19. SKYE

19

SKYE

It was quite some time later when the Ultimate Frisbee game ended.

I'd spent that time alternating between watching the game and getting to know Ivy, Jules, Ava, and Rhea.

Cooper and Wyatt made their way in our direction, the rest of the guys either heading toward the house or continuing to horse around on the field.

Once he was close enough, I noticed something wasn't right about Cooper's face. He looked just as happy as he'd been all morning, but he was now looking that way with blood running down the side of his face from a cut just above his eyebrow.

Immediately, I stood, and a few paces later, we were standing just a couple of feet apart. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, that. It's nothing."

"You're bleeding," I noted.

He lifted his hand up toward his face, displaying yet another problem.

I gasped. "Your arm has a cut, too."

"Relax, sweetheart. I've experienced worse."

Shaking my head, I insisted, "You can't leave them like that. They could get infected." Taking him by the opposite hand, I tugged on it. "Come on. We have to go get you patched up."

"He's a horrible patient, Skye," Wyatt teased from where he was standing only a few feet away. "You might need to sedate him to get him to cooperate."

My head snapped back in Cooper's direction. He rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Wyatt."

If I hadn't been so concerned about the blood pouring down Cooper's face and arm, I might have given myself more of an opportunity to soak up the way witnessing the banter between the siblings made me feel.

I gave Cooper's hand another tug, and he finally became unstuck. We made our way into the house, where he directed us toward the bathroom. We stepped inside, not bothering to close the door fully behind us, and Cooper said, "There should be a first-aid kit either in the cabinet beneath the sink or in one of the drawers on the side of it."

"I'll look for that while you work on washing off your hands and arms."

Cooper sent an amused look my way, his lips twitching.

"What's so funny?"

"I've never seen you this bossy."

"And I've never seen you with blood pouring down your face."

He tipped his head to the side, his eyes roaming over my face in the sweetest way. "You're worried about me."

I snapped my mouth shut and chewed nervously on the inside of my cheek. Cooper continued to look at me expectantly, and I couldn't handle the pressure. I turned my attention toward the sink and started pulling the drawers open in search of the first-aid kit. While I looked for it, Cooper moved around me and turned on the water, so he could clean his hands and arms.

I'd been in close proximity to Cooper before, but something about this felt different. I didn't know if it was that he'd pointed out me being worried, the fact that he was wearing almost nothing and had sweat all over him, or if it was the thought of having a conversation with him later tonight when he took me home. It could have been a combination of all of that or something else altogether. But for a few brief moments, there was this unexplainable desire moving through me.

Fortunately, busying myself with the task of locating the first-aid kid and pulling out the supplies to take care of Cooper's cuts helped to get my mind right.

He'd shut off the water and turned to face me, giving me the chance to assess his injuries. I grabbed a hunk of gauze, held it up to his eyebrow, and pressed lightly on it. "Do you want to hold this here, keeping pressure on it, while I take care of your arm first?"

Cooper lifted his hand up to his eyebrow and took the gauze from me. "You're the boss."

I curled my fingers around his opposite wrist and cocked a brow. "Are you sure you want to give me that title?"

He shrugged. "I haven't really considered the possible outcome of doing so, but I'm confident I won't be disappointed."

I ignored the innuendo in his words and dabbed at the cut on his arm. It wasn't as bad as it had seemed when we were outside, but it was still going to require the use of a bandage to staunch the blood from getting everywhere.

After applying some ointment, I affixed a bandage to his arm and declared, "Almost as good as new."

Cooper laughed. "Thanks."

I reached for the gauze he was still holding against the skin just above his eyebrow and lifted up on my toes to get a better look. "Can you crouch down a bit, so I can see just how bad this is?"

"How about I sit on the edge of the bathtub?" he suggested.

"Yeah, that would be perfect."

Cooper sat down, his knees wide. Their position and the size of the bathroom meant that I had no choice but to step forward between them. Cooper's face was level with my breasts, and for a fleeting moment, I experienced weakness. I imagined being as naked as he was, so he could lean forward and use his mouth on me.

