Page 110 of Thunderstruck
I do twist around now so I can catch sight of Cole’s face. “But you didn’t propose,” I point out.
Blushing, Cole kisses the tip of my nose. “I’ve known you less than a month, Carissa. I think even Liam can accept that it would be kind of crazy to ask you to marry me tonight. Bet or no bet, I couldn’t do that.”
“I’ll count it,” Liam agrees as I settle back into my spot against Cole, kind of disappointed.
And then, almost so quietly that I don’t hear it, Cole adds the word, “Yet.”
I nearly squeal with pleasure but rein myself in despite a swarm of excited butterflies flooding my belly. “Okay, but since you did your part, does that mean Liam owes you something?”
Liam’s eyebrows dip low. “I don’t knowabout—”
“That only seems fair,” Cole says, and I can hear the mischief in his voice. “But what would we have him do?”
“There is no ‘we’ in this bargain,” Liam complains. “And that was never part of the challenge.”
“We’ll think of something,” I say and cuddle up close to Cole again. I probably shouldn’t get too comfy, so to keep myself awake, I ask something that has bothered me for two days now. “Hey, Cole?”
“Hmm?”
“What did you say to me at the vending machines?”
Cole’s hand splays across my stomach, fingers digging in slightly like he’s revisiting that night in his mind just like I’ve done a million times. He buries his nose into my hair and speaks softly, but his words wash over me like a tidal wave. “I said ‘I wish I could keep you.’”
My heart does a somersault in my chest. “Really?”
“Really. I meant it then, but now I’m going to do everything I can to make it happen. No more passively letting life pass me by.”
If this is how love feels, I was so wrong when it came to Peter and every guy before that. Nothing I felt for any of them comes close to the way I feel about Cole. It’s like we were made for each other. “I want to keep you too,” I whisper.
Cole squeezes me and kisses my temple. “Ready to go to bed?”
“Yeah.” I really could fall asleep right here, but I’m sure the venue will be kicking Liam out eventually, so I reluctantly get to my feet. As soon as Liam is standing as well, I attack him with a hug that nearly knocks him over.
“Whoa! What’s this for?”
“I’m really happy for you and Kasey.”
Liam’s not a scrawny guy—he nearly caused a wave of swoons when he used the hem of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead, showing off an impressive set of abs—but hugging him isn’t nearlyas satisfying as hugging Cole. I don’t last long before I’m slipping back to Cole’s side and tucking myself under his arm.
Liam laughs and grabs a bottle of water before following his bodyguard out to where his limo is waiting. “Thanks. It wasn’t a planned thing, but after I proposed to Kase, I had this vision of never getting the chance to call her my wife because of something going wrong while I was on tour, and I panicked.”
“Great reason to get married,” Cole grumbles.
“I don’t regret anything. And Iwasgoing to tell you.”
Cole sighs. “I know.” He releases me long enough to give Liam a hug, and then he’s back at my side. “Congrats. Even if I’m mad you didn’t let any of us be there with you to celebrate.”
“We can celebrate when I get back.”
“After you get a proper honeymoon,” I throw in.
Liam snorts, a wistful look entering his eyes. “Yeah, after that. Come on,” he says, nodding toward the car. “Let us give you a ride.”
By the time we get to the hotel, I’m dead on my feet and so ready to crash, and Cole is the only reason I make it to the elevator upright. He pushes the button for the third floor, and I push the number five.
“I thought you were on the same floor as me,” he says, frowning at the button like it offended him.
“I was, but there was a mix-up with the second night when Mel was checking out, so I had to switch rooms this morning. It’s fine.”
