Page 51 of Blush Crush

I’m almost to the final fold on the dough when a knock at the front door nearly sends me into a panic.

I press a hand to my chest, waiting for my heart to relocate back to where it belongs. After a moment of calming myself down, I tiptoe out of the prep room and peer through the dark shop toward the glass door.

Cole is standing on the other side of it, illuminated by the streetlamp. His hands are in his jacket pockets, breath fogging in the cold air.

I should probably just let him stand there, let him think I’m not here.

He knocks again. “Doll, I know you’re in there. Your car is out front.”

I wince, exhaling a breath. Guess I didn’t think that one through.

His smug grin greets me as I unlock the door.

“What are you doing here? It’s midnight.”

“Twelve fourteen,” he says as he walks through.

When I stay silent, he clears his throat to fill the space.

“I couldn’t sleep. I was driving around and I saw your car and I—” He pauses, dragging a hand through his hair. “I wanted to apologize. For earlier. The way I acted with Wes—I was out of line and I know that.”

I cross my arms to shield against the cold bleeding in from the gust of air that snuck through with Cole. He looks like he means it, which is somehow more disarming than if he didn’t.

“You were out of line,” I say quietly. “It was embarrassing.”

“I know.”

“You don’t get to decide who I go out with, Cole.”

“I know that too.” His jaw tightens, not in anger—more like he’s holding something back. “I’m not going to pretend I had some noble reason for doing it. I didn’t. I just—I didn’t like the way he was looking at you. Maybe I read the whole thing wrong, but from my perspective, he was looking at you like something to conquer, and I’d hate to see you go into a situation like that unprepared. And honestly, I just don’t like the dude, and that’s the truth.”

I take a step back, trying to process everything he just said. “I need to sit.”

He follows me further inside as I claim a seat on the plush green velvet sofa I rarely get a chance to sit in. He settles across from me on a leather chair.

For a while neither of us says anything. The shop is warm and quiet, the only sounds the buzz of the refrigerators and my own ragged, nervous breathing.

He kind of has a point. Maybe Wes is only trying to sleep with me—but I’d argue a lot of men are like that. Either way, I’m not ready for casual sex. I’m not even sure I’m ready for sex in a relationship. I know almost nothing. Who’s going to have thepatience for that? And worse, who’s going to take advantage of it?

I’m completely out of my element. If I don’t make a change now, there’s no telling when I’ll ever let someone in like that. And maybe some part of me wants to prove the girls wrong—that I don’t need their help, that I can figure this out without setups or apps.

And for some reason…I think Cole could help me.

It’s now or never. If I don’t bring it up, the window won’t be reopening.

“I’ve been thinking,” I say finally. “About your proposition.”

Confusion clouds his eyes. He opens his mouth to speak but the words seem to get trapped.

“About the date you need for that wedding,” I continue. “About us pretending to be a couple.” I keep my gaze down, or else I might not make it through this. “I think I want to do it.”

“Okay,” he drawls out carefully. Like he thinks I’m not being serious.

There’s no possible way to explain what I want out of the deal without sounding pathetically desperate. But I have to do it anyway.

I fidget with the tassels on a throw pillow, still unable to look Cole in the eye. “The thing is, I want something in return…”

After a stretch of silence, I force myself to look at him.