There’s no denying that Tatiana Laroix is a beautiful woman. But tonight she’s beyond stunning—men and women both can’t stop staring. Her hair is done in that Roaring Twenties-era finger wave that is feminine and dramatic, yet somehow still appears slightly understated. The exact opposite of her dress. The daring cleavage-baring nude gown is cut to her navel, leaving the men in the room fixated on the effectiveness of double-sided tape. Knowing the empty seat is where Cooper will eventually sit, I find myself jealous even though he hasn’t stepped foot in the room yet.
Benjamin Parker costarred along side Tatiana in Perfect Sense, the upcoming film produced by Montgomery Productions. He’s young, handsome and has a penchant for jogging all over LA shirtless. The media eats up his every step. I’ve stolen glances at the interaction between the two, secretly wishing I’d find sexual tension. But all I’ve caught is Tatiana scanning the door and watching her watch.
I don’t need to turn around to know the moment Cooper walks into the room. I’d like to say it’s because I feel it in my heart, in my bones, a whisper touch alerting my skin to his arrival. But that’s not why at all. It’s the way Tatiana changes—her face lights up, eyes sparkle with devilish lust and the thrust of her already obvious overflowing breasts strain forward to show off even more. He’s not even near her yet and I’m spoon-fed a taste of the medicine Cooper was forced to swallow yesterday. Tonight is going to suck.
Cooper makes his rounds at the table, eventually coming to the only empty seat, next to Tatiana, just as the lights begin to flash, signaling the show is about to start. He never looks my way.
Twenty minutes later the cast from the show is ushered backstage to prepare for announcing the category we’re assigned. After seeing the size of the room and all of the famous faces, my nerves kick in on high. I’m grateful they picked Jessica and Flynn for the scripted banter and all I need to do is stand there and not pass out. Although right now I’m feeling even that may be a challenge.
“You okay?” Flynn sees my face and his turns concerned.
“I’m a little nervous. Can you tell?”
“Not really.” He grins, letting me know he’s lying.
I take a deep breath. “How do you do this all the time? Get up in front of a crowd and sing?”
He shrugs. “You get used to it.”
“Were you nervous when you first started?”
“Yep.” He smiles like he’s thinking back to a fond memory.
“What did you do to calm yourself?”
“Got shitfaced.”
“How’d that go?”
“I fell off the stage and had to get seven stitches in my head.”
“Think I’ll try some deep cleansing breaths instead.” I smile. “I just hope I don’t trip.”
The host announces our names over the loudspeaker, and a frantic woman with not one, but two headsets on barks orders into a walkie-talkie and shouts stage directions at us, and then we’re on. In the moment, I’m thankful that Flynn grabs my hand and walks me on stage, because my legs are wobbly with fear.
Jessica and Flynn ham it up for the cameras and, luckily, our five minutes of fame is over in less than three.
“You did great.”
“I stood there.”
“You didn’t fall.”
“Because you held my hand.”
“You’re cute when you’re nervous.” Flynn kisses my nose and flashes his dimples. Twenty minutes later we’re escorted back to our seats during an intermission.
People are up and mingling, Cooper is talking to the director right behind my seat.
“Hey,” Flynn says with a friendly smile and extends his hand toward Cooper. “Flynn Beckham. We met at the …”
“I remember.” Cooper dismisses him and turns to me.
“Kate.” He nods and tosses back the contents of his short glass in one large gulp.
“Cooper.” I follow his lead, mimicking his distant greeting.
Tatiana slinks up beside Cooper and hooks her arms through his. “Hey, lovebirds. How’s the show going?”
Flynn casually wraps his arm around my waist and smiles. “Can’t tell you any secrets.” He looks at me, then back to Tatiana and winks. “But it’s going great.”
If eyes could shoot daggers, poor Flynn would look like Swiss cheese. Cooper’s piercing glare complements the angry flex in jaw.
“I need another drink, Cooper,” Tatiana whines with a faux pout.
“Maybe you should slow down,” he responds without looking at her.
