Cooper

 

What the hell am I doing?

I shouldn’t be here.

I should be in Dallas, but I couldn’t stay away from her. It was bad enough trying to keep Emily Young from my mind before, but now I’m screwed. I’ll never be able to walk away in one piece.

I pull Emily into the crook of my arm and run my fingers against her skin. She shifts onto her side and looks up at me.

“Coop?” Her sweet, soft voice breaks the silence.

My eyes meet hers and I raise my brow.

“Are we crazy?”

I laugh. “Probably.”

“What do we do now?” Emily questions.

I want to tell her to pack her shit and come home with me, which is ridiculous. I would never tell her to give up her career, her dreams, but it’s what I want. I want to take her home and keep her with me. I want to wake up every day beside her.

She’s perfect.

Instead, I tell her the only choice we have. “We make it work. We talk, and I’ll find a way to you when I can.”

Her eyes soften, and the sweet smile I love forms on her perfect lips. “I like that answer.”

“I like you.”

Her smile grows. “I like you. A lot.”

“Yeah?” I ask with a hint of curiosity. “How much?”

“A lot more than I want to.”

“Why is that?”

Her shoulder lifts and falls a little. “I think you’re goin’ to be a lot more trouble than you look.”

I chuckle and tickle her side. “Trouble, huh?”

Emily’s laughter fills the tiny room, and she squirms beneath me. This right here is everything I wanted. It feels like a lifetime of waiting, all leading me to this woman in my arms. I pull her close because a piece of me is worried this will evaporate like mist.

More than likely it will.

Emily is the girl I will never catch, the girl who shouldn’t have to be contained in a goin’-nowhere town.

Sure, I’ll get what I can here and there, but in the end, she’ll see I’m a goin’-nowhere farmer while she’s reaching for the stars.

Fuck, I’m a fool.

“Hey?” Emily touches my cheek. “You okay?”

I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the shit I don’t want to think about. I can berate myself later, but right now, I want to be with her. I don’t know how many moments we’ll have together, so I’m damn sure going to make each one count.

“Just thinkin’ about other ways to cause you trouble.”

“Yeah?” She gives me a sultry smile.

I see the mischief dance in her blue eyes. I roll her onto her back, and as soon as I feel her heat, I want her again. When she grabs my ass, pulling me against her, I don’t deny her.

“Oh, yeah, darlin’, a whole lot of other ways.”

 

* * * *

 

“Don’t go back to Dallas,” Emily whines from the bed.

I stand at the end in my jeans and look for my shirt. “I wish I could stay.”

“But I don’t know when we’ll see each other again.”

I climb back on the bed, crawling toward her. I kiss her gently, and she grips my neck, keeping me there. It isn’t as if she has to try hard. I would stay for another night if I could. Hell, if she wanted me longer…

No, I won’t go down that road now.

Today is for goodbye. I need to actually see the presentation that I flew to Texas for. If I don’t get a move on, I’ll miss it.

When I pull back, her eyes fill with emotion. At least this sucks for her as well. “Don’t be sad, darlin’.”

She tucks the sheet under her arms and looks away. “But I am sad, Coop. I don’t want this to end.”

“Who said it has to end?” I ask her as I pull her against my chest.

I hate seeing her like this, and the last thing I want is to leave today knowing she’s sad. Not that I’m happy at the idea of driving away, but last night solidified how I feel and verified that there’s no way this is the end.

Emily Young will be mine. I’m going to marry this girl come hell or high water.

She nestles her face against my neck. “I like this. I like bein’ in your arms. I like it a lot more than I thought I would. A lot more than just spending a few nights together would mean with anyone else.”

I push her back so I can look in her eyes. “We may have spent a few days together like this, but we’ve spent a lifetime building more. You’re not just some random hookup, Emily. You and I have history and we’re not kids.”

“I know, and this is a long time coming.”

That makes me feel marginally better. There is still so much I want to say to her, but the last thing I want to do is fall hard for a girl who will never be mine.

