Page 78 of This Time Around
Twenty-Five
Cooper
A distant thumping, scraping sound, almost in my ear, woke me up.I peeled my eyes open, a mass of chocolate brown hair spread out over my chin and chest.Rebecca’s warm body was pressed so close to me I was almost able to ignore the continued, obnoxious sound.
It silenced, and I closed my eyes.
I didn’t fall asleep until long after Rebecca did.Would she regret what we’d done?I’d pushed her faster than I thought, only pulling back from the ultimate connection between us when I realized I didn’t have a condom on me, and I guessed she wasn’t prepared for that either.I still laid awake, fear curling in my gut she’d wake and push against me.Instead, at some point during the night, she curled into me.Her arm had wrapped around my stomach, her thighs tangled with mine.I had kissed her temple, brushing a mess of hair off her face and her eyes had fluttered open.
“You’re awake,” she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.“Go to sleep, Cooper.”
Once she said my name, lips curling into a small smile before she drifted off to sleep again, I followed her.
Now, I forced my eyes to peel open, an obnoxious, buzz then scrape sound almost in my ear again.
“Ugh.”I slapped at my phone I’d put on the nightstand last night when I brought up our wine, grabbed it, and barely processed seeing Max’s name before I connected the call.“What is it, Max?It’s freaking early out there.”
Window blinds across the bed were closed, but light was barely visible.It was still early here.
“Need you to get to Lawrence, Cooper.”
“What?”I slid Rebecca’s arm off my stomach and pushed myself to sitting.
She mumbled something and curled closer, her cheek resting on my lower abdomen as I readjusted myself.Without thought, my hand went to her hair, slid through her silky mane as Max explained.
“Camilla’s refusing to sign the papers until she sees you.”
“Fuck her.”Anger suffused my veins and my jaw ached from trying to stay quiet.
I was spending the day exactly where I was, pressed against Rebecca in her large and incredibly warm and comfortable bed.
“She said you come to her or she’s coming to you.”
That witch.I huffed a laugh.“Bullshit.She can’t find me.”
“That’s not exactly true anymore.”
All my heated veins chilled.“What do you mean?”
“Picture of you flooded through gossip sites late last night.”
Max had held my hand through my entire career.I’d sat in meetings while he bulldozed publicists and directors and producers.I’d listened as he sweet talked vindictive ex-spouses and their team of money hungry lawyers.Never had I heard him sound this pissed.
All that ice in my veins turned arctic.“Max.You’re fucking with me.”I swung my legs off the bed, my feet smacking on the carpet.Shit.The last thing I needed was to wake up Rebecca.Gently, I re-covered her with the comforter and hurried as quietly as I could to my clothes piled in the bathroom where I’d ditched them last night.“Tell me what happened.”I grabbed my jeans and tugged them on.
“Yeah, you were shoveling food into your mouth at what looked like Down Home, and I’m not guessing, I would never forget those red Formica tabletops and it’s Rebecca’s favorite.Good shit, isn’t it?”
I was on gossip sites and the man was talking about food.I tugged on my hair so hard my roots ached.People glanced at me, that look they gave when they thought I looked familiar but weren’t certain, but no one had approached.
Apparently someone was curious enough to snap a photo.I shouldn’t have been surprised.It came with my job.It was the risk I took in not wearing a wig, but the idea of seeing Rebecca splashed all over gossip sites rattled me.
Shit.No way in hell would I let Camilla come here, but hell if I wanted to take off.Not today of all days.“When do I need to be there?”
My gaze caught on Rebecca and all her black hair spread now all over the side of the bed I’d slept on.Her back was to me but she’d moved because the comforter I draped over her was gone.She had a light colored mole halfway down her back, right at the center of her spine.The curve of her body.Damn it.
I wanted more of her and not just her body, as sweet and sexy as it was.
“I’ve already got my private jet in the air.It’ll be in Lawrence in a couple hours.”
