by Ryan, Kaylee
Fifteen minutes later, I’m walking into my apartment, and something smells delicious. “Coop, I don’t know what that is, but I’m about to eat all of it,” I say, tossing my keys on the small entry table and letting my purse fall to the floor. Kicking off my heels, I go in search of my roommate.
“In here!” he calls out from the kitchen.
“What smells so good?”
“Tuna noodle casserole.” He grins.
“Since when do you know how to make tuna noodle casserole?” I ask.
“Since today. I know you love my mom’s, so I called her for the ingredients. We FaceTimed while I put it all together.”
I don’t really know what to say to that. His actions don’t scream “I can’t wait to run away from you.” They tell another story. One that tells me he’s in this with me this time. He’s all in, and after the day I had today, the emotions of that conclusion are almost too much to bear. I can’t speak, so instead, I walk to him and wrap my arms around his waist, burying my face in his chest.
He doesn’t speak, and neither do I. We stand here in the middle of my kitchen, holding onto one another as if it’s our last time. “Thank you,” I finally whisper.
“For what?”
“Taking care of me.”
He pulls back, places his index finger under my chin, and gently tilts so we’re looking at one another. “Never thank me for taking care of you, Reese. You’re the love of my life. I’m always going to be here. Good days, bad days, and all the days in between.”
“I—” I start, then stop myself. I almost let those three little words slip. “I need to go change. I’ll be right back.”
“Wine?” he asks.
“Beer,” I call over my shoulder, heading to my room. I hear him chuckle and say, “That’s my girl,” or something similar before I disappear into my room.
Opting for comfort, I put on one of his old T-shirts from college that I stole years ago. I throw my hair up and wash all the makeup off my face. I don’t plan on going out for the rest of the night.
“Let’s eat,” I say, walking into the kitchen.
Cooper, who has his back to me, turns and his eyes scan my body. “Babe, you should go put some clothes on.”
“Why? It’s just us, and it’s not like you haven’t seen it all before.”
“That’s why.” He swallows hard. “I promised I would keep my hands to myself.”
“It’s just an old T-shirt.” I look down. “It comes to my knees. Nothing remotely sexy about this.”
“Turn around,” he says gruffly. I do as he asks. “Fuck,” he mutters.
“What?”
“I was making sure I remembered the shirt, and I was right. It has my name on it.”
“Yeah, this is the CU shirt you got freshman year.” I still don’t see what the big deal is. “I stole it, but you knew that already,” I remind him.
“I don’t know if I can explain it without it making me sound like a possessive jackass.”
“Try me.” Part of me wants him to be a possessive jackass. I’ve waited my entire life to evoke these kinds of feelings in him.
He sets both plates that he fixed for us on the counter and stalks toward me. He doesn’t stop until he reaches me and lifts me from my feet, setting me on the opposite side of the counter in my small kitchen. I brace my hands on his shoulders to steady myself as he steps between my legs.
His hands are braced on either side of me, gripping the counter. “I don’t know that I have the words, but it’s sexy as fuck. To see you in nothing but my shirt, my last name scrawled across your back.” His eyes are heated as he stares at me.
“You’ve seen me like this before.” I squirm on the counter to quell the ache that’s burning inside me for him.
“I know,” he says, his voice gruff with need. “Every fucking time I had to stalk off and take a cold shower. This is the first time since you’ve been mine that I’ve seen you in it.”
“I’m not yours,” I whisper the words but with zero sincerity.
“You are mine.” He leans in closer, pressing a kiss to the corner of my mouth. His lips trail across my cheek and down my neck.
My body has a mind of its own, and my neck tilts to the left, giving him better access. I should be ashamed, but the feel of his lips and his hot breath against my skin is more than I can resist.
His hands grip my hips as he pulls me to the edge of the counter. His hard length hitting right where I want him. “Coop.” I moan his name as the memories of what it felt like to have him inside me flash in my mind. My legs wrap around his waist as I try to get him closer. His cock is nestled between my thighs with nothing but his shorts and my panties separating us. I’m ready to throw caution to the wind and beg him to take me to bed when the shrill ringing of his cell phone interrupts us.
“Let it ring,” he mumbles, his lips trailing back up my neck. “Nothing is more important than this,” he whispers, his hot breath ghosting across my ear.
His phone stops ringing, and mine starts from where I left it in the entryway. “Coop,” I say, dropping my legs from his waist. “It might be important.”
“You’re important,” he says, kissing the corner of my mouth before pulling away. Reaching out, he grabs his phone. “It was my mom.” There’s a worried expression on his face when he taps the screen to call her back. He’s still standing between my legs. He has one arm wrapped around me, while the other holds the phone that he puts on speaker so I can hear.
“Hello, my son,” Ann greets cheerily.
“What’s up?”
“Oh, I was just calling Reese since I couldn’t get a hold of you,” she says. Cooper looks at me and rolls his eyes.
“Is everything okay?”
“Of course, why do you ask?”
He looks at me and shakes his head. “What’s up?”
“Oh, I wanted to see what you and Reese are doing for Memorial Day weekend?”
