“Yes. He and Ally are here now, and we’re going to that new Italian restaurant in town,” she answered. “How is the festival? Are you boys having fun? Is Erica enjoying herself?”
“I haven’t seen them today, but we’ve texted, and she seems to be enjoying it. It’s crazy, but a good kind of crazy. You know how these things go.” In the early days of his career everything had been a thrill, and he’d shared much of what went on at these events with his mother. “I was just calling to tell you about some of the pictures I took of your favorite actors.”
He spent the next half hour describing the celebrities, what they were wearing, their facial expressions, and the looks in their eyes. Their mother had a thing for eyes. She believed you could tell everything about a person by their eyes, and it was one of the things Cooper knew she missed most. Being able to rely on those visual clues to gauge others. Namely, her sons. But she’d honed her other senses, listening to the cadence of their steps, their breathing, touching their faces and reading their expressions that way.
After talking with his mother, Cooper called Jackson on his way out the door.
“Dude, we’re down at the restaurant. Join us?” Jackson asked.
Ever since getting engaged to Erica, Jackson had been happier and less serious all the time. Hell, each of his brothers was happier now, and he had to admit, as he walked to the elevator, after just one day with Cici, he was happier, too.
“I’m heading down to get Cici. We’re going out to dinner, to talk, but let’s get together for breakfast tomorrow. I want you to meet her.” Never before had he been excited to talk with a woman. Now he couldn’t wait to get everything out in the open so they could hopefully move forward.
Jackson’s voice grew serious. “Everything’s cool, then? She isn’t pissed?”
“We’ll see. So far so good, but four years is a long time. And you know me—I’m not big on spilling my guts.” He stepped into the elevator and pushed the button, thinking about what he’d just said. “Except, I guess I am with Cici, because I told her about Dad last night.”
“No shit?” Jackson said. “Coop, I still can’t believe you fell in love with a woman and never told me, man. That’s fucked up.”
“What’s fucked up was that the fucking attack screwed with my head for so long. I owe you and Erica a thank-you. It wasn’t until I realized that if you lost Erica, you’d lose a piece of yourself that I realized I’d already lost the best thing I’d ever had.”
Chapter Six
CICI FLUNG THE door open, holding an expensive camera in one hand and scowling at the infuriatingly handsome man leaning casually against the doorframe.
“Seriously, Cooper?” She held up the camera. “I can’t accept this.” She shoved the camera into his hands. He looked at her with shock and amusement in his eyes, which only annoyed her even more. “I can’t accept this or the other two cameras, or the lenses, the batteries, or the rolling equipment carrier. Jesus, Cooper. I’m not a charity case.”
He arched a brow and then looked down at the camera. “I guess the equipment I ordered for you was delivered.”
“Ugh! How can you be so calm, when I’m…not?”
He stepped closer, his inky lashes blinking over soft, midnight-blue eyes.
“How about a hello, and then you can yell at me.” He pressed his lips to her cheek. They were warm and tender and, goddamn it? now she was smiling.
“It was a sweet gesture,” she admitted, already calming. “Really thoughtful. But I can’t accept any of this.”
“Okay. I’m sorry if my gift gave you the impression that I thought you needed charity. I just figured it would take a while to get your insurance hammered out, and as much as I loved spending today with you, I thought you might want the freedom to take pictures without feeling tied to me.”
“You…” So I’m not tied to you? Now she felt silly. “I’m sorry if I overreacted, but we have a lot to work out, and I don’t want you thinking that I need you to buy me things, or take care of me.”
“Fair enough,” he said. “But you know me, Ceese. You know that I love taking care of you, even if it doesn’t include buying you things.”
She did know that. When they’d been together before, he’d never showered her with gifts, but he’d showered her with so much love and attention that she’d felt like every second of her life was golden. “I know, and I do love that about you. But…fair enough? You’re okay with taking them back? You’re not going to get upset?”
He slid a hand around her waist and tugged her in close. His body was hot and hard and his voice was low and husky. “Of course I’m okay with it. I would prefer that you were strapped to me every second.”
“Cooper,” she whispered, caught between wanting desperately to kiss him and needing to talk things through.