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Maybe I spoke too soon. I thought I was getting better at reading him. I thought I wasstarting to understand his expressions.
But right now?
I have no idea what’s going through his head.
The look in his eye sends a ripple of warmth through me, my breath catching slightly.
He doesn’t say anything. Just watches me.
I swallow and gesture toward the door. We step out into the hall, Cole pulling the door closed with a quiet click.
Before I can say anything, before I can even think, he turns to me and leans in. His lips brush against mine, soft but deliberate.
I freeze, caught between surprise and something deeper. Instead of the usual heat, warmth floods my entire body.
His hand lifts, his fingers ghosting along my jaw, tilting my chin just slightly. He deepens the kiss—not demanding, not possessive. Just… something else.
Something I don’t have a name for.
And then, just as quickly, he pulls back.
“You’re beautiful tonight,” he murmurs.
I blink up at him, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Before I can process it, before I can say anything, hesteps away.
His eyes linger on mine for a moment longer, and then he turns, walking back toward the party, leaving me standing there.
I stare after him, my fingers still tingling where they touched his suit jacket.
He’s never done that before. Not unless we were about to have sex.
So why did it feel so different this time?
Chapter Twenty Seven
Cole
The sun hangs high in the sky, beating heat down on the backyard as the pool glistens, clear and inviting. Peaceful and blue, the waves ripp—
Water splashes up and onto my shorts as a small body belly flops into the pool. Laughter and splashing fill the air as a small child runs past me, shrieking like he’s being stabbed, and heading right for the no-longer-pristine water.
For the first time in a long time—ever, actually—the mansion’s backyard actually feels… lively. Full of energy. Full of kids. Full of life.
It’s the last week of school, and the kids sure are celebrating.
I stand near the patio, watching as a group of children chase each other along the pool’s edge, their excited voices blending together in an indecipherable wall of pure noise.
Some are in the water, splashing and playing with inflatable toys, while others dart around the yard with squirt guns and water balloons under the watchful eye of Ellis and… Is that a lifeguard?
Parents lounge on the chairs dotted around the pool, some under the huge tent where food is set up and being supervised by Evelyn.
I’m here. Just like I promised.
I adjust my watch, rolling my shoulders as I glance around. This is… a lot. More than I expected.
When Annie said Robbie had made friends, I assumed maybe two or three kids would show up. I hadn’t expected his whole damn class to be here.