by Elle Kennedy
A lump lodged in the back of her throat. Me, she wanted to add. I’m the right woman. But she didn’t have the nerve. Everything between them was still so new, so fragile. She didn’t want to scare him off, so she kept quiet, only to experience a shock at his next words.
“I think I’ve already found her,” he said in a husky voice.
Their gazes locked.
“You mean that?” she whispered.
He leaned closer and brushed his lips over hers. “You’re my best friend, Maddie. And you drive me absolutely mad with lust.” His gaze dropped to his groin, which now sported a massive erection. “I can’t think of a better deal than that, can you?”
A smile reached her lips. “No, I don’t think it gets any better,” she agreed.
Cooper’s palms were unusually damp as he waited on Lexie’s front porch. Last time he’d been here, she’d slammed the door in his face, and he was pretty sure this was going to be a repeat performance, especially after she heard what he had to say.
He rubbed his hands on the front of his jeans. The door still hadn’t opened, but he knew she was home—her silver BMW was parked in the driveway. Maybe she’d spotted him from an upstairs window and simply decided not to come down. The thought made him clench his fists.
Damn that woman. He knew it was his fault that she didn’t want to see him, but that only made him angrier. Because he wanted to see her. He wasn’t sure when or how Lexie Price had gotten under his skin, but it was getting harder and harder to deny what he felt. That pissed him off too. He didn’t want to feel anything for Lexie. He’d moved to Paradise for a reason, and that reason hadn’t been to get involved with the snooty daughter of the town mayor.
Cooper stared at the closed door, cursing under his breath. Screw it. He shouldn’t have come here anyway. It wasn’t Lexie’s business who he slept with. She’d dumped him, for fuck’s sake.
Turning away, he headed for the porch steps, reaching the bottom one just as a creak sounded from behind.
“Cooper?”
With great reluctance, he turned around. Lexie stood in the doorway, wearing nothing but a fluffy green bathrobe. Her blonde hair was wet, and her face had a pink, freshly scrubbed glow.
“Hey,” he greeted her, voice gruff. His cock decided to offer its own greeting, growing harder than a slat of wood. It made climbing the porch steps difficult, but he managed. It always turned him on, seeing her without the makeup and fancy clothes. She was much hotter when she wasn’t so put together.
“What are you doing here?” she asked with a weary sigh.
He’d wanted to ease into the confession slowly, maybe work up to it a little, but when he opened his mouth, the words just flew out. “I slept with Maddie Wilson.”
Lexie’s pale-blue eyes flashed for a second, then went emotionless. “Yeah, I figured.”
Surprise jolted through him. “You did?”
“I saw her get into your truck the night of the bachelorette. Knowing you as well as I do, it wasn’t hard to imagine what you two were going to do.”
His skin prickled. “Of course,” he said mockingly. “Me being such a man whore, obviously I’d screw anything in sight.”
Lexie barked out a laugh. “And you did sleep with her, so there you go.”
“I was helping her out,” he blurted out.
She arched one blonde eyebrow. “I’m sure you were.”
“I’m serious,” he insisted. “That’s why I came here today, to tell you that there’s nothing going on with me and Maddie. It was just one night, a favor to a friend.”
“Uh-huh.”
“She needed to feel wanted,” he said in a low voice. “She’s head over heels in love with that fucking Bishop, all right? She just needed a friend.”
To his surprise, Lexie’s features softened. “She told you about her crush on Owen?”
“Crush?” He sighed. “It’s more than a crush. Like I said, head over heels.”
Her face hardened once more. “And you so graciously decided to help her out, didn’t you? Can’t pass up an opportunity to use that dick of yours, right?”
“No need to be a bitch,” he said through gritted teeth. “I just wanted you to know that I’m not with Maddie or anything.”
“Why?” Frustration laced her words. “Why did you need me to know that?”
