Page 49 of Coldhearted King

He looks down at my hand, then up at my face. The strange intensity in his eyes has my stomach flipping over. Then he shakes his head and gives me a tilted smile. “Only you would pity me for my childhood of eating incredibly expensive food, Delilah.”

My cheeks heat, but the way he’s still looking at me makes my breath catch in my throat. As I turn away, Jessica catches my attention. Her eyes are on Cole, and she’s frowning. There’s definitely something going on there, but what? Is she his ex? Or does she want a relationship with him, and he’s not interested?

I’m distracted by a server who whisks away my mostly untouched plate. It’s soon replaced by something far more appetizing: a small serving of salmon ravioli with a saffron cream sauce. It’s delicious and I hum with approval as I lick the sauce from my lips.

Cole leans toward me again. “Keep that up and I’ll demand an answer sooner.” His low, raspy voice sends a thrill through me.

I throw him a wide-eyed look. Then, and I’m not sure why I do it, I hold his gaze and deliberately lick my lips again.

I almost laugh at the look on his face, but the way my body reacts to the dark, sinful expression that takes hold of his features is anything but funny. It promises retribution of the darkest, most decadent kind. And suddenly, I wonder why I’m hesitating about this.

We’re here for one night. I’m dressed up and looking as good as I’ll ever look, and Cole is...Well, Cole is Cole. He always looks incredible. But right now, he’s looking at me like he wants to eat me alive, and I’m pretty sure I’m looking at him like I want him to.

I lean toward him, and the flare of his pupils causes breathless excitement to radiate through me. “What if I’m ready to give you my answer now?”

He lets out a slow, controlled breath. “Don’t.”

I blink. “But I thought—”

“Don’t tell me until I’m in a position to do something about it. If you tell me now, I’ll pull up your skirt under the table, bury my fingers in you, and make you come in front of all these people.”

A shudder wracks me and I close my eyes for a beat because a small, hidden part of me wants him to do just that—to claim me in front of all these people. But I sink back in my chair. A fantasy is one thing. The reality would be quite different.

“I’ll tell you when you can answer me,” Cole says, and I nod. I’m sure my arousal must be visible to everyone at the table, and I stare fixedly at the remains of the food on my plate until that too is whisked away.

Two more courses come and go before the emcee tells us there’ll be a short break to allow for mingling.

Cole is immediately out of his chair, taking my hand to pull me behind him.

“Cole, I want to talk to you about...” Jessica’s voice trails off behind us as Cole tugs me away from the table. I only glimpse the hard expression on her face from the corner of my eye as I try not to stumble in my heels.

“How do you know Jessica?” I ask.

Cole’s hand tightens around mine, but he doesn’t turn his head. “She’s the daughter of one of our biggest investors.”

My feet start to drag. “Did you two have a relationship? Because I get the impression she’s annoyed you’re here with me.”

This time he meets my gaze over his shoulder. “I’ve never had a relationship with Jessica. We’ve spent a lot of time together at these kinds of events, though.”

Tension at the base of my neck eases. She must just be annoyed that I’m monopolizing the person she would normally pass the time with.

Cole leads me through a door set in the side of the ballroom. “Where are we going?” I ask as the crowd noise fades behind us. “Are we allowed down here?”

“I am,” he says, and I almost roll my eyes.

He drags me into an alcove and spins me around, pressing my back against the wall and bracing his hands on either side of my shoulders. “You have something you want to tell me.” The grit in his voice has tendrils of need tightening into a hot knot inside me.

He said he only wanted to hear my answer when he could do something about it. So what exactly is he planning to do here, in this semi-public place?

My heart thrashes in my chest, my nipples pressing hard and tight against the thin material of my dress.

Throwing caution to the wind, I tilt my head back and look him straight in the eye. “Yes.”

He doesn’t misunderstand me or ask for clarification. He knows exactly what I’m saying.

His lips crash against mine as he takes possession of my mouth, and I’m consumed by the flash fire of heat that flares between us.

I arch into him as one of his hands leaves the wall and smooths down my back to my ass, cupping it and jerking me toward him so I’m pressed against the long, hard ridge in his pants. I shamelessly rub against it, making him groan deep in his throat.

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