12. Cooper
CHAPTER TWELVE
cooper
He has no idea what happened. One second Sam was smiling, laughing, full of life. And the next, the blood drained from her face, leaving her paler than a ghost.
What the hell was on that phone?
The person who’s sick? The person who hurt her? Both? Neither? Nothing at all?
It doesn’t matter, not with Nina barreling down on them. Whatever it was, it was enough to leave her trembling, and that’s all Cooper needs to know. With them out in the open like this, a lover’s rendezvous was the only thing he could think of to keep the producer at bay. But she’s a shark. If he’s not convincing, she’ll go in for the kill.
“I’ve got to—”
“I know.”
It’s all the permission he needs. Cooper slides his arm behind her back and hitches her up against his chest. One of his thighs parts her legs. A surprised gasp spills from her lips. Fisting her hair, he angles her head to the side and buries his face against her throat. It takes everything within him to keep a scant space between his mouth and her skin. But they agreed on the rules. She laid out her limits. No lips, no neck, no matter how much he wants it. So he just runs his nose up the column of her throat, breathing against her, drinking in the feel of her body pressed so tightly to his that he can feel every beat of her racing heart.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Nina closing in. Sam must be aware, or maybe not. He can’t entirely decipher the motivation as she lifts one of her legs higher and hooks it around his hips, urging him closer. The need to taste her is almost painful. Blood rushes from his head, heading south so quickly he feels delirious. Her head falls back against the wall as if in invitation. She’s heaving as her fingers twist into the front of his shirt. But he needs to hear her say it if he’s going to cross her lines, so he does the only thing he can and lowers his lips to the exposed curve of her shoulder, the only place they’re allowed. Her skin is salty from the ocean spray, the tang like a drug. He lets the kiss linger, then places another, and another, peppering across her collarbone because he can’t physically pull himself away. His tongue darts out to lick a hot line across her flesh. She inhales sharply. Fingernails dig into his scalp.
He has no idea what happened to Nina. The producer could be right behind him for all he knows. But he’s about two seconds from ravaging Sam against the wall, so it’s either break their rules or break this embrace, and he’s aware enough to know what he has to do.
Cooper pulls back. A few inches is the most he can manage. With their arms and legs still entangled, he rests his forehead against hers, trying his best to cool down. Her chest rises and falls against his as their panting fills the silence. They breathe hard for one long moment, then two. Her exhales brush against his mouth with the tantalizing whisper of a kiss. She licks her lips as a frustrated groan spills from his.
“You followed the rules,” she says, tone breathless, skin flushed. He can’t tell if it’s a question or a statement. There’s a hint of surprise, an edge of disappointment, and a layer of gratitude.
“I did,” is all he can manage.
“Why?”
Jesus Christ, woman. He’s right there at the precipice, but she just keeps on pushing. Leaning back far enough to catch her gaze, he cradles her face with his hand. Then he runs his thumb along her cheek.
“Because the first time I kissed you, it was for them. I don’t plan on making that mistake again.” He shifts his hold ever so slightly and moves his thumb over her puckered bottom lip. His gaze snags on that pillowy curve for a brief second before returning to her warm brown eyes. “The next time I kiss you, Sam, it won’t be because of someone else. It won’t be because you’re upset. It won’t be out of fear. It’ll be because you want it. It’ll be because you’re begging for it. It won’t be for anyone’s benefit but our own.”
“And if that never happens?” Her lips caress the pad of his thumb.
“It’ll happen, Cuj.”
“What makes you so sure, cowboy?”
“We’re inevitable, darlin’.” He laughs softly at the thick twang in his voice, completely beyond his control, and at the flash of desire completely beyond hers. “I’m just waiting for you to realize it too.”
“We’re not inevitable, Cooper. We’re impossible.”
She flattens her hand against his chest, then pauses, as though she can’t decide if she wants to push him off or pull him closer. His lips twist with a grin.
“You’re lying,” he taunts.
She snaps out of her daze with a scowl and straightens her arm, forcing him to step back. A rush of cool air slices between them as she ducks under his arm and starts walking away. Laughter plays on his lips.
“It’s okay. I forgive you,” he calls out as she picks up her pace. Softer, he adds, “Because the only person you’re lying to here is yourself.”
She doesn’t stop, doesn’t turn around. He loses sight of her and takes a minute to collect himself before following her back to the bungalow. Her door is already closed by the time he steps inside. Another night comes and goes. The sun breaks on their final full day in paradise, and he rises with it. This time tomorrow, they’ll be packed and ready to leave. He doesn’t plan on wasting the time he has left.
