I take a deep breath and finally look over at him. His blue suit fits him like it always has. His baby blue shirt is open at the collar, showing me his chest, the chest that I spent most of the night kissing or licking and sometimes biting. My stomach flips over when I see his eyes staring at me. My mouth moves before my head can think about the words. "Because it’s going to make me forget the things that I shouldn’t," I state, standing tall with my shoulders back and my head high. I turn back to the bartender when he comes back with a glass of sparkling water.
"And what’s that?" he asks with his annoying smirk. Someone steps behind me, and I have to move forward, bringing me much closer to him. I’ve stood in front of him so many times before, sometimes even closer than this, but that was before. His smell makes my nipples tighten, and all I want is to touch him. All I want is to have him touch me. My neck burns when I think of it, and then the fear creeps in just as fast. Losing him would kill me.
"That we work together," I remind him, taking a drink of the water. The cold bubbly water hits my tongue like an explosion. I look back at him. "And we are best friends." I swallow again. "And we can’t go there." There, I said it. We can’t go there, my head repeats.
He slowly nods his head. "And what would happen if you drank the wine?" His eyes sparkle and are so crystal blue that all you can do is get sucked into him. He waits for my answer, and I hate that we are having this conversation with so many people around. But if we were alone, I don’t think I could trust myself with him, which pisses me off even more. I’m not a lovesick teenager. I’m an adult, and I should be able to handle this.
"If I drank the wine …" My hands shake just a touch as I look around to make sure no one is listening to our conversation. My voice goes low when I admit, "I would remember what it’s like to kiss you." Swallowing down the lump in my throat, I move my eyes around, making sure no one who knows us is here. I look up at him, staring into his eyes. "I would remember what it’s like to have you over me."
He stands, and I want to kick myself for admitting that. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him, but it’s Cooper, and I can tell him anything. He takes a deep breath as he looks around and puts his hands in his pockets, making his arms bulge even more. "Drink the wine; don’t drink the wine. At the end of the night, it’s all going to end up at the same place."
I cock my hip, annoyed that my whole body is tingling, thinking about what I shouldn’t be thinking about. This is crazy. We’ve been best friends for the past eight years. One night shouldn’t ruin this. "And where is that, Cooper?" I ask stupidly.
He leans forward, his smell is overwhelming, and all I can do is see him over me. All I can picture is him all over me. "The night ends with me in you." His words send shivers down my whole body.
Chapter 19
Cooper
I look around, making sure that no one is eavesdropping when I lean into her. "The night ends with me in you." I want to kiss her, but this is not the place.
I’m about to say something else to her when I hear Nico on the speaker. "Can everyone grab a seat?" he says, and I look at her.
"Let’s go grab a seat," I suggest, pulling her hand, and she comes with me. She’s avoided me all day long, but I knew she would. I waited by the door, knowing she would try to slip in, and the minute I saw her walk in, my heart settled in a way I can’t explain. She looked like a deer in headlights when she saw me and tried to get away from me, but I was done with her running, at least for today. I slip my hand in hers, and she looks at me with big eyes.
"People will see," she says, and I have to stop and laugh.
"Do you know how many times we’ve held hands?" I ask, and she just looks at me. "Or that I’ve walked with my arm around your shoulder? A gazillion times," I inform her, and we walk to the table as I spot two seats open where Manning, Miller, and Ralph are.
"Can we?" I ask before Candace smiles at me.
"We saved them for you guys," she states, and I side-eye Erika, who glares at me.