Chapter 15 Ally
ALLY
After I left Cooper’s the other day, I went home, walked through the door, and immediately went straight to my bathroom for a nice hot shower.
I felt like my skin was covered in sweat, like it was going to be permanent if I didn’t get to shower soon.
Cooper told me I could use his bathroom, but I don’t know, there’s just something about showering at your own house, with your own stuff, and then getting to put on a big fluffy robe and collapse on the couch that was calling my name.
Plus, I can’t be sure his water pressure wouldn’t suck, and that would be the disappointment of the year with how I’m feeling right now.
Although, with how much money this man makes, I’m sure he’s got perfect water pressure—and double shower heads…a dream come true.
After that, I immediately fell asleep before the sun had even set and didn’t wake up until the next morning—albeit at eight a.m. Thankfully, my fever must have broken in the middle of the night because although I woke up covered in sweat again, I was feeling so much better.
That being said, it was still nice that I had the day off to do nothing except rest and make sure I was feeling better.
I did just that and spent my day on the couch watching random TV and ordering takeout.
The furthest I walked was to my bedroom for a pillow or my front door for food—it was glorious.
Even better news, though, was Cooper told me that Lucas was also feeling better and hadn’t had a fever since just before bed.
Fingers crossed we both stay this way because we have fun plans these next few days.
Which is why I went to bed early and got to sleep in because today I didn’t need to be over here until nine in the morning, and fortunately for me, Cooper is an angel on earth and had an iced coffee already waiting for me when I walked in the door.
I’ve been sitting out on the back patio drinking my coffee while Cooper finished getting ready for practice because Lucas is still sleeping.
No surprise though. He was pretty sick, so his body obviously needs more rest, and I’m glad he’s able to sleep in.
When I was a kid, I couldn’t sleep past seven even when I needed it.
Cooper even tried to get me to take the day off for the same reason and said he could figure today out, just to give me another day to rest, but honestly, I’m feeling so much better that I figured it would probably be best for me to get out of the house and in the sun for a day.
I think he’s just worried Lucas isn’t being fully recovered, so I told him we’d take it easy and hang out in the back yard either reading or painting.
Lucas wants to have me read this new book he just got, plus he has these picture books where you have to find things in the picture and he’s been obsessed.
Quinn mentioned that she might want to stop by today.
I’m hoping she does. I need to let Cooper know, just out of respect and to make sure he won’t mind.
I couldn’t imagine him caring, especially not with it being my sister, but the one thing I promised myself when I was put into this job was that I wouldn’t do anything that could potentially impact Lucas without running it by Cooper first.
The sliding glass door to the house opens up, and Cooper walks out looking like a whole damn meal.
Holy hell, I hate how much my body reacts to this man, my vagina and my brain definitely in a constant battle with this one—but right now?
With him standing there in a pair of athletic shorts, just tight enough to show off his thick quads, a fitted gray t-shirt that doesn’t hide a single thing, and a backwards hat that makes him the star of every woman’s wet dream.
Ladies and gentlemen, just sitting here looking at Cooper Johnson right now has gotten me closer to an orgasm than any man actually touching me has.
Depressing? Maybe.
Accurate? Absolutely.
“How’s your coffee tasting?” Cooper says, taking the chair next to mine as he has another drink of what I can only assume is his usual peanut butter smoothie.
He’s a creature of habit when it comes to certain things, something I’ve learned since I took this job.
We’ve been doing grocery delivery since I started this job, that way I could have Lucas help me and we didn’t even have to leave the house, but I still always made sure I ordered the things Cooper put on his list—and he made sure to let me know that was important.
“Like heaven on earth. Pretty sure it’s injecting life into my body as we speak. Thank you again for this.”
“Not a problem. Thank you again for coming over today to hang out with Lucas, but you know I can figure it out if you’d rather go rest. Not saying that I’m not happy you’re here,” he rambles, and it’s adorable.
