Chapter 33
COOPER
“I owe you an explanation.” I have no idea how she’s going to react now that Chase is gone. “But first, are you mad at me?”
“No. I’m not mad.” Her voice is quiet. Too quiet.
“It all happened so fast.” I step away and put my hands in my pockets to stop them from tangling in her hair again.
“I was in the parking garage and heard you talking with Chase. I could tell at the meeting yesterday that he made you nervous, so I started looking for you. I didn’t want you to be alone with him.
” I try to gauge what she’s thinking, but in a rare moment, her thoughts are not plastered across her face.
“I heard him say that he wanted to get back together, and you sounded even more nervous after that. Then he asked if you were seeing someone,” I stop to steady my racing pulse, “and I figured that if you were—seeing someone—he might finally back off.”
Her face is still unreadable.
“And so . . . I kissed you. I wanted him to think you were taken.” Still no response.
At least that was the original plan.
I didn’t intend to kiss her like I did—but when she leaned into me, I lost my resolve and kissed her the way I wanted to. And now my head is spinning: How can I ever go back to a life in which I’m not kissing Stephanie James?
I check to make sure we’re still alone. “I was trying to get Chase off your back.”
She slowly nods, though it’s another long moment before she speaks.
“I figured that’s why you did it.” Her words are slow, and she looks everywhere but at me.
“And you did a very convincing job.” She finally looks up at me, and the blush on her cheeks makes her more alluring than she probably realizes.
I remind myself of the plan: Move slowly, Cooper. Don’t rush her.
But a different part of my brain screams: Make a new plan! Because if she’s willing, you need to kiss her again as soon as humanly possible.