Cole Chronicles: Chapter 1- Hunted

My fingers shake as I press the doorbell, listening for the faint ring behind the closed door. I’m not sure why this part always made me jittery. This stoop isn’t new to me, this house isn’t new to me, but the anticipation of what’s about to happen is what lights my nerves on fire. In any other place, the quiet breeze playing across my pale skin and the soft moonlight would instantly calm me, but here it seems less romantic and more eerie than anything. Thinking I see the faint flutter of a curtain from the corner of my eye, my fidgeting worsens, tugging on the hem of my dress, tucking miniscule strands of hair behind my ear. All of that comes to an abrupt stop when the door swings open suddenly. And he’s there. He looks pissed.
“Nice to see you’re on time today,” he says through gritted teeth, his jaw clenching around his biting tone. He steps aside to let me in, and there’s a second where I think running would be the right thing to do. But his brown eyes are drilling into me and somehow I end up in front of him despite my desire to escape. “I thought you might not come back after last time, Joan.” He sneers at me, curls his lip to reveal sparkling white teeth, and I’m reminded of a wolf’s grin before he attacks. It’s only enhanced by the damp black hair clinging to his forehead and his muscles twitching under his simple white v-neck. I can feel his eyes moving up and down my body as if I’m his prey. It makes him look like some savage animal, and I’m feeling like a victim. I love it. He takes a step closer to me and I brace myself, my breath caught in my throat, but he reaches up pushes the door closed behind me, twisting the lock in one exaggerated gesture. When I finally sigh in relief he raises an eyebrow at me, amused by my reaction.
“Of course I came back, Cole.” I force out the words, my voice barely a whisper.
“Take off your shoes and stay a while,” he says to me, a little bit more playful this time, and I can’t help but smile at the irony. We both know that I won’t be leaving here for quite some time.
I slip off my black patent pumps and straighten up, feeling vulnerable bent over. He inspects my outfit carefully, making sure I’m wearing what he instructed. Of course I did, I think. I learned that lesson already. I can feel his gaze on my simple black dress, short, low-cut, and hugging my curves delicately. My brown hair falls straight and tidy over my shoulders. It’s one of his more uncomplicated requests. Usually I can guess what I’m in for by what he tells me show up in, but in this getup I have no idea what to expect.
I notice his eyes darken and with one long stride he completely closes the gap between us. I find myself pushed against the door, gaping up at him wide-eyed. He presses against me and buries his nose in my hair, inhaling me, getting my scent like the hound he is. Cole rests his forehead against mine, his eyes closed, looked peaceful yet tense in the same instant. His hands move to my wrists and travel slowly up my arms, to my shoulders, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.