"My brother Tuck lives in a condo in town with Maddy," Bailey explained as we exited her SUV. "Coop lives in the apartment over the garage. My room is in the house, but I'm not allowed to let strangers inside. Can you wait out here?"
Glancing around nervously, I nodded.
"We have a lot of big dogs. Don't freak if they run up to you," Bailey said, walking away. "Coop trains the monsters and they won't bite. They just like scaring people."
For the next few minutes, I stood in the large gravel driveway and waited. Hearing noises, I moved towards the house and saw those monster dogs running around. Rottweilers and a few Pit Bulls, they chased each other around except for one who only had eyes for Cooper.
I considered retreating and waiting in the car. My brain said to stay away, but my heart wanted to check out Cooper. He looked really sexy sitting shirtless and barefoot on the ground as he gave the dog a good hard rubbing. Wearing jeans, he seemed young and less intimidating. Whatever my reasoning, I walked to where he could see me and waited for him to notice.
When Cooper pressed his nose against the dog's, the giant animal licked him. Instead of being grossed out like I would have been, Cooper laughed. He was still grinning when he saw me. His eyes did the usual survey of me from head to toe, lingering an extra second on my breasts before he focused on my face.
"That's the girl making me crazy," Cooper told the dog that licked him again. "Yeah, I'd pay big money to get her to show me half as much love as you do, Plum."
Stepping closer, I focused on Plum. "Bailey says you train dogs."
"You talk about me a lot?" he asked, ignoring my question.
"Constantly. I'm a huge fan."
"Prove it."
"How?"
"Dinner tonight."
"Will you wash off the dog spit first?" I asked, giving into the idea of dinner with him. One dinner to answer my questions about us.
Cooper finally gave me a smile he saved for his dogs. An almost boyish grin hiding much of the menacing glare I normally focused on.
"Where do you want to eat?"
"I don't care."
"Why?" he asked, his smile gone. "Because you'll just go through the motions to get me off your back?"
"No, I've eaten a lot of crappy food lately and anywhere new would be a nice change."
Giving me a quick nod, Cooper smiled slightly. "Can you wear your hair down?"
Without thinking, I touched my ponytail. "Sure," I muttered, self-conscious now. "Should I wear any particular outfit?"
Cooper lost his smile again. "Whatever. I just like your hair down because you look less like my waitress and more like my date. I guess that makes me a dick."
Backing away, I felt nervous under his glare. Cooper gave the dog's head a good caress and then left the animal and walked to me.
"It doesn't have to be this difficult. Why do you make it that way?"
"I have issues."
Cooper gave me a half smile. "Messed up chicks are hot."
"That explains why you're so into me. I'm super messed up."
Fully smiling now, he stepped a little closer. "Wear your hair any way you want." Nodding, I inched away from him and Cooper sighed. "Never in my life has it been this much work."
"I still think that's the real reason you're so hot for me. You want the chase."
"No, I want you."
Shivering at the need behind his words, I shrugged. "I think you'd lose interest if I gave you what you wanted."
Running a hand through his damp blond hair, Cooper looked over my head at the beautiful view and then his gaze returned to me.
"Let me ask you this, Farah. If you want rid of me and I'll blow you off once I'm done fucking you, why don't you just let me fuck you? Is it that you think I might not go away and you'll be forced to admit something else is happening here?"
"No."
Grinning at my lie, Cooper moved closer. "Anything special you want me to wear tonight?"
I smiled despite my best efforts. "Don't get all dressed up on my account, Coop. I'd think you were plenty pretty even if you showed up in sweats."
Laughing in his deep way that I felt to my core, Cooper reached out to touch my face. I backed away because he was all kinds of bad news. While I planned to put his question to the test and get rid of him for good, I wasn't ready yet. Cooper sighed heavily when I dodged his affections.
"Don't cry," I said, giving him a grin. "I still like you. I just don't want the dog's sloppy seconds."
Smiling slightly, he studied my face. "I'm not giving up. If you keep running, I'll keep chasing. I know what I want and I'm not pissing it away because you have issues."
"Right because there'd be no logical reason to avoid getting involved with you."
"No, there wouldn't."
"You sleep around. You beat on people. You aren't exactly the warm and cuddly type."
Cooper shoved his hands into his pockets. "You don't know what type I am because you see what you want."
"Trust me that you're not nearly as mysterious as you think."
"And you're full of shit. You want this too, but it's easier to pretend I'm the problem."
Moving away from him, I frowned. "No, you're right. It's better if I give in so you can treat me like shit."
"Why the fuck would I?"
"Because that's how you treat all those other girls."
"You're not like them."
"How do you know? You fuck those girls and then throw them away like used condoms. They might be exactly like me, but you wouldn't know. You never fucking talk to them. If I had fucked you that first night, you'd have tossed me aside without talking to me too."
"Bullshit. You wouldn't have fucked me the first night."
Stepping back, I glared at him. "I'm not pure. I'm not the good girl. Just like they're not whores. People are complicated, but you see what you want. You judge them worthy of your time and then dismiss them. You'll do it with me and I'll be lucky to have gotten screwed by you."
"Fuck!" Cooper yelled, startling me a foot off the ground. "You won't let me show you. You think this shit about me and you won't let me do anything different. You won't let me do anything period."
"I don't want to go to dinner," I said, crossing my arms.
Hurrying towards the front of the house, I hoped Bailey was around. Somehow, I sensed she knew what was happening and decided to keep herself invisible.
When Cooper grabbed me around the waist and forced me to face him, I thought to struggle. Yet I knew how men like him reacted to a challenge. Instead, I waited for him to make his move. If he pushed me too far, I would fight. I'd lose, but I'd hurt him a little too.
"Just let me show you," Cooper said.
"Show me what?"
"Those girls aren't you. Let me show you what I see when I look at you. Stop telling me who and what I am and just let me show you."
"You're not my type."
"I'm exactly your type. That's why you're shaking. You're afraid if you get a taste that you'll never want to let go."
"I'm shaking because you yelled at me and grabbed me. You're violent and I'm afraid of you."
Cooper let go and stepped back. "I hit assholes, not girls."
"I guess."
"You can keep running, but I'm not fucking kidding about chasing you. I won't give up until you give me a chance. A real chance to show you who I am and what I see happening between us. You can talk about used condoms and me being a scary slut or whatever, but until you give me a chance, I'm not letting you go. If you really think I'm that guy and I don't give a shit about you, go to dinner. What harm is there in that?"
"I don't want to encourage you."
"Every time you look at me … Hell, every fucking breath you take encourages me. Just knowing you exist encourages me because I can't get you out of my head and that doesn't happen with me. If I don't want to think about something, I just don't. I can't do that with you, so I'm not giving up until you let me show you who I am."
"If I go out with you tonight and want to leave, you'll let me?"
"I'm not keeping you chained up if that's what you mean?"
"You know what I mean. I don't have a car. It's like the night after work when you had complete power over where we went and how long we stayed there. I want your word that if I want to go home, you won't play those games."
A frowning Cooper scratched at the angel tattoo on his left arm. "You have to give me a real chance, though. No playing your hot and cold games. You want me. I can see it in your eyes and I know you're full of shit when you act like you want to be my friend. I know you want more and I want you to try tonight. If it doesn't work out, I'll back off. If you fuck around though, I'm not walking away."
Based on Cooper's expression, he wasn't kidding. When I nodded, the anger around his jaw eased and he stepped a little closer
"I know a nice place," he said softly. "Good food. Calm. It's where I should have taken you the first time."
"What should I wear?"
"It doesn't matter," he said, brushing his fingers against my cheek. "The place is casual, but nice. You'll like it."