by Nia Arthurs
Erin decided to teach him some manners. Besides, she couldn’t just agree to meet with him too quickly. That would make her look eager. She straightened, her fingers flying on the screen’s keyboard.
ERIN: I’ll think about it.
Cooper took five minutes to respond and in that period, Erin had squealed and flailed about a hundred times. Finally, she heard her phone buzz.
COOPER: Warning. My backup plan if you say no is drastic.
ERIN: What’s your backup?
COOPER: Kidnapping.
Erin placed a hand to her forehead and fell back into bed. So… if any other person had threatened to snatch her away from home, she would have been appalled and, frankly, creeped out.
But Cooper could whisk her away and she’d be just fine.
She got another message and pulled up her phone.
COOPER: See you tomorrow.
Erin could barely sleep from her excitement. And guilt. She wanted to explore a relationship with Cooper, but it felt selfish. Ryan was so upset about their break up he punched Cooper in front of everyone. Erin didn’t deserve to be this excited. Not this soon.
Because of her raging thoughts, she slept intermittently and woke before dawn. Instead of lounging around in bed and checking social media like usual, she tore through her closet for the perfect outfit.
After several minutes of agonizing indecision, Erin selected a pair of striped shorts and a grey blouse. She debated flat ironing her hair, figured that would look too obvious, and pulled it into a bun.
A quick gloss to her lips and powder on her face completed the look. She studied her reflection in the mirror. There. That said ‘I didn’t try too hard but I look extra special today’.
Erin tiptoed next door and carefully peeked in on Peggy. Her sister was sprawled on the bed, one leg thrown over the mattress, blonde hair wrapped around her face like it was trying to strangle her.
“Bye, Peggy,” she whispered.
Erin snuck downstairs and closed the door behind her. She stepped out into the dawn and stopped short when she spotted Cooper leaning against his car like a hunky hero in a romantic comedy film.
She blinked. “What are you doing here?”
“Kidnapping you.”
Erin walked toward him, enjoying the view. He wore a white T-shirt that hugged his broad shoulders and set off his sun-kissed skin. His long legs were made for those jeans. She spotted black-and-white sneakers on his feet.
Her eyes journeyed up again and landed smack dab on his golden gaze. She pulled her lips in, embarrassed that Cooper caught her checking him out.
The smile playing on his lips told her that he was pleased, but he didn’t tease her. Instead he opened her door. “You hungry?”
“Not really.”
He sucked in a breath. “That’s unfortunate.”
Erin wondered what he meant, but before she could ask Cooper closed her door and rounded the hood to get into the driver’s seat. Something savory filled the air. She glanced over her shoulder and spotted a basket covered with a blue tablecloth sitting in the backseat.
“What’s that?” She pointed to the back.
“Breakfast.” He started the car and drove.
Stunned, Erin kept her mouth shut and let Cooper drive without asking any more questions.
As they travelled, the sky exploded with bursts of orange, red, and gold. She sighed at the beauty of it. They passed the local park. It was empty apart from a few joggers getting their morning exercise in. Erin smiled when she caught sight of the swings.
How long had it been since she’d been on one?
“Do you want to stop here?” Cooper asked.
Erin glanced over and found him staring at her. She straightened. “Uh, do you want to?”
“It wasn’t my original plan, but I don’t mind.” He flicked his indicator and parked on the sidewalk.
Erin got out and watched as Cooper maneuvered the basket out of the backseat. She scrunched her nose. “Where were you originally planning to take me? It wasn’t going to be anything ostentatious, right?”
“Define ostentatious?”
“Like…” She snorted. “You didn’t rent a yacht or anything like that.”
Cooper cleared his throat and sputtered, “O-of course not.”
Erin grinned. “You did, didn’t you?”
Cooper took her hand. Erin gasped in surprise. His large fingers closed over hers, holding her gently. “Let’s eat.”
