by Kaylea Cross
Why me?
He vowed it was time stop being a victim and to start taking control
Chapter Ten
Libby noted the grim expressions on the faces of both Cooper and her father as they entered the house. Coop’s eyes softened as he gave her a slight nod, not to worry. She was so glad he’d called and that he had been available to come over. She blushed when she thought about their night of sex. The blush must have shown, because her father’s expression had gone dark, and it frightened her. He was angry. She knew he was the loose cannon in the room.
Her mother arrived from the kitchen with a glass of ice water and offered it to Dr. Brownlee, who winced, but took it anyway. Cooper had his arm around Libby, rubbing her shoulder gently. It calmed her. She felt the delicious ripple down her spine as her body responded to his touch.
God, I need him.
“I’ve asked Cooper to stay for dinner tonight, Austin,” Mrs. Brownlee said.
“Great. Just great,” her father answered, without looking at the SEAL. “I’m going upstairs to change. Don’t let me interfere with your little party. Be down in a couple of minutes.”
“What in the blazes is the matter with you?” Carla asked. “You don’t need to change, Austin.” Her forehead wrinkled.
“It’s me,” Cooper inserted. “Thanks for the invite Mrs. Brownlee, but I’m going.”
Libby grabbed his hand but he didn’t react.
“You just got here,” she said.
Before anyone else could speak, Mrs. Brownlee blurted, “Cooper, I want you to stay.”
Libby braced herself for a huge altercation. She thought Coop and her mom might have words. Her mother turned on her husband and added, “I’m not going to do this again, Austin. We will all talk and have dinner like civilized people.”
Libby wondered what that meant in real terms. She squeezed Coop’s hand again, and this time was rewarded with his tightened grip. Then he threaded their fingers together, and she felt the familiar dull ache for him in the pit of her stomach.
“I’m going to get my civilized clothes on now, and then I’ll be down.” Her dad stomped up the curved stairway and disappeared at the landing on top. Her mom excused herself and followed him up in a huff.
Cooper turned to face her. “I should just leave. Your dad hates my guts,” He whispered.
“No, he doesn’t. I don’t know what’s going on with him. He’s stressed.”
“Doing a pretty good job stressing out your mother, too. Really isn’t fair. Besides, you’re the one who lost your cat. You’d think he could be a little more—I don’t know.” He followed her to the kitchen. Sounds of arguing filled the air, coming from upstairs. They were having one of their legendary fights, although it had been years since Libby had heard the kind of vitriol that had erupted this week.
“Sorry you have to hear this, Coop.”
“The police have any leads on what happened?” he asked.
“They only came over because my dad is an official friend of the Department. I’m not convinced they think there is anything to it. Maybe there is no boogey man. It could have been an accident,” she said.
“Cats don’t swim, Libby.”
“Exactly. So maybe he fell in.”
“You ever see or hear of a cat falling into a pool? I don’t like it at all,” he said as he shook his head.
She couldn’t help it. The tears started to come. The image of the fluffy cat who had warmed her bed every night she was home from college, who played with her in the back yard as a kitten, saddened her. She would never see him again. How could someone want to destroy this gentle creature?
Cooper pulled her close, holding her tight to his chest. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he said as he laced his fingers through her hair. “I wish I’d been here yesterday for you.”
“Cooper,” she said to his shirt pocket, “they are doing everything they can. Dad went down there this morning and talked to his detective friend. Don’t worry.”
“Can’t help it. I do that for a living. I’m trained to react to threats, to protect the innocent.”
True. But in the state the world was in, the loss of one little cat hardly seemed significant. She worked to buck up her courage.
“Come on, let’s go outside.” Libby said. She could still hear the heated discussion her parents were having upstairs. She wanted to get away from the discord.
Libby stepped backwards, pulling both his hands. She studied the tall man walking towards her with a lopsided grin. For a few precious seconds she got the impression he’d follow her anywhere. All too quickly his composure returned and he dropped his hands, but put an arm around her waist and drew her to him.
“I’m not very comfortable hanging out where I’m not wanted.”
“You’re wanted.”
He squeezed her close to him. “Your parents. I’m talking about your parents.”
“He’ll get over it. Besides, I thought being where you’re unwanted is what you did for a living?”
“That’s my job. This is social.”
“Thank God! Although it would be a pleasant fantasy if I needed protection, and you were assigned that detail,” she said as she leaned sideways into his chest. They kept walking.
“Hmmm. That would be interesting…”
She loved the smell of him, his muscles moving against her side, the movement of his long legs at her hip, the way his voice rumbled in his chest when he said anything at all. In his presence she felt safe. Her biggest fear was that she would lose him in the end. She tried not to hope for too much, but couldn’t help feeling she belonged right next to him. For now, that was going to have to suffice.
She knew this new relationship wasn’t old enough to contain the bad parts. There were always bad parts. Her father’s lack of acceptance of Cooper was only a tiny portion of that. But damn, the good parts were really good. Unbelievable.
“How would you protect me, if it was your job?”
He raised one eyebrow. “Why I think I’d have to search you for weapons first.” His voice was getting husky.
