Page 32 of Vanessa’s Bravery

“Thank you so much. I’ll be there in a half hour,” Cole promised.

“All right. I’ll leave the front door unlocked. Just come into the living room. Don’t ring the door bell, and please be quiet. Everybody is sleeping, because we all worked the night shift.”

“I really appreciate it.”

Cole disconnected the call and tossed the phone on the bed, then headed for the shower.

After a thirty-second shower, Cole had dressed in a hurry, gulped down two protein drinks straight from the refrigerator, before getting into his Aston Martin to drive to the address Gabriel had texted him. When he saw the large Edwardian mansion, he double-checked the address, but he hadn’t gotten it wrong. This was indeed Gabriel’s house. It appeared that private security paid well. Unless, of course, his first assumption that Gabriel was working for the Mafia was correct. Not that Cole seriously thought this was the case.

It took him five minutes to find a parking spot a block away. When he walked up the stairs to the stately old building that looked like it was very well maintained, Cole took a moment to collect his thoughts. Following Gabriel’s instructions, he didn’t ring the doorbell. Instead, he turned the doorknob and pushed against the door. It opened easily, and he entered a small foyer with hooks for coats and umbrellas. He shut the door quietly behind him, then took a few steps farther into the house.

The homey atmosphere of the house struck him, because for a man like Gabriel who looked rough, he’d expected a different décor. Yet the interior belonged in one of the fancy home décor magazines many American families kept on their coffee tables. The colors were warm and soothing, the rugs that swallowed the sound of his footsteps expensive.

“Come in.” Gabriel’s voice came from the living area ahead.

Cole walked through the open archway that led into a comfortably furnished living room. Gabriel stood near the fireplace, pivoting now to greet him. He was dressed only in a pair of faded jeans and a white T-shirt.

“Thanks for seeing me, Gabriel.”

His host looked very different today. The casual clothes made him look younger and more approachable, and even the scar on his face looked less pronounced. Looking past the scar, Cole now realized that Gabriel was actually a handsome man and not the scary mafioso type from the night before.

Gabriel motioned to the sofa, and Cole took a seat. “Thank you.”

His host sat down in the armchair opposite. “I’m assuming this is regarding the things we talked about last night.”

Cole nodded, his throat constricting and as dry as sand paper. In the light of day, it was even harder to speak to a stranger about something so intimate.

He swallowed, trying to lubricate his throat. “There’s something that I’m not clear about. When you said that I’d get my second… uhm… cock after sleeping with the woman I’m supposed to be with… could you clarify that? I mean, when you say to be with, what do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. The woman who gets your body to change like that is meant to be your partner, your mate for life.”

Fuck!

“So, you’re saying she’s the only one who will accept me for what I am?”

“No. There might be other women who will accept you, but she’s the one you’ll find most fulfillment with. Like a soulmate.”

“Okay.” Cole felt his hand tap nervously on his thigh, and forced himself to stop. “So, uhm, how long after you sleep with that woman will it take to get your second cock? Are we talking months, a week, a day?”

Curious, he leaned forward, eager for Gabriel’s answer.

“It varies.” Gabriel shrugged. “For my son Ryder, it took about twelve hours. In my case it only took a few, maybe three or four?”

Fuck!

“Is it possible that it takes longer than that, maybe a week or two?”

Gabriel gave a determined shake of his head. “No. It always happens within twenty-four hours.”

Cole tried to swallow the knot that seemed to have lodged in his throat, his mind working overtime. He knew exactly what that meant. He hadn’t had sex with anybody other than Vanessa in the last ten days.

“You look a little shell-shocked,” Gabriel commented.

“You could say that.” He lifted his face to meet Gabriel’s concerned look. “I woke up this morning. With a second cock.”

His host grinned all of a sudden. “Congratulations. I’m very happy for you.”

“Yeah… thanks…” Cole couldn’t get his facial muscles to form a smile.