“I really do appreciate you being here, especially because Lucas has been nonstop wanting me to check in with you since you left yesterday. It’ll be good for him to see for himself that you’re feeling better. ”
My stomach drops knowing that Lucas felt bad that I was sick. It could’ve happened to anyone, and it’s not his fault. The fact that both Cooper and Lucas were worried about me, taking time to think about how I was doing…it’s sweet.
Sweeter than I expected, and it hits me harder that I thought it would, just another crack in the armor protecting my heart.
“What’s wrong?” Cooper asks, concerned. I look up, meeting his eyes.
“Nothing’s wrong, I just…I don’t like that,” I tell him, glancing out over the pool, his floaties all thrown around, and I smile imagining Lucas playing and having fun and how happy he gets when we are out here and he’s doing something he enjoys.
He’s adorable, and even though I didn’t think I would—I’m actually really enjoying this job.
It’s never really felt like a job though. I mean, it took me all of five minutes to think Lucas was the most adorable kid—something I never expected to think about anyone’s kid.
“What don’t you like?”
“That he felt bad. He shouldn’t feel bad when an adult gets sick—I’m totally fine; it happens and it’s not like I would be mad at him even if it was from him,” I say honestly, not liking that I can imagine Lucas’s sad face as he was asking Cooper how if I was better.
“I mean, he’s used to it. I obviously don’t care; he’s my son and I would never be upset if I caught something from him. Kenna on the other hand—his nanny from before—she’s not the same. She gets frustrated when she gets sick and will often keep her distance from him when he does.”
“Are you serious?” I say, not able to keep the disgust from my voice. “She would stay away from him just so she wouldn’t get sick. That’s…ridiculous. Sorry if that’s rude.”
Cooper laughs, leaning back in the chair, his shorts riding up just enough to show even more of his strong, thick muscles, and fuck this man could pick me up and throw me through a wall and I’d probably say thank you sir, can I have another.
When was the last time I’ve had a reaction like this over a man? My body is constantly on edge when he’s around, like if the wind hits me just right my body will combust.
But that’s never going to happen. Something will make that feeling disappear and poof, it’ll be gone, and I’ll be pissed.
Which is why I should avoid him, keep my distance so my body isn’t being constantly edged with no relief in sight.
But that same feeling keeps pulling me back to him, a magnetic pull that I’m finding too hard to fight, because I can’t help being curious if it might be different with him.
But curiosity killed the cat.
Maybe there’s a reason Cooper calls me Ally Cat after all.
“Don’t apologize. I don’t think it’s rude at all.
Kenna is an acquired taste, but she’s great with Lucas—most of the time.
Or at least I think she is, but that’s a story for another day,” Cooper says with a shrug that tells me it’s not a conversation for right now, so I just listen because I can tell he’s not quite finished.
“I’ve just always stayed home with Lucas when he was sick because she made a big deal out of it. ”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It is…and who would’ve thought the girl who said she wasn’t good with children would be the one willing to babysit the sick kid while recovering and defending him.”
He’s not wrong—even I’m a little shocked.
“Still not sure I like kids. But I do like Lucas,” I tell him honestly, and I can tell he likes my response by the way his whole face lights up—so smitten to have another person who adores his son.
It definitely makes him about ten times hotter. Am I even trying to fight this anymore?
“That’s perfectly acceptable,” Cooper says with a laugh.
“Hey, I was going to ask—Quinn was thinking about stopping by later, and I just wanted to check in with you to make sure you wouldn’t mind. I can tell her we can meet up a different day if you’d prefer.”
“Don’t be silly; of course I don’t mind,” Cooper says, furrowing his brows like what I’m saying is nonsense. “I trust you both, and she’s definitely another one of Lucas’s favorite people, so I bet he’ll be even happier to know he gets to spend time with both of you today.”
“That doesn’t surprise me at all. The kid has good taste; all kids love her,” I say with a shrug, thinking of all the times the kids just wanted to run and play dress up with Quinn while I usually ended up just watching on the sidelines. It sucked that everyone was so much younger than me.