‘I assess. I just do it fast. And in some situations you don’t really have a choice. You’re talking about me getting those kids out of the car in the surf, aren’t you? Would you have stood back when you saw that little girl crying at the window?’
‘No...’
‘Of course you wouldn’t. Oh...that looks like our food arriving.’
A huge platter of barbecued pork ribs went onto the centre of their rustic wooden table flanked by bowls of warm water with lemon slices floating on the top to wash sticky fingers. For several minutes they both concentrated on eating like cavemen, ripping delicious shreds of sauce-drenched, slow-cooked meat off the bones.
‘Good, isn’t it?’ Fizz dropped another bone onto an empty plate. She sucked some sauce off her fingers before she reached for another rib.
‘The best.’ Cooper had to drag his gaze away from Fizz licking her fingers. He’d known he was playing with fire, coming out like this with Fizz, and right now he could feel the heat as a solid force. He had to reach for his beer again in the hope of cooling himself off.
‘To be honest,’ Fizz said, ‘I wasn’t remotely wild ten years ago. I was a complete nerd. I only met Hamish because we were both nerds who turned up to the study group that got organised the first day we were at med school.’
The mention of the husband she’d lost was more effective in turning down the heat than a gulp of beer. Was the fact that she would never try replacing him the reason that she was never going to get married again? Had she loved him so much she hadn’t even embarked on another meaningful relationship in the last ten years? The idea of competing with a ghost for any sort of attention was daunting. Cooper knew how strong a presence a ghost could have and how much they could influence your life.
‘I find that hard to believe,’ he admitted. ‘I get the impression that you’re a complete adrenaline junkie.’
‘I am.’ Fizz nodded. ‘And you know whose fault it was that I became one?’
‘Whose?’
‘Hamish’s.’
* * *
She’d shocked him again, hadn’t she?
Fizz had seen the moment he’d realised that the fact she’d been married for only two days wasn’t some kind of joking matter. That it had been a tragedy.
The atmosphere between them had been very casual up to that point. They had simply been two colleagues going out for dinner and it was a good chance to get to know each other better.
Except they both knew there was more to it than that, didn’t they? There were undercurrents between them that were strong enough for Laura to have picked up on. Strong enough to have led to her impulsive idea of doing a bit of matchmaking by pushing them together for dinner. And there was a sense of something very different about Cooper that was attracting Fizz even more strongly than it was warning her to stay away.
And here she was, talking about something that she never talked about. To anyone. Something far more personal than the kind of conversation they’d started this evening with. She’d said quite enough already, telling him about her honeymoon tragedy, but it seemed like there was more that Fizz wanted to say. Why? Did she want Cooper to understand why she was the way she was? To take on board the fact that there were reasons why she would never be the kind of person he might be looking for to share his life? Except...he had given the impression that he wasn’t looking for someone to settle down with when he’d said he wasn’t interested in having his own children. And why else did people go looking for a permanent relationship?
‘I was so angry with him,’ Fizz said softly. ‘We’d had everything so carefully planned, you know? We’d waited until we were through med school and our first junior years before we got married. We were going to wait another five years before we started a family. He was going to be a cardiologist and I was going to go into general practice so I could go part time when the kids were young. And then he went and got himself killed and it felt like someone had taken my life and screwed it up and thrown it away.’
Cooper was nodding slowly. The set of his mouth implied a genuine understanding of what that felt like. The expression in his eyes confirmed that he really did understand and empathise.
‘Things were rough for a long time,’ Fizz added slowly. ‘Really rough...’
His eyes darkened. He knew what that was like, too, didn’t he? Not that Fizz wanted this conversation to get any heavier than it already was. Or to think too much about that time herself. Even after all these years and her increasing professional understanding of mental health issues like depression, she could still feel the sense of shame that had dogged her for not being able to pull herself out of that dark space quickly enough. For having to pretend to be the independent, capable person everybody believed she was until it became a reality.
‘And then I went away for a weekend,’ she added hurriedly. ‘And I saw some people parasailing and that tipped me over the edge. I couldn’t understand why anyone could be stupid enough to do something like that for pleasure, so you know what I did?’
She could see the movement of Cooper’s Adam’s apple as he swallowed—as if it wasn’t easy.
‘You decided to try it yourself?’
Oh...help...
It felt like he knew her so well already. The idea that someone could ‘get’ her so easily was undeniably powerful. Fizz could feel it sucking her in. Making her say things she would never have confessed to anyone else.
‘I didn’t care if I died and I was too angry to be scared until my feet left the ground and then I was absolutely terrified. But then it happened.’
‘The rush?’
Fizz nodded. ‘The rush. For the first time in about a year, I actually felt alive again. As if life really was worth living.’
‘So you did it again.’
It wasn’t a question. It seemed like Cooper understood more than why she had done something so scary the first time. He would probably understand the rest of it, too. The way she had tapped into that power of being brave and independent to gain confidence that she could look after herself. That she could not only get out of that dark space and find life worth living again but that she could protect herself from ever having to go through something like that again. The idea that someone else could understand that much about what had shaped her life was a bit of a rush all in itself.
