8: BIRDS AND THE BEES

DELILAH

I stopped cold, mid-pick from another berry. One that Cole was all too happy to come up and place in my hand. “Wow, you scare easily after all. Is it that impossible after three hours of knowing him? I couldn’t make out the audio, but you seemed quite enamored with him. Why not another woman? You’re welcome to be as ~unprofessional~ as you want. Though honestly, I’ve read some of your articles on sex. It did have me a bit curious myself—” His eyes were warm and hungry as he looked down at me slowly putting a berry in his mouth. “—it’s too bad my brother already has a crush on you.”

I felt a small shiver come over me and my heart began to race. The feeling of uneasiness due to the overwhelming feelings rushing through my body. The sensation of hot and cold, between arousal and shame, the past I had left behind already in my face. As well as warring with the present situation of a very attractive man in front of me actively stating he wanted me in the first place for the first time in my life.

“I don't do that kind of work anymore,” I replied carefully. Willing myself to look relaxed as I bit into my berry as well. It was plump and well beyond delicious. I had never had one off the vine before, so I took a moment to focus on the flavor instead of the intensity of the moment closing my eyes. The burst of flavor was so much more than what I was used to.

It was a mistake, because as soon as I opened them Cole had advanced much closer than I had initially been comfortable with. Closing the distance in a way that filled the air between us with a strong tension. “I’m serious. The article titled ~Unicorn~ that you published three years ago? It was about two girls that had been best friends since they were babies, and the one that had written in was talking about how she had feelings of guilt that this wasn’t the life her best friend or significant other had wanted now that her best friend had ended up pregnant. Her best friend didn’t want the baby— but was willing to have it and be a part of its life.”

“They were going to raise it, and she wasn’t sure what to tell the kid. Yeah, she had a lot of feelings that I didn’t put in the article. I only posted snippets of her letter. It was a really long one,” I replied with furrowed brows. It was one of the last ones I had done, and one I had gotten a lot of criticism over. Why was that the one he was stuck on?

“You told her it sounded like she was afraid to be happy, since neither party had expressed feeling like that.”

I didn’t bat an eye, finally understanding where he was going. “Yes. In her entire letter, both parties had comforted her. It was a functional relationship, with both of them taking care of her needs. Is it the threesome you want to hear about, because honestly—”

“No,” Cole replied sharply, inching forward slightly, before stopping and grabbing a berry from my hand to hold it up. “It was the fact that you recognized she was afraid to be happy. I see the same thing in my brother.”

I wanted to believe him, but something about the way he looked at me and the way he said that was more. Like there was some strange challenge behind it. Did he really want to see his brother happy, or was this some sort of redemption mission?

Or… was it some way to find a reason to force him out of the company?

He had said he didn’t want to part ways, but I already had picked up on not just one but possibly two women that had come between them. I was not about to be another one, but the job was highly tempting. I had moved here with nothing, and one paycheck wasn’t going to get me off my air mattress anytime soon.

~Maybe there’s a way to not be another one if the issue was one sided.~

“Why do you want to interfere? Can’t your brother handle his own love life?” I probed, trying to figure out more about the situation.

Cole frowned, looking down at my lips. “He can, but I have a problem. I tend to like the same women he likes, and if they come on to me. Well…” His eyes rolled off to the side, and he sighed with a shrug. “It’s not like I try to ruin his relationships, so I’d like to make up for that.”

I felt honesty in his tone, and it made me feel for him. He was being genuine when it came to wanting better for his brother. That much was clear. “What about you?” I asked lightly, looking over at the bushes once more as if I were looking for another berry. “Are you looking for a wife too?”

“Huh? Me?” Cole laughed, rubbing his neck, shaking his head. “No, not at all, I’m probably a bachelor for life. I get bored of women after a couple of months when the chase is gone and they try to get comfortable. I’m just not the marriage type.”

“Okay, how long do you want me to take looking for this supposed wife to be?”

Cole gave me a weary look as I reached out to eat another berry, looking up at him with large curious eyes. Keeping my intentions to myself, and not reducing the intense space between us. If anything, I had stepped closer after the last berry.

“I suppose I could give you a few months depending on what you think you can accomplish, but I’d need results before I paid. If you stayed in the guest house, for example, and didn’t manage to—”

“A few months wouldn’t be hard at all, but I prefer my own home. I don’t like being bossed around at all hours.” His eyes drank me in with a dark hunger, his eyes running over my body language and back to my eyes and lips several times. I couldn’t resist a smile as I continued. “Business, for the logistics? I’d like a retainer, something to help me with gas and the basic necessities. It doesn’t have to be large. Once I’m out, I’m out until the job is finished. The exact price can be discussed when Seth says he’s in love, I won’t wait for a ring that’s up in the air and could take years depending on the person. As for pleasure?” I lowered my lashes for a moment, before looking up at him through them. Knowing the effect it had on men sometimes. “I’m ok with being detached if you are later.”

Cole’s jaw went a little slack as if he was surprised I was the one being forward. Blood likely rushing to the wrong appendage as his brain short-circuited.

Then?

I kissed him.

There was no protest from him, in fact, he wrapped his arms around me as his mouth shifted and began to hungrily drink in mine. His tongue warm as it explored my mouth, his body gripping mine. The heat building immediately as my head spun as the kiss grew into a strange feverish frenzy.

