Page 56

TWO

Two

Holly

As shitty as it was to lose my first real job as a photographer for a small local paper in Philadelphia, deep down there was this little flutter of a thrill knowing I would be seeing Cole again.

My Dad’s business partner and best friend.

The man I’ve not been able to stop fantasizing about since my father introduced us when I was just seventeen.

The man who is nearly two decades older than me, but the only man who has ever made me cum.

And he’s never even touched me.

I felt his eyes on me from across the room the moment I walked in. It was like they were touching me, caressing my body and ruining my panties in the matter of a few seconds.

I’m a horrible person. Cole is like a second father to me.

A father I’d like to have rip my clothes off.

The thought comes unexpected and I catch my breath, looking away from Cole as the heat rises to my face, Amanda’s comment as she walked by me about my outfit making me feel more self-conscious if that’s possible.outfit for the evening.

Looks like ten pounds of potatoes in a five-pound bag.

It’s like I’m the new girl at school all over again, when she used to make comments about my weight every single day. I wrap my arms around my middle, trying to hide the way it curves out where hers curves in.

“Hi.” Cole’s deep voice shakes me down to my core. “Your dad just told me about the job. I’m sorry.”

I shrug. “It’s okay. I got a temporary thing lined up.”

He looks me up and down and the room feels like it’s spinning. Cole towers over me. His body is broad and powerful, and I remember all the times I’ve watched him at work, swinging a hammer with the workers—even though, if he wanted, he could just stay at the office and never have to do a hard day’s labor again. His turquoise blue eyes hypnotize me for a moment, and I imagine swimming in a tropical lagoon of the same color. The square cut of his jaw hardens and there’s a knot in my throat, making it harder and harder to breathe.

“Oh?” My dad gives my shoulders a squeeze. “What’d you find so fast?”

“On my way to drop off my car, I stopped to do some Christmas shopping in town. I was walking by the little North Pole set up. You know, where the kids sit on Santa’s lap? Anyway, there was a guy taping a sign on the window saying they needed a photographer ASAP. The one they had was caught posting pictures of kiddos on the internet.” I make a disgusted face and both Cole and my father’s faces harden, like they want to chase the guy down and beat seven bells out of him. “But, there I was, right place right time I guess. The guy didn’t ask many questions besides if I knew how to work the camera equipment and the printer. Said he’d pay me five hundred dollars. Cash. He was pretty desperate. Like a Christmas miracle.”

“Wow.” Cole nods. “Awesome.”

I shrug. “It’s only one day. I’ll need to find a real job soon.”

“Still.” My dad smiles. “Sounds fun.”

Even though I’ve only known he was my real father for about six years, he’s my dad one hundred percent. When Henry—my mom’s husband and the man I thought was my father for most of my life—died suddenly, I was devastated. Top that with the revelation that he wasn’t my real father, then enter Martin…suffice it to say it was a shitty, crazy time.

The only thing that kept me sane was that Martin, who I now call Dad, was amazing. Right from the start, he never made me feel he wasn’t completely thrilled to have me in his life. It took me a good few months to process my grief and anger with my mother, but Martin was there for me in every way.

Now, it feels almost like he’s been with me my entire life. I miss Henry terribly, of course, and will always think of him as my first father, but the consolation that I now have Martin has eased the burden slightly.

I look around and see the hundred or so employees sitting at tables or standing near the bar, chatting and laughing. Cole looks as gorgeous as ever in his black suit. Normally he wears jeans and a t-shirt on site, or a button up dress shirt if he’s in the office, but he looks next level sexy tonight.

I know to him I’m probably just his friend’s awkward kid, but that doesn’t stop me from fantasizing that the bulge I see behind the black fabric of his trousers is because of me and not that tramp Amanda, who was practically eye fucking him when I walked in.

I lick my lips, trying to think of something interesting or witty to say, when my dad drops his arm from my shoulders and motions to someone across the room.

“Hey, you two catch up. I’m going to get a drink and I need to talk to a couple of the guys about the Blake job. Have to get it wrapped up by next week if we’re going to meet the New Year’s deadline.”

