I mean, I knew Trenton loved Cooper like a brother but neither of us could predict how he’d take it when he found out his best friend was dating his little sister.
I wrinkled my nose at the mere term. At what point would I be able to shake the ‘little’ in front of ‘sister’? Would Trenton ever see me as a grown up who could take care of herself?
I snorted. Yeah, that wasn’t ever going to happen. The heat of anger was creeping up my neck so I forced the thoughts about Trenton from my mind. I needed to focus on something happy.
Warmth spread through my chest at the memory of Cooper’s kiss and the breathtaking desire that had been clear as day in his eyes whenever he’d looked at me. Yeah, that did the trick.
Trenton might not see that I’ve grown up, but Cooper had certainly noticed.
I clung to that thought, to that memory. He might still have his hangups, but he could no longer deny that he had feelings for me. I just hoped that they were stronger than his devotion to my brother.
“Eve, dear, are you even listening to me?” Nora’s voice pulled me out of my anxious thoughts.
“Um, I’m sorry, what were you saying?”
Nora’s brows arched but she didn’t ask me where my mind had been, and for that I was thankful. “I was saying, my granddaughter is moving to town. I’d love for you to meet her. Maybe you could help her make some friends…?”
“Oh, uh, yeah. Sure.” I hoped I didn’t sound as distracted as I felt. “Happy to help.”
“Eve, be a dear and grab me some more of these peanut things.” Mr. Archer said, shaking a nearly empty bowl of mixed nuts in my direction.
“Of course.” I hurried back toward the kitchen, this time too caught up reveling in the amazingness that was last night to even spare a glance toward the front lobby.
I wasn’t aware of much of anything other than my own sweet memories of kisses and longing looks...which was why I let out a little shriek when someone grabbed my arm.
I spun around with wide eyes and a raised fist, automatically going into full self-defense mode, and not stopping until my hand connected with a wall of muscle.
“Sorry.” Cooper’s lips hitched up in the sexiest lopsided grin and that rush of fear-based adrenaline turned immediately into something else. Something just as heady but way more pleasant.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said. He dropped his hand from my arm, but only long enough to snag me by the waist and pull me close.
Just like that, the heat of him dissolved those silly nerves and I sighed with contentment as his lips brushed over mine.
Far too quickly for my liking, but when he lifted his head and cast his gaze around the lobby, I couldn’t fault him.
I was probably breaking a million different rules by kissing one of the visitors while on duty.
I wrapped my arms around his waist. I wish I could say that I cared about Hazelcrest’s rules for PDA, but the fact that Cooper was kissing me and holding me close dissolved my caring.. For a self-proclaimed goody-two-shoes, I was alarmingly cool about the fact that I was breaking the rules.
All that mattered was that Cooper was here, and that wariness I’d seen in him just before he’d disappeared last night…
I squinted up at him.
It was still there. I could see the hesitation and the second guessing. I tightened my grip on him pushing those feelings of fear that seemed to rise up inside of me every time I thought about him pulling away. I needed to focus on the fact that he was here and that was all that mattered.
“I think the coast is clear,” I whispered teasingly when he gave a furtive look toward the main office.
“Maybe,” he murmured. “But this isn’t private enough.”
I opened my mouth to ask ‘not private enough for what?’ but my question turned into a squeak of surprise as his arm around me cinched and he lifted me off my feet, carrying me a few feet toward a hallway I’d never ventured down before.
“Where—what—?”
He opened a door, scooped me up off my feet, and carried me into a dark room.
I blinked to adjust my eyes to the darkness. No, not a room. A closet. A storage closet of some kind. I couldn’t stop a giggle from escaping. “What are you doing?”
“I wanted to get you alone.” His tone was deep and in the darkness, his gaze had turned hazy. He lifted his hand up to my cheek and brushed my hair behind my ear. The feelings of his fingertips on my skin had me leaning in. It had me desperate for more. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to stay here. In the dark quiet of this closet, nothing else mattered. Not what happened last night. Not the fact that he felt distant right now. And not that I was pretty certain I could hear a note of regret in his voice.
I wanted to backtrack. I was losing him and losing him fast. I needed to reiterate exactly how I felt about him, about us. And he needed to know that I was willing to take on my brother no matter what.
If he needed someone to be confident in our relationship, I was more than willing to be that person.
“Cooper,” I whispered as I lifted my hand up to his cheek and cradled it against my palm. The warmth of his skin and the closeness of his body to mine sent shivers of confidence through my body. He was mine and I was his, I just needed him to see that.
At least he was letting me touch him, even if he was avoiding my gaze. We were taking baby steps and I was okay with that. He was worth it.
“Look at me,” I said as I dipped down and shifted so that I was in his line of sight.
Cooper resisted at first, and then a few moments later, he flicked his gaze to meet mine. My breath caught in my throat as I studied him. He was hurting. He was scared. His tough exterior was crumbling and he was allowing me to see him. The part that he hid away.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said. His voice was deep and throaty. There was so much not said in his tone or the deep look in his eyes. He was fighting his pain and there was nothing I wanted more than to take it away.
“You won’t hurt me,” I said softly.
He studied me but then shook his head. “I promised Trenton that I would keep you safe.” He sucked in his breath as he stepped back. “I’m not safe. My family is not safe.” He pushed his hands through his hair as he tipped his face toward the ceiling. “You need to get out now. Before I take you down with me.”
I stared at him, not believing the things that were coming from his lips. Hurt me? Too late? What was he talking about? He protected me. He was always by my side when I needed him. We shared a bond that I was pretty sure I was never going to be able to recreate with anyone.
He was...Cooper.
“You do keep me safe. What are you talking about?” I stepped toward him, but just like trying to push two similar magnets together, Cooper instantly stepped back.
“I’m not good.” He lifted his hand as if that was all it was going to take to keep me away.
Anger was now boiling up inside of me. He was talking sheer nonsense by now. It hurt me to hear that he thought this about himself. It was untrue. It was so untrue.
And I wanted to show him exactly what I thought about his words.
A flicker of nerves had me clenching my fists into his T-shirt. I rose up onto my tiptoes and brushed my lips against his. He paused, allowing the kiss to happen for only a moment before he pulled back.