Chapter 16
16
Cooper
“YOU READY FOR this?” Cooper ignored the pit in his stomach as Isla parked his truck in front of the single-story building.
“I guess we’ll find out.” She shut off the engine and undid her buckle. “I bet you’re ready for it.” She peeked his way from under her lashes. “If I pass you won’t have to drive around with me all the time.”
That was the last thing he was ready for. It was the reason he felt a little sick. “I don’t mind driving around with you.”
He actually loved it. Loved every second he got to spend with her. Even if they were a little awkward now.
Not because of Isla. She was perfect.
But something had changed—on his part—a week ago. It wasn’t snuggling on his couch, or even that they’d spent the night there together that was causing the problems. It was that fucking towel he’d come face-to-face with the next morning. The way it taunted him from the floor of her room. A glaring sign of what was just around the corner.
And how fucking much he wanted to see it. To touch it. To taste it.
Even a week later, his hands fisted and his mouth watered just thinking about it.
And it was really fucking with his head.
“That’s good, because you might have to do it for a little while longer until I can find a car.” She opened her door and slid out.
Isla not having a car yet was the only thing keeping him from fully losing his grip on his sanity. He was about to lose one of his built-in reasons for seeing her. The secondary situation keeping her in his life without making either of them think too hard about why he was always with her.
Once she had her own mode of transportation though, his motivations were going to be way more transparent. And that would fuck everything up. Make it easy to see he was simply another asshole who didn’t really want to be just friends with a woman.
It would change how she saw him. How he saw himself. And it was coming for him fast.
Isla stuck close to his side as they crossed the lot and went into the exam station, her dark eyes coming his way every few steps like she was looking to him for reassurance. Like she relied on him.
Trusted him.
That was why, as difficult as it had been, he’d stayed the course for the past week. Even when she came over to spend another day—and night—on his couch, he’d managed to keep his shit together. Managed to be the friend he claimed he was.
It was also why he was there, tired as hell after working a third, to support her as she took her driving test. Even though it might pull her away from him. Even though it might be the first step that took him back to the life he’d been living before she came into it.
Isla’s happiness was more important. Especially since he couldn’t be trusted to keep his own feelings where they were supposed to be.
After she checked in, they sat together in a set of uncomfortable chairs. Her leg was bouncing around, showing just how nervous she was.
And it was killing him not to try to do something about it.
So—despite his better judgment and what he’d decided he wouldn’t do—he reached out to touch her, resting his hand on her thigh as he leaned into her ear. “You’ve got this. You are a damn good driver. You’ve got nothing to worry about.” He gave her leg a squeeze. “And if for some reason this doesn’t go the way you want, we’ll handle it.”
She peeked his way, her face close to his. “I’ll be so embarrassed if I fail.”
He watched her lips move as she spoke. Hating that he knew exactly how far they were from his. “Nothing to be embarrassed about. I failed it the first time I took it.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? I didn’t know that.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Like how fucking much he liked her. How fucking desperate he was to touch her.
How much he hated himself for it.
Isla rubbed her lips together, the movement taunting him. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me too.”
“I’ll make you a deal.” Cooper inched in the tiniest bit more, because he was a piece of shit who wanted to feel the warmth of her breath on his face. “If you pass this test, I’ll tell you one of my secrets.”
Isla’s lips lifted. “A juicy one?”
“Sure.” He’d agree to just about anything she asked of him. Tell her whatever she wanted to know. Do whatever she needed.
Hell, he might even cut off a limb if she requested it.
Isla nodded, looking eager instead of afraid. “Deal.”
The proctor called her name, tone flat and emotionless, and he hated the guy almost as much as he hated himself. If he was a dick to her?—
Isla leaned in, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Be right back.” Then she jumped up, carrying her purse and his keys as she followed the older guy testing her to his truck.
He watched their every move through the large window as the guy had her test turn signals and brake lights. His chest tightened as they pulled away and he said a silent prayer to the universe that she passed. Because it’s what she wanted.
And that was all that mattered.
The next fifteen minutes crawled by like he was getting a root canal. Each one was painful and torturous as he waited, unable to do anything to help her. When his truck circled back and pulled into the same spot it occupied earlier, he stood, eyes locked on the driver’s door as it opened.
