Edible

22

It’s official, Rachel thought as she stared slack jawed at Cole from across the trunk of the car. This man is fucking insane.

“What did you just say?” her brother practically growled.

The sound was so foreign coming from her usually congenial brother that Rachel lost the words she was about to yell at Cole, and instead, she spun around to face Mason. That was when she heard Cole’s reply.

“I said I married your sister on Saturday.”

“Oh my god,” Lena muttered.

“Not helping, Cole,” Rachel pointed out as she faced her seething brother.

If she had been worried at all about her dealing with Mason’s wrath over the matrimony, she needn’t have bothered. All of his annoyance and anger was solely focused on Cole.

“Mase, come on, calm down,” Rachel tried to reason with him.

“I will calm down when you tell me that what he just said is bullshit.”

Um, not going to happen. What he said is all true.

“If you just listen, may—”

“Maybe, what?” Mason finally demanded, turning to pin her with a look full of anger, confusion, and something much worse—disappointment. “Maybe you’ll finally tell me why you’ve been acting so distant lately? Or why you have decided to stop talking to everyone? Or maybe you will explain to me how you ended up married to a guy you don’t even know!”

Rachel took a deep breath and balled her fists at her sides. She tried to remind herself that this was Mason, her brother. He was the one person in the world who loved her unconditionally. Well, he used to be the only one.

As she glanced across the car to where Cole was standing next to a shocked face Lena, Rachel felt herself calm. Cole was looking at her with such certainty. He believed in her and trusted her to do the right thing here.

Looking back at Mason, Rachel squared her shoulders. She was never one to back down from any argument, and so she simply replied, “I love him.”

“Excuse me? You just met him!” Mason exclaimed, pointing his finger at her.

Rachel reached out and gripped his finger. “And you haven’t even bothered to meet him!”

She watched as her brother’s blue eyes narrowed on her, and he dropped his hand.

“You never bothered to introduce us, Rachel. Or did you forget that?”

“Of course, I didn’t forget! I didn’t bother introducing you because the one night he turned up at the restaurant, you acted like an idiot. And you’re doing the same right now.”

“I’m acting like an idiot? Oh, that’s rich. I don’t know what you expect from me,” Mason told her through clenched teeth.

“I expect you to quit acting like an ass, and instead, be the supportive brother I know and love.”

Mason shook his head and pushed his hands into his jeans pockets. “Yeah? Well, when the sister I know and love shows up, maybe she’ll be able to find him.”

Rachel felt her heart physically ache as Mason turned on his heel and marched to the back door of Exquisite where he wrenched open the door and stormed inside. When it slammed shut behind him, she turned to face Cole and Lena, who were both staring at her silently. Lena’s expression was contemplative, and Cole’s—damn him—was proud.

With a quick nod and a fake smile, Rachel announced, “Well, that went well.”

Cole watched Lena as she moved around the car to where Rachel was standing. The two women whispered back and forth before they both turned to face him. Knowing he was the topic of conversation, he raised his left hand and gave a quick wave.

Well, that little reveal to Mason had not gone well, not that Cole had expected it to. The man had taken the pissed-off brother act to brand new heights. Mason was raging mad.

The cool air started to bite, and as Cole made his way toward the women, he heard Lena assuring Rachel.

“He’ll come around. He’s been so worried about you lately. And this? Well, this is a bit of a shock.”

When Cole stopped at the end of the car, Rachel looked to him and gave a small smile.

“Want to head inside?” he asked as Lena also turned to face him.

He waited for accusations of coercion, but instead, he got a huge grin.

“Come on, it’s time to meet the rest of the family, brother,” Lena announced.

Rachel let out a small laugh as she moved toward him. She slid her hands inside his jacket and around his waist, laying her cheek on his chest. “You ready?” she whispered, looking up at him from beneath dark lashes.

Cole removed his hands from his pockets and smoothed them over her hair. “As ever. You?”

“No.” She chuckled nervously.

Leaning down, he kissed her on the forehead.

