Read Online The Rebel (The Millionaire Malones Book 3) by Victoria Purman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Victoria Purman
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Maggie’s.
‘Hey,’ she protested and when she went to slap his hand, he grabbed hers instead.
Quick as a flash, she reached for his torso with her free hand and jabbed a finger in his armpit.
‘Ow,’ he moaned and laughed. ‘You’ve got fingernails.’
‘You bet I have. You go for my pizza again and I will forget all about that operation you’ve just had and go for a full frontal attack.’
‘Promises, promises,’Cooper said with a hint of a laugh in that deep voice of his and in his gaze.
The space between them seemed heavier all of a sudden. Thicker. Maggie averted her eyes and concentrated on her pizza. Her imagination was going crazy, but she couldn’t wish for things that weren’t there.
They ate in silence until they were done. Maggie took the boxes out to the kitchen, wrapped what was left in plasticwrap for the next day, and returned to the sofa. She was surprised to find Cooper was up on his feet.
‘Where’re you going?’ she asked.
He tensed and shifted his weight. ‘Time for my meds.’
‘Oh, right. I can get them for you. Where are they? On the dresser in my room? Er, I mean, your room?’
‘Sit down. I can get them. If I sit down anymore today I’m gonna go nuts. And,’ he said as he hobbledoff, looking back at her over his shoulder, ‘I have to do something else I don’t think you can help me with.’
Right. The bathroom. ‘Sure,’ she managed, feeling like an idiot. In his absence, Maggie refilled her wine glass and sipped it, hoping it would take her from nervous to relaxed. It was a treat to just sit and sip her wine. Pity it wasn’t giving her the wine buzz she was after. She checkedher watch. It was seven-thirty on a Saturday night. If Evan were here, he’d be in bed, and she’d be alone on this sofa with the remote control in her hand watching the titles roll on a movie. But tonight wasn’t like every other Saturday night. Not by a long shot.
She looked up when Cooper came slowly back into the room and jumped to her feet. ‘Here, let me help you sit down. The pillows. Letme fluff them.’
He reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder for balance. ‘I don’t need your help to sit down, Maggie. I’ve been sitting on my butt for thirty-four whole years already.’ Cooper manoeuvred himself down, wincing as he did it, and then glanced at her. ‘What is up with you tonight?’
‘Me? What? Nothing. Nothing is up with me.’
‘You’ve been flighty as a bird since Evan left for yourmom’s.’
‘Have not,’ she scoffed, looking away from him.
‘Have too.’
‘Those meds you’re on have got you hallucinating, Cooper.’
He took a moment to settle comfortably and when he’d found a position that seemed to hurt a little less than all the other options, he propped an arm on the back of the sofa. His fingers grazed her shoulder.
‘I know why.’
‘You a mind reader now?’
He tilted his headsideways, regarded her. ‘I know you better than you think. You’re still going over what happened this morning.’
Maggie bit the inside of her lip. She’d tried not to think about the fact that Evan was gone, and it was just the two of them in her house. She’d tried real hard when she was looking at her spreadsheets that afternoon to concentrate on the numbers and not on the ridges of his abs.
And she’d tried especially hard not to think about what she now knew was seemingly barely restrained in his shorts.
Because all of that was a road to nowhere.
She huffed. ‘I am not thinking about this morning.’
‘Oh, yeah, you are.’
Maggie stared at Cooper, trying to figure out why he was teasing her this way. That look in his eyes? It didn’t feel like safe ground anymore. And if the groundwas shifting beneath her feet, she wasn’t sure where she might fall.
‘What do you want me to say, Cooper? That I noticed?’
His hand was on her shoulder. ‘I know you did. The thing is, I’m willing to admit it.’
She looked up from her lap and her throw
‘Hey,’ she protested and when she went to slap his hand, he grabbed hers instead.
Quick as a flash, she reached for his torso with her free hand and jabbed a finger in his armpit.
‘Ow,’ he moaned and laughed. ‘You’ve got fingernails.’
‘You bet I have. You go for my pizza again and I will forget all about that operation you’ve just had and go for a full frontal attack.’
‘Promises, promises,’Cooper said with a hint of a laugh in that deep voice of his and in his gaze.
The space between them seemed heavier all of a sudden. Thicker. Maggie averted her eyes and concentrated on her pizza. Her imagination was going crazy, but she couldn’t wish for things that weren’t there.
They ate in silence until they were done. Maggie took the boxes out to the kitchen, wrapped what was left in plasticwrap for the next day, and returned to the sofa. She was surprised to find Cooper was up on his feet.
‘Where’re you going?’ she asked.
He tensed and shifted his weight. ‘Time for my meds.’
‘Oh, right. I can get them for you. Where are they? On the dresser in my room? Er, I mean, your room?’
‘Sit down. I can get them. If I sit down anymore today I’m gonna go nuts. And,’ he said as he hobbledoff, looking back at her over his shoulder, ‘I have to do something else I don’t think you can help me with.’
Right. The bathroom. ‘Sure,’ she managed, feeling like an idiot. In his absence, Maggie refilled her wine glass and sipped it, hoping it would take her from nervous to relaxed. It was a treat to just sit and sip her wine. Pity it wasn’t giving her the wine buzz she was after. She checkedher watch. It was seven-thirty on a Saturday night. If Evan were here, he’d be in bed, and she’d be alone on this sofa with the remote control in her hand watching the titles roll on a movie. But tonight wasn’t like every other Saturday night. Not by a long shot.
She looked up when Cooper came slowly back into the room and jumped to her feet. ‘Here, let me help you sit down. The pillows. Letme fluff them.’
He reached out to rest a hand on her shoulder for balance. ‘I don’t need your help to sit down, Maggie. I’ve been sitting on my butt for thirty-four whole years already.’ Cooper manoeuvred himself down, wincing as he did it, and then glanced at her. ‘What is up with you tonight?’
‘Me? What? Nothing. Nothing is up with me.’
‘You’ve been flighty as a bird since Evan left for yourmom’s.’
‘Have not,’ she scoffed, looking away from him.
‘Have too.’
‘Those meds you’re on have got you hallucinating, Cooper.’
He took a moment to settle comfortably and when he’d found a position that seemed to hurt a little less than all the other options, he propped an arm on the back of the sofa. His fingers grazed her shoulder.
‘I know why.’
‘You a mind reader now?’
He tilted his headsideways, regarded her. ‘I know you better than you think. You’re still going over what happened this morning.’
Maggie bit the inside of her lip. She’d tried not to think about the fact that Evan was gone, and it was just the two of them in her house. She’d tried real hard when she was looking at her spreadsheets that afternoon to concentrate on the numbers and not on the ridges of his abs.
And she’d tried especially hard not to think about what she now knew was seemingly barely restrained in his shorts.
Because all of that was a road to nowhere.
She huffed. ‘I am not thinking about this morning.’
‘Oh, yeah, you are.’
Maggie stared at Cooper, trying to figure out why he was teasing her this way. That look in his eyes? It didn’t feel like safe ground anymore. And if the groundwas shifting beneath her feet, she wasn’t sure where she might fall.
‘What do you want me to say, Cooper? That I noticed?’
His hand was on her shoulder. ‘I know you did. The thing is, I’m willing to admit it.’
She looked up from her lap and her throw
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