Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
July 12 th
11:00 A.M.
Grateful for the late check out, Cooper glanced at his watch and then the bed where Willow was still curled up fast asleep. As much as he’d love to let her sleep as long as she needed to, he was wary of the fact that they could be tracked, and his need to protect her was currently outweighing his need to take care of her.
Never in his life had he met a woman like Willow Purcell.
While she was sleeping, he’d checked in with his family and made sure they knew that he had successfully extracted her and they were both okay. He’d also asked them to quietly let Julia know her friend was safe but not to publicize it in any way yet. For now, it was safer for Willow if Tarek Mahmoud only knew she’d been taken but not that any cops or agencies alerted to her disappearance knew she had been rescued.
After that, he’d spent the rest of his time reading through all the articles she’d ever written. She was good. No doubt about that. There was a way she told her stories that felt so raw and authentic. She was one of those people who were able to really and truly step into someone else’s shoes and actually empathize with them. Clearly, she wasn't writing to sensationalize anything, she wasn't in it for fame, fortune, or views.
Willow truly cared.
Curious as to what had led her to become a journalist and how she’d come to be such a brave, strong, and compassionate person, Cooper had dug a little deeper.
What he’d found had broken his heart.
Poor Willow had witnessed her father’s murder when she was only eight years old. Having witnessed something similar but not as traumatizing when their house had been stormed and his mom arrested, he couldn’t imagine how hard it had been for her. To then learn that it was all because of one journalist jumping the gun and naming a suspect too early in what had been a volatile and emotionally charged case had obviously influenced her own career choices.
Career choices that had put her in danger.
Before they’d had a chance to talk, Willow had fallen asleep again, so he didn't yet know what she knew about Professor Mahmoud, but he had zero doubts it was about a case she was working on.
Fighting the urge to let Willow keep sleeping, Cooper kept his priorities on safety and reached out a hand to gently brush his knuckles across Willow’s cheek.
“Wake up, honey,” he crooned softly. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her, but he also needed to get some food and some more water into her, then she needed a shower or bath. They had an hour to get all of that done and then be checked out and on the road. He had a plan for the remainder of the day, and a hotel planned for them to check into tonight. Then depending on what he learned from Willow, he’d decide what happened next.
Getting Willow on a plane back home was top of that list.
“Come on, Willow, time to wake up,” he said again, thankful that at least this time he wasn't trying to wake her from a nightmare. Cassandra had had lots after their mom was arrested, and he and his brothers had become accustomed to her screams waking them at all hours. But that was a long time ago, and when Willow’s petrified shriek had filled the room this morning, he’d almost had a heart attack. Being unable to wake her immediately had only made things worse. She was suffering, and he hadn't been able to fix it, for some reason that had hit him hard.
“Cooper?” she mumbled sleepily, lashes fluttering on her cheeks before lifting, leaving him staring into turquoise depths. “What time is it?”
“An hour before check out.”
“Could have slept another week at least,” she grumbled even as she went to push herself into a sitting position.
Still wary of touching her given what she’d been through, he couldn’t assume just because she’d reached out to him last night meant she was okay with all physical contact, he held back until she groaned and froze.
Then his arm was behind her shoulders, supporting some of her weight. She felt so small leaning against him, so fragile, yet he already knew she was the opposite. What she’d survived in her life, what she did for a living, how she’d handled her ordeal, it all made Willow Purcell the very definition of strength and bravery.
“Thanks,” she murmured, resting against him for a moment before shifting so she could swing her legs over the side of the bed.
Worried she would fall back down again, Cooper quickly realized he shouldn’t. There didn't seem to be a limit to what this woman could endure. No matter what, she just kept going, and he respected the hell out of her.
“A shower does sound nice,” she said.
“I ordered some clothes for you while you were sleeping. Got some makeup, too, since we’re going to have to do something about those bruises, or we’ll attract everyone’s attention no matter how careful we are.”
“Yeah, I'm sure I look a mess.”
Her words showed a thread of self-doubt that he didn't like one little bit. Even though this woman had shown him she was strong and brave, he had to remind himself that she was still human. No one, no matter how determined, could walk away unscathed after living through what she had.
“Hey.” Placing both hands on her shoulders, lightly as he was mindful of all her bruises, Cooper bent his knees so they were eye to eye. “Without sounding wildly inappropriate given I saw you naked while you were unconscious, you are gorgeous. Easily the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.” The blush that tinted her bruise-free skin pink was the prettiest thing ever. “More than that, Willow, you're beautiful in here.” Pressing a hand to her chest, above her heart, he maintained eye contact so she could see how serious he was.
