Reign A Romance Anthology - Nina Levine Page 0,319

bag on the kitchen counter and pulls off his jacket. I simply stare and take in all of his movements. He’s so damn fine. Our eyes meet, and his lips curl. “Do I have permission to kiss you?” His voice is low and gravelly. He takes two steps and secures his arms around my waist, pulling me against him.

I place a finger on my lips as though I’m thinking about his question. “Hmm…I’m not sure. That might lead to me not eating my dinner while it’s hot.”

He throws his head back, and laughter pours out of him. “That’s a high possibility.” His head tilts down, and my knees become weak as his lips press against mine. My arms secure themselves around his neck. His kisses are warm and full of want. Our mouths dance, and I match every movement to his hungry ones. A small groan escapes me, and that is his signal for his arms to tighten around me. He pulls his head back, our breathing heavy. “Perhaps we should eat first.”

I cock an eyebrow. “You mean actual food or something else?”

“As much as I’d like something else, I’d hate for you to get hangry at me for not giving you actual food.” Reluctantly, I peel myself away from him, though one of his hands stays on my hip as I turn and pull out what’s in the bag. It smells divine.

“Noodles?”

“Yep, some of the best in New York.” The scent of the sauces makes my stomach rumble in anticipation.

Cole chuckles. “I guess I made the right decision going with food first.”

“I guess so.” I giggle.

After we’ve plated our food, we head to sit on the couch. A comfortable silence settles between us while I take a mouthful of noodles. When I glance over at him, Cole’s eyes have changed. They’re now full of dark desire.

“If I have to sit here and watch you suck those noodles through your lips, I’m going to lose my damn mind.”

“I’m not sure how else you expect me to eat them,” I laugh. “Don’t watch me eat then. It’s a little creepy.”

“I can’t help it. You’re beautiful.”

“And you’re a smooth talker.” I place another forkful of food in my mouth and suck up the last of the noodle hanging out.

Cole rolls his eyes and grins. “Tease,” he mutters.

“So, tell me, when are you racing again? I’d like to come and watch you in action.”

He clears his throat and then says, “Well, right now, I’m suspended because I hit someone who asked for it.”

I inhale some of the noodles, which causes a coughing fit. “Wait! What? You’re suspended?”

Cole plays with his food for a moment before answering, “Yeah. The guy was being crude to a young woman who’s the girlfriend of another rider. We were watching the races when his vile words filtered around me, and I saw red. Before I could stop myself, I was laying into him. It took two security guards to pull me off the worthless excuse of a man. Not even his friends helped him—the pussies.”

I swallow, not entirely sure what to say.

So, I simply stare at him.

17

Cole

She stares at me.

Meeting her gaze, it’s like I’m staring fear in the face, and my chest squeezes. “Don’t look at me like that, Dylan,” I say. I hate the way she’s looking at me. She seems so unsure of it all now—and of me.

She blinks and then goes back to twirling food around her fork. “Like what?” she rushes out, her voice is on the verge of high-pitched.

“Like I’ve just spat in your cereal. The man deserved it.”

“Oh, I have no doubt about that. Still, I wasn’t prepared to see you as a violent person. Sorry.”

I put my plate on the coffee table and shuffle closer. Taking her plate, I put it next to mine, and I take her hands. “If someone says things like that to a friend when I’m around, they’re going to get it. I won’t allow my friends to be made to feel like trash.”

I glide my thumbs over the backs of her hands, and she stares down at them. “I get that, and I think it’s really good of you for standing up for those you care about. But shouldn’t you have cared about your career? What if you weren’t allowed to race again?”

I give her a small smile. “It was my first offense. I don’t do this all the time. But the woman is a good friend, as is her boyfriend, so we look out