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I glanced at him and tried to figure out his expression. He seemed relaxed, but his fingers were tapping against the wheel as he drove.

“Tonight was fine. You and Willow make a cute couple.”

He swallowed and then frowned slightly. “I don’t see Willow that way,” he said.

I tilted my head as I continued to watch him. Was he telling the truth? The two of them had seemed so comfortable around one another. Perhaps he just saw her as a friend.

“If that’s true, I hope you’re not leading her on…” I said.

He let out a laugh. “Nah, Willow and I are on the same page. Trust me.”

I still couldn’t tell if he was lying or not, so I decided not to push him on the subject.

“Did you really not know I worked at Crust?” I asked, trying not to focus on Cole’s potential feelings toward Willow.

“I had no idea,” he replied. “Angus suggested it for the date tonight and I didn’t think twice. Their pizzas are awesome.”

“Yeah, they’re pretty good,” I agreed.

We both fell silent. I was still analyzing what Cole had said about Willow in my mind. I wasn’t supposed to care, but I couldn’t seem to look past it.

“Do you know what we’re doing for the group date tomorrow night?” I asked as he pulled into our street.

Cole grinned at the question and stopped out the front of my house. Neither of us moved to get out of the car though. “You know I can’t discuss that with you,” he replied.

“Come on. Just a hint?”

His smile grew broader. “Dress warmly. That’s all I’m going to tell you.”

“Hmm.” I tapped my fingers over my lips as I considered what his cryptic little clue could mean.

“I think you’ll like it,” he added. He pulled his focus from the road ahead and looked over at me with bright eyes. There was such an earnest openness to his gaze and I found my heart beating faster.

“And if I don’t?” I asked.

“Well, I’ll have to make it up to you then. Won’t I?”

I went to respond, but I forgot what I wanted to say as his eyes dipped to look at my lips. He suddenly seemed so close, and the cab felt smaller than it had before. His scent was everywhere around me, and I felt like I was in some kind of Cole-induced haze.

A part of me wanted to lean into him, but another part of me wanted to open the door and run. I didn’t know why I was reacting this way to him. The only thing I knew was that I shouldn’t be feeling like this about anyone. Not so soon after Jake and I split up. And definitely not toward Cole Kingston.

I blinked, and the slight movement seemed to clear the haze from my mind. “I should get inside,” I said.

He nodded, but I could see a flicker of disappointment in his eyes as they met mine once more.

“Thanks for the ride,” I said.

“Anytime, Madi,” he replied. His voice was deep and rough, and the way he said my name sent shivers running down my spine.

I swallowed and gave Cole a stiff smile before getting out of his truck. I hurried away from it, trying to avoid the confusing and unwanted feelings I’d just experienced. No amount of distance seemed to dispel them though. And even once I was inside my house, I could still feel the echo of the temptation I’d felt to kiss him.

He was my enemy, right? I suddenly wasn’t so sure.

13

Cole

Istood in the middle of the rink grinning as the eight remaining True Love contestants made their way onto the ice. Most of the girls were wobbling and clinging to one another as they edged their way across the rink. Evan seemed relatively comfortable, and Madi looked right at home on the ice as she skated toward me with ease. She was the only one who’d chosen to wear ice hockey skates instead of figure skates, and she used them to good effect as she slid to a stop before me, grinning just as widely as I was.