Sealed With a Kiss

Twelve

"You're right. It was just one date. You're nothing to me just as I am nothing to you. That should make it easy for you to leave me alone, then."

Cole cursed and put the picture down. Running his hands through his hair, he gave a gruff sound. "Don't you realize I can't?"

I released a shaky breath when Cole strutted towards me and gripped my arms hard. "Don't you see?"

I brought my hands up and shoved his off. "I think you should go." 

"Not until you hear me out." I stepped around him. His proximity was doing things to me, making my head spin with his intoxicating scent and the look in his eyes pulling at my heart-strings. 

My shoulders slumped and I resigned myself to listen. He wouldn't leave after all, until he's said his peace. "You have two minutes."

"I knew," he began, "I knew what my mom was doing. She paid off your father, she leaked your birth certificate, she spread the lies about you to the papers, she did all of it. At first I didn't think anything of it. You had taken something of ours, and this was my mom's way of getting back at you. I didn't stop to think how this would affect you."

I nodded but still didn't  turn around, not even when I felt him come up behind me. "I understand."

"The more I got to know you the worse I felt. You have to believe me, Pops, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I believe you."

Cole came closer. From the corner of my eye I saw him slump his shoulders down.  "Are we...okay?"

I sighed and turned to look at him. "Yes, of course."

"Well, we obviously aren't or I'd already have convinced you to get dressed and run off with me tonight."

"Cole, I realize it was just one date, but it won't happen again."

Cole's face contorted into one of confusion and hurt. "Why not? I--"

"I do forgive you, I swear I do. I just think this is for the best." He looked like he was about to argue so I stepped forward and gave him a small smile. "Could you imagine? The former heir of the Richmond empire seeing the girl who 'stole' part of it. It could never work."

"So that's it?" he asked in a harsh tone. 

I walked past him to hide my eyes. "It was one date, Cole." 

"Yeah, one hell of a date. There's no denying that." I said nothing and froze with my hand hovering over the doorknob. "You know what else is undeniable?"

A shiver ran down my spine at his proximity, at his smell. His hand gripped my arm and spun me around. Cole gently pressed my hips against the wall and leaned forward to trace his nose along my chin up to my ear. 

"This thing between us, I don't know what it is but I'm not letting you go until I find out."

Cole pushed my wet hair aside and pressed a light kiss at the skin just below my ear, searing my skin enough to leave a mark in my mind. He stepped back, his hands lingering on my skin a second longer before he let them fall to his sides. "Night, Poppy."

I watched him go in silence. Once he was gone I threw myself down on the bed and closed my eyes. 

I have to stay away from him. He'll just end up breaking my heart. I know it.

ELLE RANG THE NEXT DAY, inviting me to dinner. It was sweet of her, I knew she was trying to distract me of the newest scandal. She, as well as all of Manhattan had probably already heard my father had an interview with Oprah claiming he is a reformed man seeking my forgiveness. He was trending on twitter, apparently a lof of people were rooting for Patrick Doyle and his quest for redemption.