Twelve Days The Beginning - By Jade Reyner Page 0,120
did hope that maybe Vaughn and I could have a future once all of the dust has settled but I might have just put paid to that with my performance in the car park.” She shook her head, “How the hell did my life just get even more complicated?”
Cole stood up and jumped up beside her to sit on the examination couch that she had been lying on. He dropped his left arm over her shoulder and pulled her to him.
“For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’ve lost him. He’s mad at you, sure – you said some pretty hurtful things to him down there – but don’t you remember what he said right before he left? He said that he had lost something in all of this too. Now I’m no expert but I’m pretty sure he was talking about you – that he felt that he was losing you. He feels deeply for you Elise, you don’t seem to realise. You make quite an impression.”
He turned her face gently to his using his right hand under her chin and she could see his eyes more clearly now, hers having adjusted to the gloom.
“You don’t realise how beautiful you are, babe.” He said almost reverently and then he leaned forwards closing the distance between them and lightly laid his lips over hers.
Cole had kissed her before, many times in fact, but somehow this felt different. Initially Elise didn’t respond - she was too shocked and numb with all that had gone on and it took her a moment to register what was happening. When she did she was surprised to realise that Cole was still kissing her rather than pulling away like he usually did and unbidden, she began to feel the first fluttering of desire.
Cole reached his hand behind her head, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss and ran his tongue experimentally across her lips. Elise complied to his unspoken demand, caught up in the moment, and shivered lightly as their tongues connected; the kiss lengthening, their tongues searching and questing.
She could hear Cole’s breathing becoming quicker and more ragged and a tiny part of her brain began to register that this was wrong. Despite the attraction that had always burned between them, they were best friends. They worked as best friends. Cole was too important to her and was too much of her life to risk losing him like this. She depended on him, she idolised him and she loved him with all of her heart. This would only lead to heartache for both of them and she already had more than her fair share of that. This needed to stop now. They needed each other far more than they needed a quick physical release.
Gently she began to pull away from the kiss, pushing him gently on his shoulders at the same time, to create some distance between them. As they separated their eyes met and she saw desire lingering in his but she also saw regret and she knew that he felt the same. They both regretted that they couldn’t be together like this when their attraction to each other was so strong but they also knew it had to be that way. Any relationship they had other than friendship would destroy them both and they loved each other far too much to let that happen.
Cole leaned forward and allowed his forehead to drop onto hers before taking a deep breath. “Sorry Elise, I don’t know what came over me – I’m just a bit messed up at the moment.”
Elise gently kissed the tip of his nose. “I think we both got carried away. It’s been an emotional few days for all of us.”
He nodded, “Sure has babe.”
Lightly she placed a final kiss on his lips. “I love you Cole Andrews, with all my heart.”
“I love you too baby” he replied and they held each other tightly in the darkness of the room, holding on as if their lives depended on it - afraid to ever let go.
It was just past five o’clock when Elise and Cole returned to the main office. As it was Friday, most people had gone home and it was blissfully quiet for which Elise was thankful. Cole headed off in the direction of his office to finish up and Elise walked over to the other side of the office to her desk area. She was hoping that Stephen would still be there as she wanted to thank him for