Combust (The Wellingtons #1) (23 page)

Is she serious right now? I’m about to protest when she continues.

“Here’s the thing, Cohen. I’m pretty bad at sharing, too. Being the youngest and the only girl, it wasn’t a lesson my parents did a good job teaching me.”

“Good. Then we’re on the same page. I may have screwed things up last time, but like hell I’m going to do it again. Bennett’s going to regret ever stepping out on you, and I’m going to owe him one hell of a thank-you.”

Andi shakes her head and lets out a soft laugh. “I’m not sure how I feel about this new confident, cocky side of you. You were pretty damn adorable when we first met, but right now, you being all crazy alpha is kind of hot.” She pauses to take a sip of her coffee. “Here’s the thing, Cohen. Teddy and I aren’t together. We don’t have an open relationship, and I’m not his girl, woman, or anything. We did date for a short while freshman year but quickly found that we weren’t compatible and we had no chemistry. It turned into nothing more than a friendship, and that’s all he and I will ever be. The other night, he was acting like a protective big brother, not an overbearing boyfriend. And then last night, I think he was just having a little bit of fun with you.”

I’m both elated and irritated at her revelation. The past three days have been hell thinking about her being with him, yet at the same time, I’m relieved to know that I’m not going to have a three-year relationship as competition.

Rubbing my hand on the back of my neck, I give her a sheepish grin. “I’m an asshole. I shouldn’t have assumed. I guess I just wanted to get out of there before I made even more an ass out of myself.”

“It’s fine, Cohen. Teddy was the one who made it seem like we were together and I wasn’t quick enough to correct him. None of that matters now though. I’m completely unattached and free to see whoever I want. Right now, that person is you. I’ve wasted too much time wondering what could have been if I hadn’t walked away that last time. I’m not a stupid eighteen-year-old girl anymore. I know what I want, and I’m not going to waste my time.”

“And what do you want, Andi?” I ask, wanting to hear her say it again.

“You, Cohen. What I want. What I’ve wanted for far too long is you. Just you.” Her words echo in the silent kitchen, and as they wash over me, my dick hardens at the thought of giving Andi what she wants.

I will myself to calm down, because she’s not going to be just another hookup, and as much as it surprises me, I know that it’s true. There’s always been something about Andi, and whatever this ends up being, I already know I’m going to be in trouble. Everything I told Sophie about wanting a casual relationship has gone out the window at this point, and unlike last time, when I take Andi again, I vow that it’s going to be the most memorable night of her life.

Placing my elbows on the table, I lean forward and look deep into her eyes, her gorgeous, green eyes, which are filled with lust at what I’m hoping is the idea of her getting what she wants. I can’t stop myself from letting her know that I feel the same, even if I do go a little too far.

“The feeling is more than mutual, Ruby.” Her breath hitches, and it gives me the push to keep going. “Truth be told, my dick is so hard right now at the thought of tasting your sweet pussy again.”

Her eyes glaze over at my words as they settle on my lips, and I have a feeling that she’s imagining me doing just that. I know what she’s thinking, and she’s right. It’s only been three years, but they’ve been pretty damn useful ones. My experience has helped turn me from a one-pump chump to a pretty confident guy in the bedroom, and I have a feeling that she doesn’t mind the transformation.

“But I’m a patient man, babe. I’ve waited three years for this, and when I take you again, you’ll forget anyone else who came before me.”

“Even you?” she asks, a teasing light in her eyes.

“Yeah, Ruby. Even me. Especially me.”

“Hmm. That’s kind of a shame. You might not believe me, but I actually have pretty fond memories of the night I lost my virginity. It just took me a little longer to realize it. And I guess, before we get started, I should admit something.” I’m curious as to what she’s about to say, and it’s something completely unexpected. “I’ve never had an inner orgasm. Clit stimulation still seems to be the only way to get me off. I’m wondering if you’ll be the one to change that.”

“Is that a challenge?” I ask, hoping she says yes.

She doesn’t disappoint me either as she nods. “That is, of course, if you’re up for it.”

“You have no idea just how up for it I am. Consider that challenge accepted. I’ll make it my most solemn vow that, once we take things to the bedroom, I won’t leave until my mission is accomplished.”

She moves to stand but stops when she sees that I’m not following her. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

I shake my head at her and can’t help but smile when a pout crosses her cute, pink lips. “Sit.” I order—a little more gruffly than I intended, but she does so anyway. “I meant what I said, Andi. As much as I want to, I’m not going to just hop right back into bed with you. When you really like someone, you want to know them, everything about them. And vice versa. And that’s just it. I like you—more than I probably should after our time apart—and I want to know everything that makes you tick. And I want you to know me, too.”

She groans but then offers me a sweet smile. “I guess sweetheart Cohen is still hiding underneath all that muscle. That makes me extremely happy, because as much as this older, more mature, extremely sexy man in front of me is turning me on, I still really like the guy I knew before and was hoping he was still in there somewhere. Okay, Cohen. Let’s do this. Let’s get to know each other.”

I must have the patience of a saint, because as Andi begins to tell me about how she decided to major in journalism, I find myself being the one distracted at the thought that my bed is less than thirty feet away. But I know I have to do this, and I force myself to stop staring at the swells of her breasts through her tight sweater and instead focus on her face and what she’s saying, because the sooner I get to know her, the sooner I can finally be with her.

