A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Good. ’Cause I’m not planning on pretending that didn’t happen.”
“I don’t think I could if I tried.”
He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, his hand lingering. “Then don’t.”
And for the first time in a long time, the knot in my chest loosened.
“We still have to go to Archie’s,” I reminded him.
“Yeah, we still need to ‘talk’?” He canted his head. “I mean, unless you’ve changed your mind on that.”
Had I?
Running my tongue over my lower lip, I shook my head. “No, I haven’t.” As clarifying as that kiss had been, it also added a whole new layer of confusion. “Coop?—”
“I’m right here, beautiful,” he said, tugging me forward for another hug. Eyes closing, I firmed my grip.
“We’re going to be late.”
“Trust me,” he said, amusement trickling into his voice. “They’ll wait.”
Both of our phones buzzed at the same time. The simultaneous vibrations had me biting my lip even as a snort of laughter escaped me. “Not patiently,” I pointed out and Coop let out an aggrieved sigh.
“Have I ever mentioned how much simpler my life was when it was just you and me?”
Leaning back, I met the teasing light in his eyes. “No, but then—you’d miss the guys if they weren’t around.”
He held his thumb and forefinger together until there was barely any space between them. “Maybe this much.”
“Coop?”
Our phones buzzed again and he rolled his eyes. With a groan, he kept one arm around me as he leaned away and dragged out his phone.
“Bets?” he said, pressing the phone against his chest.
“Archie.” Not a doubt existed in my mind. “You?”
He tilted his head from side to side as if debating it even as I hooked my fingers around the phone in my pocket. “I’m going with Jake.”
I frowned. “Because of the fight?”
“Because he was an ass and he’s struggling with how to make it up to you.” The directness there was not a surprise. “I told him he needed to grovel more.”
“What are we betting on?” The Jake thing still stung and I wasn’t even one hundred percent sure how I felt about it.
“I’m easy,” he murmured. “If I win, I want more kisses.”
“So, if I win, you don’t get more kisses?”
“Not really a win,” he said slowly. “I think you win,youget more kisses.”
“Oh—so we’re not kissing each oth?—”
He pinched me this time but it just made me laugh. “You win, I kiss you.” Firm, almostauthoritative. “I win,youkiss me.”
“Deal,” I said, and we shook on it. Then because I couldn’t help it, I added, “You didn’t say when the kissing would occur, so I hope you take markers.”
He let out a little growl that he only made when I really got him and delight unfurled in me.
