Page 27 of Falling for Cocky Cole
"So I've been told." I smile, relief and hope tangling in my chest. "Mostly by your brother."
"Ben knew?" She looks startled.
"Ben's known since you were sixteen and I couldn't form complete sentences around you." I laugh softly. "He made me promise not to say or do anything until you were older. And then... it just got harder to find the right moment."
Ivy shakes her head, more tears spilling over. "Ten years, Caleb. We wasted ten years."
"Not wasted," I correct her gently as I brush the tears with the back of my hand. "You became who you needed to be. I became who I needed to be. Maybe we needed that time."
She moves then, sliding from her chair to kneel in front of mine, her hands resting on my knees. The position thrills me although there's nothing sexual in it —just an urgency, a need to be closer.
"Kiss me," she says, and it's not a request.
I cup her face in my hands, memorizing every detail—the freckles across her nose that darken in summer, the small scar on her chin from falling off her bike at nine, the clear blue of her eyes that's always reminded me of the alpine lakes above the tree line. Then I lean down and press my lips to hers, gentle at first, then with growing intensity as she responds.
Her mouth is warm and tastes of wine and possibilities. Her hands slide up my thighs to my chest, and I pull her closer, deepening the kiss. Years of restraint dissolve in seconds, replaced by a hunger I can finally acknowledge.
We're so absorbed in each other that we don't hear the door slide open until Cole clears his throat. Ivy breaks away, her cheeks flushed, looking up at my brother standing in the doorway.
"Well," Cole says, a knowing smile playing across his lips. "How are you two doing out here?"
Ivy scrambles to her feet, embarrassment written across her features. "I'm sorry," she says to Cole, though I'm not sure what she's apologizing for. Before either of us can respond, she pushes past him and hurries back into the house.
"Ivy, wait!" I call after her, but she doesn't stop.
Cole watches her go, that same enigmatic smile still in place. He doesn't look upset—if anything, he looks satisfied, like this was exactly what he expected to happen.
15
COLE
"Wait here," I tell Caleb, my eyes following Ivy's retreating form. My brother looks torn between chasing after her himself and giving her space. "Let me talk to her first." He nods reluctantly, running a hand through his sandy hair in that nervous gesture he's had since we were kids. I give his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before heading inside, finding Ivy in the living room, grabbing her purse from the couch like she's preparing for a quick escape.
"Hold up," I say, catching her arm gently. "Where are you going?"
She doesn't meet my eyes, her blonde hair falling forward to shield her face. "I'm sorry, Cole. I shouldn't have—this was a mistake."
"What was a mistake? Kissing Caleb?" I keep my voice deliberately casual, though my heart is pounding. Everything hinges on how I handle the next few minutes.
Her head snaps up, blue eyes wide with something between guilt and defiance. "Yes. No. I don't know." She pulls her armfree from my grasp. "I shouldn't be here with both of you. It's confusing and messy and?—"
"Ivy." I cup her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. "It's okay that you kissed him."
She blinks, clearly not expecting this response. "What?"
"It's okay," I repeat, thumbs stroking her cheekbones. "I'm not upset."
"But we're..." She gestures vaguely between us. "You and I are... whatever we are. And then I just kissed your brother right in front of you. That's not okay."
I smile, unable to help myself. She's adorable when she's flustered, a rare state for someone usually so composed. "We're friends with benefits, right? That's what you said you wanted. No strings, no expectations."
She narrows her eyes, suspicion replacing confusion. "So what, you're saying you don't care if I kiss Caleb because it isn’t serious between us?"
"I'm saying I know you and Caleb have feelings for each other. I've always known." I let my hands drop from her face, giving her a little space. "That's why we wanted to have dinner together tonight. To sort things out."
"Sort what out, exactly?" Her voice has taken on that sharp edge she gets when she's feeling cornered.
"The fact that my brother has been in love with you since you were fifteen, and you've been in love with him for at least that long." I shrug, trying to keep it light despite the heaviness of what I'm saying. "And the fact that you and I have something good going, too."
