Slow Ride (9 page)

“Holy heck.” Kyla buried her face into his chest. “That is horrible. But, Cooper,
if this is true, this cop is dangerous, and dangerous cops, especially ones who have
something to hide, have nothing to lose. You could get hurt.”

Cooper tightened his hold on her. “Don’t worry, we got that under control. I’m not
telling you this to scare you. I’m telling you this so you get why I act the way I
do. I do what I fuckin’ well want to, or because something in my gut tells me it’s
the right thing.” He paused, his eyes meeting hers. “And this is the right thing to
do. Just like getting to know you is the right thing to do.”

“All right.” Her voice was breathy as her eyes locked on his. “I just don’t know if
we’re a good idea. You don’t know me.” She started to turn her head until his right
hand cupped her jaw and he held her eyes to his.

“Well then, I’ll be getting to know you.” His thumb traced circles over her skin.
“You intrigue me, Kyla, and you’re by far the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,
so seems kind of natural we see where this goes.”

She finally shook herself out of her thoughts and with a glare asked, “Do I get a
say in this at all?”

He watched her a moment and then laughed softly, his thumb moving to her lower lip.
“Your body pressing up against mine right now, the way you’re staring at my mouth,
that breathy response you just gave . . . you’ve already said it.”

Her eyes narrowed and she tipped her chin up. “Thanks, Mr. Know It All.”

He leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m just reading your body language.”

Kyla watched him closely. Cooper tried to read what was going on in her head, but
other than more flashes, this time of uncertainty, shyness, and a different kind of
fear than before, he couldn’t figure her out. Finally Kyla lifted on her toes and
brushed her lips against his, letting her tongue dance along his lower lip before
settling back on her feet. His body went still at the kiss but only for a moment.
Seeing the chance before him, he took it and grabbed her tightly to his body, his
mouth settling back over hers. Cooper took more than the taste she’d given, and he
didn’t give a fuck. His tongue slid into her mouth and he swallowed the sound of surprise
he heard in her throat.

The surprise didn’t last long though. Soon, Kyla’s body melted into his and she seemed
to be participating just as much as he was. Finally, Cooper pulled back and laced
his fingers into hers. “I’m gonna walk you home now, Kyla.”

That wasn’t an offer, it was an order, but Kyla, seeming a bit dazed, didn’t protest.
In fact, she squeezed his hand as he led her off the pier.

When they reached the parking lot of the motel they could see the party was over and
everyone had scattered. Kyla turned toward him at the bottom of the stairs and tugged
her hand free of his. He let go, reluctantly, surprised when she settled it on his
shoulder. She was on the second step, he was on the ground, making them almost the
same height. His hands went to her waist and then around, his fingers splayed across
her back. She leaned in until her lips touched his. When she pulled back she whispered
“goodnight” against his ear and hauled that sweet ass up the stairs. He moved only
so far as the back of the garage, his eyes on her room until the curtains in the front
window were shut and the lights turned off.

The next three days were a whirlwind, to say the least.

First, she got three more text messages, all of them run-of-the-mill threats. She
forwarded them to her brother to deal with. Kyla didn’t have the time or the inclination
to do so. She was starting over. Things were going good.

That didn’t mean she wasn’t confused.

And most of that had to do with Cooper.

After their conversation on the pier and a sleepless night of worry, she talked herself
out of starting anything with him. No way would she kiss him, or let him kiss her
again. No matter if every part of her body was telling her they were not in agreement
with her brain. She had to steer clear. She had to keep her head on straight. Her
sanity depended on it.

Cooper didn’t get this memo though, as evidenced by the knock on her door the next
morning.

It was 9
A.M.
when the banging started. She dragged herself to the door, still in the shorts and
tank top she’d worn to bed. Her hair was out of the headband she’d had in it last
night, and she didn’t stop to untangle the wild mane on her way to the door.

Instead she just wrenched open the door and snapped, “What?”

All she saw was a wall of chest in a Moretto’s Mechanics shirt standing in front of
her and heard an amused “Mornin’.”

She swallowed. Cooper Moretto standing in her doorway with two to-go cups and a box
in his hands.

“Are you going to let me in?”

