Cooper (The Family Simon 6)

“I’m nothing like the women you’ve been with.”

He was silent for a few moments as if considering her words. “I know,” he said softly. His voice was like an intimate caress, and he

bent close to her ear. “You’re a whole new kind of adventure. Come back to my place tonight.” A pause. “Stay with me.”

Just then, her phone pinged in her pocket. And then again. It might have been a cowardly move, but Morgan jumped at the chance for some space. She needed to think. Needed to know if she was insane for even considering Cooper’s request. How could a night with him not end in disaster?

“I should get this.”

Cooper swept one last kiss across her mouth and stepped back. “I’ve got to touch base with the pilot, but we can head back to the mainland when you’re ready. We can hang out here for as long as you want. We can take things slow.” His face darkened—dangerously so—and his voice was low. Sexy. “Think about tonight.”

She watched him walk away from her and, with trembling fingers, retrieved her cell phone. A glance down showed two bars and her sister’s number. Fingering the device for a few more seconds, she hesitated and then, before she could change her mind, held her cell to her ear and walked a few more paces toward the bluff.

“Hey,” she said, watching an abnormally large seagull with wings the color of charcoal. It dove toward the frothy waves and disappeared beneath the water.

“About time.” Sara sounded out of breath and more than a little annoyed. “I’ve been calling you for the last four hours.”

“I texted you and told you I was fine and would be home later.”

“Yeah, well, I just came from Dad’s. He’s pissed.”

The seagull rose into the air and circled, calling out to his cohorts, crying again as an entire horde of the birds descended. Morgan followed its path, absently tucking back a strand of hair off her face.

“Good,” she murmured, turning as the gull changed course. She needed to focus on something other than the imprint of Cooper’s kiss against her mouth. The feel of him at her neck.

“Good? He’s, like, really pissed. He said you poured water over him.”

Absently, she nodded. “I did. An entire jug straight out of the fridge.”

“Well, why in hell did you do that?”

“He was passed out cold, and I…” Morgan straightened her shoulders as if facing off with her sister in person. “I lost it.”

A low whistle sounded in her ear. “You lost it.”

“Yeah.”

“Can’t lie. I kinda wish I was there to see it. He’s been such a bear lately, I’m sure he deserved it.”

A small smile tugged at Morgan’s mouth, though it disappeared just as quick. “He just… I just got…tired of everything.”

“He said you didn’t come home last night. He seemed worried.”

“Apparently not worried enough to call me.”

Silence filled her ear. It stretched for the longest time, but Morgan didn’t have much else to say. She took another step toward the bluff. Where was her seagull?

“Are you really with Cooper Simon?”

She froze and bit her lip, glancing back at the man in question. He was still chatting with the groundskeeper and hadn’t made it over to the chopper.

“Who told you that?”

“I was at the bakery this morning, and Melinda told me that Mrs. Delmonte saw the two of you in Dunn Harbor.”

“We went to La Spagatt.”

“And that you guys ran into Nathan and Christy.”