Edible (43 page)

Rachel fidgeted nervously with a piece of string hanging from her bright blue sweater that she had paired with black leggings.

It had just turned seven o’clock when Cole pulled his car into the small parking lot behind Exquisite. As he turned off the ignition, he shifted around to look at her, and she could feel the heat of his stare. Taking a deep breath, she glanced his way. She was about to open the car door and get out when he reached across the console and placed his hand on her arm.

“Wait just a minute, please?”

Rachel froze. “What’s wrong? Did you change your mind?”

He gave her a slow easy smile that seemed to warm her from the inside out.

“Never,” he assured as he reached into his navy jacket pocket.

When he pulled out a small ring box, Rachel’s mouth dropped opened at what she knew was inside.

“You know we didn’t have time to buy rings in Lake Forest.”

“Cole, really, you didn’t have to do this.”

Rachel fell quiet as he cupped her cheek with his palm.

“Yes, I did. Now that my name is by yours, I want my ring on your finger.”

Giving her a swift kiss, he pulled back and snapped open the box.

Rachel gasped as three rings nestled in black velvet came into view.

“Cole,” she whispered, placing a hand over her mouth, “it’s too much.”

“Rachel, it’s hardly enough. I want everyone to know you belong to me.”

With a grin she couldn’t seem to help, Rachel arched a brow. “Do you really think there will be any confusion?”

Cole chuckled softly. “Not if you’re wearing my ring.”

“And answering to Mrs. Madison?”

“Stop it, or you will become intimately acquainted with the interior of this vehicle.”

He placed the box in his lap, and as he took her left hand, Rachel watched with a mixture of awe and excitement. Raising her hand to his lips, he pressed a gentle kiss on the back of her knuckles, and then he raised his eyes to hers as he pulled out the first piece of jewelry. It was a simple platinum ring with four round diamonds embedded across the top of the band.

As Cole slid it on her finger, he whispered, “I want you to be mine. My hope is that you wear this ring first, so it will always be closest to your heart and remind you of how much I love you.”

Rachel could feel a tear slide free and run down her cheek.

His eyes met hers as he asked, “Will you?”

Is there really any doubt?
Rachel thought as she stared at the wedding ring on her finger. Somehow, this man had bulldozed his way into her life, and now, only a week later, she couldn’t imagine going minutes without knowing he would be there permanently.

“Yes, of course. Cole, it’s stunning.”

When the ring was firmly in place, he brought it up to his mouth and kissed it where it lay on her finger. He then reached down and pulled out the second ring. This one was a beautiful platinum band that sparkled with twinkly diamonds surrounding the largest cobalt sapphire Rachel had ever seen. Slowly, Cole slid the ring down the same finger until it locked in place with the wedding band.

“This is to remind you that every time I look into your eyes, the color of this stone, I fall in love all over again.”

Blinking back several tears, Rachel wondered how the heck she had ever gotten so lucky. All she’d had to do was say yes, and then she completely belonged to this magnificent man. It was, she realized, simply because Cole had never taken no as an answer.

Leaning across the console, Rachel cupped his face and kissed him with as much love as she could. His lips parted for her tongue, and she showed no hesitation in pushing deep into his mouth.

Nothing could ruin this night, absolutely nothing.

Knock…knock…knock.

Rachel pulled away from Cole and looked out of the car window. When she could see Mason glaring right at her with a frown, Rachel took it back.

Well, nothing, except for that.

Cole quickly slipped the final band on his wedding finger and unlocked the car doors. “You ready?” he asked.

Before Rachel could respond, the passenger door was pulled open, and he could hear Mason.

“Were you two planning on coming inside? Or were you going to sit out here all night?”

Cole had several retorts just on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t think Rachel would appreciate any of them. So, he climbed out of the car and shut the door with a firm hand, choosing to let Rachel decide how she wanted to proceed.

“We just got here. Jesus, Mase. Relax, would you?” she grumbled as she slammed the door in the same manner he had.

Cole tried not to wince as he reminded himself the car had been built to withstand much worse.

“Mason,” a soft voice chimed in.

Cole turned to see one of the women Rachel had been with the night they had all met at Whipped. Due to the way she was frowning at Mason, he had to assume it was Lena, Mason’s wife.

“What?” Mason snapped, looking over the car roof in her direction.

As he did, his eyes came to a halt on Cole’s, and as they glared at one another, Cole found himself in a pissing contest with his wife’s brother.

“Excuse me?” Lena questioned in a tone that showed how much she did
not
appreciate being talked to that way.

As she marched forward, Cole had to admit that he was impressed with the confident, pissed-off demeanor she had going on. This was a woman who knew her mind, and she was certainly not afraid of anything, including her annoyed husband.

“Don’t snap at me, Langley.”

Immediately, Cole noticed Mason’s mood shift. Mason tore his eyes away from him to look where his wife was now standing beside Rachel.

