day. This guy’s assets shine: the tousled hair; the sun-kissed skin; the tall, hard body that apparently I’ve already had the opportunity of climbing.
After he takes the helmet off me, I’m about to reach up and run my fingers through my hair to fluff it when I see that tenacious look in his eyes. He’s going to kiss me again.
“No, we …” I’m cut off by his lips that lightly graze my own.
“Yes, we can,” he mumbles and pushes into my eager mouth. His hand wraps around the back of my neck as he kisses me thoroughly until I’m well acquainted with his tongue … again.
When he pulls back and studies my sated expression, his mouth curves with satisfaction.
“See? We can do that. We do it very well.”
“Cooper, we’re starting to become friends. I think. I don’t want to be the kind of friends that screw around with each other, though. I have no interest in that.”
He sighs, annoyed. “I never said I wanted to be friends with benefits.”
“Okay … good. Then we’re on the same page,” I add, nodding my head. “And I have something for you.”
When I open my small wristlet purse and pull a wad of cash out, Cooper’s expression visibly darkens. “It’s your cash. I can’t keep your tip, and I can’t sell my friend a necklace at my retail prices. I can’t take your money because it makes me feel like a failure.”
Cooper is silent as he looks at the cash I’m holding out to him. He’s not making a move to take it; therefore, I grab his hand and put it in his palm. It’s a replay of what happened earlier in the day, and at the time, Cooper was more generous, maybe a little miffed yet laughing about it. However, now he appears to be quite pissed off.
“If we’re really friends as you put it, then this wouldn’t be a problem because friends help friends.”
“I gave you the necklace at cost because, when friends start loaning or giving cash to other friends, it becomes weird and uncomfortable. I am very uncomfortable with this,” I explain.
“Then it appears we have a serious fucking problem with our friendship ,” he punctuates with disgust.
“Please, keep the money this time. Lauren and I are handling the business, and we have Archie coming onboard. I can do this without taking money from you, but I really appreciate—”
“When you started the business, you accepted money from Carson, right?” he says, cutting me off in a clipped tone.
“Ah …” Boy, this is not what I wanted. We went from fun, social banter and a few stolen kisses to accusations and hurt feelings.
“Lauren told me,” he explains. “So, you don’t have a problem accepting money from your friend Carson.”
“That’s different. It was a small loan, and he’s practically my brother,” I say in my defense. “It’s not weird between us.”
“Okay, so it’s me.” He steps closer and blocks out the remaining sunlight as he towers above me, observing my silence. “I have my answer,” he says as he removes his wallet from his back pocket and puts the bills in it.
“What answer?”
“Accepting money or help from me is awkward for you because I’m a different kind of friend to you. I’m the friend you’re actually interested in.”
I scoff while I think of a clever comeback, but words evade me because this guy is on to something I have not been willing to admit to anyone else. I am attracted to him, although he’s another distraction from what I’m supposed to be doing—working hard at running a business.
“A few kisses doesn’t mean I want more than that. We’re friends,” I reiterate, as if it makes it truer.
“Yeah.” He puts his arm around my shoulders and guides me towards the house. “Let’s go buy stuff, friend.”
While Cooper gets lost in the living room where the military artifacts are on display, I head into the enormous dining room where the jewelry is being sold. The expensive pieces include diamonds that are encased in locked table vaults and being sold
After he takes the helmet off me, I’m about to reach up and run my fingers through my hair to fluff it when I see that tenacious look in his eyes. He’s going to kiss me again.
“No, we …” I’m cut off by his lips that lightly graze my own.
“Yes, we can,” he mumbles and pushes into my eager mouth. His hand wraps around the back of my neck as he kisses me thoroughly until I’m well acquainted with his tongue … again.
When he pulls back and studies my sated expression, his mouth curves with satisfaction.
“See? We can do that. We do it very well.”
“Cooper, we’re starting to become friends. I think. I don’t want to be the kind of friends that screw around with each other, though. I have no interest in that.”
He sighs, annoyed. “I never said I wanted to be friends with benefits.”
“Okay … good. Then we’re on the same page,” I add, nodding my head. “And I have something for you.”
When I open my small wristlet purse and pull a wad of cash out, Cooper’s expression visibly darkens. “It’s your cash. I can’t keep your tip, and I can’t sell my friend a necklace at my retail prices. I can’t take your money because it makes me feel like a failure.”
Cooper is silent as he looks at the cash I’m holding out to him. He’s not making a move to take it; therefore, I grab his hand and put it in his palm. It’s a replay of what happened earlier in the day, and at the time, Cooper was more generous, maybe a little miffed yet laughing about it. However, now he appears to be quite pissed off.
“If we’re really friends as you put it, then this wouldn’t be a problem because friends help friends.”
“I gave you the necklace at cost because, when friends start loaning or giving cash to other friends, it becomes weird and uncomfortable. I am very uncomfortable with this,” I explain.
“Then it appears we have a serious fucking problem with our friendship ,” he punctuates with disgust.
“Please, keep the money this time. Lauren and I are handling the business, and we have Archie coming onboard. I can do this without taking money from you, but I really appreciate—”
“When you started the business, you accepted money from Carson, right?” he says, cutting me off in a clipped tone.
“Ah …” Boy, this is not what I wanted. We went from fun, social banter and a few stolen kisses to accusations and hurt feelings.
“Lauren told me,” he explains. “So, you don’t have a problem accepting money from your friend Carson.”
“That’s different. It was a small loan, and he’s practically my brother,” I say in my defense. “It’s not weird between us.”
“Okay, so it’s me.” He steps closer and blocks out the remaining sunlight as he towers above me, observing my silence. “I have my answer,” he says as he removes his wallet from his back pocket and puts the bills in it.
“What answer?”
“Accepting money or help from me is awkward for you because I’m a different kind of friend to you. I’m the friend you’re actually interested in.”
I scoff while I think of a clever comeback, but words evade me because this guy is on to something I have not been willing to admit to anyone else. I am attracted to him, although he’s another distraction from what I’m supposed to be doing—working hard at running a business.
“A few kisses doesn’t mean I want more than that. We’re friends,” I reiterate, as if it makes it truer.
“Yeah.” He puts his arm around my shoulders and guides me towards the house. “Let’s go buy stuff, friend.”
While Cooper gets lost in the living room where the military artifacts are on display, I head into the enormous dining room where the jewelry is being sold. The expensive pieces include diamonds that are encased in locked table vaults and being sold
Similar Books
