He didn’t sleep after he finally got her toweled off and back into the bed, though he layered a few sets of towels atop the messy sheets to keep her from getting sticky again. Cooper didn’t trust himself to sleep next to her without reaching for her in his dreams. The girl had a strange hold on him already, and the way she’d reacted when he touched her... It made his cock hard just to think about it, finding her writhing against him in desperation. He stacked pillows up around her so she’d be safe in a soft nest, and laced his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

They’d need separate beds for a while, that was for damn sure. Otherwise she’d end up pregnant in a week. Or she’d develop a permanent limp. He bit back a groan and covered his face. She’d been unsteady on her feet, which didn’t surprise him, but it still made him feel like a total dick. That night she lost her virginity, and he kept feeling her up and getting randy with her most sensitive parts.

He felt dawn creeping up, his internal alarm clock going off even though he was completely exhausted, and eased out of bed without waking her. Cooper crept into the kitchen after pulling on some pants—the same jeans she’d asked to take off him the night before, and retrieved some of the breakfast foods from the fridge. He needed to feed her a lot before they left. She’d been hungry and tired and sore, but some good food would give her enough strength to put up a show until he could get her in the truck and she could relax. Once they had the compound in their rearview mirror, Cooper could relax.

And Francine. He hesitated near the door of the cabin and stared out the window into the misty green forest outside. How the hell would they get Francine out of there? Jada would have to get a message to her somehow. Cooper didn’t think just asking for the girl would work, and not because her family wouldn’t give her up—no, Cooper feared they’d demand he take her as a second wife, and they’d be stuck there again until they consummated the marriage. There was no way in hell Cooper would even think about sleeping with a girl that young. Even to save her life.

He made a face and went back to the stove, boiling water to make oatmeal. Francine would have to escape through the woods with just a small bag, and they could pick her up at the crossroads. They hadn’t brought much of a bag for Jada, so hopefully she’d be able to go back and pack up the rest of her belongings, and give Francine the message at the same time.

Cooper started making a list of the things they needed to do before they left, from force of habit. He worked much better with checklists after so long in the Legion. He didn’t want to forget something and have to return to the compound. Once they left, it’d be for forever.

He pulled a couple cans of corned beef hash from the pantry in the cabin, shrugging as he tossed it into a pan and set it to frying along with some of the mashed potatoes from the night before. At least the families accepted the proof on the sheets he threw in their faces and half in the bonfire the night before. He knew they wouldn’t go to sleep until they saw it. Creepy bastards.

Cooper started the coffee when the first hints of dawn sneaked through the forest to light the clearing outside the cabin. It wasn’t long before Jada appeared, yawning and adorable with a masterful case of bedhead, but she had returned to the painfully shy girl he remembered from the ceremony. Cooper didn’t mind—they hadn’t known each other even a full day yet, so he had a lot of work to do to create the trust he wanted to see between them. She pulled herself onto a stool at the island but winced, a pained eep escaping before she clapped a hand over her mouth.

He put a cup of coffee and a bottle of pain relievers in front of her, along with a pitcher of cream and a bowl of sugar. “Good morning. Take a couple of these; it’ll help. We have a long day ahead of us, unfortunately, so keep those with you in case you need more.”

“Thanks,” she said, not meeting his gaze.

He didn’t take it personally. Not yet, anyway. He hummed as he finished making the best breakfast possible with the shitty kitchen and almost no ingredients, and loaded a plate full of cornbread, hash, potatoes, and roast chicken. Her eyebrows rose when she looked at the plate, but she smiled as she reached for a fork.

Cooper leaned against the counter, facing her, and demolished what remained of the corned beef hash. He hadn’t eaten it in ages. “I was thinking about Francine.”

She froze, a flicker of fear in her eyes, and the fork slowly returned to her plate. “Oh?”

“Yeah.” Cooper sipped his own coffee. “When we go to pack the rest of your stuff, you can ask for her help and we can tell her the plan. I don’t think they’ll just let me take her, so she’s going to have to find her way through the woods to the crossroads. Then we can pick her up and get the hell out of here. Do you think that’ll work?”

“Maybe.” Jada rubbed her shoulder absently, and the shirt gapped to show a small bruise that was all that remained of one of his lovebites. “But I’m not allowed to pack anything else. That bag was…was it.”

Her voice broke and he suspected some deeper hurt lingered. Cooper frowned. “What didn’t they let you bring? I’ll fight every bear out there to make sure you take what you want, Jada.”

She smiled a little tearfully, wiping at her cheeks. “It’s mostly just my studio. That’s all I want. I just bought new paints and they’re really expensive, and my favorite brushes are there, and...”

“Done and done.” Cooper didn’t know where the hell this studio was or how big it might be, or even whether it would fit in his truck, but he’d be damned if she cried on his watch. “What about clothes?”

“You could tell them to let Francine pack my clothes,” Jada said. “She knows what I’d want to take.”

“Perfect. And tell her to pack some of her clothes into your bags, so she doesn’t have to carry anything in the woods.” Cooper grinned as he tossed back the rest of his coffee and started tossing dishes in the sink. He felt like whistling.

Jada picked at her breakfast and finally pushed it away. “I’m stuffed.”

Cooper scraped it into a baggie and tossed it into the bag of food they took with them. “We can save it for a snack. Now, there’s something else I want to talk with you about, now that you’re all full and caffeinated.”

Her eyes widened and Jada gripped the end of the counter. “Wh-What’s that?”

He leaned his elbows on the other side of the island, smiling at her expression. “We had a lot of fun last night. Well, I hope you did. But I know we hardly know each other, so I’m not going to presume that you want me hanging all over you. So I won’t touch you until you say so, okay?”

“But I’m not—” Jada cut herself off, blushing more, and gathered her courage. “I’m not allowed to say no. That’s what they told me.”

“I have different rules,” Cooper said, and resisted the urge to break off the countertop and hurl it through the wall. Fucking assholes. “It’s your body, Jada, and it’s your choice. So if you don’t want a hug or a kiss or anything, just say so. Okay?”

She looked at him dubiously.

Cooper chuckled, rubbing his forehead. “Let’s practice. If you don’t want to say ‘no’ flat out, why not say ‘not now, Cooper’? That’s easy, right?”

Jada nodded once, still looking at him like he was a complete lunatic.

“I’m going to act like I’m going to kiss you, and when you say, ‘not now, Cooper,’ I’ll stop. Okay?” He waited for another small nod before he leaned over the island, getting closer and closer until he was just inches from her mouth and Jada still hadn’t uttered a peep. 

Her cheeks flamed an enchanting red, and the realization slowly dawned on Cooper. He couldn’t contain his grin, and whispered, “Do you want me to kiss you, Jada?”

Another nod. Cooper touched her cheek and slid his hand into her hair, drawing her over part of the counter so he wasn’t splayed out like a fish, and their lips locked. He drowned in her, completely overcome. She still waited for him to take the lead, but tentatively kissed him back as her confidence returned.

He had to break away before things got out of control and they needed another shower, and smiled as Jada touched her mouth, bright red. Cooper didn’t want to ask what else she wanted, since they didn’t have the time. So he kissed the end of her nose and straightened. “Well, for future reference, if you don’t want a kiss, just tell me not now, and I’ll stop dead in my tracks.”

“Okay,” she whispered, a hint of a smile on her face as well.

Cooper focused on getting the bags ready and making sure she had enough clothes to stay warm in the chilly morning. Every time he looked at her, he wanted to kiss her again.

It would be a long-ass drive back to Oregon, that was for damn sure.