For Keeps

by Karen Booth

  “This is literally the most idiotic thing you’ve ever talked me into,” Cooper said, looking at the menu, which at this point was nothing more than an indecipherable jumble of letters on the page. “That includes the time you convinced me to copy down the answers from your World History test.”

  Brian smirked as he set down his menu. “That was pretty funny. Mom couldn’t figure out how you could get every single answer wrong on a multiple-choice test.”

  “Oh yeah, that was hilarious.”

  The waiter brought the two India Pale Ales they’d ordered. “Do you know what you’d like for lunch?”

  “I’ll have the club sandwich and fries,” Brian said.

  “Same for me,” Cooper muttered, distracted. He pulled his phone from his pocket, desperate for something to do, but didn’t have a single text or voicemail. “Can you see anything?” he asked, his heart pounding. He watched his brother’s eyes narrow as he looked across the restaurant. This is so wrong. Insanely wrong.

  Brian leaned a bit out of the booth. “You didn’t tell me he was such a handsome guy.”

  “Great. Thanks. I appreciate that. Can you just tell me what they’re doing?”

  “He’s laughing. She’s taking a sip of her martini.”

  She’s having a damn martini? “Okay. I guess it’s good he’s laughing.” Or is it? Maybe she’s cracking jokes.

  “The waitress just brought their food. It looks like Allie got a salad. Not sure what he got.” Brian hesitated. “Maybe the prime rib special. Damn, I knew I should’ve ordered that.”

  “I don’t need to know what they’re eating.” Cooper rubbed a clammy hand on his jeans, the wash so dark that his palm turned light blue. He rubbed at his skin with the white napkin. “Anything else?”

  “Um, he’s smiling and nodding his head.”

  Smiling is good. I guess.

  “He’s not saying anything, just chewing,” Brian continued. “Now he’s drinking. Looks like he’s having bourbon.”

  “Again, don’t need the running commentary on what they ordered.” Of course Ian was lunching on steak and bourbon. Could he try any harder to be the alpha male?

  “Will you chill out? I’m just telling you what I see.” Brian took a glug of his beer and swiped his upper lip with the back of his hand. “It’s hard to know what Allie’s doing because I can’t really see her face. All she’s doing is gesturing and flipping her hair back over her shoulder. Stuff like that. Now she’s playing with her earring.”

  Flipping her hair back and playing with her earring? Jesus. Cooper’s stomach felt empty and the thought of food was revolting. This was such a bad idea.

  The waiter brought their sandwiches. “Mustard or ketchup for either of you?”

  “Mustard please. Dijon if you have it,” Brian answered. He popped a fry into his mouth, looking across the room again. “Oh, okay. Weird.”

  “What?”

  “Allie just downed the rest of her drink. Ian doesn’t look very happy.”

  Fuck. Now what? “Can you be a little more specific?”

  “Hold on.” Brian flattened his hand on the table, keeping his sights on the other side of the restaurant. “Oh, okay. No.” Brian frowned.

  “You’re literally killing me,” Cooper said.

  “Shut up. I’m doing the best I can.”

  “Then please tell me what’s going on.”

  “Ian is smiling again. He just patted her on the shoulder. Allie is running her fingers up and down the stem of her glass.”

  Jesus. She does that when she’s flirting with me. I’m going to make myself crazy.

  “Anything else?” the waiter asked as he clunked the bottle of mustard on the table.

  “Yes,” Cooper answered. “Can you wrap this up? We need to go.”

  * * * * *

  Taking the elevator up to her office, Allie couldn’t recall the last time her ego had taken such a beating. She’d used every trick in the book on Ian and none of it worked. To be fair, it only failed in terms of getting out of the lawsuit. That part of her plan had belly-flopped. In terms of soliciting Ian’s attention, that had been a home run. Too bad that was the last thing she wanted.

  Ian had flirted with her during their lunch, more so after half of his single malt scotch was down his gullet. At first, it felt as if the eye contact and self-satisfied smirks meant she was on the right track. He let out a few syrupy things, even saying that he wondered if he’d done the wrong thing by leaving her. Allie let that one slide by downing the rest of her martini.

