“You have some chocolate on your lip,” I tell him softly, brushing my finger along his bottom lip where I had smeared the chocolate before I bring my finger to my mouth and suck the chocolate off while he watches me avidly. “Got it,” I whisper, and Cole licks his lips and picks up his fork and scoops up a piece of his cheesecake, and holds it to my lips.
“Try this cheesecake. It’s so rich and creamy.” He drawls, smiling a little. I know what he’s up to, but I play along. I open my mouth, and he smears the strawberry sauce all over my lip before he feeds it to me. “Oops. I better get that.” He burrs, taking hold of my chin, and pulls my face close to his own, eyes staring raptly at my lips while he sweeps his thumb along them, smearing the sauce over his finger. He was about to pull his finger to his mouth, but I part my lips and run my tongue over his thumb before I suck it a little, cleaning the strawberry sauce off with a breathy moan. Cole’s eyes close, and he inhales deeply. “Christ…” He breathes, gulping hard. He opens his eyes and stares into mine longingly. “Shayla, you’re not playing fair. That was my taste.”
I smile and shrug. “You should have been quicker then,” I retort impishly and pull away, leaning back in my chair. Cole groans and tilts his head back, exhaling.
“You’ll be the death of me.” Cole sighs, closing his eyes; he bites his lip. I bite back the smile and stand up. I stroll over to the front of the boat and look out at the buildings ahead and the lights glistening on the surface of the water. I close my eyes, enjoying the warm night breeze in my hair, on my face, and the slow, beautiful Arabic song playing in the background.
I open my eyes when I feel Cole’s chest pressed up against my back and the warmth of his breath on my ear. “Dance with me.” He whispers, trailing his fingers down my arms. I allow him to take my hand and spin me, so I was facing him. Cole pulls me against him and wraps his arms around my waist while I circle mine around his neck. Cole presses his forehead to mine, and we sway together slowly.
How is it possible to fall deeper in love with someone you’re already madly in love with? How do I tell my heart to give up and move on when it’s not even beating for me anymore. It’s solely beating for him. I wish more than anything I were selfish enough to tell him how I really feel about him. But I can’t. I need to bury him deep in my heart and continue to love him silently.
Cole’s arms tighten around me, and I feel hot tears trail down my cheeks. A quivering breath escapes me when he presses his lips to my forehead. His lips brush soft kisses along the side of my face until he feels the wetness of my tears on his lips, and he pulls back. Cole’s large hands come up and cup my face lifting it so I would look up at him. I slowly lift my gaze to his, and almost instantly, my eyes pool with tears that spill over and roll down my cheeks. Cole’s green eyes search mine for a long time, and I was terrified of what he saw in them because his eyes glisten, and he closes them and pulls my head to his chest, holding me so tight against him. I nestle my face into his chest, and he strokes my hair as we sway together.