Page 45 of Stolen Summer
My lips pressed together, and I hurdled off the counter before Cole could get his hands on me. “Thanks for the sandwiches. I should go.” It was best to escape the web Cole weaved around me before I got trapped, lured by the scent of him, the appeal of his lips, and the touch of his fingers.
Cole stepped in front of me. I cursed his reflexes and craned my neck back to meet his gaze. “We’re not done yet, Killer. We have unfinished business.”
My eyes betrayed me, straying to his mouth. I knew his implication had nothing to do with kissing me again, but a part of me, that treacherous part of me, hoped it would.
His lips curled like he could read the dirty thoughts running through my head.
If he only knew.
Perhaps he did.
Licking my lips, I snapped my gaze up. “I have nothing left to say to you.”
“Fine. I’ll do the talking.” As if he didn’t trust me to stay put, he laced our fingers together, dragging me to a built-in desk on the other side of the kitchen. He opened a drawer, pulling something out, before turning to face me. “Here.” He handed me an envelope.
I glanced at it and then back at him. “I haven’t agreed to anything,” I said.
“But you will. I don’t see the point in beating around the bush.” He lifted my hand, stuffing the envelope into it.
“It’s taking everything in me not to tell you to eat shit, Cole.”
He chuckled. “I commend your restraint. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
I only stared at him before letting loose a long sigh. “Let’s hope we don’t kill each other before the end of summer.” Taking the envelope, I walked out, praying I wasn’t about to make the biggest mistake of my life.
Chapter Fifteen
My fingers crinkled over the envelope. I still hadn’t opened it.
Pulling my knees up to my chest, I glanced out my bedroom window to stare at the Riley’s house. The breeze off the ocean twirled my curtain and brought the giggle of a girl. Hell, it could be girls. I couldn’t tell.
I continued to convince myself I didn’t care what Cole was doing or who he had over. It wasn’t my business. The deal we made gave him no say over my personal life, and I had none over his.
He could have a harem of girls at his beck and call. I wouldn’t be one of them.
I didn’t know what my role was, but I was beginning to rethink our arrangement if it meant dealing with whatever was happening next door.
It wasn’t a normal Riley party. I’d call this a small get-together, but the fact I was irked for some reason bothered me more.
A girl laughed again, a throaty sexy giggle.
I slammed my window closed, and my eyes returned to the wrinkled letter. This could change your life. It’s only a few months.
With this money, I could apply for a college transfer. I could pay my tuition for the entire year. Room and board too. The money wouldn’t last much longer past a year, not with the debt I needed to pay off, but a year would give me time to work and save my earnings for the following year. Hopefully, it would be enough.
I had to make it enough.
The bigger problem was figuring out what to tell my father.
I considered calling Frankie for a brainstorming session since she was all team Cole, but despite the sandwich and sugar making me feel less woozy, I didn’t have the energy required to talk with my best friend.
Sitting in the silence of my room, I went through my options and concluded it didn’t matter what excuse I used.
“Dad?” I called softly as I rounded the hallway corner into the main living space.
His eyes lifted from the book on his lap. He sat by the side table, the lamplight casting a tender glow for him to read by with a half-drunk gin and tonic, perspiration clinging to the glass.
A sentimental smile brushed at my lips. Sadie must have gone to the library and picked him up a new stash of novels, something we used to do growing up. It had been one of my favorite traditions. Every Saturday morning, we’d head to the library and scour the shelves for new stories to devour during the week, and on the way home, we’d stop into Country Donuts, a family-owned bakery for our ritual glazed donut and coffee. I’d had chocolate milk, of course.