“I don’t have to be back by any particular time. June has her.”
He spins around with a sly look. “You checking me out, stubborn?”
My mouth goes dry, and I can feel every single thud of my heart like it’s hitting me, over and over again, forcing me to pay attention.
“So the fair is coming up, and I was wondering if you wanted to come?” he asks, nervously.
“With you and Naomi?” I ask.
He nods, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck.
Cooper is extending his hand, bringing me into the fold of his family for the first time. How can I say no?
“I would love to,” I rasp.
“Cool,” he says, grinning widely.
“Is this part of convincing me to stay?” I ask him.
He rubs a thumb over his mustache and says, “Maybe.”
Then he saunters up to me and leans over. “This is too.” He cups my cheeks tenderly and presses his sweet lips to mine. My knees shake and my heart flops and I don’t think I’m swimming anymore — I’m drowning.
I sigh into his mouth. His mustache tickles my lips.
He groans and lingers on my mouth for a moment before he presses our foreheads together.
I take a breath and say, “So I was thinking we could watch a movie and make out like teenagers.”
Cooper laughs and cups my cheek again, rubbing his thumb over the apple of my cheek. “We can do that, but maybe we should act more our age,” he says, amused.
I lick my lips, thinking about the list of things that could mean. “So no awkward petting then?”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “When you touch me, it’s far from awkward.”
I hum and pad into the living room. “Have you seenSay Anything?”
“I’ve been watching princess movies for the past five years, so no can’t say I have.”
A giggle bursts from my lips, and find the DVD to put it in the player.
“What’s so special about it?” Cooper asks, dropping onto the sofa.
“You’ll see.”
Plopping down next to Cooper, he pulls me to his side and watches the movie with rapt attention, periodically kissing my temple or rubbing circles on my shoulder as if he can’t help but touch me.
When we get to my favorite part of the movie, I glance at him.
“What?” he asks, still watching the screen.
I smile to myself and rest my head on his shoulder.
“Come on, tell me,” he says.
“The first time I saw this movie, I’ve always wondered what that would be like,” I say, pointing at the screen.
“A breakup?” he asks.
