"I guess a ride home would only be fair, but I want you to know I'm using you when I agree to this."
Cooper grinned and then leaned down to kiss me again. I kept this kiss brief too, making him sigh.
"Wanna go for a ride first?" he asked, nuzzling my hair.
"I need to study."
"A short ride," he said, finally giving me a hug.
Like an idiot, I shuddered at the feel of him. Giving him all of the power again, I couldn't stay angry. At least, not when he was gentle, but now I knew he wouldn't always be gentle. Sometimes, he would scare the shit out of me, embarrass me, and treat me like a possession.
Looking up at him, I found his gaze soft like from the weekend. "I should go home."
"A short ride to relax you. Just imagine the wind in your hair on this hot, damn day," he said, his fingers teasing my scalp. "We could stop and have a quick dinner. You've had a tough day. Why not enjoy a free dinner from the one who fucked things up?"
"I know what you're doing."
Cooper's dark eyes studied my face and then he smiled. "I really am crazy about you. Let me make it up to you."
"What about Nick?" I asked, daring him to freak out again.
His jaw twitching, Cooper shrugged. "He's a guy. He gets it. In fact, I think he's hot for one of those giggly blondes in class. Shar, I think is the one. No need for me or anyone else to care about old Nick."
"So I can study with him?"
Cooper narrowed his eyes and exhaled hard. "Why him?"
"He's in a bunch of my classes, and he takes great notes."
"Great notes? Is that code?"
"I waited all day to see you, Coop," I said, placing my hand on his chest where I knew the cross tat was hiding under his white tee. "I missed you and then you ruined everything by focusing on him. Will you keep doing that? I need you to focus on me."
"You want me, right? Not him."
"I want you so much, but I think it's a mistake. You obviously don't trust me."
"Don't make it about trust. It's not even about you."
"What the hell does that mean?" I asked, removing my hand.
Cooper looked ready to grab my hand and return it to his chest. I saw him fight the urge and then he forced a smile. A really fake smile that never reached his eyes.
"It's about me. It's about my feeling like someone is trying to take away what I need. You aren't doing anything. I just can't have a man sniffing around my girl."
"He's not sniffing around me."
"Don't be naïve."
"You said he liked Shar."
"Why do you care who he likes?"
Backing away, I sighed. "I'm taking the bus home."
"No, wait," he said, wrapping his arms around me as I retreated. "Look, I'm jealous. That's not a bad thing, is it? If you saw me with some chick, wouldn't you be jealous?"
"Yes, but I wouldn't freak out and scare everyone."
"That's because you're classy. I was raised to be a caveman, though. I should get credit for not taking you by the hair and dragging you back to my cave. You know, after clubbing your boyfriend to death first."
"You're nuts."
"I'm teasing you."
"Not completely," I said, staring at him in horror.
"No, not completely. Well, I'm not kidding about clubbing him to death, but I'd never drag you back to my cave. Me want woman to want it bad."
Grinning, I shook my head and turned away. "I feel like encouraging you is wrong. If I don't punish you, how else will you learn?"
Wrapping me up in his arms again, he nuzzled my hair. "That's not how people learn, baby. Positive reinforcement works better. Lots of treats to reward good behavior."
"What good behavior?" I asked, leaning back against him.
"The good behavior of me driving you to a quiet place where we can eat and talk. Then the good behavior of driving you home so you can study a little before work. Then the very good behavior of me tipping you something crazy tonight at work."
"I do like tips," I said, grinning again.
"Oh, and I love giving them. I also love giving you rides and meals. I'm so generous that way. It's enough to offset my asshole behavior."
"Almost enough."
"Sure, whatever," he said, kissing me.
Pressing myself against Cooper, I tried to forget what happened mere minutes before, but I couldn't. I had grown up believing around every corner was a threat. Yet Cooper wasn't around a corner. He was in my arms and had too much power over me. While I still wanted him to be mine, I was beginning to realize what I wanted wouldn't matter. Cooper got what he wanted, and I'd just have to survive it.
