Kiss Me If You Can Page 14

  Over him.

  Coward that he was, he’d slipped out while they were still going at it. All these years he’d assumed they were enemies. Apparently, he’d been wrong, which made his situation even more precarious.

  United, those two could make a grown man wet his pants.

  CHAPTER TEN

  LEXIE AND COOP struck out at the Vintage Jewelers. Anna told them her father had taken a sudden trip out of town. Gone fishing, she’d said, shaking her head, her annoyance clear. Until he returned, they’d get no new information on that end. Lexie hoped they did better asking Coop’s father for a favor.

  Only Coop had forgotten it was Ladies’ Night at his father’s bar. The place was crowded and the older Cooper was busy serving drinks. That meant Lexie and Coop had to hang out until things slowed down and Jack had time to talk. Thankfully, he had saved them the same table in the back.

  Since she didn’t know anyone at the bar and she had work to do, Lexie settled in. Coop went to order drinks and made the rounds, saying hello to people and chatting it up. Thanks to the preponderance of women hanging around and Coop’s status as the Bachelor, all the ladies surrounded him, stopping to make conversation and gauge his interest. To his credit, his body language didn’t lead any of the women on, but Lexie couldn’t control the jealousy coursing through her anyway.

  Deciding that the green monster didn’t suit her, she pulled out her laptop and started to make notes on ideas she had for his site. Words that described him and his work. Though she still needed to read his novel, the feel of the site was something that came naturally to her. She always started with a color scheme, so she pulled up Pantone charts and from there it was easy to narrow down the ones that worked for her, but she picked a variety so he’d have a choice.

  “You’re back a second time. That’s impressive. So my brother hasn’t scared you away.” Matt Cooper pulled up a chair and joined her.

  She forced a smile, mostly because she was still stinging over the subject of Coop’s next book. “Your brother and I have business together.”

  Matt raised an eyebrow. The inquisitive look gave him a resemblance to his brother, but not enough to eclipse Coop in the looks department. Matt was handsome, just not as drop-dead sexy as Coop. At least in Lexie’s biased opinion.

  “Personal business or private?” he asked.

  Lexie rolled her eyes. “What is it with you Cooper brothers and asking questions?”

  “It’s in the blood.” Matt grinned. “So?”

  Lexie decided he wouldn’t give up without an honest answer. “Both. But right now I’m working on his Web site.” She didn’t intend to reveal anything about the mystery of the ring. That was for Coop to do, not her.

  “What kind of Web site does he need?” Matt asked, seemingly confused.

  “He’s a published author. Author’s need Web sites.” Wasn’t that obvious? she wondered.

  Matt’s eyes opened wide and he let out a laugh. “Come on. His mystery writing is just a hobby. He’s a crime reporter. That’s what he does.”

  If Matt believed that, then he didn’t know his brother well at all. Though she ought to bite her tongue, she couldn’t. “Have you read his book?”

  She should have bitten it harder.

  “I’m not much of a reader.” Matt glanced down at the scarred wooden table. At least he seemed embarrassed by his lack of interest.

  “Did you buy a copy to support him?” Lexie pushed.

  He squirmed in his seat.

  Clearly he didn’t enjoy being on the other end of an interrogation, she thought, amused.

  “They didn’t print many copies. The book was hard to find,” he finally replied.

  Her amusement faded. “Not very brotherly of you.” She reached into her oversize bag and pulled out the copy she’d taken from Coop’s apartment. “Here. Read it.” She shoved the book into his hand. She’d just have to get herself another one.

  To her surprise, he burst out laughing. “I can see why my brother likes you. Beautiful, smart and loyal.”

  “You make me sound like a puppy dog!”

  “Not at all. Just a step—make that an entire staircase—up from Coop’s ex-wife. And not just because you’re here in the flesh.”

  Lexie didn’t want to get into a discussion of Coop’s airline stewardess wife’s traveling. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” She hoped Matt would leave it at that.

  Coop walked over, joining them in what Lexie thought was just the nick of time. “Am I interrupting?” he asked, his gaze wandering from Lexie and landing squarely on Matt.

  The flash of annoyance in his eyes told her he wasn’t immune to the jealousy she’d experienced minutes earlier.

  “I was just keeping the lady company. And now I need to get home to my wife.” Matt took his time rising from his seat. He slapped his brother on the back, winked at Lexie and strode away laughing.

  “Pain in the ass,” Coop muttered. “I ordered burgers, fries and drinks. I hope that’s okay.”

  Her stomach suddenly rumbled and she grinned. “Perfect, actually.”

  For the next few minutes, while they waited for the food to be served, Lexie and Coop discussed the tone he was looking for his Web site to convey. He took a brief look at the color combinations she’d come up with, but the bar lighting wasn’t good enough for him to make an informed choice, so they tabled the discussion for another time.

  Then they enjoyed dinner while talking about things in general, nothing about the ring or her grandmother or anything threatening. They confirmed they shared similar taste in music and movies, since Lexie preferred action thrillers to chick flicks and they each loved a good comedy.

  Being with Coop was easier than being with any man she could remember and the sexual tension was ever present. She might still be annoyed with him, but she couldn’t deny how much she wanted him.

