made him hard. I’d laughed before ignoring him for the rest of the class. He ignored me ignoring him and messed with my hair in a show of possession to Nick who likely didn’t notice. That evening, he visited Denny’s and flexed his muscles for me. Again, I giggled, but refused to go to dinner.
Convincing myself Cooper wouldn’t be at the house, I enjoyed Bailey’s company. Like Skye, she talked a lot. Unlike with Skye, Bailey needed constant head nodding and grunts of affirmation.
“My parents aren’t home,” Bailey said as we turned down a road off of the main highway. “They took my little sister to a spa so my mom could detox. Mom is very health conscious one day out of the week. The rest of the time, she drinks, smokes, and eats meat smothered with barbeque. Today is her health day.”
“She sounds nice.”
Bailey frowned at me. “My mom is the best person on the face of the planet. Nice doesn’t cut it.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. You don’t know her so you wouldn’t know how she’s the best.”
Shadowing the road, tall trees lined both sides until we reached a clearing. A huge log-style house loomed to the left while a beautiful view of Kentucky spread out on the right. I couldn’t imagine growing up with such beauty. Yet, like how Skye viewed money, maybe beauty would become mundane after awhile. Merely an expected element of life for people like the Johanssons.
“My brother Tuck lives in a condo in town with Maddy,” Bailey explained as we exited her SUV. “Coop lives in the apartment over the garage. My room is in the house, but I’m not allowed to let strangers inside. Can you wait out here?”
Glancing around nervously, I nodded.
“We have a lot of big dogs. Don’t freak if they run up to you,” Bailey said, walking away. “Coop trains the monsters and they won’t bite. They just like scaring people.”
For the next few minutes, I stood in the large gravel driveway and waited. Hearing noises, I moved towards the house and saw those monster dogs running around. Rottweilers and a few Pit Bulls, they chased each other around except for one who only had eyes for Cooper.
I considered retreating and waiting in the car. My brain said to stay away, but my heart wanted to check out Cooper. He looked really sexy sitting shirtless and barefoot on the ground as he gave the dog a good hard rubbing. Wearing jeans, he seemed young and less intimidating. Whatever my reasoning, I walked to where he could see me and waited for him to notice.
When Cooper pressed his nose against the dog’s, the giant animal licked him. Instead of being grossed out like I would have been, Cooper laughed. He was still grinning when he saw me. His eyes did the usual survey of me from head to toe, lingering an extra second on my breasts before he focused on my face.
“That’s the girl making me crazy,” Cooper told the dog that licked him again. “Yeah, I’d pay big money to get her to show me half as much love as you do, Plum.”
Stepping closer, I focused on Plum. “Bailey says you train dogs.”
“You talk about me a lot?” he asked, ignoring my question.
“Constantly. I’m a huge fan.”
“Prove it.”
“How?”
“Dinner tonight.”
“Will you wash off the dog spit first?” I asked, giving into the idea of dinner with him. One dinner to answer my questions about us.
Cooper finally gave me a smile he saved for his dogs. An almost boyish grin hiding much of the menacing glare I normally focused on.
“Where do you want to eat?”
“I don’t care.”
“Why?” he asked, his smile gone. “Because you’ll just go through the motions to get me off your back?”
“No, I’ve eaten a lot of crappy food lately and anywhere new would be a nice change.”
Giving me a quick nod, Cooper smiled slightly. “Can you wear your hair down?”
Without thinking, I touched my ponytail. “Sure,” I muttered, self-conscious now. “Should I wear any particular outfit?”
Cooper lost his
Convincing myself Cooper wouldn’t be at the house, I enjoyed Bailey’s company. Like Skye, she talked a lot. Unlike with Skye, Bailey needed constant head nodding and grunts of affirmation.
“My parents aren’t home,” Bailey said as we turned down a road off of the main highway. “They took my little sister to a spa so my mom could detox. Mom is very health conscious one day out of the week. The rest of the time, she drinks, smokes, and eats meat smothered with barbeque. Today is her health day.”
“She sounds nice.”
Bailey frowned at me. “My mom is the best person on the face of the planet. Nice doesn’t cut it.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. You don’t know her so you wouldn’t know how she’s the best.”
Shadowing the road, tall trees lined both sides until we reached a clearing. A huge log-style house loomed to the left while a beautiful view of Kentucky spread out on the right. I couldn’t imagine growing up with such beauty. Yet, like how Skye viewed money, maybe beauty would become mundane after awhile. Merely an expected element of life for people like the Johanssons.
“My brother Tuck lives in a condo in town with Maddy,” Bailey explained as we exited her SUV. “Coop lives in the apartment over the garage. My room is in the house, but I’m not allowed to let strangers inside. Can you wait out here?”
Glancing around nervously, I nodded.
“We have a lot of big dogs. Don’t freak if they run up to you,” Bailey said, walking away. “Coop trains the monsters and they won’t bite. They just like scaring people.”
For the next few minutes, I stood in the large gravel driveway and waited. Hearing noises, I moved towards the house and saw those monster dogs running around. Rottweilers and a few Pit Bulls, they chased each other around except for one who only had eyes for Cooper.
I considered retreating and waiting in the car. My brain said to stay away, but my heart wanted to check out Cooper. He looked really sexy sitting shirtless and barefoot on the ground as he gave the dog a good hard rubbing. Wearing jeans, he seemed young and less intimidating. Whatever my reasoning, I walked to where he could see me and waited for him to notice.
When Cooper pressed his nose against the dog’s, the giant animal licked him. Instead of being grossed out like I would have been, Cooper laughed. He was still grinning when he saw me. His eyes did the usual survey of me from head to toe, lingering an extra second on my breasts before he focused on my face.
“That’s the girl making me crazy,” Cooper told the dog that licked him again. “Yeah, I’d pay big money to get her to show me half as much love as you do, Plum.”
Stepping closer, I focused on Plum. “Bailey says you train dogs.”
“You talk about me a lot?” he asked, ignoring my question.
“Constantly. I’m a huge fan.”
“Prove it.”
“How?”
“Dinner tonight.”
“Will you wash off the dog spit first?” I asked, giving into the idea of dinner with him. One dinner to answer my questions about us.
Cooper finally gave me a smile he saved for his dogs. An almost boyish grin hiding much of the menacing glare I normally focused on.
“Where do you want to eat?”
“I don’t care.”
“Why?” he asked, his smile gone. “Because you’ll just go through the motions to get me off your back?”
“No, I’ve eaten a lot of crappy food lately and anywhere new would be a nice change.”
Giving me a quick nod, Cooper smiled slightly. “Can you wear your hair down?”
Without thinking, I touched my ponytail. “Sure,” I muttered, self-conscious now. “Should I wear any particular outfit?”
Cooper lost his
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