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His eyes held that same intensity, a steady warmth that sent a pleasant shiver down my spine.
“Thank you, Cole. Really,” I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper.
He took a step closer, his free hand drifting to my cheek, brushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
“You don’t have to thank me, Tori. I’m here because I want to be.”
His voice was low, intimate, each word wrapping around me like a protective cocoon.
Before I could second-guess myself, I let my hands drift up to his shoulders, feeling the warmth of his body under my fingertips.
He leaned down slowly, giving me a chance to pull away, but I didn’t.
I tilted my face up, meeting him halfway, and the moment our lips touched, the world around us seemed to fall away.
The kiss was soft at first, a gentle exploration, but it quickly deepened, his arms winding around me, pulling me close.
I melted into him, my hands sliding up to his neck, fingers threading through his hair.
I felt a warmth spread through me, chasing away the cold, bitter memories that Marcus had left behind.
Cole’s touch, his warmth, it was something real, something I hadn’t allowed myself to believe in until now.
When we finally pulled away, both of us a little breathless, he pressed his forehead to mine.
His eyes held a promise that made my heart ache in the best way possible.
“Tori,” he whispered, his breath brushing against my skin. “Whatever happens, I’m here. You’re not alone anymore.”
My heart thudded as I wondered if I was being foolish for wanting to believe him.
COLE
The sweetness of Tori’s kiss lingered on my lips, sharp and intoxicating, even as the car door shut and I settled into the back seat.
I turned to glance back at her shop, where she was talking animatedly with one of her employees through the glass.
The sight of her, so gorgeous and animated, warmed me—but something else tugged at my focus, something darker.
I scanned the street, a chill prickling down my spine. I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her. No, not me.Her.
Was it Marcus? Her ex-fiancé’s recent return to Oakridge Bay didn’t sit well with me.
That man had forfeited any right to look at her, let alone be in the same town as her, when he left her broken.
Yet here he was, slinking back into her life. I clenched my fists, willing myself to calm down.
Tori wouldn’t want me to pick a fight—not that I wouldn’t, given the chance. But I didn’t intend to let her handle this alone, either.
“Back to the office, sir?” my driver asked.
“Yes,” I replied absently, still watching the street in my side mirror.
Marcus was dangerous in ways Tori didn’t even know, and I had no intention of underestimating him.
The drive back to the city felt like minutes instead of an hour.
Before I knew it, we were pulling up to Valen Tower, the skyscraper my father had built.