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“Yes.” She started hopping again.

Just then, the door flew open and the guys staggered in with the mattress.

“Babe, I’m headed to work,” she called to Cal as he shuffled past her.

“All right, call me later.” He huffed as they turned the corner for the bedroom.

“Kaitlyn, let me know if you need help getting settled. I’ve got to

get to work.” She twisted the watch on her wrist.

“Congratulations, again.” I watched as she left.

Cole kicked on the door with three boxes stacked in his arms. I rushed over to let him in.

“I just heard Sasha and Cal’s news.” I slid my hands in my back pockets.

“Oh yeah?” He crouched low to put the boxes on the floor.

“Yeah.” I smiled. The misunderstanding in the moving truck seemed stupid and insignificant.

“What do you think about that?” He stood, his arms crossed. I wasn’t sure he wasn’t still annoyed with me.

“I think it’s great news. I can’t believe the wedding is next month.” I didn’t have a chance to get all the details from Sasha, like how Cal proposed, where they were going to live, or if their families were supportive. I didn’t want to wonder about whether she was pregnant. It did seem kind of rushed.

That would be a mess.

“She couldn’t wait to tell you. Made all of us keep it a secret until you got here.” He took a step closer and my heart rate sped up. “Found my phone.” He held it up, and moved even closer.

“That’s good. Where was it?”

“In the maintenance cart inside the storage closet. I forgot I had put it there when I was checking rooms.” His eyes followed his fingers as they tangled through my hair, sweeping along my collarbone.

Cal and Lance were in the other room, but all I could think about was getting Cole’s lips on mine.

“I’m sorry if I overreacted in the truck.” I edged toward him. My chin tilted up.

“Don’t they say moving is one of the most stressful life events?” He caught the small of my back with his palm and placed enough pressure so that I was firmly pressed against his body.

If he didn’t kiss me now, I thought I might die on this kitchen floor. My chest tightened with heavy breaths, ready to feel the warmth of his mouth, his tongue. Taste his breath on my lips. Why were there other people in the house?

My arms snaked around his neck, tugging him closer to me. “Yes, that’s what I’ve heard. Tons of stress.”

He grinned, and I felt my knees quiver. He could drive me crazy with only a smile.

“I think I know a few ways to help you with all of the stress.” His eyes dipped between my breasts. I pushed against him, begging him to make a move. To hell with the guys in the other room.

“We only have a dresser left and we’re done,” Lance called from the hall.

Cole kissed me on the cheek. “Let me help them with that, and then we can work on the stress relief.”

I refrained from letting out the full-fledged groan that was building in the back of my throat. He got me all worked up on purpose, I thought. I tried to focus on the stack of bowls I had begun to unpack.

Somewhere in one of these boxes was a set of glasses. I at least needed one tall glass of ice water to cool down everything he started.

5

Cole