Page 17 of To Have and To Hold

“Everyone calls me Max for short. Listen, if a very tall, grumpy ex-cop–looking man with a voice that sounds like he chewed broken glass for a living comes down this hallway looking for me, you never saw me.”

And just like that, the energetic woman was gone, leaving Coco staring down at the card wondering what just happened.

She shrugged and tucked it into the pocket of her dress before she heard the heavy tred of feet behind her. She turnedand her eyes widened as she gazed up. Damn, Max wasn’t kidding. The man was imposing and looked very uncomfortable and irritated at the same time. His suit was well cut to fit his tall and heavy frame. Her neck craned back when he stopped in front of her, silently assessing her with his dark eyes.

“Where did she go.” She had to suppress a grin because the man didn’t pose that as a question but a demand.

“I di—” She closed her mouth abruptly when the man gave her a look that said don’t even try lying.

He strode past her, and she watched him go down the hall not even bothering to stop at the women’s washroom or the other doors in the hallway but stopped at the very door Maxine had just disappeared into, opening it and peering inside.

Curious as to how he knew that was the door, Coco called out. “Sir.” And he paused, looking back at her.

“Umm, how do you know that is the right door?”

“I can smell her atrocious perfume; it stops here.” Then he walked in, closing the door behind him.

Coco let out a laugh and made her own way now to the ladies’ washroom; nature was now hammering at her door, and she needed to relieve herself.

She could hear the flushing of the toilet behind her going as she washed and then dried her hands. Giggling from the memory of Maxine and the man, who Maxine referred to as the jailer, heading down and out through the same door and wondered fleetingly what they were up too.

She giggled as she opened the door and her heart raced at the sight of fury on Colin’s face before she could utter a word, she was forced to back up when Colin took a step inside, usinghis body against hers. His eyes were cold as he turned and locked the door.

“Wuh you feel you doing yuh big waaater buffalo?” She snapped out, surprised and incensed that he had her trapped in the women’s washroom, watching her like a crazed ex-lover.

“Where is he?” Colin accused.

Coco frowned. Now what in the hell was wrong with him.

“Where is he, Coco?”

“Who? Are you talking about?”

“Keith.” He pushed past her and started pushing in the stall doors.

“Keith?”

“Yes, the man that couldn’t take his eyes of you and had you giggling in here just now.”

“Oh, for the love of God, Colin. He is for sure in here with me in a women’s washroom.” She rolled her eyes, voice dripping with annoyance.

He paused, shooting her a disbelieving look, which sent anger through her. “Hold on and let me get him for you.” She followed him to the rest of the stalls and pushed them open before he could do it himself.

He stood there with his arms crossed as she cupped her hand to her mouth and sing-songed at each door she opened.

“Keithy? Nope, not in here. Keithy, no, not here either. No Keith.Keithy.” She drawled out the name when she finished at the last door. Then she turned with her hands palm up by her shoulders and an expression on her face that you gave a child when their toy magically disappears.

Colin moved fast and had her body pressed flush against his before she knew it.

“You think you are so funny, let’s see how amused you are after this.” And his head lowered, slamming his lips against hers.

She pushed hard against his shoulders, turning her head away. “What do you thin—”

“Making sure you never forget who you belong to.” His lips dragged across her cheek. She stretched her neck as far as it would go to avoid him.

“Colin, this is a fake relationship and will be a fake marriage. You are acting like an overbearing and jealous man.” She tried to reason with him and then she gasped when he sucked hard on her neck. And she pushed against his chest hard, creating space and moving her neck out of his reach, stopping him from marking her. Earning herself a small victory over their struggle.

“Be as it may, you promised to do your part and I am going to make sure that you act like the devoted, loving girlfriend, fiancée, and then wife. And whatever was going on between you and Keith before ends now. I think since we are in this bathroom that we should get some practice in on the loving part.

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