the doorbell felt one hundred times more harrowing. The chime was so loud, she could hear it clearly right through the door. She turned away and stepped to the edge of the porch, surveying the crushed-stone drive that carved its way through the grass for a mile down to the main road. Up here on this hill, tucked away from the rest of the world, she couldn’t deny she was happy to be back in Royal. Even with everything waiting for her on the other side of that front door.
She turned back and took another try at getting someone to answer, this time jabbing the doorbell twice. She stood up on her tiptoes and looked through the glass at the top of the heavy wood door. In that instant, her eyes met Cole’s as he strode through the front hall.
Shoot.
She dropped down to her heels. Her heart was hammering like she’d just run to the house instead of driving. She pressed her hand to her heaving chest and backed up to the middle of the porch to give herself some space. Short and sweet. Keep it simple and get the heck out of Dodge.
She forced a smile as he opened the door but quickly realized just how pointless her preparations in the car had been. She was in no way ready to be in the company of tempting and towering Cole Sullivan. Not his muscular shoulders or broad chest. Not his haywire brown hair, so thick it had no choice but to stand nearly straight. And good God, it was damp. Had he just taken a shower? She was not ready for those ice-blue eyes or his tanned skin or the way his lips were slack and questioning right now. She was not yet ready to handle the way he was blinking at her, in utter shock. How could anyone make confusion so sexy?
“Well, well. If it isn’t Dani Moore. I heard you were back in town.” His voice was all swagger and ego, and that just made her mad. Of course he already knew she was back. How could she have been so stupid to have thought any less of him? Cole stepped over the threshold, leaving him a single stride away.
Instinctively, she took another step back. She could feel exactly how drawn she was to him. Her body wanted nothing more than to press against the hard planes of his body and kiss him. Her brain was well aware of how foolish that idea was, and it was prepared to do anything to protect her. “Yes. I’m back.”
“Six years and you just show up on my front porch?” He shook his head and laughed mockingly.
Dani failed to see what was so damn funny. “Hell, yes, six years and I just show up on your front porch. I was afraid that if I called, you’d lock up the whole ranch so tight no one would ever get in.” She sucked in a deep breath to quiet her thumping heart. She could do this. Even if seeing him had her ready to abandon common sense and fling herself into his arms. No wonder she’d been so hung up on him for years. Seeing Cole Sullivan was like coming home.
“So this is a permanent change?” His thick eyebrows drew together, making it hard to answer in a timely fashion.
“I’m the new executive chef at the Glass House.”
“That’s a pretty fancy gig.” Cole leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Of course it’d have to be to pry you away from the glamour of New York.”
She pursed her lips. How dare he take that tone? “It wasn’t about the glamour. Going to New York was about putting myself on the map in the culinary world. And it was about getting as far away from you as possible.”
He smiled wide, and damn if it didn’t make the desire to kiss him that much stronger. “Gotta love that trademark honesty of yours. It’s refreshing.”
“I’m not here to entertain you. I don’t want things to be awkward or uncomfortable if we run into each other, and you know how this town is. We’ll definitely cross paths. I just don’t want any trouble.”
“If you don’t want things to be awkward, come and have a drink.” He gave a nod inside.
“This isn’t social hour, Cole. This was supposed to be a quick visit.”
He cocked an arrogant eyebrow at her. “If it’s not social, why are you wearing a dress designed for stopping traffic?” He looked her up and down, his determined gaze making it feel as though she was wearing nothing at all. “Not that I’m complaining. I’ve always loved this particular view, and I have to say, it’s improved with time.”
Heat bloomed in her chest and ran the length of her body. Damn the more girlish parts of her. Why did they have to be so thrilled by the revelation that he thought she looked good? Oh, right, because that had been part of her plan. She’d wanted to mow him over with her assets. Well, good. She’d accomplished that much. “This old thing? I’m still unpacking, and it was the first thing hanging in my closet.”
The skepticism was all over his face. “Uh-huh. Well, it seems a shame to put that old thing to waste. Come in and have a glass of scotch”
“No, thank you.”
“I have a bottle of twelve-year Johnnie Walker Black from the ’70s. My dad had it in his cellar. I know you love your scotch.”
Shoot. She did love scotch, and being around Cole had her needing to soothe her ragged nerves. Plus that bottle of water she drank in the car on the way over? It had been a bad idea. She needed to use the ladies’ room, pronto. Even so, it didn’t matter. This was Cole Sullivan. He hadn’t just trampled her heart, he’d driven over it with his big old pickup. She would never forgive him for that.
Anger rose in her like floodwaters. “I told you, no. Don’t think that you can just sweet-talk me and I’ll be nice to you.” She whipped around so fast her skirt twirled. That hadn’t been her aim, but it did make for good drama. “See ya around, Cole.” She waved, not looking at him, thundering down the stairs.
“Dani. Come back. Stop being ridiculous.”
She stopped dead in her tracks. “Ridiculous? What exactly about this is ridiculous? You treated me like crap, Cole. I nursed you back to health after your accident and how did you reward my undying devotion? You broke up with me.” With every word out of her mouth, she was only getting more and more infuriated. She planted a finger dead in the center of his chest. “You are a jerk. And I don’t have drinks with jerks. End of story.”
She reached for her car door handle, but the next thing she knew, Cole had his hand on her arm. His touch was tentative, but it was enough to make her shudder. Her heart fluttered. White hot desire coursed through her veins. He sent a tidal wave of recognition through her, something for which she’d been wholly unprepared.
Cole acted out of pure instinct, tearing down his driveway after Dani. Damn, the woman could run in heels. Luckily, his long legs carried him fast enough to give him an edge and he caught her, wrapping his hand around her arm before she could open the car.
The instant he touched her, he knew he’d made a colossal mistake. He knew it all the way down to the soles of his feet. There was too much fire between them. Always had been and probably always would be. Sure, that had been years ago, and a lot had changed since then, but he should have known better. Still, he couldn’t let her run off like this.
“Dani, don’t. Please don’t leave. It’s okay to still be mad.”
She whipped around, sending a trail of her sweet perfume straight to his nose. How could he have forgotten how beautiful she was? Glossy black hair, fiery brown eyes and red lips that could make a man forget what exactly he’d come for. “I do not need your permission to be mad. I’ll be mad for the rest of my life if I feel like it.”
One thing was for sure—Cole was sorely out of practice in the art of taming Dani. “I know. I’m sorry. You’re right.”
She tried to wrestle her arm from his grip, but that bit of friction between them—warm skin against warm skin—sent a flood of memories through his brain. Dani had always done this to him. She’d always brought everything back to life. He’d just forgotten how good it felt to have a taste