Temporarily Yours(41)

Yet that happiness was overshadowed by the fact that he was leaving. She wasn’t going to pretend otherwise. She liked him, and she couldn’t help but wonder if they could become something real—more real than stolen moments and a fake relationship—if only they had more time together.

She’d always doubted there was someone out there that would make her want to settle down. To try a traditional relationship. But Cooper had made her reconsider her ways. He’d said he didn’t want to leave a girl behind…but could she change his mind?

And if she could, was she really okay with being that girl left behind?

He lay down beside her. Their heads were side by side, so she rolled hers to the left to face him. He was watching her intently, seeming to be as contemplative as she was. Was he thinking the same thing?

Did he not want to say good-bye, either?

He cupped the back of her head and kissed her, sweet and tender. She let her eyes drift shut, enjoying the moment. He ended it way too soon, pulling back and watching her with his warm green eyes. “We have to be at your parents’ house in an hour.”

“I know.”

Then out of the blue, he asked, “If you could go anywhere at Christmas time—if money was no object—where would you go? Think about it before answering.”

She hesitated. She’d never really thought about it before. Had been too busy visiting family and all that, but if she had the choice? “Why Christmas time?”

“The cities are always all lit up and decorated.” He shrugged. “Seemed as good a time as any.”

“Oh.” She thought on it. “England. I’ve never been there, but Christmas time seems like a good time to go.”

He laughed lightly. “You realize you’d have to fly. Like, I think it’s safe to say you’d have a one hundred percent chance of flying.”

“Nothing is one hundred percent.” She met his eyes. “Like, ever. It’s not a realistic number.”

“I think that is,” he said dryly.

“By the time I actually get to go? Who knows, there could be a new way. Teleporting or something. Or maybe even a good old fashioned ocean liner cruise.” She shot him a grin. “Like I said. Nothing is one hundred percent.”

“You told your dad that you were behind me one hundred percent,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, but I was just playing the part.” She pursed her lips. “What about you? Where would you go?”

He shrugged. “I’d go somewhere warm. The Caribbean, maybe.”

“Mm. That sounds nice, too. Blue water. Warm sand.”

“Indeed,” he said, his voice soft.

They both fell silent. She looked back up at the sky, watching the clouds. She’d swear the one above their heads looked like a heart.

Seriously, a heart.

What the hell had happened to her lately? She pictured her sister from last night, glowing with happiness as Max kissed her on the stage. They looked so happy. So normal. Did she really want that all of a sudden? It seemed too fast. Too much.

Cooper interrupted her thoughts. “What do you see up there? You look really focused on something.”

She sighed. “A heart.”

“Hm. I don’t see it. Maybe if I…” He turned his head to the left, and then to the right. “Nope. I still just see a cloud.”

She smacked him. He dodged out of the way even though he was flat on his back. She’d been caught thinking about her sister’s marriage and seeing hearts in the sky.

Yep. There was something wrong with her.

“They look so happy, don’t they?”

“The clouds?” He stared up at the sky with a wrinkled brow.

“No, my sister and Max.”

“Hmmm. I guess so. People in love usually look happy, though.”

“You think?” She turned to him. “I always thought they looked trapped.”

A laugh escaped him. “Well, maybe some of them feel that way. I bet you have a statistic for that.”

“Of course.” She thought about it. “I’d say about fifty-seven percent are trapped, and forty-three percent are either ignorant of the fact that they feel trapped or genuinely happy.”

He shook his head and then rolled it to the side, studying her. It made her wonder what he saw when he looked at her like that. As if she was a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out. Which was silly, really. She was easy to read. Too easy.

“I think you’re pretty skeptical.” He reached over his head and caught her hand. “I don’t know what real love feels like, but if it feels as good as laying in an open field with you, it must be pretty fucking nice.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Why did he say that? He was right, damn it all to hell and back. This did feel good. “What would your mom do if she saw us right now?”