She let him.
“I feel ridiculous,” she muttered. Although she’d had these rules for herself since Drew, she’d never grilled any man since about his personal relationships. Because none of the men since had affected her as strongly or as deeply as this one.
“Don’t.” Coop pulled her toward the messy living area and the couch in the center, settling onto the cushions.
“If it bothers you to think there’s something between Sara and me, I’m glad. Just like I’m glad you came here because you were concerned.” He brushed his hands over her bangs and slowly removed her glasses from her face, staring into her eyes.
“Are you okay?” she asked, reminded of why she’d come here in the first place.
“I never thought about what my job did to the people I write about, but I’ve been on the other side of the story twice recently and I can’t say I like it much. It makes me feel raw and exposed.”
“What would make you feel better?” she asked, leaning closer.
“This.” He placed her hand on his chest, her palm centered over his heart. Then he lowered his head, capturing her lips in a soul-deep kiss.
He tasted like mint, he smelled like freshly showered man, and her entire body went into sensory overload. His tongue swirled inside her mouth, devouring what she gave, demanding what she didn’t. He knew exactly how to kiss in order to engage all of her. He nibbled on her lower lip and a corresponding tug kicked in deep in her belly. He soothed the bite with his tongue and the swirls of need traveled lower and lower, winding into her abdomen. A trickle of desire dampened her underwear and she tightened her thighs together to prevent herself from climbing onto his lap and taking what she really wanted.
He thrust his hand into the back of her hair and tilted her head, giving him better access to the far reaches of her mouth and throat. In return, she curled her fingers into his chest, groping for something to hold on to, but finding only bare skin.
The far-away ring of a telephone penetrated her consciousness but she pushed away the intruding noise. He didn’t seem to care who was calling either, because he’d lifted her shirt and cupped his big hands around her waist, letting his thumb trail up her sides. He paused beneath the strap of her bra. Still kissing her, he grazed her br**sts over the fabric, teasing her ni**les into tight, rigid peaks.
That’s when his answering machine kicked on, a male voice sounding loud in the room. “Hey, bro, read the paper. Is an engagement next?” A loud chuckle followed. “By the way, good publicity for Dad’s bar. The blogger mentioned it by name. Talk to you later.”
Somehow Lexie managed to separate herself from Coop. He was breathing as hard as she was. His eyes were wide and glazed and she wondered if he was as stunned as she. They’d gone far fast. Normally, Lexie took her time before getting this close to any man, especially since Drew, but this thing with Coop seemed to have a life of its own, which meant it was only a matter of time before they… She shut her mind down, deliberately not finishing the thought. Her body was still tingling from that kiss. How far would they have gone if they hadn’t been interrupted? She trembled at the thought.
But they had been interrupted and the message reminded her of the one thing they hadn’t yet discussed.
“Did I mention that the blogger thinks we might be getting engaged?”
CHAPTER FIVE
“ENGAGED.” COOP TRIED to process the word.
“Someone snapped some pictures of us last night at the exact moment when you were showing me the ring, so it looked like you might be…proposing.” Lexie rose and tried to smooth the nonexistent wrinkles in her clothes.
He wasn’t sure what had her more flustered, the reminder of the blog or that kiss. He sure as hell knew which one had hit him hardest. One feel of her lips and soft curves and he’d forgotten all finesse. His brother’s call served as a reminder to slow down and Coop intended to heed the warning. He might want to run his fingers through her hair and pick up where they left off, but Lexie wasn’t a quick lay. They had business together and dammit, he liked her. Wanted to get to know her better…even if he did want her in his bed.
“Do you want to see the blog?” she asked.
“I’ll check it out in the paper later.” He didn’t need a visual. “I just can’t believe the lengths people will go to. Someone must be following me,” he said in disbelief.
“That or else someone at the bar recognized you, snapped the picture and e-mailed it to the blogger. Who knows?”
Since she didn’t seem upset by the inaccurate news, he decided not to get worked up over it, either. There were worse things than to be paired with a beautiful woman. Besides it would keep the Bachelor stalkers at bay.
“The best thing to do is ignore it. Bigger news will come up eventually and replace me.” He hoped.
Lexie laughed. “There won’t be bigger news for my grandmother, I’m afraid.” She picked up her glasses and slid them back on.
“She reads the Bachelor Blog?”
“Yep. And she’s latched on to the idea that I could have a serious suitor.”
“I take it she’s happy with the notion?”
“Ridiculously so.” Lexie placed her hands on her hips and walked around his apartment, eyeing the mess left by the burglar. “So are you working today?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I took the day off. After everything that’s gone on, my editor didn’t mind and I needed time to figure all this out.”
“Not to mention the fact that you need to clean up?”
He groaned. “Please don’t remind me.”
“How about I help you instead?”
He hesitated, surprised by the offer. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
She smiled. “You didn’t. Besides what better way to get to know the real you than by helping you sort through your personal effects?”
She scanned the items spread across the room and frowned, an adorable pout that brought back memories of her lips on his, her tongue deep in his throat.
“Unless you’d rather do it alone?” she asked, oblivious to his wandering thoughts, which he reined in.
“Are you kidding?” he asked. “I’d appreciate the help and the company. I can’t say I kept the place in great shape before the robbery, so anything we do might be an improvement.”
“Great. Let’s get started.” She walked over to the bookshelf and began picking up his hardcovers one by one, replacing them by height.