Chapter Eight
The incessant ringing of her cell phone penetrated the heavy fog of sleep hanging over Kayla’s head, but she still resisted the pull to alertness. Her pounding head and cotton ball mouth didn’t promise a pleasant morning, and she wanted to avoid the harsh realities of her hangover for as long as she could. Squeezing her eyes shut, she snuggled deeper into the warmth curled around her back, holding her tightly…
Wait. Holding her?
Her eyes flew open, and she blinked at the strange hotel room. The sunlight was excruciatingly bright to her sensitive eyes, and her head felt as if she had beaten it against a wall repeatedly. She stretched, then froze, when she saw the hairy, muscular arm thrown over her stomach. Who did the arm belong to?
Oh God.
Cooper.
With harsh reality, all of the events leading up to last night when he’d agreed to go to her hotel—after having sex with him in the back of his rented Escalade—came crashing back. Had she done all that?
Judging from the fine-ass naked man in bed next to her…she’d have to go with a yes to that question. And she didn’t regret a second of it, either. He’d been incredible and kind and mind-blowing in the sack. What was there to regret?
Nothing.
But in the light of day, it was still a bit…shocking. And she needed to plan an exit strategy.
Chatting it up with the guy she screwed in the parking lot didn’t seem appealing.
It was time to slink away and smile through days of wedding planning and fights, knowing she’d gotten hers before slipping into the role of the big sister.
When her iPhone rang again, Kayla stiffened and carefully lifted Cooper’s arm from her waist. The tattoos on his chest flexed and rippled, drawing her eye. Wait. Tattoos? How had she missed them before? They were hot. Inch by inch, she slid off the mattress and tiptoed across the room. Maybe she could answer it, call a cab, and make her escape before he woke up and caught her.
As she rounded the bottom of the bed, her steps feather light and excruciatingly slow, Cooper rolled over in bed without opening his eyes and grabbed her phone…which was right next to his on the nightstand. “It’s yours.”
She froze. “Uh, yeah. Thanks.” She reached out and snatched her phone from his fingers, making sure not to touch him. She didn’t want to start something new with him this morning—something that led to talking and getting to know each other more intimately.
They’d already been plenty intimate.
“Hello?”
“Where are you? It’s ten o’clock!” Her mother’s voice boomed through the speaker and she momentarily pulled the phone away from her ear.
“Uh…at the hotel.” She looked at Cooper’s bare back. No tattoos there, but a hell of a lot of muscles that made her mouth water. Hot damn. He hadn’t moved. Had he fallen back asleep? “I’m still in bed. My flight was late, and I slept in.”
“That’s very unlike you.”
Kayla sighed. It wasn’t. But it was unlike the “perfect daughter” she tried to be in front of them. She was so independent when she wasn’t dealing with her family, but something about interacting with them tore her up. As pathetic as it sounded, it was just easier not to put up too much of a fuss with them. Then they all could happily part ways and she could return to her life in Maine until the next family visit. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ll wash up and then I’ll call you when I’m ready to be picked—”
“I can give you a ride.” Cooper lifted his head and blinked at her. “They don’t need to come out. I don’t mind—”
Kayla held a finger over her mouth and gave him a hard look, so he cut off mid-sentence. She pointed to the phone, then held her breath and prayed her mom hadn’t heard him. He’d spoken quietly. Really, really quietly.
But Kayla’s mom had superhero hearing, and this time proved to be no exception. “Was that a man I just heard?”
“What? A man?” Kayla paced and forced a laugh. “No, of course it wasn’t a man. It was the TV. That’s all you heard.”
“It didn’t sound like the TV.” Kayla heard a car door shut through the earpiece. “I’m coming over now.”
“No, don’t come yet. I’m not ready.” Kayla stopped in front of Cooper and nudged him, glowering at him. “I’m alone.”
Cooper sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked confused as to why Kayla might be shooting daggers at him with her scowl. She gave him an even dirtier look.
“I don’t believe you.”
Kayla sighed. “Mom, if someone was here, why would I lie about it?”
“Well…” Her mom hesitated. “Did you and your boyfriend break up? What’s his name, anyway?”
“Cooper. His name is Cooper,” she said. Cooper’s head snapped up, and he looked at her. “And no, we didn’t break up. I’m alone, and you heard the TV.”
