Typing at her computer.

Hell, she wasn’t even looking at him.

“Sorry if I was late to a meeting,” she said, not looking up. “I didn’t have anything on my calendar, but Outlook’s been so weird for me lately. Have you noticed—”

Cole ignored all of this, making it across the room in record time, moving around to Penelope’s side of the desk, and roughly spinning her chair to face him.

Except that this put her face level with his crotch, which was nice, but not exactly appropriate for the moment, so Cole slowly leaned down, his hands on either side of her against the desk as he caged her in.

“Cole?” She kept her shoulders straight as though unfazed, but her voice had gone decidedly breathy.

A good sign. Definitely.

He wanted to give her words. All the words. But first…

Cole couldn’t help himself from bending his head and pressing his lips to the soft skin just below her jaw. The tip of his tongue flicked out and he felt a surge of triumph when she shivered.

“Tell me you won’t be seeing him again,” he said, kissing her neck, slower this time.

“What? Who?”

Good. Excellent. She couldn’t even remember Kolb’s name.

“Todd Kolb.”

Cole gently raked his teeth against her neck and she gasped. “Oh, but…I really want to go to the game.”

“I’ll take you to the game,” he whispered.

She laughed softly. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

His stomach clenched and he pulled back slightly. “Because of your new boyfriend?”

Her nose scrunched. “What new boyfriend?”

“Don’t play games with me, Penelope.”

“When have I ever played games with you? I don’t even know how.”

Good point. She was a straight shooter.

“Todd Kolb,” he said. “Aren’t you dating him?”

“Dating him? I don’t even know him.”

Cole frowned. “What?”

“I just met him about ten minutes ago,” Penelope replied. “Cassidy introduced us because he thought I might like going to the game—”

“But Cassidy told me—” Cole broke off as the pieces snapped into place as he straightened.

Oh, hell. He’d been thoroughly played by his boss.

“That bastard,” he muttered.

“Who?” Penelope asked.

“Let’s just say Cassidy knew exactly what buttons to push,” he said, feeling foolish.

She motioned for him to back up. “Move, you’re making me crane my neck.”

“You crane your neck even when we’re both standing, Tiny.”

“True,” she said as she stood. “But at least when I’m standing I don’t feel quite so lamb to your lion.”

Any confidence Cole had felt at the way she’d responded to his neck nuzzling evaporated when she looked up at him with a cool expression.

He couldn’t tell what she was thinking. She looked utterly calm.

She crossed her arms and tilted her head. “Are you all right? You look kind of off.”

He let out a little laugh. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m off. I’ve been off weeks.”

“Well, I don’t know why you’re hollering at me about that. You dumped me—”

“I didn’t dump you.”

“Um, beg to differ. I came to be with you while your brother was in the hospital, bought balloons, and you said, and I quote, See you around, Pope. I actually went home and googled that, because I thought it might be a line from The Godfather, or some guy movie. But nope. Just you being a jerk.”

“I know. I know I did all that, I said all that.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “What are the chances we can pretend that day didn’t happen? That I didn’t act like a foolish ass?”

“Okay.”

Cole’s eyes flew open. “Okay?”

It couldn’t possibly be that easy.

“Okay,” she repeated with a little shrug. “Let’s say I give you a do-over. Let’s pretend we’re back on the sidewalk outside the hospital. What do you say?”

Oh. Fuck.

“Uh.”

She nodded. “Good start.”

He could do this.

“If I got a do-over…” He cleared his throat. “I’d tell you thanks for coming, of course.”

“Of course.”

“And I’d…Shit. Here’s the thing, Tiny. A few months ago, I made you a promise that I wouldn’t fall in love with you.”

She nodded slowly.

He stepped closer. “I’m going to have to break that promise.”

Penelope’s breath caught, and he lifted a hand to her face and pressed forward. “I’ve fallen in love with you, Penelope. Yes, that scares the shit out of me. And yes, it caused me to freak out. But my head’s out of my ass now, and I just, I want…I’m yours, Penelope. If you want me. Irresistibly yours.”

She stared at him, looking stunned, and Cole felt his chest tighten.

He dipped his head for a second, trying to gather his last bit of courage, before he looked up to meet her eyes. Tried again. “I love you. That’s all I’ve got. I love you.”

Penelope stood perfectly still as her eyes searched his face, not saying a word, her features betraying nothing.

Be patient. Be patient. You’ve treated her horribly, and she’ll need time. You can’t go begging—