Chapter 20
20
COOPER
When the door closed, I had to catch my breath a little. I felt panicked, and I didn’t want her to notice. She probably knew anyway, she always seemed to read my moods, good and bad. The truth was, I had been in many hotels before, with women hoping to land a soldier. Attracted to the uniform, the danger, or just looking for someone to rescue them. Some people think that it’s us that are the skirt chasers, and we are, but we have to have skirt to chase in the first place. I never promised anyone anything. In fact, I was always honest to a fault.
Now, in this room with this woman, the woman who broke me down and helped put me back together, I was scared. This would mean something, something much more than just a night in this room. One look at her made me realise that she was thinking too. I never thought I’d bare this body to a woman, but if it was to be for anyone, it had to be her. I was falling, faster each day. Scared to vocalise it and scare her off, but she never ran from me. She met my fire, my pain, till they melded together in one beautiful mess. I trusted her completely, and truth be told, I was ready to fight again. Not for the government, or for the safety of others, but for a life of my own. I wanted to be in her corner; hers and Jamie’s. Putting up a barrier was something we both did, but now it was time to build our own, against the world.
I stepped up from my chair, slowly, and she watched me, not moving. She looked so perfect standing there, the sight robbed me of my breath once more. I steadied myself on my legs and held my hand out to her. She walked to me, and as our hands met, I felt the pull of her deep down in my gut. She reached out to touch my cheek, and I kissed her palm. She locked eyes with me and, not moving them from my face, she moved her hand down to my sweater. I watched her, transfixed, enjoying the feel of her touch on my skin. She lifted the material up, discarding it onto the carpet. She placed both hands on my chest momentarily before stroking them downwards. I sucked in a breath in surprise and her hands stilled. She looked worried, and I kissed it away. I could feel her hands press against my chest, so I stopped the kiss, but she grabbed hold of me and pulled me in deeper. Our mouths opened and I flicked my tongue against her lips. She moaned in response, and I felt a twitch in my trousers. She must have felt it against her body because she pushed against me harder. ‘Cooper, can you…’ She bit her lip, and it hit me. She’d come here, stayed with me without knowing if I could give her everything I wanted to. Everything she needed and deserved. That thought pushed me further into loving the holy hell out of this stunning, complex woman.
‘Let’s find out together, Missy,’ I teased, reaching for her, taking clothes off her body as quickly as I could, till she stood before me in her underwear. She shivered a little, and I took off my shirt, wrapping her in my naked chest.
‘You cold?’ I asked softly. She shook her head.
‘No, just nervous.’
I smiled at her then, grateful that this woman landed in my life. ‘Me too,’ I admitted. ‘We can go back, if you like?’
She shook her head, dropping a kiss onto my lips. ‘No, no more going back. Only forward from now on.’
I kissed her again.
‘I love you,’ I uttered, before I even realised I was going to. She looked at me, surprised, and in the moment before she spoke, I have never felt so exposed, so unprotected. I should have held the words back, waited. I was a patient man in everything but her. I held her tight, willing her not to panic, not to run. I should have known better. My girl was fiercer than that.
‘I love you too, Thomas.’
I didn’t need to know anything else. I kissed her hard, and she kissed me right back. I backed her up to the bed, slowly, carefully and she let me take the lead. Let me find my feet, take my own path, like always. I pushed her down so she sat on the bed, and I took a step back. She went to reach for me, but I held out a hand to stop her. I needed to do this. She had seen me before, at my worst, but I needed her to be aware of just what she was signing up for. Not as a patient, but as the man she might spend forever with. I undid my belt, letting my trousers fall to my feet. Kicking them off one foot, I removed them from my prosthetic and tossed them to one side. Taking a step towards her, I did the same with my boxers, before standing once more before her. She took me in, looking me up and down, pausing at the parts she had seen the least of.
‘You are perfect,’ she said. ‘Come here.’
I shook my head. ‘I need to do this as me, the new me.’
She placed her hands on her lap as a sign of waiting. I didn’t deserve this woman, but I was damn well going to earn her. Make her see that her words and actions, even the ones I had fought against like a foe on the battlefield, were worth it. Accepted. Cherished.