“Because…” He trailed off, finding the courage to meet her eyes. She looked angry and confused, and so fucking beautiful his heart ached. “Because I haven’t given up on us.”
She stared at him, incredulous. “There is no us, Coop. There never was.”
“Yes, there was.” He moved closer, lifting a hand to her face. Her breath hitched as he caressed her silky cheek with his thumb. “And there will be again, Lex.”
“Why?” she demanded, suddenly looking annoyed. “What the hell do you want with me, Cooper? I’m five years older than you. I’m an ice princess, cold and emotionless, like a damn robot. I’m neurotic and insecure and a total pain in the ass most of the time. What on earth do you want with me?”
A laugh escaped his lips. “You’re five years older, yeah. But the rest of it? Bullshit, darlin’. And that bullshit is the reason I’m not giving up on this.”
Her features collapsed, etched with bewilderment and doubt. “I don’t understand you at all.”
“Not sure I understand myself half the time,” he replied with a shrug. He dropped his hand from her cheek and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m going to leave now, Lex.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I’m leaving, giving you some time to let it settle.” Determination seized hold of his chest. “But I’m coming back. I’m coming back, and I’m claiming you, and I’m going to show you that all those things you think about yourself—they’re pure crap.”
Her mouth formed a shocked “o”. He would have liked to stick around and wait for the anger and indignation—she was so sexy when she was pissed off—but he was too damn close to pulling her into his arms and kissing the shit out of her. Better to go now, give her something to think about.
“See you soon, darlin’,” he said with a faint grin, and then he turned on his heel and left her there on the porch.
Maddie liked old action movies. Owen had always considered himself an expert in the genre, particularly when it came to anything Bruce Willis related, but he’d been gravely mistaken. Maddie could quote every line from every Die Hard movie. She was well versed in anything Seagal. A fan of the underrated Demolition Man.
And he was undeniably, irrevocably in love with her.
Ducking his head under the hot shower spray, Owen closed his eyes and let out a soundless groan. His stomach was in knots, his hands trembling like those of a nervous preschooler on the first day of kindergarten. It had been four days since he’d given in to this insane attraction to Maddie. They’d had sex and cuddled, hiked and dove off a cliff, had breakfast in bed, dinner on his living room carpet. She’d slept at his place since that first night—they’d driven to work together, visited job sites while shooting each other lascivious sidelong glances. During all that, he’d managed to control his conflicting his emotions. Managed to pretend that this thing between them wasn’t as deep and monumental as he’d worried it would be.
And then he’d heard her recite the opening scene of Die Hard and he’d nearly blurted out the words I love you.
He gave another groan, this one out loud but fortunately muffled by the rushing water in the shower. He was in love with Maddie. There was no other explanation for the hot spurt of emotion that spilled over each time he looked into her big brown eyes, or for the vise of protectiveness that clamped around his heart each time he held her in his arms.
He was in love with Maddie.
How had he let this happen? She might have laughed at him when he’d revealed his innermost fear of ending up like his father, but to him, it was no laughing matter. He was terrified of hurting her. He hadn’t felt anything for the women who had previously walked th
rough the revolving door of his love life, but Maddie was different. She was his closest friend.
God, what if he lost her?
“Move over.”
His head lifted as the shower door slid open, letting out a cloud of steam. He swallowed when a very naked Maddie joined him in the stall, brushing past him to soak her long hair. “I know you said separate showers, but you were taking too damn long,” she said over her shoulder. “I was scared there wouldn’t be enough hot water left to wash my hair.”
Owen instantly got hard watching the water sluice down her long, curvy body. Unable to help it, he stepped directly behind her, his erection pressing between her ass cheeks. When she moaned and leaned into the contact, he was tempted to slide into her. But they were in the shower without a condom, and so he reined in the impulse, grinding his cock against her ass instead.
Maddie reached for his shampoo bottle, but he intercepted her hand. “Let me do it,” he said gruffly.
