* * *
A week had passed since I started being nice to Cole. It felt longer. Much, much longer. I frowned over at him while we worked. He was standing in the gallery area, showing tattoo concepts to a prospective customer, as well as going over his video portfolio for the guy. Cole was completely lost in conversation about his art and I was becoming increasingly transfixed by the animation in his face and the way his eyes were lit up. His passion for his work took Cole from a ten to an eleven, and eleven had, heretofore, never seen the light of day in my hot-guy ranking system.
As if he felt my stare, Cole suddenly looked over at me while he continued to talk and I casually smiled at him and looked in the opposite direction like I hadn’t just been caught ogling my boss.
Looking out the window, the blood beneath my cheeks hot, I wondered if he was still staring at me. I fidgeted, trying to maintain my cool.
I was just about to lower my gaze to my work in the hopes of making out like I’d just needed a break from staring at paper, when the sight of a familiar blonde out on the pavement caused me to freeze.
Jessica.
She was staring up at our signage, chewing her lip.
Oh, heck no.
I knew from Rae that Jessica hadn’t let up on Cole. She’d turned up at his flat last Thursday, and while I was with him on Friday night at the bar she had texted him a dozen or so times. Even if Rae hadn’t told me, I could see for myself that Jessica’s behavior was really starting to stress Cole out.
I’d heard of girls like her, girls who just couldn’t take no for an answer, but I’d never met one in real life. She was beginning to piss me off. Cole had had to deal with my craziness when I first arrived here only for Jessica to jump on the crazy train when I jumped off.
Well, I thought determinedly, I can make up for my craziness by getting rid of Jessica once and for all.
Utilizing my often-underused, rapid-fire typing skills, I logged on to the Internet and looked up the info I thought might be useful in taking her down. Once I had it I glanced up to see the crazy girl had decided she was coming into the studio.
I immediately hopped off my chair and hurried across the studio to Cole, hearing the bells over the door jingle just as I reached him. I practically elbowed his customer out of the way and hissed, “Everything I do next, just go with it.”
His eyebrows had just begun to rise in surprise when I lunged at him, causing his whole face to slacken with shock. On tiptoes, and having to crush my chest against him to reach him, I wrapped my arms around his neck and yanked his head down. My mouth hit his and for a few seconds he tensed in my grasp.
I pressed my lips harder against his, my legs trembling as I had to stay on tiptoe to reach his mouth.
Just like that, Cole relaxed into me, his hands coming to a gentle rest on my hips, his mouth now moving against mine.
Oh boy.
He had good lips.
Good, good lips.
And he smelled wonderful.
I had no idea a kiss without tongue could still curl your toes.
Um . . . Shannon . . .
Forcing myself to remember why I was doing this, I pulled back from him and stumbled a little as I dropped my arms and returned my feet flat to the floor.
Cole’s fingers pressed into my hips as he steadied me. “What—”
“Jessica,” I whispered. “Smile, like we’re together.”
“Excuse me,” the bewildered customer said in annoyance behind me, but he was cut off by a screeched “What the hell is going on?”
I turned around and Cole’s hands dropped from my hips. Jessica was standing by the reception desk, eyes round with horror.
“Jessica,” Cole began impatiently, but I cut him off.
“Stop stalking my boyfriend,” I said with as much menace as I could muster. I didn’t really do menacing, but I think I pulled off angry redhead well enough.
Cole grew still at my back.
Jessica, however, gasped, her hurt gaze flying to him. “Boyfriend? But . . .”
I’d so lost my patience with her crap. “How many times do you have to be told that it’s over?” I took a few steps toward her, but she didn’t back away from me like I’d hoped. “Or is this your game? You think you can bug the crap out of a guy until he gives in just to get you to stop? Well, not my guy.”
She made a huff of disbelief. “I don’t—”
“I’m not finished,” I snapped.
Her mouth clamped shut and that hurt puppy dog look was back.
My expression turned mean with calculation. “I take it you’re counting on graduating from Edinburgh College of Art?”
Confused, she nodded.
“I happen to be Professor Kris Lowery’s goddaughter. You’ll have heard of Kris, right, seeing as she’s the principal of the college?”
Jessica’s whole demeanor changed. Now she took a wary step backward.
“See, I don’t know if you’re stupid, selfish, or crazy, but I do know that harassment is beyond stressful, horrible, and downright criminal. I also know for a fact that Kris will not be happy to hear that one of her students has a report filed against her with the police for harassment. In fact, I’m thinking Kris will not like that at all.”
Jessica’s anxious gaze drifted over my head to Cole and then back to me.
I sighed, pouring every ounce of pissed-off impatience into the effect. “That look in your eyes tells me at least you’re not stupid. Just selfish, then.”
“I really like him.” She shrugged pathetically.
“Well, he’s a little preoccupied liking me, so from now on don’t call, don’t write, don’t turn up at his home, his work, or try to contact him in any way, because I’m a jealous girlfriend with a very doting godmother who will do just about anything for me. Understood?”