15. Madi
Chapter 15
Madi
Iopened my eyes and found Cole standing beside me with his hand on Ross’ shoulder.
“I think this dance belongs to me.” His voice was soft yet edged with steel. “Would you like to dance, Madi?”
“What?” Ross sputtered. “No, she would not. Madison and I are having a talk—”
“And now she’s done talking to you. Right?”
“Yeah, we’re finished.” I blinked, focusing my gaze on Cole, thankful he was here. I knew I could handle myself, but I didn’t want to make this night any worse if I could help it. “Absolutely. I’m one hundred percent finished, and I would love to dance with you. Let’s go.”
But Ross would not take the hint. He shook Cole’s hand off his shoulder and turned to the side, pulling me closer to block me from walking away with Cole. “And you are?” The sneer in his voice shocked me—the nerve of this man.
“Who I am doesn’t matter to you.” The angry growl in Cole’s voice was a surprise. I stood on my tiptoes to see him glaring at Ross with his face like stone. “Take your hand off my—my Madi, before I do it for you.”
“Madi? Are you with this guy? I’ve met him before, haven’t I?”
“Yes. This is Cole Sutter. He lives across the street from Gigi,” I belatedly introduced them as I hurled myself out of his arms and glared at him. “I guess you aren’t the only one with news tonight, Ross. We’ve been seeing each other.”
Cole banded an arm around my waist and yanked me back into his chest. His other arm went across my upper chest, and his hand rested on my shoulder.
Ross took a step back, eyeing us derisively. “Fine. Well, I won’t keep you then.”
My mind whirled as Cole turned me into his arms, holding me close while guiding me to the darkest edge of the dance floor. He tucked me in tight against his big body like my shield.
One hand settled at my waist, and the other rested on the back of my head, his fingertips sifting gently into the strands of my hair. I buried my face against his broad chest and took a deep breath.
“You’re saving me again,” I murmured into his pec. “Thank you for getting me away from him.” To my dismay, my voice broke slightly.
My heart raced as I took a deep breath, trying to relax and control the thoughts spinning rapidly through my mind.
“There is no place I’d rather be than here with you. Believe that. You deserve a man who will take care of you, respect you, and treat you like the amazing woman that you are. Not some dumb motherfucker who would try to humiliate you in a goddamn bar.” His voice held a note of steel beneath the words. I followed, trembling in his arms, as he led me to the room’s darkest corner of the bar. I looked up to meet his eyes. “You’re okay, Madi. Take another breath for me.”
He was angry with Ross, but he tempered it. He spoke to me in soothing whispers as his hand sifted through my hair.
He cared how I felt, and it was evident in every interaction we’d ever had together. Especially now, he was strung tight. I could feel the rigidity in his arms, the tension. He was pissed, and I had the feeling he was ready to fight Ross if he had to; he maybe even wanted to.
I shivered and snuggled closer. He was so tall, well over six feet, but I could see his face better in these heels, even in the dim light of the bar. He would protect me. I knew it.
“I’m glad you’re here too,” I murmured. “Whenever you’re around, I feel better. About everything.”
“You’re amazing, Madi. Everyone in town thinks so. He wouldn’t be here in this weak attempt to put you in your place if he didn’t realize that. But he’s not worthy of your time and does not deserve to flaunt his new life in front of you. That’s just cruel, and I will not tolerate it.”
“How do you know? Does everyone know? That fast?”
Sympathetic eyes met mine. “Unfortunately, yeah. That fast. None of you were quiet over there; this is a small town. Plus, Abigail is currently screaming at Hanna in the parking lot. Everybody in here knows at least some of what happened. I’m so sorry.”
I turned my head toward the window. Riley was holding Abigail’s arm as she yelled at a crying Hanna. “Oh, crap. Oh, no.” Tears filled my eyes. “This is humiliating. I should have tried to be quiet but was too mad.”
He placed his hands on the side of my neck and pulled me closer to the warm strength of his body, blocking my face from view with his big arms. With his back to the room and mine to the window, no one could see that I was slowly breaking down.
“Dry those eyes, Madi. Please don’t give him the satisfaction. Don’t let any of them know you’re hurting.”
“I’m not sure I can do that.” I heard the tremble in my voice, and I hated it. I liked it better when I was pissed off, even if I had yelled at Ross, and even if everyone in this bar knew what happened because of it.
