by Elle Kennedy
She rested her cheek on his shoulder and sighed. “I think I passed out.”
His laughter tickled her forehead. “Does that mean you like slow and sweet as much as hard and rough?”
“Yep.”
They went silent for a long time, as Jake toyed with her hair and ran his hand over her back. Bree couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this relaxed. The steady beating of Jake’s heart vibrated in her ear. His warm breath heated the tip of her nose. She kinda liked this cuddling thing, though she’d never dreamed that she’d be cuddling with Jake Bishop, of all people.
The thought gave her pause, made her uneasy enough that she propped herself up on her elbow and searched his gorgeous face. “What are we doing here, Jake?”
He didn’t ask her to clarify, which told her he’d been thinking the very same thing. “I don’t know,” he murmured. “But I like it.”
“Me too.”
You like it too much, a little voice warned.
Bree swallowed. Might be some truth to that. This past week, she’d lowered her guard around this man. She’d stopped viewing their time together as only sex, but something…deeper.
But how could they possibly have anything deep? Jake might be opening up to her, but it wasn’t like he’d magically become a man she could have a future with. If anything, he was going out of his way to avoid thinking about the future. He’d told her about the job offer on the base in Colorado Springs, but as far as she knew, he hadn’t made a decision yet and his hesitation spoke volumes. He had this great opportunity right there in front of him, yet he seemed to view the job the same way he might view prison time.
“Why haven’t you given the colonel an answer yet?” she asked quietly.
Jake stiffened. “Because I haven’t made up my mind yet.” He paused for a beat. “But I did make up my mind about something else. I want to keep seeing you, Bree. Even after you leave on Sunday.”
She faltered. “How will that work?”
“If I take the job, I’ll be thirty minutes from Denver. If I decide to stay in Paradise, I’ll be an hour away. Either way, we can commute, or I’ll commute, if you’re not up for the drive.”
Her breath hitched. “Why would you want to do that?”
“Because I like being with you.” He sighed. “I’m starting to think I was a real idiot back then. I wish we’d spent as much time out of bed as we did in it.”
“It wouldn’t have changed anything,” she said with an answering sigh. “We would have said goodbye eventually. You were set on the army, I was set on law school.”
“Do you truly like it? Being a lawyer?”
“You know, nobody’s ever asked me that,” she confessed, feeling dismayed.
“Well, do you?”
She pursed her lips. “Yes. I do. I love it, actually. My parents might have encouraged me—okay, browbeat me—into the field, but I would’ve chosen it on my own. Everyone thinks it’s about the money, but for me, it’s not. I like knowing that I’m making a difference, fighting for people who can’t do it alone. Like this latest case I’m working on.”
“Representing the widow of the man who died from that blood pressure drug?”
Anger jolted through her. “Because the pharmaceutical company didn’t bother disclosing the fatal side effects. Their only concern was fast-tracking the drug to get it on the market as soon as possible. Bert Smithson died because a bunch of greedy executives were more concerned with making money fast rather than taking the time to produce a safe product.”
Jake cocked his head. “And it isn’t greed that compelled the widow to sue?”
“No,” she said firmly. “Mrs. Smithson doesn’t care about the money. She’s already pledged to donate any punitive damages she’s awarded to Denver General’s cardiology department. She’s suing to send a message. If the company is forced to shell out big bucks this time, then they’ll think twice before screwing anyone else over again.” Bree let out a rushed breath. “Sorry. I tend to get passionate about my cases.”
“I’ve noticed,” he said with a chuckle.
“But we’re getting off-topic here.” She swallowed. “I can’t see how this will work once I leave Paradise. Relationships can be hard work, Jake.”
“I know that,” he said gruffly.
“And I can’t have a half-assed relationship either.” She sat up, shoving a strand of hair out of her eyes. “If we keep seeing each other, you need to be fully invested. Open, honest. Communicate instead of shutting down. And…” She hesitated.
“And what?”
“And I would want us to get to know each other’s families.”
He blanched.
