13. Cooper

Chapter 13

Cooper

A chime sounded as the door to the bookstore opened, and I looked up to see Mrs. Dalton, an elderly human in her fifties who worked at the library, making her way inside. She shuffled over to the counter, her eyes scanning the shelves.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Dalton," I greeted her warmly. "Can I help you find something?"

"Yes, dear," she replied with a kind smile. "Where is the romance section?"

I directed her to the far side of the store, near the cozy reading nook Miles had set up.

"Right this way. Are you looking for any specific title?" I asked her.

She nodded, her eyes twinkling with anticipation. "I've been searching for 'The Moonlit Garden' by Corina Bomann," she said.

"Great choice," I said, leading her to the appropriate shelf. As I bent down to grab the book, I could feel her gaze on me.

Honestly, I was shivering a little, especially since I had taken off my shirt earlier, but as Miles said, it was all hands on deck. And we were now known as the bookstore with the hot guys.

I flashed Mrs. Dalton a smile as I handed her the book.

"Here you go," I said.

"Thank you, dear," she said, her eyes lingering on me for a moment longer. "You know, it's not often you see such dedication in a young man these days."

I chuckled, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Just doing what I can to help out," I said.

She patted my arm appreciatively before heading to the counter to check out. As I watched her go, I felt a shiver run down my spine. The bookstore was getting even colder, despite the crowd.

"Need a jacket?" Miles asked, coming over to stand beside me. His eyes sparkled with amusement.

"I'll be fine," I replied, rubbing my hands together to generate some warmth. "I can endure a little cold for you."

Miles' expression softened, and he reached out to squeeze my shoulder. "You're too good to me, Coop," he said.

"Nah," I said, smiling back at him. "Just dedicated."

He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear. "You know, once we're done here, I might have a way to help you warm up tonight," he said.

My heart skipped a beat at the implication. "I'll hold you to that," I replied, my voice low.

As we moved back to our respective tasks, the thought of what might come after kept me motivated. Every time I glanced over at Miles, he'd be looking back, a secret smile playing on his lips.

The anticipation made the work go by faster. Around 3 PM, I ventured to where Sawyer was helping out at the register.

The crowd had somewhat thinned, and the buzz of the busy morning had given way to a more manageable afternoon pace. Miles was in the back taking inventory with Noah.

Everyone had had their lunch except for Miles and me.

"Hey, since Noah and Griffin are here and there are fewer customers, I'm going to take Miles out for a late lunch," I told Sawyer.

Sawyer checked his watch. "It's this late already? Sure, take him," he said. "Don't take too long in case there's a crowd again."

"Sure thing," I said with a nod.

I headed to the storeroom, where Miles was diligently checking off items on his inventory list.

"Hey," I called out softly, not wanting to startle him.

He looked up, a small smile tugging at his lips when he saw me.

"Hey, Coop. What's up?" Miles asked.

"How about we take a break and grab some lunch? It's already past three," I suggested.

Miles glanced at his watch, surprised. "Wow, time flew by. Yeah, I could use a break," he admitted.

We stepped out of the storeroom, and I led him outside to my truck. The sun was still high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the town.

I drove us to a quaint little café on the outskirts of Pecan Pines, one with outdoor seating and a view of the river. To my relief, I didn't see any of Ryder's wolves tailing us.

We sat down at a table under a large umbrella, the gentle breeze carrying the scent of blooming flowers.

I ordered us two sandwiches and some iced tea. As we waited, I reached across the table and took his hand in mine.

"You know," I began, my thumb lightly stroking his fingers, "I've been looking forward to this all day."

Miles looked at me. "Me too. It's been a crazy morning, but being here with you makes it all worth it."

Our food arrived, and we ate slowly, savoring the food and the rare moment of peace. We talked about mundane things.

I was careful to avoid talking about the Garth incident this morning. My hand had already healed completely.

Miles seemed to get the gist and didn't elaborate more on the incident with Bruce. At one point, Miles leaned back in his chair, a contented sigh escaping his lips.

