Page 60 of (Un)Expected

Cole nodded, heading to the door without another word.

Before he could reach for the handle of my front door, my hand jutted out, grabbing him before he could leave. “I’m not saying no.”

With that, Cole gifted me a bright smile, one so full of hope that it made my chest ache with uncertainty. I was so tempted to pull him back to me, to continue what had started in my doorway, to hear more of Cole’s beautiful words that had already latched onto my heart. Instead, he pressed his lips to my forehead, lingering momentarily, giving my hand one last squeeze before heading out the door.

Even as I heard the car door close, I remained standing in the entryway, trying to figure out what the hell I got myself into.

TWENTY-FIVE

The next day, my brain refused to stop replaying Cole’s words like an anthem. They echoed during my drive to work, following me as I tried to knock out the various guest requests that had piled up overnight. They even drowned out my fears about the business loan application in front of me. As much as I wanted to focus on it, I couldn’t, not when Cole had said everything I wanted to hear from him over the past month.

Now that he had, I didn’t know what to do with myself. All morning, I jumped when someone with dark brown hair entered the room. Not that I thought Cole would come looking for answers already, but I also didn’t think he’d come to my house in the middle of the night and kiss me like his life depended on it, so what did I know?

Then, there was his promise to earn back my trust. What exactly did that entail? How long would it take him to get through my rapidly crumbling walls? While I knew I wanted him, I wasn’t sure if I’d be willing to go there with Cole. Trust wasn’t something you could hand over because you were dying to climb a man like a tree.

Holy fuck, I couldn’t believe I just thought that. Yes, I spent a ridiculous amount of time thinking his kiss last night, using some ofmy battery-powered friends to help soothe the ache his touch left behind, but no matter how many times I saw stars, nothing seemed to satiate the lust in my bones. Cole awakened a feeling inside me that had been dormant for years. When was the last time I’d craved someone’s touch? Not since?—

No. Think ofanythingelse.

As I tried to distract myself with images of the Fox Creek property, Adam came up to my desk, offering a short knock on the wooden surface. “Hey there, I was hoping you had a few minutes to talk. Somewhere private.”

My eyes widened as I tried to smile at him. What did he know? Had Cole already told him? My heart leaped in my chest, unsure if I would be relieved or annoyed that everything was coming to the surface.

“Of course,” I said, waving over one of the girls from reception. “Let me get someone to cover my desk, and I’ll meet you in the conference room.”

After a couple of minutes, I headed over to the empty room, unease and anxiety swirling in my gut. I wished Cole was there, able to take some of the heat off me. Was Adam mad? Upset?

Oh fuck, did him kissing me violate the terms of our contract?

I know it precludeddatingother people, but Cole and I weren’t dating. I didn’t even invite him over. Although, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love him showing up at my house like that. It was the closest I’ve ever come to a scene from a rom-com, and I loved every second of it.

Adam closed the door behind me, the click of the latch echoing in the large, empty room. The resort primarily used this room for conferences; however, the film crew rented it out to store extra equipment for the movie. Luckily, very few people ventured in here, mostly only coming by at the beginning and the end of the day.

I was debating how to start the conversation when Adam dropped down in one of the chairs lining the wall, putting his head in his hands. When he spoke, his words were barely above a whisper.

“I messed up, Alex.”

My brows lifted. “What do you mean?”

He ran his hand over his face, barely able to look at me. “I told Cole everything.” My heart slowed in relief; I wanted to appease his guilt, but he continued before I could get a word out. “After all the shit Theo gave you about the NDA, I can’t believe I fucked up like this. I know he won’t say anything.Fuck...” he muttered as he pulled on the ends of his hair. “Alex, I’m so sorry.”

“Woah,” I said, placing my hands on Adam’s shoulder. “You don’t need to apologize to me. Cole’s your best friend; I always expected him to know. I’m not upset.”

“You’re not?”

I shook my head, wondering if now was the right time to mention that Ialsotold my friends. It was on the tip of my tongue before Theo’s disapproving glare popped into my mind. I had faith in Adam. I knew he would understand my need to tell them, but I didn’t trust Theo, especially when my future was the one really at stake.

Twirling my fingers together, I asked the question on my mind. “How did Cole take it?”

“He was relieved,” Adam laughed. “I thought he’d be pissed, threaten to hit me for hiding this from him.” He glanced up at me. “No offense. It’s not that he doesn’t care for you, but after the Ivy debacle, he’s been much more guarded than ever. Cole wouldn’t approve of anyone.”

Nausea ripped through my insides. While a large part of me understood why Cole hadn’t told Adam, it left me in a precarious situation. Should I tell Adam what happened last night? Probably. Perhaps it was cowardly, but I knew I couldn’t do it as I stared at him.

Adam said my name, and from his tone, I knew it wasn’t the first time. “Yes?”

He smiled softly back at me. “I was making sure that you wanted to continue our arrangement. If you wanted to back out, I’d completely understand.”

For a moment, I thought about it. It would be so much easier todecide what path I wanted to take with Cole without this fake relationship hanging over my head. Adam and I had said we’d tell each other if we met someone, but until I knew what I wanted with Cole, it seemed pointless to throw away our arrangement, not when Adam still needed and wanted my support.

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