The first thing Isla did was look at the window, her dark eyes bright and a smile on her face as she flashed him a thumbs-up. He’d never been more proud of anyone in his life. Or more miserable. Because this was the beginning of a change that could alter everything.
It took another hour to take her papers next door to the DMV so Isla could get her photo taken and claim the license she’d worked so hard to obtain. As they left, she frowned down at the temporary paper she’d been given, obviously disappointed to discover her actual license would be coming in the mail in a couple weeks.
“It feels kind of anticlimactic.”
He draped an arm around her shoulders as they walked to his truck. “Then maybe we should go grab some lunch to celebrate. Make the climax happen.”
He said it without thinking. Even once they were out, his words—and their possible connotation—didn’t register.
Not until Isla said, “I could definitely use a good climax.”
Then he nearly tripped over his feet, choked on his spit, and swallowed his tongue at the same time. All the shit he’d been suppressing flooded his system, overloading it to the point he couldn’t come up with words.
And maybe that was a blessing in disguise. With his luck, they would have been something like, ‘I’m happy to help with that’ or ‘Only one? How about three?’ or maybe even, ‘Then get on my face.’
Thankfully, Isla didn’t seem to notice his reacion as she went for the passenger door. “Does this mean I can be a passenger princess now?”
His lips finally got with the program, and he was able to admit, “You can be anything you want to be, Princess.”
She lifted her brows. “Princess…” The dark slashes wiggled up and down. “I like the sound of that.”
He’d like the sound of whatever came out of her mouth when she got that climax she was in need o?—
No.
NO.
That was not what he liked the sound of. He liked the sound of football games. The sound of drunk ranch hands running down the street naked on a cold day. Taking a deep breath, he stuck to thoughts of the least sexually appealing things he could come up with.
He closed Isla into the truck and tried to walk off the raging erection he was hiding behind the hem of his heavy coat. Thank God for the bulky canvas because it was saving his life right now.
Getting behind the wheel, he drove them to one of his favorite places to eat in Billings, managing to calm the fuck down while they enjoyed sandwiches piled high with freshly sliced deli meat stacked on house-made bread. By the time they were pulling into Grady and Evelyn’s so Isla could work a half-day, he was feeling better. About everything. About his friendship with Isla, and that it would continue even when she didn’t need him to drive her around. About his self-control. He was a grown man and the boss of his dick. It didn’t tell him what to do, and he wouldn’t let it mess this up.
As he parked the truck, an older man came out the back door, smiling wide.
“My grandpa’s here.” Isla sounded a little shocked. “I didn’t think he was coming to town until next week.” She was out of his truck and headed into her grandpa’s embrace before he could wrap his head around the development.
He’d seen Bernard in passing, but hadn’t interacted with the man. Now he was pulling up with Isla and it was going to look like something it wasn’t. It was likely going to bring questions he didn’t want to answer.
Because he’d feel bad lying. And if he didn’t lie, everything would implode.
Getting out of the truck, he plastered on a smile, bracing for what might be coming his way. But Bernard and Isla were deep in conversation and neither of them seemed to notice he was even there. Isla’s head tipped back, eyes widening as her grandpa passed over an envelope. Then the older man turned, offering Cooper a nod as he went, and disappeared back inside.
Leaving Isla staring at the envelope in her hands.
“Everything okay?” He didn’t like the pinch of her brows or the flat line of her mouth. Didn’t like the way whatever was in her hands seemed to be putting a damper on her excitement over the earlier events of the day.
“Yeah.” She gave him a weak smile. “My grandpa just brought me a letter from my ex.”
She wasn’t normally so forthcoming with information involving the guy she used to date, and the easy admission had jealousy creeping up his spine.
“Why would he send you a letter?”
It came out sharper than he intended, but there was no way to temper his voice right now. Not with her holding a piece of the asshole who let her go. The bastard didn’t deserve to insert himself into her life here. She’d worked hard to get away from everything he’d tainted. To put it all behind her.
“Because he’s an ass.” She sighed, turning to him. “I guess he’s feeling guilty about the way he left things.” She snorted. “Can’t imagine why.”
Feeling regretful was probably more like it. The dude was probably starting to figure out women like Isla didn’t come along every day, and now he was kicking himself for walking away from her.