He led her to a bench covered by a thick thatch roof. Erin helped Cooper pull the food out of the basket. Her eyes widened when she took in the feast before her. “Did you buy enough to feed an army?”
“I wasn’t sure what you’d like,” he said shyly.
Erin sat, a smile curving her lips. “A yacht and fancy breakfast. You must do this to all the girls.”
“Never.”
Erin tilted her head. “You expect me to believe that?”
“Believe what you want.” Cooper selected a fried jack wrapped in foil. “Since primary school, you were the only girl I ever wanted.”
She froze with her slice of cheese halfway to her mouth. “Primary school?” Suddenly, Cooper’s words before their fight last Friday came back to her. “That’s what you were trying to tell me that time.”
He nodded.
“The play…” Her eyes widened. “You kissed me on purpose.”
Cooper faced the trees clustering in the distance. His voice was quiet, as if he was seeing his memories play out like a movie. “I heard you were changing the script to kiss Ryan and I got jealous.”
“How’d you get him to quit?”
Cooper shrugged. “I gave him my Game Boy.”
Erin laughed. “Are you serious?”
“When my dad heard about it, he beat me so bad I couldn’t sit for a week. But to me, it was worth it.”
Erin shook her head. “I had no idea. I hated you even more after that play.”
“I know.” Cooper gestured to the food and then stared into her eyes. “I’ve been holding this in for over a decade. So whether you like it or not, I’m going to spoil you and do everything I want to do for you.”
A lump caught in her throat. His stare was mesmerizing. That confident smolder had to be illegal. She blinked rapidly and looked away, desperate to break the spell before she did something impulsive.
Like reach over and kiss him.
“Uh,” she fiddled with the wrapping paper at her fingertips, “I heard you returned to Texas right after graduation. Why?”
There was a beat of silence and then, “I got kidnapped. Again.”
Erin’s head whipped up. “What? Again? As in more than once?”
Cooper’s expression was inscrutable. The horrific words pouring out of his mouth didn’t seem to register on his face. “The first time I was seven. Someone posing as our driver picked me up after class. They demanded a hundred grand to get me back alive.”
“Did your parents give it?”
“No. My father refused. Even after my mother begged him to meet their demands. Thankfully, the police found me, but my parents’ marriage had already splintered. Mom ran off into the night with me. She just drove. No destination in mind. Somehow we ended up in Cayo.”
“Benny’s.” Erin tapped her fingers on the bench. “Your mom was trying to comfort you.”
He shrugged. “I don’t remember much about the first kidnapping apart from being scared and screaming for my parents. Now, it’s like a fuzzy nightmare. Eating burgers with my mom overshadowed most of the bad memories.”
Erin put her hand on top of his. “I’m glad. What about the second time?”
He sucked in a deep breath. “That one I remember clearly. My dad was doing business with shady people as usual. Things went south. As usual. They decided to get to him through me. I was kept in a warehouse for three days. I didn’t eat or drink anything. My mom lost her mind with worry. My dad refused to pay the ransom.”
Erin sucked in a breath. Did money
mean that much to Brandon Lawson? Or was it his pride that made him stubborn? Erin didn’t know the answer but in that moment, she wanted nothing more than to punch Cooper’s father right in the face.
“I managed to find my phone and sneak a message to Josiah. That’s how the police found me. I was half-dead. My mom couldn’t deal with my father after that. They got divorced and she took me back to her hometown to be safe.”
“You’ve been through so much,” Erin whispered.
Cooper squeezed her hand. “To be honest, I’ve never shared those stories with anyone. My dad forbid it. He did everything he could to keep it out of the news.”
“Well, I’m honored to be the first.”
Cooper looked at her for a long minute. He wiped his hand on a napkin and inched closer to her. Erin’s pulse hiked. Every defense, every excuse crumpled as Cooper drew near.
He’d let her in, shown her the deepest, most vulnerable parts of himself. How could she remain unmoved in the face of his sincerity? How could she even begin to resist him?