‘I tried everything,’ she confided. ‘I think the best ever rush was bungee jumping. Have you ever tried that, Coop?’
He shook his head.
‘Did you get that base newsletter this week? Did you notice that there are registration spaces still left for the high country and mountain rescue training weekend in Queenstown in a couple of months’ time?’
‘Yeah...’ Cooper looked puzzled. ‘Don suggested I go. I’ve already done some mountain rescue training in Scotland and he’d like me to extend that so I can do some in-house training for the base. But what’s that got to do with bungee jumping?’
‘As far as I know, Queenstown is the birthplace of bungee jumping,’ Fizz told him. ‘The best place, anyway. You could do it while you’re down there for the course.’
‘Are you kidding?’ Cooper looked horrified. ‘You could go blind from a retinal detachment doing something like bungee jumping. It’s crazy.’
‘There’s the white-water jet boat rides through rapids, too. Queenstown is like the adventure tourism capital of the world.’ Fizz could feel her smile widening. ‘And there’s a very cool drive into an old gold-mining site that’s an adrenaline rush all by itself.’ She could feel an impulsive bubble that was about to burst. ‘Hey... I could come along, too, and cheer you on. I’d love to do some training in the mountains.’
‘Training in the mountains might be good for you. You’d have to learn a lot of safety rules.’ But Cooper was smiling.
‘A bit of adventure tourism might be good for you,’ Fizz countered. ‘You can die from somet
hing totally random that could happen at any moment, you know, so you kind of have to make the most of every moment you’ve got. If you go around avoiding everything to try and stay safe, you could end up not really living at all.’
The remains of their meal had been totally forgotten. The atmosphere between them was suddenly charged. As if challenges had been issued. Or an invitation?
Cooper signalled a waitress and paid for their meal. They walked outside and across the road but then paused. Fizz needed to go in one direction to her apartment. Cooper needed to head back towards the central city to flag down a taxi if he didn’t want to walk all the way home. The vibrancy of restaurants and bars, with their bright lights and music, was behind them and the dark waters of the harbour were in front of them, with small boats bobbing on their moorings and a glimmer of moonlight on the ripples.
Neither of them moved.
Because neither of them wanted to say goodnight and walk away?
Cooper seemed fascinated by the harbour view, staring at it for a long moment. And then he turned to stare at Fizz and the eye contact sent a shiver down her spine.
‘Thank you for sharing your story,’ he said quietly. ‘Am I wrong in thinking that it’s not something you normally tell people you’ve just met?’
‘I’ve never told anyone. Not about the adrenaline junkie stuff, anyway.’
He was shaking his head. ‘I’ve never met anyone like you. And, yeah... I do think there’s something wild about you but it feels good to be around you. As if that adrenaline high somehow rubs off a little bit.’ He was smiling now. ‘Maybe you’re right. Maybe it would be good for me to try something like bungee jumping. Just once.’
Fizz let her breath out in a huff. ‘But you’re not going to, are you?’
‘Probably not.’
‘You’re a wimp.’
‘I’m safety conscious.’
‘You’re...’ But any other teasing remark died on Fizz’s lips as she still held his gaze. ‘You’re...’ It was her turn to shake her head. ‘I don’t actually know,’ she admitted, in a whisper. ‘What is it about you, Cooper Sinclair?’
‘I was asking myself the same thing about you. But I think I’ve figured it out now. It’s the way you embrace life and get the most out of every moment.’
Fizz felt like she was falling into those eyes, which was crazy because she was still looking up. He was so tall. So solid and safe. She could feel herself leaning a little, even though she could swear she hadn’t moved. Or maybe she had and that was why Cooper put his hands on her shoulders to steady her.
Her mouth felt suddenly dry.
‘I don’t do relationships, Coop.’
‘I’m not looking for one,’ he said. ‘Especially not with someone I work with.’
‘Good.’ Fizz dipped her head in a single nod. ‘That’s that, then.’
‘Yeah...’
But neither of them was breaking that eye contact. This had become another ‘almost kiss’ and this was what that sense of challenge had been about as they’d ended their meal, wasn’t it?
A challenge to take a risk. Flirt with the danger of something that could go pear-shaped and make life difficult for both of them when they had to work together. But it was also about living for the moment and making the most of every one of them, and wasn’t that what Cooper found attractive about her? And kissing this man held the promise of being a moment like none other in Fizz Wilson’s life.
She could feel the heat of Cooper’s hand on her shoulders seeping through her clothing and branding her skin. All she had to do to initiate this kiss would be to stand on tiptoe and tilt her face. All Cooper would have to do was to bend his head.
It seemed like they both decided to move at exactly the same time so their mouths met with a little more force than Fizz had been anticipating but that was as thrilling as the touch of Cooper’s lips and, within a heartbeat, it wasn’t enough. She lifted her hands to cradle his head and pull it even closer. To tempt his tongue to dance with hers. The force of desire that was being unleashed was like nothing Fizz had ever experienced and she felt like she was melting when Cooper’s hands slid down her back to circle her buttocks and pull her closer.
