She held up her free hand—the one that wasn’t linked with Cole’s—and stopped the other man’s words.

“Hold on, Ev, just because I forgive you doesn’t mean we’re going back to the way things were. Even if I were still in Chicago, we can’t go back. You’re not my colleague anymore and you’re certainly not my friend. I don’t know that you ever were.”

Evan swallowed, looking increasingly panicked now. “I dumped Tara because of you. Because I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

Cole cleared his throat pointedly, but Evan ignored him.

She shrugged again. “That’s not my problem, Evan.”

Evan gave a small smile, which Cole supposed was intended to look regretful but instead looked smarmy. “Come on, Pen. Give me a second chance. I deserve at least one more. Three strikes you’re out, and all that.”

Cole tensed. Enough with this bullshit. Cole enjoyed a sports reference as much as the next guy, but this was too much. Treating relationships like a game. Treating Penelope’s heart like it was some field to be navigated…

Cole wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Barstow, the job you stole from Penelope pays well, right?”

Evan blinked. “Um, what?”

“Good,” Cole said, as though the other man had responded affirmatively. “Then you won’t mind paying? I think we’re done here.”

Cole held out a hand to Penelope, his heart silently begging her not to reject it.

She placed her hand in his.

Placed her trust in him.

Penelope stood. “Goodbye, Evan.”

Cole listened carefully for any sign of misplaced regret in her voice and was relieved to hear nothing but finality.

They walked hand in hand from the restaurant, not bothering to turn around to see if Evan Barstow was sputtering about being stuck with the check or whether he was sitting there in shock.

Cole didn’t really give a fuck.

He’d done what he’d come here to do. He’d helped free Penelope from the past that was holding her back from knowing how fucking amazing she was.

They didn’t speak as they exited the restaurant. Cole hailed a cab, but after giving the driver Penelope’s address, he felt uncharacteristically at a loss for words, so they said nothing.

He had no idea what the next move was here. They’d all but wiped the floor with Evan, yet there was another hurdle ahead of them tonight. A more important one than the shadowy asshole in Penelope’s past.

How had Cole not realized that tonight wasn’t about Evan? Not really.

Tonight was about them—about him and Penelope.

They hadn’t slept together since before his completely idiotic idea to hold back from her until she reached for him—wanted him.

So far, his plan was backfiring. Penelope had been friendly all week, but she’d hardly been hurling her naked body at him in darkened corners.

What did he even want from her?

Suddenly Cole felt tired. Bone-tired in that way one gets when one desperately wants something that seems to be getting farther and farther away by the minute.

Something he didn’t know how to ask for. Something important.

Wordlessly they emerged from the car, walking side by side, before stopping in the familiar spot. The same place where he’d kissed her, twice now.

Cole tried to think of some clever quip about déjà vu, but he had nothing.

All he wanted was to pull her toward him—to kiss her until she begged him to take her upstairs. But he knew all too well how kissing Penelope on the sidewalk turned out. He ended up walking away with blue balls and, more recently, a pain in his chest.

She seemed to sense his mood, because her happy smile had faded slightly. “Hey, so, thanks for tonight. I’m sure it wasn’t your favorite way to spend a Friday night—”

“It was fine.”

“Cole, people only say ‘fine’ when things are anything but.”

“I had a good time,” he said slowly. “Really.”

“But…?” she prompted.

He could only stare at her. What could he possibly say?

That he hated that the only reason she’d brought him along tonight was to make Evan jealous? That he hated the fact that she had to be coaxed into hanging out with him, and sleeping with him and kissing him…

“But nothing, Tiny,” he said with a quiet sigh. He stepped closer, wrapping his hands around her upper arms and pulling her up slightly so he could press his lips to her forehead. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Okay,” she said slowly. She sounded confused.

You and me both, darling.

He gave her a wink, figuring he could at least try to act like himself, and then he walked away, wondering if he should stop for a drink on the way home. Wondered if he could muster any kind of interest in a woman. Maybe one who actually wanted—

“Cole!”

He turned, saw Penelope racing toward him. It was a full-out run too. Full speed, so that he had to brace himself for impact, supporting her small body as she collided with his.

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Cole froze. It was the first time Penelope had initiated a kiss, and the shock of it had him rooted to the spot, until slowly he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her against him.

Her fingers tangled in his hair as she kissed him with artless enthusiasm. She pulled back, giving him one last nipping kiss before digging her fingers into his hair and pulling his face down to look at hers.