I swallowed hard, blinked my eyes, and attempted to rid my mind of the naughty thoughts as I focused on inspecting Cooper's cut. I'd quickly decided he didn't need stitches, but a butterfly bandage would be the best option.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

I dabbed at the cut again and turned around to grab the bandage. While I went about opening that up, I answered, "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

Cooper's fingertips just barely grazed the skin on the backs of my knees, holding me in place. "You seemed a little flustered."

The tone of his voice indicated he knew I was struggling with something, even if he didn't know exactly what had been going through my mind. "I'm perfectly fine," I croaked, my voice giving me away, as I carefully applied the bandage.

"So, is the flush I see creeping over your skin something you normally experience when tending to wounds?" he questioned me, his fingers stroking the sensitive skin behind my knees delicately.

That simple touch made me want to press my legs together in an effort to relieve the growing ache between them. By some miracle, I held myself back, but it took superhuman effort.

"I can't say. The truth is, I've never met such a bunch of rowdy guys before," I confessed. "Plus, you're the only one whose wounds I've tended to. I guess I could ask you the same question."

"What question are you going to ask me?"

I pulled the butterfly bandage taut over the cut, admired my work, and turned my focus to Cooper's handsome face. Then I asked quietly, "Do you attempt to seduce the women who tend to your injuries by teasing them with your fingertips?"

Cooper's lips twitched, half of his mouth quirking as his fingers stopped moving and pressed in firmly. "You're the only one I've done this with. You're the only one who's ever been this worried about a couple of small cuts."

The tip of my tongue darted out and moistened my lips. Cooper's eyes dropped to it, and his gaze darkened as his fingers drifted up slightly to the skin just above the back of my knee. My chest began to rise and fall rapidly, the muscles in my legs tensing.

Cooper knew what he was doing, and it didn't stop him. His fingertips were barely brushing along my skin, moving at such a languid pace, and there was a glint in his eyes.

"How's the cut on my face, sweetheart?"

I pressed my lips together, swallowed, and confirmed, "It's all patched up."

"It feels better."

"I'm glad. You don't have blood pouring down your face any longer, either," I shared, trying to ignore the tingling between my legs.

Cooper's hands trailed slightly higher until he stopped moving them, stood, and placed his hands on my hips. His head was bent down in my direction, his face inches from mine, and he stepped forward, backing me up toward the sink. I kept moving backward until, at the last second, Cooper wrapped his arms around me, spun me around, and held me tight to him as his mouth descended upon mine.

The moment his lips touched mine, I moaned. It was too much. I'd been trying not to give in to him just yet, to wait until we got back to my place, before I allowed this to happen.

But how could I resist him now? I didn't stand a chance.

Now that he'd crossed that line, I wasn't sure I had the restraint and willpower to withstand his kisses and whatever else he might have wanted to give me, whatever else I might have begged him for.

And when one of his hands drifted down my back and slid toward my hip, bunching up the hem of my dress as his tongue drove into my mouth, I knew I was a goner.

My palms had been pressed firmly against his chest, but as our tongues tangled and dueled, my hands drifted up over his shoulders and into his hair.

That's when it happened.

I let out a soft moan, and someone said, "Oh, shit. Sorry."

Like a flash, I tore my mouth from Cooper's, and he released the hold he had on my dress. We turned our attention to the door. Wyatt was standing there, a knowing look on his face.

"What's up, Wyatt?" Cooper asked.

I could feel the tension coursing through his body, his agitated tone evident. Okay, so maybe he could be grouchy.

"They're starting up another game out there, and I was sent to come and find you to see if you wanted to play. I thought you were seriously injured since you hadn't come back out, but, well, I can see that's not the case," he teased, his lips twitching with amusement.

Cooper growled. I'd never heard anything like it in my life and had to press my lips together to stifle my laughter.

A moment later, I pulled myself together and said, "Go out and play."

"You don't mind?" he asked, his brows furrowing.

I shook my head. "No. In fact, I was hoping to roam around the property for a bit to look at all the flowers your grandmother planted. Do you think she'd go for the stroll with me?"