Bree bristled. “See, that’s what I’m talking about. I know my parents aren’t your favorite people, but if we’re together, I’d expect you to make an effort. Same way I made an effort with your mother. If you and I start dating, you bet your ass I’d keep in touch with Della, and your brothers, too. Hell, I reached out to Austin the other day, and I barely know him.”
Jake looked surprised. “You spoke to Austin?”
“Right after that disastrous lunch,” she confessed. She didn’t mention that Austin had yet to take her up on her offer to talk, but she knew he hadn’t spoken to Jake or Owen either, so she didn’t feel insulted.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know, but I did it anyway. And if you’re serious about seeing where this thing between us goes, you’re going to have to suck it up and play nice with my family.”
The vulnerability that flickered in his silver eyes floored her. “Your folks despise me, Bree. They despise my whole family.” He made a disgruntled sound. “They think me and my brothers are cut from the same cloth as my asshole father.”
“Then change their minds,” she said breezily.
“While they try to change yours,” he countered, sliding up into a sitting position. He dragged one hand over his close-cropped hair. “They won’t approve of us dating, Bree. They’ll poison your mind, tell you how you can do better, bitch that I’m not wealthy.”
“So? They can say whatever they want—doesn’t mean I’ll believe them. I don’t care that you’re not rich, Jake. I don’t care if you accept the instructor job, or decide to work construction with Owen instead. I’ll support whatever you choose to do. As long as it makes you happy, I’m happy.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Jesus. You really are the sweetest person I’ve ever met.”
Her heart did a funny little flip. God, if she wasn’t careful, she might actually fall for this man again.
“All right. Let’s do it,” Jake blurted out. He shook his head, looking a little shell-shocked. “If you’re serious about giving me a shot, then I’m willing to make the effort. I’ll invest myself a hundred percent in this, sweetheart.”
A smile tugged on the corners of her mouth. “Really?”
“Really.”
He leaned in to kiss her, but she pressed her index finger to his lips, stopping him from making contact. “Then you’re gonna have to put your money where your mouth is.”
Jake raised a dark brow. “Meaning what?”
“Meaning I’m officially inviting you to dinner with my family tomorrow night. And you, Jake Bishop, had better be on your best behavior.”
Cooper couldn’t say he was surprised to find Lexie on his porch when he stepped outside to have a smoke. But he was surprised it had taken her three days to show her face. Not to mention that she was here on a Friday night, at the time she normally ate dinner with her folks. He also didn’t expect to find her on that shitty-ass wicker chair instead of knocking on the damn door. Judging by the redness of her cheeks and nose, she’d been sitting there for quite some time.
“How long have you been out here?” he asked roughly, flipping open his Zippo so he could light his cigarette.
She sighed. “Twenty minutes.”
“Why didn’t you knock?”
“I was gathering my courage.�
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Cooper inhaled a lungful of nicotine and leaned against the splintered wooden railing. He didn’t make a move to greet her with a hug or kiss. And he tried valiantly not to notice how beautiful she looked. With her classic features, cornflower blue eyes and pale golden hair, she really did resemble the princess she pretended to be. Her tight-fitting gray wool coat screamed designer, as did her knee-length leather boots. Cooper had always dismissed her when he’d spotted her around town in the past, until the night he’d found her tipsy in the parking lot of Nate Bishop’s pub.
The night he’d discovered that underneath her icy exterior, Lexie burned hotter than a five-alarm blaze. And he’d discovered a lot more once they started spending time together. She was eager and passionate in bed, had a silly sense of humor that she only revealed in private, a stubborn streak that ran a mile long.
But she was also a big fucking coward, not to mention a total daddy’s girl.
“So you’re here to apologize, huh?” he said bitterly.
“Yes.”
He took a long drag, then flicked ash over the side of the railing. “Don’t bother. It’s not like I’ve been sitting here for the past three days, sulking and sobbing about how you ignored me in front of your mommy.”
Liar.
Fine, so he might have been sulking. But not sobbing. He wasn’t that much of a pussy.