She stared a fraction of a second longer than she should have before the words registered
in her brain. She mumbled something and stood aside. Cooper pushed in, heading for
the counter.

“I’ll be right back,” she muttered. She went to the bathroom, took care of her teeth
and hair, and walked back out. Cooper was leaning against the small breakfast bar.

“I got you a chai. And some muffins. Steve said you liked soy milk in the chai and
chocolate chips in your muffins.”

Kyla stopped again, just out of reach, and blinked at him. “Thanks. I do. Wait, why
are you here?”

Cooper flat out grinned. “You’re cute in the morning. I had to go to the bookstore
and needed a coffee. Figured I’d grab something for you and stop by. Is that okay?”

Kyla wasn’t sure. Was it okay? Last night she had decided this was not going to happen.
That nothing would ever happen again. But now, he was there, in her room, buying her
chai and muffins. That wasn’t in the plan.

“Kyla?”

She started, heard the uncertainty in his voice, and saw it in his eyes. She didn’t
like seeing that.

“Yeah, it’s fine. It’s good actually. Thank you.”

She watched in awe as his face softened and he reached an arm out. “Come here.” His
voice was low and rumbly and sent shivers from her head to her toes.

She went to him and without him even touching her she wrapped her arms around his
middle and pressed in tight. She closed her eyes as Cooper’s arms closed around and
folded her into him.

“I’m not very coherent in the morning.” The words came out mumbled against his chest.

She felt his body shake. “I can see that.”

His head dipped and the side of his nose slid along her cheek until her face turned
to his. He found her mouth with his and didn’t hesitate before he plunged his tongue
inside. His hands slid, feather light, up and down her sides. Her hands came up to
his chest and she gripped his t-shirt tightly in her fists, her tongue seeking his
out. When she finally pulled back for a breath, his eyes were liquid heat.

“You kiss me like that and I swear I forget my name.”

It was Kyla’s turn to laugh now. “Must be you, because normally I’m not much into
it.”

The look on his face was one of surprise. “Seriously?”

She squirmed under his gaze. “Yeah. It’s kind of, well, personal. And I don’t . .
. I don’t like getting close or personal. And kissing is personal. Scary personal,
even.” She paused before she said too much. When things had gone bad with Frank, she
stopped kissing him and did everything she could to avoid him kissing her. Kissing
was giving someone all of you, letting them in to experience all that was you. It
was hard to be disinterested or hide that emotion in a kiss. At least for Kyla it
was. She bit her lip and looked up at Cooper. “Sorry. I know I’m weird.”

She backed off, or tried to, stymied by his hands at her back.

“You aren’t weird. You’re guarded, I’ve figured that out. But you aren’t weird.” His
head bent again and he touched his mouth to hers. “I like how you kiss me. You mind
keeping that up?”

She tilted her head to the side and thought about that for second before answering.
“Sure, as long as you don’t piss me off.”

Cooper’s body shook and then she heard his unrestrained chuckling. “All right, I will
try not to piss you off.”

When his arms loosened she moved just to his side, still keeping her body close enough
to his to brush up against, and drank her chai.

“I have to get to work. When you get the sleep out of your eyes, come by so we can
get you started working in the office.”

She had muffin in her mouth, so she nodded and then swallowed. “Yeah. Um, do you sell
those t-shirts in non-hulk size by chance? Maybe in a women’s fit or a tank?”

“You want a tee?”

“Yeah. It’s awesome. I mean, you got the whole dark red lettering and the bike in
the background with the skull on it. It freakin’ rocks.”

He slid behind her, his hands coming around to her belly. “I’ll see what I can do.
Maybe someday I’ll get a look at you walking around my house in nothing but the tee
I’m wearing and some of those panties from your bag.”

“Oh my god” was all Kyla could breathe out as her hand trembled.

Cooper kissed the skin along her shoulder and then her neck, all the way up to her
jaw. “That’s something you might look forward to.”

“Yeah.” Dang it! There was that breathy voice again. She shook her head. “I mean,
maybe, I don’t know. At some point. You’re taking advantage of my sleep-addled brain.
This isn’t fair.”

“All’s fair in love and war, remember that.” He said this on a chuckle and kissed
her quickly on the lips. “I have to go but see you in a bit.”

