Page 75 of Recipe for Temptation (Madewood Brothers 4)

“You got me a cup?”

She reached out and touched it, the smooth wood, the shiny plate. It was the greatest gift she’d ever received. But…

“I didn’t do anything to deserve it.” Her forehead crinkled when she looked up at him in confusion.

“That couldn’t be further from the truth.” He walked closer, his eyes darting up to scan the crowd that was gathered behind them. “You’ve spent the last three years kicking our butts into gear. Not to mention putting up with my—”

“Mood swings,” Jack yelled.

“General assholishness,” Neil added.

Penn giggled when she looked over her shoulder at Cole’s brothers, who were totally loving this scene. For the one who was always on the sidelines and out of the spotlight, he was putting himself out there in the biggest way.

“I always thought I deserved a medal having to endure your ups and downs.” She winked and reached out to grab the cup from his hand. “But a cup will totally do.” She held it to her chest and squeezed it tight.

So this was what it felt like to be a winner. She looked up, right into Cole’s beautiful eyes, eyes that told her everything. He had made this possible. It was because of him that she knew what it felt like to win.

He looked up and over her shoulder, his eyes surveying the crowd behind them. With a deep breath, he took her by the hand and guided her to the back of the restaurant, but not before giving Sterling a nod of his head. Weird.

When they were tucked inside his office, he shut the door behind them.

They were completely alone.

He took the cup out of her hand and placed it on the floor. He crowded her against the wall by the door, bracketing her body between his thick forearms. “No one can say you don’t deserve a promotion, and no one can say it had anything to do with the way we feel about each other.”

What others thought wasn’t so important to her anymore. What she knew about herself, and what she had with Cole, was worth more than all that. She shook her head, focusing on the picture of the Toronto Maple Leafs logo hanging on the wall above his desk. “I can’t let you resign. How is that fair?”

He tipped her chin up with one finger, forcing her to look at him. “I can still help people without being on the board.”

This was everything she’d ever wanted, but now that it might be the reality of her life, it was all too much.

“How do I know you’re not going to pull away again?”

“I know I have a lot to make up for.” His lips grazed her forehead, and she gasped in response. She’d never get used to his touch. “I know I have a lot to prove. But…just give me a chance.”

Her phone buzzed inside her dress pocket.

He pulled away, and with a small smile, he said, “You should check that out.”

“Wha…” Her body tensed. They were in the middle of the most intimate conversation they’d ever had, basically making the decision of whether to become a couple, and he wanted her to look at her phone. “Why is that important?”

He reached into the tiny side pocket of her dress and grabbed the phone. Swiping the screen, he woke it up, then made a few clicks.

When he held it out to her, the Toronto Gossip site logo flashed at her.

Her stomach clenched. “Cole, I didn’t have anything to do with more gossip about us. I swear.”

“I know.” His index finger swiped across her cheek in a gentle caress. “I did.”

Her breath hitched. The look in his eyes was happy, playful. Devoid of the anger he’d had that night at the gym when he’d changed her world forever.

She reached out and trailed her finger up the screen, revealing the headline.

It’s Official: Cole Murphy is taken!

Her jaw dropped. It was an article about them.

“Are you sure about this? With people wanting to know things about you…us?”

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