Breathe in. Breathe out.
I have to keep reminding myself. Cole is the definition of sexy. He’s tall, lean—and that hair. I hate to admit that I’m envious of his brown locks. My hands are resting on his shoulder, itching to pull that elastic band holding his bun at the top of his head, letting it fall around his shoulders. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve spent many nights fantasizing about running my fingers through his hair, holding on tight when he . . . Focus, Stacy.
I laugh nervously at his comment and focus on the other couples around us. Logan and Kacen are blissfully happy, doing their thing, and from the looks of it, Lauren and Tristan are as well. Gavin and Cassidy are in deep conversation. None of them are aware of my inner turmoil.
Soft yet firm lips press against my neck, capturing my attention.
Cole.
Sexy.
Relentless.
Trouble.
“You are so fucking sexy,” he growls. Yes, he growls in my ear, his lips trailing up my neck. He’s pulling out all the stops tonight. This is new for us.
Shit.
I need a drink.
“Cole. . . .”
“Stacy,” his deep voice rumbles in my ear.
“What are you doing?” I ask the question, but my sex-starved brain tilts my head to the side, giving him access. Those lips, though.
“Trying to seduce you.” At least he’s honest. “Is it working?”
Is it? Fuck me, but it could. It would be so easy to fall into a night of passion with him. Let him have his wicked way with me.
Yes, please!
“Cole, you know this can’t happen. We can’t happen,” I say instead.
“Oh, sweetheart, it can,” he replies, nipping at my earlobe.
Holy fucking shit! He’s lethal to my libido. Thankfully, the song changes, allowing me to gather my wits and pull away from him. “Thank you for the dance,” I say, before I turn and hightail it back to the table. I know that I’ll still have to sit next to him, but at least our bodies won’t be pressed together. His lips won’t be against my heated skin.
Distance. That’s what I need.
On my way back to the table, I grab a fresh glass of champagne from a passing waiter. It’s gone by the time I make it to my seat. Luckily, my bestie married a rich-as-hell rock star who hired more servers than needed. As soon as my ass hits the seat, a waitress appears beside me, offering another glass. This time, I take two.
My second glass is gone by the time Cole takes his seat beside me. He throws his arm over the back of my chair and resumes his previous torture of running his finger across my shoulders. I was able to ignore it before our dance, but now? Not only does a chill break out across my skin, but I feel it . . . everywhere. Not willing to look at him, I tip back my third glass of champagne in less than five minutes. I know I need to slow down, but I welcome the calm it brings me.
Cole has me on edge.
Tristan leans over in front of Lauren to ask Cole a question. This has Cole doing the same thing. He leans in to me, his chest against the bare skin of my arm. His arm, which used to be on the back of the chair, now rests on my shoulders, his scent once again surrounding me. Lauren is chatting with the guys, not a care in the world that Tristan is all up in her personal space. Normally, that would be me. That should be me, but Cole is . . . intense. He’s not a guy who is used to being told no. So really, I only have myself to blame.
He wants the chase.
Before I downed those three glasses of bubbly, I was sure that I didn’t want to be caught. Now . . . now I want another glass of champagne. Miraculously, the waitress once again appears and I grab two more glasses, making a mental note to tell Kacen he did good with the wait staff.
“Might want to slow down, babe,” Cole says, his hot breath against my cheek.
Nope. Definitely need more. “It’s a celebration,” I defend my sudden need for liquid courage.
I feel his eyes on me as I gulp yet another glass. He doesn’t try to stop me, but he does scoot a little closer.
I can’t help but thinking that I’m fucked. And soon will be literally, as I reach for yet another glass. The three of them continue to chat—about what, I’m not sure; I can’t pay attention with the heat from his body seeping into mine. His hand resting on my bare shoulder.
Movement draws my attention, and I see it’s Lauren and Tristan getting up from the table. I see that Gavin and Cassidy are following them. “Where are they going?” Even I can hear the panic in my voice. It’s not like Cole’s going to throw me on the table and have his wicked way with me right here in the middle of the reception hall or anything.
Great! Now that’s what I’m thinking about.
Cole is still leaning in to me, and he brings his lips close to mine. “Dancing. You want to join them?”
“N-no.”
“It’s a slow one. I could pull you close, align that tight little body with mine.” He kisses the corner of my mouth before he trails his lips across my jaw, working his way to my ear. “This is good too. I can sit here and get you ready for me. Make you want me so bad that you’re the one dragging me away from the eyes of all these people.”
It takes a minute for my brain to catch up to the fact that we are indeed sitting at the front of the room, giving everyone a show. “Fine, let’s dance.” At least on the dance floor, we can blend in with everyone else. Sitting here is too much like we’re together, and we are most definitely not.
Cole grins. “After you, sweets.” He stands, offering me his hand.
Trouble. I’m in big trouble.