Tempt Me - By Shiloh Walker Page 0,39

Mara.”

She shifted her eyes to look past him. When Rocki went to tug her hand away, though, he squeezed her fingers gently. And wouldn’t let go.

“So you are here. I had a call from a friend who said she saw you.” Mara stared at him, something hard and cold lurking in the depths of her gaze. “Why are you here?”

“Right now, I’m getting ready to take Rocki home.” He glanced down at Rocki and smiled. “I need to close the door, sweetheart.”

“Sweetheart?” Mara gaped at him. “Sweetheart?”

Cole didn’t look at her, just waited for Rocki to ease her legs into the car. “You good?”

“I was better about ninety seconds ago.” She groaned and rested her head against the back of the seat.

“Me, too.” He shut the door and looked back at Mara. “Goodbye, Mara.”

She caught up with him before he’d rounded the front of his car, her nails digging into his arm. He really, really hated it when she did that. He’d thrown his coat into the back seat when he’d brought the car up and other than his sweater, nothing separated his skin from those acrylics she loved she much. Stopping in his tracks, he looked down at her hand and then looked back up at her. “I’m getting tired of telling you that I don’t care to have you digging your claws into me, Mara. Let go. Now.”

“Why are you here with her?” Mara snarled, and she just squeezed tighter.

“I’m taking her home. She had surgery and she needs to be at home...not sitting here listening to you have a tantrum.” Out of patience, he twisted his arm out of her grasp.

She tottered on her heels and slammed a hand against the car. “She had surgery and called you to pick her up? That’s fucking pathetic.”

“No.” He smiled at her. “She didn’t call me. I was there when she got hurt because we’re seeing each other.”

“Seeing...” She shook her head. “Seeing each other? You’re seeing her? Her?”

Mara turned her head and shot Rocki an ugly look through the windshield. “You left me for that cow?”

Fury twisted inside him, but he didn’t let it show. Continuing his way around the car, Cole opened the door. “No, Mara. I left you because I don’t love you...I don’t even know you. Rocki had nothing to do with it.”

“So you just suddenly started dating her right after you broke up with me?” Venom colored her voice, thick and heavy, just as it froze her eyes, just as it made her pretty face seem cold, almost alien. “You want me to think you’re actually interested in her?”

“I don’t care what you think,” Cole said tiredly. “But interested doesn’t even touch on what I feel for her. It doesn’t even come close.”

He slid into the car and shut the door. Mara continued to stand there, glaring at him. When she didn’t move, he sighed and put the car into reverse. “Well, that was fun.”

“Wasn’t it?” Rocki had her eyes closed. “It was my fault, ya know.”

“No. Hell, no, it wasn’t. Apparently one of her friends saw me and called her, told her I was here, but it wasn’t your fault.” He gave her a dark look as he did a three-point turn in the broad drive. A quick glance in the mirror showed him that Mara was still there. Still glaring at them.

“Sure it is. I was just thinking earlier than I couldn’t handle any more problems today—that I wouldn’t. So what do we get? Problems.” She reached over and covered his hand with hers. “You know...I think I’m pretty interested in you, too, handsome.”

He twined their fingers. “That’s good. Because I’m thinking I want to keep you around for a while. A long while.”

“Hmmm. We’re rushing things again, aren’t we?”

“Damn straight.”

Chapter Ten

For most of the day, thanks to the painkillers, Rocki slept like the dead.

That was just fine with Cole. Between the insistent calls from Mara—he ignored those—and his own rather demanding calls to Clayton, he figured the last thing she needed was his aggravation waking her up. It didn’t seem much of anything would wake her, though.

But the day was wearing on and Mara’s calls were getting more insistent. When the texts started coming, he groaned. “Wonder if Rocki’s a drinker,” he muttered as he nabbed his iPhone and read the little bubble on the screen.

Baby, we need to talk. Please call me.

He deleted it on the way into Rocki’s kitchen. And, oh yes...there was alcohol. Spying the bottle of Patron, he