Chapter 15
15
Isla
SUCKING IN A breath, Isla stretched, her sleepy brain not quite registering exactly why it was so much quieter than normal.
“What time is it?”
Cooper’s voice snapped her eyes open.
She sat up, the bag of snacks she’d been munching on while they watched television sliding to the floor. It took her eyes a second to focus on the clock, but when they did, she nearly followed the Bugles over the side. “It’s six.”
“That’s not possible.” Cooper groaned as he worked his head from side to side. “We didn’t start watching TV until six.”
She turned to him. “AM.”
That had Cooper sitting up fast, his eyes going to the same clock she’d just looked at. “Oh shit.”
For some reason she started to laugh. “We fell asleep on the couch watching TV.” Widening her eyes, she asked, “Does that mean we’re old?”
“ You’re old.” Cooper peeled back the blanket covering them. “I’m not.” He raked one hand through his hair, still looking adorably tired. His gaze moved over where she sat, lingering for a second before moving away. “We should probably get moving so you can be at Grady’s on time. Otherwise he’ll kill me.”
“Okay.”
She smoothed down her hair, feeling a little self-conscious with her matted hair and flaking mascara, especially since she’d now seen what was hiding under his flannel and jeans.
Most of it anyway. And it was glorious.
Cooper went upstairs to brush his teeth and handle his morning business, so she cleaned up their little nest, folding the blanket and stashing it back into the table, then putting away all the snacks and wiping up the crumbs.
Cooper came hurrying down the stairs, wearing fresh clothes, his dark hair combed, and the scent of his cologne still carrying a hint of alcohol. He stopped and scanned the living room. “You didn’t have to clean up.”
“I don’t mind.” She gave him a small smile before admitting, “I actually kind of like cleaning.” It was a trait Er—people—had taken advantage of in the past, but that’s not how Cooper was. He was the kind of person who’d appreciate her effort, and that made her want to do it even more.
Plus his house was so nice. It was driving her a little crazy to see it messy.
“Believe it or not,” Cooper said as he walked to the kitchen, “I don’t mind cleaning either.”
She followed behind him, looking over the counters and sink. “I believe it.”
In addition to being gorgeous, the place was spotless. Even as a single person, he’d still have dishes and junk mail and dust to deal with. But there wasn’t a single bit of it in view.
“It bothers me when the place gets messy.” He pulled out a container of coffee and dumped some grounds into a filter on his pot. “I was shocked to find out not all women love that in a man.” He flashed her a grin, but there was a hint of vulnerability behind it. Like he was expecting her to pass the same sort of judgment whatever women he’d shown this side of himself to had.
“That’s surprising.” She was as shocked as he was to discover there were women who would find that to be a flaw. Her fingers were already twitching at the dusting of dark brown specks scattered across the counter from his coffee production.
Cooper set the maker to run and grabbed the dish rag hanging over the faucet, running it under the tap to dampen it before swiping the rogue grounds into his palm and tossing them down the drain. “I think they figured I’d expect them to be just as neat, but I don’t. I just like to pick up as I go.”
Isla reached out to press one fingertip against a single grain of coffee, picking it up. “I know you wouldn’t want to expect it of someone else, but I can tell you from experience it gets really exhausting being the only one cleaning a place up.”
She thought sharing her past with Cooper would make her feel more ashamed. Instead, it felt liberating to finally confess a little of what she’d been dealing with. A sip of what was bottled up inside.
Cooper turned all his attention to her. “Tell me about it.”
Part of her wanted to keep holding back. Keep hiding the uglier parts of her life. But what for? It’s not like Cooper would like her any less for the mistake she’d made.
“I was with someone for a very long time.” She watched the coffee drip from the filter into the carafe. “Like, since my sophomore year of high school.” Almost half her life had been occupied by Eric. It was no wonder he’d made such a mark on it. “He wanted to be a surgeon, and I didn’t necessarily have any interest in college, so I just followed him around. Went where he did and worked while he went to school.” She’d stuck with him while he got his bachelors. Then went with him to the city for medical school. “We talked about getting married once he was done with his residency, and then I’d be a stay-at-home mom and all my hard work would pay off.”
She swallowed, hating the lump trying to fill her throat. Even though it wasn’t the loss of Eric—just the loss of the dream she’d been stupid enough to include him in—it was still silly to be so emotional about it.
“Six months ago, out of nowhere, he told me he wasn’t happy. That I wasn’t what he wanted.” She stopped short of explaining exactly why she wasn’t what Eric wanted. It didn’t matter to Cooper and it shouldn’t matter to her. “So I finished out the lease on the apartment he stuck me with and came here to start over.” She kept her eyes on the pot, embarrassment making it impossible to look Cooper’s way.
