Page 55 of The Sexy Part
“And make a bunch of stupid decisions.”
“Yeah, I think the wedding put extra pressure on his fragile state. I guess I didn’t realize how far gone he was until he left. Maybe I didn’t want to see it.”
Cooper stops and takes both my hands in his. “If he apologized and made everything right, would you take him back?”
“No, becauseIdon’t make stupid decisions.”
He kisses my forehead, which somehow feels intimate. “Smart and beautiful.” Our gazes collide, sparks firing between us. The crowd fades into the background. It’s just us connecting on some primal level. I’ve never wanted someone so much in my life. It was never this spellbinding with Dave.
An announcement goes out over the loudspeakers, breaking the spell.
I shift away. “Well.”
“Yeah.”
We walk toward the Human Origins exhibit, a new tension between us. He doesn’t hold my hand. Somehow that only makes me want him more. How do I resist an irresistible man?
* * *
Cooper
Dave’s whiny voice rings in my head.Oh, please take care of me, Rowan. Loser. I don’t believe Dave changed after a near-death experience. He was always a weasel, but Rowan didn’t see it until he showed his true colors.
I follow Rowan to the next exhibit. We’re on a whirlwind tour of all her favorites. We have to catch the four-ten train back to make it in time for Sunday family dinner. I told her it was no big deal to miss, but she insisted. She really likes my family. The feeling’s mutual. Dad even said she seemed all right, which is high praise from him.
It’s cool the way she fits in my life. That’s temporary, I know. She’ll be getting her condo deposit back in a couple of weeks, and then she’ll head right back here to snatch up an apartment.
I could visit her. What am I doing? Mackenzie’s right. This is a classic rebound situation. I need to keep my distance.
“We can’t miss the amethyst crystals,” she says, practically running toward the hall with the big blue whale. “We’ll go there after the whale.”
“Slow down.”
She looks at me over her shoulder. “We only have half an hour left before we have to go to the train station.”Bam!She collides with a large man and stumbles backward, losing her footing.
I lunge and catch her just in time. People applaud. The large man continues on his way.
She turns in my arms. “Thank you,” she says softly. “You always seem to catch me when I fall.”
My heart kicks up. “Just lucky, I guess.”
I pull away first.
She takes my hand and leads the way. She initiated holding hands this time. That means she’s comfortable with me.
My heart kicks harder. She wants me. I want her. This is a slippery slope, but I can’t ignore this thing between us. As long as we spell out the rules before getting involved, no one will get hurt.
* * *
On the train ride home, Rowan holds my hand and falls asleep with her head on my shoulder.
In the car, she looks at me while I drive.
And when I park in front of my parents’ house for Sunday family dinner, she says, “Would you like to be my friend with benefits?”
My lust shoots through the roof.
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