The corner of Cooper’s mouth tips up and he lifts his thumb as if to wipe his beard, but I know he’s trying to hide the smug smirk.
“Ibegto differ, but it will be for entirely different reasons than you’re thinking,” he says roughly.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” he asks, taking a step closer.
“We’re arguing right now, and I really want to ask you to leave,” I say quickly, as my heart leaps into my throat.
I don’t want to admit it’s fair that we haven’t bared our souls to each other. He’s right, it’s been five minutes in a manner of speaking, and with a child involved, I respect his need for privacy. If I were in his place, I might feel the same.
“Do you want me to leave, Mae?” he asks, coming to stand in front of me, caging me in with his strong arms.
I tilt my head back to look at him. All at once annoyed, attracted, and weak, as he leans down.
“You can tell me to stop at any time, stubborn. Just say the word,” he murmurs across my lips.
I whimper, and he smiles, still keeping his mouth hovering above mine.
“I should knee you in the balls,” I mutter.
His tongue dips out to wet his lip and ends up brushing mine. My thighs squeeze involuntarily.
“I told you I like you feisty,” he says.
“Why?”
Cooper tilts his head to lean his forehead against mine. “Because it undoes something in you. It’s the Mae you keep locked up tight behind that wall of yours.”
“This conversation was about you, Cooper,” I mutter.
He chuckles. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he says, as if it’s a foregone conclusion and I didn’t threaten to knee him in the balls.
He leans in, pressing his lips gently to mine, and then cups my face in his hands.
I melt.
I kind of hate myself for giving into it. But damn, he’s a good kisser, and though I’m not happy with this conversation, he makes me feel like I’m not floundering anymore. I’m exactly where I need to be.
Cooper tilts my head back, and I open for him. His tongue dips into my mouth, ridding me of any other thought, and I lean into him. I soak it up, only to let him wring me out again.
The timer goes off, making me jump, and he pulls back on a chuckle and says, “Naomi is actually my niece, not my biological daughter. Her mother, my sister, dropped her off as a toddler and left. She’s never come back, hasn’t called, nothing. So far as I’m concerned, she is my child, and I am her father.”
“Why did you feel the need to hide that from me?” I ask him.
He shrugs. “Everyone in this town knows about me and Naomi, but you didn’t. I wanted you to see me for me before you learned the rest.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t like your family situation?”
Cooper shrugs, dropping his hands. “I don’t know because you don’t communicate much with me except when a little tipsy.”
I roll my eyes, and he chuckles. “It’s nothing you need to worry about, and thank you for trusting me.”
Cooper nods and rubs the back of his neck. “Is the dough ready?” he asks.
Done with the topic, we get to work on assembling the pizza and getting it in the oven to cook.
We wash a few of the dishes together. Cooper dries and I put them away.
