Millie woke early the next morning with a pounding headache caused by an interrupted night’s sleep. The talk with Tanner had exhausted her, especially as it had come right on the heels of Cole asking her about the kiss, and she’d tossed and turned all night. God, she was such an idiot. No wonder Cole was confused. Sure, he’d looked at her with the sort of tenderness she craved, but he was that kind of guy. Caring, considerate, thoughtful. At no point had he given her any indication he felt anything other than friendship for her.

She may have faced off against Tanner—dug deep and found the courage to tell him straight up they were never getting back together—but she had a new battle on her hands. She couldn’t get the sensation of Cole’s mouth on hers out of her mind. The brief kiss they’d shared had awoken something in her that wouldn’t be silenced.

How did she even begin this talk with him?

Probably by not telling him what a good friend he was.

She rubbed her face, hard. That had not been her finest moment. What a stupid line to roll out, but because she had no real experience with guys, she’d bottled it. Tanner was the only man she’d ever slept with, and she didn’t know how to tell a guy she found him attractive.

Her growling stomach eventually forced her from her room. The coward in her hoped Cole wouldn’t be around. She needed more time to figure out the best way to deal with her screw up without Cole’s emerald-green gaze scattering her thoughts. She got her wish. She did, however, find someone who may be exactly the right person to talk to.

“Hey, Laurella.”

Calum’s girlfriend looked up from the magazine she was flicking through with a big smile. “Hi.” She patted the seat next to her. “Come, sit. Are you hungry?”

Millie nodded. “Starved.”

Laurella got to her feet. “I’ll make you something.”

Millie gestured for her to sit back down. “You will do no such thing. I’ll do it.”

She rustled up a cheese and ham bagel, even though it still felt awkward to simply help herself to food she hadn’t paid for. Maybe having a discussion about household expenses was her opening gambit for striking up a conversation with Cole. He would undoubtedly disagree that she should contribute, and she could drop in a hint along the lines of her not being his girlfriend or anything. She could laugh, say it jokingly. And then, depending on his reaction, she’d have her answer. It had to be a better approach than blurting out how she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She understood the allure of the bad boy, of course. Jeez, with Calum and Tanner as her history, some may say she was a glutton for punishment. But she’d had enough of that type of guy to last her a lifetime. A man like Cole was just about perfect. How he hadn’t been snapped up by some gorgeous woman was beyond her.

“What are you looking so serious about?”

Startled from her thoughts, Millie lifted her head. “Was I? Sorry.”

Laurella briefly frowned. “Are you going to be okay? Cole mentioned your husband turning up.” A faint blush colored Laurella’s cheeks. “Not that he was gossiping or anything. He was worried, that’s all. We all are.”

Millie gave her a reassuring smile and went to sit beside her on the couch. “Truthfully, if you’d asked me that a few weeks ago, I’d have said no. But now? Yeah, I think I’m going to be okay. In time.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. I was abused, too.”

Millie’s eyebrows shot up. “By who?”

“A guy I used to work for. Mine was physical abuse, though, not emotional, and while I can’t fully understand what you went through during all those years, I do understand the horrifying feeling of not being in control.”

She didn’t know why she did it. She wasn’t a hugely tactile person but regardless she wrapped her arms around Laurella’s neck, and hugged the other girl to her. “I’m so sorry.”

Laurella’s head bobbed against Millie’s shoulder. It was a few seconds before they broke apart. “You know, Millie, I think you and I are going to become great friends.”

“I hope so.”

She ate her bagel, put the plate in the dishwasher, and went to sit next to Laurella once more.

“Is Cole around?”

Laurella shook her head. “Gone to the gym, and then he mentioned something about heading to the shooting range.”

Millie hesitated. Who knew when the next time would be that she’d get Laurella on her own and have an opportunity to grill her about Cole? “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Why isn’t Cole with anyone?”

Laurella’s lips pressed together in a slight grimace, and her usually bright smile wavered. “Have you asked him?” When Millie shook her head, Laurella patted her hand. “Perhaps you should.”

A sudden thought occurred to her, and her eyes widened. “He’s not gay, is he? Not that there’s anything wrong with being gay, but, well”—she grinned—“it’d be a downer, that’s for sure.”

Laurella chuckled. “No, he’s not gay. And am I to infer from your comments that you have a soft spot for him?”

“Maybe. I don’t know.” She smiled apprehensively. “He’s the complete opposite of Tanner.”

Laurella considered her words. “That’s possibly the attraction.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Her head flopped back onto the couch and she groaned. “How do I even start to tell him how I feel? I’m not exactly experienced.”

Laurella grimaced. “I don’t think I’m the right person to advise you on that.”

“How did you and Calum get together?”

