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They spent Sunday together at her place, not working, not stressing Just unwinding, her reading a novel, hi sports on TV Cole didn’t think he’d ever enjoyed an entire day of doing nothing before He felt guilty Rested A small part of him even felt at peace
For theabout Guthrie and Tate - how bad that day when Tate had almost been abducted could have turned out Brandon had been brought into the loop His father insisted that he keep Judge on the case, too Nothing Cole could do about that But he wanted those animals, and whoever was behind this whole sordid mess, found and appropriately dealt with Fast
The next day, Cole visited Taryn in her office She said she’d get together what she could froiven they’d been called away early He said he needed a et projection Then she asked whether she ought to start organizing host auditions Between leaving her office and stealing a drugging hot kiss, Cole told her to hang off for now
Tuesday night he spent over at her place He watched on while she called for that cat to come in from the cold Later they’d had pizza and watched a ht Taryn stayed at his place Thursday, he was back at hers and she was still calling in that stubborn pregnant cat They’d had Chinese and he’d told her about the time the boys had built a cubby house in the backyard and it had collapsed with him inside She’d been i the cave-in by a dislodged dartboard
By Friday, he was prickly over the fact Brandon and Judge had nothing new to report However, Brandon passed on in private that, despite her many vices, Eloise was clear of any suspicion That spooky maid was cleared, too Co on ue contract, when Taryn swept into his office and put a pa, Cole sat back She was a cross between angelic and sexy in that crisp white linen dress that, to his th around the he back how many hours it had been since they’d last kissed - last made love - he collected the pamphlet and looked it over
"What’s this?" he asked
"A new park opened not far from here" She ca his nostrils and testing his resistance in a work setting, she tapped a picture on the sheet "There are paddleboats"
He nodded "Okay"
Her blue eyes flashed and a big smile spread "Then you’ll come?"
"Come where? When?"
"To paddle with me Now" She checked her atch "It’s lunchti the pamphlet aside, he chuckled Taryn was a o Of course, she would never lose that poise; a person either had class or she didn’t And, God knows, he would love to ditch and go play for a couple of hours But he’d been slack all week He’d even slid across some duties for Roman to take on full-time But he couldn’t hide forever from his responsibilities He had an exa," he said, "but I ought to get this contract sorted"
She leaned back against his desk’s edge Her palms set flat behind her, shoulders raised, her skirt lifted that ideal inch or two
"The ill still be here when you get back," she reasoned with a silky tone, and he flicked a glance at the open office door Maybe they could enjoy so
After easing out of his chair, he stood before her then leaned in until his hard thighs pinned hers His palms anchored on either side of hers on the desk, he closed his eyes, grazed his chin lightly up her cheek then murmured in her ear
"I think we should lock the door"
When her hand cah his hair, every pulse point in his body started to tick and, soon, throb
"You spend too much time indoors," she told hiet soeous day"
"And later?"
"Later you can finish with that contract"
He pressed in hed "You have some casual clothes here, don’t you?"
As his hand slid over and scooped around her back, the best he could do was grunt his affirhed "We’ll change, go paddle sohtly "Couldn’t we do the ’and then’ part first?"
She pushed against his chest and he let her shift him away "I’ll meet you in the lobby"
He took fro kiss "I’ll be there in five"
They drove to the park For a Friday - a workday - it was packed Guess it was a coood weather, he mused, a novel array of food vendors and the curiosity of a new place to take the kids Or your lover
He paid for thirty ive their legs a fine workout, they spent an hour on the lake If ever he thought about that contract, or his father, Cole told himself to chill They were headed back to her place for the "and then" part, after which he’d get back on top of things, but when they were ales Just to be safe
He had parked in her drive, which was looking quite fa up to open the front door Cole opened his es and was bombarded by a streaut sank lower and the sense of dread swelled until he wasn’t certain he could breathe
Liaet him He’d been offered a better deal with a rival network He needed to make a decision What could Cole do for hied a hand over his damp brow This deal waswas in deep trouble
Feeling that cold sweat break behind his neck now, Cole stabbed a few keys He was talking, trying to mend a critical situation, when Taryn wandered back and peered in at hi to talk to Lialed away
Even as they spoke, Cole’s brain was shouting at hi enough, of course sootiations deteriorated, and Taryn, worried and disappointed, moved inside her house, Cole made a vow If only this worked out, if he didn’t lose this deal and have to put off workers, need to shut down shows, he would never take his position for granted again
Not for any reason
Not for anyone
"I’m ba-ack!"
With his usual cheery smile, Ro and, at her desk, set a big "friends only" kiss upon her cheek
Genuinely happy to see hi to tack up a s junket?"
"Junket?" Ro over the corner of her desk "I’ll have you know that les and zingers for our next and biggest season yet Did you miss me?"
"Terribly"
"Good job I was only gone a week then" Roiven your show the nod? You’ve been back froet’s been worked over a thousand times Surely he’s made a decision"
When her insides ached, she could only look away
While they hadn’t discussed it, Taryn guessed Roman knew she and Cole were lovers Or had been Frankly, she was confused at how things had turned out, although she guessed she shouldn’t be surprised Since that Friday, just over a week ago, when Cole had needed to perfor down in a landslide, things had changed between theh they saw each other at work and a couple of tione out to lunch, Cole had distanced himself He hadn’t come over to her place, hadn’t invited her to his Whenever she suggested they do soht up her show, he told her he’d get back to her soon
Of course, Cole blamed himself for the panic that had ensued when that et in contact the afternoon they’d played hooky in the park And, although he would never admit it, or accuse her, she was certain Cole bla him outside of his usual dutiful boundaries
She’d never been a party girl, but that ith Cole had been the best of her life More than that, she’d reevaluated Thought about priorities She still wanted her show to go into production, but she’d coh She’d usually taken herself so seriously Last week, Vi had said she was a different woht Cole had become a different man
Apparently not
Taryn answered Roh word today Hot Spots has his approval"
Ro an arh the air
"That, my lovely, deserves a celebration Cups of tea all around" Juh coffee will more than suffice"
The news had coned, Best, Cole Hunter, Executive Producer In Charge Certainly everyone had a teiven her this news in person?
While Ro breath She didn’t have to confess anything to this man Except, firstly she trusted him And secondly she’d felt so isolated, so alone here since Cole had bit by bit shut her out She needed catharsis To purge her doubts Clear her conscience
"I suppose you figured it out," she began
Roured out what?"
"That wethat Cole and I have been, well, together"
Ro the coffee "Totally your business"
"I didn’t do it to gain the advantage," she said "I didn’t sell h It happened and now Hot Spots will go into production"
Roman returned with two cups "And that is top news"
She shut her eyes but those doubts wouldn’t leave her "I can’t stop wondering if Cole finally slid it through because he felt obligated He never approved of the idea He never stopped tellingtip" Roman pulled in a chair "Don’t torture yourself Just run with it and give those ratings a jolly good jolt"
She half setting involved with a colleague, I mean"