Chapter 9
Nina
“Have a seat, Nina,” Cole closed the door shut behind him, as I walked into his office and looked about me curiously. It was an impeccably decorated space, with no clutter or even a speck of dust anywhere. A large oak office desk was aligned to an eggshell white wall and Cole walked towards it now.
I had my hands clasped together, my lips pursed, and was feeling completely out of place. We hadn’t spoken much yet, and I was certain that he knew I was here out of curiosity.
“I wanted to save you the trouble of trying to locate me, and thought I could leave my contact details with your receptionist,” I said in a meek voice. Cole had walked around his desk and sat down on a plush swivel chair. I was standing in front of the chair he had offered me, feeling too uncomfortable to sit down.
“My lawyers can find anyone. I’m sure there would have been no trouble in locating you,” he said in his calm smooth voice. Even though he was in the most luxurious formal clothes, Cole exuded charm and sexiness. I couldn’t stop thinking about the night we had spent together, although it seemed to be the last thing on his mind.
“Well, then, I suppose I should leave. I’ll be waiting to hear from them,” I said, meeting his dangerously gray eyes as confidently as I could.
“Have a seat, Nina,” he repeated himself, more authoritatively this time and I found myself sitting down. I cleared my throat nervously and avoided his eyes.
“It didn’t take you long to find out who I was, or did you know already?” he asked, and leant forward over his table. His eyes were drilling into me, while I couldn’t bear to look at him directly.
“I didn’t know that night, no. But yeah, it wasn’t difficult finding out,” I replied and tucked in some loose strands of blond curls behind my ears. I hadn’t even bothered with presenting myself well. Just an old plaid shirt, skinny jeans and my hair left open. I was so convinced that I wouldn’t bump into him, and my mind was elsewhere.
“I can see that you still regret it,” he said and my eyes flashed with rage and I met his gaze.
“Of course I do. Who you are, doesn’t change how I feel about our drunken marriage ceremony,” I snapped and a soft smile grazed Cole’s lips.
“I didn’t think it would. You didn’t strike me as the kind of woman who it would affect,” he said and I noticed how sharp his jaw was, and wondered what that stubble would feel like under my fingertips.
“Are you saying that I should feel lucky to be married to you? That I should be frothing in the mouth right now?” I said, sticking my chin up in the air at him. Cole’s smile widened and then he shook his head.
“You’re still so bitter about it,” he said and suddenly stood up. I followed his movements with my eyes as he walked towards me, and casually came to a stop right in front of me. I had to crane my neck to look up at him.
“I’m not bitter. I just want it to be over, so that I can move on with my life,” I said and Cole’s smile didn’t waver.
“Maybe you shouldn’t be wearing that ring on your finger then,” he said and my eyes dropped to the ugly brass ring on my finger. My cheeks flushed instantly. How had I forgotten to take it off? I tugged at it immediately, only now realizing that it was too tight for my finger.
I pulled at it some more, aware that he was looking at me, but the ring just wouldn’t come off. I winced, struggling to pull it off. To show him how little I cared, when suddenly, I sensed him kneel down in front of my chair.
Cole’s large hands were suddenly covering mine and I couldn’t help but look up at him. My eyes widened, my mouth hanging opening, because my body was violently and physically reacting to his proximity again.
“Stop it, Nina. You don’t have to do it like this. I’m not going to judge you for wearing that ring for a few more days,” he said in a much softer voice. Our faces were so close together that his breath shook the single curl that was lying over my nose. I stared into his eyes and felt a cry rising up in my throat.
“It won’t come off. I’m trying to take it off,” I said in a weak desperate voice. Cole smiled again, and to my surprise, lifted my hand and pressed my fingers to his lips. That kiss was unexpected, unrealistic and completely changed how I was feeling. It was the kind of tenderness I would never have expected from a hardened, shrewd billionaire like Cole Emery. It melted me.
“That ring doesn’t change anything,” he said in a low gruff voice, still kneeling in front of me, still smiling. I could smell his expensive cologne, I could have reached out and touched his face if I wanted to…but I was still holding back. This wasn’t the reason why I was back here. Was it?
“Nina…” he breathed my name softly, and before I knew what was happening, Cole had pushed himself towards me and our lips were about to meet. I greeted him, by jerking myself towards him and our lips pressed together in a sizzle. I gasped when I felt his lips on mine, his tongue quickly parting my mouth. We were kissing like we hadn’t seen each other in years. Like we were holding back when we didn’t need to.
My eyes closed and all I could think about was being naked with him again. That kiss had completely disoriented me.