CHAPTER 5
COOPER
My nape prickles with awareness as I set down two coffee cups filled to the brim in front of two young women, who smile at me in thanks.
I rub the spot casually, feeling my skin warming the more I don’t turn around to look.
But I won’t. Because I’m working right now, and I’m extremely professional.
Plus, I’m also strong. I can totally go the rest of my shift without turning to look.
Sigh.
I turn to look.
At Liam, who’s sitting at the very end of the counter, his eyes burning into me, his lips tipped up in a permanent, soft smile.
He makes it hard to breathe.
And when he winks at me, I have to physically stop myself from dropping everything and going to him. Just to be closer. Close enough to touch if we wanted.
Li loves doing this—coming here and sitting at the counter, simply watching me while I work.
I still remember when he did it for the first time so many months ago. He just came in, sat down, and watched… everything. The people, the coffee shop, me.
I remember how ridiculously happy it had made me. I also remember his answer when I asked him if he doesn’t get bored just looking at me.
“I have years to make up for, Coop.”
I kissed him right there in front of everyone.
And then, I kissed him again much later, when all the customers were gone and he asked me if we could step outside and pretend it was the first day.
The day I got to see the café ready for the first time, before it opened to the public.
The day I realized I’d made my dream come true.
The day I didn’t get to share with him because he hadn’t been here with me.
So, that’s what we did.
We stood outside after everyone had left, and, with his hand in mine, I told him everything—every step I took, every decision I made, every moment of fear and excitement I felt.
And he listened to it all, the pride in his eyes so loud, I had to kiss him to silence it before I became a crying mess in the middle of the street.
It’s the same pride I see now as he sits a few feet away from me. That and so many other things.
I grin at him, and he grins back. A throat clears, which is the only reason I tear my gaze away from Li and glance to his right—at Nate, who is currently shaking his head at both of us.
I aim a brilliant smile at our best man, who always looks like he’s two seconds away from being fed up.
The big grump.
Case in point—the blank stare he gives me that has me turning around to stop myself from barking out a laugh.
I’m halfway through preparing the next order when Nate’s voice reaches me, and I freeze.
“How did I miss this?”
His words carry over to where I’m standing, but I know he’s not talking to me.
“How did I not notice anything about how you felt back then?”
My hands move on autopilot, but I don’t think I’m breathing as I wait for Liam’s answer.
“It wasn’t your fault, Nate. I was just really good at hiding it.”
Our conversation from several nights back in our living room is still vivid in my mind—Li’s confession, his thoughts, his feelings.
“But why did you feel like you had to hide anything in the first place?” Nate’s soft-spoken question is barely heard over the noise in the café. But it’s that question that makes me glance at them, because I need to see Li’s face.
He’s already looking at me.
I’m not sure he ever really stopped.
“I don’t know,” Liam mutters, forest-green eyes locked with mine. “I just felt that I shouldn’t say anything to anyone. That I was going to ruin everything if I did.”
I swallow at the conviction behind his words.
Fuck, I want to kiss him so bad right now.
“Liam, buddy, I love you. You know I do. But you’re a damn idiot,” Nate says with a heavy sigh, but he’s smiling when we both turn to look at him.
Nate was more blindsided than hurt when he found out about us, and I’d never been more relieved about what a great friend he’s been. Not just for me, but for Liam as well, because he’s been the one to carry this inside him the longest.
Liam chuckles and nods. “Yeah, no disagreement with you on that.”
Okay, PDA incoming.
Crossing the small distance, I lean over the counter and press my lips to his in a far tamer kiss than I want to lay on him.
“Don’t listen to him,” I whisper against his lips. “He’s just grumpy because he has to be here on his day off talking about wedding stuff, instead of being home with Maddy, cosplaying a vampire lord.”
“How did you—I mean, that’s never happened.” Nate coughs and I feel the vibration from Li’s chuckle travel through me.
I reluctantly pull back—I’m professional, or whatever— and leave them to straighten out a few more details about the wedding schedule while I get back to work until it’s time for Liam and I to leave.
Dylan has managed to cram several appointments into one day so we wouldn’t have to miss too much work—namely, the florist for the final approval of the venue decor, the tailor for our suits, and the bakery to pick up cake samples.
At this point, we are churning out rush fees like candy on Halloween, not to mention, we’ll probably have to buy Dylan a thank-you house by the end of all this for everything he’s doing, but it doesn’t matter.
Not when we’re less than two weeks away from our wedding.
Not when almost everything is already either booked, taken care of, or on the way of being taken care of.
Like next week’s bachelor party.
My face and neck heat just thinking about it, and I have to busy myself further away from Liam so he doesn’t see me like this.
I can’t let him find out what I’m planning, and I know I’ll give myself away if he starts thinking something’s up.
Nervous excitement and anticipation fizz in my stomach, along with need. So much need.
God, I miss him.
I miss his body on mine, inside me. I miss the way he takes me apart and puts me together. The way he fucking worships me.
Every night that he gathers me in his arms, cuddles me, kisses me to sleep, it makes my heart soar. It feeds a deep need I never knew I had. Not until him. But now that I know what it’s like to lose my damn mind from his touch, I crave it.
He’s right. I would have already begged for it about a dozen times by now if it wasn’t for what I have in mind. Something I know he’ll like.
No. Something I know will make him feral.
I bite the inside of my cheek and school my features into something more normal and less deranged.
I can’t fucking wait.
But first.
Flowers.
Suits.
Cake.