And with that, he grabbed a muffin and was gone, leaving her breathless and in need
of a cold shower.

That was the kind of morning she’d had.

And now, several hours later, she was once again with Cooper, arguing about how to
get her car fixed.

“We seem to be at an impasse here,” she mumbled as she stuffed her hands in her pockets.
“I don’t have the kind of money it’s going to take to fix her. Or anywhere near that
for that matter. I can see about having it stored somewhere until I start making some
money.”

“Kyla, you’re not storing the car in some random storage shed on the outskirts of
town until you get enough dough to fix it in one shot. Yeah, you’re right, it’s going
to take time and money since this isn’t an easy fix, and some of the parts are special
order. But I don’t use the last bay in the garage. It can sit there and when you get
the money for a part, we’ll get it and I’ll fix it. I won’t charge for labor.”

Kyla gritted her teeth. “You are not fixing this car for free, Cooper.”

“It’s not free. I just am not charging you.”

“No! I won’t be indebted to you or anyone else. I won’t owe anyone anything ever again.
I won’t have it thrown in my face later that you did this for me.”

Her fists were clenched at her sides. The air was thick in the cramped office and
she was hot. She needed air.

“I need to get out. I need to go.” She lurched toward the door as she fought the rising
panic.

Cooper moved as she went for the door and stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder,
the other held around waist. “No, you aren’t running, Kyla. I get it. We had already
decided, you’ll pay for the parts. That was the easy part. We’ll figure something
else out about my labor costs, though I’m telling you I really want to do this for
you. And Lola, working on her. . . Christ, you should be paying me for that privilege.”

“I’m sorry, Cooper. I just . . . this is something I need to do. You, my mom, my brother—you
all want to help me by giving me money or doing something for free, but this isn’t
just about my car. I need to find a way to fix her and pay for it myself. I’m not
trying to be difficult.”

He lifted his hands and placed them on either side of her face. “I know you aren’t.
I just am trying to make this less of a hit on your wallet. I can’t help it; I want
to take care of you. Especially since we’re doing what we’re doing.”

Kyla scowled. “Cooper, this isn’t the Dark Ages. It’s not a man’s job to take care
of his woman, and we aren’t even
near
that stage anyway in whatever is between us, so just . . . god, why are you such
a pain in the ass?” She stomped her foot, her hand slapping at the top of the desk.
Some random files and paperwork went flying. She mumbled a “whoops” and bent over
to pick them up. When she stood she noticed Cooper grinning at her before his face
got serious again.

“First of all, whatever stage we are at means you are my woman, Kyla. And I’m all
for women’s lib, but there are times when a man needs to take care of things, when
we
want
to take care of things for the person we care about.” Despite her narrowed eyes, he
pressed on, “Most men today don’t do it, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t. It’s
probably one of the reasons the world is going to hell in a hand basket.”

She arched a brow as the corners of her mouth tipped up. “Whoa, what do you have here?
Cooper Moretto, world philosopher?”

He flashed a sinfully sexy grin. “I’m a man of many talents.” He waggled his brows
in an overly dramatic way and she burst out laughing.

Kyla was getting her laughter under control when she spoke. “Cooper, stop flirting.
We need to deal with Lola.”

“Slave driver,” he teased and then did get back to the subject of her car. “I’ll get
a price list for the parts. When you got the money for one, we’ll cross it off the
list and order it. When it comes in, I’ll get to working on it. It’ll be piecemeal
and probably take a while, but it’ll only be me who works on it. I can’t have the
guys doing it. First, because it’s your car and I don’t want them touching you or
Lola. And second, I’m swamped here and need them focused on the rest of the customers.”

She opened her mouth, but he held up a finger as his phone rang for the millionth
time since she’d arrived.

As he took the call Kyla glanced around the lobby of the shop, noting that it had
seen better days. A glance into the attached garage area said the same thing. The
place looked like a grease bomb had hit it, repeatedly and without mercy. She started
to sit when Cooper grabbed her upper arm to stop her, nodding at more grease, or something,
on the seat. “For god’s sake, this place is a mess,” she muttered, standing in the
middle of the room away from anything that could possibly leave a stain.