Chapter Twelve
The next day in the middle of my Government class, Cooper appeared at the door and gestured for me to come outside. At first, I thought he looked nervous and then realized he was in hurry.
"I need to leave town for a day or two to handle something," Cooper said, twirling my hair in his fingers. "I wanted to tell you before I left, so you wouldn't read too much into it."
"Is everything okay?" I asked, touching his chest.
Cooper only smiled. "I'm going to miss the hell out of you, Farah."
"Just a day or two?"
"Will you miss me?"
"Of course," I said as my heart raced. "Why are you leaving?"
"I need to handle something for my pop and Tucker's coming with me. It'll only be two days at the most."
"I'll miss you," I babbled, feeling uneasy with him leaving. "Be careful."
Cooper grinned. "It's nothing, baby. I went ahead and arranged to have Skye drive you home from school each day and to work. My buddy Aaron will pick you up from work and take you home."
"That's not ne … "
"Haven't you heard about the assholes harassing girls around here?" When I shook my head, Cooper sighed. "Every year when school starts, new assholes arrive and see what they can get away with. The assholes this year have grabbed a few girls and nearly raped another. Until we find out who they are, you're not safe to travel alone."
"I can … "
"This isn't up for discussion. If you want, I'll have Aaron tail your busses home. Whatever way it happens, I need to know you're safe. I'm making the same arrangements for Bailey and Skye. That's why she can't pick you up after work. I don't want you out at night without a guy or a group of girls around. These idiots will hit a few girls alone, but more than three and they pussy out. I don't blame them. A girl managed to mace one of the fuckers. Too bad he got away and is still out there."
Cooper grinned at the idea of a girl using mace. "Anyway, I can't leave town and worry about you. As long as you're at school and work, I know you're cool. It's traveling between that makes me nervous. Do this for me, okay? No bitching about me controlling shit. Just let my friend drive you home."
"Who is Aaron?"
"He and I own a tattoo place," Cooper said, wrapping me in his arms. "I shelled out the cash, and he's the artist. Known him since middle school. Solid guy and he'll make sure you're safe."
I didn't know what my face looked like, but a smiling Cooper caressed my cheek.
"He's not scary. Yes, he's sporting a snake up his neck and a shaved head, but the guy's the real sensitive type. Probably writes poetry."
Grinning now, I sighed. "I'm sorry. New people freak me out."
"New, tattooed people are the worst, aren't they?" he said, holding me tighter. "I will be back soon, and we'll hang out. Oh, and don't take shifts for this weekend. I want to make up for lost time, kay?"
Nodding, I stared up at him, suddenly afraid he wouldn't be mine once he returned. Cooper likely sensed my fear because he kissed me as if making very clear how he wasn't done with me yet.
The rest of the afternoon sucked, and I wasn't interested in hanging out with Skye. Her life revolved around Tyler, and I doubted she was happy to give up time with him to follow Cooper's commands. No matter how she felt, though, Skye showed up for lunch and talked the whole time about Tyler. Her enthusiasm was funny and distracting.
After class, she insisted I hang out at her dorm where we ordered a pizza and studied. This last part ended as soon as the food arrived.
"I wish Tyler were Jewish so my parents could meet him," Skye said as she picked toppings off the pizza and ate them. "I guess it's possible he'd give up the Jesus thing."
When I only smiled at her, Skye shrugged. "I hope we stay together for the rest of the year. I'm sick of hooking up. All through high school, I went to parties at the nearby college and hooked up. I wasn't interested in dating anyone. I had a lot of stuff going on and a boyfriend takes too much work. Now I'd like to have the same guy for a while."
"Tyler smiles a lot when he's around you. That's a good sign."
Skye grinned. "I've been a crappy friend because I forgot how good a friend you are."
"I just don't want you to worry. Tyler seems really into you."