Page 17 of The Most Perfect Wrong

I furrow my brows. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a bit of a weird day.” I’m not about to tell her the woman I slept with six months ago now works in my office.

She narrows her eyes, searching my face. “Weird how?”

“Just work stuff,” I say, brushing it off. “What are you making? It smells good.”

“Fajitas.”

“That sounds great… You know you don’t have to cook for me, right?”

She gives me a soft smile. “It’s no problem, Ryan. I’m cooking anyway, and I’m happy to cook for you. Ilikecooking for you.”

“Well, thanks. I know you’re probably not up for it, but I appreciate it.”

* * * * * ?* * * * *

Later that night, I half-watch a football game, a beer in one hand and the other tucked into my joggers. My thoughts drift to Cooper. An escape. A way out of the swirling clusterfuck my life has become. But the more I think about her, the more conflicted I feel.

I scowl at the TV.Why can’t I stop thinking about her?Because I’m horny as hell. That night with her is all I’ve been able to think about for months. I’ve jerked off to the memory of her more times than I care to admit—and now I’m going to be seeing her every day.Great.

“Hey,” Beth’s voice interrupts my thoughts. “I’m going to bed… goodnight.”

“Night.” My attention shifts back to the television as I hear her ascend the stairs. I let out a long sigh, running a hand through my hair. My life has done a complete one-eighty over the past year—and not in a good way.

* * * * * ?* * * * *

My eyes keep drifting to Cooper as Jason speaks. She’s wearing a tight dress, and I can’t stop fidgeting with the pen in my hand. My mind slips into an alternate universe where I’ve got her alone in my office. She’s undressing for me, just like she did in Newport. I’m about to bend her over my desk when I realize she’s scowling at me.

Oh, shit. I’ve been caught.

Her lips press together, fighting back a smile. She quickly shifts her attention back to Jason, but I keep mine mostly on her.

Our early morning meetings bring both companies and their department heads together. It’s Cooper’s third day here. I barely saw her yesterday, and it was probably for the best. I’ve got so many meetings, the busyness keeps me from thinking about her too much. But right now? With her sitting right in front of me? She’s all I can think about.

Jason turns the rest of the meeting over to me, and as I wrap things up, I scramble for any reason to talk to Cooper. My mind comes up blank. There's nothing pressing we need to discuss, and she’s still glued to Jason most of the day with her training.

“Alright everyone, great work here. Let’s have a productive day.”

As the others gather their things, I’m about to head out when Cooper approaches me.

“Hey, Ryan,” she says.

“Hey,” I reply, surprised.Okay… she came to me. This is good. “I’ve been meaning to come find you, but I’ve been slammed with meetings. How are you liking your first week?”

She shrugs with a playful smile. “It’s been good so far… a little surprising,” her eyes glance over me. “But good.” She bites her bottom lip, and something in her tone feels very flirty.

I can’t help but smirk. “Anything in particular surprising you?”

“Mostly just you… And it’s been the change I didn’t know I needed.”

“That’s great. I’m glad you’re enjoying it. And yeah, seeing you here on Monday was… well, unexpected, to say the least.”

Her eyes light up. “How long have you worked here? I thought you lived in Arizona.”

I cock a brow, amused. “I don’t remember us talking about where we lived. How’d you know that?”

She shrugs, grinning. “I took a peek at your driver’s license before I snuck out. Okay, maybe a little creepy,” she adds, laughing. “But I honestly didn’t think I’d ever see you again, so I figured… why not?”

I chuckle. “You did a little research, huh? I’m flattered.” I lean in slightly, teasing her. “I thought you didn’t want to know anything personal about me.”

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