Glancing up, he noticed Lena was watching them closely. Her eyes softened, and she mouthed, Thank you.

That’s an odd thing to say, Cole thought.

As Lena turned and made her way to the back door, he pulled away from Rachel and took her hand in his.

“Come on, let’s do this.”

Well, this is awkward, was all Rachel could think as she sat beside Cole at their family table in the dining room of Exquisite.

Mason was seated at the head of the table where he always sat, and Lena was off to his left. Beside her were two empty chairs—one for Shelly and one for Josh—who, of course, hadn’t arrived yet because they were running late. Great, just when I’d kill for some of Shelly’s over-the-top attitude, she’s nowhere in sight. And that left the seats to Mason’s right where she was sitting with Cole.

Mason still hadn’t said a word to her. Instead, he was staring…no, glaring at Cole.

“So, Cole, what do you do?” Lena finally asked, attempting to break the arctic ice surrounding the table.

“He’s a lawyer,” Mason answered before Cole had the opportunity to open his mouth.

Rachel tensed, knowing how much it annoyed Cole to be interrupted or cut off in a conversation, but instead of saying anything, Cole took the much higher road than her pouting brother.

“Yes, Mason’s correct, I’m a lawyer. In fact, I’m the lawyer for Joshua’s company.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Lena gave a forced laugh. “I knew that.”

“No problem. I don’t mind you asking or getting to know me,” he pointed out, turning shrewd eyes on Mason.

The man has a death wish. Of that, Rachel was certain.

“You know,” Mason replied in a frosty tone, “that’s the kind of thing a man does when he introduces himself to the family before he dates or marries a woman.”

“Mason,” Lena hissed.

She wasn’t even getting through to the imposter that had taken over Rachel’s usually levelheaded brother.

“Well, in my defense, the last time we met, you didn’t seem very open to getting to know me,” Cole said.

Rachel could feel her heart hammering inside her chest while her head was pounding with the headache she could feel coming on.

“That’s because Lena and Shelly told me that Rachel would never date a man like you—ever.”

“Mason!” Both Lena and Rachel shouted as they glared at the man who was usually so loving, usually so open.

Rachel wanted to hit something—Mason, in particular—as she shot a death stare in his direction.

What a complete disaster.

Thinking she would have some major explaining to do, Rachel turned to see Cole was looking at her with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. She liked to imagine that the amusement was for her and the annoyance for her brother.

Under the table, she felt a hand move to her thigh where Cole squeezed gently before he looked past her to Mason.

“Good thing I don’t ever take no for an answer then, isn’t it? And while your point is valid, technically, we didn’t even finish our first date.” Cole paused and looked back at Rachel with a smirk injected with a healthy dose of irritation.

The look almost made Rachel want to wince.

“When was that?” Cole asked Rachel conversationally before turning back to Mason. “Oh yes, Thursday night. A week after Rachel began, hmm…seeing me. Yes, our first date was definitely Thursday night, marriage license was Friday, and the wedding Saturday. You’ve got to love the efficiency of the county clerk’s office, don’t you?”

Like a missile being launched, Mason shot out of his chair. Just as he was about to open his mouth, the back door swung open, and Shelly sauntered in, dressed in a black pencil skirt and blue blouse. With a bottle of wine in one hand and Josh holding the other, she gave them all a warm smile.

“Sorry, we’re late, guys. We got held up in traffic,” she announced.

Josh dropped her hand and swatted her gently on the ass. “I don’t remember there being any traffic.”

Shelly laughed with Josh as she placed the bottle on the table beside the one they were all seated at…well, except for Mason who was still standing. She finally glanced at the other people in the room, and when her eyes moved to the man sitting beside Rachel, her mouth fell open. Not being the shy or retiring type, Shelly stepped up to the back of the empty chair with a sly smile.

“Well, well, well,” she muttered as she let her eyes move back and forth between Rachel and Cole. “Isn’t this an unexpected treat? Rachel brought a date to dinner.”

Josh, wearing his usual jeans and T-shirt, stepped up next to Shelly and looked at Cole. Cole nodded in acknowledgment to Josh before turning to look at Shelly.

