by Melody Anne
Now that she was awake, there would be no use going back to sleep. She’d had a hard time falling asleep the night before, tossing and turning. When she’d heard Cooper walking in the hallway, then pausing at her door, it had made her heart race for an entirely different reason than this nightmare.
Living in this place for the past few weeks hadn’t been good for her health, unless she counted it as a cardio workout because her pulse was racing all the time. That could be great for her since she didn’t work out nearly as much as she needed to.
Taking her time in the shower, Stormy washed away her worries and fears, and then got ready for the day. She didn’t have to work this afternoon, which was great. If it was nice out, she’d take a stroll down by the water and then maybe go and play in Cooper’s garden.
She loved all the flowers he’d planted—or to be more realistic, that his gardener had planted. But she’d contributed a lot to the yard’s maintenance since her arrival, so maybe that would save him some money eventually. Today would be a good day to mow if she could figure out how to get the blasted machine started. She’d never done it before. She hadn’t lived in a place that required mowing.
When she began her descent down the stairs, she heard voices, and it made her pause. Maybe Cooper had company over and wanted privacy. She wasn’t sure what to do. After standing there for several moments, ultimately the smell of coffee pushed her forward.
If he had guests, she’d just get her caffeine and then be on her way. When she stepped into the kitchen, Cooper was sitting at the breakfast bar with two of the three men she’d seen in the pictures all over his house.
Damn! Their pictures hadn’t done them justice at all.
“Come and join us for breakfast, Stormy,” Cooper called, not seeming to mind her interruption. She was shocked by how nice he was being all of a sudden.
They hadn’t spoken two decent words to each other since she’d walked from his bedroom. She didn’t trust the smile he sent her way.
“It’s okay. I’m going to grab coffee and go out back and sit on the deck,” she said. He was probably just being polite anyway.
“That sounds like a great idea. The sun is warm already this morning,” one of the men said. “I’m Maverick, by the way, or Mav. Cooper told me he had a sexy housemate, but his description hasn’t done you proper justice.” The man gave her a smile that she was sure had dropped a few women’s panties a time or two.
“Um . . . thanks,” she said, unsure how else to reply. “I’m Stormy.”
“Oooh, beautiful looks and a sexy name,” the other brother said as he stood and came right into her personal bubble. He smelled good, too, as if his looks weren’t enough to make a woman’s heart stutter. “I’m Nick. We’re Coop’s brothers.”
“I’ve seen your photos on the walls so I sort of figured,” she said.
“I’ll join you on the patio,” Nick said, standing there and waiting for her to pour her coffee.
She was trapped into visiting with the sexy brothers now.
“Can you give my roommate some space?” Cooper grumbled as he pushed Nick aside. “How are you doing this morning?”
She was stopped in her tracks as she got the full power of Cooper’s gaze centered right on her.
“I’m . . . uh . . . I’m good,” she finally managed to stutter and she pulled her gaze from his.
“You seem upset. Are you sure?” he pushed.
“I’m fine, really,” she told him. He didn’t budge. “I had a bad dream and it threw me off,” she admitted.
“What was it about?” he asked, his voice too intimate, his brothers sort of fading away as she stood there with Cooper.
“I can’t even remember,” she said, the visions that had terrified her already beginning to fade. “I was trapped . . .”
“I hate those sort of dreams,” Cooper said. He didn’t seem to be mocking her.
“Yeah, really sucks,” she said with an attempt at a chuckle.
Her coffee was ready, so she held her cup as she began walking toward the back door, the three brothers on her heels. It was quite overwhelming.
“Did you make this quiche?” Nick asked as he sat down in the chair next to hers before scooping a big bite in his mouth.
“Yeah. It was just an easy recipe I learned long ago so I wouldn’t starve,” she told him.
“Well, it’s fantastic. You can come to my house and make me some anytime,” he said with a wink that had her cheeks flaming.
“Knock it off, Nick. You’re embarrassing her,” Cooper scolded.
“Just saying that a woman who can cook is always welcome around me,” Nick told his brother, not backing down in the least.
“She’s not available to cook for you,” Cooper snarled.
“Touchy,” Mav said with a laugh as he sent a wink over to Stormy.
“I can’t really cook—not that many things,” she told the men. All this flirting coming her way was really throwing her off her morning routine.
“I might make an exception for you then,” Nick said before he stuffed his mouth again.
This time she laughed at the innocent flirting. Now she could see he was just trying to irritate his brother, but she didn’t understand why. She and Cooper weren’t a couple and neither Nick nor Mav had any idea that she’d slept with Cooper six years ago.
“I’m going to kick you guys out of my house if you don’t lay off Stormy,” Cooper threatened. Both brothers laughed.
“Do you know why Coop’s been in such a bad mood lately?” Mav asked her.
“I, well, I haven’t seen him much since . . .” She stopped when her cheeks went scarlet. “I just haven’t seen him much,” she finished in almost a whisper.
“Have you seen him enough to notice his bad mood?” Mav seemed to be the one who really liked to push buttons.
“No, I can’t say that I have,” she lied, definitely feeling put on the spot.
