Page 9 of Stay

Fuck it. I’m asking. “Why did you come to see me, Haley?”

Her pulse quickens, the vein in her throat fluttering wildly. “I…I um…”

Say it. Say the truth. Put me out of my misery and tell me why you came.

“I need a talented architect.”

Bullshit. Any construction worker worth his salt could tell her what walls to knock down and build her what she wants. Going with an architect for a project like this isn’t necessary. “Why me?”

“You’re the best in town.”

Not hardly. But I’m one of them. “You could have gone anywhere.” My heart beats harder in my chest, making my stomach twist. “Why did you come to Banner Bay, and why did you come to me?”

She swallows and looks down at the floor.

Nope. She doesn’t get to look away from me. Tipping her chin with my finger, I growl, “Why?”

“Because,” she says in a shaky voice. Tears well in her eyes, making those baby blues glassy. “I never stopped thinking about you, Cole.”

Thinking isn’t loving. Loving isn’t fantasizing. We’ve notoriously blurred lines in the past and it’s what got us in trouble before. I’m not foolish enough to believe she’s going to stay around and plant roots here. Haley runs. She’s never stayed in one place for too long. If I get my hopes up thinking she’ll stick around, I’m a bigger dumbass than I gave myself credit for.

But for her to say she hasn’t stopped thinking about me? Damn. I hate that my heart’s tripping over itself about it. “You could have just reached out.” I step away before I do something stupid like kiss her. “I’m all over social media.”

“I know you are,” she whispers. “But I wanted to see you in person.”

“Why?” I feel like she’s somehow tricked me, and I don’t like it. “Why, Haley?”

“To see if what we had before was just pretend, or…” She looks away from me. “Or if it’s really all gone.”

She’s wrong. It’s neither of those things.

When I cup her face and lean in, Haley’s chin trembles and the first tear falls.

I break.

Smashing my mouth to hers, I drive Haley backwards until we hit a wall, then I press against her. Our tongues twirl while our hands run all over every body part we can reach. Before I lose my ever-loving mind, I break away. “Do you have your fucking answer now, Angel?”

She gasps.

“Yes.” Her shoulders collapse as she presses her hand on my chest. I’m sure she feels my heart kicking.

“Yes, what?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Yes, Daddy.”

Holy fuck, we’re both in so much trouble if we can fall so easily back into our old ways.

Haley yanks me closer, crushing her mouth to mine, and drives me backwards. I stumble over her bag as we make our way towards the abandoned desk.

She just pulled the pin in my grenade. My control ceases to exist. She’s no better. We turn into a tornado of lust, clashing and spinning across her office space. We no sooner hit an object than bounce off it until we slam into something else. The chemistry we had five years ago is nothing compared to how explosive we are today.

I don’t know what’s happening. I don’t know if I want to care either.

She wrecked me once, and I survived. Even if she destroys me a second time, it’ll be worth it.

One more minute with Haley is worth everything.

Chapter 4

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