Cooper

Erin Marshall was all grown up.

He watched her flounce away, eyes lingering on her hips and those long, trim legs beneath her blue shorts. Curly black hair bounced against her back with every step. Brown skin glistened in the sunlight pouring through the airport’s massive windows.

Cooper hadn’t expected to run into her the moment his plane landed in Belize, but it was a nice surprise. The best kind of surprise.

He hadn’t forgotten Erin. Not once in the eight years he’d been away.

A smile climbed his lips as he thought of her fiery brown eyes that shot sparks when he teased her. She was a woman now, but that temper of hers was just as explosive.

Cooper grabbed his luggage and trailed Erin to the exits, following a few feet behind.

Tourists walked by, dressed in loose cotton clothes. Some carried duffel bags on their backs, their fair skin already turning pink from the oppressive heat.

Cooper was glad he didn’t burn that easily. He’d lost his tan since he’d left Belize, but given the look of the sunshine, it wouldn’t be long before he got it back.

Airport employees dressed in the colors of their particular airline trotted back and forth. Women—both local and foreign—sent him admiring looks as he strode past.

Cooper was used to the attention and found it mildly annoying on the best days. There were times when girls would randomly approach him and strike up a meaningless conversation. Those were the days he wished he’d been born with an average appearance rather than a face that made him stand out.

Not that his looks had done him much good when it came to getting Erin Marshall’s attention.

At least not in the past. He’d see how things would go now that he was older and, hopefully, smarter than his fourteen-year-old self.

They were closer to the exits now. The automatic doors gave way, spitting them out into the hot, Caribbean day.

Erin shaded her forehead with a hand, scanning the cars parked on the street beside the airport. He wondered what she was looking for. Had she arranged for someone to pick her up? A boyfriend?

He sure hoped not, though the likelihood of Erin being single was slim.

Cooper noted the way men gazed at her, running their eyes hungrily over her body. Even back in primary school, Iris and Erin had been the ‘it’ girls of their class.

He doubted Erin knew. She’d been too caught up in that Ryan jerk to notice anyone else.

A prickly sensation ran through him. Made him want to cart Erin away so he didn’t have to share her with the guys staring longingly at her.

The only problem was… she hated his guts.

How could he get her to leave with him?

Cooper trotted toward Erin. He noticed a long tear in the back of her knitted yellow shirt.

Realizing that pointing out the flaw now would just embarrass her, he asked another question. “Are you heading to Balen University?”

Erin jumped. Her neck twisted and she shot him a blistering glare. “Are you following me?”

Cooper jerked his chin, gesturing to the door they just walked through. “There’s only one exit on this side of the airport.”

Erin raised her chin. She wouldn’t confess to being wrong. He saw that part of her personality hadn’t changed either. “Yes, I am going to Balen. How did you know?”

“I’ll give you a ride since we’re going in the same direction.”

“The same direction?”

Cooper looked over his shoulder and in a serious voice said, “Balen U.”

“As in you’re attending or just visiting?”

Cooper could practically hear her thoughts begging him to say ‘visiting’. His lips curled in a shadow of a smile.

Her honesty was the first thing Cooper had noticed about Erin Marshall. She couldn’t keep her feelings to herself, even if she tried. Every emotion, every thought paraded across her face in neon colors.

His eyes slid past her to the black SUV that pulled up to the curb. “I’m in the business department.”

Cooper heard her gasp of shock and, maybe, a little disappointment.

Too bad. He planned on finding lots of excuses to run into Erin for the next four years.

Cooper pulled his lips in to disguise his smile and approached the short, grey-haired man who jumped out of the car and scurried toward him.

“Mista Coopa!” Josiah Hanks, his family’s long-time employee, grabbed his bags. “Yuh look like yuh just come from the States.”

Cooper enjoyed Josiah’s Creole accent. When he was younger, he tried to emulate it but failed spectacularly. There was just too much ‘Yankee’, as Josiah would say, in him.

“How have you been?”

“Good. Good.” Josiah opened the trunk and tossed his suitcase in and then returned for the duffel strung over Cooper’s shoulder.

“I’ll keep this with me,” he said, holding the bag back. “If you don’t mind, Josiah, I’ve offered to give someone a ride.”

“No problem.” Josiah chuckled, his eyes gleaming like black glass. “But we must hurry caz yuh school done start.”

Cooper spun and noticed that Erin was no longer behind him. He found her chatting with one of the taximen waiting on the outskirts of the airport.

Guess that was her way of rejecting his ride.

Cooper saw Erin nod and follow the man to a cab waiting on the street.

Stubborn woman…

His long legs ate up the sidewalk as he strode toward her.

Erin ducked into the car, her fingers curling around the handle to lock it. Cooper smacked his hand on top of the door to keep it open.

Erin’s jaw dropped. Shock and outrage gleamed from her pretty brown eyes. “What are you doing?”

Cooper took Erin’s hand and tugged her out of the vehicle.

She struggled. “Let me go!”