Rachel knew it only took Josh a second to sense the mood in the room, and as he looked to where Mason was standing at the head of the table with a clenched jaw and a pissed-off expression, she could see his mind whirling.

“Cole,” Josh greeted cautiously as he pulled out his seat.

Before Josh could sit, Mason started to laugh like some kind of lunatic. His eyes shut, and he held his stomach as the hilarity of whatever he was thinking seemed to get the better of him.

Rachel watched as Shelly turned to Lena, who was silently shaking her head.

Then, in true Shelly style, she asked, “What the hell have you been smoking, Mason?”

Mason finally got himself under control and sat down.

Turning to Josh and Shelly, who were now both seated opposite Rachel and Cole, he finally spoke. “Let me introduce you, not to Rachel’s date, but to her husband. Josh, I believe you already know him.”

Cole kept his eyes focused on his friend and employer, Joshua. As the news seemed to finally make its way past the shock factor, Cole saw his friend look immediately to where Rachel was looking back at him and Shelly.

“Married?” Shelly shouted, slapping her hand on the table. “Shut the fu—”

“Shel,” Josh interrupted the stunning blonde while still looking at Rachel with an expression of worry and confusion.

“What?” Shelly demanded on a laugh.

Well, hell, Cole thought, at least someone is amused.

“This is priceless. I’ve been waiting for Super Domme to finally admit she liked this guy, and here she is married to him!” Leaning back on her chair, Shelly reached around Josh and poked Lena in the side. “You owe me fifty bucks.”

“Hang on. You took a bet about this? That they would get married?” Mason asked as he glared at his wife.

“No, I took a bet that they would end up dating,” Lena muttered.

Cole sat back in his chair and watched the chaos unfold. He had to admit he was extremely curious about Shelly calling Rachel Super Domme. It was a point that Mason had obviously missed, or he would have—

“And why are you calling her Super Domme?”

Okay, no, he didn’t miss it.

“Mason, I think you need to calm down,” Lena advised as she reached across to where his palm was clenched on the table.

“I think someone needs to start fucking talking!” Mason shouted as he turned his eyes to where Rachel sat silently, watching everything swirl around them.

Cole was going to let her answer. He was sure of it, but then the look on her face told him she had no idea what she wanted to say, and he hated that she felt so cornered. So, he stepped in.

“I think you should calm down, Mason. If and when Rachel wants to talk to you about it, I’m sure she will.”

“Cole, I think you should probably let them talk.”

The low warning came from Joshua, and as Cole zoomed in on him, he asked, “Is that the advice of my friend or from a man who once kissed my wife?”

“What?” Shelly sputtered, her mouth falling open.

“Oh, that’s really mature, Cole,” Joshua pointed out.

“I don’t particularly think anyone is acting very mature at this table, so why should I?”

“What does he mean you kissed Rachel?” Shelly asked again, looking back and forth between Rachel and her fiancé. Then her face split into a grin as it dawned on her. “Oh, you mean when you were teenagers? I think it’s sweet.”

“Oh. My. God! Would you all just shut up?” Rachel finally yelled as she stood and glared at everyone.

Cole sat in silent admiration as she turned on Mason.

“You owe Cole an apology.”

“I will not—”

“What?” she demanded, interrupting him. “Act like an adult? Right now, you are acting like a teenager who wants to beat up my boyfriend you disapprove of. And if I remember correctly, you never did that to him,” she accused, pointing at Josh, who was now sitting back in his chair with his arm slung over the back of Shelly’s chair.

“You dated Josh?”

This question came from Lena, who looked like she was trying to hold back a grin. Cole noticed the side of her mouth twitching, and he knew she was struggling.

“No, I didn’t date Josh. I had a crush on him in high school.”

“A huge one,” Shelly added with a smile.

“Awww.” Lena finally lost the battle, and the grin broke free. “That’s very sweet. I bet he was a real sweetheart in high school.”

