Sex with Cole was better than she had remembered.
* * *
COLE DIDN’T WANT to move. Angie was curled around him, soft and naked. She was his for the night and he wanted to hold on to this moment. He waited until Angie had fallen asleep before he changed positions. She didn’t make a sound of complaint when he turned over and laid her tenderly on her pillow.
He wanted to stay with her. In the past he would toss the blanket over them to keep the world at bay and hold her all night. Those quiet minutes always meant a lot to him. Too much. Angie had made him feel special and wanted. She had made him feel as if he had found home.
He felt that tonight. He had been hesitant to embrace the feeling because he knew he couldn’t hold on to it. He knew it wasn’t real. They weren’t a couple anymore and he needed to remember that. If he fell for the illusion, it would break him and he wouldn’t be able to recover.
He reluctantly got out of bed and tucked the blanket over Angie. He tripped over his shoe and winced. Cole was about to turn on the bedside lamp but stopped as his fingertips brushed against the switch.
Why didn’t Angie want the light on? That was unusual. She was not shy when it came to sex. In fact, she was the opposite. He loved that about her, but tonight he wanted to make it all about her pleasure. Why did she want it dark? Was she ashamed that she had fallen back in bed with him? Or did she still believe in the gossip that he didn’t find her sexy enough?
He was going to fix that, Cole decided as he grabbed his jeans and yanked them on. He wasn’t sure how he could prove his desire. Wasn’t it already obvious? He was always aware of Angie and constantly dragging his gaze away only to find he was still staring at her.
And these days he couldn’t stop touching her. Cole sighed as he picked up his shoes. He had found every excuse to hold her hand or touch her hair. And if he wasn’t doing either of those things, he was likely touching her back to guide her as they walked. She didn’t say anything when he placed his hand on her shoulder or waist. Did she know it was his way of showing the world that Angie was still his?
Now if only Angie felt the same, Cole thought as he made his way to the door in the dark. If only she wanted him back. She had loved him once. Could she fall in love with him again?
Cole flattened his hand on the door and looked over at Angie. Would she welcome him back into her life or would she think this was all for appearances’ sake? That he was doing all this for his case.
He shouldn’t consider whether or not he could get Angie back. History had proven that it would not work in his favor. A year ago he had searched for his mother and stepfather and contacted them. The people who should automatically love and care about him rejected him again.
Still, Angie was different. She had accepted him even though he held back. If he wanted to have a fresh start with Angie, it had to begin now. Cole relocked the door and turned around. He slowly padded back to bed—back to Angie—as he shed his clothes. From now on, he was going to give everything he had to her. And pray that it was enough.
9
COLE FROWNED WHEN he heard an insistent buzzing sound. He rolled over and opened his eyes. He blinked when he saw the glass chandelier above him. Slowly sitting up, he noticed the sunlight streaming through the windows. He smiled contentedly when he saw the exposed brick walls and eclectic furniture. Everything in Angie’s studio apartment reflected her personality.
Looking beside him, Cole found Angie still asleep. Her long black hair fanned against her colorful pillow and partially hid her face. The patchwork blanket had slid down to her waist, revealing her athletic body and firm breasts. He was tempted to lie back down and cradle her against his bare chest.
He heard the buzzing noise again. Cole glanced over at the bedside table and saw Angie’s cell phone vibrate. He knew it would be her mother calling even before he could see the image of the older woman on the tiny, lit-up screen.
He smiled when he saw the casual snapshot of Angie’s mother, glamorous as usual. She wasn’t the kind of mother Cole had wished for growing up when he watched TV sitcoms. Angie’s mother didn’t bake or sew, although she certainly made sure her two sons and daughter had been fed and clothed, and were safe. Her first priority would always be her husband but she was also a constant presence in her children’s lives. Sometimes a little too involved, according to her children. Angie had no idea how lucky she was that her parents even cared.