I’m still floating on a cloud the next day when I get to work. Everything in the world seems perfect. Brownie is back to her normal self, the weather is gorgeous, and Cole Andrews told me that he loves me. I can’t wait to see what he has planned for us tonight after my shift, and if he doesn’t have anything planned I’ll plan something, because you can be sure we’re fucking.

I walk in the door and one of the security guards is waiting for me. “Andrea Townsend?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re wanted in the office,” he says, turning and going through a door near the club entrance that I’ve never seen used. “Follow me.”

Okay, maybe we’re not fucking tonight, maybe we’re fucking right now. I smile to myself. Why else would Cole call me to the office? I’ll have to tease him about special treatment.

The security guard leads me down a couple hallways and then knocks on a door. I hear Cole’s voice inside telling us to come in, and he pushes the door open. I walk in with a huge smile on my face, ready to say something utterly dirty, and I freeze. Cole isn’t alone. Rosie is also in the office. She’s got her arms crossed and she’s glaring at me. And Cole…

I’ve never seen that look on his face before. It’s halfway between agony and anger. It’s cold.

“What’s going on?”

I see his jaw tighten, and he doesn’t look at me when he speaks. He’s looking away, towards the wall. Why won’t he look at me? “There has been an accusation.”

My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline. “Excuse me?”

His hands are gripping the arms of the chair, like he’s keeping himself in check. “According to Rosie, there was money taken from the safe. The code used to retrieve the money was your personal code. I’ve confirmed it.”

He looks at me then, and it’s like a blow to the stomach, all anger and ice. He can’t be serious.

“Of course I didn’t do that. I would never do that.”

“The records say otherwise.” Rosie says, disgust in her voice. “I warned you your first day that there were personal codes for a reason. This is why.”

I shake my head. I don’t understand what’s happening. “Why would I do that? I like my job, it pays well, I’m happy here.” I look at Cole again, “you know that. Why would I steal money?”

“Maybe the same reason you’re sleeping with him. You just can’t get enough, and you feel like you can get away with anything.”

“That’s none of your business,” I say. “And it has nothing to do with this.”

“So there is a this?” Rose yells, “You’re admitting to it?”

“Of course not,” my voice rises to match hers. “I’m not a thief. I don’t steal.”

“You know, I liked you. Everyone did. You were really starting to feel like part of the Club Deep family. But I don’t even know what to think of a person who would do this.”

“I didn’t do anyth—”

“Yes, you did!”

“ENOUGH.” Coles voice cuts across ours and leaves the office in complete silence. I’ve never seen him yell. I’ve never seen him raise his voice or even be the slightest bit angry. “The code used to empty the safe was yours, Andrea. I need you to leave the club property immediately.”

“What?”

“You need to leave.”

No. He can’t be firing me. I can’t get fired from a second job, especially for something that I didn’t do. “Cole, I had nothing to do with this. You have to believe me.”

“I want to. But no one,” he says, meeting my eyes. He looks broken. “No matter who they are, steals from me without paying a price.”

“I didn’t steal from you.”

He looks away, “Goodbye, Andrea.”

There’s a ringing in my ears, and pain in my chest, and I barely realize I’m walking out of the office. What just happened? Everything was so perfect a few minutes ago and now I don’t even know what to do or say or think. After everything, how could he believe that? How he could he believe that I would take money from him?

Footsteps sound behind me and I turn to find Rosie following me. “I need to make sure you leave the club,” she says. “We’ll mail you your final paycheck.”

“This is insane.”

“No it’s not,” she scoffs. “I’ve seen girls like you a hundred times. People who think that they’re better than they are. Who think they can just have everything they want while screwing everyone else. Well, good riddance to you.” She puts her hand on my shoulder, pushing me towards the exit. “And sleeping with the boss? How pathetic can you be? You think he was actually interested? You think you can just show up and claim him while those of us who have been here way longer never even had a chance? Think again. You were just someone to fuck.”

Shit. She’s into Cole. That’s why she’s saying all these things. She thinks that with me gone that she’s going to have him. I don’t have anything to stop her from doing that. “Fuck off, Rosie.”

“I knew something was up when I saw you together. I should have known, and then the money went missing last night. I wasn’t even surprised when it was your code.”

Last night. Last night?

I shove around Rosie, and sprint back to Cole’s office. I shove open the door, and he spins around, his face is a portrait in misery. It’s there only for a second before it’s gone and replaced by anger. “You should have left,” he says. “I didn’t want to have security throw you out.”

“When was the safe robbed?” He picks up the phone to call security and I push his hand back down. “When?”

“Last night.”

I laugh, though it’s not remotely funny. “I would have thought that last night was memorable enough that you would know I couldn’t possibly have stolen money from the safe last night.”

“What?” Rosie’s voice comes from the door. “Where were you.”