“Thank you.” Willow drew in a shuddering breath, then lifted her hands to rest against his pecs. “I needed to hear that this morning. It’s been a long two weeks.” Unshed tears shimmered in her eyes, and he ached to take away her pain.
“It’s okay to be struggling,” he reminded her.
Willow gave a shaky nod. “I'm not used to having a partner.”
“Well, this time you have one. I'm not going anywhere. You're going to shower, get dressed, eat something, and in the car you're going to tell me everything you know about Tarek Mahmoud. Then together we’re going to bring him down.”
“But you're here for information on something about your mom.” Her nose did the most adorable, confused scrunch and he couldn’t help but smile.
“Yeah, I am. But that doesn’t mean I'm going to walk away and leave you to handle this alone.” Cooper meant every word of that, too. Just because he’d come to Egypt with one purpose only, didn't mean he wasn't one hundred percent committed to helping Willow. And not just because he hoped he could use what she knew to his own advantage. Even if there was no way to use Willow’s intel to force Tarek Mahmoud to give up more information on what he knew about his mother’s final CIA mission, he wanted to help Willow.
The woman got to him.
In a way he’d never experienced before.
Whenever he’d dated before it had been for fun and companionship. He loved planning dates, taking his girl out, and enjoyed having someone to come home to after a mission, but he’d never once felt like it was going to grow into the kind of love his parents had shared.
Now, knowing Willow for less than thirty hours, he already felt more of a connection to her than all the other women he’d dated combined.
What did that mean?
Right now was not the time or place to do anything about it. She’d just survived a horrific ordeal, she wasn't safe, and she had a lot to process once she got home. And he had a single purpose for his life right now, finally discovering the truth of what happened to his parents.
The timing was all wrong, but later?
After he had his answers and Willow had some time to deal with what had happened to her, would he do something about it then?
Staring into turquoise depths, the kind you could get lost in if you weren't careful, Cooper found that this woman made him want to throw caution to the wind and jump into things he would usually carefully consider first.
The question was, how did she see him?
Was he just the guy who saved her? Did she feel this current of strange electricity that seemed to buzz between them?
Or was he crazy for feeling anything for her at all?
July 12 th
1:10 P.M
“It’s so different from home, isn’t it?” Willow said as she stared out the window at the passing scenery. She’d been in Egypt for three days before she’d been caught by Professor Mahmoud. In that time, she’d visited the Pyramids of Giza, but that was it. She hadn't been there for fun, it was a work trip and she’d been dedicated to finding proof.
“It is,” Cooper agreed from the driver’s seat. “Do you ever travel for fun?”
“Fun?” For a moment Willow was kind of surprised by the word. No, she didn't travel for fun, hadn't really done anything for fun in the twenty-one years since her father’s murder. Back then, she’d withdrawn into herself, not just pulled away from the people in her life but from her interests and hobbies as well. Then she’d been working hard at school and college, and then jumped right into focusing on her career.
In all those years, fun had just sort of fallen by the wayside until she didn't even recognize what it meant anymore.
“No. No traveling for fun,” she told him. “What about you?” Over breakfast, they’d shared a little bit about themselves, so she knew Cooper was a former Delta Force operator who now worked for Prey Security, neither of which surprised her because she’d picked him as military the moment he walked into the professor’s kitchen.
“Same. Traveled to a lot of places in my career, but never once for fun.”
“That seems a shame. For both of us. Maybe we need to make some time for fun in our lives.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Willow realized how they sounded. Like she was saying the two of them should have some fun together. That wasn't what she’d meant and yet …
The idea didn't have any negatives that she could come up with.
She was attracted to Cooper, she respected him, and she certainly owed him her life, but more than that she actually liked him. He was a kind of serious guy, but every time he tossed a wink and one of those charming smiles at her, it made her heart melt, and her insides go all gooey. It definitely made heat spark between her legs, too. It had been so long since she’d been with a man that she barely even remembered what sex felt like anymore.
Intending to make herself clear, when she shifted her gaze from the sandy desert outside the window to the man in the driver’s seat, those words died in her throat.
The way he looked at her …
It didn't just make heat spark inside her, it basically doused her in a fiery touch that made her entire body long to combust.
Could he really be attracted to her, too?
Earlier, when he’d told her she was beautiful, although she’d melted at his words, she’d also coached herself to remember he was likely just being nice. He was a gentleman for sure, keeping his eyes on her face when he’d helped her undress then kept his back to her when he waited in the bathroom while she showered in case she needed help.
Maybe he wasn't just being nice ?
Maybe he really did feel this attraction simmering between them, too?
“Why is it fun is the first thing that falls out of your life after something bad happens?” Cooper asked.
