Face To Call Home (Love Came In #1) ✔️

Chapter 4

"Do you need some time, on your own, do you need some time, all alone." I sang under my breath as I moved around the kitchen with a bowl in my hand and a whisk in the other.

Today was one of the fortunate days for my family because I was baking cookies. I loved baking, and dad and Matt had always loved the treats I made.

Currently, my present up do was hideous. My band t-shirt and ripped jeans were stained everywhere with cookie dough in the bowl, and there was flour on my cheek.

Outside, it was raining heavily - It was days like these that kept me sane and happy. The smell of baking in the air, mixed with the sweet smell of the rain; loud music in the kitchen, and the windows wide open so I could admire the rain every once in a while.

"What's cookin' good lookin'?" I heard a voice say, and I turned to find Cole standing at the kitchen door and smirking. I frowned and leaned back to peep over his shoulder to see the door of my house wide open. I was home alone today since it was a Friday night and I didn't have a social life.

Matt, like the party animal he was, had left an hour ago for some jock's big bash, and Dad was out on a date.

"Why are you here?" I asked him through narrowed eyes.

Cole shrugged, walking inside the kitchen like he owned the place.

"I smelt something burning, so I came to see what was happening." He said, still smirking.

"Must be the mirrors in your house from all the abuse they suffer."

"How salty." He said, rolling his eyes and noticing the song blasting through my speakers.

"You listen to guns and roses?" He asked, surprised.

I nodded my head. "Of course. They're a classic."

Cole picked an apple from the fruit basket and sat down at the counter. I looked back at him, sitting there without a care in the world.

He was wearing a dark blue sweater that looked so good on him, it was like he had escaped from a Calvin Klein photoshoot. It molded to his sculpted torso, which I so badly wanted to see, and I almost sighed at the beauty behind me. You could probably find more good-looking men than him, but it was not just his looks that made me feel so insanely attracted to him, there was so much more to the man. 

Unlike the immature boys at school, Cole had class and was (sometimes) chauvinistic, not an irresponsible high school boy. 

"Of course, make yourself right at home," I muttered under my breath as he bit into the apple.

Cole just laughed.

For the next half hour, we talked about music and movies. Conversation flowed easily between us, and even though I was relaxed, my body was a little tense - his large frame took up most of the space on the counter, and at times I could feel his discerning gaze on me. It was unnerving, and his tantalizing musky scent made me slightly lightheaded.

For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why he had this effect on me and why he chose to spend time with me, a plain, boring girl he had met barely a week ago, rather than go and get drunk at a party. 

We were discussing the upcoming elections and who we would vote for when my clumsy hands picked that moment to stumble and make the knife slice my finger.

A hiss escaped my lips and I turned my eyes back to my hands. It wasn't really deep, but there were a few drops of blood.

"What happened?" Cole asked behind me and next thing I know, he had stepped down from the counter and was next to me in no time.

"Shit." He swore.

To my utter surprise, he gently lifted my finger and brought it near the tap, turning the knob and making water gush out, momentarily stopping the bleeding and pain. It was just a small cut, and it was his proximity and gentleness as he handled my hand that surprised me and made me more rattled.

"Where's the first aid?" He asked, and I saw concern in his eyes.

I laughed at that - he was really very sweet, and it was a side I was only seeing now.

"Honestly, Cole, it's nothing I'll just keep it under the water for some time."

"No." He said in a stern voice. "You will do no such thing, Brooke." He turned around in a circle and then went towards the small cabinet with a red cross on it in the corner, opening it and taking the first aid kit from there.

Bringing it towards me, he opened it and took a cotton swab to clean my finger first. He sighed in frustration. "Why are you so short?" He muttered.

"Excuse me? Why are you such a.. a giant?"

He gave me a blank look at my lame insult before putting his hands on my waist and picking me up to place me on the counter. Just, you know, casually, as if I weighed not more than a potato.

Tingles shot through me as his rough, calloused hands handled me so delicately like he was afraid of hurting me. The lack of space between us wasn't really helping.

My heart started beating fast as he stepped between my legs, his head bending down slightly and his ebony hair tickling my nose. The suggestive position made me feel hot and bothered, unfamiliar bolts of desire shooting down my spine as his large frame occupied the space in between.

This was the first time I had ever felt like this for anyone.

Trying to hide the red bush that was climbing up my cheeks, I turned my head. He looked up at me while cleaning my wound and smirked, clearly noticing my stupid blush.

"Do I make you blush, princess?" He said, smugness radiating from him. "I have an effect on you, huh? Now I know what your weakness is..." He said, his smirk growing every second, along with a little tinge of something that made his eyes go from a light blue to deep pools of navy.

I winced, acting like he had hurt me while cleaning the wound, and immediately, he started apologizing. Concern filled his eyes again, and I felt a little guilty for playing him to change the subject.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry." Cole apologized, and took a bandage out of the kit, carefully peeling the paper off and placing it on my finger. His closeness again sent butterflies in my stomach, something I wasn't accustomed to.

It was pathetic that just by him being near me, butterflies erupt in my stomach.

While he was working, my gaze fell on his long and rough fingers wrapping the bandage around my smaller one and cleaning a small cut on the other finger. His hair was so soft-looking and tempting, making me want to touch the black strands.

Cole's deep blue eyes were filled with concentration and a smile came on my lips at the sight of his furrowed eyebrows. It was sweet of him to do this. 

In the background, I could hear Delilah's voice from my speakers, seeing as she was one of my favorite singers.

Suddenly, his head snapped up and his mouth opened to say something when he caught me staring. There was a moment of silence between us as we just stared at each other, deep blue eyes meeting the dull grey ones.

My heart was beating so fast, I felt like he could hear it.

We were still pretty close together, so the sound of footsteps and keys jangling at the doorway made us both jump, and made me fall of the counter on my butt. Don't ask how I did it, I just managed to.

I heard chortles of laughter and looked up to see both Cole and Matt, who was standing by the doorway, laughing at my clumsiness.

I shot them a dirty look, getting up and dusting my jeans, trying to maintain the little dignity I had left.

Assholes.

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