  He pushed his plate away and leaned back in his seat. “I’m stuffed.”

  She laughed. “Me, too. Your father makes a delicious burger.”

  “Make sure you tell him that.” Suddenly he reached down for his phone, which had obviously been vibrating. He checked the incoming number and took the call. “Coop here.” He listened, his relaxed demeanor changing in an instant. “Be there soon,” he said and hung up.

  “Work?” she guessed.

  He nodded. “Assignment. Big fire uptown. I need to go.” He didn’t try to escape his responsibility and she’d never think to ask him to.

  “I can get myself home. I have plenty of reading to do to keep myself busy,” she said, then caught herself. “Actually…”

  “What?”

  “I gave your brother my copy of your book.”

  “You what?” Coop asked, shocked by Lexie’s words. “Why the hell would you do that?” And why the hell would Matt take it?

  He’d never shown any interest in Coop’s writing before. And since Coop’s first effort was hardly a smashing success, he hadn’t exactly made a big announcement about it, either. But his family knew. His father had a signed copy at home that Coop had given him, but he doubted the old man had ever read it. And Matt had never shown any interest in his brother’s hobby, so why bother setting himself up for ridicule?

  And why was he even having this conversation with Lexie now when he had a story to cover? “Here.” He pulled out the keys to his apartment. “Why don’t you go back to my place? There’s a box of my book in the hall closet. You can read one of those and wait for me while I’m gone. I’ll talk to my father about access to the cold case files later or first thing tomorrow.”

  She hesitated, so he took her hand and placed the keys in her palm, curling her fingers around them. “You’re not going to avoid what’s a damn good thing between us because you’re still upset with me.”

  She glanced down at her hand. “I’m not, huh?” A smile curved her lips, telling him he’d won this round.

  “Nope. We’ll discuss that—and the fact that you gave my brother my book—later. At my
place.” He brushed a kiss over her lips and ran out to cover the story.

  LEXIE ENJOYED NOTHING MORE than munching cookie-dough-flavored ice cream while she read or worked, so she stopped at the store for a pint on her way back to Coop’s apartment. As she reached the entrance, Sara, dressed in uniform, was on her way out.

  “Hey there.” The other woman waved. “Coop’s not home.”

  Lexie hesitated, then revealed the keys.

  Sara’s eyes opened wide. “Well, well, well.” A genuine smiled crossed her face. “He must really care about you.”

  “You sound as if you approve.”

  Sara laughed. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

  Only because Sara couldn’t see what was going on inside Lexie. Between the worry over her grandmother’s blood pressure, the possibility that she was somehow involved in a years-old theft and Coop’s intent to write a tell-all story, she felt as if the walls were closing in on her. Add Sara’s wide smile of approval and the mounting pressure only increased.

  A few more minutes of chitchat and Sara left for work. Lexie let herself into Coop’s apartment, found the box of books and pulled one out.

  Before she settled in to read, she took out her laptop and began browsing some of the places in the world she’d yet to visit.

  Viewing potential destinations calmed her down somewhat. It helped that she now had places in mind for when this entire jewel-heist situation came to an end. By then, the Hot Zone relaunch would be done and Lexie would have a good chunk of cash to split between savings and travel. Hopefully, her grandmother’s blood pressure would be under control, too, her computer knowledge solid enough for them to exchange e-mails, and Lexie could go in peace, even if she didn’t stay away as long as usual. As her grandmother aged, Lexie had cut her trips shorter, coming back more often to see her.

  And what about Coop?

  Given his determination to write this story, she shouldn’t care. But she was here despite that because he was right. Writer’s wrote. She didn’t have to like it, but she couldn’t stop him, either. And she couldn’t deny herself the pleasure of his company while they researched together. But she had no doubts that once she took off on her first excursion, he wouldn’t be waiting for her when she came home.

  A shiver took hold at the thought. But it wasn’t stronger than the desire to go.

  COOP DIDN’T GET HOME until 2:00 a.m. Exhausted, he climbed the stairs to his building, fully expecting Lexie to be sound asleep in his bed. He couldn’t think of a sweeter thing to come home to at night, and the thought pulled him up short.

  He grabbed on to the handrail and paused, wondering how he’d gotten to this point so fast. He breathed in deep to calm his rapidly beating heart and reminded himself not to get used to having her around. Looking forward to coming home to Lexie was a sure path to heartache.

  Enjoy the here and now. With that thought firmly in mind, he let himself into his apartment.

  “Hey!” he said, surprised to find the light in the living room still on and Lexie curled up on the couch reading his book.

  She barely glanced up as he walked into the room.

  “It’s late.”

  “I know. But I’m almost finished.” She waved him away.

  She’d changed into one of his V-neck T-shirts. It hung low on her smaller frame and her cleavage was visible. He wished she’d give him the attention she was focusing on his damn book, but a part of him was pleased that she was so engrossed in his story.

  He turned into bed with the light still glowing in the other room, knowing she was drawn in but curious how she really felt about his abilities. Because in the one area of his life that meant the most to him, Coop was petrified of failing.

