Page 50 of Thunderstruck
I won’t be doing anything of the sort. I’m about to get an insider look into Cole Evanson, and I will be soaking in as many details as I possibly can. He already looks lighter than he ever has before now, like this is the one place he can fully relax, and I’m desperate for more of that megawatt smile of his.
If the internet knew Cole had a smile like that, he would likely replace Derek as the sexiest man alive.
August’s house is much like Cole’s when it comes to aesthetics, though it feels more modern and less mismatched. I love all the warm woods and colors and the way it feels so much like ahome.Derek’s house was great and all, but I would never feel entirely comfortable there. As I take in the open layout of the Evanson abode, I’m instantly at ease.
“Like it?” August asks, folding his arms as I meet his gaze in the entryway. He has a very easy nature, as evidenced by the soft smile on his face, and though he doesn’t have his son’s bulk, I can tell he keeps himself fit and healthy, just like Gramps obviously does.
I match his smile with my own. “It’s beautiful.”
“It’s Cole’s.”
“Dad,” Cole grumbles.
August laughs as I turn to face the man at my side. “This is your house?” I ask Cole. “What about the one in my neighborhood?”
“That’s mine,” Gramps says behind us. “Built it myself in the eighties.”
“Then why—”
“My son thought Gramps and I needed the space more than he did and practically forced us to move here,” August says, shaking his head at Cole like he thinks he’s an idiot.
Clearly uncomfortable, Cole rubs the back of his neck with his free hand; he’s still holding mine with the other. “I didn’t force you to do anything.”
“Are you hungry?” Gramps asks me. “I’ve got some pulled pork sandwiches I could heat up. Unless you’re one of those vegans.”
I can’t help but laugh at the way he’s eyeing me like I might be extraterrestrial. “What’s wrong with being vegan?”
“Absolutely nothing.” His tone says otherwise.
“Well, I’m not, and that sounds delicious.”
“You don’t have to stay,” Cole tells me with a squeeze of my hand. “You can go whenever you’d like, and I’ll catch a ride later.”
I study him for a moment, trying to figure out if he wants me to stay or if he’d be happier if I made my excuses and left. Though he isn’t smiling right now, his dark, magnetic eyes seem to be saying a lot.
I hope I’m reading him right when I say, “I’ll stay as long as you do.”
Something sparks to life in his expression and fills me with warmth.
“Well,” Gramps says, clapping his hands and heading into the kitchen. “Lemon, your girlfriend is delightful.”
“Not my girlfriend,” Cole says at the same time I ask, “Lemon?”
“Short for Coleman,” August says with a shrug. “Sort of.”
Cole slips his hand free from mine, filling me with disappointment that I shouldn’t feel, but then he presses it to the small of my back as he leans in close and murmurs, “I should probably call Ethan. Will you be okay?”
August smacks his shoulder. “What are you insinuating, kid?”
Cole rolls his eyes. “That you and Gramps are menaces to society and should never be left alone with a pretty woman.”
“Like that Julia Roberts movie?” Gramps asks from the kitchen.
I would laugh if I wasn’t floating from Cole’s compliment. He’s already called me beautiful, but it feels different when he’s saying it to someone else and not me alone. It feels more real.
“I can handle myself,” I say when Cole looks at me, waiting for an answer to his question. His hand is still pressed to my back, which has me overheating.
Nodding, he pulls out his phone and disappears deeper into the house, the warmth of his touch lingering.