“I panicked,” she said, slowly getting to her feet. “I already told you, I’m not ready to tell my parents about us.”
“Us?” he echoed. “There is no us, Lexie. There can’t be until you’re willing to acknowledge—publicly—that we’re actually a couple.”
A cold hand touched his jaw. “I’m sorry, Coop. I should have said hello to you on the street. I just need some more time, all right?”
He let out a savage curse. “You realize how frustrating it is that I can’t even tell my best friend about us? Yeah, I know Wyatt has a big mouth, but he’s still my buddy and I’ve been lying to him for months about how I spend my nights. I’m sick and tired of keeping us a secret, all because you’re too scared to tell the mayor that you’re spending all your time in a shitty cabin with the town loser.”
Agony flooded her eyes. “You’re not a loser. God, you’re…you’re the best man I’ve ever met.”
“Then why are you so ashamed to tell your family about us?” he muttered.
“I’ll tell them soon,” she whispered. “I promise.”
“How soon?”
Indecision crossed her beautiful face.
Cooper jabbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and took a step away from her. “Fine. You want a deadline? How about tomorrow night? Come with me to the Lodge. It’s a Saturday night, so half the town will be there.”
She looked alarmed. “And what, we hold hands, go overboard on the PDA, announce to everyone that we’re a couple?”
“Yes.”
“And if I say no?”
Cooper tamped down the frustration climbing up his throat. He might have preached to Jake Bishop about ultimatums, but at the moment, he didn’t care about being a hypocrite. He and Lexie had been seeing each other on the sly for nearly a year. Other than those two months of space he’d allowed her after he’d slept with Maddie Wilson, they’d spent every night together. So fuck, maybe it was time for a drastic move.
“Then this thing between us is over,” he said roughly. “Either we’re a couple, or we’re not. And I mean a real couple. Call me old-fashioned, but I’d like the woman I’m with to greet me with a big smile and a big fucking kiss when we see each other on the street.”
Guilt dug a crease into her forehead, and her pulse throbbed in the aristocratic column of her throat. “It can’t be tomorrow night,” she finally said, her voice wobbly. “My family and I are having dinner at the Lockharts.”
Cooper waited, but after several seconds ticked by, he stopped holding his breath for an invite.
Lexie must have seen the hurt and anger in his eyes, because her voice grew desperate. “A family event isn’t the place to announce our relationship, Coop. It’ll already be tense enough with the Lockharts there. My dad and Tanner Lockhart can’t stand each other half the time.”
He let her spout excuses, then drew in a calming breath and looked her square in the eye. “Invite me to dinner, Lex.”
Her lips tightened in dismay.
“Invite me to dinner,” he repeated, his tone containing a dose of barely-restrained anger.
She opened her mouth. A shaky breath flew out. Then, “I can’t.”
He didn’t anticipate the blast of agony that slammed into his chest. He hadn’t realized just how badly he’d wanted her to say yes.
Trying not to choke on the pain burning his throat, he said, “And if I tell you I love you? Will that change your mind about inviting me?”
Shock filled her face. “You…love me?”
“Yes,” he said simply. “Probably makes me a total fool, but I do.”
The silence that resulted was so deafening he could hear the frantic pounding of Lexie’s heart. His own pulse raced just as fast, his palms unusually damp as he waited for her to say something. To say anything.
But actions spoke louder than words, and when she took a backward step, he knew he’d lost.
“I…I can’t do this right now,” she whispered. “I need to…think.”
His jaw went stiffer than a two-by-four. “All you do is think. You think and nitpick and analyze. For once in your life, can’t you just feel?” A hot wave of frustration set fire to his insides. “How do you feel, Lex? About me? About us?”
“I don’t know.” Her voice sounded very small and forlorn.
“Yes you do,” he snapped. “You know exactly how you feel, but you’re just too chicken-shit to admit it. To face it.” Cooper’s breaths came out in sharp pants. “Go.”
Her gaze flew to his. “What?”
