and sent the butterflies in my stomach into action.
“Thanks,” he said before he turned and extended his elbow for me to take.
Candace, Maddie’s sister, was sweet. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and she had black-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. I gave her the nighttime to-dos for Jasper, and she nodded as she fervently typed my instructions on her phone.
I gave Jasper a kiss, which he wiped off his cheek as he grunted and moved so he could return to watching his show. I tousled his hair, bid him goodnight, and joined Cole, who was leaning against the doorframe, watching us.
I hated how open he was with the way he looked at me. There was no pretense. He wasn’t shy about his feelings. I hated and loved it at the same time. It was definitely a boost to my self-esteem. But it scared me to be that vulnerable, that transparent with a man who had every intention of leaving and never coming back.
I tried to keep my distance as he pressed his hand ever so slightly into my lower back. The warmth of his palm radiating through my dress had me involuntarily leaning into it as he led me through the house and into the garage. When we got to his car, he hurried to reach around me and grab hold of the door handle.
He stayed close to me as I lowered myself onto the seat, and then he gave me a once-over to make sure I was fully inside before he gently shut the door. I watched him round the hood and pull open the driver’s door. Once he was settled, he glanced over at me.
“Ready?” he asked.
I smoothed the fabric of my dress over my thighs and then glanced at him and nodded. “I’m ready.”
He played some artist named Drifter as we drove through downtown Miami. Every so often, he’d softly murmur the lyrics and the warmth of his voice mixing with the music sent shivers across my skin. Not wanting him to notice, I reached over and rubbed my arm with the hopes of dispelling my goosebumps.
I felt Cole’s gaze on me before he reached over to fiddle with the temperature.
“Are you cold?” he asked, his voice full of concern.
I glanced over at him and shook my head. “I’m okay,” I whispered.
He held my gaze for a moment before he turned his attention back to the road. “Just let me know,” he said as he turned on the blinker to take a left.
We remained quiet as he drove the rest of the way to Obsidian. When he pulled up in front, I glanced out the window to see a building made entirely of dark glass. A small neon sign that readObsidianwas affixed above the door where a bouncer stood with his arms folded and a pair of sunglasses perched on his nose even though the sun had been tucked away for hours now.
There was a line of people that ran the length of the building. They were cordoned off by a thick black rope. A man in a suit suddenly appeared next to my door and pulled it open. He held out his hand for me, and I took it while Cole got out as well. He handed his keys to the valet and then moved to join me on the sidewalk.
He held out his elbow, and even though my common sense told me not to take it, I did anyway. I wrapped my arm around his and drew my body closer to him. His hand covered mine as he led me up to the door, where the bouncer nodded and held the door for us so we could enter.
The music was loud, and the lights were low. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust even though it was dark outside. Cole held onto me as he made his way through the crowd of people who were either calling his name or stopping him to kiss his cheek.
I felt out of place as I stood next to him, watching him interact with people I didn’t know and was certain I would never see again. I felt like an ornate handbag hanging from the arm of a queen. Beautiful but impractical.
