She kept her expression emotionless. “Okay. What is it you wanted to say?”
“In a minute.” He glanced behind her. “After you invite me in.”
Her chest tightened. “Why would I do that?”
Coop’s brows turned inward. “Why wouldn’t you? I mean, Ididdrive all this way to see you one last time before you left to go wherever it is you’re going.”
“I never asked you to come here.”
Shit.She was doing it again. But, damn it, the situation was already hard enough. His being here made it a billion times harder.
Acting as if her snippy comment didn’t affect him in the least, he lifted a shoulder. “Didn’t have to ask me, Mac. That’s what partners are for, right?” He gave her a quick wink, followed by a sexy half-smirk that made her heart skip. “Besides, I’m dying of thirst and could really use a drink before the drive home.”
She knew what he was doing because he’d done this sort of thing before. Coop would continue to come up with excuse after excuse, wearing her down until she finally agreed to give him what he wanted.
Too bad he isn’t asking for something else.
Clearing her throat again, because she didnotjust think that, Mac said, “Fine. One drink and then you’re leaving.” She stepped aside to give him room.
“Fair enough.”
As he slid past, Coop’s arm brushed against her. She schooled her expression, determined not to let him see how strongly that slight touch, along with his familiar scent, affected her.
It wasn’t something that came from a bottle. She’d only ever smelled it when he was near. All spicy male and musk, the scent was one hundred percent Sean Cooper, and it instantly made her feel comforted. Safe.
It also made her want to jump his bones. Every. Single. Time.
Hating the idea that any one person could have such an effect on her, Mac closed her door with a bit too much force. She re-engaged the locks and quickly set the alarm—a habit she couldn’t afford to break.
When Coop looked at her questioningly, she blew it off with a shrug. “Girl can’t be too careful.”
Walking past, she refused to look him in the eye as she asked, “What would you like? Water? Tea? Something stronger?”
Lord knows she was definitely in need of a drink herself.
“Surprise me,” he answered from behind her.
Stronger, it is.
The apartment was small but had always seemed the perfect size for her. With him in it, however, it was like the oxygen had been sucked right out of the place. She couldn’t breathe.
In the seven years they’d been on Alpha Team, Coop had never been to her home—for this very reason.
She could handle being with him at the shooting range with the team or hiding in a tree somewhere while waiting to take out the bad guy. Being with him here? Alone? This was different and too damn risky.
Because lately, hiding her true self from him was becoming harder and harder to do.
“Nice place,” he spoke from the other room. His smooth voice rolled through her. “More colorful than I expected.”
With her back to him, Mac’s lips curled up into a tiny smile. Her apartmentwascolorful. The backdrop was stark white—walls, furniture, carpet. But everything else was bright. Vibrant. It was ridiculous, but knowing Coop liked it made her happy.
So much of her world was filled with darkness and death. But here, in her home, Mac did what she could to surround herself with the colors of life.
Setting the pistol back into the drawer where it belonged, she grabbed two short glasses from the still-open cabinet. Pouring two fingers’ worth of whiskey into each one, Mac twisted the cap onto the bottle before carrying the drinks back into the living room, where Coop waited.
“Here. Hope this is okay.”
“Thanks.” Studying the books on the bookshelf next to her electric fireplace, his lips quirked as he took the glass.
