Page 53 of Stolen Summer

“You like to read, Quinn?” His eyes flicked to the novel in my lap.

“When I have the time,” I replied, confused by his friendly attitude. Were we going to pretend like what occurred on the beach didn’t happen?

He strutted into the room, going to the corner bookshelf. “Don’t let me interrupt you.” Stunned, my eyes followed him as he plucked a novel from the shelves and sat in the other chair.

Interruption? The man was a cluster of distractions. It wouldn’t be possible to concentrate on the book with him only feet away. “Too late,” I grumbled, my gaze shifting to the empty glass of wine, and I kicked myself for not getting a refill earlier.

The smile on his lips slipped, and for a second as I studied his too damn handsome face, I swore he appeared tired. Not physically but mentally, as if whatever he’d been doing tonight had worn on him and he looked for a distraction, but before I could fully analyze his expression it was gone, the weary lines on his face softening. Surely, I was seeing things.

What did Cole have to stress about?

But the thought made me realize how little I knew about him and his life, and I asked the question I told myself I wouldn’t ask. “Where were you? What I mean is, you’re dressed as if you had somewhere important to be.”

He kicked off his shoes, propping an ankle over his knee as he sunk deeper into the chair, getting comfortable. “Important is relevant to the person. For my father, tonight had been vital; for me, it was duty, one I’d rather relinquish to anyone else.”

My fingers fumbled with the pages, flipping them at the corner. “You have family obligations in Fallen Oaks?”

His shoulder relaxed as he rubbed the back of his neck, eyes closing for a moment like he was letting the tension of the day go for the first time. “No. I drove into the city.”

“That’s over two hours away. Why drive back? Why didn’t you stay in the city?” I knew his family had a house in the city. It was their main residence.

His eyes met mine and held. “Because I had someone waiting for me.”

I squeezed the book, my lips turning down. Since Cole appeared, I’d been frowning a lot. “You didn’t have to come back for me.”

“And leave you here alone? Trust me, I’d rather spend my night arguing with you than my father. He isn’t nearly as sexy as you,” he said cheekily.

I rolled my eyes, ignoring the ripple of warmth at his compliment. There was something different about him tonight besides the evident exhaustion. Even the way I felt in his presence was less volatile and more chill. “Are you close with him?”

All traces of humor evaporated. He cast me a grim glance, the lines around his mouth tight. “I’d rather not talk about my father.”

He’d said father. Not family. Not business. So, it was his father who upset him. Did they have a strained relationship? Did they not get along? Did his father expect too much from him? I had more questions than answers, and it didn’t look like Cole was in the mood to share any of the information tonight. “Are there any other topics I should avoid, or should we keep all personal information out of our arrangement?”

He chuckled, but the sound was far from pleasant. More sarcastic than harsh. “How quickly the claws come out.”

I exhaled, careful not to breathe in too deep. I didn’t want my nostrils filled with his scent. “I’m just trying to understand what this is. What you expect from me.” It was the first night. He’d tell me the details of our arrangement now that I was here. Wouldn’t he?

“Right now, just your company,” he said.

Not the answer I wanted. “And tomorrow?” I asked because short-term information wasn’t enough.

He opened the book, staring at me with a sharp smile. “I’ll let you know.”

We read in silence, and although I had to go over the page I’d left off on three or four times before the words sunk in, a comfortable stillness settled between us.

Imust have closed my eyes at some point because a knitted blanket was tucked around my body. The book was no longer in my hands but sitting on the little table between Cole and me.

Dapples of sunlight broke through the drawn shades. I’d slept through the night, and as my eyes cleared the residue of sleep, it hit me like a gust of wind, I was at Cole’s. This was the Riley’s library.

Stretching out my legs, I turned my head to the side and winced, instantly regretting the motion. Pain lanced through my neck, and I corrected the movement, shifting my head forward again.

I must have slept on it funny, and now my neck was paying for the awkward angle it had spent the night. Groaning, I rolled my head back and forth to work out the kink, but it would take more than a few exercises to banish the stiffness. A hot shower might help.

I was about to stand when Cole appeared in the doorway, looking much like he had last night except he held two mugs.

He wore only a pair of sweatpants, no shirt, and his hair was damp from a recent shower. I could smell his soap and shampoo. It mixed with the bitterness of freshly brewed caffeine. “Coffee?” he offered when our eyes connected, lifting one of the cups.

“Is that even a question?” I mumbled, sleep still thick in my voice making it raspier than usual. My throat was dry from the wine, and the prospect of coffee made my mouth water, eager to ease the scratchiness. I would have preferred boba, but he didn’t know that, and coffee was the next best thing.