Moving forward, I steadied myself against the bed as I took off my prosthesis, then using the back of the nearby chair, I stood before her once more. She smiled at me, an open smile of admiration, and stood with me.
‘You never have to hide a thing from me,’ she breathed.
‘Back at you, baby.’
This time we came down to the bed together, kissing each other once more. We laid down and I looked down at her as I took her bra off. She shivered again as the chill in the air hit her, and I grinned as I ran my teeth across her collarbone. She sighed a little, breathing my name, and I couldn’t hold back any longer. We kissed passionately, running our hands over each other as we laid tightly against each other. I knew she could feel me against her body, and she pulled away suddenly.
‘Protection?’ she said, pulling a face. Shit. I groaned as I realised I hadn’t come prepared. I hadn’t even thought about it.
‘Sorry,’ I grumbled. ‘I can’t believe this!’
We both laughed then, and she kissed me again.
‘I am good if you are, Captain. I haven’t exactly been doing this a lot lately.’
I nodded with relief. I was clean too, and it meant a lot to me that she assumed that of me. Another reason why I loved her.
‘But what about…’ I started.
She shook her head. ‘I’m still on the pill.’
I dropped my head, rubbing my stubbly cheek against her neck as I thanked my lucky stars. She squirmed beneath me. ‘No teasing,’ she scolded. I felt her hand around me then, guiding me closer. I stopped teasing, let my fingers do the talking. ‘Oh Thomas,’ she whimpered, her head falling back.
‘Do you know what it does to me when you say my name?’ I growled as my fingers found her wetness. All for me. I felt like a fucking conquering hero. ‘It does things to my insides. Makes me want to turn you on so damn much you scream it.’
I kept up my movements, finding her centre with my thumb and revelling in the way she jolted against me. She worked her hand up and down my shaft, making my vision blur. My head spin. As she placed the head of my cock at her entrance, thrusting her hips up to bump it against herself, she looked me in the eye.
‘So make me, Captain. Give it to me.’
After that, I was a fucking goner.
Kate watched the sun rise through the slit in the half-open curtains as she listened to Cooper’s heart beating beneath her ear. They had hardly slept, not that she was complaining, but she had to get back soon. She’d taken the day off to house hunt for a suitable bungalow for herself and Jamie. And Cooper, hopefully. They hadn’t discussed it, but Kate knew that she wanted him with them. He loved her. Truly loved her, and when he’d said the words there was no panic, no doubt. She wanted to make them both a home, a better home than either of them had ever had, one filled with love and laughter, to give Jamie a home he’d adore. A place they could all heal properly, together.
She propped her head up on one elbow and looked at her sleeping partner. His usual frown lines seemed diminished, and a ghost of a smile played across his lips. He looked happy, and peaceful, and Kate thought he had never looked so handsome. He looked a little pale against the white sheets, and she thought back to that day when his body was tanned and broken. She slowly traced her finger over his scars, the lines of skin salvaged and painstakingly stitched back together once the shrapnel was free. They were turning silvery white now, healing more and more as each day passed. She wondered if the beating heart she could hear was being healed by her, patched up with her love for him. He slept on his back, slightly twisted so that his legs were wrapped around her under the sheets. He was totally at peace, but she knew if danger kicked the door down, he would be ready to protect her to his last breath, and even though she would never admit it, it made her feel safe and protected. She had never got that feeling from Neil; she had felt like the stronger, more adult half of their pairing. What she felt now, lying in this bed, was a perfect match. She just hoped that the next few months didn’t alter them. She snuggled into him further, half closing her eyes. One more minute, and then she would get up. One more minute, to savour this slice of time.
The knocking was insistent, and Kate scrunched her eyes up at the intrusion to her dreams. Trevor. That was her first thought. It was Trevor, knocking at her room door to tell her a patient was incoming. A flash of Cooper, naked, popped into her head and her eyes sprang open.
‘Shit!’ she shouted. She heard the door open, and as she frantically glanced around, the hotel room swam into focus, along with her bra, which hung from the mounted television. Muted voices were exchanged and then Cooper, clad in a pair of boxers, walked slowly back to her, wallet in hand.
