“Try not to burn Warren’s soup,” she called over her shoulder.
Chapter Seven
By the time Summer arrived back at Warren’s apartment, she was nursing a headache that had Cooper’s name all over it. It seemed the more she tried to avoid him, the more she found the two of them thrown into one situation after another. Every time she felt as though she had her feelings under control, Cooper had only to look at her that certain way to send her pulse racing. It couldn’t be healthy, all this emotional turmoil¸ she told herself.
She sat in her parked car for a good ten minutes, creating a mental list of reasons not to get involved with the man. They were from different worlds; what did they really have in common when it came right down to it? He was reckless with a devil-may-care attitude; she was cautious and needed a certain amount of balance and stability in her life. He could be calloused; she was overly sensitive at times. He could be charming one moment, and brutal the next. She had seen his anger in motion, and it had frightened her. Despite being a career woman, she wanted to marry and have children one day. Cooper did not appear to be the sort of man who would tie himself to one woman for long. Sure, he wouldn’t mind playing house for a while, as long as it suited him, but he would be long gone before the first mortgage payment was due.
Summer knew it was up to her to put a stop to the potentially hazardous relationship; otherwise, Cooper would continue to bulldoze his way into her life and sucker her in with those dark eyes and blatant sensuality. She had to back off, draw a line in the sand and refuse to let him cross it.
Squaring her shoulders as though preparing for battle, Summer reached for her overnight bag and the outfit she planned to wear to work the next day. She wore her grungiest jeans and a faded sweatshirt. If Cooper found her unattractive in her flannel nightgown, he would probably run for the hills when he caught sight of her at her least attractive.
Warren’s door was unlocked. She let herself in and stepped into the living room, where she found Cooper watching basketball on a flat-screen TV. He gave her a long look and grinned. “Now you’ve done it,” he said. “You’ve gone and turned me on.”
He couldn’t even smile at her without making her think of sex. Well, she wasn’t about to be taken in. “Did Warren eat his soup?” she asked.
“Yeah. I had to slap him around a few times to keep him awake, but I managed to get him to eat most of it. Which brings me to a question. How come we’re giving him soup? It’s not like he’s got some kind of stomach virus.”
“This is an uneducated guess on my part, but I thought it best to keep him on a bland diet for a day or two because of the pain pills,” she said, “just in case they make him sick to his stomach. If he eats something spicy it might make him nauseous as well. I made sure the soup was thick enough to coat his stomach.”
“Good idea,” Cooper said.
Summer hung her dress in the hall closet and an overnight case that contained her toiletry items and makeup. She returned to her car for her briefcase and laptop computer. She set both on the table, opened the briefcase, and glanced through it to make sure she had all her files. The doorbell rang. She glanced up. “Are you expecting someone?”
“I ordered us a pizza,” he said, rising from the sofa, “I hope you like yours with everything on it.”
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry. “
Cooper noticed her sour mood. He knew she was still annoyed with him for losing his cool with a potential client, and he didn’t blame her. He owed her a mammoth-sized apology, but he did not know where or how to begin. How could he explain his reasons for becoming furious with the jerk who had “groped” her, as her assistant had said, without telling her about his sister, Ashlee’s attack? How could he explain his fury over the fact that her client expected sexual favors in exchange for his account, when his own mother had lost a job over the same thing?
He opened the front door, paid the delivery boy, and carried a large pizza box into the dining area, where Summer had already set up her work center. “You want something to drink?” he asked, going into the kitchen.
“No thank you.”
He returned with two root beers and a roll of paper towels. “Well, just in case you change your mind,” he said, setting a can before her. He tore a couple of paper towels off the roll, opened the pizza box, and placed a slice on each towel. Summer tried to ignore the enticing aroma, but her stomach growled loudly.
“See? You’re hungrier than you thought.”
“I try to stay away from fattening foods during the week,” she said. “It helps me keep my weight down.”
He seemed to consider it. “I’m not sure it’s going to look as appetizing by the weekend,” he replied. When she didn’t respond, he simply watched her. “Do you always bring work home with you?”
She pulled out a chair and sat down. “Usually.”
“Could it be you’re working this hard because you’re the only professional woman at Worth Advertising?”
Summer looked at him. His full bottom lip was greasy from the pizza. She imagined herself kissing him, tasting what he’d just put into his mouth, and she almost shivered at the thought. She pried her gaze from his lips. “Why are you asking me these questions?”
“I want to know why you’re pushing yourself. I don’t want your job interfering with our relationship,” he said, and had the pleasure of watching her mouth fall open. He grinned to show he was kidding, but the look on her face told him she had taken him dead serious.
“What relationship?” she sputtered.
“Now, Summer,” he said in that cajoling voice that made her feel five years old again, “don’t start playing hard to get. We both know what we want. The sooner you admit it, the better.”
“I know what you want,” she said, “but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.”
“What you don’t seem to understand about me,” he began, “is that I always go after what I want, and I always succeed. Why do you think I rushed to your defense this afternoon? I couldn’t stand the thought of some bastard manhandling my woman.”
