Page 55 of Coldhearted King

There’s a sudden tension in his voice, a snap to his tone that sets my teeth on edge. I wonder about it coming so soon after that moment of boyishness on his part. Does he regret letting me see that side of him?

That glimpse pushes my decision over the line. I need some assurances from him, though. I won’t be blind to what this arrangement entails. “I have some stipulations.”

Satisfaction flares in his eyes as he realizes what my statement means, but his only reaction is to lean back against his seat, his seeming relaxation offset by the way his hands curl into fists where they rest on his thighs. He inclines his head for me to continue.

“I know this is casual and temporary, but it has to be exclusive. If you decide you’re done, you need to tell me before you move on to someone else.”

Understanding flits across his face. “The same goes for you,” he says. “I don’t want you letting another man touch you while you’re mine.” There’s the barest hint of gravel in his voice, and those words and that tone cause heat to curl low in my stomach and my nipples to tighten. Crossing my arms will only draw his attention to my physical reaction, so I will him to remain blind to the way they’re pushing against the thin material of my shirt.

It’s useless though. Cole’s eyes drop to my chest and narrow before rising to focus on my face.

“So we’re agreed,” he says, and the gravel that was barely there before is in full force now.

I swallow, wondering if I really have any clue what I’m doing, but I nod anyway. Apparently, a night of incredible sex has made me reckless.

Cole works his jaw from side to side. “Come here.”

I move toward him, a gasp falling from my lips as he hooks his arm around my waist and hauls me to him so that my knees are on the seat and I’m straddling him.

“What are you—”

“Sealing the deal,” he growls, and the next moment, his lips are on mine in a rough and demanding kiss, his teeth tugging on my lower lip, tongue thrusting deep to claim my mouth.

I moan as his hands find my hips and he drags me down until I’m centered over the hard ridge of his cock. My eyelids flutter shut as he uses his hold on me to rock me against him. Little sparks of pleasure ricochet out from my core.

Too soon, he pulls back, his lips curving up at the little sound of protest I make. “As much as I would love to have you ride me right now, kitten, I don’t want Jonathan hearing you scream.”

“You didn’t mind the driver last night.” I don’t know why I’m arguing the point, since I’m not particularly comfortable with Jonathan hearing me either.

“You’ll never see the driver from last night again. I don’t want Jonathan thinking about how you sound when you come every time he looks at you.”

I bite my lip to hide my smile. It’s not exactly the most romantic thing to say, but somehow it still makes my heart flutter.

I climb off him and straighten my clothes so what I’ve just been doing isn’t obvious. I watch him from under my lashes, but his expression is unreadable again.

Once I’m a bit more put together, I clear my throat, completely unsure how to proceed. “So, I’ll see you next week?”

“Yes,” he says, and his voice has lost the heat that filled it only a few minutes before.

I guess that’s that then. I nod and open the door, but before I can get out, he stops me.

“Delilah.”

I turn back to him.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

I smile. “Me too.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

COLE

First thing Monday morning, Roman asks me to come to his office. I drop into one of the chairs on the other side of his desk and grab a chocolate chip muffin from the tray his assistant lays out for him every morning. He never eats any of it.

“I’m assuming you want to know how the trip to Chicago went?” I say when he doesn’t look up from the papers in front of him. It’s a classic Roman power play that he learned from Dad. I became immune to it long ago.

He finally looks up. “Among other things, yes.”

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