“That’s it. You’re both a-holes,” Coop said as he stood. “Let’s leave now so I can show my appreciation of you in the ring.”
“Ha. Last time we were there, your ass got whooped,” Mav pointed out.
“My mind was elsewhere,” Coop said with a glare.
“Where was your mind?” Mav asked all too innocently before looking at Stormy and winking.
She began to blush again, though she had no idea why.
“You’re embarrassing Stormy,” Cooper snapped.
“Ah, she’s tougher than that,” Nick said. “I can tell.”
This time when he winked at her, she smiled, and a small chuckle escaped.
“Yes, I’m pretty tough,” she told him.
“See, Coop. You’re all worried for nothing,” Mav said.
“You’re going to be the one to worry,” Coop said, giving his brother a preview of what was to come by slugging him hard on the arm.
“Yeah, you’re tough when we aren’t in the ring,” Mav said as he stood up and began dancing around Coop.
“Okay, we don’t want to get in a match here and accidently run into the pretty lady,” Nick said. She smiled gratefully at him.
“Yeah, yeah, the brother who’s always the voice of reason until he’s being a smart ass,” Mav said before getting in a shot at Nick’s arm. He then went dashing back into the house and presumably out the front door.
“See ya soon,” Coop said with a look that left Stormy’s belly quivering before he dashed off after his brothers.
When she was able to get her legs to quit trembling, she made breakfast and cleaned up. Then Stormy realized she missed the noise. They were full of laughter and taunts and the house seemed more like a home with them in it.
But she had to remind herself this wasn’t her home—not for very long. So it would be best not to get too comfortable. That was easier said than done.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Cooper was at the controls of his jet, descending over Seattle. Wolf was busy calling out checklist items as Cooper responded with either set
or check. Cooper, turning the control yoke to the left, began a sweeping turn.
On a clear and picturesque afternoon, the view from the flight deck windows was breathtaking. Below, in full view, Cooper could see the Space Needle and waterfront. As he gazed out the window his thoughts were of Stormy, wondering what she was doing.
After spending time with his brothers the other day, he’d come home and she was nowhere to be found. Then he’d been away for a couple days. But now, he had time off, and he was going to make good use of it.
“Wolf, what’s the time?”
“Quarter ’til two. Pre-landing checklist complete.”
Cooper was done with his anger. Now he wanted her back in his bed. Since pushing her wasn’t doing it, he was dead set on seduction.
If he rushed, he could make it to the café and maybe talk her into going for a ride. Well, at least a car ride, maybe not the ride he wanted to take her on . . . Though that was a definite possibility as well.
Thoughts like that made his uniform far too uncomfortable.
“All right, checklist complete, gear down, and we’re cleared to land. Listen, once we pull into the gate, I want to take off as soon as that door opens. You think you can wrap everything up without me?”
“You got it. Hot date?” Wolf smirked, peering over his sunglasses at Cooper.
“Hot date? I’m hoping so,” Cooper said with a laugh.
“You hope so? What’s that supposed to mean?” Wolf asked. “You never did call my cousin, so I know it’s not with her,” he accused.
“There’s another girl so I didn’t want to do that to your cousin. This woman is . . . I don’t know how to describe her. She makes me go a little bit crazy,” Cooper admitted.
That made Wolf laugh. “Have you actually met a woman who’s your match?” Wolf said, uncontrollable laughter making him shake.
“No!” Cooper thundered. “I just really like to . . . uh . . . spend time with her,” he said. For some reason he didn’t want to dishonor her by talking about how good she was in his bed.
“This is too awesome. CEO of Trans Pacific Airlines and captain of the big, bad Boeing 757 and you have lost your game and are all fluttery over a mere woman. I have to say I worry about you, man,” Wolf said between guffaws. “A hella rich and single guy with a giant-ass house and no one to spend your money on.”
“I’d rather be single than divorced. And I definitely don’t want a woman all over me for what’s in my bank account,” Cooper said with a glare. “You should also remember that I know your secrets, too, Wolf, and just how much is in your bank account.”
“Shh. We don’t spill each other’s secrets,” Wolf said, actually looking around, though they were locked up in the flight deck. “And, yeah, divorce sucks. Beth took off, said she couldn’t stand me being gone anymore. I don’t think she could stand me, period. Last thing she said was that she had met someone new. I guess there’s always flight attendants, right?” Wolf murmured a curse under his breath about his soon-to-be ex-wife.
“Sorry, man. That was a low blow,” Cooper said.
“It’s all good. We did meet in Vegas and got married drunk,” Wolf told him with a shrug.
Though Wolf was making a joke of the situation, Cooper wasn’t a fool. He knew his friend was hurting. But men didn’t talk about that sort of stuff—well, not unless the friend actually said they wanted to talk about it, and then it was just awkward.
“Well, you never know. It might work out for you,” Cooper said.
“I don’t want it to work out. Not when there’s a sea of beauties every single stop I make on this plane,” Wolf told him.
Cooper wasn’t buying it. But instead of saying something serious, he decided to make a joke. It was what was expected after all. “Flight attendants?” Coop scoffed. “No, bad news, never. Stay away from the sky mattresses, they leave you with more than back problems.”