"Absolutely."

A smile spread across my face. "So, go and have fun. Just try not to get injured again."

Cooper grinned back at me. "I'll do my best."

He gave me a quick squeeze, released his hold on me, and turned to look back at the door.

Wyatt was still there, a look of disbelief written all over his features.

"Is everything okay?" I asked him.

Shaking his head, he answered, "I've never seen that before. Cooper just went from being ready to rip my head off to grinning like a goof. I think if we knew that all he needed was you, we might have sent him to your store years ago."

"Oh, fuck off, Wyatt," Cooper clipped as he placed his hand at the small of my back and urged me out of the bathroom ahead of him.

Wyatt burst out laughing as he ran off and shouted to anyone who would listen. "Coop's coming. He was… tied up in the bathroom."

Cooper's growl returned, and all I could do was laugh. Once we were back outside and he was about to head off to the field to play again, I grabbed his wrist.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

I nodded and brought my hands to either side of his face before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. "For luck."

Cooper's mood instantly improved. "I'm going to win this one for you, sweetheart."

A moment later, he took off.

I spent the next few minutes watching him, and that's when I made my official decision.

I was going to do it.

After the kisses I'd shared with Cooper on his birthday and all that I'd gotten since, there was no longer any question about it. Though, if I was honest, it wasn't just about the kisses. It had been happening ever since I met him.

Of course, it was very slow for me at the start. Mostly, I'd found him to be an intimidating presence then. But once he showed me just how sweet he was, pretending I was the love of his life when Maria showed up and attempted to humiliate me, it had been easier to separate his alarming stature from his gentle nature.

And then he wore me down.

Cooper was patient but determined, even if he had used his desire to help me successfully prove to Simon and Maria that I'd moved on and was happy as his excuse to get to know me better.

Because the truth was that, although tricking them was the catalyst, Cooper's motivation seemed to shift. It wasn't long before he made it clear he liked what he learned about me and was eager for more.

If only I hadn't been so slow on the uptake.

I thought I knew what I was seeing with him, but I was unsure if any of it had been the real deal or if he was just that good at pretending for the sake of saving a scorned woman from additional heartache.

The last few days gave me a clear picture of just where things stood. Not only had Cooper come right out with it and told me he wanted the chance for us to explore something more, but he also followed through. In the few short weeks since I'd met him, Cooper had treated me better than Simon ever had in two years.

And while I guess it was possible someone might have believed it was too early to be sure about Cooper, given the time we'd known one another, I'd argue that time had nothing to do with it. Not when that man was like Cooper. Not when he took the time to get to know me, merely to help me out of a crappy situation. Not when he made the effort. And especially not when he willingly shared his delightful family with me.

A man who wasn't a good man wouldn't have been surrounded by the people Cooper was surrounded by on his birthday and today.

Plus, I had been with Simon for two years, and he proved to be anything but wonderful in the end. Time, in my opinion, didn't factor into the equation the same way I used to think it should.

On top of all of that, I didn't want to be cynical. I mean, I'd always been slightly more introverted, willing to sit back and observe. And I thought I wanted to keep myself even more secluded after being betrayed by people I loved. But Cooper made me realize I didn't deserve that.

I deserved to be happy, to find love.

Whether that would be a lifelong commitment, I didn't know. But I knew if there was a chance to get something better than what I'd gotten so far in life, I needed to take it.

And I intended to do just that.

Tonight.

The day with Cooper's family at the lake house had been wonderful so far. I wanted it to get even better with him when we were alone later.

So, I was going to tell him the truth about how I felt. I wanted him to know I, too, wanted to give us a shot. But I needed to give him everything, which meant I had to share my fears as well.

Fortunately, I felt safe enough with Cooper to believe I could do that, and he wouldn't make me feel bad about it.

On that thought, I went in search of his grandmother to see if she'd take me on a tour of the lake house property. Wendy jumped at the opportunity, Evelyn deciding to come along with us as well.

And as I took in the sight of the gorgeous flowers that reminded me of my parents, I remembered that word—fate. I believed this was exactly where I was meant to be all along.