“How would you search me?”
“I’d take you somewhere, like over here.” He pointed to the storage building at the end of a crushed granite path. The old wooden structure was part potting shed, part greenhouse storage, and held a new riding lawnmower, and various gardening tools. He pulled her into the cool darkness. “I’d have to pat you down,” he said as he rubbed her behind, then pulled her against his groin. He moved his palms to her chest and squeezed, then traced a finger up her neck, under her jaw and around to her hairline. Pulling her head towards him, he commanded a kiss from her.
Libby was lost in a swirl of scent and passion that left her dizzy. She drew both her arms up over his shoulders and crossed them behind his head. She pressed her breasts against him and felt the delicious erection tenting his pants as he rubbed against her belly.
“Wouldn’t you have to remove all my clothes to be sure?” she whispered.
“Absolutely. A close examination would be in order. Can’t be too careful.”
“No. It could be dangerous if you didn’t search me completely naked,” she whispered to him between kisses.
“Very.”
“But you’d be thorough. So I won’t have to worry?”
He smiled. “You won’t ever have to worry about me not being thorough.”
She leaned back to get a good look at his eyes. In her heart the only worry she had was that this wouldn’t last, that he would leave her. He watched her without a smile, letting her have his full attention, waiting for her to make the first move.
“I need to touch you, need your hands on me,” she said.
He looked around the shed for a place to take her. An old bench sat in the corner, covered by a tattered oilcloth tablecloth. It was tucked away from the shed’s opening. They walked over the hardened dirt floor and then he removed the old oilcloth and sat on the bench, his knees pointed out to the sides. Standing in front of him
, she started to unbutton his cotton shirt, sliding her fingers up underneath his T-shirt, feeling the smooth ripples of his chest. Her fingers hungrily touched him, felt the indentation down the middle of his warm torso and then traveled below to his beltline.
Coop’s hands found her panties beneath her skirt and looped a forefinger around the satin waistband, slipping them down her thighs. She stepped out of them and then climbed up into his lap. The wooden bench was hard against her knees, so she balanced on his thighs to take the pressure off. His fingers found and massaged her opening. Lingering there, while making circles around her nub. His touch sent waves of pleasure up her spine as he slowly stroked her, and then penetrated her deeply with two fingers.
“I need you inside me,” She said to the top of his head as he buried his face in the space between her breasts. His fingers deftly worked her clit and slid against her insides. In one smooth motion he’d removed her bra with one hand. Her nipples ached to be tasted. He laved one, and then the other. Their eyes met. She saw the desire burning inside him.
He needs this as much as I do.
He stood her up, leaving her sex feeling vacant. After removing his shirt and pants and laying them over the back of the bench, he searched his pocket, found the foil condom packet. Libby helped him cover himself as they kissed. It made her hot that he was prepared.
Then he picked her up and lay her down on top of the clothing, peeling her skirt up as she spread her legs for him. He smiled and then mounted and covered her with his naked body, positioning himself for entry. Looking down, he slowly thrust upward and deep, scanning her whole face as he filled her.
She needed him, pulled his buttocks closer as she felt her body melt under his kisses. Everything around her faded. She was consumed with the heat between them, the wonderful feel of his body claiming hers. No hesitation. She gave everything she had back to him.
He quickened his motions, kissing her neck, then watching her face as he plunged in and then withdrew in long strokes. Her body tingled in delight with each stroke. The more he pumped, the more she needed him.
“Cooper, Cooper…” He cut her off with a kiss, his tongue burrowing deep as he buried his cock to the hilt inside her. He groaned in her ear as he pushed himself deep.
A cell phone rang in the distance. She felt his body tense. In an instant he drew her to sitting position, slipped his pants on and put his finger to his lips for her to be quiet. Barefoot and bare-chested he walked in the direction of the phone ring. It came from a backpack hanging on a wooden peg by the door opening. When the ringtone stopped, he began searching the shed, darting a look around outside, without zeroing in on anything in particular.
Libby waited on the bench after retrieving her clothes, her body craving the man she saw before her, in spite of the fear that someone may have found them. A part of her didn’t care what audience they had. But…
Who?
Cooper returned. “I don’t see anyone. Whose backpack is that?”
“Have no idea.” Then she remembered the landscaper her father had hired to repair the sprinkler system. “The gardener. But I haven’t seen him today.”
“I think we should leave.”
“You want to check out the backpack?”
“No. I don’t want to touch it.” He was working on relaxing himself, and her. “Come on, let’s go back to the house.”
She was sorry the mood had been broken. Fully clothed, they left the shed to enter the late afternoon golden glow of the sunset. They held hands, stopping to look at her mother’s flower garden, listening to the sounds of the crushed granite pathway as they walked along it on the way back to the kitchen.
The back door was ajar. Inside, the house was quiet. They heard sounds of a dust blower outside. She pointed toward it and mouthed, “The gardener.” She listened, but couldn’t hear her parents arguing any longer.
Her mom appeared at the doorway to the kitchen, her eyes red from crying. “Austin has gone to his office. He said he was going to eat later.”