“I’m not working through Christmas.” Cole shakes his head at my dad.

“You will. We both will if we’re going to have it down for the New Year’s party they already have booked. Not their fault we’re running behind, and if we miss it there’s a huge revenue loss we’ll take, you know that. It’s in the contract.” My dad steps away and I look at Cole, who lets out a pained breath.

I force my lips into a sympathetic smile. “He’s a workaholic.” I turn to watch my dad walk away, then look back at Cole, his blue eyes and kissable lips so sexy he could be on the cover of a magazine.

“That he is.”

“Is the contract really that bad?”

“No. I wouldn’t have let him sign it if it was. There’s compensation to pay, but only if we don’t meet all the deadlines. The New Year’s party isn’t even mentioned.” Cole pauses and I swear he must be able to hear my heartbeat, or the pulse that’s throbbing between my legs. “So, you going to look for another job out of town?”

I swear I hear something like disapproval in his voice, and I can only dream that he might not want me to be so far away.

“Not sure. I’ll take what I can get. But I think I’m going to try to stay closer to home. Mom isn’t doing so great with me so far away.”

He makes a sound in his throat like he’s holding back a laugh, then runs his hand down his face. “Sure your Dad would like you closer to him as well.”

What about you? Would you like me closer too?

Because I’d like to be closer to you.

Way closer.

I feel like I’m about to have a heart attack.

Looking over at my Dad, standing with some of the guys, I see just a handful of women. Dates. Wives. I realize with a sinking feeling that I don’t know if Cole has someone, and that thought crushes my chest, thinking of him with someone else… But I’m sure a man like him—a sexy, successful, confident alpha male—must have someone waiting for him in his bed.

Trouble is, I want him in my bed.

But I’ve resigned myself to the fact that that will never happen. And I’ll probably die a virgin. Because the thought of ever being with anyone else makes me sick to my stomach.

With a jolt, I realize I’ve been gawping at him for longer than is comfortable and search for something to say about being closer to home. “It was a little lonely being away…”

“No boyfriend you’re leaving behind?”

“No!” I snap the word a little too quickly, and feel myself sinking into the floor. I need to chill the hell out, but being this close to Cole is making my head spin. “No boyfriend. What about you? I mean, not a boyfriend…a girlfriend…lady friend…?” Kill me now. I try to act casual as I look around the room, but the answer to my question could very well bring me to my knees. “No date tonight?”

My throat tightens as I wait for what seems like an eternity, but when he shakes his head, I can’t hold back the sigh of relief that escapes.

Cole grins. “No date for a very long time. Years.”

My eyes go wide. “Years? I’m sure you wouldn’t have trouble finding a date.”

“Not interested.” I watch his Adam’s apple move as he takes a sip of his Coke, then his eyes pin to mine. “In dating.”

The way he says it makes me feel funny and the throbbing between my legs intensifies.

“What are you interested in then?” I manage, trying to not sound too eager, but wanting the conversation to keep going. “Skydiving? Fishing?”

God, I’m so lame.

“Oh, I’ve got my interests.” I swear his eyes settle on my tits for a beat longer than a man looking at his best friend’s daughter should, and I’m fortified by the heat I feel growing between us.

In a moment of complete insanity, I throw a line out and see if I can sink my hook into the man that’s made my heart ache for so many years.

“I’ve got my interests too. I wonder if yours and mine might—”

My father appears at Cole’s shoulder, clearing his throat. “Sorry, baby, I need to borrow Cole for a second.” My dad jerks his head toward the front of the room. “Time for us to give out the bonus checks and wrap this party up before they drink the bar dry.”

“O—okay.” I nod on a shrug, breathing a sigh of disappointed relief that I didn’t have the chance to finish my last statement. At least I avoided the embarrassment that surely would have followed.

Cole gives me one last sidelong glance, then licks those perfect, sexy lips and follows my dad to the front of the room as I try to keep from following behind him like some stupid lost puppy.