“All right,” her mom said.
“So I’ll call you when I’m ready. Okay?”
Her mom fell silent. It seemed like she finally believed her. And then…
Another phone rang. Cooper’s phone. And it was loud. Cooper scrambled to silence it, but it was too late. Her mother heard it. “I knew it. You’re not alone.”
Kayla sank onto the bed, looking at Cooper with panic coursing through her veins. “Mom…”
“Did you bring him? Is Cooper with you?”
He must have heard the question, because he grabbed Kayla’s arm and nodded rapidly. Then he mouthed, “Say yes. Tell her I’m here.”
“Um…” Kayla blinked at him and shook her head. He nodded more enthusiastically. “Well…”
She took a deep breath. Did she dare? Was he suggesting she say her boyfriend was here? With her? But then what? Was he ready and willing to play the part? That seemed insane. He sighed and reached for the phone, but Kayla slapped his hand away. “You’re right! It’s Cooper! We wanted to…to…” Kayla looked at him.
He whispered, “Surprise you. Say it.”
“We wanted to surprise you all,” Kayla finished, watching him the whole time. “So don’t come get me. We’ll come together.”
Cooper nodded.
“Oh, this is the best surprise ever.” Her mom clapped and let out a whoop. “We’re finally meeting him. I can’t believe it! I’m going to tell everyone.”
Kayla winced. “You don’t have to—” The line clicked off. Her mom had hung up on her. “—tell everyone,” Kayla finished to the dead line, lowering her phone to her lap.
Cooper grinned at her. He looked way too cheerful considering the circumstances. “So, I’m coming to the wedding?”
“Are you insane?” Kayla lurched to her feet. “Why in God’s name would you offer to go to my sister’s wedding with me?”
He shrugged, then his gaze dipped over her body. “I was the one who ruined your cover story. It felt right. You needed help, so I offered it.”
“It felt right?” She threw her arms out to the side. “The knight in shining armor act was cute last night, and it was well-rewarded, I’d say.” She gestured to the rumpled bed. “But now, even with the booze out of your system…how can you be this…this…sweet? Seriously?”
He cocked a brow. “I’m not f*cking sweet. Puppies are f*cking sweet. Not me.”
It wasn’t until Cooper cleared his throat and forced his eyes northward that Kayla remembered one tiny little detail. She was freaking naked. He might have seen it all last night when she’d had the courage of vodka in her, and she might have been A-Okay with that then.
But now, in the light of day?
Yeah, not so cool with it.
She whipped the comforter off of the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. “Fine. You’re not sweet. But what the hell are you?”
He shrugged. “I’m in town earlier than I need to be, so I have nothing to do besides wait to ship out. You needed a man, and since your family heard me over the phone, I offered to fill that position. We already get along nicely, and I’ve obviously enjoyed spending time with you,” he said dryly. “So it’s hardly a hardship for me to spend more time with you. That’s who I am. That’s me.”
Kayla watched him. This guy, this man, was an anomaly. She couldn’t read him at all. Ninety percent of single men would say anything—hell, do anything—to get laid. And the married men weren’t much better. But that wasn’t what he wanted. He’d already gotten that without asking. But he seemed to care.
What was she supposed to do with that?
He got out of bed, obviously not worried about his state of undress, and strode across the room wearing nothing but his tattoos. Grabbing a glass off the counter, he filled it with water. She knew she should look away from his bare ass, which was not inked, but she didn’t want to. She wasn’t that hung over. And, hell, if he was going to walk around with it all hanging out…who was she to complain?
“Let me guess,” he said, his eyes on her as he crossed the room to his luggage. “You’re no longer drunk, and now you’re ready to bolt from the mistakes you made last night. In my car. In the bed that you’re now refusing to look at. And, if I recall correctly, on that wall right next to you.”
“Oh, God.” She closed her eyes, each detail he named coming back with crystal clarity. “It’s just…I don’t know you.”
He laughed. “You knew me well enough for me to make you scream my name repeatedly. Isn’t that enough?”
“For a one night stand? It’s plenty.” She clutched the comforter tighter to her chest. “But for you to meet my family? My very traditional family who will badger you with questions every opportunity they get? Yeah, not so much.”