“Good.”
Embarrassment turned to confusion and it snapped her head his direction. “Good?”
“Yeah. Good.” Cooper came her way, an intensity in his gaze that had her stepping back a little. “He did you a favor by setting you free. Now you can find someone who wants you more than anything they’ve ever wanted.”
She struggled to swallow as he loomed over her, big and broad and focused completely on her in a way that had her knees weak. “I’m not sure that’s a thing.”
“It’s a thing. I promise.” Cooper’s gray eyes moved over her face and her heart skidded to a stop. He almost looked like…
Like he was going to kiss her.
The seconds ticked past, or maybe time stood still, it was hard to tell, her pulse picking up more and more with every breath she fought to claim.
And then he stepped away, eyes dropping to the floor. “We should get going.” He took out a couple travel mugs, filled them with coffee and creamer, then tipped his head toward the mud room where their boots and coats were.
They finished getting ready in silence, but the air was charged with something she couldn’t explain. A sort of tension that she’d never felt.
Instead of taking her to Grady’s, Cooper drove to her apartment, letting her be the passenger. He parked in a spot then shut off the engine and got out.
She did the same, meeting him at the back end of the truck.
“I figured you didn’t want to go to Grady’s wearing the same clothes you had on yesterday.”
He followed behind her, sticking close as she opened the door and went up the stairs, letting them into her apartment.
Then Cooper was inside her home. Filling it up with his presence.
“It’s not as nice as your place.” She suddenly felt hesitant. A little uncertain as he looked over the first home that had ever been just hers.
The apartment was way nicer than any of the ones she’d had before it. Up until coming to Moss Creek, she’d either lived close to a college or in the city. So her earlier rentals were either a little run down or teeny tiny.
This one was neither.
It was actually huge, with soaring ceilings and large windows. It was also newly renovated, with a gorgeous open kitchen and beautiful hardwood floors.
But it was still a one-bedroom apartment over a diner.
“Damn.” Cooper slowly walked through the combined living room/dining room/kitchen. “I didn’t realize how nice this place was.”
“Mae used to live here before she got married, so I’m sure that’s why.” Isla’s eyes found the clock on her microwave. “I should probably jump in the shower.” She headed for the bathroom, motioning to the television and sofa with one hand as she hurried away. “Make yourself comfortable.” She ducked into the bathroom, popping her head back out to say, “There’s food and coffee in the kitchen. Get anything you want.”
Closing the door again, she switched on the shower and peeled away her clothes from the day before, tossing them into the hamper before pulling up her hair and stepping under the spray. There wasn’t time to wash and dry her locks, which was okay since she usually wore it up while she worked anyway, so she focused on quickly scrubbing down.
Except knowing Cooper was right outside the door had parts of her tingling with excitement. Places that didn’t normally get all hot and bothered during shower time. It was distracting and made her a little…jumpy when certain areas had to be washed, but she powered through.
Mostly.
By the time she was drying off, standing completely naked with nothing but a door separating Cooper’s eyes from her body, she was starting to throb.
Fuck .
The way he’d said it when she sent that first photo set her libido on fire and made her almost hope there could be more than friendship between them. But then—to her dismay—everything went right back to normal.
Everything except her libido. It hadn’t gotten the memo that she and Cooper really were just friends. Friends who spent time together almost every day. Friends who talked every night.
Friends who sent sexy pictures to each other.
But that was just… a fun little… thing they did. Friends did fun things together. Right?
Right.
So she was just going to ignore the thrum happening in her neglected clit and continue on like everything was normal. Because it was.
Turning to grab her clothes, she stopped short, stomach dropping.
Or maybe clenching. Not in fear, but in anticipation.
Because, like usual, she was a bad friend.
A bad friend with no clothes to put on and only a towel to wear while getting from point A—the bathroom—to point B—her bedroom.
Shoooot.
After wrapping the towel around her middle, she pulled the tie from her hair, finger combing the waves left from the day before so they fell around her shoulders in a tousled sort of way. Then she took a deep breath, belly fluttering with something a whole lot like excitement, and opened the door.
Cooper’s eyes came her way almost instantly, his expression changing just as fast. His nostrils barely flared as his whole body went tight. Tensing like he was about to stand.
Or pounce.
After spending six months feeling like the least sexy woman alive, part of her thought she’d never see a man look at her with desire. And if she did, she wouldn’t recognize it, because obviously she was clueless to that sort of thing.
