Page 42 of Enticed

There’s someone in my yard, someone is going to break into my home, and I might have to fight for my life again for the second time in five months.

Tears build behind my eyes as I stand and then frantically move out of the view of the back window. I eye the small cast-iron skillet sitting on my stove that rarely gets used, hoist it in my hands, and wait. At least if someone tries to attack me again, this time I’ll be ready to defend myself.

Hell, the cast-iron skillet worked for Rapunzel—it can work for me, too.

Tears threaten to fall as my entire body trembles with fear. This can’t be happening. What are the odds that I would have to go through this twice in my life? My breaths become short, sweat trails down my spine, and suddenly I feel like I might pass out.

A soft knock pulls my head to the backdoor in my dining room that leads out to the patio.

A knock? If someone was trying to break into my house, they probably wouldn’t knock.

But then a voice snaps me back to reality as the deep timber instantly eases the tightness in my chest.

“Clara… open up.”

I’m fairly certain I know who is on the other side of the door, but I still hang on to the skillet perched over my shoulder as I approach the door slowly.

“Cooper?” I whisper, trying not to give away the trepidation in my voice. What if this person is just impersonating Cooper? Or, what if they recorded his voice and are playing it out loud on their phone right now to lure me outside?

Yes, I know how insane I sound with the schemes firing rapidly in my brain… but seriously, can you blame me?

“Clara, it’s me. Open the door, babe,” he raps a few more times on the door and I cautiously turn the lock as the knob twists in front of me. For someone who was attacked and almost raped, I should seriously contemplate that move more, but my gut is telling me that I’m going to be alright.

I take two steps back, anticipating a body to barrel forward—but when the door creaks open and I see a sweaty Cooper standing with one hand above the door frame and the other holding a plastic grocery bag, the breath I didn’t know I was holding rushes out not only from the fear leaving my body but also from the sight of him.

Dear Lord—this man is delicious.

A small sliver of those abs peeks out from under the hem of his shirt that has risen up from the placement of his arm on the top of the door frame. His brow is heavy with sweat, his hair wet with it too—but the panty-melting grin he’s giving me as I still stand there with a frying pan poised like a baseball bat is making me forget that I’m still holding it. Loose grey gym shorts hang from his hips, giving me a little glimpse of that V that leads to the promise land known as Cooper’s dick, and the chuckle that leaves his lips makes me snap back into focus.

“Were you about to kill me with a frying pan?” He asks as his brow dips and his lips purse.

“Well, when I thought you were someone trying to break into my house, yeah,” I snarkily reply, dropping the pan down and setting it on the counter. “You scared the crap out of me, Cooper. You shouldn’t surprise someone who is easily frightened. What are you doing here?” I ask, placing my hands on my hips demanding some answers, but my body is still recovering from the panic I just felt. Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy to see him—but he didn’t have to give me a heart attack in the process of surprising me. “How did you even get here? Did you drive? Because your truck…”

Cooper cuts me off before releasing the door jamb and rushing inside, closing the door behind him. His hand cups my face, soothing my mind and my heart as his expression is filled with worry. “I’m sorry, Clara. I didn’t mean to scare you. I should have thought about that more. But don’t worry… I rode my bike so no one will know I’m here. I know the rules,” he says a little irritated at the detail, but then skates around me and removes four cartons of Ben & Jerry’s from the plastic bag he was holding.

His bike? Well, I guess that explains the clicking noise of the chain I heard earlier.

“Ben & Jerry’s, huh? Did you think you would get lucky, riding your bike over here to take five years off of my life and surprise me?”

He lowers the ice cream into my freezer and then shuts the door, crossing his arms over his chest as he leans against the fridge. “You told me I’d better have Ben & Jerry’s for next time, so I delivered.” Crossing the kitchen, his legs eat up the space quickly before he’s right in front of me, holding my face with his strong hands again. I can smell his sweat mixed with his cologne, and damn does it make me smother my anger with desire quickly.

“How thoughtful,” I tease, grasping his biceps in my hands and slowly moving my palms up over his shoulders before settling in his sweat-soaked hair. “How did you manage to ride a bike and carry that ice cream though? Oh! Does your bike have one of those baskets on the handles? You know, the white wicker ones with the pink daisy glued on the front?” I squeal with wide eyes at the thought as Cooper’s hands move down to cup and pinch my ass.

“Hey!” I shriek as his lips find my neck and I moan at the touch.

“No, it doesn’t have a fucking basket, Clara. I hung the bag on the handlebars.”

“Damn. I was definitely getting some Now & Then vibes, there,” I kiss his cheek as he stands to meet my eyes again.

“Now & Then? That chick flick from the nineties?”

“Yeah. The girls rode their bikes everywhere and Chrissy had one of those baskets on the front that she put shit in. Oh God! The girls and I watched that movie ALL THE TIME! I swear, the four of us could have been those girls…” I back away from him and he gives me this inquisitive look.

“Didn’t one of them stuff her bra?” His hands rest on my hips while we converse and the stress of earlier melts away. Even though the anxiety came from him, having him here now and just being us—it makes me grateful he made the effort to see me. I really wanted to see him too, but he doesn’t need to know that.

“Yeah, with water balloons filled with pudding. Amy tried it, but one popped while we were at school and she ended up walking around with a brown shirt all day. It looked like someone shit on her chest.”

Cooper throws his head back in laughter. “Oh, shit! That’s great. Although, that is something I could totally see her doing. You never did that, did you?” His eyes flick back to mine.

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