“Go,” he repeated. “I’m not gonna stand around listening to you think. We’re done here.”
“Coop—”
“I don’t know how else to say it—I want you to leave, princess.” He stalked to the door, pausing only to shoot her a dark look over his shoulder. “And here’s a heads up—when a man tells you he loves you, the correct response is I love you, too. But I guess I was a real fucking idiot for thinking you’d have the guts to say it back, huh?”
“Coop—”
“Goodbye, Lexie.”
Chapter Nine
Jake couldn’t believe he was doing this. Dinner with the Lockharts. And the Prices. In Bree’s fancy-ass mansion. And he was wearing an honest-to-God suit.
Jesus.
As he parked his truck on the circular driveway in front of the Lockhart mansion, he had to wonder if maybe he’d seriously lost his mind. Maybe the mission gnawing at his insides had gnawed away a few brain cells too. When he’d bid on Bree at the auction, he’d been looking for sex. A good time and a nice distraction. Instead, he felt like he’d gotten a solid thump on the gut with a baseball bat. Somehow, over this past week, he’d stopped thinking of Bree in terms of how many bone-melting orgasms she could give him, but of how many times he could make her smile. How many times she made him smile.
The hot rush of emotion swimming in his chest was completely unfamiliar. So was this sudden eagerness to please. Both Owen and Maddie had teased him mercilessly when he’d come by to borrow that suit—thank God for identical twins with identical measurements. As he’d put on the monkey suit, Jake tried convincing himself that it was no biggie, that dinner with the Lockharts didn’t mean a damn thing. It was just a way to appease Bree and persuade her to continue the affair once she returned to Denver.
But he was kidding himself. This didn’t feel like an affair. When he was with Bree, his chest felt so light it was a miracle he didn’t float away. When she looked at him, she didn’t see one of the bad boy Bishop brothers. And when he opened his mouth, she actually listened, acted like he had something truly worthwhile to say.
Which m
ade him wonder if the reason he didn’t talk much was because deep down he believed nobody cared about what he said. Was clamming up a protective instinct? Keep your mouth shut so nothing potentially stupid could come out?
He stared the pillared entrance of the mansion, then at the expensive cars parked in the driveway. Bree’s Lexus. A Range Rover, the cherry-red Corvette Tanner Lockhart always bragged about. The mayor’s Mercedes. Two BMWs that probably belonged to Lexie’s sisters. Then he glanced at his beat-up pickup, the same truck he’d driven since high school.
Shit, he didn’t belong here, just like his pickup didn’t belong amidst those fancy ass cars.
He was two seconds from sprinting back to his truck when a car engine caught his attention. He turned and spotted Lexie Price’s shiny BMW pulling in.
The relief that pounded into him was so strong he nearly keeled right over.
“Thank God you’re here,” he blurted once Lexie slid out of the car.
Her mouth fell open. “Wow. I must be dreaming, because I think I just heard Jake Bishop say he was glad to see me.” She narrowed her eyes. “Wait—what are you doing here?”
He gulped. “Bree invited me.”
“She did?”
Her visible shock irked him. “Yes, she did. We’re…dating.”
“You are?”
“Stop questioning every goddamn thing I say, Lexie. Just…just walk inside with me before I lose my nerve and bolt, okay?”
“Maybe we should just bolt together,” she answered with a sigh.
Jake frowned, suddenly noticing how…off she looked. She wore her usual designer digs, a sleek black dress beneath her long wool coat, red pumps, a strand of pearls. Her hair was perfectly knotted at her nape, her flawless features boasting very little makeup. But her eyes? Bleak. Sad, even. And her normally graceful posture was MIA—her shoulders were slumped as if she had a heavy weight bearing down on them.
“You okay?” he asked quizzically.
“Not really. Which is why I’m tempted to blow off this dinner altogether.”
So was Jake, but he didn’t dare. When he pictured the disappointment that would fill Bree’s dark blue eyes if he bailed, his heart actually squeezed. No, he couldn’t do that to her, not after she’d so easily given him her trust.