“We haven’t talked about it.”
“Well, we’re having a barbecue. You two should come home.”
He looks at me, and I shrug and nod. “Sure, we’ll be there.”
“Oh, good. I’ll call Eve and let her know you’re coming. Will the two of you be staying here or at their place?” she asks.
“Mom, I told you. We’re taking it slow.”
“Right. Of course, we’ll both have the beds made up just in case. Tell Reese I said hello. We can’t wait to see you,” she says and ends the call.
“Told you it wasn’t important.”
“You did, but what if it would have been?” I counter.
He leans in and kisses my neck just as my belly growls. He chuckles and pulls back. “Grab us a couple of beers, and I’ll heat up our plates.” This time his lips land on my forehead before he grips my hips and lifts me from the counter. My legs are weak as I walk to the fridge and pull out two bottles of water. Tonight proves I have no willpower when it comes to him. We don’t need alcohol to cloud our judgment. If he’s on his best behavior, it’s difficult, but I seem to manage just fine. However, when he’s like he was tonight, my power to resist him is nonexistent.
Chapter 13
Cooper
“Are you ready for this?” I ask Reese as we hit the city limit sign for the town we grew up in.
“I’m not sure.” She chuckles. “I know we’ve told them that we’re taking this slow, but our mothers don’t seem to understand that concept.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me if they have our wedding all planned out.” I laugh.
“Really?” she asks, glancing over at me. “You’re okay with that?”
“Sure. I mean, it doesn’t bother me. We’ll do it our way regardless of what they want. Let them have their fun.” I keep my eyes on the road, but I can feel her stare.
“Cooper, you do realize we’re talking about marriage, right?” she questions.
“Not just marriage, baby. Marriage to you.” I reach over and link my fingers with hers. She doesn’t pull a
way, not that I expected her to. I’ve been pushing the limits since that night in the kitchen. She’s yet to stop me or push me away. I’m slowly wearing her down. I’m taking note of every one of my small victories.
“Hey,” I say to get her out of her head. “What do you say we hit up Bill’s Billiards tonight?”
“You up for a night of signing autographs?” she teases.
“Pfft, this is my hometown. I’m just some guy who grew up here.” Sure, there’s going to be a few of my old buddies reach out, but none of the fanfare that Reese is imagining.
“If you believe that, I have some oceanfront property just down from Mom and Dad’s that I’ll sell you.”
“Are you going to live there with me? If so, you found yourself a buyer.” I glance at her and wink, and a slight blush coats her cheeks.
“Coop!” she scolds me. “You’re too much.”
“If you’re there, that’s where I’m going to be,” I tell her as I pull into my parents’ driveway. “You gonna come in and say hi?” I ask, taking off my seat belt.
“Like your mom would let me get away with not,” she says, staring out the windshield.
“If at any time you feel uneasy, let me know, and I’ll take care of it. If I can’t, I’ll get us out of here.”
“They’re our parents, Cooper. We can’t just leave.”
“We can. You’re my main priority. I’ve told my mom, and I know you’ve told yours. I don’t think we have to worry about our fathers.”
“Yeah, I can’t see them saying much, if anything about this.” She waves her hand between us.
“I don’t either. Our mothers, on the other hand, I’m sure won’t be able to keep quiet. Say the word, and we bail.”
“Word.” I reach for my seat belt and strap back in, making her laugh. “I was kidding.”
“It’s going to be fine.” I don’t think she’s nervous about seeing them as much as she’s nervous that they know we’re… whatever it is we are right now. In my eyes, we’re together. Reese still isn’t putting a label on it, but we’re exclusive, and our families know that.
“They’re going to ask us what’s going on.”
“And I’ll tell them that I’m madly in love with you and that as best friends, we’re learning each other in a new capacity, and that it’s our business. We’ll include them when it’s time.”
“Wow, that sounds practiced.”
“I knew this was going to be a concern for you.”
“She’s looking out the window,” she says, nodding toward my parents’ place.
“So is yours.” I give the same nod to her parents’ place.
“Come on then. Let’s get this over with.” She reaches for her handle, and before I can stop her to tell her I’ll get the door, she’s out of the car. It’s probably for the best. That would just fuel our mothers on even more.
I follow her up the steps, and she stops at the door. “Go on in, babe. You never had to knock before,” I say, placing my hand on the small of her back.
“It’s different now.”
“No, it’s not different. It’s better. This time when you walk into this house, it’s not as my best friend, but as the love of my life. My future. Now, more than any time before, you belong here and don’t need to knock. You’re family. My family,” I tell her. She smiles up at me, and that’s how my mother finds us when she opens the door.
“Oh, look at you two. I missed you kids something awful,” she says, pulling first Reese and then me into a hug.
“Mom, it hasn’t even been two months since we saw you last.”
“That’s too long. Come on in. Dad’s in the living room.”
Dutifully, we follow her inside. Dad is in his recliner. “Welcome home.” He smiles, turning off the television.
“Sit, sit.” Mom points to the loveseat. We sit next to one another, and a glance at my mother tells me she’s still beaming. “How are you? What’s been going on?”
