Cooper gladly obliged. He escaped to the comfort of his car, glad to be long gone. Crap, he was a big, brave hockey player known for his toughness, and he’d just been taken out of the game by a little old lady and a fourteen-year-old boy. He was beyond pathetic.
He needed to talk to someone who’d understand or at least commiserate, which ruled out any of his teammates, especially Cedric. Without thinking, he dialed Izzy. He wasn’t really sure why, and he knew he should just leave her alone, but he needed to talk to someone who might make some sense of all this.
But she didn’t answer.
So he called the PI he hired, hoping like hell the man had news for him.
He didn’t.
And the rest of his day pretty much followed the beginning.
He should’ve stayed in bed.
He couldn’t even handle a fourteen year old. Hell, he was good with kids. Why wasn’t he good with his nephew? Maybe because his sister stood between them, a ghost who accused him of countless sins.
At least, that appeared to be how Riley saw it.
Tonight had been Izzy’s idea, and it was a damn stupid one if she did say so herself.
Izzy was just concerned about Riley; that was the reason she suggested the Kids at Play team meet at Cooper’s tonight. Cooper hadn’t been overly thrilled to have Tanner in his house, but he’d grudgingly agreed.
She’d ignored Cooper’s phone calls last week, refusing to get sucked back into his life. Riley started school a week ago and two weeks behind the rest of his class. Cooper most likely needed to talk about it. Regardless, she didn’t call him back.
Each time fate threw them together, it was harder and harder to resist the man, not that he did anything she needed to resist. Swear to God, she wanted him to do something. Anything. Instead he stared at her almost warily, and she didn’t quite know how to take that. She’d dumped him, sent him packing, ripped him up one side and down the other. A proud man didn’t get over that kind of humiliation easily, if ever.
But damn, she wanted him, wanted what she couldn’t have. This insane longing to run her hands over his hard muscles and through his thick hair drove her crazy. Of course, her fantasies didn’t stop there. Not by a long shot. Instead they stopped with both of them naked and him pumping into her until they both had epic orgasms and lay spent in each other’s arms.
That was so not happening. Fantasies would be the only piece of him she’d allow herself to have.
Unfortunately, he had to be the sexiest man on earth.
If Izzy had been a sculptor she’d have sculpted his well-defined muscles. If she’d been a painter, she’d have painted his handsome face with those sexy lips, intense blue eyes, and unruly mane of dark hair. But she was just a woman, a party crasher by night and a barista by day, and Izzy couldn’t do his body or his face justice, wouldn’t have the first idea how to capture this strong, proud man on canvas or paper or even in a photo, but she’d definitely sign up for the task of preparing him for posing—in the nude.
She swallowed and licked her lips. She’d strip him naked and oil those rippling muscles, brush his hair away from his face, and kiss away the worried wrinkles in his brow.
Seriously? She had it bad, and she’d been the one to break it off with him.
Part of her was sorry she’d done it.
Izzy bit her lower lip as she raised her hand to ring the doorbell. She was early.
Her Aunt Barb’s car wasn’t in the driveway so she’d left for the day. Barb hadn’t said much other than Riley was quiet and non-communicative. He’d communicated just fine with Izzy the day they’d gone shopping. In fact, he’d been animated.
Enough stalling.
Izzy rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, Cooper opened the door and her breath caught in her throat. Cooper’s Sockeyes T-shirt molded to every muscle in his well-defined chest. Despite Izzy’s five-foot-ten height, the man towered over her, making her feel delicate and feminine. She gazed up at him, sucked in by his clear blue eyes, which darkened with desire at the sight of her on his doorstep.
“You’re early,” he stated the obvious.
“I know. I thought I’d spend a little time with Riley.”
“He’d like that.” Cooper stood aside to allow her in, but close enough her body brushed his as she squeezed past him. She followed him into the large kitchen and breakfast nook area, staring at his strong back the entire time, admiring those broad shoulders and the muscles at play as he walked with pure male, athletic grace.
Cooper stopped in the doorway, and she was so busy drooling, she ran into his back. Chuckling, he turned and winked at her, holding her arms to steady her weaving body. “Having issues with gravity today?”
“No, I’m fine.” Her face burned from her neck up to her forehead. Even the roots of her hair prickled with embarrassment.
“Sure, you are,” he said way too smugly, as if he knew the effect he had on her. The bastard.
She stepped around him and approached Riley who appeared to be doing his homework at the breakfast table. Riley glanced up and did a double-take. A welcoming smile spread across his face.
“Izzy.” He grinned with absolute joy at seeing her and made her feel like a bit of a bitch for avoiding him.
Izzy slid onto the bench across from him and smiled. “How are you, Riley?”
“Great, now that you’re here.” Riley shot a quick glance at his uncle and frowned.
“I’ll be in the living room. I have a few things to finish up before everyone gets here.” Cooper took the hint, but not before Izzy saw a flash of hurt in his blue eyes.
Riley visibly relaxed as soon as Cooper left. “Wow, it’s really good to see you.”
“How’s school going?” Izzy nodded at the books, laptop, and miscellaneous papers scattered on the table.
He shrugged one shoulder. “It’s going. I’m behind, but I have a tutor a couple days a week.” He brightened, showing all that youthful enthusiasm Izzy admired. “I’m playing on the freshman football team. Would you come to one of my games?” He bit his lower lip, and his hopeful expression was so adorable, Izzy couldn’t possibly say no.