“No one can see you now. I’ll take care of you. Take a deep breath. I’m here.” He pulled me close again, and I rested my cheek against the broad wall of his chest as he stroked my hair and kept us swaying side to side, giving the illusion we were dancing rather than him holding me together while I tried to stop losing my mind.
“Okay.” I took a deep breath like he said. “But how, Cole?”
He pulled back and wiped beneath my eyes with his thumbs. “I’m going to kiss you, that’s how. Nobody will remember anything else if we kiss.”
“Kiss?” God, I wanted that.
The thought of everyone in this bar knowing my business flew out of my mind when I thought about how it would feel to be kissed by Cole. I’d been imagining it since I first arrived in Cozy Creek.
“Say yes or no. Yes, means we’ll put on a show, so nobody in this bar will ever think you’re hung up on that asshole. No, means we’ll just dance. But either choice you make will say that you are moving on. That he doesn’t matter to you. You don’t care.”
“Kiss me, Cole.” I had never felt like this. Not ever. “Please.”
Asking him to kiss me had nothing to do with putting on a show for anyone.
It was for me.
I needed to feel his lips on mine like I needed my next breath.
Not only did I ache for him to kiss me, but the anger and misplaced heartache left over from my conversation with Ross was gone.
I had better things to think about. I had been done with him when I got to Cozy Creek, and I wouldn’t let him ruin any more of my time here.
The fact that he had cheated was moot when I had been the one who had decided to move on. If anything, it rid me of the guilt I had felt when I left him.
“Are you sure?” His voice was a whispered groan as he gently tugged my hair to tilt my head back, unwrapped his arm around my waist to cup my cheek, and raised my face to his as his eyes searched mine.
“Yes. I’m sure.” I wanted to keep this feeling. Cole made me feel safe. Like, if I decided to trust him, it wouldn’t come back to bite me someday.
I knew this was supposed to be fake. But it didn’t feel that way as he dipped his face low and gazed into my eyes.
“Forget about him. Forget anything he said that made you feel like you were anything less than beautiful, Madi. You are sexy as hell right now in that black dress. I noticed you the second you walked through the door, and I had to force myself not to stare. It’s not your problem that he didn’t know what to do with you when he was lucky enough to have you.”
I felt the whisper of his breath on my lips before he pressed his mouth against mine.
His lips were soft, but he kissed me hard like he’d been thinking about it for a long time like he couldn’t hold himself back anymore. My knees went weak, but he held me tight and kept me out of sight, blocking me from the room with his tall, muscular body, just like he’d promised me he would.
“More,” I breathed out, and he gave it to me, backing me into the corner to push his leg between mine with a deep, growly groan. His hand slammed into the wall above my head right before his tongue slid into my mouth, and I matched his sexy groan with one of my own.
We were as close as two people could be, upright and fully dressed. I threw my arms around his neck and held on. I didn’t want him to stop kissing me.
It felt real.
It felt right, and I didn’t want it to end.
“Damn, Madi. What are we doing?” His whispered voice tickled my lips, and I clutched at his big shoulders for support while wondering the same thing until he kissed me again, and I lost all ability to form a coherent thought.
His mouth opened on mine, and he ground himself against me, hard as steel. This was real. It had to be.
Slowly, I came to my senses and pulled back, trying to catch my breath. “I could ask you the same question.”
He traced a fingertip down my nose, letting it drift across my lips as a soft smile slid over his mouth. “God, I love your freckles.” Then his eyes darted from mine as he ran a hand over his chin in frustration, steadied me on my feet, and stepped back. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to take it this far.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” I soothed. “I was a willing participant. And you were right. No one will be talking about poor, pathetic, cheated-on Madi. They’ll be discussing the hot kiss at Bookers and debating how serious this thing is with Gigi’s granddaughter and the Cozy Creek Fire Brigade’s chief. And I’d much prefer that.”
“Come here.” He pulled me in for a hug and whispered in my ear, “Do you want me to get you out of here? I can drive you home if you like.”
“Yes, please. I can feel everyone’s eyes on us. I’ve never been the center of attention like this before, and I don’t think I like it too much.”
“I have. But at least this time, it’s for something I wanted.”