The rest of the morning continues in the most comfortable way, and I feel like I’m that freshman kid who’s lying on my bed next to the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, getting lost in each other as we talk about music and our childhoods. But this time, instead of talking about everyone we know, we finally discuss ourselves. I realize this is what was missing the first time around, and I know I’m doing the right thing in taking this slow. At least for now.

In just a few short days, I’ve let this girl completely change the way I operate, and I have no idea how this whole situation is going to end up. All I know is that I want her, all of her. Not just physically, but emotionally as well, and it’s not something I’m used to wanting. Instead of overanalyzing things, I push the thought out of my mind and focus my attention on her. The thought, however, is still in the back of my mind, because now that Andi’s here with me, I already know that I have zero intention of ever letting her get away again. And that scares the hell out of me.

THE MORNING turns into afternoon, and it’s not long before one pot of coffee quickly turns into two as we move into the living room to continue our studying session. Sure, we might not be going over the ins and outs of general chemistry, but I’m quickly becoming well versed in all that is Cohen Wellington, and I’m loving every second of it.

I should feel embarrassed with how quickly I was ready to get naked again, but strangely, I’m not. As much as I want him to make good on his word of tasting me again, I actually appreciate that he has enough resistance for the both of us to do this whole ‘get to know you’ thing first. This is what was missing before. Even though it’s what brought us together in the first place, we don’t have music to distract us. Instead, we only have each other, and that’s proving to be just what we need.

As he tells me his dreams of becoming a surgeon, I hang on to every word. He’s so passionate about what he wants to do, and I admire that he’s held on to the same passion since freshman year, not having gotten bogged down or overwhelmed with what I’m sure has been a pretty stressful course load.

He grins from ear to ear when I tell him the hand he played in helping me choose my major. I wasn’t lying when I told him that I hadn’t forgotten, and the more time I spend with him, the more I continue to wish I had a time machine so I could go back and kick eighteen-year-old Andi’s ass. Then again, if we’d stayed in contact, I’m sure I’d have found some other way to mess things up, so instead of dwelling on it, I’m just going to be grateful for this second chance now that we’re both in a better place than we were as two inexperienced freshman who didn’t know what they wanted or what they were doing.

Cohen glances at the clock on the wall and almost does a double take. “Holy shit. I can’t believe it’s almost five.” He looks at me and gives me a sheepish grin. “I didn’t mean to take up your entire day. I’m sure you had better things to do, not to mention you’re probably starving.”

On the contrary, it isn’t until he mentions it that I’m even aware that he’s right, especially since I didn’t have time to eat when I woke up. Regardless, this has all been worth it. “Cohen, there’s nowhere else I’d rather have been. I had no idea what to expect when we met up this morning. I’m more than happy with how the day turned out.”

“Trust me. I feel the exact same way. In fact, it feels pretty damn surreal that you’re here with me now. Part of me doesn’t want to let you walk out that door out of fear that you’ll never walk back in again.” His eyes are earnest, and it floors me that the confident side of him he’s been showing all this time is now wavering.

I all but threw myself at him earlier, but I guess I have to make it clear that I’m not going anywhere this time around. I crawl across the couch and straddle his lap, pulling his face between my hands, forcing him to look at me. He’s watching me intently, and the angst in his eyes is almost unnerving.

“Man, some girl really did a number on you, didn’t she?” I ask. He laughs, and the sound causes my heart to flutter. “Whoever she was, she’s an idiot. You won’t be able to get away from me that easily. Pretty soon, you’ll be regretting ever bringing me to your apartment with how much I’ll be beating down your door.”

“Is that so?” he asks softly, and I nod.

His eyes move down from mine to look at my lips, and I will him to kiss me again. As much as I’d love to close the distance between us, I’m stock-still, hoping for him to make the first move.

Just as I think he’s going to, his phone vibrates, breaking the moment. He pulls his head back, checks the message, and then clears his throat. Disappointment flows through my veins, but I brush it off, telling myself that he’s still just doing his increasingly irritating ‘take things slow’ thing.

“Umm, there’s somewhere I have to be tonight…”

And suddenly, the rollercoaster my heart’s been on comes crashing down so quickly that it causes my stomach to churn, and I realize we never established that he isn’t seeing anyone. Climbing off his lap, I get up from the couch and stand.

“Oh, of course. Right, it’s Saturday night. I’m sorry. You can take me back to my car whenever you want. Or I can call a cab or Teddy or Reese or someone to pick me up.” I’m pacing and rambling and don’t notice Cohen getting up from the couch. The next thing I know, his hands are gripping my waist and he’s pushing me back until I’m pressed up against the wall.

He’s holding me in place, and I can’t bring myself to look up at him. Instead, I stare straight ahead, which doesn’t really help me either, because my eyes are now resting on his solid chest. One thing about Cohen that hasn’t changed is his attire, and even though his muscles are bigger, I’m pretty sure his T-shirt size remains the same, right down to the Slipknot logo on the front. The material is stretched out, and I can see the hard ridges of his pecs forming. My mouth begins to water at the thought of seeing him bare-chested so that I can study the way his body has changed, but then I remember that he just told me that he has plans. Disappoint settles in that, at least for today, I’m not going to get the taste of him I am so badly craving.