CHAPTER 15

As Cole walked the few miles back home, he berated himself several times over. The walk was barely two miles but it felt a lot longer in the chilly fall morning.

For a man that made a living by talking he sure as hell screwed this up good. What he couldn’t comprehend was why he found himself tongue-tied and nervous whenever Rose was near.

Normally he was so in control, completely on top of the situation. But ever since he flew home thinking Rose had been killed it was like a switch had been flicked, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

No, it wasn’t that he ruefully admitted to himself as he shoved his hands into his coat pockets. The switch had been flipped the moment she had shouted shootin’ fiddlesticks. He just refused to admit it until now.

Her scent seemed to stay engraved in his memory, her lips and the feeling of them against his own still warmed his blood. The way she responded to his touch, just thinking of it made him hard. Knowing the already long walk was going to be even longer and more uncomfortable with a hard-on Cole pushed all thoughts of Rose aside.

He pulled out his phone and called his assistant to let her know he’d be working from the Hamptons for the week. Once that was done he started to think about the murderer. He seemed to like entering through the back, which was less obvious than going through the front door.

Who wouldn’t be noticed going into people’s backyards? Gardeners, family, friends…hell anyone if you weren’t looking Cole realized. This was going to make nailing the guy so much harder.

He had the connections and the funds to run background checks on all the gardeners used in their estate, Cole thought as he reached the home stretch.

That wouldn’t work; most gardeners became just that because they had no other option. They probably all, or at least most of them, would have criminal records. No, he needed to find someone who could easily enter a woman’s house and strangle her without her putting up a fight.

This meant speed and strength. So the police should be looking for someone strong and agile.

As he reached his own house, he noticed Rose’s car standing in her driveway. Did she lock her doors? Does she have an alarm? Probably not, Cole thought stepping into his own house, hell he didn’t even have one. It had never been necessary before now.

Standing in his living room he looked out the window towards Rose’s house, at least that was one thing he could do.

He pulled up a list of security companies on the internet app on his phone and called the first one on the list.

“Hello, arm in arms security.” An old lady with a gravelly voice answered the phone.

“I need an alarm systems installed.” Cole said as he saw Rose open her front door to air the house. There wasn’t even a safety gate. “Make that two.”

“Cole!” Fawn said as she opened that evening. “Seth mentioned you were in town, it’s good to see you again.”

Cole smiled awkwardly as he was pulled into a hug by the world famous pop star Fawn. Ever since Seth had started dating her Cole had only met her twice and for some reason still found her fame intimidating. “Hi. I hope you don’t mind but I’m still in town and thought I’d come by.”

“Of course.” Fawn Di Maggio said standing back, allowing Cole to step inside. “We’ve just ordered pizzas since I burned the pasta again, but you’re welcome to join us.” Cole still found it odd hearing her on the radio and seeing her on TV and then coming over to his friend’s house to find her in sweats and Ugg boots with no makeup.

“Again? She burns it every time; I don’t why she even tries.” Seth said affectionately as met them in the foyer. “Hey man, two nights in a row? You’re starting to spoil us.”

“It’s not that bad.” Cole said when he knew deep down it was. He really needed to make more time for his friends.

“Come on, let’s grab a beer.” Seth opened the fridge and pulled out two beers before tossing one at Cole. “I’m not going to offer you to sit outside, there’s a freezing wind taking residence on my deck.”

“Sure, inside’s fine.”

After they had all sat down in the living room Fawn was the first to speak. “So Cole…Seth mentioned you might have a lady friend?”

Cole glanced irritably at Seth before turning to Fawn. “Actually she’s not a lady friend; we only spent a night together. At this stage I bet if you ask her she’d say we’re barely acquaintances and I’m wondering for the first time if I’d like it to be more than a one night stand.”

Seth laughed. “You mean your infallible charm finally failed you?”

“Let’s just say I tried to be protective, instead I came across as an insensitive control freak.”

Fawn let out a soft whimper. “Aah you men can be such asses sometimes. What did you do?”

Cole took a sip of beer before turning to Fawn. “I wanted to tell her I was worried for her safety with this murderer everyone’s talking about, instead I ordered her to move because the murders were affecting my property value.”

“That’s bad man.” Seth smirked.

“You…” Fawn said before Cole held up a hand.

“Wait it gets worse. This morning I offered to buy her a condo and told her I’d pay for the move. So now she thinks’ I’m a prick who slept with her only to get rid of her.”

Seth raised his eyebrows at a loss of words and Fawn nibbled on her thumb as she digested the information. “So you never really actually told her you cared for her and wanted to keep her safe?”

“No, well that’s what I meant at least.”

“See, such asses.” Fawn said as she stood up. “When it comes to cars and sports you can relate every single detail but when it comes to love you need a map.”

Seth just shrugged as Cole turned to him for support.

“Look Fawn…”

“Don’t look Fawn me, this girl is afraid for her life at the moment, from what I understand she knew the first victim so she’s grieving as well and then you come along, sleep with her, and screw everything up.”

“I..uh…” Cole didn’t know how to respond to that.

“Let me draw you a map.” Fawn said moving towards Cole and stopping at his feet. “Go home, because it’s getting dark and you’ll start worrying about her any minute. Then tomorrow you try using full sentences and all those touchy feely words you’ve almost forgotten about and tell her how you feel.” Fawn nodded at him curtly before heading to the kitchen.

“Hmmm, I don’t know if I should say thank you or apologize.” Cole said to Seth as soon as Fawn was out of earshot.

Seth laughed. “Let’s just say I had some trouble articulating my emotions when Fawn and I met.”

Cole nodded in understanding. “I don’t know Seth. I’d like to get to know Rose better, but I’m afraid she wants more than I can offer.”

“She's the white picket fence type?”

“It’s written all over her.”

“Then you need to spend enough time with her to find out if you are.”

“I’ve never been; I mean why would I want that now?” Cole asked as he stood up. Fawn was right, he was starting to worry about Rose already.

Seth joined him and walked him to the door. “Cole when it’s the right girl somehow we end wanting things we never wanted. Like Garret wanting a baby.”

“What?”

“Yeah, apparently now the wedding is over he and Skye are going to try for a baby.”

“That’s….wow! I never thought Garret would be the dad-type.” Cole said stepping outside. The cold breeze slapped at his face.

“Like I said, the right woman.” Seth smiled before closing the door.

As he drove home all Cole could think about was what Fawn had said, he should use touchy feely words. How could he use them if he didn’t even know which ones applied to how he felt?