“Good. I’ve been enjoying some time off,” I tell her.
“Reese, how’s work?”
“Really good.” She nods. “Stressful at times, but it’s good.”
“We’re so proud of the two of you.” Mom smiles.
Reading between the lines, she’s also proud that we’re together. She’s not going to say it, but that’s exactly what she’s thinking. “What about the two of you? How are things?” I ask, leaning back into the loveseat.
“Oh, you know, same old. Snotty noses and potty breaks.” Mom laughs. “The life of a kindergarten teacher.”
“Dad? How’s work?” He’s a factory worker, been there since the week he graduated from high school.
“Doing well. We got a new line in at work, so I’ve been working some extra hours while we all get trained. Hey, while you’re here, I got something I need some help with. You got a minute?” he asks.
“Sure.” He stands, so I glance over at Reese. “You good, babe?” I ask, keeping my voice low, but I know my mother. Her hearing is impeccable, so I know she heard me.
“Of course.” She smiles, but it’s tight.
I can tell she’s nervous. I want to lean in and kiss the stress right out of her, but pissing her off is not on the top of my list of things to do today. Instead, I wink and stand to follow Dad out to the garage.
“All right, old man, put me to work.” I clap my hands and rub them together.
“I didn’t really need any help,” my dad confesses.
“Then why in the hell are we hanging out in the garage?” I was kidding when I called him an old man. He still has plenty of good years left, but now I’m starting to wonder. “You going senile on me?” I joke, only half kidding.
“Because I want to know how things are going?”
“Good. It’s the off-season, so I’m just hanging out.”
“Not that.” He waves his hand in the air. “With Reese. How are things with Reese?”
“Did Mom put you up to this?” I question.
“No. Why would you think that? Never mind. So, how’s it going?”
“Since when do you gossip?” I ask.
“Since my son started dating my best friend’s daughter. A girl I’ve thought of as my own for over half of her life. Now, start talking,” he says, looking behind him to make sure the door is still shut.
I chuckle. “Things are good, Dad.”
“Good? That’s all you’ve got for me?”
“I don’t know what you want me to say. I love her. She’s worried my feelings come from the fear of losing my best friend. We’re taking our time, taking things slow.”
“What does that mean? You kids these days. I don’t understand the lingo.”
“It means that I love Reese. That she is my person, and I’m giving her the time she needs. She loves me, I know she does, but she needs some time, and I’m giving her that. There’s nothing else you need to know right now. When there is anything new or kind of development, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
“Are you going to ask her to marry you?”
“Yes. When the time is right.”
“How do you know it’s not right now?” he counters.
“Dad,” I groan, rolling my eyes. “I know her. Trust me on this. She’s not ready. We’re not ready. She needs to understand, see, and feel my love for her. This is between the two of us. End of discussion.”
“Cooper—” he starts, and I raise my hand to stop him.
“No. The end. Now, is there anything that I can help you with?”
“No,” he grumbles good-naturedly.
“Good. Now let’s get back inside to the women. Reese and I still need to go and say hi to her parents.”
“Are you all staying here or there?” he asks.
“I’m staying here. She’s staying there.” I don’t like it, but it is what it is.
“Son, I know—” he starts again, causing me to laugh.
“Dad. I’m staying at her place. In the spare room. Slow. That’s how this is going.”
>
“Oh, right. Slow,” he agrees.
“Come on.” I pat him on the shoulder and head back to the living room to find Mom and Reese right where we left them. “You ready to go say hi to your parents?” I ask her.
“Yes.” She gives both my mom and dad a hug, and we walk through my parents’ yard over to hers. “Mom, Dad, we’re home!” she calls out.
I don’t miss the “we’re” part.
“Hey, kids,” Eve greets us. “How was the drive?” she asks, giving Reese, then me, a hug, just as my mom did.
“Not bad. Coop did all the driving.”
“It’s like an hour and a half,” I remind them.
“There’s my girl,” Garrett says, joining us in the kitchen.
I don’t correct him and tell him she’s mine. I’m thinking that won’t go over all too well. Besides, he is her father, her first love. I can live with that. I smile to myself. I sound like a crazed lunatic, but that’s how I am when it comes to Reese. I’m not fighting it anymore.
“Are you all hungry?” Eve asks.
“No, we stopped on the way,” Reese tells her.
“Well, there’s plenty when you’re ready. I have to run to the store to pick up a few things. Do you want to ride with me?” Eve asks Reese.
She looks over at me, and I nod. “I’ll head back over to Mom and Dad’s,” I say.
“Actually, Cooper, if you could stay a minute, I need help with something,” Garrett asks.
“Sure.” Leaning down, I kiss Reese on the top of her head. “Call me when you get back.” I then give Garrett my full attention. “I’m all yours,” I tell him.
“Out in the garage.” He waves for me to follow him, and I do. “So, you two are living together,” he says as soon as the door is shut to the house.
“Yes and no. I’m staying at her place in the spare room.” He raises his eyebrows. “Trust me, I’m not happy about it either,” I admit, and quickly curse under my breath. I forgot who I was talking to. Son of a bitch.