Chapter 19
ALLY
My entire body is on fire, and I’m almost positive I have a neon sign on my forehead that says I just put a move on my boss. Or at least that’s how it feels as I sit at the table across from Cooper and all of his friends…our friends?
Fuck, I can’t even think straight.
The only thing I can think about is what would have happened had Jax not interrupted us. Would I have gone through with it? I know damn well that I wanted to. I was going to taste that bourbon all the way down his body, and then I was hoping I would get a taste of him.
But then Jax and his wonderful timing ruined everything.
“What do you think, Ally?” I hear Quinn ask from next to me, and I look up to see everyone staring.
Son of a bitch…what are they even talking about?
I try to wrack my brain for any remnants of their conversation as I’ve been off daydreaming in my own world for the last however long it’s taken me to finish my s’more, because it’s gone and I don’t even remember finishing it.
“Uh, I don’t know…what are we talking about?
” I ask, embarrassed because, again, I feel like the neon sign explaining just how horny I am right now is in full sight.
I see Levi and Quinn smirk at each other before looking back my way, and I can’t help but notice Cooper grinning at me like he knows exactly what I was just thinking about.
“We were talking about the game against Knoxville next week,” Quinn says. “Levi thinks Mudgett will run his mouth into a fight. I think he's just gonna start one. You’d know better, though, since you and him...dated.” Her gaze slides to Cooper, his jaw flexing hard at the mention.
Is she trying to make him jealous? More importantly…
Is Cooper actually jealous?
“Oh, yeah, I didn’t hear that, sorry,” I say to Quinn, refusing to make eye contact with anyone else at the table, afraid I’ll show too much. “Can I choose option C? Maybe he’ll just leave everyone alone?”
“No,” Lucas spouts off, joining in the conversation, and I just look at him curiously. “They said he’s a big dumb dummy. Well, they used other words, but I can’t say those. And dummies start fights because they’re dumb.”
We all look at each other before glancing over at Cooper like we’re waiting to see his reaction. I’m wondering what he’s going to say because I know dumb is definitely not in his list of favorite things to hear Lucas say, but it fits pretty damn well in this situation.
To all our surprise, Cooper laughs, and the second he does, Lucas beams up at him.
“You’re right on that one bud, so we’ll let that word slide for tonight. But also, because like you said…Wilson is pretty dumb.”
“No lies there,” I say with a laugh, still hating that I have missed notifications on my phone from as recently as yesterday of him trying to get back with me. The man apparently doesn’t understand the word no, and that right there is enough for me to know I would never get back with him.
It also helps that the only man I’ve been able to think about is on the other side of this table staring back at me right now.
The second our eyes lock, I lose track of the conversation around me.
It isn’t until I feel a hand in mine, and I’m being pulled from my seat by Quinn back into the house, that I’m finally snapped out of his trance.
“What is going on,” I ask as she pulls me into the living room and down onto a couch with her.
“Are you really asking me what’s going on? No ma’am, not today. It’s your turn to spill the deets,” Quinn says as she crossed her arms. “I mean, I at least expected a text or something when you finally hooked up with him.”
“What!” I say, wide-eyed, my heart racing as I feel like I was right and everyone and their mother knows exactly what I did with Cooper.
“Don’t pull that on me. Playing dumb works with our mother, but it sure as hell doesn’t work on me. When did you fuck, and why don’t I know it about it?” Quinn says, obviously not backing down.
She’s always been a PITA; I just prefer when she’s a pain in someone else’s ass.
“We haven’t hooked up though…” I tell her, hoping she just leaves it at that even though I know deep down, that’s impossible for her.
“Ally…I swear, if you don’t start talking, I’m going to go ask Cooper to tell me.” She stares at me, and I know she’s not bluffing.
Fucking checkmate.
“Fine. We didn’t hook up, but before you came…we might’ve almost fooled around…” I tell her, feeling my cheeks heat as I peek behind her to make sure everyone is still outside.
“Please go on” Quinn says impatiently, but she’s grinning now. I know she said she wouldn’t care, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised she was taking this so well. I was convinced everyone would be mad at me if anything happened between me and Cooper, but instead, she seems happy.
“Uh, well, he offered me some bourbon when I came out to join him after Lucas went to take a nap. I sort of spilled it on him by accident. I decided that instead of wasting it, I would just taste it from him,” I tell her with a shrug, trying to play it off, but the way her eyes widen, I know I’m not doing a good job.
“You licked it…from his body?”