But Sam has other ideas.
She’s hiding.
She doesn’t come out to exercise. She doesn’t watch him swim. She doesn’t emerge for breakfast. If he couldn’t hear her shuffling around on the other side of the wall, he’d think she left early. When he invites her to lunch, she calls out a hasty no, thanks without bothering to open the door.
All day, she avoids contact.
The last item on their itinerary is a private couple’s massage followed by a sunset dinner on their deck. He almost thinks she’s going to chicken out, until she slinks from the bedroom right after he lies face down on his massage table, as if she was waiting with her ear pressed to the door. Her bathrobe is cinched all the way to the throat. She keeps her gaze on her slippered feet as she crosses the room. He starts clucking softly under his breath, calling her out. She levels an indignant look at him.
“Got something to say, Cooper?”
“Not at all.”
Her masseuse lifts the sheet so she can undress privately. Just listening to the rustle of her robe hitting the floor is enough to tighten his throat, to get his blood pumping. It takes all his willpower to keep his mind blank as they lay side by side, in the nude, a mere foot apart. All he wants to do is kick everyone out and close the distance.
But he doesn’t.
He has the worst massage of his life and then stares at her while dinner is set up on the porch, silently daring her to look back. She studiously ignores him.
Come on, Cuj. Don’t let it end like this.
But she will.
She does.
The second dinner is laid out and the resort workers leave, she drops the mask and turns for her room. He won’t let her go so easy.
“I didn’t take you for a coward.”
She stops midstride, still not turning around. “It’s self-preservation, not cowardice.”
“What are you so afraid of?”
“Let it go, Cooper.”
“That’s not in my nature.”
“Let it go.”
“Look at me and I will.”
Her shoulders tense. She spins. An almost desperate glint lights her eyes. “Emily is my sister. She’s my best friend. You don’t understand. You have no idea the things she’s sacrificed for me. I can’t do anything that might hurt her. And if something happens between us, if it gets out, if the world turns on her… I just—I won’t be responsible for tearing her dreams apart. I can’t be. So let it go. Let me go.”
She turns back around and leaves.
He lets her.
It goes against every instinct screaming out within him, but he doesn’t say a word as she crosses the room and disappears behind a closed door.
The longer he stares at that solid slab of wood, the more a voice deep inside whispers, Wrong, wrong, wrong. He doesn’t have a sibling, so he doesn’t really understand what that relationship entails, but he knows Emily. During their time together, he saw the truth in her heart. She would want her sister to be happy. And what if he could make Sam happy? What if they could make each other happy?
Thoughts of the ranch drift in and out of his mind. Yes, the extra exposure would be good. The extra followers, the extra money it might entail. But his father would rather have him home working than on another two-month joyride around the world. His mother would want him to chase happiness, no matter the cost.
And what does he want?
For starters, he wants to go home. He wants his horse, his bed, his morning view. No more cameras. No more acting.
But more than that, he wants Sam. Not thirty new women chasing after him for clout, for followers, for fame. All he wants is the one woman who keeps running away. And he’s not sure he’s ever felt that way before. His past is littered with quick-fading flames never made to last. He jumped from one girl to the next, always chasing a fire that felt out of reach. But now he’s ready to build a pyre that will last.
And this burn for Samantha?
It doesn’t feel like it’s going away anytime soon.
Cooper stands. He abandons the food on the table and strides purposefully across the room. He stops outside her door. Maybe one night is all the two of them will need. One night and then they can both move on. Or maybe Sam is right to be afraid.
Maybe one night will never be enough.
He has to know. He can’t live the rest of his life with unanswered questions.
Cooper knocks. Once. Twice.
“Go away.”
This fucking woman. “Open the door.”
“Go away.”
“You owe me an answer, remember?” he calls, voice full of challenge. “You owe me one honest answer. We had a deal, Sam, and I’m coming to collect.”
He hears her sigh through the wood. Soft footsteps pad closer. A moment passes. Two. She cracks open the door and peeks through with one eye, still hiding. “Fine. Ask your damn question.”
“You promise you’ll tell the truth?”
“I’ll tell the truth.”
He doesn’t hesitate. His voice is strong, clear, direct, and low with seductive implication. “Do you want me to cross this line?”
Her eyes flash and she swallows, but says nothing. He pushes the door fully open. She steps back. He steps closer. Her gaze sweeps over him, pure heat. He leans forward on his toes, pressing up against the invisible barrier between them, and lifts his hands to either side of the doorframe to hold himself back. When he can’t wait a second longer, he asks again.
“Do you want me to cross this line?”
“Yes.”