Summer almost choked on her pizza. “Your woman? Are you crazy?”
“When it comes to you, I am,” he said silkily.
“You are the most arrogant man I’ve ever met,” she said. “Nobody is allowed to touch me, but it’s okay if you’re the one doing the manhandling, right?”
He arched one dark brow. “I don’t recall ever forcing myself on you. In fact, if I remember correctly, I’m the one who called a halt to our last encounter.”
Summer’s cheeks burned as she remembered how she’d almost lost control while he’d been kissing her in her kitchen. Just how far would she have gone if he hadn’t brought it to an end? She was afraid even to think about it.
She had been so careful in the past where the opposite sex was concerned.
And here she was trying not to lose her head over some biker whose idea of a long-term relationship was a couple of drinks at a cowboy bar and a tumble in somebody’s king-sized bed.
Summer sighed heavily and raised her gaze to his. “I really should try to get some work done.”
“What are you working on?”
The man was determined to distract her. “I have a number of accounts.”
“Anything interesting?”
She shrugged. “Some are more interesting than others,” she said, being deliberately vague because she did not want to get into a long-winded conversation. “I’m actually trying to clear my desk as much as possible, tie up loose ends with some of the accounts so I can focus my attention elsewhere.”
“The tire account?”
Summer looked up. “How do you know about Gridlock Tires?”
“Warren mentioned it. It’s a big account from what I understand. I also know that he doesn’t pull his weight. That’s why you bring a lot of work home.”
“He actually told you that?”
“Yeah. I figured it was the pain pills talking.”
She gav
e another shrug. “Perhaps he’ll find our accounts more engrossing when he feels better.” Summer had already decided she was going to insist that Warren make more of an effort.
“Are you engrossed?” Cooper asked. When she merely looked at him, he went on, “Because you don’t sound even close to being engrossed.”
Summer sighed and shook her head. She wasn’t going to get any work done as long as Cooper sat there with the pizza. She took another bite. “Okay, I’ll tell you why I’m not as excited as I normally would be,” she said once she swallowed. “There is an account I really wanted to work on,” she said, “but it’s a non-profit and my boss—” She paused. “You know, the man who is going to fire me when he finds out what went down today?” she added. “He says no.”
“Why?”
“He has all sorts of reasons, but he doesn’t want me to take on extra work with Warren out of commission. I even offered to do it in my free time, but I suppose, as a Worth employee, I’m not supposed to have free time.”
“What kind of company is it?” Cooper asked.
Summer told him about the Good Shepherd program and her ideas. “My work would not suffer because Joyce is a very capable assistant who’s dying to take on more responsibility.”
“Okay, so your boss finds out,” Cooper said. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Well, Cooper,” she began in a patronizing tone, “if I don’t lose my job tomorrow, I suppose he would remind me of the conversation we had about the Good Shepherd and—” She paused. “I suppose I would be asked to choose the direction of my career. I don’t know because I’ve never been in this position.”
“So you automatically lose the tire account?”
“Of course I would lose it. I can’t take accounts from Worth Advertising.”
“So, if you were given a choice, what would you do?”
Summer was suddenly impatient. “I haven’t had time to think about it, but I can’t just walk away from a well-paying position,” she said.
“You’re Henrietta Pettigrew’s granddaughter; the sole heir to God only knows how much money. Of course you could walk away.”
“I don’t want to have this conversation with you, Cooper, and I really need to work.”
“Okay, I’ll be quiet.”
They polished off the pizza, and Summer continued working while Cooper cleaned up and found other things that needed doing. He busied himself with nonessential tasks and kept the coffee flowing. When Warren called out, he was only too happy to give him another pain pill, hoping it would knock him out for the rest of the night.
By three a.m. he found himself nodding in front of an infomercial about aluminum siding. He glanced at Summer, who was still bent over her sketchpad. Although he’d caught a glimpse of her work and saw that she was a damn good artist, she’d made it plain she didn’t approve of him watching over her shoulder.
“Are you going to work all night?” he asked, wondering if he should put on another pot of coffee. He didn’t see how she could drink that much caffeine without going through the ceiling.
Summer glanced up as though she’d been in a trance. She checked her wristwatch. “I didn’t realize it was so late.”
“It’s not late, it’s early.”
“I guess I’d better hit the sack.”
“I really don’t mind staying in your place,” Cooper said.
Summer stood and stretched, and his eyes narrowed as her breasts rose high with the movement. Noting it, she quickly dropped her arms to her sides. “That’s okay. I told my assistant I’d be working here in the morning if she needed me. I have only two appointments scheduled, and the first one isn’t until three. I figured I’d get Warren packed so he’d be all set when his parents arrive.” She suddenly yawned. “Now, where do you suppose Warren keeps his extra linens?” she asked, going to the hall closet.
“Extra linens?”
“Ah, here they are.” Summer pulled out a set of sheets and a blanket.
“What’s that for?”
