I sensed Cole’s curiosity as he tracked him but knew better than to start explaining Angelo’s complex health issues. Maybe later, when we were alone. If that ever happened. Maybe I’d misunderstood. Maybe itwasa joke after all. A really shit one that made me want to sink through the floor.
“So...” With Angelo checked out of the conversation, Cole turned his electrifying gaze on me. He cast a pointed glance at my unbuttoned fly. “You still have wet trousers on.”
“I was about to take them off when you came in.”
At the stove, Angelo snorted.
I died inside and, despite not seeing him for weeks, wished he’d go away.
Cole continued to stare. My hands itched to peel my jeans away. To strip for him as though it was easy. As though I’d taken my clothes off for a dozen men before him.
But, of course, I didn’t. I didn’t do anything. Just gawped at him like a prize plum until he smirked and turned away.
“Anyway,” he said. “I’ve got a class in ten minutes. I’ll see you later, yeah?”
Will you?My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. I gawped some more. Cole rolled his eyes and jerked a nod at Angelo. “Nice to meet you, mate.”
And then he was gone.
Mortified, I threw myself into the chair Angelo had vacated, wet jeans and all, and covered my face with a groan. I’d always been awkward as fuck around men, but with Cole, it was on another level. I was more attracted to him than I’d ever been to anyone, and the fact that he was attracted to me too pressed all my idiot buttons.And you really are an idiot. What are you going to do if you ever are really alone with him? Come in your pants?
The mere thought of it made my blood rush faster. I scrubbed my eyes with the heel of my hands, then dropped my arms to find Angelo smirking at me from the stove. “What?”
“So that’s the hunky hippie everyone keeps telling me about?”
“No one’s told you about him. You haven’t left your place for a month.”
“I have a phone. Not everyone is as disconnected from the matrix as you. And I stalked his Instagram, just to be sure, but he’s way hotter in person. That voice is epic.”
“And his feet.”
“What?”
I sighed. “Never mind.”
Angelo looked as if he wanted to laugh. He settled for turning back to his pot on the stove. “I think it’s nice that you’re friends already.”
“I never said we were friends.”
“Whatever. It’s still nice. Harry said Cole keeps mostly to himself, so I wasn’t expecting you guys to be so...friendly.”
How Angelo could describe a thirty-second interaction in which I’d spoken about six words as anything, I had no idea. But he was right about Cole being hot.
As if that was news to me.
I changed into dry jeans while Angelo had his back to me, then fetched my jacket from the cloakroom. Unless Joe needed my help with the mare, I was done for the day and, for once, had no plans to hang around the farm. Whatever Angelo was cooking smelt divine, but if he’d figured out I had the hots for Cole, it wouldn’t be long before other people did too, and I didn’t need that in my life. It was bad enough thatColeknew.
Back in the kitchen, Angelo was sitting at the table again. He watched me yank my coat on with a shrewd gaze.
I gave him the finger. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop it.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want you to think it.”
“Again, why? You’ve never talked about your sexuality, but do you seriously think anything like that is ever going to be a problem around here?”
“It’s not that,” I blurted before my brain was in gear.Idiot.Angelo was perceptive. I was screwed now.