Page 34 of Cooper’s Passion

“You’re here now. You and Anita can watch him for a little while. I’ll be back soon. Besides, it’s time for his nap anyway. And Luther and Katie won’t be out late.” He pushed the door open. “See you.”

A moment later, Wesley was gone.

Cooper made a grimace. “I guess we’re on babysitting duty until either he or Luther and Katie are back.”

Anita met his gaze with a smirk. “How much trouble can a little boy like this be?”

“You have no idea!”

For starters, the little vampire hybrid had already developed a taste for blood. It was only a matter of time, until Anita noticed that Jacob’s sharp teeth were actually fangs that he could extend at will. It was best to make sure the little boy was sleeping so he couldn’t cause any more trouble. Luckily, Cooper had been able to quickly close the tiny wounds caused by Jacob biting into Anita’s biceps by kissing the spot and depositing a small amount of saliva on it to close the puncture wounds instantly. Anita hadn’t been the wiser, and he hoped he could keep it that way until he’d gained her trust and secured her affection, before he had to come clean about what he was.

Cooper took the wok off the stove. “You hungry?”

“I could eat a horse.”

“How about a cow?” He took two plates and spooned a good amount of the beef stir-fry on both.

“What are we gonna do with this guy?” She brought her face to Jacob, and her voice changed when she addressed the toddler. “Are you gonna let the grownups eat?”

Jacob snatched strands of her blonde hair. “Na. Na.”

“I think he means no.” Cooper took some cutlery and walked toward the arch that connected the kitchen with the dining and living area. “There’s a playpen in the living room. Let’s put him in there.”

Anita followed him as he walked into the dining room and placed the plates on the table.

“I’ll get us something to drink.”

He walked back into the kitchen, and by the time he’d brought a serving tray with glasses, water, and wine, Anita had placed Jacob in the playpen, where the boy was crawling around, babbling happily.

Cooper joined her at the table, and they began to eat. He wasn’t very hungry anymore. The two bottles of blood he’d guzzled when they’d dropped off Anita’s luggage were still keeping him satiated. But he didn’t want Anita to wonder why he wasn’t eating, so he forced himself to eat the stir-fry.

“This is delicious,” Anita praised as she put another forkful of food into her mouth and chewed.

“Thanks.”

“Did you learn cooking from your mother?”

“No, she doesn’t really cook.” And why should she? She didn’t eat either. “I taught myself. And I got a few tips from my aunt, Katie, and of course from Wes. He’s an excellent cook.”

“He seems really nice. But he looks so young. I can’t believe he’s your uncle.”

Of course, Anita had noticed that. Time to use his usual excuse. “Oh, he’s older than he looks. And we all have good genes.” He pointed to his own face. “I mean, look at me. You said yourself that I look like I’m a college kid.”

“Yeah, you do. I feel like Mrs. Robinson.”

Cooper laughed at her reference of the movie The Graduate. He winked at her. “I think I have a little more experience than Dustin Hoffman in that movie.”

Anita promptly blushed, and the sight delighted him. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. If they didn’t have work to do right now, he would toss her on the couch and make love to her. But there would be time for that later.

He pointed to her empty plate. “Want some more?”

“No. I’m full, thanks. We should go through my files.”

“Let’s do that. I’ll clear the dishes, and then we can start.”

“I’ll help you.”

He put his hand on her shoulder. “Just relax. I’ve got it.”

It took him only a few minutes to take care of the dishes and tidy up the kitchen. When he returned to the dining room, he saw that Anita had spread out her files on the coffee table in the living room and was sitting on the couch. Jacob was still in his playpen, but he was lying on the soft cushions, his eyes closed.

Cooper approached quietly and took a seat next to Anita on the sofa. He put his arm around her back and leaned in. “How about a kiss for the chef?”

Anita brushed her lips over his, and he accepted her invitation and kissed her, while he pulled her closer to his body. He angled his head for a deeper exploration and dueled with her tongue. She was just as receptive as she’d been the previous night, and his hunger for her was growing again. But they had important things to do. Making love to her would have to wait.

Cooper severed the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “Damn, Anita, you get me so hot.”

She chuckled. “Maybe you shouldn’t kiss me if you can’t handle the consequences.”

“Hmm. You little vixen. Trust me, I can handle you. I’ll prove it to you later. But right now, we’ve got work to do.”

“Okay, let’s get to it then.” She turned toward the coffee table and picked up a file. “Here’s an overview of what I’ve found.”