“Mrs. Brownlee, that’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” Cooper said evenly.
“I’m so sorry, Cooper. My husband is very confused right now. He is not himself,” she answered.
Libby stepped forward and engulfed her mother in an embrace. “It’s okay, Mom. No worries.” The two women hugged each other, gently swaying. At last her mother broke away.
“Come, let’s have a quick bite,” her mother said as she wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand. She dove into her cooking duties, removed salad fixings and a cooked chicken breast from the refrigerator. “I made some French onion soup this morning,” she said as she removed a purple-lidded cast iron pot and placed it on the stove.
* * *
Cooper and Libby waited until after dinner, making small talk, but the awkwardness and huge chasm created by Dr. Brownlee’s leaving could not be overcome. Her mother set up a china plate and silverware at the dinette table for her husband in case he returned. Everyone took turns staring at that place setting during conversations, but Cooper avoided eye contact. Libby felt the strain too, watching how hard her mother was trying to stay upbeat. She wondered, for the first time in her adult life, if her parents were perhaps going through some marital problems she had somehow missed.
And Cooper was definitely in some internal pain. Libby could only guess the cause.
When the trio heard the sounds of the doctor’s car entering the garage, Coop said his goodbyes quickly. Libby knew he didn’t want any further communication with her father. Not tonight.
Maybe never.
He was in a hurry to leave.
“I’d like to go with you,” she whispered at the front door. Coop looked over her shoulder first, and then searched her eyes.
“Not tonight. Think you need to be home with your parents.”
She bristled. “Cooper, I want—”
“Shhh, baby. You know how much I want to be with you, but this isn’t the time. This isn’t right.”
“But can’t we go somewhere and talk about it, first?”
He still hadn’t smiled back at her. “Somehow we don’t seem to do a lot of talking when we’re together.” He softened as he looked at her lips. “It isn’t just your dad. This is all wrong. The timing’s wrong.”
“Didn’t seem to have any trouble with your timing in the shed.” She was starting to boil inside. He was going to leave. She should let him leave, but she was pissed she’d given him so much and now was getting nothing from him in return.
“Don’t do this, Libby.” Then he adjusted his tone, “Some other time, but not now.” He leaned forward and gave her a peck on her cheek. He drew her to him and whispered, “Libby, I…”
Libby pulled away. “That all you’re going to say, after what we’ve done?”
“Libby quiet. I don’t want to discuss it. Please.”
She couldn’t help but watch his mouth as he spoke, remembering the electric tingle those lips made as he’d kissed her body. It was so unfair. She wanted to be angry but just couldn’t do it.
“When are you coming back, then?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Love ‘em and leave ‘em, that the way of it, sailor?”
“Libby, Don’t do this. It isn’t right that I’m here. I should have thought about it before.” She could see he was preoccupied as he heard the door to the kitchen swing open. “Gotta go.”
The shock of what he’d just said began to make her knees turn to rubber. He embraced her again, kissed the top of her head, and then he was gone.
Libby pressed her forehead against the doorframe and felt like she’d been stabbed right through the heart. What if he never came back?
Of course he’ll be back.
She stopped being brave and let the tears fall. Now her whole world was scrambled without a lifeline in sight.
Chapter Eleven
Libby’s heart felt like lead as she heard the sputter of Cooper’s scooter fade down the tree-lined stree
t. Her soul was bleeding from the inside out. She wondered if she would ever see the SEAL again.
And then the horrible thought hit her. Was this just an elaborate way to get into her pants? Could this man be trusted?
She thought about how quickly he’d had his way with her. This had never happened before. Here she was, having sex with a virtual stranger. For all she knew, he wasn’t a SEAL at all, but a wannabe. She’d heard they were out there. But then she wondered how he would know about her uncle Will.
Was she substituting the loss of her mentor’s care for something else? Reminding herself that she was the world’s worst when it came to reading people correctly, she decided to err on the side of caution. After all, she’d decided to study psychology partly to learn about her own hangups. It was easier studying others than studying herself. Her father told her a lot of psychiatrists went into the field for the very same reasons.
Perhaps it’s a good thing if he never comes back.
But, damn, the sex with Cooper had been scorching hot and filled a need she had never known existed.
Some things that are good for you are also bad for you.
Was Cooper one of those things? Was she being wise? Did she really want to know?
Her father appeared in the doorway. His eyes fell. His expression was grim and without a trace of warmth. Wrinkles on his upper lip puckered as he thought hesitated to speak. She hadn’t noticed those little lines before. He sighed. “Brownie, we’ve got to talk. The three of us,” he said.
“I agree,” she replied, but what she really wanted was to run upstairs and fall into bed for a good cry.
Her dad put his arm around her shoulder. It felt odd, more like he was propping himself up against her than the other way around. They retreated into the kitchen.
Her mother dished up leftover lasagna and green salad as Dr. Brownlee sat in the breakfast nook, nodded at her mom’s happy chatter and allowed the two women to wait on him. He sat with his right hand gripping the fork and his left clutching the knife, waiting for them to stop their fussing. He looked like he expected her mother to tie a napkin around his neck, as if he was a child of four.
