The idea of her being out so late doesn’t sit well with me. It’s not like Nina and Mark keep tabs on her. My feet move a little quicker as I continue down the hall to my room to get my laptop. It’ll hold the answers. There’s no way I’ll be able to sleep until I go through her phone to figure out the who, what, and where of her outing.
The room is dark, but I don’t bother with the lights. My MacBook is sitting on a side table not far from the door. I take a seat in the chair next to the table and set the laptop on my legs. A few seconds later, I’m scrolling through Gwen’s text messages. The last messages she received were from Mia at ten tonight.
Mia: Let me know how the seduction plan goes.
My stomach sours. Seduction? What the fuck?
Gwen: Why do I let you talk me into these things?
Mia: You’ll be thanking me after you take the D train all the way home.
I slam my laptop closed and run a hand through my hair. Gwen could be with some small-dicked prick, about to let him fuck her. And it would be my fault. I got her all worked up then left her in the cold. When I find out who—
A soft sigh slices through the silence around me, movement on the bed catching my eye. There’s just enough moonlight streaming in from the window to see the curvy outline of the person lying across the mattress.
Gwen.
The breath that was coiled in my tight chest releases in a whoosh.
She’s safe. Here. In my bed. Which means…
Well, fuck me.
Chapter Sixteen
Present
GWEN
My skin started to buzz with anticipation the moment Cole walked into the room, tugging me from the stupor trying to drag me under. It felt like a lifetime waiting for him to look my way, and anxious energy built in me until it began to seep out. His head jerked at my sigh, slowly turning in my direction as I rolled off my back.
Taking Mia’s advice might not be the smartest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t believe I’m lying in Cole’s bed, wearing only a wifebeater and a pair of lacy green panties. My body is being offered up to him on a platter, and I’m terrified he’ll turn it down.
Silence and stillness fill the room again. My quick and heavy heartbeat echoes in my core as I wait for him to notice me.
Cole stands and leisurely makes his way to the door. It’s pushed closed, the lock clicking into place.
There’s no turning back now.
I forget how to breathe as his shadowy figure prowls toward me, my eyes screwing shut.
The rustle from his shirt and pants as he gets undressed is piercing, my stomach flipping with each thud on the floor.
His fingertips caress my foot then, before slowly making a path up my ankle to my calf. He sucks in a hissing breath once he reaches the back of my thigh, his thumb sweeping under my panties as he continues to my ass and gives it a squeeze.
The mattress dips as he crawls onto the bed, his hands and knees placed on either side of me. The heat of his naked body sets mine on fire. His erection presses into my ass, and I gasp from the aching need pulsing between my legs.
Cole’s lips land on my shoulder, placing a delicate kiss there before he whispers, “What are you doing in my room, Princess?”
I open my eyes, straining my neck to look back at him. But my brain refuses to form words.
My hair is swept away from my neck, goosebumps forming on my skin as he licks and sucks the flesh.
“Tell me what you want,” he demands.
“I want you.” My strained words reflect the desperation behind them.
“You want me?” he muses, his breathy laugh dancing on my flesh in the most intoxicating way. “I’m afraid you need to finish your sentence. What do you want me to do?” His hand caresses my hip as he gently rocks into me, making my brain too foggy with lust to think.
“I want you to take what’s yours,” I pant, using his own words to demolish his restraint.
“Fuck,” he groans.
My panties are literally ripped from my body in a whirlwind, my hips yanked until my ass is in the air. He playfully nips and kisses each cheek, pushing my tank top up as his lips trail along my spine.
His hips line up with my body, his hard