The only thing that didn’t fit in her home, her life, was him. He took a step back, prepared to abandon this idea. Dipping his head, he drew all the courage he had and knocked on the door.
He really didn’t think this through, Cole decided as he stared at the heavy, plain brown door. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say. How was he supposed to erase a year of hurt with a few words? He couldn’t.
He heard the scratch of the lock. His heart thudded against his ribs as the door swung open. Cole’s eyes widened as he watched a sleepy Angie stumble into the lit hallway.
Her thick black hair was tousled and cascaded past her shoulders. His fingers itched to sink into the soft waves and draw her close to him.
Angie glared. Her face was soft from sleep. She really was a natural beauty. She didn’t need anything to highlight her big brown eyes or her full pink lips.
His mouth dropped open as he stared at her clothes. Her small breasts were pressed against her thin camisole. The top was almost sheer and he could see her nipples through the thin white fabric. The black boyshorts accentuated her sleek lines and incredible legs.
“Do you always answer the door like that?” he asked gruffly.
“Did you come all the way to my home to comment on my sleepwear?” she asked as she rubbed her bleary eyes.
“No.” His voice sounded strangled to his ears. He liked what she wore a little too much. She didn’t need frilly nighties or barely there lingerie to capture his attention. The camisole and shorts were more her style and showed off her sexy and athletic body.
“What do you want, Cole?” Angie flipped her long black hair away from her face. “Another favor?”
Yeah, and it was huge. He wanted her to forgive him. Forget that he left her. Welcome him back into her bed and in her life.
“What could possibly be so important at this time at night?” she asked.
He checked his watch. “It’s ten-thirty.”
She groaned. “That’s the middle of the night for me.”
That was true, Cole thought as he bit back a smile. As a personal trainer, Angie had to get up before dawn to meet with her clients. She had always apologized for her early hours, but he didn’t mind. He wasn’t looking for nights in dance clubs and bars when he could be alone with her.
“Is this about your case?” she asked. “The wedding is in three days and then everybody goes home. I don’t think there’s much more you can do.”
He could lie and say he was here for the case. But he had used his assignment as an excuse to get closer. He wasn’t going to hide behind his job. He had been too private and guarded in the past. It protected him but not Angie. She believed in what other people said. He won’t let that happen again.
“I made a mistake.”
Angie frowned. “About Heidi’s accident?”
“No, I meant about us.” He took a deep breath. “I made a mistake breaking up with you. It’s my biggest regret.”
She looked down at her bare feet. “What brought this on?”
“You think I’m overplaying the role as your on-again boyfriend. You’re right.” His words were choppy. He wished he could be a smooth talker but it was difficult getting his feelings across. “Being together reminds me what I’ve lost. I miss being with you.”
Angie’s eyes narrowed and her mouth tightened. “You knew what you were giving up when you walked away.”
He should have known he wouldn’t get any sympathy from her. “You suggested we move in together and I panicked.” It wasn’t the whole truth. There was so much more to it but he didn’t feel safe in revealing it all.
“That’s why? Seriously?” She stood straight and grasped the door handle, ready to slam it in his face. “I mentioned it once. It’s not like I tried to give you a hard sell.”
“I felt that if we lived together, you would see the sides of me that aren’t so—” he gritted his teeth and pushed the word out “—loveable. You wouldn’t like what you saw.”
“I never thought you were perfect.”
“You would have grown to hate me.” Like his family did. He had gotten in the way of what they always wanted. “I thought it was best to end things so you had a chance to find someone better. Someone you could really love.”
Angie slowly shook her head. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
Cole nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “I know that now. I wish I’d never made that mistake and been the boyfriend you needed.”