“Not all of them, buddy,” Wolf laughed. “Did you see that hot little number, Tori? Dang, I wouldn’t mind taking her out on the town.”
“Who?” Coop asked, going through his mental checklist.
“She’s new here, but damn she has sass,” Wolf said with another laugh.
“I’ll have to check her out,” Coop said.
“As long as you realize she’s already taken,” Wolf told him.
“Ha. Okay then,” Cooper said. “But if she’s that good, she won’t look twice at you,”
“We’ll see . . .”
They left it at that. If only conversations were this easy with the opposite sex, Coop thought.
Maybe tonight was the night he was going to get Stormy back into his bed. He hardened to a rock with just the thought.
It was a good thing Wolf didn’t look down or Cooper would never live down the mocking. Trying to concentrate, he flew the plane, wishing he could land it right in Gig Harbor just to get him there faster.
Soon, he thought. Very, very soon . . .
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Nearing the end of her shift, Stormy wiped down tables and glanced at the clock every thirty seconds, which made the time drag ever slower. Business was ridiculously lagging today, making her want to cut out. Only a few more minutes left, though.
When the clock finally signaled quitting time, she sighed with relief and told her co-workers good-bye before going to the back and gathering her things. It was only a fifteen-minute walk home, but her feet were aching a bit today and she wasn’t looking forward to it.
When she stepped out to the curb, a flashy Porsche pulled up and she hated the anticipation she couldn’t help but feel when Cooper stepped from it, looking positively delectable with his captain’s hat on and his tie loosened around his neck. Their eyes connected as he moved toward her.
Maybe she wasn’t over her fascination of pilots as much as she’d thought. No matter how she tried to fight her attraction to Cooper, her body had other ideas. Just the sight of him caused a stirring in her stomach and made her bones feel like rubber. She was in trouble and there wasn’t anything she could do to stop it.
“Hi, Cooper. What are you doing here?” she asked when he was standing before her.
“My schedule changed and I hopped an early flight back from New York. I’m home for three days. I thought I’d give you a ride.” He paused and butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the look in his eyes. She was about to respond when he continued. “We could let the top down and enjoy the sun and wind in our hair. We’ll pretend we don’t want to rip each other’s clothes off for a couple of hours.”
Heat settled between her thighs and she pressed them together. What she should say was no, and start walking, maybe burn off some of the sexual energy. Those weren’t the words that came out of her mouth, though.
“Sounds like fun.” She followed him to the car and couldn’t help but be charmed when he opened her door.
“How was your day?” he asked while putting the top down.
“It was long and boring. I prefer having lots of customers, not only for the tips but because time flies.”
“Yeah, I like keeping busy, too,” he told her. “And I like speed,” he added with a waggle of his brows. She was a little nervous being in the Porsche after that comment.
“How was New York?” she asked. “I think it would be pretty exciting to go there.”
“Trust me, it’s not as fancy as people think. I got into JFK from Los Angeles at about six last night and got to the hotel at eight. Then back to Seattle today and here I am, a true miracle of modern science and ingenuity,” he responded.
“Well, it would be a thrill to see all the cities. I’ve traveled a lot, just not from the front seat, and not to anyplace people would choose to vacation.”
“I’m not going to downplay the front seat. You have a view from there unlike anything you could imagine. Maybe I’ll sneak you up there with me on one of these flights. You can ride shotgun.”
Stormy’s heart thundered at the statement. The ride in the front seat that imm
ediately came to mind wasn’t exactly PG either, dang it.
Cooper hit the freeway and then Stormy’s breath was taken away for a whole other reason. The wind whipped through her hair, and she quickly reached into her bag for a rubber band. She tied her hair up and laughed with glee as they shot down the road, going well above the speed limit.
Passing cars on the left and the right, she couldn’t help but notice that Cooper handled the car like a race car driver, not slipping across the lines a single bit as they sailed down the highway. When he pulled off at an exit about thirty minutes south of Seattle, she missed the speed as they crawled through a small town.
“This is a small restaurant, but one of my favorites,” he told her, pulling up to a building she wouldn’t expect someone like him to frequent. “Don’t judge it by the looks. This has the best food in all of Washington.”
He put the top of the car back up, then told her to wait while he came around and opened her door. She wasn’t in a hurry to get out because she wanted to put her hair back into place and add a dash of lipstick.
“Do I look completely windblown?” she asked. She hadn’t been expecting to go out in public.
“You look stunning.”
The way his eyes darkened as he looked at her made the flutters reappear, and Stormy wondered why she was pushing this man away. She had to be insane.
It was a little early for dinner so the place wasn’t crowded, but the older hostess greeted Cooper with a smile and hug before turning her eyes on Stormy, making her feel like she was coming up short.
“Table for two?” the woman said.
“Yes, Sally, out back,” he said.
“Ah, looking for some romance are we?” she said with a cackle.
“Of course,” Cooper said, then turned to Stormy with a wink.
She, of course, blushed and looked to the floor. What was she doing?
They were led through a small dining hall where the wooden tables were decorated beautifully with cloth and exquisite settings, fresh flowers in the middle, and a lit candle, the atmosphere romantic.