Irresistibly Yours - Lauren Layne Page 0,70
“Hey, so, thanks for tonight. I’m sure it wasn’t your favorite way to spend a Friday night—”
“It was fine.”
“Cole, people only say ‘fine’ when things are anything but.”
“I had a good time,” he said slowly. “Really.”
“But…?” she prompted.
He could only stare at her. What could he possibly say?
That he hated that the only reason she’d brought him along tonight was to make Evan jealous? That he hated the fact that she had to be coaxed into hanging out with him, and sleeping with him and kissing him…
“But nothing, Tiny,” he said with a quiet sigh. He stepped closer, wrapping his hands around her upper arms and pulling her up slightly so he could press his lips to her forehead. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
“Okay,” she said slowly. She sounded confused.
You and me both, darling.
He gave her a wink, figuring he could at least try to act like himself, and then he walked away, wondering if he should stop for a drink on the way home. Wondered if he could muster any kind of interest in a woman. Maybe one who actually wanted—
“Cole!”
He turned, saw Penelope racing toward him. It was a full-out run too. Full speed, so that he had to brace himself for impact, supporting her small body as she collided with his.
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Cole froze. It was the first time Penelope had initiated a kiss, and the shock of it had him rooted to the spot, until slowly he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her against him.
Her fingers tangled in his hair as she kissed him with artless enthusiasm. She pulled back, giving him one last nipping kiss before digging her fingers into his hair and pulling his face down to look at hers.
“The other day you told me that you wanted me to beg for you. Any day of the week.”
He said nothing. He waited.
“This is me. Begging.”
Cole couldn’t help the brief laugh at the simple calmness of her voice. “Yeah, you sound really desperate there, Tiny.”
She smiled and rested her hands against his chest. “Give me a break; I’m just now finding out that I’m not in love with the guy I thought.”
Cole’s heart stopped for a moment, but he forced his voice to stay calm. “Oh yeah?”
She fiddled with the button of his shirt, not quite meeting his eye. “I’m not saying I wasn’t in love with him once. But tonight, I was braced for the usual agony when I looked at Evan and remembered all the ways he broke my heart….”
“And?”
“I wasn’t thinking about any of that. It seems my mind kept drifting to other places.” Penelope looked up. “Other people. One in particular.”
His hands slid up her back. “Is that so?”
She shrugged. “What can I say? You look really good naked.”
“You know, this speech would have been more effective on a Tuesday. Seeing as it’s Friday, you had a pretty good chance of getting laid anyway.”
“Didn’t seem that way when you were walking away,” she said quietly.
“My mistake,” he whispered, leaning down to brush his lips against hers.
“So you wanna come up?”
“Fuck yes I want to come up.”
Chapter 24
It was strange.
She and Cole had done this several times now. Hot sex. Raunchy sex. Playful sex.
Great sex.
But tonight, as they stood facing each other with only the streetlight from her window illuminating her bedroom, it felt different.
Special.
Important.
She didn’t want it to be important. She wanted it to be spontaneous, and fun, and safe, and—
Penelope’s thoughts scattered as Cole slowly, methodically unbuttoned his dress shirt, and tossed it aside.
His eyes never left hers as he kicked off his shoes and then stripped off the rest of his clothes.
Her mouth dropped open at his boldness, and he smiled. “You did say you liked me naked.”
She tried to speak, but her mouth was dry.
He stepped forward and rested his hands on her waist before dipping his head and brushing his lips along the side of her throat.
Penelope sighed his name, and his hands slipped under her shirt, his fingers hot on her back as his mouth explored her neck.
He tugged her shirt over her head, then his lips captured hers in an erotic kiss that reminded her of hot, sultry summer nights, even though it was only June.
Cole’s hands flicked her bra open, his hands sliding forward to cover her with warm palms as she arched her back. Together they moved toward the bed, tumbling onto it in a graceless heap without their mouths ever breaking contact.
Cole’s