He squirted a glop of shampoo into his hands and lathered up her hair, gently rubbing her scalp. “Oh, that’s good,” she said with a tiny moan.
When she turned around and brought her head under the spray, he stared at her closed eyelids, the relaxed curved of her sexy mouth. Lord, why had it taken him so long to notice how beautiful she was?
Or maybe he’d always noticed, but had buried the truth in an attempt to keep his distance.
“You’re the only woman I’ve ever been able to talk to.”
Her eyelids snapped open, shock on her face, and Owen felt his cheeks grow hot. Shit. Why had he said that? Where had it even come from?
“Is that a good thing, or a bad one?” she asked.
“A good one.” He held her chin with one hand and said, “Tilt your head back.”
She did, and he rinsed off the remaining shampoo. When he finished, he pulled her toward him and kissed her. Her lips parted for him and he pushed his tongue into her mouth, cupping her breasts with his hands. As she let out a soft purr of pleasure, Owen toyed with her stiff nipples, then ran his hands over her wet, flat stomach. He wasn’t bored, he realized. That gnawing feeling he usually got, the end this now thoughts that typically plagued his mind after he’d spent too much time with one woman—none of that was happening.
A gust of liberation flew through him as he let that register.
Maybe this could work, this thing with him and Maddie. Maybe for the first time in his life, he truly had found the right woman.
The one woman who would satisfy him for the rest of his life.
Chapter Nine
“She’s the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” Maddie whispered to Lexie as the two of them stood on the edge of the dance floor.
She couldn’t take her eyes off Charlotte, who was dancing with Nate. With her long red hair piled atop her head, her cheeks flushed with happiness and her green eyes focused on her new husband, Charlotte made a truly stunning picture, a vision in white lace.
“And it was a beautiful ceremony,” Lexie added, her blue eyes awash with emotion.
Maddie had to concur. She’d definitely shed a few tears watching Nate and Charlotte exchange their vows. The ceremony and reception were both being held at Nate’s place, and although his house was modest in size compared to others in the area, he had an enormous property. Owen and the crew had built a dance floor right over the grass, and the newlyweds had said their vows under a beautiful, intricately carved wooden altar that Owen had built himself. He’d showed it to her last night, and she’d nearly cried at the sight of it. Owen hadn’t said a word about it, but apparently he’d been working on the altar for months, stashing it on the property of one of their clients until the big reveal.
There were only about forty people in attendance—the Bishop family, a handful of Nate and Charlotte’s friends, and the agent, manager and musicians Charlotte had worked with in the past. Tables piled with food were set up on one end of the yard, and the mother of the groom, Della Bishop, was bustling around making sure the guests were well fed and that their champagne glasses were full. Maddie understood Della’s excitement—Nate was the first of her sons to get married, and it was obvious his mother was over the moon about it.
Maddie had noticed Della shooting her and Owen a few curious glances too, especially when Owen had revealed to his mom that the two of them were dating.
Dating.
That he wasn’t shy or scared to tell people about their relationship brought a rush of pure joy to her belly. She’d noticed a change in Owen over the past week, a subtle shift in behavior that she still couldn’t figure out. He almost seemed…lighter. As if confessing his fear to her that day at the lake had lifted a weight off his chest. Or maybe the change had happened during the movie marathon they’d had a few days ago, when she’d glanced over and noticed him looking at her with the most wondrous expression, as if he were seeing her for the first time.
Whatever it was, she wasn’t complaining. Owen had been unbelievably loving and attentive this week, and he’d clutched her hand so tightly and had looked at her with such emotion during their walk down the aisle. A part of her wondered if maybe he loved her, but she was too nervous to ask him how he felt.
Her feelings, on the other hand, were as clear as the blue sky overhead. She hadn’t said it out loud, but he must know she loved him. She’d loved him from the day they’d met.
“By the way,” Lexie spoke up, pulling Maddie from her mushy thoughts, “Cooper told me you guys slept together.”
