Cole(62)

“He’s beautiful, Cole.”

He grinned at me, resting against the stall door. “You wanted to do something fun, but since we’re confined to privacy, I thought I’d bring you here. I can’t tell you anything about my life as a Mauricio, but for a time, I wasn’t a Mauricio. This place—well, not this specific place, but another stable—I spent a lot of time there. I lived with a family for a few years and helped take care of their horses. I bought this place when I came back. It reminds me of my home, or one of my homes anyway.”

My mouth dried. There was so much I wanted to know, and I couldn’t ask. I hadn’t said yes yet, to letting my in-laws know I’d officially chosen sides. I hadn’t thought about it, to be honest; but I’d been holding back. I wasn’t sure why, maybe I was just trying to be cautious? Maybe I just wanted to know before I was all in, but I wanted to say it now. I opened my mouth, and I almost said it, but I didn’t.

Cole tightened his hand on mine. His thumb brushed over my hand, back and forth. Tingles shot up my arm. “I’ve got dinner planned up there. It’s the sleeping quarters.”

I wanted to know why Cole had brought me here. I knew there was a reason, and it wasn’t just privacy. I’d heard him on the phone enough, interacted with him enough to know he was decisive. He never wasted words, and everything he did had a purpose.

He took me upstairs, and I got another surprise.

The second floor included a living area, a kitchen, and a table set up on one side with a hallway leading past the stairs. Cole pointed in that direction and said, “There are three rooms for sleeping back there. If a mare is foaling, the owners will sleep here or have a worker sleep here. I have a general manager who runs this whole place, and he sleeps there, too, when his wife kicks him out of the house.”

“And tonight?”

Cole paused, his eyes darting to my lips before darkening. “Tonight is my turn. I told him I’d watch the horses.”

There was no doubt that he intended both of us to stay, and that thought had my usual ache coming back. I could already anticipate the feel of him over me when he stepped close. My eyes flicked up.

He focused on my lips, and I held my breath, knowing what was next. I closed my eyes as his head lowered, and a second later, his lips touched mine. My pulse skipped before speeding up as his mouth opened over mine, taking charge. I gasped, surging up on my toes to press more fully against him.

“Addison,” he murmured, his lips moving over mine.

That sent a whole other rush through me. “Yes?” I didn’t open my eyes. I wanted to stay there, right where we were.

“Do you want to go to bed or do you want to eat?”

That was a no-brainer. I wrapped my arms around him. “Bed, please. Now.”





Coming back down, I could only lie there as Cole trailed kisses down my throat all the way to my stomach before pulling out and resting beside me. Even my eyelids were exhausted. I watched him with heavy eyes as he grinned at me.

I chuckled softly, but had no words. I didn’t feel the need to say anything. Cole wrapped an arm around my waist and tucked his head into my shoulder. His eyelashes grazed my skin as his eyes closed. It felt right to be here in silence—just us and someplace beautiful and private.

It was later, much later, when I realized I must’ve fallen asleep. Cole had left the light in the bathroom on, but that was off now.

“Cole,” I whispered.

His arm had moved farther down to my hip. He was stretched out beside me on his back. “Yeah?”

I heard the sleep in his voice, but asked anyway, “Did you turn the light off in the bathroom?”

I didn’t need to say anything else. He was off the bed in one smooth, quick movement. I couldn’t hear him, but I could see his shadow in the dark. He went around the bed to the window, first pressing against the wall next to it. He stayed there, peering outside, and my chest grew tighter with each passing second.

Something was happening. Something that wasn’t good.

“Cole?” I kept my voice low.

“Shhh.” His was even lower. Then his hand moved, and the moonlight bounced off something hard. He pulled it closer, and I saw the end of a gun.

He had a gun. Cole was the mafia.

It hit me in the chest like a battering ram. I’d forgotten, or I’d forgotten about the dangers that came with it, until now. The blow was fierce, and it bowled me over. I could only stare at his gun.

“Get dressed, Addison.”

He didn’t move from the window.

I rolled off the bed and dressed on the floor, making as little sound as possible. When I reached for my boots, he said, “There are shoes in the closet. Crawl there and grab a pair.”