‘It was reception. We slept in, so they wanted to check if we wanted the room again for tonight. I tipped them to give us an extra half hour.’ He kissed her, and she closed her lips tight. He faltered, pulling back, and she realised he had his limb on, and his breath smelled of mint.
‘Scared of morning breath?’ he chuckled.
She spoke out of the corner of her mouth. ‘Mine, not yours,’ she said, grabbing for the sheets to tuck round her as she headed for the bathroom. Picking her clothes up, he flicked her thong at her. She caught it, blushing, and grabbed her bra on the way past.
He blocked her path to the bathroom, and she looked up at him, flustered.
‘No regrets?’ he said, and she realised he was worried. She pecked him close mouthed, dropping the sheet. His eyes bulged as he took her in.
‘None,’ she said saucily. ‘Half an hour means we have enough time for a shower too. I noticed a shelf in there, just right for sitting on.’
He broke into a broad smile then, taking her by the hand to the bathroom. She put her finger to his lips as they neared hers.
‘I must just brush my teeth first,’ she said. Cooper chuckled, and he shut the door behind them.
Later that afternoon, Cooper having left, Kate was enjoying a wander around the city centre. She had bought some new clothes for Jamie, and was now sitting in a coffee shop looking at bungalow listings from the estate agents. The lady had been really nice, not batting an eyelid at the long list of specifications that she rattled off at her. Some of them, one in particular, looked promising. The one she had her eye on had land with it, and Kate wondered if this could be put to good use going forward. It was just out of town, a large country-style bungalow. Just the ticket for their new life. Kate turned her phone on, intending to book a viewing, when her phone burst into life. She had missed calls, texts and voicemails. The centre number came up repeatedly. Jamie. Kate grabbed her things and raced to the nearest taxi rank. She punched the voicemail button and listened as she fired out her destination to the receptionist. It was Trevor.
‘Kate, it’s me. Listen, get back here as soon as you can. Jamie is missing.’
Kate’s blood ran cold. The taxi pulled up, and she jumped in, ignoring the driver’s cheery greeting. She rang Cooper’s mobile. He picked up on the second ring.
‘Missy! I was just thinking ab?—’
‘Cooper!’ she screamed into the phone. ‘It’s Jamie. I need you!’
Kate’s voice down that telephone line made Cooper think of the first day he met her. The urgency in her voice terrified him. When she told me what was happening, his instincts took over.
‘Okay, I’m here Kate, listen, I am on my way to help, okay? Ring me when you get to the centre.’
Kate managed to pull herself together long enough to say goodbye, and he resisted the urge to tell her he loved her again. It didn’t seem right, when they had only just told each other how they felt the night before. He would tell her when he saw her. When she was in his arms and Jamie was safe.
He rang Rita. No way was he going to speak to Trevor. It happened on his watch. Trevor wouldn’t tell him a damn thing anyway. Why would he? Officially, Cooper was only a fellow patient.
Rita answered in her usual brisk busy bee manner. ‘Can I help, my love?’ Cooper could hear the noises of the kitchen in the background. The hiss of water running, the clang of pots and pans.
‘Hey, Reet. Did you see where he went? How the hell did he get out?’
‘I have no idea, the staff were all busy, and Trevor was holed into his office. His grandparents came for him, and he went willingly. It was one of the new nurses, she didn’t know the background, and there’s nothing in his file about him not being allowed to visit his father’s family.’
‘Wait, his father’s parents came and took him?’
Rita’s voice came across loud and clear. ‘Yes honey, and he went with them willingly.’
He mumbled his thanks before ending the call to make another.
‘Hightower, hey,’ he barked out down the line, all his training taking over. ‘I need an address dude, like now. Quick as you can. I’ll text you the name.’ He thought for a moment. ‘And can you get his parents’ too?’
Hightower didn’t need asking twice. The man could hit a fly between the eyes from a mile away, a bit of tracking would be no problem. Ten minutes later, Cooper was on my way to meet Kate’s ex-husband.