He glared at her, and her after-sex glow was fully over now. She was just as angry as he was. She began getting up and he grabbed her arm.
“This conversation isn’t over,” he said through clenched teeth.
“I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
“I make mistakes, but that shouldn’t allow you to make a fool of me,” he told her.
“I never set out to make a fool of you,” she thundered, yanking her arm until he released her. “I’m not perfect. I make mistakes, too.” She rose and stepped farther away, taking his sheet with her.
“Well then, we’re a perfectly imperfect pair, aren’t we?”
“I guess we are,” she told him.
He didn’t reply and she began moving toward his door.
“Where are you going?” He began to move off the bed. She held up her hand.
“I’m going to my room where I want to be alone.”
Then she rushed out the door, running across the hall and entering her room, locking the door securely behind her. She stood there for a while and listened, but he didn’t follow her.
It was what she wanted, she told herself as she stepped into her bathroom. Having sex with him again had been a huge mistake.
She was telling herself that hours later when she wasn’t able to sleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The music was great, the volume loud, and the liquor flowing freely, but still Cooper couldn’t find it in himself to relax and enjoy the night.
“What’s your problem?” Nick asked.
“I don’t have a problem.” Cooper growled. “What’s yours?”
“I’m a free-loving spirit. There’s nothing wrong with me,” Nick told him with a laugh.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before,” Cooper said. Nick was a good guy, inside and out, though he also thought he was a comedian. In reality, he was. Still, Cooper wasn’t feeling too loving toward him at the moment.
“Loosen up. I only get to be home for a couple weeks before I’m shipped off again, and I want to have some fun,” Nick told him.
“I came out with you tonight, didn’t I?” Cooper pointed out.
“Yeah, but you’ve been a downer all evening. How in the world are you going to play my wingman if you keep acting like a pouting puppet?” Nick asked.
“I didn’t plan on playing any games with you,” Cooper told him.
“Come on, Coop. I need a girlfriend for the night,” Nick said with a laugh.
“Yeah, and since you’re such an ugly bastard, you need my help,” Cooper said, cracking his first real smile of the evening.
“You’re the ugly one of the family,” Nick quickly replied.
“Okay, enough with the insults,” Cooper told him. “Who do you have your eye on?”
The two brothers looked around the upscale bar, scanning the crowd. Yes, there were a lot of gorgeous women surrounding them, sipping on their drinks and giving certain men the look that said he could be next to buy. But none of them were catching Cooper’s eyes.
How could they when all he seemed able to think about was his new housemate, who happened to be the best lover he’d ever had? Since their night together the week before, she’d been avoiding the hell out of him. Now that he’d reawakened his body to her, he wasn’t too pleased about that.
But it was good he wasn’t seeing her, he tried convincing himself. Even though the woman had only lived in his place for a short time, he was beginning to get used to her presence. In fact, he couldn’t really imagine the house without her in it now. She’d made herself scarce since their fight, but her touch was in every single room. He couldn’t escape it and wasn’t sure he wanted to.
Fresh flowers from his garden adorned the table, Stormy making sure they were cleaned up every day. And her perfumed scent lingered in every room, ensuring it was the first thing he noticed the moment he walked in the door.
Each night he passed her shut bedroom door, he felt himself grow hard. And each time it happened, he ended up in the bathroom with the faucet turned to cold. Never had he been that guy who enjoyed relieving himself.
It was too damn good when he had a woman there to do it for him.
Yes, he knew he could get Stormy back into his bed, but he also knew that was a road filled with complications that he just didn’t want to deal with. Plus, he was pissed at her and the games she was playing. So what in the hell was he supposed to do?
Apparently suffer. At least that’s what he’d been doing.
“The blonde over there is giving you the eye,” Nick whispered. “And her friend looks to be just my style.”
Cooper followed Nick’s gaze and found an attractive, short-haired blonde who was indeed showing interest. Without giving himself a chance to change his mind, he sent a smile her way and crooked his finger.