  Trudging down the hall, she considered turning around and not even going into her office. “Marcy, no calls please. Unless it’s urgent,” she said to her receptionist while grabbing her mail, which was only bill after bill after bill.

  On cue, the phone rang. “Flynn Agency,” Marcy answered. “I’m sorry. She’s not available right now. May I transfer you to her voicemail?” She winked at her boss.

  At least Allie had her rock-solid staff, even if her company might be DOA by the end of the year. She began to walk away, but Marcy stopped her.

  “Uh, Ms. Flynn, I was hoping to speak with you real quick. I have some news.” Marcy twirled a lock of curly red hair around her finger. “I’m pregnant. I’m due in December.”

  Allie blinked, her brain on a delay. “Pregnant. Wow. Congratulations.” She smiled, eager to show enthusiasm for Marcy’s happy news, however much it had to be forced at that moment.

  “Oh, thank you. It was a big surprise with Joe in grad school, but everything happens for a reason, right? So, I guess you’ll need to tell me what I need to fill out for my maternity leave.”

  Allie battled the tears that stung her eyes. “Uh, you’ll be our first so we’ll have to work that out. Don’t worry. You’ll get everything you were promised in the health plan.”

  Allie plopped down at her desk once she reached her office. A headache had seated itself behind her eyes, pain that would go nowhere when she was so stressed.

  Ian had been so ruthless. He’d let her sit there for nearly two hours, working the entire time, sucking up to him, building up his ego, offering her thoughts about several compromises she’d devised. He seemed to hang on every word, as if he were carefully considering each scenario, only to pull the rug out from under her with a definitive, “Sorry, darling. The lawyers are proceeding as planned. But thanks for lunch. I had a fabulous time.” What an asshole.

  And Marcy—sweet, loyal, irreplaceable Marcy. What would she do if the Flynn Agency shut its doors? That would mean no health insurance, no paid maternity leave, no job to return to after the baby arrived.

  “I’m going to check email and then I’m going home,” she muttered to herself, watching as the number on her inbox steadily rose. Much of it was stuff she could easily put off until Monday, but then she spotted the message from the people at Valeti Cookies. After reading the first few lines, she simply shut the lid of her laptop. Things couldn’t get any worse. Valeti had rejected every single idea in her campaign proposal. Every last one.

  * * * * *

  Allie collapsed on her bed when she got home, still unsure about what to tell Cooper. She didn’t want to let her pride get in the way, but he’d been so adamant that it wouldn’t work and she’d fought back just as hard. It stung like crazy to realize she’d done something so stupid and naïve, everything Cooper had called it.

  The ring of her cellphone woke her. “Hello?” she croaked.

  “Hey, it’s me. Are you still at the office?” Cooper asked.

  “No. I came home after my meeting.”

  “I was worried. You didn’t call to tell me what happened.”

  “I’m sorry. I had a massive headache and I needed to lie down for a while. Where are you?”

  “At your door. I knocked but you didn’t answer.”

  “Shit.” Allie scampered across the bed and rushed to let him in. She looked at him through bleary eyes, sinking against his chest as soon as he was in the apartment.

  �
��That bad, huh?” he asked, caressing her back. “What happened?” His voice was soft but unsteady.

  She’d considered trying to put on a good face and tell him that she and Ian were still working things out. Warmth radiated from him, his presence washing away her day. Even a white lie wasn’t an option. “I sat there like an idiot for two hours and he still shut me down. They’re going forward with the lawsuit. You were right.”

  Allie winced at the admission that she’d made such a foolish mistake. When they were together, Ian had always been so quick to point it out when she was wrong. She didn’t expect the same from Cooper, but her reflex was still there. Just as she’d hoped, he rolled his knuckles along her spine and shushed her when her shoulders shuddered and she finally broke down.

  “It’s okay. You’ll figure something out. We’ll figure something out.” He slid his hand beneath her chin, encouraging her to look at him. “You know what? It was a crazy idea, but it was ballsy. I have to give you credit for that. Not a lot of people would have had the guts to do what you did.”

