Page 57 of Double Booked

“What makes you think she wants to see you?” Cole said.

“You must be Cole,” Patrick replied, sounding cool yet polite.

“That’s right.”

“I’m Patrick.”

“I know who you are,” Cole muttered.

“There are two cars in the driveway, so I assume Eden is here.”

“She doesn’t want to speak to you.”

“Are those your words or hers?”

Eden could only imagine the look on Cole’s face. From her vantage point, she saw the stiff set of his shoulders and back. Then it struck her that he was shirtless. If Patrick hadn’t already deduced something was going on between them, he did now.

“Nothing you say or do is going to change her mind about you,” Cole sneered.

“How long have you known her, two weeks? You can’t possibly know what she’s thinking.”

Eden swallowed hard and waited for Cole’s response.

“I know that you ditched her for an office fling, or was it an emotional affair?”

Her heart rate spiked. Typically, Patrick was calm and levelheaded, but if Cole continued provoking him, she wasn’t sure what he’d do.

“You have no right to judge me. You don’t even know me.”

“I know that you hurt her, and she’ll never trust you again. You wasted your time coming here.”

“That’s for me to decide, not you.” Then Patrick peered around Cole and called out, “Eden?”

Crap! She sunk back into the shadows.

Both men were silent for a few beats.

“Like I said, she doesn’t want to talk to you.” Cole started to close the door, but Patrick shot his hand out and prevented it.

“I’m not going anywhere until I see her.”

Keeping her gaze on the men, Eden cautiously moved forward and paused on the landing. Cole’s hands were clenched into fists at his sides, and his back muscles were glistening. He’d worked up a sweat even with the cold air flowing in through the open door. Suppressing a shiver, she pulled the robe tighter around herself.

“I’m going to ask you politely to please leave,” Cole stated firmly.

“You think you’re better than me, don’t you? Yet, you’re preying on a woman who’s emotionally vulnerable, and you barely know. How does that make you better than me?”

Cole started to raise his hands, and just as he took a step forward, she yelled out. “Stop!”

Patrick pushed the door open the rest of the way, and both men turned their attention to the top of the stairs.

Patrick’s gaze roamed over her, taking in her messy hair, robe, and bare feet, and surely reaching the logical conclusion. Still, he came inside and shut the door behind him. Cole stayed frozen in place, and both men watched as she slowly descended the stairs. Her heart pounded out of her chest as she came and stood before them.

Patrick looked from her to Cole and back again. “Can we talk somewhere in private?”

“No. Whatever you have to say, you can say it right here.” She sounded braver than she felt.

Patrick slowly nodded and took a step closer. Cole’s jaw clenched, but he crossed his arms over his chest and stayed put.