Chaser(2)

Cooper was nowhere to be seen.

I let out the breath I’d been holding. “See? Not lying. I was just masturbating.”

A laugh bubbled out of Lily. “I love you. Sorry to interrupt. Let me just grab some stuff and I’ll leave you to it.”

I smiled, but it was half-assed as I scanned the room for any sign of him. There was nothing, just my rumpled, fluffy bedding and my clothes in a pile at the foot of the bed. I was all of a sudden very glad he’d kept his clothes on.

And then I saw the closet door. It was only open a crack, but we rarely went in there — it just wasn’t big enough to use for anything useful. I knew for a fact that it was closed before I’d left the room.

My heart went nuts again as I took a seat on my bed as far as I could get from the closet in the hopes it would divert Lily. “How was work?”

She set her bag on her neatly made bed and turned for her dresser. “Long and difficult and amazing, as usual.” She dug through her drawer. “What’d you do today?”

Cooper. I threaded my fingers in my lap and squeezed to help me focus. “I made some headway on jobs, have a few leads. I decided my vacation is over. I’ve been in New York for three weeks and haven’t done anything but sightsee and sleep.”

“And Mr. M. You’ve been doing a lot of him.” She snickered.

I blushed, thinking about him hiding in the closet. “Yes, and him.”

“I’m happy for you, though. After everything that happened with Jimmy, I’m sure this is a welcome change of pace. No commitment, and all that.” She tossed some clothes into her open bag.

The last thing I needed was commitment after breaking up with my fiancé. On our wedding day. After I caught him porking my maid of honor. “Definitely,” I said with a smile and swiftly changed the subject. “What are you guys up to tonight?”

“Dinner, then Habits. You should meet up with us.”

“Maybe I will.”

She held up some lingerie and waggled her eyebrows at me before stuffing it in her bag.

I wrinkled my nose and laughed. “He’s still my brother, you know.”

“Which is why I won’t tell you what I’m going to do to him when I put these on.”

“Thanks for sparing me the visual,” I added flatly.

She laughed as she zipped up her bag and slung it on. “Well, I’m off. Hope you’re next. You know where the batteries are.”

I blushed again. “I’m good, thanks.”

Lily waved as she passed by. “Bye, Mags. I’ll text you when we get to Habits.”

“All right. Have fun.” I called after her, not moving until I heard the door close. I let out a thousand-pound breath and hopped off the bed.

When I pulled open the closet door, I busted out laughing. Cooper was almost sideways in the closet, his long body bent like the saddest version of Tetris I’d ever seen around a stack of shoeboxes, a pair of snow boots, a small suitcase, and a few dresses that hung mostly in his face.

Somehow, he didn’t look affected, just smiled crookedly at me, his dark hair mussed and hanging a little in his face. “You found me.”

“You look ridiculous,” I said with a laugh. “Come here.”

He hauled himself out of the closet and stepped into me in almost a single motion, slipping his hand around my waist. “I wasn’t through with you.”

My body was pressed against his once more, and I smiled up at him. “That was too close.”

“I know. But I can’t say I didn’t enjoy listening to you and Lily talk about me like I wasn’t hiding in your closet.”

My hands slipped up his chest and around his neck. “I bet.”

“So,” he pulled me a little closer, “you call me Mr. M?”

“Well, it was Mystery Man, but that ended up shortened to Mr. M, which I think is funnier anyway, given that’s your actual initial.”

“Maybe I should come up with one for you so I can talk to your brother about us.”

“Ew.” I laughed and batted at his chest.

“Mystery Woman. Miss W. Works both ways.” He backed me up, smiling when I hit the bed. I hung onto his neck as he lowered me onto the mattress. “So what else have you told Lily about me?” His fingers found the tie of my bathrobe and tugged.

My heart fluttered as I watched his hand slip under the fabric and up to my breast. “Oh, just that you’re a rocket in the sack.”

He smirked and opened my robe slowly, deliberately, exposing my naked torso. “Is that so?”

Our legs tangled together, and I smiled at him innocently, even though I was already aching for him. “Mmhmm. I like to make everyone jealous with tales of your prowess. Well, except Lily. I’ve gotta be careful or she’ll start talking about her sex life, which involves my brother.”