But it almost seemed like there was want in Cooper’s gaze. Like maybe it was need tightening his jaw and clenching his fist.
“I forgot clothes.”
She moved toward him, wanting to get a better look. Wanting to bask a little in the way he was staring at her.
“It’ll just be a few more minutes.” Struggling to find enough air, her voice came out soft and a little raspy. “Is that okay?” She fought in a deep breath, hoping to calm the swimming in her head.
Cooper’s eyes dropped to where the towel was pulled tight across her boobs, the limits of the tuck holding it in place tested by her need for air. “Take your time.”
Was his voice a little husky too? Was he feeling a little of what she was?
The steady beat happening between her thighs picked up as he continued taking her in, ramping up until she was forced to press them together in an attempt to suppress the sensation before it got totally out of hand.
Speaking of out of hand…
This whole situation was heading that way, because she was one bad decision away from ‘accidentally’ dropping her towel, just to see what would happen.
It took way more willpower than she’d ever had to exhibit with a man, but Isla managed to back away, bare feet moving slowly as she inched into her bedroom, unable to look away from Cooper for a second.
Because the way he was staring at her was doing wicked things to her insides. And her ego.
For the first time in… ever, she felt almost desirable. Like she was really putting the past—and Eric—where they belonged.
Far, far away from Moss Creek.
And it had her acting unlike she ever had in her life. Doing things she never would have dared.
Like leaving the door to her room open.
Like stepping out of sight then tossing her towel onto the floor where Cooper could see it.
Like pulling on just her panties and jeans before draping her hair over her boobs and crossing to pick a hoodie from her closet.
By the time she was finished, her heart was racing erratically and she was flushed. Her skin was hot and certain places a little slippery. Not a great way to head into work, but after being in a funk for so long, she wasn’t willing to miss the opportunity to claw back a little of what was almost taken from her.
Stepping out of her room, she found Cooper sitting on the couch, staring at her door like he hadn’t blinked the whole time she was inside.
And it had her standing taller. Smiling wider. “Ready?”
Cooper cleared his throat, eyes dropping. “Yeah.” He’d taken his flannel off to reveal the fitted T-shirt beneath. He clutched the discarded plaid fabric tightly in his hand as he followed her out and down the stairs.
This time, he opened the driver’s door for her, letting her get behind the wheel. He took his place beside her without putting his shirt on, settling it on his lap as she pulled out of the lot.
And now it was her turn to stare at him. With the cooler weather, she hadn’t seen him in anything but long sleeves, and when he’d sent her shirtless photos two nights ago, she’d had to scrape her jaw off the floor. Even fully clothed it was obvious he had a decent body—broad shoulders and a defined chest—but she hadn’t been expecting so much…
Just so much.
The man had pecs and abs and biceps and traps and delts and just about every other muscle abbreviation she could think of. Plus a vein that ran down the length of his forearm that made her mouth water. And it was that damn thing that had her almost running onto the shoulder for the first time in weeks.
“Sorry.” She gripped the wheel a little tighter. “I thought I saw something on the road,” she lied, eyes already seeking out that line she wanted to trace with her tongue.
What.
The.
Fuck.
Was wrong with her? Trace it with her tongue? Who thought shit like that? Not her.
Not about her friend.
Holy crap. She needed to get away from him before she made a mess of everything and he figured out she was lusting over his blood flow.
Maybe she was ovulating. Her hormones were just on a rager, trying to figure out a way to get her pregnant.
And why wasn’t that as bothersome of a thought as it should be? She’d left her immediate plans for babies behind when Eric walked out.
Didn’t she?
“I have to work today.” Cooper cleared his throat again as he shifted in his seat. “A mid-shift.”
“That’s kind of good, right?” Isla blinked hard, trying to reset her brain in a sort of turn it off and on kind of method. “You’ll get to sleep at a normal time?”
“That’s the dream.” He adjusted his position again. “Tomorrow I work a third though, so it’ll be short lived.”
“That sucks.” She accidentally looked at his arm again. “Once I get my license I can come over when you work a long shift to take care of the chickens and horses if you ever need me to.” That’s what friends did for each other. They helped out. “Even if it’s just so you can sleep.”
“Just the chickens and horses?” Cooper’s voice seemed to deepen. “What if I want you to come lay on the couch and watch TV while I drool?”
She smiled. “I can do that too.” Isla wiggled around, testing her muscles and joints after spending the night on his sofa. “Your couch is pretty darn comfortable.”
“Glad to hear that.” Cooper finally seemed to relax, his smile easy as it turned her way. “Because I’ve got another third Friday night.”