  COOP WOKE UP to find Lexie, hands cupped behind her head, staring at the ceiling. Morning was one of the few times he could look at her without her glasses and he savored the sight before she realized he was awake, too. She didn’t spend much time in the sun and she had fair, porcelain-like skin with a hint of freckles over her nose and cheeks.

  He reached out and ran his fingertip over the small bridge of her nose. “Been up long?”

  “Not really.” She smiled and rolled onto her side, propping herself up with one hand.

  “What time did you finally turn in last night?”

  “Not long after you, but you were already out cold.”

  He nodded. He’d crashed like a dead man, exhausted from the hours on his feet and from inhaling the smoke from the deliberately set fire.

  He was still feeling the effects this morning. “Why are you up so early?”

  “I don’t need more than six hours’ sleep.”

  In his line of work, his hours were unpredictable so he’d learned to operate on less sleep, too. “So, are you going to tell me what you thought of the book?” He asked the question weighing on his mind since his eyes opened and his brain cleared.

  A slow smile crossed her lips. “I couldn’t put it down.”

  That much he knew. “And?”

  “You write a really compelling story, Coop. The mystery kept me hooked, the characters were true to life, the tension incredible. It was a real page-turner!”

  She said all the right things, but he sensed more going on behind those intelligent eyes. “What are you not saying?” he asked, wondering when he’d become a glutton for punishment.

  He had a beautiful woman in his bed, complimenting his work, yet he was pushing for more.

  She scooted into a sitting position facing him. “Okay, here’s the thing.”

  He eased himself against the headboard and braced for criticism he probably wouldn’t like. Never mind that he’d asked for it.

  “I had problems with the setting,” she said hesitantly, clearly unsure of whether to go on.

  “It’s okay. I can take it,” he motioned with his hands. “Give it to me.”

  She ran her tongue over her lips. His brain cautioned not to be distracted by the sight. His body didn’t listen and a morning hard-on took hold.

  “It’s just that… Okay, well take that scene in East Harlem where the cop is looking for his prime suspect. We’re in his head, we know how raw and emotional his feelings are and why. But what does he see on the street?” She waved her hands animatedly in the air as she spoke. “It could have taken place anywhere. It needs the color and the flavor of the place itself. The words need to jump off the page. Have you ever been there?” she asked.

  “Of course.” East Harlem was in his backyard. He was writing from firsthand experience.

  “Well? Then you need to show the ethnic mix, the smells of all the nationalities of food wafting out from the various restaurants. The musical beat of salsa seeping onto the street from open windows.” She snapped her fingers to an imaginary tune. “The chatter of words in a variety of languages and the differing ages of people mingling on the streets.” Her eyes flashed with fire and excitement, dragging him into the world she created with her words and her energy.

  Without even being there, he viewed East Harlem through her eyes, felt as if he were walking the steamy streets at night, experiencing the picture she painted.

  Adrenaline rushed through his body and his brain in a way he’d never felt before. Just like the first night he’d spent with her at her grandmother’s, she’d pumped him up to write once more.

  He leaned close, sealing his lips over hers in a too-brief kiss.

  “What was that for?” she asked, her pupils dilated, her voice husky. “Didn’t I just insult your work?”

  “You brought awareness to my work. And you know all that color and flavor you just had me experiencing?”

  “Yes?” She cocked her head to one side and a lock of hair fell endearingly over her cheek.

  “I’m going to return the favor for you now.” He brushed her hair away with one hand.

  Lexie smiled, more than eager to put aside critique for his hands-on experience. Whatever obstacles stood between them couldn’t compete with the heat they generated under the cove
rs. He reached for her, but she’d already decided that she wanted more control this time. Just to put them on equal footing.

  She hooked her leg around his ankle and using him for leverage, she pulled herself on top of him.

  “Check you out,” he said, approval in his husky voice.

  His pupils dilated, desire darkening his eyes.

  “I think you’ve got this all wrong. I want to check you out.”

  “Please do.” He spread his arms and legs, giving her his glorious body.

  Starting with his mouth, she placed her lips over his, taking her time while she explored with her tongue, tasting, twirling, teasing and hopefully arousing him as much as she was arousing herself.

  He wrapped one arm around her back and pulled her more tightly against him. She allowed him to direct that call only because it thrust her pelvis against his rock-hard erection, separated from her body by nothing but her thin silk panties and his cotton boxer briefs. And if he thought those were going to last long, she intended to teach him otherwise.

  She moved from his lips to nuzzle his neck, inhaling his musky male scent. She trailed her tongue down the corded muscles of his neck, making her way to his chest and caught one nipple between her teeth, alternating between tugging on the distended tip and laving it with her tongue.

  His grip on her back tightened and a rough groan of pleasure reverberated inside his chest. If she’d doubted her power over him, she had no doubts any more. They were equally caught up in this sensual haze. And she was consumed by it. Every ounce of pleasure she gave him caused her own body to react. Her breasts were now heavy, her nipples tight and her underwear damp with desire. And when he reached beneath her T-shirt and cupped her breast in his hand, the pressure felt so good that she arched her back, urging him on.