“I need to make up the sofa,” she said. “You don’t expect me to sleep in my car, do you?”
He followed her into the living room, then stood there blank and amazed. “But I thought—”
She pulled the cushions off the sofa and tugged at the mattress inside. It unfolded before her. “What did you think?”
He shrugged. “I just figured you’d sleep in Warren’s bed.”
“What!” She gaped at him. “Why on earth would I do that?”
“Well, because the two of you are … you’re—”
“We’re what?”
“Lovers?”
She stared at him wordlessly, first bewildered, then indignant. “Did Warren tell you that?” she demanded, planting her hands on her hips.
“I just assumed—”
“You assumed wrong,” she interrupted. “We’re good friends and coworkers and nothing more.”
“Does he know that?”
“Seeing as how he has dated half the secretaries at Worth Advertising I’d say he has a good idea.”
Cooper grinned. “So you’re basically unattached.”
She saw where he was going. “By choice, Cooper,” she said. “I have chosen to focus on my career.”
He tweaked her nose, “Whatever you say.” He reached for his jacket and slipped it on.
Summer decided it was best to ignore him.
“By the way, what time is breakfast?” he asked.
She could not hide her astonishment. He actually expected her to prepare his breakfast? “You’re incredible,” she said, shaking her head.
He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “Incredible, huh? And you haven’t even been to bed with me yet. Just wait, babe, I’ll show you incredible. But only when I think you can handle it.” He kissed her hard on the mouth. When he raised his head he was smiling. “Forget breakfast. I just said that to get you riled. Are you always so easily vexed?”
“Actually, no.”
“Is it me?” He put one finger against her lips. “Before you answer that I should tell you I’m bringing a dozen donuts with me in the morning. Oh, wait, you can’t eat junk food during the week. Damn.”
She moved his hand. “I can eat one,” she said, “Chocolate on the outside with a creamy filling inside.”
“Walk me to the door?”
“Maybe just this once because there is something in it for me,” she said, “but no funny stuff.”
He tugged her hand and she followed. Once they reached the door, Cooper put his hand on the knob but did not turn it. Instead, he gazed down at her, his dark eyes fixed on her mouth. Summer realized she had made a mistake by letting him get so close. After all the preaching she had done to herself in the car, after having formed a plan in her mind on how best to keep him at arm’s length, here they were, standing much too close to each other. She was willing to bet that if she looked in the mirror, she would find herself wearing a dumb, expectant look on her face.
She was giving the man mixed messages. While her brain told her to back off, her body refused to respond.
The amused glint in Cooper’s eyes told her he knew she was struggling with indecision. “How about a goodnight kiss?” he asked.
“Forget it.” She turned.
He chuckled, snaked an arm around her waist, and pulled her against him. Her bottom made contact with his crotch. Summer heard his quick intake of breath. “Cooper—”
Bracing her against his body with one hand, he lifted her hair away from her neck and nuzzled the downy softness. She shivered. He moved his mouth upward, then to one side, where he nibbled the back of her ear. “I love it when you turn that pert little nose up at me like you wouldn’t give me the time of day. God, you smell good,” he said. “I want to taste you, Summer.”
“You shouldn’t be saying these things to me.”
“Who told you that? Your grandmother? Or did you read it out of some book on dating etiquette?”
His voi
ce was so husky that her insides took on the consistency of banana pudding. Her knees trembled. Once again he’d managed to find all the right buttons. She could feel herself weakening. “I hardly know you.”
“I know all I need to know about you,” he said, turning her around in his arms. He looked into her green eyes. “Why don’t we share that mattress tonight? Warren won’t interrupt us. He’s zonked for the next eight to ten hours.” When she glanced away, he put a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. “You already know how much I want you,” he said gently. “Don’t you want me back just a little?”
She was so close to complying. Every nerve ending in her body was on high alert, her skin and everything else felt different, more sensitive. She tried to think, but the analytical side of her brain, which had served her so well in the past, had taken a hike, leaving her to deal with emotions that felt brand new. But how could that be?
“Summer?”
His voice startled her. She could read the desire in his eyes. He said he wanted her, but coming from a man like Cooper Garrett, she had no idea what it meant. A one-night-stand on Warren’s sofa bed? Still, wasn’t she the one who told him she preferred being unattached? She could not have it both ways. Or could she? Think, she told herself.
“This doesn’t feel right, Cooper,” she said. “It’s not the right time or place. I can’t.”
Cooper could see that she was conflicted; he read it in her eyes and on her face. “How will you know when the time is right?” he asked.
Her answer was a long time coming. “I’ll know.”
#
Cooper arrived back at Warren’s apartment shortly before nine the following morning. He rang the doorbell several times before he heard footsteps from the other side, followed by the sound of the chain sliding free and the dead bolt snapping open. Summer squinted at him. Her hair fell in disarray, she wore a flannel nightgown.
“I woke you.”
“You’re a genius,” she mumbled, still half asleep. Leaving the door open, she dragged herself back to the sofa bed.
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