Coop’s brows dipped as he rubbed his chin. She was annoying him and picking at his resolve, but no matter what she said, or how she explained, he’d never truly understand and probably would remain a skeptic. It was his right. She wasn’t here to change his mind. That would be like asking him to believe in mermaids. No one was perfect.
Cara finished eating in silence as Coop excused himself to take a shower. She took a quick walk down the beach and made a few calls to check on Ian to make sure he wasn’t having an orgy. Then she called to check on Adam before she returned to the cabana. Coop was lounging on the bed in all his shirtless glory, the sheet pulled to his waist, teasing her imagination as to what might lie underneath. She couldn’t deny that she was intrigued by him and his looks, more than she should be.
The light from the lamp played across his toned, tan abs, the dips and valleys disappearing under the linen in a rather enticing display. Cara swallowed hard and fought to lick her lips.
“There’s only one bed.”
“I know. I guess my sister didn’t plan for everything.” Cara walked into the room and grabbed a T-shirt from her bag. She turned her back and changed into the long shirt before discarding her shorts. She grabbed the extra pillows in the closet and stacked them down the middle to separate their bodies.
“No offense. It’s not that I don’t trust you.” It was more like she didn’t trust herself. When was the last time she’d slept next to such male perfection? With her luck, she’d molest him in her sleep, and her visions would go into overdrive, much like her hormones. None of his secrets would be safe.
His lips twisted up at the corners. “How do you do it?”
“That’s a loaded question. You have to be a bit more specific,” she answered, crawling into bed.
“How can you be intimate if touching someone wears you out?”
Cara shifted the covers over her abdomen, and she turned to face him, resting her cheek in her palm. “When I touch someone for the first time, I getflashes of their entire life: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It doesn’t matter. Once the initial touch is over, then the next time that person and I touch, it’s just like an update of the things that happened since the first touch, so it’s less powerful and much quicker. It’s how I knew your brother had cheated on me.”
She swallowed around the lump in her throat and ignored the ping in her chest. It shouldn’t still have the power to hurt her, yet every time she thought of it, the wounds broke open. She didn’t know how much of it was because she’d thought herself in love with him, and how much was from the fact that she’d trusted the wrong man. Her gut instinct had malfunctioned, much like that one time she’d tried to light a grill. Her eyebrows still hadn’t grown fully back.
“Must be hard for the other person to be so exposed and unable to keep anything secret or plan surprises.”
Cara hadn’t thought what it meant for the other person. “I guess.”
“So I’m betting one-night stands are out of the question for you.”
A smile split her lips. “You’d be right.”
“Pity.” He winked.
Pity? Was he flirting with her or mocking her? It was hard to tell. Rolling over, she stared up at the ceiling as his soft snores quickly filled the quiet, darkroom.Pity.Why did that one word hold so much power? It had been awhile since she’d indulged in male’s interest in her, so she was going to blame her sex-starved body for the reaction that one word evoked. She tingled in places that had lain dormant. She closed her eyes and couldn’t help but wonder…what if.
Chapter Six
Cara’s eyesflew open to the feel of a heavy arm draped over her stomach. The pillows that had separated them the night before were at the bottom of the bed. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as she waited for the visions to hit, preparing herself for the flashes from Coop’s life and the physical effects of having them. She clenched her eyes closed and braced herself.
Nothing. She blinked her eyes several times and turned her head. Coop was sound asleep. Had that been why she didn’t see anything? The ladylike thing to do would have been to slip out of the bed and hope not to wake him, yet shecouldn’t move. The warmth of his arm pinned her in place, and she relished the feel, even savored it like a starved, deprived woman.
“Coop.” Her voice came out in a whisper. Coop didn’t budge.
She cleared her throat and spoke louder. “Coop.”
Still nothing.
“Cruz,” she said even louder. His sleepy gaze met hers.
“It’s too early, Cara. Go back to sleep.”
Nothing. He was awake, and there was no onslaught of visions, nothing from his life. “Cooper, you’re touching me.”
Coop’s eyes shot open, and his body tensed before he yanked his arm away. “I’m so sorry, Cara. What did you see?”
“Nothing. I saw nothing.” She stared at him in disbelief. No other human being had ever had the same effect.
Why had she not seen a thing? She couldn’t fathom an answer in the uncharted territory. It left her both baffled and intrigued, fighting the urge to run her hands over every inch of his body. She’d never encountered a person who didn’t trigger a vision.
“How is that possible? I thought you saw everyone.”
