COOP’S ADDRESS wasn’t too far from Lexie’s grandmother’s, and she hopped on the subway, arriving at his stop by 9:30 a.m.
She quickly glanced at the outside of the walk-up apartment where he lived before running up the stairs, her flip-flops smacking against the floor with every step.
She rang his bell and waited.
No one answered, so she rang again. And again. Then she knocked loudly a couple of times for good measure. Just as she was about to give up and call his cell phone, as she probably should have done to begin with, the door next to Coop’s opened.
An attractive woman dressed in a police uniform, stuck her head outside. “Looking for someone?”
Despite her petite stature, she had an air of authority Lexie couldn’t deny. “Sam Cooper.” Lexie pointed to his apartment.
The other woman looked Lexie over from head to toe, obviously assessing her before deciding to answer. “He stepped out early this morning and I’m not sure if he’s back. Maybe he’s in the shower.” She yawned. “I worked the night shift and I was just about to try to get some sleep.”
“Sorry.” Lexie took two steps back. “I’ll just call him later.”
The neighbor leaned against her doorframe, arms folded across her chest, in no rush to get back inside, despite her claim. “Give me your name and I’ll tell him you were here.”
Before Lexie could answer, Coop’s door opened wide. “Can I join the party?” he asked.
“You’ve got company,” his neighbor said, over another yawn. She covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m going to bed. Let’s get together later. It looks like we have a lot to talk about.” Her too-perceptive gaze settled on Lexie once more before she inclined her head and closed the door on them both.
Confounded by the other woman, Lexie turned to Coop, intending to ask some questions, but one look at him and all rational thought fled. Wearing nothing but faded jeans, zipped but unbuttoned, she had a full-on view of his washboard abs, tanned chest and unshaven face. She forgot that she was curious about his neighbor, forgot why she’d come. Heck, she’d even forgotten her own name.
“Would you like to come in?” he asked.
Lexie nodded. She could handle a nod.
“Good. Better than talking in the hall.”
“Or disturbing your neighbor,” Lexie added.
“That’s Sara. She’s an NYPD cop and, as she said, she worked the night shift. She’ll be less cranky in a couple of hours,” he said, obvious fondness in his voice.
A frisson of jealousy crept through Lexie, an unusual and unwanted emotion when it came to any man. She liked casual attachments. Not ones that elicited feelings of any kind.
Coop led her into his apartment and turned an obviously new lock, bolting the door shut.
He must have been up late into the night dealing with the police and the locksmith, she realized.
“So what are you doing here?” he asked. “Not that I mind, but I sort of expected you to wait a day or so to call.”
She’d been panicked after reading about the burglary and rushed over here without thinking. Meeting his neighbor, who obviously knew he’d been up and out early, reminded Lexie that he had a life and she felt like an idiot for running over here uninvited.
And now here she was with a half-dressed man she’d just met yesterday. Who probably didn’t want or need her concern. Lexie always operated on pure instinct and emotion, rarely stopping to think first, always asking questions later, but even for her, this turn of events was too much.
She cleared her throat. “I read about the robbery last night and I was worried. But since you’re clearly okay, I should go. But before I do, can you at least tell me if the ring was stolen?”
He shook his head. “The robbery happened while we were out. I came home to this.” He swept his hand through the air, encompassing the entire apartment, which had obviously been trashed.
“I’m sorry. And I’m glad you’re okay. Since I caught you at a bad time, coming out of the shower and all, I should go. And call first next time.” She turned to leave before she could ramble some more and make a bigger fool of herself.
“Whoa.” Coop grasped her shoulder and spun her back around. “Don’t run off. Please. You said you were worried about me.” He sounded pleased about that.
She nodded, still tense and uncomfortable.
He smiled. “Then definitely don’t run off. The cops took my statement last night, Sara checked in this morning, but I could use a friend,” he admitted.
She raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t that what Sara is?” As the jealous-sounding words escaped, déjà vu overwhelmed her and Lexie realized what was wrong, why she’d gone from needing to be here to her sudden urge to flee.
Lexie had already lost one important man in her life to a woman whose importance she’d discounted. Just a friend, Drew had said of the woman in Paris. So while a trusting Lexie was enjoying the famous museums in the City of Love, Drew had gone for a quick lunch with his old female friend. Next thing Lexie knew, he’d stayed on in Paris with the woman he’d never gotten over.
And Lexie had continued on her travels alone, having learned two succinct lessons. No matter how temporary a relationship, any man she got involved with must truly be unencumbered by past relationships. And he had to respect, if not understand, her life. Drew had screwed her over on both counts and she’d been deeply hurt when he’d explained that Stacey, his friend, was much better suited to him than a wanderer like Lexie.
“Sara is a neighbor and a friend,” Coop said, unaware of her feelings. And he didn’t sound at all upset with her personal questions. “But you—I hope will turn into something more. So stay. Please.”
His husky, compelling voice drew her in. “Sure,” she said, relaxing a little.
He inclined his head. “Good. Because I’m worn out from getting no sleep and because for the second time this week, I’m on the wrong side of my own crime beat and I hate it.”
Lexie sighed and adjusted her glasses. She wanted to be here for him, but she needed to explain her crazy reaction first. “I’m not normally so nosy, but I wanted to make sure you and Sara are just friends. She seemed to know a lot about your morning routine and looked at me like…I don’t know.”
“Like a cop whose neighbor had a robbery last night? Or like a friend who wanted to make sure she approved of the woman her neighbor was getting involved with?” He reached for her hand.