Page 2 of Unleash You

My gaze zeroed in at him at the mention of one of Liam and Lilly’s sons. “Wesley?”

“Yes. He asked us to get the house back in order for you.” Tullie walked into the room. “I started with the upstairs. The master bedroom is ready for you.”

“The master bedroom?” I rubbed the creases on my forehead. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to sound like a parrot. This isn’t exactly the homecoming I had expected.”

“It’s understandable.” Will exchanged a look with his wife. “Mr. Cole asked me to drive you to his office as soon as you were settled in. He will explain everything.”

I touched a cold hand to my burning cheeks. Did I want to see Wesley again? The man I was going to marry and have four children with as soon as I graduated from college? We were going to build a house in my parents’ backyard and live there happily ever after. He would cut wood in the morning, and then we’d sit all day in front of a crackling fire drinking hot chocolate and making s’mores. At least that was the plan, as annotated in detail in my grade-school diary. To Wesley, I was nothing more than Charlie’s pesky little sister—the brat only Charlie understood.

When I was thirteen, practically in pigtails, Wesley was a senior in high school. A man. I forgot about all that after Charlie sent me away to a girls-only boarding school in New York, a few days after our parents had died. I supposed I couldn’t be childish and refuse to see him, especially if he seemed to be the one who knew what the hell was going on.

“How about we go see him right now?” I glanced around me until I spotted my luggage near the staircase, then pointed to it. “I’m practically settled in.”

“Of course.” Will gestured for me to lead the way.

“I promise all this will be in top shape when you get back.” Tullie rushed behind us.

“Don’t worry about it. I can help. This house needs a lot of TLC.” I waved to her and sauntered out toward the Escalade.

I’d missed the sun-filled summers in Atlanta and the warm air infused with the scent of lavender and magnolia flowers. This had been the right choice. Returning to Fox’s Bank to start my adult life had been the right thing to do.

Will steered the SUV through several side streets, giving me an apologetic look in the rearview mirror every time we slowed down to five miles an hour. After forty minutes of fighting the Atlanta traffic, we arrived at a tall building in the heart of Buckhead. Of course, Wesley had to grow up to have a job where he’d sit in a fancy office all day. I pictured him in a dark tailored suit, with those warm hazel eyes and tanned skin from playing outside all day. Would he remember me? I rolled my eyes at myself. He’d asked for me. He had to remember.

We pulled up to the front of the building, and I climbed out. “Thank you, Will.” I shut the door and practically pranced into the lobby. A security guard caught up to me when I reached the building directory.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

“I hope so. I’m here to see Wesley.” I winced because I had no clue what the name of his company was. Jeez, I needed to get out more often. But that was part of the reason why I was here. I was done running away from my past, running away from life in general, tucked away in a boarding school and then a dorm. “Wesley Cole. I’m not sure where he works.”

The guard smiled. “No problem. I know Mr. Cole well. Tenth floor.” He gestured toward the elevator bank.

“Um. Thanks.” I waved as I walked away.

When the doors slid open, I was greeted by a huge sign that read Cole Investment Research Advisors, Inc. To my left, at the end of the hallway, a receptionist desk stood empty. I strolled to it anyway, casually peering into the other offices. Every person was either on the phone or had their gazes glued to their computer screens.

A man’s deep and sort of angry voice caught my attention. I ambled toward the suite in the corner, the only room with a shut door. Could this be Wesley? Of all the Cole brothers, he was always the most intense and intimidating. Was that why I’d had such a big crush on him? Because he seemed impossible to get, so beautiful and unattainable. I pressed a hand on the frosted-glass door for support. In a split second, the panel swung open, and I fell flat on my face. Technically speaking, I tumbled over a pair of large Italian-leather shoes.

“Let me call you back.” The angry voice now had an annoyed edge to it.

“The door just opened.” I glanced up as a pair of hands picked me off the floor. My heart drummed in my ears. In part because I was embarrassed, but also because, holy shit, this was Wesley Cole. Somehow, he’d gotten hotter in the last eight years. The boy I remembered was gone, replaced by an incredibly gorgeous man.

“Yeah, I opened it.” His warm fingers loosened a bit around my bare shoulders, and he smiled at me with a little twinkle in his eye. “Are you okay?”

Was that recognition in his gaze? “I am. Thank you.” I shuffled back and smoothed out my skirt.

“Can I help you?” He shot a glance toward the empty receptionist’s desk.

“I think so. I came to see you. I’m Ana?” I pursed my lips. I hated that name when I was little. I especially hated it when people addedsweetin front of it. Sweet Ana. “I’m Anabelle Copenhaver. We were neighbors. Sort of.”

Wesley’s grandmother owned the estate next to ours. Wesley and his family spent so much time at that house, I considered them neighbors. In his letter, Charlie had mentioned that Wesley’s oldest brother, Derek, had acquired the estate, done a full renovation, and planned to move in soon.

“I know who you are.” A crease shot across his forehead. He released me so fast I stumbled back. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you today.”

“I’m sorry. I should’ve made an appointment.” My cheeks, along with my chest, burned hot. Wesley wasn’t a boy anymore, but the stern look in those hazel eyes told me he still thought of me as Charlie’s little sister. “I should go.” I turned to leave.

“Anabelle, please wait.” He put out his hand but then retrieved it. “We do need to talk. Sit down.”

The warmth flickering in his eyes and the timbre of his voice made me stay. Though by the time I sat on the leather chair across from his, his posture had changed along with his tone. I could only assume that this icy persona was his business mode. Still hot as all heck, but so far away. I swallowed the lump in my throat. So much for a homecoming with family and friends.

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