Chapter 22 "Who do you miss, Kitten?"
Cole Ryder's POV:
I couldn’t stop thinking about the wsy her voise sounded when she sad those words. Even in her sleep, the yearning... the pure yearning in her voice unsettled me.
Who did she miss? The only constant male in her life was her father. I tried to let it slide, to be the bigger man, but I couldn’t. I needed to know who had made her cry.
I pulled the black rose from my pocket and the note I had originally meant to leave for her. It was supposed to be a playful riddle to make her rack her brain a little more, trying to fingure out who I really was. But jealousy had a way of changing things.
When she stepped out of her room, I dropped the rose and note, and slipped another under her phone, and walked out.
I leaned against my black bike, taking shallow, rapid breaths until my lungs burned. Who was that? I needed to find out. I wasn’t going to let it go without knowing.
It felt good to no longer sit behind a car just to watch her, feeling the eind from the nights air on my face did its best to calm my wild jealousy down.
Not long after, she came out. The terror in her eyes hit me like a punch. And yet, she hadn’t barricaded herself inside. She had chosen to take a walk. Any other girl would have stayed hidden, paralyzed. But not my little Kitten, she was a force, a vixen.
She wore baggy trousers and a large T-shirt that swallowed her tiny frame completely. On anyone else, it would have looked ridiculous, but on her, it was effortless. Homeless and elegant all at once. My chest tightened as she walked down her stairs snd into the road. Fuck. She was stunning.
Her eyes locked on me from a short distance inwatched as they became wide and suspicious. I really could not wait for her eyes and thoughts toward me to eventually change. For now, I would just have to enjoy my wide-eyed kitten. She walked cautiously toward me, stopping just out of my reach, like she was scared I was going to grab her.
“What are you doing here, Mr. Cole?” she demanded, her voice quivering.
I shrugged, forcing the easiest words I could produce. “This is a public street, love.”
Her brows drew together. “That doesn’t make sense. You’re clearly following me. Are you paying me back for following you down that corridor? Is that it?”
I let a small, dry laugh escape. “Do you always talk to yourself, love?” I asked casually, letting my gaze drift over her.
I kept my expression neutral, though I could feel my pulse quicken.
Her brows furrowed. “What? What do you mean?”
“You talk to mirrors, sinks, your bed… your dishes. I just thought I’d ask.” I let my gaze linger on her reaction, watching her colour rise.
She froze, her jaw tightening. Bingo. We were getting somewhere.
“You...you perverted bastard! You were in my house?! You dropped the note, asking me who I missed. It was you!” Her voice cracked.
I held her gaze, calm. “Your imagination is wild, love. But answer me this—I’m curious. Who do you miss?”
"I already have too much on my plate right now... please...please don't double my trouble for me" she said looking scared and annoyed at the same time.
"Who do you miss, Kitten?"
"Mr. Cole... that is none of your business. You need to establish a clear boundary. You need to stay away from me."
"Who made you cry in your sleep?"
"Will you stop asking me these questions? What is your problem?"
"Who do you miss, Kitten... I won’t stop until you answer.
Her lips trembled. She scanned me like I was a predator, then finally hissed, “My father! Goddammit!”
Dark, shadowy joy spread throughout my body and dark soul. Her father. It was her father she missed. Relief flooded my mind. It wasn’t some strange man promising her a normal life. It was her father. Good.
She wiped her hands on her baggy shirt and asked again, hesitantly, “Were you in my house?”
“Nope,” I replied, popping my collar and slipping on my dark glasses. Her squint said she didn’t know whether to believe me.
“Then why come all the way here? And don’t say it’s a public road, Cole. There are loads of public roads on your side of town, wherever the heck that is”
I drew out a small smile at her words. She had been thinking of me. “Actually… I came to return this.” I pulled her novel from my jacket and handed it to her.
Her eyes went wide. “How did you…”
“I’ve got questions about your book, Cee,” I said smoothly.
Her chest heaved. Fear and disbelief swirled in her expression. Good. Fear wasn't our enemy. Fear kept you safe from whatever was meant to hurt you. A little fear kept her sharp, it made her cautious. And I liked that.
“I didn’t steal it,” I added, noticing her eyes scanning me. I wanted her to understand I was serious, even if my methods were… unusual.
“And as a matter of fact,” I continued, letting the words sink in, “I’ve had it for months.”
She blinked. "Months?”
“Yes. I need to speak to you about your book.”
“I’m not asking for sponsorship,” she cut in, voice trembling slightly.
“I’m not offering it. But… it could be arranged,” I said, letting my tone hover somewhere between playful and serious. She studied me, her gaze trying to read my intentions.
“You’re not planning to take me somewhere dark and kiss me before disappearing again, are you?” Her voice was sharp, wary.
I almost smiled. She had noticed my absence. She had counted the days. That thought warmed me more than any sun ever could.
“No. I won’t. Unless you ask,” I said, my voice softer now.
“Save it. I won’t ask. And I won’t go anywhere with you like this,” she said, gesturing to her baggy clothes.
I assessed her...the oversized T-shirt, the loose pants, the way she tried to look small, and unthreatening. Nothing was above me. But she… she was different. She was a welcome challenge to all the women that three themselves at me.
“You can change at home. Or I can have a dress delivered to you. You pick,” I said, my tone low, teasing.
She stared at me, incredulous. No words, only a wary, tight-lipped silence.
A shrill sound cut the tension. My instincts went on high alert. She fumbled in her pockets for her phone, signalling she’d answer it.
“Hey, girl… you good? Your voice is weird… oh… oh no… definitely… uh huh… I’m so sorry, baby, I know how much you liked him… I’ll meet you there, yeah? Ok, honey, see you soon,” she rattled off.
She sighed, tense, and said finally, “My friend needs me. So we’ll have to take a rain check on this discussion.”
I watched her leave, my heart still thundering with obsession, desire, and fear. My kitten didn’t trust me yet. And that was exactly how it should be.