I CAN'T KEEP MY HANDS OFF YOU
2054 Words
THE PACT OF FIVE
CHAPTER 12: I CAN'T KEEP MY HANDS OFF YOU
The library in town is my second sanctuary. Not as grand as the one at Blackthorn Manor, but it has its own charm—tall shelves of worn books, the scent of old paper and lemon polish, the quiet hum of the fluorescent lights. I’ve spent hours here today, trying to lose myself in stories that aren’t mine, trying to forget the way Zane held me in the garden last night, the way his voice broke when he admitted he was terrified of failing me.
But the books couldn’t hold my attention. Not when my mind keeps drifting back to *them.* To Knox’s possessiveness, Jax’s recklessness, Micah’s mischief, Cole’s guilt. And Zane... *Zane’s* vulnerability.
I step out into the cool evening air, the sun just beginning to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. The library’s stone steps are worn smooth by years of use, and I pause at the top, taking a deep breath. The street below is quiet, the only sounds the distant hum of traffic and the rustle of leaves in the breeze.
I’m halfway down the steps when I hear it—the *purr* of an engine, smooth and powerful. I don’t even have to look to know it’s Cole’s car. I’d recognize that sound anywhere. His black Mercedes pulls up to the curb, the sleek lines of the car gleaming under the streetlights. The window rolls down, and there he is—golden hair slightly messy, green eyes *burning* into me, his jaw tense.
"Need a ride?"
I hesitate. I *should* say no. Should walk home, clear my head. But the truth is, I don’t *want* to be alone right now. And Cole... Cole is *safe.* Or at least, he *feels* like it.
I nod, and he reaches across to push the passenger door open. I slide inside, the leather seats cool against my skin, the scent of whiskey and sunlight wrapping around me. Cole pulls away from the curb, his hands steady on the wheel, but I can see the tension in his shoulders, the way his knuckles are white around the leather.
We don’t speak at first. The radio is off, the only sounds the hum of the engine and the soft swish of the windshield wipers as a light rain begins to fall. The drops patter against the glass, a soothing rhythm that does little to calm the storm inside me.
Cole’s voice is quiet, breaking the silence. "You’ve been avoiding us."
I look out the window, watching the raindrops slide down the glass. "I’ve been *busy.*"
His laugh is *bitter.* "Lena."
I turn to look at him, my heart *hammering.* His profile is sharp in the dim light, his jaw *clenched*, his eyes *dark.* "What do you want me to say, Cole?"
His fingers *tighten* on the wheel. "The truth."
I let out a shaky breath. "I don’t *know* what the truth is anymore."
He pulls the car over to the side of the road, the tires crunching on the gravel shoulder. The rain is coming down harder now, a steady drumbeat on the roof. He turns to face me, his green eyes *burning* into me, his voice raw. "You *know* the truth, Lena. You’re just *scared* to admit it."
I close my eyes, my voice barely a whisper. "*Terrified.*"
His hand lifts, his fingers brushing my cheek, his thumb *catching* a tear I didn’t even realize had fallen. His touch is *gentle*, but his voice is *fierce.* "Of what?"
I open my eyes, meeting his gaze. "Of *losing* you. Of *losing* all of you. Of *choosing* wrong."
His jaw *clenches.* "You won’t *lose* us."
I let out a bitter laugh. "Won’t I? What happens when the pact ends, Cole? What happens when there are no more rules, no more *countdowns?*"
His hand slides to my nape, his grip *firm*, grounding. "Then we *figure it out.* Together."
I shake my head, my voice breaking. "And what if we *can’t?* What if it *destroys* us?"
His eyes *darken.* "Then it *destroys* us." His voice is a growl. "But I’d rather burn with you than live without you."
I close my eyes, his words sending a *shiver* through me. The rain is a steady backdrop, the scent of it mixing with Cole’s whiskey and sunlight, with the leather of the seats. It should be comforting. It’s not.
His other hand slides to my thigh, his fingers *digging* into my skin. "Lena..."
I open my eyes, my breath catching in my throat. His gaze is *hungry*, his voice rough. "I *can’t* keep my hands off you."
My heart *stops.* The words hang between us, heavy with *promise*, with *desire.* With *fear.*
I *should* push him away. Should *remind* him of the pact, of the rules, of the *consequences.* But I don’t. I just sit there, my heart *hammering,* my body *aching* for his touch.
His hand slides up my thigh, his fingers *teasing* the edge of my skirt. "Tell me to stop."
I *should.* I *know* I should. But the words won’t come.
Because the truth is, I *don’t* want him to stop.
His lips crash onto mine, *hard* and *hungry,* and I *moan* into him, my hands flying to his chest, my body *melting* into the seat. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, *claiming* me, *owning* me, and *fuck,* it’s *everything* I’ve ever *fantasized* about and *more.*
His hand slides up my thigh, his fingers *brushing* the apex of my legs, and I *whimper,* my hips *arching* into his touch. The rain is a steady drumbeat on the roof, the windows fogging up with our breath, the world outside *disappearing.*
But then—
A *knock* on the window.
We *freeze.*
Cole tears his lips from mine, his chest heaving, his eyes *wild.* And when I look past him, there they are—**Knox, Jax, Zane, and Micah**, all standing in the rain, their expressions a mix of *rage* and *hunger* and *betrayal.*
Knox’s voice is a *whip-crack,* muffled through the glass. "*Get out of the car, Cole.*"
Cole’s grip on me *tightens* for a second, his jaw *clenching.* But then he lets go, his voice a growl. "*Fuck.*"
I look at him, my heart *pounding,* my lips *tingling* from his kiss. And for the first time, I see it—the *guilt* beneath his desire, the *fear* that he’s *breaking* something he can’t fix.
He turns back to the wheel, his voice a whisper. "I *can’t* keep my hands off you, Lena." His eyes meet mine, *raw* and *honest.* "But I *will.* For you."
And that’s the *real* confession. The one that *hurts.* The one that *matters.*
- Writer