“I mean, yeah.” I shrug. “I followed it and…moved his shorts to keep going right as Jax cannonballed into the pool.”
The second the words are out of my mouth, she’s cracking up, her entire body shaking as she laughs. “Jax…that fucking asshole,” she says as she wipes her eyes. She’s practically crying with how much she’s laughing. “So, if he hadn’t ruined it, would you have made a move?”
“I mean, I’d say that answer’s pretty obvious since I took his dick out of his shorts,” I spit back with a smirk, a little proud of the confidence I was able to channel earlier.
Definitely out of character for who I’ve been in the past, but also definitely in character if I’m true to the things I like.
“Well, your bitch-ass better text me next time,” she says with a glare.
“It happened like an hour ago! Not like this was last week’s news,” I say as I stand up, ready to get back outside with everyone.
“Still unacceptable, big sis,” Quinn says as she joins me, linking her arm in mine, and I swear my heart grows three sizes in this moment.
Big sis.
It’s been a while since I’ve heard that and felt love from it. I’ve missed it.
“Let’s go, little sis.”
After heading back out to join our friends, it didn’t take long before Lucas had everyone back in the pool.
The sun may be setting, but with the music playing and everyone still laughing and having a good time, it really has turned into a perfect afternoon.
The warm feeling in my chest is new to me as someone who doesn’t have many friends—in fact, most of the people I actually spend time with are in this pool right now, and it wasn’t until recently that I felt like I was deserving of calling them my friends.
Even right now watching them…sometimes I still feel a little bit on the outside.
Sitting on the edge of the pool, I’m watching Levi with Quinn on his shoulders and Cooper with Lucas on his as they play chicken, and they’re having the time of their lives giggling away as Lucas tries to get Quinn to fall into the water.
“Get closer, Daddy!” Lucas says as he tries to get a better grip on Quinn’s hands. Lucas starts to pull Quinn towards him right as Cooper takes a step back. Quinn starts to slip, and I see the moment Levi let’s go, allowing her to fall to her fate with a smirk on his face.
Little shit let Lucas win. He’s a good man.
Quinn slips and is dunked in the water, and Lucas cheers again and again, absolutely glowing that he won.
“We did it!” Cooper says excitedly as Quinn comes back up, grinning ear to ear as well.
“Yeah, we did, Daddy!”
“I’ll get you this time!”
“Not this time! This time Miss Ally is going to play with my daddy. I want to go sit down and look at my book. I’m tired,” Lucas says as he yawns.
“I’ll play one more and then come look at that book if that’s okay with you?”
“Okay!” Lucas says excitedly as he gets out of the pool and grabs his towel.
“Are we really doing this?” I ask Cooper.
“Heck yeah, we’re doing this,” he says as he swims over to the side of the pool I’m sitting on. “I can’t lose now when I’m undefeated.”
“You played one round,” I say, rolling my eyes, but secretly I’m just nervous to be touching him with so many people watching.
He just grins and squats down right in front of me, letting me slip my my legs over his shoulders, his fingers grabbing my calves as I do, helping me scoot all the way on.
Standing up, I feel like I’m going to fall, but unsurprisingly, he holds me steady as he walks over to where Quinn and Levi are already waiting in the middle of the pool.
“Go, Daddy and Miss Ally!” Lucas cheers, and Levi glares.
“Rude! I thought we were friends.”
“We are, but he’s my daddy. And Miss Ally is fun…and pretty,” Lucas says with a smile, and I feel myself blush.
“Whatever. Last time I sneak you candy,” Levi teases.
“Hey, fucker,” Cooper growls, but Lucas cuts him off.
“Language, Daddy,” he says before grabbing his book and putting it in his lap, scooting up like he’s getting comfy, ready for the show.
After we win, Cooper swims me back over to the edge and squats down to let me off his shoulders, his stance mirroring the way he picked me up for the game.
Slowly setting me down, his fingers linger on my calves before he takes a small step forward and turns to look at me, gaze lingering as he stands between my legs.
Asher, Jax, and Nash left in the middle of the game, so it’s just me, Cooper, Lucas, Levi, and Quinn.
“Uncle Levi, will you take me to my room and finish that book? We were almost done, and I really want to finish it,” Lucas says with a yawn as he sits on the chair.
“As long as your dad doesn’t care,” Levi says.
“Go for it. Just come give me a hug first,” Cooper says, and he swims to the other side to hug Lucas. “Night, bud. I love you.”
“Night, Daddy! I love you, too!”