“I figured out a while ago you weren’t nearly as unattractive as you pretended to be,” Cole said without blinking.
Elliana’s eyes narrowed. “So it was my face that reeled you in, huh? One glance and suddenly you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself?” For a moment, she had genuinely believed he was drawn to who she was-not just what she looked like. Maybe he was just superficial.
Picking up on her tone, Cole let out a soft laugh. “I didn’t fall for a pretty face. On our wedding day, I really thought you weren’t much to look at. But your demeanor? That fierce spirit? That’s what got me.”
Now that? That she could live with. Makeup and outfits were fine, sure. But deep down, she wanted someone who could see past the surface and still stay.
“So when exactly did you realize I wasn’t ugly?” Elliana asked, raising an eyebrow.
“On our wedding night. I accidentally brushed off your veil and wig. Some of that thick makeup smeared, and I caught a glimpse of your real skin. Your face was breathtaking. The makeup had only been covering it up,” Cole explained.
Cole paused and then added with quiet certainty, “From that, I could picture the real you. Gorgeous, exactly my type.”
She raised an eyebrow. So, Cole had seen through her disguise all along, yet still teased her about it. That realization made her jaw clench. But when he called her his type, it hit deeper than she expected. Her glance toward him wasn’t something she meant to give away.
She had no clue what that look did to him. One second later, he leaned in, lips finding hers again as he pulled her closer like he couldn’t help it.
Earlier, as soon as the car came to a stop, Myles, Aron, Hugh-and yes, even the driver-had scrambled out like the car was on fire. Once outside, none of them dared to interrupt. They kept their heads down and their mouths shut, giving the couple space like their lives depended on it. Every single one of them looked like they’d just escaped a fire.
Cole and Elliana had set off a firestorm in that backseat. While Myles and the others couldn’t see much, the breathy murmurs and barely-there moans? Absolute torment. They were still just young men. And Aron and Hugh especially? Way too innocent for this. Their faces were blazing red as they practically launched themselves out of the car, arms crossed like they were freezing, though it was clear the shivers had nothing to do with the weather.
Once far enough away from the car, Hugh leaned in and said, “I hadn’t expected Mr. Evans to try something like this in the car, even with us on board.”
Aron didn’t bother answering-just gave a half-smile and kept his thoughts to himself.
Myles adjusted his tie like it might restore his dignity. But Hugh, still hopelessly clueless, jogged over and asked, “So, um, are they going to keep making out forever or what?”
“Shut up,” Myles snapped without looking at him.
Defeated, Hugh dragged himself back toward Aron, eyes on the ground. Meanwhile, the air inside the car was thick with heat, and it wasn’t from the engine.
Cole couldn’t get enough. Like a sugar-high kid with no brakes, he kept finding Elliana’s lips, again and again. Every time she tried to speak, he silenced her with another kiss.
Elliana was losing it-completely overwhelmed by his persistence and charm. Out of breath and out of patience, she finally pushed him off. “Hold up-I just realized something and it’s not making sense.”
Though reluctant to stop, Cole leaned back slightly, his gaze still burning. “What’s bothering you?”
“I haven’t agreed to anything yet!” Elliana snapped, her voice laced with exasperation. Sure, Cole had tossed out that whole “take it slow” idea, but she hadn’t signed off on any of it. And still, he’d gone and kissed her-while she just let it happen. Now that she thought about it, that long, possessive kiss had crossed way too many lines.
With a grin that screamed confidence, Cole leaned back. “Honey, you can always say yes now.”
Elliana felt her cheeks burn under Cole’s smug grin. He looked like a man who thought the game was already won. That cocky attitude was grating.
“Even if I give this a shot, we’re still just figuring things out!” Elliana retorted. “Who said you could treat me like I’m already yours with all that kissing and hugging?”
Elliana’s fiery glare and indignant tone only made Cole’s grin stretch wider-he was clearly enjoying this too much.
Closing the gap, Cole kissed her again, bold and unyielding. “How do you expect us to build anything if I can’t even touch you?” he murmured against her lips.
Elliana threw up words like roadblocks, but he steamrolled right over them with kiss after kiss. He kissed her like it was a normal part of the morning routine.
“I need a minute,” she said, breath uneven.
With more force than finesse, Elliana pushed herself out of his embrace. No bluffing-she honestly needed time to get her head straight. Cole had the full package-money, looks, and the kind of charm that made her heart skip. If she took the plunge, there’d be no easing in. She’d fall fast and hard. Agreeing to this thing with him? It felt like handing him the keys to her heart, no backup plan. That kind of surrender scared her. It was a gamble with no guarantees. She needed to be sure she could handle the emotional storm that came with someone like Cole.
The second her warmth left his arms, something in Cole tugged. Instinctively, he reached out to draw her in again.
“Stop-just don’t.” Just as he moved, Elliana’s hand shot out, halting him in an instant.
Cole’s fingers stiffened mid-air before falling away, unwilling but obedient. With frustration simmering beneath the surface, he met her gaze. “How long am I supposed to wait?” he asked, quieter than before.
Elliana paused to think for a moment. “No idea. Maybe a day, three days, six months, a year…”
Or maybe a lifetime, though she chose not to say that out loud. Most women would’ve already caved to someone like Cole, who practically oozed charisma and dominance.
Normally, Elliana prided herself on making bold moves decisively without second-guessing. But now? She was completely paralyzed. Walking away would tear at her, and the idea of him with another woman made her stomach twist. But diving in headfirst? That could cost her everything. For now, time was her only safety net. She wasn’t going to force it. The answer would come when it was ready.
“Are you playing games with me?” Cole asked, his voice sharp, his eyes darkening like a brewing storm. That wasn’t just irritation-that was real, quiet fury.
The way he looked at her sent a chill crawling up her spine. “I’m not playing with you,” she said quickly. “I’m being honest.”
In a blink, his arm lashed out and pulled her straight into his lap like she weighed nothing.
Pressed tight against him, she could feel his rage pulsing beneath his skin. His arms wrapped around her like bands of iron, refusing to let her go.
Cole’s eyes locked on hers-dark, heavy, endless. Like they could pull her under if she looked too long.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.