All three of them stood on the opposite side of the car to Cole, and as he studied the close-knit family, he could definitely see the resemblance between the siblings. Although he had spoken to Mason that first night he’d visited Rachel in the restaurant, he hadn’t had long to get a good look at him. Now, as the other man mumbled something to his wife and scowled occasionally at Rachel, Cole could really see it. The dark hair, the blue eyes, and as they all finally turned to look at him, he saw the same frown as well.

Wow
, Cole thought,
someone in their family had strong genes. These two could pass as twins.

As they all stood silently in the frigid night air, Lena rolled her eyes as she came around the trunk of the car. When she finally reached him, she held out her hand. “It’s time we were formally introduced. I’m Lena, Mason’s wife and Rachel’s sister-in-law. You must be Cole.”

Cole liked her immediately. Her mass of brown curls spilled down over her shoulders, and as he took her hand in a gentle grip, he was shocked at how firm her handshake was. She was definitely confident, just as he had first suspected.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Cole.”

Cole gave her a genuine smile, and then he realized she still hadn’t let go of his hand.

“It’s not
that
much of a pleasure,” Mason called out from across the car. “I’m telling you, if she really liked you, she’d be yelling at you right now.”

Cole was surprised when Lena winked up at him.

Then, she turned her head to lock eyes with Mason. “Langley, you know I only enjoy arguing with you. It gets me all hot and bothered.”

As she turned back to Cole, finally releasing his hand, she told him softly, “He’ll come around. Just give him time.”

Cole thought that was probably good advice, but as he looked back to the brother-sister pair glaring at one another, he thought it was a shame he’d never been one to take good advice.

“Well, I hope so since I just married his sister.”

What is that phrase? Oh yes
,
there it is,
Cole thought with a shit-eating grin aimed at the tall Langley currently glowering at him.
If looks could kill.

It’s official
, Rachel thought as she stared slack jawed at Cole from across the trunk of the car.
This man
is
fucking insane.

“
What
did you just say?” her brother practically growled.

The sound was so foreign coming from her usually congenial brother that Rachel lost the words she was about to yell at Cole, and instead, she spun around to face Mason. That was when she heard Cole’s reply.

“I said I married your sister on Saturday.”

“Oh my god,” Lena muttered.

“Not helping, Cole,” Rachel pointed out as she faced her seething brother.

If she had been worried at all about her dealing with Mason’s wrath over the matrimony, she needn’t have bothered. All of his annoyance and anger was solely focused on Cole.

“Mase, come on, calm down,” Rachel tried to reason with him.

“I will calm down when you tell me that what he just said is bullshit.”

Um, not going to happen. What he said is all true.

“If you just listen, may—”

“Maybe, what?” Mason finally demanded, turning to pin her with a look full of anger, confusion, and something much worse—disappointment. “Maybe you’ll finally tell me why you’ve been acting so distant lately? Or why you have decided to stop talking to everyone? Or maybe you will explain to me how you ended up married to a guy you don’t even know!”

Rachel took a deep breath and balled her fists at her sides. She tried to remind herself that this was Mason, her brother. He was the one person in the world who loved her unconditionally. Well, he used to be the only one.

As she glanced across the car to where Cole was standing next to a shocked face Lena, Rachel felt herself calm. Cole was looking at her with such certainty. He believed in her and trusted her to do the right thing here.

Looking back at Mason, Rachel squared her shoulders. She was never one to back down from any argument, and so she simply replied, “I love him.”

“Excuse me? You just met him!” Mason exclaimed, pointing his finger at her.

Rachel reached out and gripped his finger. “And you haven’t even bothered to meet him!”

She watched as her brother’s blue eyes narrowed on her, and he dropped his hand.

“You never bothered to introduce us, Rachel. Or did you forget that?”

“Of course, I didn’t forget! I didn’t bother introducing you because the one night he turned up at the restaurant, you acted like an idiot. And you’re doing the same right now.”

“I’m acting like an idiot? Oh, that’s rich. I don’t know what you expect from me,” Mason told her through clenched teeth.

“I expect you to quit acting like an ass, and instead, be the supportive brother I know and love.”

Mason shook his head and pushed his hands into his jeans pockets. “Yeah? Well, when the sister I know and love shows up, maybe she’ll be able to find him.”

Rachel felt her heart physically ache as Mason turned on his heel and marched to the back door of Exquisite where he wrenched open the door and stormed inside. When it slammed shut behind him, she turned to face Cole and Lena, who were both staring at her silently. Lena’s expression was contemplative, and Cole’s—
damn him
—was proud.

With a quick nod and a fake smile, Rachel announced, “Well, that went well.”

Cole watched Lena as she moved around the car to where Rachel was standing. The two women whispered back and forth before they both turned to face him. Knowing he was the topic of conversation, he raised his left hand and gave a quick wave.