This was dangerous and chaotic— I pulled back slightly to get air momentarily before he gripped the back of my head his body molding to mine wanting more. Feeling his desire press against my thighs as I moved against him. Feeling his warmth as his hands roamed my body, letting mine move over the back of his torso as well as if trying to learn and memorize how his body fit against mine.

It felt like an eternity before our lips finally parted, our eyes holding one another before a small smile spread on his lips. “Well, aren’t you a fun one.”

I shrugged in response, pulling out of his arms casually as his embrace loosened. “When I feel like it. I’m still thirsty and I need to know more about your brother if I’m going to be juggling my day job though. So some of this—” My mouth lifted to meet his again. Hungry and bold.

He moaned, responding immediately with a hungry growl low in his throat. His tongue easily moving to meet mine, the same electric spark as before still just as thrilling. The sensation electrifying enough to pull away.

Looking at him with a dazed sort of smile I tilted my head and lifted a shoulder. “—will need to be secondary.”

Cole chuckled, shaking his head as he ran his fingers through his hair. Taking several moments to shake himself for a moment before I heard the lighter once more. Walking behind me as he cooled off from our interaction.

My adrenaline was pumping, wondering what the hell I was doing but unable to resist the temptation in front of me. It had been ages since I had had sex and Cole being detached and giving me the “fuck me” look was too much. Even though mixing sex with business wasn’t smart— I didn’t care.

Without any actions of my own, my world in Arizona had imploded. There had been a moment I thought my life was over and one person in life had completely destroyed me. While this felt like I was inviting more destructive chaos— I felt like I could thrive in it because I was the one that had a hand in its creation. Which meant I knew how it might very well end with little to no surprises.

“So if you’re the bachelor and he’s the settling down type. Do you think in your mind that maybe you’re just the ultimate test to see if a woman will choose him over you?” I wasn’t trying to be mean, simply trying to figure out why it kept happening. Especially if Cole really was so remorseful as he said he was.

“I guess I hadn’t thought of it like that. I haven’t ever come onto one of the girls intentionally so I guess you would be right in that perspective. That maybe if they’re coming to me, they don’t deserve my brother so why the hell not. I haven’t said that to him but it has crossed my mind a lot.”

It was my turn to turn around while I walked, seeing there was a large stretch of road without another crossing before the little store was coming into view. An orange sign just off in the distance I could see the 7/11 logo. “Alright, so we just find someone that’s not attracted to you and only attracted to Seth. It can’t be that hard, everyone has a type.”

Cole scoffed, flicking his ashes. “Have you seen me? I’m literally his clone.”

“That smokes,” I pointed out. “Seth doesn’t smoke, and a lot of girls hate smokers.”

“Are you saying you have a type Delilah? Do you hate smokers?” His voice purred, a small smirk crossing his features.

“I think you taste gross,” I responded flippantly. “But I liked the way your tongue moved in my mouth like it was fucking it.”

“God damn you’re vulgar.” He took another drag off his cigarette—the look he gave me something akin to one that said he wanted to pin me against a tree away from the road and fuck me here despite just meeting. Which in retrospect is what we would be doing later, but at least he knew better than to try it now.

There was a time and place for activities when you didn’t know one another well enough.

“Point taken, we certainly have different qualities. So you’re saying we need to find someone who likes Seth for his interests but dislikes mine enough to think I’m the worst twin?”

“Pretty much, but if you end up finding a wife for your brother with the advice I end up giving you; you’re still paying me.”

Cole chuckled, folding his arms in front of him. “Fair deal. So where do we look for his future bride first? I’d like to finish business so there can be more lucrative activities.”

I giggled, and then thought about it for a few moments considering his hobbies and thinking of options. “He’s interested in a lot of things, but he has a passion for cooking and macrame. Is he artistic at all? Or does he want to work on those skills? That’s a start considering a lot of women can be met that way. Plus if you’re busy with me, you’re less likely to screw up a relationship for Seth.”

Cole scoffed as I turned around, already knowing what he was about to say as we reached our destination. “What’s that supposed to mean? Haley and him were dating for months before she tried to fuck me.”

“Were you with anyone that entire time they were dating?” I asked, pausing at the door, curious.

He frowned, putting out his last cigarette in the ashtray on top of the trashcan, blowing out the last puff of smoke away from the doors. Cole was surprisingly polite for looking like such a bad boy. Maybe he had been trying to be a little thoughtful by sending Jewel—though part of me doubted it. I would have to ask him later if he sent her to see if I had picked up that she had been with them; it had certainly worked. She wore it like an ugly matted fur coat.

“No,” he said, his frown deep.

I gave him a pointed look, feeling more at ease with him than I did Seth. Perhaps it was his candid attitude or the way he spoke that made him seem almost more—approachable than Seth did. It was easy to see why a woman might be more responsive to his attitude. It was more outgoing whereas Seth’s seemed a little more reserved.

I opened the door, quickly grabbing snacks before heading to the checkout. The moment I went to grab my card Cole threw down his. Without missing a beat he looked me in the eye. “Retainer.”

Joy spread over my features, grabbing my items before leading the way out and holding the door for Cole who was giving me the stink eye as he shoved the receipt in his pocket. He apparently didn’t like me holding the door for him. I doubted he would like what I had to ask next much better as the door shut behind us.

“So what does your brother like in bed?”