Maddie nearly dropped her iced tea glass. She swiveled her head in shock. “He did? But…why were you talking to Cooper?”
Lexie shrugged, her expression becoming veiled. “Oh, we just ran into each other.”
“And he just happened to mention that he and I slept together? Why would he say that to a total strang—” She halted, her eyes widening. “Oh my God.”
The blonde beside her looked distinctly uncomfortable. “What?”
“Is he…is Cooper the guy you were telling me about?” Disbelief swirled inside her. “You were involved with Cooper Grady?”
Lexie frowned. “Keep your voice down.”
“Why?” She paused. “Nobody else knows?”
With a shaky exhale, Lexie met her eyes and said, “You’re the only one who knows.”
She shook her head, trying to comprehend it all. Lexie Price and Cooper Grady? It was such a ridiculous pairing she had trouble wrapping her mind around it.
“But…you’re so…elegant,” she blurted out. “And he’s so…”
“Crude?” Lexie filled in, a glint of humor entering her blue eyes. “Rough? Rude? An asshole? Yeah, he sure is.”
“When did…how long were you two together?”
“A few months.”
Lexie didn’t elaborate, and Maddie didn’t push her. She was still reeling over the revelation, and also feeling a bit horrified. “It only happened once,” she admitted in a hushed voice. “Cooper and me, I mean. We’re not…we’re not together or anything.”
Lexie shot a discreet glance at Owen, who was laughing at something his mother had said. “I kind of guessed,” she said dryly. “Owen’s been going around telling everyone you two are an item.”
She blushed. “He has?”
“Yep, and he seems pretty happy about it. What about you? Are you happy?”
“Blissfully happy,” Maddie said, a lump of emotion clogging her throat. “I…I love him.”
There was a wistful twinge in Lexie’s voice. “I can see that.”
“As for Cooper,” she added awkwardly, “we’re just friends. And I swear to you, if I’d known about you two, I never would have…you know.”
Lexie waved a dismissive hand. “It’s fine. I’ll admit, I was a bit jealous when he told me, but I’m over it now. I’m over him.”
The wobble in that last bit didn’t go unnoticed. “Are you sure about that?” Maddie asked in a gentle tone.
“Of course I’m sure. Cooper and I are done. Over.”
<
br /> After a beat of silence, Maddie just shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
“Owen’s waving you over,” Lexie said, abruptly changing the subject.
“I’ll go see what he wants,” she murmured.
With a quick squeeze to Lexie’s arm, Maddie drifted away, wondering if the other woman realized what Maddie had seen the moment Cooper’s name had been mentioned. No, she didn’t think Lexie was even aware of it.
But it didn’t take a genius to see that Lexie was in love with the guy.
And speaking of love, Owen had noticed her coming toward him and his handsome face brightened at the sight of her. He held out his arms to her, and a smile stretched across Maddie’s face as she walked into the embrace of the man she loved.
Maddie smelled like heaven. She was wearing some kind of perfume that smelled like honey and sunflowers and Owen breathed her in as he planted a quick kiss on her neck. She looked like heaven too, in a pale-green strapless dress that draped over her long body in Grecian-style folds. The other bridesmaids were wearing the same dress, but Owen hadn’t even noticed them. He only had eyes for Maddie.
“Well, well, what happened to the tomboy I knew and loved?”
Owen rolled his eyes as his twin brother approached them, a champagne glass in his hand. This was the first time he’d seen Jake in nearly a year, and he was still trying to comprehend the subtle change he’d noticed in his brother. Although their features were identical, Jake’s face had a harder edge to it now, made all the more lethal by his military buzz cut and the new scar slashing through his left eyebrow. Owen hadn’t had a chance to ask Jake about the scar—it hadn’t been there last time Jake had come home—but Jake’s missions were usually top secret, which meant Owen wouldn’t be privy to the details anyway.
“Jake,” Maddie said in delight.