"This is perfect," he said softly. "Just us, away from everything for a while."

I smiled, feeling a warmth spread through my chest.

"I'm glad you think so. You deserve a break, Miles. You work so hard, and sometimes you need to take care of yourself too," I reminded him.

He looked at me, his expression softening. "You always know what to say to make me feel better."

I squeezed his hand, my heart swelling with affection. "I just want you to be happy," I told him.

We finished our meal, and I paid the bill. Before we left, I stood up and walked around the table, pulling Miles into a gentle embrace. He rested his head against my chest, and for a moment, the world around us faded away.

"Thank you, Coop," he murmured. "For everything."

I kissed the top of his head, holding him close. "Anytime, Miles." I leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "I'm looking forward to my reward tonight."

Miles blushed at that. Feeling satisfied, we walked back to the truck, hand in hand. As we drove back to the bookstore, I couldn't help but steal glances at him.

When I told Miles we'd take our relationship one step at a time, I'd been conflicted, but now the answer seemed so simple. I wanted Miles so much, and I could see us building a future here.

Back at the bookstore, Sawyer gave us a knowing look as we walked in. "Had a good lunch?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, we did," Miles replied.

"Good. Now back to work," Sawyer said. "More customers turned up."

After a long day at the store, Miles and I finally drove back to his place.

Sawyer was out having beers with Griffin, so we had the entire place to ourselves. There was no chance of us being interrupted.

As we pulled into the driveway, I was pleased to see that Garth was absent. It looked like he finally got the message, at least for the day.

Sooner or later, I knew Ryder would stop sending his minions and confront me himself. I'd be ready for him when that time came, but for tonight, I just wanted to relax with Miles.

We stepped out of the truck, and Miles sighed, stretching his arms above his head.

"I'm beat," he confessed, walking towards the house.

He plopped himself onto the sofa as soon as we got inside, the cushions molding around him. I couldn't help but smile at how adorable he looked, all tousled hair and sleepy eyes.

"How about we order takeout? I don't have the energy to cook," he asked, glancing up at me.

"Sounds perfect," I agreed, taking out my phone to browse through our options.

We decided on Chinese food, and I placed the order. While we waited, I settled next to Miles on the sofa, pulling him into my arms. He nestled against me, his head resting on my shoulder.

We sat there in comfortable silence, melting away in each other's presence. When the food arrived, we spread it out on the coffee table and dug in. I didn't realize how hungry I was.

Between bites of sesame chicken and fried rice, we exchanged smiles and little touches. Despite how chaotic today was, I had never felt as relaxed as I did right now.

In fact, I tried picturing a normal day I had in Winter Valley… and suddenly couldn't imagine a day without seeing or talking to Miles.

Once we'd had our fill, I cleared the containers away and returned to the sofa. Miles shifted, making room for me, and I pulled him back into my arms.

We fit together perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle. The room was quiet, save for the occasional hum of the refrigerator and the soft rustling of leaves outside.

"This isn't a bad way to end the day," I murmured. "I could get used to this. Every day."

Miles looked at me. "Me too," he replied softly. "It feels right, being here with you."

I leaned down, capturing his lips in a tender kiss. The kiss started slow, then quickly turned passionate.

When I slid my tongue into his mouth, Miles sucked on it. My pants tightened. When I pulled back, Miles smiled and started tracing patterns on my chest.

"Let's make it a habit then," he suggested, a playful glint in his eyes. "Ending the day like this, together."

"Deal," I agreed.

I tugged him close, and Miles seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. He slid onto my lap, his fingers gently gripping my shoulders.

A small, tempting smile played on his lips, sending a rush of warmth through me. I wrapped my arm around his waist, ensuring he wouldn't fall.

"Are you going to warm me up now?" I asked him.

I tightened my hold on him, my other hand gently brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead.

"You bet," Miles answered with a grin.

I didn't need any more encouragement. I tilted his chin up, our eyes locking for a moment before I leaned in to plunder his mouth.