Page 58 of Enemies, Lovers & A Valentine's Baby

“If I didn’t know you any better, I would think this is part of your story,” I say. “But that can’t be right, you’re the kind of man who does the hurting,” I say accusingly.

He smiles back, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Yeah, well, you’ve never seemed to want to give me a chance to show you who I really am,” he grins, the air instantly shifting. “If you did, you’d see that I’m a pretty cool person. Once you get past all the other stuff,” he winks playfully, eliciting an eye roll from me. “You know, there were many times I wanted to talk to you and apologize for that night…many times. But you always disappeared the second I tried to make my way over. I could always see you judging me at a distance at those events over the years. I swear if you look in the dictionary for ‘nose in the air,’ your picture would be next to it,” he chuckles.

“Yeah, and can you blame me? Also, from what I remember you were too busy entertaining your endless lineup of female admirers. Every event, it was someone new—like it was a game for you. And then you’d go around charming every other woman in the room, like some kind of collector. Do you even remember their names? Those poor women probably had no idea the kind of man you were.” I smile insincerely.

“Those ‘poor’ women certainly didn’t have any complaints when they were screaming my name later that night,” he smirks.

My stomach instantly clenches, the smile falling off my face.

“That’s disgusting. I’m not interested in your conquests,” I grind out, quickly repressing my emotions. Why should I care?

I don’t.

“Are you sure? You seemed so interested just a moment ago,” Cole says, watching me closely.

“I was merely reminding you that you deserved my judgement,” I shrug, taking another sip of my drink.

“It’s funny that you say you saw me with all of these women, but I never, uh, I don’t remember ever seeing you with anyone.”

“I see what you did there. Touché,” I chuckle, unable to defend myself.

“Thank you,” he says playfully, raising his glass in a mock toast. I can’t help my own smile, shaking my head softly.

“This place was a good choice. I can’t believe I’ve never been here,” he mutters more to himself that me as he lifts another spoonful of food to his mouth.

“If I tell you to trust me with something, then you should. I don’t disappoint,” I smirk.

“Getting a little cocky there, are we?” He chuckles.

“Only speaking the truth.”

I watch him a moment longer while he eats. He’s actually pretty good company. If I were meeting him for the first time, I might even think of him as someone I could like.

Have I been too harsh in my judgement of him? Maybe all this time I’ve been so full of hate for him that I’ve only ever seen the worst in him. But what if there’s more to Cole Matthews than just the playboy billionaire I’d had him pegged for?

I steal a glance at him, quickly look away, then find myself looking again, unable to resist. My gaze lingers this time, tracing the sharp lines of his square jaw, the shadow of stubble that makes him look effortlessly rugged. His glossy brown hair is short but leaves just enough length to run my fingers through and feel the silkiness of the strands between my fingertips.

I have a flashback to my earlier dream, and suddenly there’s nothing I want more.

Cole, in that moment, turns, and our eyes lock. I’m completely entranced by his gray eyes and how they seem to communicate so much.

“What did you say?” he asks.

Oh, shit, did I say something out loud? I mildly panic.

“Just that maybe you’re not such a terrible person after all,” I say under my breath.

“There are still so many things about me that you don’t know, Lila.”

“Maybe I already know everything about you I need to know.”

“I’ve never wanted you to perceive me as something other than what I really am.”

“And what is that? A narcissist?”

“No. That I’m not,” Cole whispers, and those eyes are still trained on mine. I couldn’t look away even if the fire alarm in this restaurant went off.

---