Page 117 of Dream Weaver

The man was too good to be true. I just prayed that wouldn’t get him killed.

“Everything okay?” His voice matched the rumble I’d heard in the earth — low and dangerous.

“Just fine, thank you,” Liselle chirped. “We’re just testing my new—”

“I didn’t ask you. I asked her,” Cooper grunted, demonstrating that he could, in fact, be less than polite sometimes. A first, at least from what I’d witnessed.

It made for a pretty badass impression. My knees shook, for sure.

“Liselle decided her order couldn’t wait. So, she and her three friends stopped by.” I pointed each out in the dark. No one wasgoing to ambush Cooper on my watch. “Oh, and Jay,” I added sourly. “Remember him?”

“Oh, I remember, all right,” Cooper snarled.

Jay’s sneer said he remembered too.

“So, you’ll be moving along, then.” Cooper’s tone made it clear that was an order.

“Yes, you will.” Liselle motioned to his pickup. “Thanks for dropping by.”

I ground my teeth. She was trying to mind-spell him, wasn’t she?

When he hesitated, she continued in the same chummy tone. “I know, I know. This woman is pure trouble, and you’ve had enough of her using you.”

I fumed. Me, using Cooper?

“She’s been bewitching you,” Liselle went on, planting a whole conspiracy in his mind. “And all this time, you’ve yearned to be free…”

“Cooper…” I warned.

He looked at me, then Liselle, then scratched his head. “Not sure I would put it that way.”

“Of course you do,” Liselle chuckled.

He shook his head. “No, I was yearning for something else.” His eyes slid to me as if to say,someone.

Liselle cackled. “Her? You want her? Honey, you can do so much better than that.”

That stung, but it was true.

Cooper huffed. “Who? Like you?”

I nearly stomped. Was he actually having this conversation?

Her eyes drifted up and down Cooper’s big, toned body. Then she ran a hand over her hip and purred, “Satisfaction guaranteed, honey.”

Ha. I was tempted to refer him to Jay. But that would be petty, right?

Cooper flashed a tight smile. “Not interested, sorry.”

So, whew. Apparently, mind-spelling didn’t work on bears.

“Not interested?” Liselle hooted. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

Cooper went silent — very silent — and Liselle’s cheeks burned with fury.

Still, I was tempted to yell at him. Why was he even wasting time with this? Why provoke her?

Then it hit me. Cooper needed answers, and as long as Liselle was talking…

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