Page 17 of Silver Fox's Twin Surprise

I turned and carried my basket of laundry into my room and set it on the foot of my bed. As far as I was concerned, Alana was being too critical. She didn't know Cole. She'd never even met him. All she knew about him was that he was an older man with great looks and money.

I'd seen his heart. I'd seen the way his emotions leaked out when he spoke of his late wife. I'd seen how the stresses of life were weighing his shoulders, and I'd seen how his face lit up when he asked me to go away for the weekend with him. Those were all true green flags to me. A man interested in manipulating me for just sex wouldn't be so vulnerable like that.

The point Rick made, however, did still nag at my conscience. I knew Cole said we could just keep our relationship private, but I worried about people at work finding out. The thought of that couple who got fired for having a secret relationship just kept niggling at my nerves, making me so anxious. I knew there was an almost zero-percent chance that anyone we knew would see us this weekend, but it wasn't about this weekend.

My fear was more about what I'd do when we got back here to Denver and had to hide our relationship. How would wecope with or manage the work-life balance without seeming overly friendly or connected? And was that really the type of relationship I wanted to have? Did I really want to have to hide the love of my life from my coworkers—assuming Cole and I ended up really falling for each other?

I packed while my mind toiled away, and I still had massive doubts about all of this when Cole called me. I saw the number and sighed before answering.

"Hey," I said, letting my true anticipation sound through my tone.

"Are you all packed and ready?" he asked, and I glanced at my alarm clock on my nightstand. It was almost six, the time he said he'd come get me. We had to get through security to board our plane by eight. I wasn't quite there, but I knew he had a fifteen-minute drive to my place, so I had time to shove a few more things in the bag and tie my hair back.

"Just doing the last of my packing. You can come anytime." My racing thoughts wanted to come out in a rush of rambling questions and insecurities, but I tamped them down.

"Great. Give me a few more minutes and I'll be headed your way. I'm really looking forward to the time alone with you. I can't wait." Cole sounded so happy, and after what Kiki told me about his not opening up or letting anyone in after his wife's death years ago, I knew that was a good thing. It brought my heart true joy.

"I can't wait either." I said my goodbyes and hung up, and my entire perspective about this weekend shifted. I liked Cole for way more than just the way he made me feel sexually. We could sit and talk about anything and get along. He had his lifetogether and was responsible and mature, and most of all, we had a lot in common. This could really end up being something, and I didn't want to dismiss the bond I was forming because I was afraid.

I shoved a few more things into my suitcase and zipped it up. Then I went into my bathroom and tied my hair up into a messy bun and found a few more things I'd missed. This weekend was going to be amazing, even if I had to fight my own doubts.

When you found someone you genuinely connected with, you weren't supposed to run away because circumstances weren't right. Relationships were about commitment, faithfulness, hard work, and a promise to overcome all the obstacles in your path in order to make things work and be with the person. If we started this relationship with my shying away, it didn’t bode well for the longevity of things.

I was going to make this weekend fantastic, and when we came back, I'd decide whether it was worth the risk. I'd never know if I didn't try.

15

COLE

The restaurant gleamed with the kind of quiet elegance that whispered exclusivity. Low amber lighting spilled across polished tables and deep leather booths, and the faint clink of crystal glasses underscored the hum of murmured conversations. The scent of something decadent—truffle oil, maybe—hung in the air. It was the kind of place where even breathing felt like a luxury.

Rose walked a step ahead of me, her red dress shifting like poured wine under the dim glow. My pulse stuttered as she turned, her lips curving into a smile that made the ambient warmth of the room feel irrelevant.

“Cole, are you always this quiet before a meal, or is this restaurant just intimidating you?” she teased, her eyes alight with mischief.

I chuckled, pulling out her chair. “I’m just savoring the moment. And by that, I mean you. The restaurant’s just a backdrop.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t hide her blush. “Smooth.”

As I sat opposite her, the waiter glided over with menus, and I caught my reflection in the mirrored wall behind him. I looked like a man trying not to fall too hard, too fast. The problem was, I was already gone. I knew it before we even planned this weekend. Rose was dangerous for me because it meant opening my heart to the possibility that I could hurt again. But to love meant to hurt, and yet I wanted to take the risk anyway.

"This is really pricey," she said, staring down at the large, unpronounceable words.

I chuckled and admired how honest she was. Her youthful openness was invigorating, reminding me of what young love felt like. I wasn't as young as I used to be, but she helped me feel more youthful.

"Just say spaghetti," I told her, winking. Rose snickered and used the menu to hide her face, giving me a chance to check my phone.

It buzzed when we were on the elevator down to dinner. I had ignored it then, eliminating the risk of her seeing what it said on the chance it was a reminder from the clinic. When I pulled my phone from my pocket, I had never been more glad that I had made that choice. The text was a reminder about the appointment and I had to take a breath to keep myself calm.

I had been nervous all week about this appointment. I knew it could go one of two ways. Either the doctor was going to say we could use medications to help me reverse symptoms and keep control of my life a while longer, or he was going to say it was the end of the line for my career. No one knew why tremors like this happened, though they did have some treatments. I just hoped the tremors were really what I thought and not something worse like MS or Parkinson’s.

"Who's that?" Rose asked, and I hadn't even realized she was watching me stare at my phone.

"Oh, just a reminder for your spa day tomorrow." I smiled at her and put my phone away.

Rose beamed. She pushed a lock of her warm brown hair off her shoulders and grinned at me. "I am actually really excited about that. I've never spoiled myself with a spa day."

"Well, good," I said, happy to have something to discuss that kept my mind off the appointment. Our waiter came and brought us bread and took our orders. We filled our glasses with wine and chatted about the spa treatments available. Rose was worried it would take too long and I'd be bored, and I assured her that I had something to do.

---