He rubbed his hands on the front of his jeans. The door still hadn’t opened, but he knew she was home—her silver BMW was parked in the driveway. Maybe she’d spotted him from an upstairs window and simply decided not to come down. The thought made him clench his fists.
Damn that woman. He knew it was his fault that she didn’t want to see him, but that only made him angrier. Because he wanted to see her. He wasn’t sure when or how Lexie Price had gotten under his skin, but it was getting harder and harder to deny what he felt. That pissed him off too. He didn’t want to feel anything for Lexie. He’d moved to Paradise for a reason, and that reason hadn’t been to get involved with the snooty daughter of the town mayor.
Cooper stared at the closed door, cursing under his breath. Screw it. He shouldn’t have come here anyway. It wasn’t Lexie’s business who he slept with. She’d dumped him, for fuck’s sake.
Turning away, he headed for the porch steps, reaching the bottom one just as a creak sounded from behind.
“Cooper?”
With great reluctance, he turned around. Lexie stood in the doorway, wearing nothing but a fluffy green bathrobe. Her blonde hair was wet, and her face had a pink, freshly scrubbed glow.
“Hey,” he greeted her, voice gruff. His cock decided to offer its own greeting, growing harder than a slat of wood. It made climbing the porch steps difficult, but he managed. It always turned him on, seeing her without the makeup and fancy clothes. She was much hotter when she wasn’t so put together.
“What are you doing here?” she asked with a weary sigh.
He’d wanted to ease into the confession slowly, maybe work up to it a little, but when he opened his mouth, the words just flew out. “I slept with Maddie Wilson.”
Lexie’s pale-blue eyes flashed for a second, then went emotionless. “Yeah, I figured.”
Surprise jolted through him. “You did?”
“I saw her get into your truck the night of the bachelorette. Knowing you as well as I do, it wasn’t hard to imagine what you two were going to do.”
His skin prickled. “Of course,” he said mockingly. “Me being such a man whore, obviously I’d screw anything in sight.”
Lexie barked out a laugh. “And you did sleep with her, so there you go.”
“I was helping her out,” he blurted out.
She arched one blonde eyebrow. “I’m sure you were.”
“I’m serious,” he insisted. “That’s why I came here today, to tell you that there’s nothing going on with me and Maddie. It was just one night, a favor to a friend.”
“Uh-huh.”
“She needed to feel wanted,” he said in a low voice. “She’s head over heels in love with that fucking Bishop, all right? She just needed a friend.”
To his surprise, Lexie’s features softened. “She told you about her crush on Owen?”
“Crush?” He sighed. “It’s more than a crush. Like I said, head over heels.”
Her face hardened once more. “And you so graciously decided to help her out, didn’t you? Can’t pass up an opportunity to use that dick of yours, right?”
“No need to be a bitch,” he said through gritted teeth. “I just wanted you to know that I’m not with Maddie or anything.”
“Why?” Frustration laced her words. “Why did you need me to know that?”
“Because…” He trailed off, finding the courage to meet her eyes. She looked angry and confused, and so fucking beautiful his heart ached. “Because I haven’t given up on us.”
She stared at him, incredulous. “There is no us, Coop. There never was.”
“Yes, there was.” He moved closer, lifting a hand to her face. Her breath hitched as he caressed her silky cheek with his thumb. “And there will be again, Lex.”
“Why?” she demanded, suddenly looking annoyed. “What the hell do you want with me, Cooper? I’m five years older than you. I’m an ice princess, cold and emotionless, like a damn robot. I’m neurotic and insecure and a total pain in the ass most of the time. What on earth do you want with me?”
A laugh escaped his lips. “You’re five years older, yeah. But the rest of it? Bullshit, darlin’. And that bullshit is the reason I’m not giving up on this.”
Her features collapsed, etched with bewilderment and doubt. “I don’t understand you at all.”
“Not sure I understand myself half the time,” he replied with a shrug. He dropped his hand from her cheek and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m going to leave now, Lex.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I’m leaving, giving you some time to let it settle.” Determination seized hold of his chest. “But I’m coming back. I’m coming back, and I’m claiming you, and I’m going to show you that all those things you think about yourself—they’re pure crap.”
Her mouth formed a shocked “o”. He would have liked to stick around and wait for the anger and indignation—she was so sexy when she was pissed off—but he was too damn close to pulling her into his arms and kissing the shit out of her. Better to go now, give her something to think about.
“See you soon, darlin’,” he said with a faint grin, and then he turned on his heel and left her there on the porch.