  Allie sniffled, peering into his warm and comforting eyes. Everything about him was so real and generous. He could have rubbed it in if he’d wanted to. Instead, he only wanted to bolster her, help her back up. “You’re so good to me,” she whispered, quiet tears returning. “I’m sorry about this morning. I should have listened to you.”

  Dropping her defenses was her last inclination. Every wall she’d built had a purpose and she’d kept them all in place when she and Cooper were merely having fun. But as each day went by, he chipped away at her heart a little more without even knowing it. She could see now that her entire history with Ian had been based on putting up barriers, insulating herself from what she’d worried he would eventually find a way to do—hurt her.

  Her relationship with Cooper was all about stripping those things away. It was a scary idea to leave herself, her heart, so exposed. But there was something liberating about it as well. She could be Allie, leave her faults on display and it didn’t matter. He still loved her. He still cared for her.

  Cooper raked his fingers through her hair before smoothing it down. “I just need to know that you’re okay.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Cooper didn’t sleep much that night, even after he and Allie had stayed up late watching old movies. She fell asleep on him before the end of Casablanca and he relished the near-silent moments after he’d turned off the television, when all he could hear was the gentle rush of her breaths.

  At least she’d been able to get some rest after her hellish day. He was another story, feeling sick about the stunt he and Brian had pulled. It had accomplished nothing. It only underscored how great a hold Allie had on his heart. He was apparently willing to do even the most inane thing to protect her.

  It was no secret that Allie was all about trust and he’d broken it by going to the restaurant. He remembered how upset she’d been with her sister for snooping on her boyfriend’s phone. She’d later admitted that her father had always been suspicious of her mom, questioning her at every turn.

  He lay with his eyes closed as sunlight filtered into the room and Allie stirred behind him. He was about to turn to face her when she cupped her body around his. The tight peaks of her breasts grazed his back. Her slender legs met his. She hummed and her hand slowly traveled around his waist to his chest. Anticipation quickly took hold as she slid her warm palm down across his abs. She wrapped her fingers around his cock, forcing a sudden groan of pleasure from his lips.

  Allie giggled. “Somebody’s excited to see me this morning,” she mumbled against the back of his neck with heated breath.

  Goose bumps prickled his upper body. He stretched his legs as she began to gently stroke. “It’s morning.” Jesus. “I can’t help it.” A smile spread across his face.

  “So it has nothing to do with me. What if I do this?” Her thumb swirled over the throbbing skin of his head. Then she coiled her fingers around him, pumping with a touch so provocative that his hips bucked.

  He inched forward and flipped to his back. “Come here.” He held his arms in an open embrace but she moved away.

  Allie shook her head, shifting up on to her knees. “Relax. Let me take care of you this morning.” Her fingers splayed on his thighs as she maneuvered between his legs. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his belly. The brush of her silky, shiny brown locks on his chest sent a sizzle straight to his groin. She tossed her hair back and flashed her eyes before lowering her lips to his cock.

  Cooper propped himself up on his elbows to watch as her mouth skimmed his length. It was as if everything he saw was on a delay, the primal pleasure of her motions registering first with a tightening of every muscle below his waist. She bobbed her head, moaning, making him even more appreciative when he wasn’t sure he could be any more grateful.

  Her tongue swirled around his head and she took a moment to flick at the sensitive ridge, teasing his balls with the tips of her fingers. A flush came to her cheeks as he groaned when she increased the suction. He loved feeling her effect on him, seeing his effect on her.

  She wrapped her especially hot fingers around the base of his cock, pumping with an even pace while she quickened the downward passes of her lips. The sides of her cheeks became concave, the tender wet skin inside her mouth causing the pressure in his gut to build. His balls constricted against his body, his pelvis tightened. Allie’s hair bounced on his abs and tension gathered in his belly. She flattened her tongue with such force that his body sharply clutched before giving way with waves of rapid-fire release.

  Any tautness in his body melted away as she let him go and waggled her eyebrows.