Been there, done that, and I don’t want another fucking postcard.

“And hopefully a lot longer to come,” I say with a twinge of hope.

“How did you make me like you so easily?”

I try not to laugh, but she looks so cute. “I’m just irresistible.”

“Ehh.” She shrugs.

“Ehh?”

“Well, you’re somethin’, all right.”

I grip her chin between my thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look at me. “I’m more than that, and I’m tellin’ you now that I’m not walkin’ away from this. You’re going to have a very persistent man waitin’ for you, Emily Young. Very persistent.”

Her hand threads through my hair, and she smiles. “I’m pretty persistent, too.” Emily’s lips touch mine and then her blue eyes bore into mine. “Stay for breakfast. Then I’ll let you go without a fight.”

I grapple with the fact that it’ll take me four hours to get to Dallas and, if I stay, there is a very real chance I’ll miss the presentation. I still have to shower, pack my things, and eventually get on a plane, but the idea of even just another hour with her ties me up. Saying no to her isn’t something I want to do. Ever.

Jesus, I’m screwed.

“Breakfast, but then I need to go.”

Emily throws her arms around my neck, pulling me on top of her. She squeals and kisses my cheek repeatedly.

This right here is why I may just sell my farm and become her biggest groupie.

I lift myself up a little and Emily hangs on. “Get ready, darlin’. I have a feeling Wyatt isn’t going to be too happy with me if I don’t make it back to the farm.”

She gets up, gets dressed, and I can’t stop smiling. I’ve never been this happy before. I can’t remember a time in my adult life when just making someone smile like that gave me such joy.

While she finishes getting ready, I head out to the sitting area. There’s a huge bouquet of red roses on the table with her name on the card.

“The flowers are nice.” I try to sound offhanded.

Someone sent her flowers, and I’d be full of shit if I said it didn’t bother me.

“Oh!” she yells and peeks her head in. “I didn’t thank you! I’m sorry!”

“Thank me?” I ask.

“Yeah.” She giggles. “Thank you for sending me the flowers, Coop. I love roses.”

I hesitate, watching her. “I didn’t send you flowers, Em.”

She steps out of the room, and her smile fades a little. “Yes, you did. It’s why I called you last night.”

My brow furrows as I wonder what the hell is going on, and then I look at the card; anger mixes with jealousy as they spike through my bloodstream.

I put the card in the air and shake my head. “Is there someone else you’re hookin’ up with?”

“What?” She rears back.

“I didn’t send these, Em.” I watch as all the color drains from Emily’s face.

Her lips part, and she looks terrified. “Oh, God.”

I try to stay calm. She and I are extremely new, and I have no idea if there was a man before me. I clench my jaw before letting out a heavy sigh. “Is there someone else?”

Emily steps close and puts her hands on my chest. “No.”

“Because I swear to God, I won’t be in some fucking love triangle again.”

My feelings toward Emily are so much stronger than I ever had for Grace, and I know I wouldn’t survive her choosing another man over me. There’s no way I’m willing to put up with that again. If she wants me, she has to choose me. I plan to show her why there is no other option.

Her hand rests on my heart, and she tilts her face so she can look at me. “There’s no one else, Coop. Not even close. I’m not that girl. I genuinely thought you sent me the roses.”

“I wish I had,” I admit as all the anger dissipates from my body, leaving a trail of something else. Who did send her flowers about kissing her? “I should’ve sent you flowers.”

She smiles softly. “I like having you much more than some silly flowers.”

“Well, if they weren’t from me, who the hell are they from?”

I don’t like the idea of someone else giving her things or sending notes like this to her. I want to be the one to give her the world.

“I have no idea. Maybe it was for someone else on the tour?”

“No clue, darlin’.” I look down at my watch and groan internally. “Let’s talk about this later, we’re runnin’ on borrowed time.”

“Okay, baby.”

My arms tighten, and I squeeze her against me, where she fits perfectly.