“It sucks, doesn’t it? I don’t even think I remember fun anymore. I don’t think I remember joy either,” she added. For some reason, she seemed able to talk to this man about anything. Even things she wouldn't dream of mentioning to the few friends she allowed into her life. She kept them at a distance, the protective barrier around her heart was secure because her heart couldn’t handle another loss, but Cooper seemed to have found a little crack she didn't know existed and slipped through it.
“For the next couple of hours, we’re going to fix that,” he told her as he reached out and grabbed her hand. “For the next few hours, we’re going to just be tourists. We’re going to marvel at the Step Pyramid, then check out the Imhotep Museum, and then we’re going to go back to Cairo, check into our new hotel, and you're going to eat a good meal and get a good night’s sleep. For the rest of the day, there’s going to be no thinking about Mahmoud or anything from our pasts.”
“Sounds like a plan,” she agreed. Thankfully, Saqqara was close to Cairo and a great place to go to blend in and just be tourists, which was their plan. They knew the professor had contacts everywhere, but they’d both agreed their best bet was to hide in plain sight. Egypt’s oldest pyramids seemed like the perfect place to do that. A little quieter than the Pyramids of Giza, there should be enough of a crowd for them to blend in, but not so many people that they wouldn't notice immediately if they were being followed.
After parking the car, they both climbed out. Willow’s body protested every movement, but she pushed through the pain. The painkillers Cooper kept giving her were helping, and the fact she’d got some proper sleep as well. Plus, she’d eaten some good food and was properly hydrated. All things considered, she was a heck of a lot better off than she’d been this time just twenty-four hours ago.
In just one day her entire life had changed around. She’d gone from being almost certain she was close to being killed, to being free and having her chance at destroying Tarek Mahmoud .
It was nice to have someone in her corner.
To not be fighting alone.
Honestly, she felt like she’d been living alone for so many years now that she didn't even know how to properly comprehend the idea that she now had a teammate.
She liked it though. Maybe more than she should.
“Did you get to see the Pyramids of Giza?” Cooper asked as he came around the car and took her hand.
For a moment, her brain short-circuited.
And not in a bad way.
Only he was touching her and little tingles of excitement strummed through her veins at the small contact. It was silly because, more than likely, he was only holding her hand because he knew she was still weak and a little shaky on her feet, but whatever the reason she welcomed the touch.
For once in two long weeks, someone was touching her with care and gentleness instead of inflicting pain and suffering. It was so nice, and usually, Willow wasn't even big on physical touch, her mind always mentally attempted to jerk away from it because it threw her back in time to watching her dad being beaten to death. For some reason, the two were connected in her mind, and usually even the smallest of touches made her stiffen.
But not Cooper’s.
Cooper’s touch made her want to lean into it, soak up more of it, and maintain the connection rather than severing it as quickly as possible.
“Willow?”
Realizing she hadn't answered his question, she quickly scrambled to remember what it was. Oh, the pyramids, right. “Yeah, I actually saw them the first day. It was a long flight, I arrived early, couldn’t check in yet, so I decided to go and see them. They were amazing, just standing there, staring up at them, I think it might be the coolest thing I've ever done.”
“If you could go anywhere in the world, just for fun, where would it be?” Cooper asked as they walked closer toward the Step Pyramid.
“Umm …” Willow trailed off as she thought. If sh e could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? There were so many amazing countries and so many wonderful cities, picking just one to visit was hard. There was one that topped her list though. “Rovaniemi in Finland. There’s a Santa Claus village there that would be fun to visit. When I was a little girl, I loved Christmas so much, and my dad always told me one day he’d take me to where Santa lived. I know I'm all grown up now and no longer believe in Santa, but it would be so wonderful to go there. They have reindeer sled rides through the snow, and you could maybe see the Aurora Borealis. If I had to pick just one place to go to for fun it would definitely be that.”
The fingers around hers squeezed. “That’s nice. I hope you make it there one day.”
“Me too. What about you? Where would you go?”
Instead of answering her, Cooper shifted his arm so it was around her shoulder, and angled her slightly so her body was more in front of his than behind. He also picked up their pace so that she almost stumbled, her aching body begging her to move slowly only.
“Think we’re being followed,” he whispered, his mouth above her ear, his breath warm against her skin.
“They found us? Already? How?” While she was sleeping, Cooper hadn't just organized clothes and makeup for her, he’d also organized a different vehicle. She had no idea how he’d managed it, but from what she knew of Prey from her friend Julia who was married to a man on one of their teams, she wasn't surprised. The men and women who worked there were smart, skilled, and resourceful.
But was Cooper smart, skilled, and resourceful enough to somehow get them out of trouble if they were being followed?