  She wiped her mouth on his bare stomach before crawling closer and brushing his lips with hers. “Good morning,” she muttered before collapsing next to him.

  Cooper laughed, embracing the contentment as it settled in his bones. “That’s one hell of a wake-up call.”

  “You deserve it. You’ve been taking such good care of me.”

  He drew her closer with a curl of his arm and kissed the top of her head. “Isn’t that my job?”

  Allie cleared her throat. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  She popped up to her elbow and swept his hair from his forehead. “I wanted to be the first to say it. You’re always beating me to it.” An electric smile came across her face and she kissed him again. “I was going to throw in a load of laundry. Do you want me to wash your jeans from last night? That chocolate sauce you dribbled on them isn’t going away on its own.”

  “I wouldn’t say I dribbled, but yes, that would be great. I’ll make coffee.” He watched as she scooted to the end of the bed and plucked his pants from the floor. “Are we doing our normal Saturday routine?”

  “If you mean snuggling on the couch while I read and you watch sports, then yes.”

  Cooper took a pair of his pajama pants off a hook in Allie’s closet. He’d started keeping clothes at her place a few weeks earlier. Running up and down the stairs had become a real pain.

  In the kitchen, he put coffee on and drank a glass of water as rich aromas filled the room.

  Allie walked with purpose into the kitchen. Her forehead was creased, her eyes pinched in confusion. She placed some change, a white plastic wrapper and a pale-yellow crumpled receipt on the center island. His heart plummeted into his stomach.

  “I pulled these out of your pocket. Did you go to Miller and Main recently?” She poked at the mint wrapper imprinted with the well-known restaurant logo. She’d left the receipt that would give away the exact date and time of his transgression.

  I’m such an idiot. He swallowed. They were in such a good place right now. It felt as if his brain were the shiny silver ball in a pinball machine, rolling everywhere with a path impossible to truly control. What do I say?

  Allie didn’t blink. “It isn’t a difficult question, Cooper. What’s going on?”

  He raked his hands through his hair. �
�I have to tell you something. I went to Miller and Main. Yesterday. With Brian.” He couldn’t believe the words as they came out of his mouth.

  “At lunchtime? When I was there? With Ian?” She spoke as if she were being choked.

  He went to her and she crossed her arms, turning her shoulder, saying everything with body language. I have to explain myself. “Yes, at lunch. I was so worried about you and I hated the idea of you leaving yourself so exposed to Ian. I don’t trust him at all.”

  Allie’s heart hammered at the base of her throat. Trust? How can he talk about trust when he did this? “You don’t trust Ian or you don’t trust me?”

  “I trust you. Of course I do. It’s Ian. He’s such a sleazebag.”

  “I don’t understand. Where were you sitting? Were you actually hiding?”

  He groaned and rubbed his forehead. “We were on the other side of the restaurant. Brian watched you guys and told me what was happening.”

  “And then what? You ordered lunch? You had beers? What?”

  “Jesus, Allie. I’m sorry. It was really stupid. What do you want me to say?”

  She shook her head to clear her thoughts, but it did as much good as shaking up a blizzard in a snow globe. “You spied on me.” I can’t believe he would do this.

  Cooper groaned. “Don’t say we spied on you. That makes it sounds worse than it really was. I would think part of you would want me to worry about you.”

  “What exactly did you think was going to happen?”

  He buried his head in his hands. “I have absolutely no idea. It’s just that I love you so much. All I want to do is protect you and keep you safe.” His voice cracked as he searched her face, his own devoid of its usual warm color.

  “I’m not a china doll to be kept in a cabinet. I’m not a possession. I’m a grown woman and totally capable of taking care of myself.” Her blood slowed in her veins. Her limbs numbed. Her skin grew icy as the betrayal washed over her. “This is supposed to be a relationship. An adult, grown-up relationship that has no room for jealousy or distrust or, or…” She scoured his face, disbelieving he could do any of the things he’d said he had. “Spying,” she said with a groan of disgust. “This is something high school boyfriends do. I can’t believe you would do something so juvenile.”