“Painfully.” Laurella grimaced. “Calum and I didn’t exactly get along when we first met. In fact, it would be fair to say we loathed each other.”

Millie rubbed her hands together. “Tell me more.”

Laurella chuckled. “Put it this way, Calum did not think Necron needed a marketing director, and he made his feelings very clear. The bad news for him was my Italian heritage. We’re known for being fiery, passionate, and rarely backing down from an argument. We clashed. A lot.” She shrugged. “Now, I can’t imagine my life without him. Sure, we still have our moments, but we work through them.” She patted Millie’s hand again. “Talk to Cole.”

She nodded. “I will.”

Cole stepped into the living room and caught the tail end of a conversation between Laurella and Millie.

“Talk to Cole.”

“I will.”

He dropped his gym bag on the floor. “What’s up?” he asked.

“You look exhausted,” Millie said, a faint flush staining her cheeks pink. “Are you okay?”

“Didn’t get much sleep last night.” He sank into a chair and pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“It can wait,” she said. “Why don’t you take a nap?”

Still irked from her ‘let’s be buddies’ comment yesterday, he scowled. “Thanks for your concern. Still, I guess that’s what friends do, right?”

Millie flinched, and Laurella flashed him a ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ glare. Millie recovered her composure damned quick, though, pulled in her lips, and set her steady gaze on him.

“Correct, Cole.” Tone clipped and chilly enough to give him frostbite. “Friends do show one another concern, and when you’re done snapping at me, we’ll talk. Until then, I suggest you sleep off your bad mood. I’ll be in my room when you’re ready.”

While he mentally scrabbled around, trying to find his goddamn tongue so he could apologize, she gracefully rose from the couch. Standing erect, she gave Laurella a tight smile and went into her room, closing the door quietly behind her. Despite his utter frustration, pride rushed through him. A few weeks earlier, she wouldn’t have answered back with so much composure and control. Slowly, the girl he’d known in high school was emerging, and he fucking loved it—despite the slap down.

“What on earth was that about?” Laurella asked.

Cole dragged his fingers through his hair and allowed his head to fall back. He blew out his cheeks and blinked.

“Sorry.”

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to. What’s wrong with you, Cole? This isn’t like you at all.”

He ignored her question, because right then, his answer would go something like, “Oh yeah. Well, maybe I’m sick of being the fucking nice guy.” Instead, he said, “What does she want to talk to me about?”

“You’ll have to ask her that.”

He huffed. “Come on, Laurella. Cut me a break.”

She tapped her fingers to her lips. “Let’s just say, being friends is often a precursor to something more.”

A rush of adrenaline fueled his blood. Could he have misread the signals? Yeah, knowing his track record with this particular woman, that was extremely likely.

“Are you saying she’s interested in being more than friends?”

Laurella rested her hand on his forearm. “I’m saying talk to Millie.” She got to her feet. “I’ll give you some space.”

She disappeared into Calum’s room. Cole closed his eyes and rubbed the center of his forehead to alleviate the tension. Goddammit. He’d behaved like a dick, and he would completely deserve it if she tossed his apology back in his face. He strode across the room and lightly tapped on Millie’s door. She answered a few seconds later.

“Yes?”

He grimaced. “I’ve come to eat a large slice of humble pie.”

She hitched a shoulder, her face impassive. “Make sure you wash it down with antacids. I wouldn’t want you to get a stomach ache.”

He gave her a crooked smile. “I’m so sorry. I’m tired and fractious, and I took it out on you. I shouldn’t have.” He stuck out his hand. “Friends?”

She left his hand lingering in the air, her teeth grazing over her bottom lip. “I don’t want to be friends.”

He let his hand fall back to his side as her words lacerated his skin as efficiently as a scalpel. “I see.” He turned away.

“Cole?”

He kept his back to her. “Yeah?”

She came to stand in front of him, her mocha eyes locking on his. “I want more than that.”

He stood there, stunned at her revelation, his heart in his throat saying precisely… nothing.

Her gaze fell to the floor. “I-I’m sorry.”

She went to walk away. He clasped her arm.

“Millie.”

She lifted her chin. “Yes?”

He gently cupped a hand around the back of her neck and tilted her head back. If any of his family blundered in right this second, he’d take out his gun and shoot them.

He brushed his lips over hers, tentatively at first, but as she parted her lips beneath his, he deepened the kiss. She tasted so sweet, like candy, and equally addictive. He drew back, because if he kissed her for much longer, he wouldn’t be able to stop.

He caressed her bottom lip with his thumb. “I want more than that, too.”

Her eyes lit up… and his heart stopped. He took a deep breath. “Would you like to go on a date with me? And when I say a date, I mean a real date—like two people who are attracted to each other go on.”

Her eyes shone and her smile melted his heart.

“I would love to go on a date with you.”