Counting On Cole (Wilde Ways #8) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,10

point.” She marched toward him.

He didn’t back up. Typical Cole.

“This thing I have to do right now.” Her gaze cut away from him. “It’s a date.”

A growl slipped from him.

The growl had her stare flying right back to him. “Is there a problem here?” She could actually think of at least a dozen problems but—

“He keeps his hands off you.”

“What? What in the heck are you talking about?”

“I’m here to guard your body. If this date of yours touches your body, I’ll see it as a threat.” His expression had gone all cold and lethal. “So he keeps his hands off you.”

“That makes zero sense!”

“Take it up with management.”

Of all the— “You are management, aren’t you?”

No reply.

“Then let’s be clear.” She stared hard into his eyes. She didn’t even like blue. Especially not bright blue. Not like it was her favorite color or anything. “My body. I decide who touches it and who doesn’t. Got it?”

A muscle flexed in his jaw, but he nodded.

“Excellent. Let’s go.” The sooner she put some distance between them, the better. She exited her place, locked the door, and headed for the elevator. She did not look back at Cole, but she could feel him shadowing her. She reached the elevator. Pressed the button to bring it up to her floor. The doors slid open a moment later and—

Oh, no. The last time that she’d been in an elevator with Cole…

I want to hit that emergency stop button. Press you up against the glass. And fuck you.

He started to walk past her and get in the elevator. She threw up her arm to block him. “Stairs! I’m taking the stairs because I need more cardio in my life.”

He frowned at her. She ignored him and hurried for the stairwell. She yanked the door open.

“Your building needs to be far more secure. Anyone could get in here,” Cole complained as he followed her down the stairs.

“Anyone did get in,” she replied pointedly as she flew down those steps. He kept perfect pace with her. Probably because he worked out every available minute to keep that body of his in its rock-hard condition.

“Who’s the lucky guy?”

There had been a definite edge in his voice as he asked the question.

“Who are you dating?” Cole pressed when she remained silent and worked on her cardio. “No boyfriend was mentioned in your file.”

She jumped off the last step. Whirled to face him. “I don’t like that you have a file on me.”

His brows climbed. “You should take that up with—”

“Do not say management to me right now.”

His lips pressed together.

“I don’t like that someone thinks that my life can be crammed into a few nicely typed pages. I have secrets.” Some. A few. Maybe one or two. Dammit. She needed to be more mysterious.

Cole nodded. “Duly noted.” A pause. “Who’s the guy?”

She spun away. Hauled open the stairwell door and rushed into the lobby. Evie tossed a quick wave to her neighbor who had just entered the building, then she made a beeline for the front door. Night had fallen outside, and soft streetlights fought the darkness. Cars rushed by on the street, and the warm air brushed against her skin as her stride quickened even more outside.

“You didn’t tell me his name.”

She stopped at the edge of the sidewalk as she waited for the light to change. “You don’t get to act all jealous,” she fumed. “Not like you and I are any sort of couple or anything.”

“I didn’t say I was jealous. I just asked for his name. Security protocol.”

Security protocol, her ass. “Leopold Shepard.”

“What in the hell kind of name is Leopold?”

She slanted a hard glance at him. “I don’t know, Cole. A fun one?” It certainly belonged to an amazingly fun guy. Her friend Leopold could make her laugh even when she was at her worst.

And, okay, fine, she’d lied. She hadn’t been able to look Cole in the eye when she’d bragged about having a date. It wasn’t a date, exactly. At least, not a romantic one. It could count as a business date. Maybe. But, when your ex suddenly popped up out of the blue—the ex who’d shattered your heart and never looked back—a woman just might want to show him that she’d moved on. That she hadn’t spent the last two years thinking about him.

Leopold would go along with her ruse. He’d probably find it freaking hilarious. Leopold—okay, Leo—loved to laugh. He was always telling her that if you didn’t laugh, then you’d