Page 69 of The Most Perfect Wrong

The way he asks it, with a longing in his eyes and desire in his voice—it catches me off guard. “I don’t know. I want to.” I shift uncomfortably. “Did you leave your wife yet?”

“Yeah… I did.”

His answer knocks the wind out of me. “Really?” I ask softly.

He nods. “I moved out on Sunday. Beth and I are done. There’s no point in dragging it out anymore. I tried to tell you the other day, but you rushed out.” He pauses. “I’m staying with Leo and Vivian while I look for a new place. It sucks, but I know it’s the right thing to do for me… and for Beth.”

He hesitates, then adds quietly, “I just… couldn’t keep living in limbo.” He glances down at the table, then back up at me. “I guess I just realized how unhappy I’ve been… how badly I want to be with someone who really wants to be with me.”

Oh, shit. Does he mean me?I feel my heart rate spike.

Ryan takes a deep breath. “I guess what I’m saying is… I’m ready to move forward. And…” He hesitates, his sexy smolder taking over as he chews on the inside of his cheek, something he does when he’s nervous or deep in thought. “I don’t know… Maybe you deserve that too, Cooper.”

The implication of his words sends a tingly sensation through my body, but it also makes my chest feel tight.

“Ryan, I…” I start, then stop, uncertain. Do we have to talk about this right now? Can’t we just sneak off somewhere and do it—see if this is real or if we just need to get this sexual tension out of our systems? I look at him, taking a breath. “Did you leave Beth for me?” My voice is small, uncertain.

He ponders this for a moment. “No,” he says, his voice steady. “I didn’t leave for you. I would have left Beth anyway, that's been the plan all along. I left for all the right reasons; I know that. But…” He looks away for a second before locking eyes with me again, a small, self-deprecating smile on his lips. “I can’t help but hope you’ll decide to leave Brad.”

My breath catches. Holy shit. Ryan wants me to break up with Brad so he can be with me? My brain can barely process it.God, I don’t deserve someone like him.Ryan’s moral compass is rock-solid, and mine has been cracked for a long time now.

“I don’t know what to say,” I murmur, searching his face for answers he doesn’t have. “I’m scared.” I admit, exhaling slowly. “I can’t leave right now, not before the holidays. Brad’s meeting me in Newport next week, and it’s just not the time to be alone or find a new place.” I lean back, as if convincing myself. “But I will… soon.”

Ryan holds my gaze, a flicker of doubt in his eyes as if he can already see through my excuses. He swallows, his voice gentle. “Okay… It’s your life. I just want you to be happy. You deserve that. You know that, right?”

I scoff, barely meeting his eyes. “Yeah, I guess.”

Ryan shakes his head, looking almost defeated, as if I just crushed his last hope. “Everyone deserves to be happy, Cooper.” He swallows, pausing. “We have work to do. Let’s get back to it.”

We work in silence for about ten minutes, but my mind won’t stop racing. He wants to be with me. And he’s taking another woman out on a date? Finally, I can’t hold back. “Where are you taking your date?” I ask, curious—and obviously envious as hell.

“I’m just meeting her for a drink at a bar Leo recommended. Apparently, it’s best to keep things casual at first, feel out the chemistry before committing to a full-blown dinner.”

I smile, though it aches a bit. “That sounds nice. I’m sure she’ll have a great time—it’d be hard not to with you. I hope you have fun.” And I do mean it, even though I wish it were me.

Ryan raises a brow. “Wow. Thank you. I know that couldn’t have been easy to say.”

“Why would that be hard for me to say?” I spit out defensively. “I’m not a total asshole. I care about you—I want you to be happy.”

He grins. “Even if you’re jealous, wishing it were you on the date?”

“I’m not jealous.” I scowl. “Besides, like you said, I’ll have my vibrator. I’ll be perfectly content.”

“Content?” His grin widens. “Then you must not be fantasizing about me. If you were…” He leans closer, voice dropping. “You’d be more than content.”

“You’re awfully confident in your ability to get someone off without being present. Trust me, I’ll be more than content.”I bite my lip, debating how far to take this. “Like I said, it wouldn’t be the first time you’ve made an appearance in my fantasies. You’re getting good at knowing what I like.”

“Don’t lie. You’re just fucking with me.”

“Am I?” I lean in. “Some days, you look so good at work, I can’t wait to get home and be alone.”

“Fuck,” he mutters, shaking his head. “Are you serious? Do you have any idea what that does to me, Cooper?” He exhales. “You shouldn’t be telling me this.”

I raise a brow, feigning innocence. “Why? Does it turn you on?”

His eyes darken, and I can see his control slipping. “You thinking about me when you touch yourself?” He leans in closer, his voice a low murmur. “Of course it turns me on… You’ve gotta stop messing with me like this because I’m going to lose my goddamn mind.”

I hold his gaze, letting the heat between us simmer. “So… you don’t want me thinking about you when I touch myself?” I’m laughing inwardly at the torment I’m putting him through—it's so fun, and he’s so close to breaking.

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