Counting On Cole (Wilde Ways #8) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,20
causing it. Like I said, I was dropped in the middle of a scene without any direction.”
Harrison swung away and stalked toward the bar. He grabbed an empty glass, and his knuckles turned white around it. “Allow me to provide you with direction.”
“Please do.” He was waiting for it, ever so patiently.
“My sister was kidnapped two years ago. I hired Cole to get her back.”
“Huh.”
“I don’t like when you say that.” He whirled. “What?”
“Was a ransom demanded?”
“Yes,” Harrison hissed.
“How much?”
“Five million dollars.”
“Huh.”
“You are a sonofabitch.”
Sure, he was. “It’s just that I’m doubting you paid Cole five million.”
Harrison looked down at the glass. His hold eased on it. “You think I wasn’t going to pay for my sister to be released?”
“I’m only figuring…it was certainly cheaper to use Cole.”
“It was safer. I’ve heard about how badly these cases can go. I could’ve paid them the money, then never gotten my sister back. At least, not alive. Cole did the job he was hired to do. He got her back. But…”
Seriously? The guy was just going to stop his story there and let his voice trail away? Did it look like Chase wanted to be left in suspense?
Harrison carefully rearranged the glasses on his bar. “She wasn’t the same.”
Of course, she hadn’t been. “She was kidnapped. I’d call that a life-changing situation.” Anyone would.
“Evie wanted Cole.”
Okay, now they were getting somewhere.
“When she had nightmares, she would call out for him.”
Pay dirt.
“Cole saved her, and she fell in love with him.” Harrison faced Chase once more. “The bastard walked away from her, and I had to see her pain every single day. So, yes, you’re probably picking up on some tension between us. If this current situation hadn’t happened, if Evie hadn’t been in danger again, I never would’ve pulled that SOB back into our lives.”
“Huh.”
“God, I think I freaking hate you.”
***
“Why did you say that part about having sex with me?” She probably shouldn’t have asked the question, but Evie hadn’t been able to hold back. “About, um, having ‘dirty, hot, mind-melting sex’ with me?”
Cole shrugged. “Because it’s the truth?” He’d paced toward the other side of the room.
How was she supposed to respond to those words?
“But I get that you’re with that asshole from the restaurant.”
Her shoulders stiffened. “Leo isn’t an asshole.”
“Agree to disagree.” He turned away.
“I’m not with him.” No, no, take those words back!
Too late. Cole had whipped right back around toward her. “I thought you met him every Sunday at that Italian restaurant.”
She licked her lips. “We do meet. We work together. But we’re not romantically involved. I may have…embellished a little on that point.”
“He wants to fuck you.”
Now she smiled. “No, I don’t think he does.”
A rough laugh. “I saw the way he was touching you. Holding you. The man wants—”
“He was probably more interested in you.”
Cole frowned.
Her smile had already vanished. “I lied, and I should never have used my friend that way. He deserved better. I just—I wasn’t expecting you. I know I’m making excuses, but I—” I wanted you to think I’d moved on.
“I know you’re not still interested in me, Evie,” Cole growled. “I get that.”
“Good.” Wrong, but…
“Just because I’ve never been able to get you out of my head, it doesn’t mean you feel the same way.”
She’d misheard him. There was no way that he’d said what she thought. “You don’t need to tell me these things.”
He stalked toward her.
She resisted the urge to retreat. Instead, she straightened her spine. “You don’t have to bullshit me and feed me lines about how you still want me.”
He didn’t stop that slow, deliberate advance of his, not until he was standing right in front of her. Why, why were his eyes so amazing?
“I’m not bullshitting you. I’m making sure you clearly understand the situation.” His voice was rough. A little ragged. All sexy.
So much for her being immune to his charms. Maybe she just had a weakness when it came to Cole. Or bad boys in general. After him, she’d sworn off those guys. But here she was, only a short while after seeing him again… “Bad boys are such trouble.”
“I’m not a boy.”
No, he certainly wasn’t.
“And I’m only trouble to the ones who want to hurt you. Because in order to get to you, the bastards will need to come through me. I’m going to be at your side until this is over. Until those jerks are rotting in a cell, I’ll be with you.”