“Another drink might lower my inhibitions,” she says in a voice aimed at being seductive. To my ears it’s like nails scraping on a blackboard.
“You should take it easy,” he warns.
“But I thought you liked it hard.”
“Excuse me, Flynn. I need to use the ladies’ room.” I storm off without looking at Cooper or waiting for a response.
“Not so fast,” Cooper warns in a low raspy voice as he grabs my elbow, steering me in the opposite direction of the bathroom.
“Don’t, Cooper,” I shoot back. But I should know better than to bother to protest. He’s not a man easily deterred.
“Leave.” He approaches a uniformed young man standing at the coat closet. The man’s brows knit, but he quickly catches on when Cooper reaches into his pocket, pulls out a wad of cash, and stuffs half of it into the man’s hand. “Fifteen minutes. I don’t care if the place is on fire. The door doesn’t open.”
The man nods.
Cooper locks the door behind us.
“This isn’t a good idea, Cooper.” I finally look up and take the whole man in. Tension radiates off of him.
“There’s nobody but you, Kate.” He takes a step closer. His eyes watch me, study me, pin me in place. “Whatever happened with her was in the past. Everything is in my past now. Can you say the same?”
“I’m sorry.” My words trail off. “It’s just hard … watching her try to seduce you.”
“How do you think I feel? He held your hand on stage. I couldn’t even watch. It fucking kills me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“We can end this right now. My offer is still good. In fact, nothing would make me happier than to take care of your family and leave with you right now.”
“I can’t, Cooper. I just can’t. I wish it was that easy.”
“You make it harder than it needs to be.”
“I need to take care of my own family. It’s a lot of money and it’s my responsibility.”
“I don’t care about the money. I need to take care of you.”
My eyes close. It would be so much easier to give in. Not worry about the house, Kyle’s therapy, leading Flynn on. “I’m sorry.” I hold back the tears, but my voice cracks.
Cooper’s hands reach up and cup my face, his thumb runs along my bottom lip. “I want to be the one holding your hand in public. I want to be the one to wrap my arm around your waist when another man comes near.” His lips brush against mine.
“We shouldn’t …” I weakly attempt to protest. Undone by the possessive rawness of his strained words, I stop trying to push him away and join him, chasing something we both need in the moment more than the air that we breathe.
“You feeling better?” Flynn asks when I return to my seat. “You got some color in your cheeks back.”
“Ummm … yes. Thank you.” I’m grateful it’s dark because my color has just deepened to a lovely shame of crimson.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Cooper return to his seat. I had to make him promise to wait five minutes before coming back, I wouldn’t have put it past him to follow right behind me, zipper intentionally open. As if she’s a magnet and he’s metal, Tatiana leans toward him the moment he sits.
I force my eyes away from his table and let them drift over the crowd. When they fall upon the man sitting directly across from me, I’m startled at what I find. Miles is seething, nostrils flaring, his unblinking eyes fixed on me in an angry stare.
chapter thirty-three
Cooper
Daylight has barely dawned as I make my way to the office. Leaving Kate lying in my bed, her hair splayed across a pillow and naked body beneath the sheets, was virtually impossible to do. But I’m meeting with my lawyers at seven to go over the terms of the union negotiation before I sit at the table and shake hands on the final deal.
My face is speckled with day-old stubble I had every intention of shaving until I walked into the bedroom and caught a glimpse of her bare ass peeking out. The decision to use the little time I had for other things was an easy one, especially when she mentioned she liked my five o’clock shadow right before I sunk into her.
I find myself thinking about what it would be like to wake up to her beside me everyday. To fall asleep to the sound of her light breaths and vision of her sweet mouth twitching up at the sides as she escapes into dreamland. The realization hits me when I least expect it: I’m in love with Kate Monroe.
The office is empty this early in the morning. I grab coffee, dig out my notes, and start to head to the conference room. Miles’s appearance in my doorway surprises me. “I don’t have time. I have a meeting with my attorneys in five minutes.”