“Man, what yuh doing?” the taxi driver said, glaring at him.

Cooper dug into his wallet, plucked a fifty-dollar bill and tossed it on the seat Erin just vacated. He locked the door and pulled Erin back to the sidewalk.

She fumed at his side. “Who do you think you are?”

Cooper blinked calmly. “Did you take a picture of the license plate?”

Her pink lips puckered in anger. “What?”

He dropped her arm and turned to stare at her. “You were about to enter a vehicle—alone, with a complete stranger, and you didn’t take any precautions.”

“Are you implying you ‘rescued’ me?”

“Call it what you want.”

“Bull!” Erin stomped in front of him. “Stay out of my way, Cooper.”

He watched her move to another taxi. Cooper rounded the hood, glanced at the insurance tag and tapped it twice. Then he pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures of the license plate and insurance stickers.

“Get away from my car!” the driver yelled, noticing what he was doing.

Erin looked smug as if she’d just found someone to fight for her. “You heard the man.”

Cooper leaned against the passenger side, “Sir, were you aware that you’re driving around uninsured?” He wiggled his phone. “My friend in the Traffic Department would be very disappointed to hear about this.”

The driver ducked his head, avoiding Cooper’s eyes.

“I’m so sorry, sir,” Erin whispered.

“You shouldn’t drive without a license,” Cooper yelled, stumbling behind Erin as she dragged him away.

“Didn’t you get enough of terrorizing me when we were kids?” she hissed.

“I’m just looking out for Belize’s safety.”

“You’re being intentionally obnoxious just to—” Erin stopped mid-sentence and dug her phone out of her pocket. Whoever she saw on the screen made her grimace. “I don’t have time for this. I need to get to school.”

He chucked his chin toward Josiah and the SUV idling on the street. “We’ll be quick, and it won’t cost a dime.”

“Who says riding with you will be any less dangerous than going off with a stranger?”

Cooper shrugged. “You can try another taxi. I’ve got all day to follow you around.”

Erin looked like she wanted to kill him. Instead she swiveled on her heels and stalked toward his car.

Maybe she’d decided there were too many witnesses. The thought made him chuckle softly.

Josiah scrambled to open the door for her. “Miss.”

Erin was pissed, but she broke out of her mood to bestow a genuine smile on Josiah. “Thank you.”

Cooper walked toward the back door and moved to open it.

Erin slammed it shut. Wound her window down. The breeze tossed a black curl into her pretty face. She batted it away with her slender fingers and then arched an eyebrow. “I don’t want to sit beside you.”

He tugged on the handle. It didn’t budge.

Erin quirked an eyebrow. “Sorry.”

It didn’t sound like she meant that.

Cooper studied her face—the smooth planes of her cheeks, her flared nose, and those sparkling brown eyes. He leaned forward, invading her personal space.

Her eyes flickered, irises dilating in shock or desire.

Cooper was hoping for the latter.

His eyes dipped to her mouth. Cooper froze. Her lips were dark pink, almost purple. The bottom was full and plump, just begging for a teasing nip. The top had a perfect cupid’s bow. He was way too close to her mouth.

His pulse spiked.

Erin shivered.

Cool it, Cooper.

He slid his arm inside, flipped the lock and opened the door in one quick sweep. By the time Erin blinked, he was already seated beside her.

He frowned. “Josiah, let’s get a move on. Erin’s in a hurry.”

“Yes, sah.”

The car started. Cooper rolled the window up and turned the buttons that fed air conditioning to the back seat all the way. Even as cold air blasted his body, Cooper was way too hot.

He heard rustling and glanced over to find Erin running her hands over her bare arms. “Cooper, it’s freezing.”

His eyes locked on her mouth again. Was it? He didn’t feel anything. In fact, he might as well be sitting on the beach it was so damn hot.

Cooper dragged his duffel bag into his lap and rifled through it. Finally, he pulled out a hoodie and offered it to Erin.

She eyed it warily. “What is it?”

“What does it look like? A jacket.”

“I don’t want your jacket. I want you to turn the air conditioner off.”

Cooper reached out, grabbed one of her hands and planted the hoodie in her palms. “Wear it for now.”

“No thanks.” She flung it back at him.

It caught him in the face.

Erin did not apologize.

The hoodie fell on its own accord. Cooper let out a calming breath. “Your shirt… it’s got a tear in the back.”

“What?” Her eyes widened. Erin twisted around and pulled on her shirt to see the tear, ripping the fabric further. “It must have happened when that guy bumped into me.”

“You can buy another T-shirt at school. Wear that until then.”

Erin opened her mouth, probably to argue with him. In the end, she undid the zipper and slid her hands through his jacket.

The sleeves swallowed her arms. Cooper blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected Erin to be that small. She’d seemed so much taller in his memories.

“I’m only accepting this because I have to,” she grumbled.

Cooper turned away from her and stared out the window as his heart twitched. The past ten minutes had confirmed it. He was still not over Erin Marshall.

What was he going to do about that?

* * *

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