“I fought in a war against enemies with deadly weapons. I think I can handle inquisitive parents.”
“You’ve never met mine.” She shook her head and headed for her luggage. “I really don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into here. Thanks for offering to help me, but no thanks. I’d rather come up with some lame excuse now than have our story poked apart mid-ruse.”
“I want to help you. Let me help you.” He stepped in her path. “What are you going to tell them? I flew all the way down here, only to run away in the morning? That’s not realistic.”
“I’ve got it!” she said, thinking fast. “I’ll tell them you got a call from work at the last minute—”
“No. Absolutely not.” He crossed his arms. And he was still blessedly naked. Holy mother of God, those abs…she could freaking wash laundry on them. “At the very least, I have to show up for day one. Then I could get called away. If you try to play that off too soon, your mom will call you on it.”
“What makes you so sure you know my mom so well?” He was right, but that wasn’t the point. “You’ve never even met her.”
“You told me all I needed to know last night. And I heard her on the phone.” He grabbed her hands and squeezed. “Your mom is just like mine. I know how moms like that act. You don’t want her getting suspicious. You’d spend the whole wedding dealing with the millions of questions she would throw your way. Let me take those questions. And you never know. Maybe if she sees you happy with someone, she’ll focus on your sister, the bride.”
Kayla bit down on her lip and studied him. “Do you seriously want to do this?”
“I do.” He smiled at her, his eyes warm. “You want to know what’s in it for me, but you’re too polite to ask. Am I right?”
She laughed. “Now you can read me and my mom? If this wasn’t a fake relationship, I’d marry you.”
“You’re moving way too fast for this fictional relationship.” He chuckled and hugged her close. She almost pushed him away. It was too…too…real. Hugging was intimate. Hugging was for actual boyfriends and girlfriends.
She was much more comfortable keeping things purely sexual.
“I do want to know what’s in it for you. I mean, you’ll get free room and board, and good food.” She looked down at her bare toes and wiggled them. “And more sex. But is that really worth dealing with my parents?”
He flinched. “Ouch. That almost hurts my ego that you have to ask me that question.”
“As if your ego is that fragile. Puh-lease.” She rolled her eyes. “Men that look like you and f*ck like you aren’t easily broken. You’re as hard as your abs.”
“Whoa, there. Hold up a second.” He pressed a hand to his forehead, feigning shock. “That was almost a compliment. If you’re not careful, I might think you actually like me.”
Despite herself, she laughed. “You know, keeping you around might not be so bad after all. You’re as entertaining out of bed as you are in it.”
He raised a brow. “Then it’s settled? I’m temporarily yours for the next few days?”
There was obviously no risk of her falling for him—he was leaving the country and she knew that already, so why would she put herself through a long distance relationship?
But what if the impossible became possible? What if one of them fell for the other?
She looked up at him, losing herself in his bright green eyes.
It just seemed a recipe for disaster.
Clearing her throat, she said, “Just to be clear. You, me…this is strictly platonic…with benefits.”
“Exactly. No attachments,” he agreed, lowering his face. His lips almost touched hers. “Just two people enjoying each other’s company for a short time while pretending to be in love. What could possibly go wrong?”
She took a deep breath and gathered her courage, remembering his words from last night when she invited him to her hotel room. “F*ck yeah. Let’s go.”
Without warning, he took the step that closed the distance between them and his lips closed over hers, his tongue inside her mouth within seconds. All confident and hot.
Groaning, he swept her up in his arms, his lips still on hers. As he worked her mouth, he crossed the room and headed into the bathroom. When he set her down, her bare feet on the cold tile, she blinked up at him. Why did he put her down?
And worse yet—why wasn’t he kissing her anymore?
Reaching past her, he turned on the shower, and the steam crept out from behind the shower curtain instantly. “Like I said, I’d like to stay with you. I want to spend the next couple of days giving you mind-blowing orgasms every night, if you’ll let me.”
“With an offer like that, you make it impossible to refuse.”
And God help her, she didn’t want to. Not when his naked body was against hers as the steam from the shower curled around them.
He appealed to her in an irresistible way. And, really, why was she resisting at all? It’s not like she wanted a long-term relationship in her life, and this situation was perfect.
Simple. Easy. Painless.
Why not take what he had to offer?