The strength in those hands... Her feet came off the ground and it was the most natural thing in the world to wrap her legs around his waist, feeling one of her shoes falling off as she did so. She felt Cooper’s arms come around her back to hold her safely and then he was turning in a circle, as if this was some kind of dance step. She could feel the huff of his surprise that became laughter beneath her lips but they didn’t stop kissing.
The cheer that came from a group of young men heading into a nearby bar was a reminder that they were in a public place. Cooper loosened his hold. Fizz slid down to get her feet back on the ground.
‘Oops... Sorry ’bout that.’
‘I’m not.’ There was still a hint of laughter in his tone.
Fizz ducked her head. She wasn’t sorry, either, but she kept her gaze on ground level so she didn’t reveal quite how not sorry she really was. ‘Where’s my shoe?’
‘Right here, Cinderella.’
She stood on one foot as she slipped her shoe back on. ‘I think it’s time to go home.’
‘That’s probably very sensible.’
Fizz turned and took a step. And then another.
And then she turned back and held out her hand. She didn’t say anything by way of invitation to come home with her but she didn’t need to. Cooper returned her smile and reached out to take her hand. He was already moving in the same direction.
CHAPTER SIX
THEY WERE PRACTICALLY RUNNING, hand in hand, by the time they reached the harbourside apartment block where Fizz lived. By tacit agreement, they decided that waiting for the elevator to take them to the fifth floor was going to take too long, so they took the stairs—two at a time.
Both Cooper and Fizz were thoroughly out of breath by the time she slid her key into the lock and pushed her door open. Cooper pushed it shut behind him with his foot. He couldn’t turn to use his hand because Fizz had turned and stopped, right in front of him—so close that her body was touching his and she was already reaching to drape her arms around his neck. Even as he heard the door click shut behind him, Cooper’s lips were already on hers. He’d caught her hands and was now holding them above her head as he pressed her against the wall and kissed her as thoroughly as he’d ever kissed any woman in his life.
The heat of her mouth. The taste of her. The way she was arcing her body against his as if she wanted to feel every possible square inch of him that she could. Cooper let go of her hands a short time later, unable to resist the urge to touch more of her. When he reached the hem of her shirt and slipped his hands beneath to find the silky-soft skin of her belly, Fizz groaned into his mouth and pulled away. She wriggled against him, taking hold of her shirt hem herself and pulling it up, over her head, to drop it on the floor.
No, she didn’t simply drop it. Fizz hurled it to one side and then turned her attention to the T-shirt Cooper was wearing beneath his leather jacket, grabbing the hem and hauling it up. Cooper’s breath caught as he felt her hands brush his skin, his nipples hardening so fast it was painful enough for his breath to escape in a sound of astonishment.
Fizz paused instantly. She brought her face close to Cooper’s, her lips and then her tongue brushing his before she spoke in a hoarse whisper.
‘Too wild for you?’
‘Are you kidding?’ Cooper’s breath came out in a groan this time. Then he scooped Fizz into his arms, one arm around her back, the other catching her behind the knees. ‘Which way?’ he demanded.
‘Straight ahead.’ Fizz was laughing. ‘Last door on the left.’
The curtains were not drawn on the large window in her bedroom. City lights nearby and the sparkle of moonlight on the harbour in the background ga
ve more than enough illumination for Cooper to aim safely for the centre of the large bed, where he dropped Fizz hard enough to make her bounce against the mattress.
She was still laughing as she unbuttoned her jeans and started wriggling out of them.
‘You’ve got a wild streak yourself, Coop. That was a bit caveman, wasn’t it?’
‘Maybe you inspire me.’ Cooper was shedding his own clothes. He climbed onto the bed, looming over Fizz as she lay there wearing only her underwear now. Slowly he lowered his head so that he could kiss her again—this time as gently as he could. The flames of a passion that was barely controllable were licking all around them but he wanted to slow this down and make it last as long as he possibly could.
Fizz didn’t do relationships. For all he knew, this could be a one-off and, if that was the case, Cooper intended to take a leaf out of her book and enjoy every single moment of it.
* * *
Dear Lord...
The very first impression that Fizz had ever had of Cooper was that he was a great big bear of a man. The sheer size of him should have been intimidating, especially given that his bulk was pure muscle. She had never been as aware of that muscle and the strength behind it as when he’d picked her up as if she weighed nothing to carry her to her bedroom. To get dropped like that, with enough of a gap beneath her to make her bounce on her mattress, should have been a warning that she was actually powerless against this man.
Totally vulnerable, in fact.
And yet...even when he was looming above her and she could feel the heat coming from his skin and the musky scent of arousal all around them, Fizz still felt safe. Well...as safe as anybody could feel when it was obvious she was about to jump off a precipice into a kind of sexual experience she just knew would be nothing like anything she had ever experienced before.
Maybe because she wasn’t trying to control this.
How could she? In one instant, she was ready to explode with the power of her desire and wanted nothing more than for Cooper to speed this up and take them both over the edge but then, in the next instant, he was pulling back and touching and kissing her with a tenderness that broke her heart but was so compelling she never wanted it to stop.
Resisting Her Rescue Doc Page 8