“You think he wants you back?”
Isla thought for a minute, then shrugged. “I think I don’t care.”
She pinched the envelope between her fingers and twisted, tearing the whole thing in half. Then she did it again, blowing out a breath as she stared down at the shreds. “That felt really good.” Her eyes lifted to his, a smirk twisting her lips. “Not climax good, but I’ll take what I can get.”
And just like that, his mind was right back in the fucking gutter.
She laughed, pointing a finger at him. “Your face.” She leaned into his body, her forehead resting against his chest. “That was priceless.” She rocked her head back, chin resting on his sternum as she looked up at him. “I’ll stop complaining. I’m sure it’s the last thing you want to hear about.”
It was actually the first thing he wanted to hear about. “I don’t mind. You can complain to me any time.”
Terrible idea. Terrible, terrible idea. She shouldn’t tell him anything else about her needs or wants or desires. He’d combust. All they’d find was ashes in the shape of a raging hard-on.
“Good, because I don’t have anyone else to complain to.” She wrapped her arms around his middle, squeezing tight as she rested her cheek against his coat. “Thank you for going with me today. I don’t know that I could have done it without you there to keep me from freaking out.”
“Of course.” He slowly wrapped her in his arms, hugging her back. “I’d do anything for you, Princess.”
Even suffer in silence. Even shove down all the feelings trying to fuck this up until they were safely and securely packed away and hidden.
“Same.” Isla’s head tipped back, her smiling face beaming up at him. “Now all I have to do is find a car. Then I can sneak over to your house when you’re not there and play with your chickens and lay on your unreasonably comfy couch.”
“I’ll make sure you have a key.” He’d never given any woman a key to his place, but he’d chew one into shape with his own teeth for Isla. So she could always have a place to go. Crazy shit happened—he saw it all the time—and he never wanted her to be in need of a safe space.
“That will make it easier.” She gave him a wicked little grin. “And I won’t have to peek through the windows when I want to come watch you sleep at night.”
“Maybe princess is the wrong nickname for you.” Without thinking, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Maybe psychopath is the more appropriate P word.”
Isla wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think I like that one as much.”
“Of course you don’t.” He smoothed back her hair as the wind pulled a strand across her face. “You’ve got everyone fooled into thinking you’re sweet.”
She scoffed, mouth dropping open. “I am sweet.”
“I don’t know.” He tipped his head, pretending to consider. “First you cut off goat toes, now you’re watching people sleep at night. Things are starting to add up in a different way.”
Isla’s grip on him shifted, one hand planting against his chest in a playful shove. “You take all that back.”
“I don’t think I will.” He returned her grin, enjoying the friendly interaction. Embracing it. “I think I’ll tell everyone I know that Isla Weber isn’t nearly as sweet as she seems.”
He’d do no such thing because it wasn’t true. But even if it was, he wouldn’t share shit about her to anyone. Everything he knew about her was hard-won. He’d earned it. It belonged to him and no one else.
Just like she should.
Where the fuck did that come from?
Nowhere good. But now that he’d thought it, there was no getting it out of his head. No ignoring the gnawing desire to make her his.
“You better not.” Isla pushed him again, laughing as he stumbled back.
He gripped her wrist, encircling it in a careful hold as he tugged, taking her along as he moved out of sight from anyone inside the house. When he stopped, she kept going, momentum bringing her body flush to the front of his.
Isla let out a breath as they came together, her pupils dilating as she looked up at him, full lips barely parted, her cheeks flushed. It was the same way he’d held her seconds ago when she hugged him, but this was different.
There was no audience possibly peeking out the windows. There was no teasing. No joking. No banter.
Just tension so thick it would take a chainsaw to dig into it.
“I would never tell anyone anything about you, Princess.” His blood was fire in his veins as her eyes softened, lids getting heavy. “Your secrets are all mine.”
Isla’s gaze dipped to his mouth and the tip of her tongue peeked out, wetting her lips. “Speaking of secrets.” She swallowed, the delicate column of her neck working before she continued. “You owe me one.”
There were so many he could offer her. A million confessions he could make. But he was already dangerously close to crossing a line he’d never be able to come back from, so he went with something safe. Something simple. Something truer than she’d ever know.
“I’ve only been in love once.”