Wait up, Cole. I’ll walk with you,” she called to his retreating form.

He sighed but stopped at the door and waited while she said her goodnights.

“Thanks,” she told him as they began their ascent upstairs. Worried about his pallor and the fatigue slumping his shoulders, she put her hand on his arm when they reached the top. “What are you trying to do? Work yourself to death?”

“Drop it, Jordan.” He yanked his arm out of her grasp. “I’m not in the mood.”

She brushed his irritation aside and searched his face. “You have to stop doing this to yourself, Cole. You need to slow down.”

“And you need to mind your own damned business!”

She ignored him. “There’s more to life than just work. What happened to that mischievous boy I knew?” 

“He died.”

Her hissed breath echoed down the hall. “Cole McCall! That’s a horrible thing to say and I refuse to believe that.” She gripped his shoulders hard. “He’s still in there and I’m going to find him. And when I do…I’m going to kick his ass for letting you take over.”

“There’s nothing wrong with me, Jordan,” he scoffed. “I grew up. You should try it.”

She dropped her hands and laughed. “Yeah, you sure got me pegged, McCall. I’m not responsible at all.”

“Maybe you are as far as work is concerned, but you need to stop trying to change me, Jordan.” His eyes flashed a silent warning.

She hated warnings.

“No.”

“What do you mean no?”

“Just what I said. I won’t stop trying to change you because I don’t particularly like you. I want you gone and the old Cole back.”

He grasped her upper arms and sneered. “Too damn bad. This is who I am now. The old Cole might’ve put up with your antics but I won’t.”

Her heart raced out of control but she stood her ground. “Oh no? Well, I’m not going to stop just because you tell me to. So, what are you going to do about it, Mr. Personality?”

“This!” He pinned her against the wall and pressed into her with his body.

Sensations—hot and frenzied, scorched a path to her core. The resulting shudder had her looking up at him in a daze.

Triumph gleamed in his darkened eyes. He leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “Seems you like me after all, Jordan.”

Anger cancelled her yearnings.

She pushed out of his hold, then twisted to face him. “It’s your body I like. Cole’s body,” she corrected, looking him up and down. “It’s quite nice but I still don’t like you.” Pivoting on her heel, she drew in a steadying breath and walked as nonchalantly as she could to her room.