26 Cooper
He saw the moment Erin’s gaze softened. Saw her body relax and her defenses tumble. Cooper didn’t know if she pitied him or if the affection on her face was sincere.
Not that it bothered him either way.
He hadn’t shared his story because he wanted to manipulate her emotions. He’d told her because she was Erin. Because he didn’t want to hide any part of himself—whether it be his flaws or his scars—from her.
She looked stunning, breathtaking, right now. The sun highlighted the dark brown strands in her curls. Glistened over her cocoa-brown skin. Her forehead. Her bright brown eyes. Her nose. Her lips.
He would die for this woman. It was a certainty that undid him and gave him strength at the same time. Erin had no idea how much he loved her, but the last thing Cooper wanted to do was scare her away.
His hand traced her hairline and then down behind her ear. She trembled, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. Cooper’s eyes fell there. His thumb dropped to her mouth. Marked a path there.
His breathing turned heavy. Man, he wanted to kiss her. His heart threw itself against his chest, clamoring to get out. Clamoring to be closer to Erin.
“I shouldn’t,” Erin whispered, her gaze on his lips. “I feel sorry for Ryan.”
Cooper leaned closer, drawn by an inexplicable force he could not resist. “He’ll get over it.”
“What if we don’t work out?”
Not a chance. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
Cooper was a breath away from her lips now. His thumb caressed Erin’s throat. He could feel her pulse hammering against his fingertips. She wanted this just as much as he did.
He paused. Arched an eyebrow. “Any other objections?”
“Just shut up and kiss me,” she grumbled.
For a split second, he thought of teasing her and then promptly tossed the notion. He’d waited his entire life for this. He wasn’t wasting another moment.
Cooper pressed his mouth to hers. Gently. Slowly. He moved his hand down her shoulders to gather her by the waist. Every touch was light. Thoughtful. She was a treasure. His treasure. And though his instinct was to devour her, Cooper practiced restraint.
Erin kissed him back with more passion than he’d expected. Cooper eased back, nuzzling her nose with his own.
Mischief shone from Erin’s brown eyes. One corner of her lips rose in a sexy smirk. “Is that it?”
“Are you insulting me?”
“I won’t break if you kiss me properly.”
Laughter bubbled in Cooper’s throat. “Bossy…”
“Yeah, yeah.”
He leaned over and kissed her again. Erin tilted her head, inviting his invasion. Cooper pried her lips apart with his tongue and drank her in. Thirstily. Desperately. The ties that held his longing snapped, unleashing a fury of emotions that swept through him like a hurricane.
He was ruined. Erin Marshall had destroyed him.
His fingers dug into Erin’s sides. His arms held her as close as humanly possible. Her arms wound around his neck. Her scent, something mixed with jasmine, wafted over him. Invaded his senses. Drove him crazy.
The thud of a jogger’s footsteps reminded them they were in a public park. Cooper forced himself to breathe as Erin moved away from him. Their gazes collided. Locked. Passion burned in her gaze. He wished they were somewhere more private so he could explore every inch of her.
“Wow,” she said. A hand dipped to her lips. Rather bewildered she said again, “Wow.”
Cooper smiled. Pride unfurled in his chest like a sail flapping in the wind. He grabbed a bottle of water and guzzled it down. His skittering pulse began to calm and his heart returned to his ribs where it belonged.
Erin pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “Cooper?”
“Yeah?” He listened while he packed up their breakfast. He’d have to donate this food to a shelter or something. His appetite for food had been overtaken by his desire for Erin.
“I like you.”
“Kinda figured that, darlin’,” he rumbled.
Erin smacked him. The food in his hands tumbled back to the table. His jaw dropped as pain ricocheted through his nerves. “Ow! You’re swatting a person, woman. Not a mosquito.”
“I’m trying to have a serious conversation.”
“Fine.” Cooper sat down and swung his leg around the bench so he was facing her. His eyes landed on her lips again. They were plump and soft. Softer than he’d imagined. What would he do if he leaned over and tasted her again? “Go ahead.”