I turn and glare at her. “I was in his bed. I know that image doesn’t play well for you because of your obsessive little crush, but it’s still true.” I look back to Cole, “I didn’t do this.”

His eyes are now fixed on Rosie. “Who else knew Andrea’s code?”

“It’s in the employee files. Any supervisor could have looked it up.”

Cole pulls a binder off a shelf, flipping through some papers. “And you were the only supervisor on duty last night when the money disappeared.”

Rosie’s mouth falls open. “No, it wasn’t—not me.”

“Did you frame Andrea to get her fired? Steal from me?”

She looks trapped, and there’s a split second where I feel bad for her. But after what she’s done, a second is all she gets. I fling her own words back at her. “I don’t even know what to think of a person who would do this.”

“I didn’t.” She keeps shaking her head like she doesn’t understand.

“Where’s the money?”

She wilts, like every last speck of energy pours out of her. “In my locker.”

“Get out.” Cole says, voice made of steal. “Your things will be sent to you. If you ever set foot in this club again I will press charges.”

She swallows, looking back and forth between us. It looks like she wants to say something, but she doesn’t. She just goes. Cole calls security to make sure she leaves. And then we’re alone, and the tension is still in the air.

Cole grabs me and pushes me against the wall. His lips are hard on mine, desperate. I push him back.

“What the hell was that?” I ask him, “You really think I could steal from you?”

“No.” He says, voice full of emotion. “Never. But there was proof. I couldn’t. There can’t be any exceptions.”

“We really need to work on you knowing when you’re allowed to break rules.”

He presses his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry. I was caught up in my own shit. After everything that happened last year, stealing is…it’s a thing for me. I promise that I’ll tell you why. It makes me lose any common sense. I should have remembered.”

I move away from him, across the office. I need distance from him right now. I can’t think when he’s so close to me, crowding my senses, dragging me into perfect oblivion with his kisses. “Do you have any idea how that feels? That you say that you love me and then to throw me out without a second thought? You weren’t even going to try to listen to my side of the story.”

“I know,” he says.

I take a deep breath, flexing my hands in and out of fists, trying to deal with the wealth of anger that’s building up inside of me. In the moment I was panicked, and now I’m pissed. “This is not a small thing.”

Cole takes a slow, even breath. “I know.”

“Are you going to say anything other than you’re sorry?”

“That I’m a raging moron, and I never should have let something like this get in my head. I should not have jumped to conclusions so quickly. I should never have asked you to leave.”

I nod. “Well, I’m still going to. I know you’re not asking now, but I think I need some time.”

“Andrea, please,” he says, taking a step towards me. “Please don’t go.”

“Give me a good reason to stay.”

He swallows, and I know from the look on his face that he understands that the next words out of his mouth will determine our relationship. “There’s a lot we don’t know about each other. History, the little details about our pasts that formed us. But I can tell you now, that I have never in my life met anyone like you. No one has ever made me feel like this—alive and whole and happy. I fucked up. God, I’m sorry, and I’ll probably fuck up again, but I swear that I will do everything in my power never to hurt you again.”

My breath stills in my chest, his words resonating deep within me. He makes me happy too. I choose my words carefully, emphasizing every one. “No matter what it is, you will never take your shit out on me again. Got it? You will always take the time to look at the whole picture before making a decision. If you can’t agree to that, I’m done.”

“I swear.” I’ve barely finished speaking before he’s agreed.

“And you still love me?” I ask.

“I never stopped loving you.”

Heat roars through my body, and even though I’m still pissed at him, I want him. I want his hands on me. I want the proof of his words. “Good. Fuck me.”

I don’t have to tell him twice. He spreads me out on his desk, and we’re clawing at each other. It’s not gentle. We’re both still angry and it makes it hot, he slams into me in one stroke, thrusting so hard that the desk moves. I rake my nails down his back over his shirt, and he grunts at the sensation. Last night it felt like we were giving ourselves to the other. This feels more like claiming. He’s mine, I’m his.

Cole sucks his thumb and reaches down, circling my clit. The rhythm matches his thrusting, and the orgasm is so unexpected that it blinds me. It roars through me like a tornado, destroying me and leaving me to pick up the pieces. Cole shouts his own climax, pushing in deep and letting his come flood into me. It feels like fire, like a brand. I’m his, and he’s mine.

The quakes in my body slowly fade, and I find Cole leaning over me, eyes intense. “You know, you did steal something from me.”

“Oh? What was that?”

“You stole my heart.”

I laugh, and it feels good. The laughter erases the anger and the hurt. “You know that’s unbearably cheesy, right?”

“I do.”

“Good,” I pull him down to kiss me. “So what’s the price for that?”

“My heart?”

I nod.

“It’s a big one, but the only one I can think of that’s fair.”

“Tell me,” I say, smiling.

He’s smiling too. “Marry me.”

* * *

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