“He was her first kiss,” Shelly interjected, receiving a frosty glare from Rachel. “What?” Shelly feigned innocence. “It is sweet. And I have it on good authority that he is an excellent kisser.”

Cole could tell Rachel was close to losing her cool as she let her eyes move over everyone sitting at the table.

“This must be so much fun for you all, and I get it. I used to give you all shit when you brought someone new in. I don’t have any issue with that, but you…” She paused, turning to her brother. “I expected so much more from you.”

Cole saw the way that comment hit Mason. His eyes clouded, and Cole could sense the anger draining from him, but Rachel wasn’t finished. She leaned down until she was nose-to-nose with her brother.

“You haven’t only embarrassed me, which I expected and probably deserved, but you have hurt and humiliated me tonight. I never thought you would ever do that.”

Pushing the chair back, Rachel threw her napkin on the table and looked across to where Josh was silently staring up at her.

“Nothing to say? I’m surprised. I figured since you and Shelly must have had a fantastic laugh about me behind my back that you would be full of comments right now.”

“Rach, it’s not like that.”

“Save it, Josh. I thought at least you would be on my side.”

Cole glanced over to his friend, who was now frowning.

“I would like to leave,” Rachel requested softly.

Standing, Cole buttoned his jacket and nodded to the table. “It’s been…interesting.”

And with that, he took Rachel’s hand, and they left the table, heading out the same way they had come in.

The entire drive home, Rachel had been running through everything that had just happened, and she felt numb. Going in, she had known that Mason would be annoyed, but she had at least expected him to calm down enough to listen. His reaction had been unlike anything she had seen before. It was like he was a powder keg, and someone had lit the fuse. Rachel was still blown away by the ferocity of his anger.

“Hey,” Cole said, his voice sliding through the interior of the car.

“Hey.”

“Mason will come around,” he tried to reassure.

“Honestly, I’m so angry at him right now that I don’t care if he does.”

“Yes, you do.”

“You’re right,” she admitted begrudgingly as she stared out the window. “I do care. I just don’t understand why he is so mad.”

There was a long pause, and then she felt Cole’s large palm on her thigh.

“Strange emotions can take over when a person no longer feels needed.”

Rachel placed her hand over Cole’s and looked at his profile in the dark confines of the vehicle. “Huh. You think that’s what was going on tonight?”

Cole shrugged a little before he responded softly, “Perhaps. I get angry about my mother’s situation, and it’s usually because I feel unable to do anything about it. It’s like I am suddenly no longer necessary.”

As they pulled into the parking garage at his condo, Rachel turned in the seat to face him. “But that’s not true. By you going there, you help her. You give her moments of happiness.”

“I guess. Maybe Mason feels like he’s lost you.”

“Well that’s ridiculous, and it doesn’t excuse his moronic behavior.”

“No, it doesn’t,” he agreed.

He unlocked the doors, and they climbed out to head inside.

Making their way through the lobby, they got into the elevator silently and Rachel leaned back against the far wall, staring at the numbers lighting up in front of her.

4, 5, 6, 7…

Cole remained beside her but touched her in no way. For a moment, she worried that he had changed his mind after witnessing the chaos that was her family.

11, 12, 13, 14…

“Don’t change your mind,” she blurted out into the silent space.

There was a second of silence.

“Look at me.”

Turning her head against the back wall, Rachel found Cole facing her.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Blinking once, Rachel looked away and closed her eyes on a sigh. As the elevator climbed, she heard nothing, except for the whisper in her ear.

“Tell me what you need.”

She knew the whisper was real, and she knew he could give her the one thing she wanted more than anything right now—to feel. When she opened her eyes, the elevator dinged and lit up number 26. Rachel pushed away from the back wall and turned to face her husband.

“I need you to make me forget about tonight. Take me someplace new.”

Stepping up close to him, she placed her hands on his chest. As the doors swished open, Rachel felt Cole’s fingers trace her cheek.

“That, I can do. Let me show you my office.”

His office?

It must have been behind one of those shut doors she hadn’t been in yet.

Silently, she took his hand and trusted him to make good on his word.