“Stop looking at me like that.” Erin pushed his shoulder.
Cooper dragged his mind out of the gutter and focused on her. “Like what?”
“This is important to me.”
He forced his gaze to remain on her eyes and nodded.
“If we do this, I’d like to take things slow.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Slow?”
“I do like you, but I just got out of a relationship and I’m trying to figure myself out.”
Cooper frowned. “Are you saying you don’t want to date me?”
“No, that’s not it.” Erin chewed her bottom lip for a few more seconds while Cooper tried to figure out if she was breaking up with him before they’d really even had a shot. Erin sighed. “Maybe we could hang out casually for a few weeks. See how things go.”
He blinked once. Twice. Had she not just heard him say he’d been pining for her since primary school? They weren’t just moving slowly. They were going at a snail’s pace.
Think about it from her point of view, Cooper. You want to lose her before you even start?
Erin winced. “Are you angry?”
Yes. “No.”
“You’re angry.”
“I’m just… trying to make sense of what you’re saying.”
He saw Erin bristle, but what did she expect? That he’d jump for joy when the love of his life said she wanted to ‘hang out’ while he was ready to pursue her intentionally? Cooper needed the world to know Erin Marshall was taken. Was his.
And what? She wanted them to squirrel away in the shadows, sneaking kisses here and there and pretending they were just friends?
“If you don’t want to do it, just say so,” Erin snapped.
“I don’t want to do it.”
Her cheeks reddened, and she shot to her feet. “Oh, really? Okay. We’ll just do what you want since you have to have your own way.”
“When did I say that?” Cooper yelled. “You were the one who told me to be honest.”
Her alarm blared. Erin pulled out her phone and scoffed. “I don’t have time for this. I have class now.”
“Wait! Erin!” He angrily gathered the remains of their breakfast and charged after her. “I’ll drive you back.”
Erin got into his car, but neither of them had much to say on the way. When he parked in the school’s lot, Erin stormed out of his vehicle and slammed the door behind her. Wit
hout so much as a ‘goodbye’, she stomped up the incline and headed to class.
Cooper went the opposite direction, fuming all the way.
Erin liked him. And even if he didn’t believe her, that kiss had made her feelings abundantly clear. So why was she making everything complicated?
Cooper glowered through his first class and sulked through his second. On his way to the third, he ran into Kay. He tried to plow past her but she stepped right in front of him and refused to move.
“Cooper, what are you doing after this? Want to eat lunch with me?”
“No.”
Her smile grew brighter. “Are you having a bad day? You look angrier than usual.”
He was about to ignore her and move on when he paused. Studied her face. “Can you help explain something?”
Kay bounced on her toes. “Yes.”
“If you liked someone, would you ask them to take things slow?”
Kay leaned back. “It depends.”
“On?”
“On what I’m going through. Like if I just ended a relationship or if I have something intense to deal with.”
Cooper groaned. Great. So Kay agrees with Erin.
“Why?” Kay laughed. “You’re not dating anyone now, are you?”
Cooper’s jaw clenched. He strode forward.
Kay scrambled to catch up. “Cooper, is it true? Are you and Erin going out?”
“No,” he growled. That was the truth. Unfortunately.
Kay gasped. “Is she the one who wants to take things slow?”
“Not right now, Kay.”
“How could you do this to me!” Kay screamed. Cooper felt something knock against his back. When he turned around and inspected, he found Kay’s shoes on the ground.
His jaw dropped. “Did you just throw your shoe at me?”
Tears dripped from Kay’s face. “After everything, you’re still choosing her! That’s it. I’m over you, Cooper. It’s over!”
She stalked past him. He stooped and picked up her shoe. “Kay, wait!”
Kay turned around, her eyes full of hope. “C-Cooper?”
He thrust the sandal at her. “You forgot this.”
“Oh.”