Page 33 of One Eye Open (The BlackWater)

Today’s the day, Maddie thought as she rolled over. Cole had taken a call and disappeared hours ago. Something in Japan was kicking off. Something way above her paygrade and she’d taken the time to sleep and recover after what he’d put her body through the night before.

He was still clearly riled up by the whole ‘being touch by another person’ thing and she wondered where it all came from. Why he was so possessive. She realised that in all the time they’d been together, she’d never really focused on anything beyond the physical. Sure, she understood the man, she understood his needs, his wants but did she understand the drive behind it all? What had made Cole Black into the man he was? What had turned him from your standard man into the all domineering arsehole he was? She frowned wondering if she’d been selfish all this time, selfish and self-centred to have never realised it before, to have never thought of it before. She’d been so wrapped up in her own secrets that she’d never stopped to consider that he might have a few himself.

Her phone beeped and she picked it up replying almost absentmindedly to Becky’s message. She’d told her she was moving her things in, actually moving in, making it official and clearly Becky was itching to know all the details. Not that there were any. The last of her things were still at her old apartment and today she was going to take that step, to be an adult, a proper functioning human being. To commit to Cole and whatever the fuck they were. To move in.

She groaned, forcing herself up out of his ridiculously comfy bed and went to take a shower. Half of her was still tempted to not do it, to bury her head in the sand and stamp her feet, but something else in her, something intangible wanted to do this, to dive in, to see where it went and finally get off the cycle of destruction she’d spent her life circling.

Cole walked into her apartment,putting his keys on the side. Maddie hadn’t gotten there yet, he knew because her damned ridiculous Defender wasn’t in the carpark downstairs.

He’d deliberately left his meeting, called it to a close to be there, to make sure Maddie went through with this because his gut told him she was still half foot out to door, still half running the other way screaming despite his control over her. Damn the girl was stubborn, he thought, but today was a big step, a big momentous move in submitting to him and he wanted to witness every second of it and ensure she couldn’t back out. Couldn’t escape. Because one way or another he was going to win her over, make her fall in love with him and this moment here was another key in the lock.

He heard a noise and paused.

Someone was there, he could sense it. He glanced around seeing some dirty plates on the side and knew Maddie wouldn’t have just left them like that.

“Who’s there?” He called out walking past the kitchen and stopping as he saw her standing by the window in nothing more than a tiny lace thong and a strappy top.

Her eyes focused right on him.

“And who might you be?” She said walking to the couch and sitting down with her legs crossed in more than just a slightly suggestive manner.

She was more beautiful in real life than he’d realised. Her skin was perfect, her waist curved in exactly the right amount and he could see her nipples poking through the tiny cotton vest. Her long blonde hair was perfectly coiffed in a way that made her look like an angel rather than the wanton girl he’d seen in the videos.

“Like what you see?” She asked leaning forward to emphasise her cleavage to him.

“You’re not my type.” Cole replied wondering why the hell she was in Maddie’s apartment and why she was wearing next to nothing.

She let out a flirtatious laugh at his words.

“Maybe you need to try something new then, mix it up a bit...” She teased uncrossing and recrossing her legs like some poor version of Sharon Stone.

He shook his head. “Maddie is my type.” He stated and her eyes widened slightly.

“You’re fucking Maddie?” She half gasped.

“We’re together.” He said and she ran her eyes over him as if trying to imagine the logistics of it.

The front door opened and Maddie walked in knowing that Cole was already there because his DBX was parked in her space and someone had parked a Porsche in her other space forcing her to have to sweet talk the security guys into allowing her to park in a visitor bay for a bit.

“Kelsey?” She said seeing them both then. Kelsey sat with her legs wide open and only a tiny pair of knickers covering her, not that she seemed to notice or care. “Why are you in my apartment?”

Kelsey shrugged finally taking her eyes off Cole. “I’m hiding out.”

“From who?” Maddie asked.

“Dad.” Kelsey replied.

“What?”

“He’s on the warpath. About you.” Kelsey stated. “He won’t stop bugging me.”

“So you thought you’d come here? He knows where I live, you told him remember.”

“He’s too scared to come here.” Kelsey said.

“What?”

Kelsey glanced at Cole then back at Maddie with a smirk.

---