Oh, great. So she’d have her trousers half off.

Cole slanted me a look out of the corner of my eye, and he must have caught wind of my annoyance, because his lips twitched as though he thought this was funny.

I turned away in a huff and busied myself behind the reception desk, ignoring them as Cole led her into his room.

I rolled my eyes when I heard her very loud exclamation, “Oh, that’s the biggest gun I’ve ever seen.”

Was she kidding with that crap?

Infuriated, I could barely concentrate on my work. This was something I knew I needed to get used to. Cole was good-looking. Women were going to come on to him. I had to learn to deal with it.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You look a bit queasy,” I heard Simon say as he entered the studio.

I glanced up to see him leading a young woman toward me and she did indeed look very pale. She’d gotten her belly button pierced. Disappearing into the closet behind me where we’d put in a counter with a new coffeemaker we all could operate along with a fridge, I opened the latter and pulled out a piece of chocolate from my stash.

“Shannon, Jen here is ready to pay up.”

I smiled at her and handed her some chocolate. “That might help.”

Her fingers trembled as she took it from me. “Thanks.”

After she paid I watched as Simon, ever the gentleman, walked her to the door. He offered to let her sit in our waiting area until she felt better, but she seemed adamant to get gone. Once the door shut behind her he turned to me with a sigh. “That reaction seemed to come out of nowhere. She’s got her nose and ears pierced and never had a problem with it.”

“She’ll be fine.”

Simon leaned over my desk. “Any chance I could nick a bit of chocolate?”

Grinning at the boyish look he gave me, I retrieved chocolate for both of us. Simon finished eating his piece, watching me as I chewed on mine. Finally he said, “So, any chance you and Cole will be coming out from the lovers’ nest to join the rest of the world again? Tony misses you both.”

It was true for the last two weeks Cole and I had been a little preoccupied with each other. We’d moved into a new stage in our relationship, though, and admittedly we were both a little addicted. At least, I assumed Cole was as addicted as I was.

I frowned, thinking about the flirty, cocky brunette he was right now putting his ink on. “Drinks this Friday?”

“Not if it’s a cause for annoyance.” Simon gestured to my frown.

“Oh no, that’s not why.” I heaved a sigh and lowered my voice. “Cole’s customer might as well have stripped naked on the couch and offered herself to him. She’s getting a tattoo on her hip.”

Simon grimaced. “He gets that sometimes.”

“Why are some women so blatant? They don’t even think that he might have a girlfriend.”

Now my friend was grinning. “And does he . . . I mean are you officially his girlfriend?”

“You know, for someone so alpha you really are a gossip queen.”

“Don’t avoid the question.”

I hadn’t actually admitted to anyone other than Cole that we were in fact in a relationship. Announcing it to the world made it seem more real. It would be so much harder to deal with the repercussions if we fell apart knowing that there would be witnesses to my stupidity if I ever turned out to be wrong about Cole.

But I wasn’t wrong.

I wasn’t.

“Yes, I’m his girlfriend. Happy?”

Simon chuckled. “I’m sure Cole is.”

We were silent a moment, Simon scrutinizing me as I chewed my lip in thought. “Simon?”

“Yes?” he drawled.

“You’re gay.”

“You noticed that, did you?”

I smirked at his sarcasm. “Would you say you were particularly perceptive?”

“Because all gay men are clairvoyants?” He was smiling, so I knew he wasn’t offended.

“No . . . I just . . . I’ve always thought most women were more intuitive than most men, and I was just wondering if—”

“Being gay made me more intuitive?”

“It sounds terrible when you say it like that.”

“What? Like you’re generalizing a whole group of people because of their sexual orientation?” he teased.

I made a face. “Forget it.”

Simon tapped my nose with his finger. “Speak up, wee fairy. What’s on your mind?”

Glancing over my shoulder at the door to the back hallway, I took a deep breath. “What do you think he sees in me?”

He seemed taken aback by the question, as Simon’s inquisitive gaze searched mine. “Really?”

I shrugged. “You said it yourself . . . Cole’s hot. Beyond hot. And he’s talented and charismatic. He could have his choice of anyone.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Well, Cole told me all about how you two met when you were fifteen.”

“Yeah?”

“Can you remember it?”

I smiled softly. “Of course.”

“Do you remember feeling insecure then when he was talking to you? Did you ever ask yourself why a good-looking kid like him was interested in you?”

My brow knitted. I slumped toward Simon, my elbows on the counter, my chin resting on the palm of my hand. “No,” I said quietly. “I was always a bit self-conscious of my hair and height but . . . no. I was fairly confident when I was younger.”

“So why aren’t you now?”

Because of Ollie.