Page 71 of Summer Nights

"What are you making?" I asked as he surged out of the tub, drying off, before helping me out.

"Pasta with shrimp. I found a recipe online," he said.

"Do you normally cook so much?" I asked him as he covered me with a huge, warm towel. He must have a towel warmer somewhere in here. Maybe it was the towel rack because he hadn't taken the towels out of anything.

He grinned at me. "Not when it's just me. I enjoy cooking for more people."

"I'm not going to argue with that."

He started to dry me off, taking his time on my body. I felt cherished, and my heart contracted in my chest. I wasn't going to survive his care and attention. He was too good to me.

He made me think that something between us was not only possible but inevitable. I couldn't be treated like this and not fall for him.

I'd never allowed myself to be this close to anyone. Was living here a mistake?

"You want to change into something more comfortable while I get started on dinner?" His tone was gentle.

I wasn't going to survive living in close proximity to him.

At my nod, he said, "Take your time." Then he turned and left his bathroom.

I gathered my clothes and headed toward my room where I changed into soft shorts and a tank top. I didn't bother to put on a bra because my breasts had been tender lately. I looked in the full-length mirror. My breasts were larger and my bump visible under the white tank.

I ran a brush through my damp hair and headed downstairs where pasta was boiling on the stove.

Cooper looked up from his pot and said, "Why don't you sit outside? We can eat out there."

I grabbed one of the pregnancy books I'd bought from a local bookstore earlier in the weak and went outside to sit on the cushioned couch. It felt decadent to let someone else cook for me while I relaxed.

The breeze lifted my hair, and I couldn't focus on the words in the book. Not when the ocean stretched in front of me.

Families walked along the water, kids running ahead to chase a bird through the surf. It was the perfect evening, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

A few minutes later, Cooper brought a bowl of pasta and set it on the table. "I'll grab more dishes and silverware."

I sat at the table, feeling a little useless since I wasn't helping him.

Cooper returned with two bowls, forks, and two bottles of water.

"It's gorgeous out tonight."

Cooper nodded as he set everything down. "This is my favorite place to be."

"I can see why." Not everyone got to live their dream of visiting a beach, much less living on one. He was lucky to have this.

He dished out the pasta. It was linguine with mushrooms and shrimp. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will. It smells amazing."

"What are your plans for the weekend?"

“I take my siblings to the park in the afternoon.”

He raised a brow. "You want to do something together in the morning?"

"Like what?" I asked, intrigued.

" I'm supposed to help Shep with his house. You could come over and see the progress. But if you want to do something else on Sunday?—"

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