“Ashley,” I say, exaggerating a deep and caring concern for her. “Coop isn’t—”
That’s all I get out before her hand flies out so fast I can’t react. She slaps me right across the cheek so hard my head snaps to the side. My hand comes up involuntarily to cover the burning skin and I stare at her in shock.
She actually hit me.
Leaning in to me, her eyes alight with triumph, she says, “Have a lovely evening, Eden. I hope you choke on Coop’s dick and then it falls off.”
Well, that was mature. Of course, I goaded her, which I guess was sort of juvenile.
I can do nothing but stare as Ashley flips around and sashays out of the bathroom, followed by her giggling girlfriends.
In a daze—not because I’m hurt, but because I’m still shocked I was just bitch slapped—I walk up to the mirror above the sink. I pull my hand away and her wince at the red print left behind.
Bending over the sink, I run cold water and use a cupped palm to bring it to my face to cool it. I do this several times, and after drying off, I grimace over the fact I still have a red handprint on my face.
This is disconcerting, because Coop is going to see it along with everyone else in Tilley’s. My mind races back to night before last when Coop spanked my ass in bed. It made me wetter than I’ve ever been, and then he spanked me as he fucked me from behind. And he didn’t hold back either.
By the next morning, the handprints were gone.
Maybe I can just stay in here until morning and all will be good.
My eyes staring back at me in the mirror tell me how very sad and pathetic I am.
I giggle and give myself a wink.
Oh well…it’s an adventure, right?
I glance one more time at the print on my cheek and decide to own it. Chin up, shoulders back, I do my catwalk strut right out of the bathroom. I perform it all the way across Tilley’s and then I spy Coop up at the bar saying his goodbyes. Someone nods at me over his shoulder, and he turns to watch me approach. His eyes travel up and down my body, which is modestly covered in skinny jeans, a flowing mint green blouse, and taupe high-heel pumps. But it’s the walk that’s got him, because I do know how to do it better than anyone in this room for sure.
Then Coop’s gaze hits my face and his sexy smile slides right off and his jaw goes hard as he stares at my cheek.
“What the fuck is that?” he asks as I reach him, his fingers coming up to lightly touch my skin.
I shrug nonchalantly. “Ashley slapped me.”
Coop’s head snaps left, then right, looking for her. I don’t even bother, because I wouldn’t let him do anything. I can tell when he spots her because flames leap in his eyes. He takes a step in her direction while muttering, “That fucking bitch.”
My hand comes to his arm and I murmur, “Don’t, honey.”
I turn my head and see where Coop is looking. Ashley’s staring back at us with a big shit-eating grin on her face. She holds her beer up to us in a mock toast and takes a sip.
Coop takes another step but my fingers tighten. I can feel the anger vibrating off of him.
“Kiss me,” I tell him, and his gaze leaves Ashely from across the room and slides to me. I repeat my request. “Kiss me…and make it good, okay?”
His lips curve upward and his entire body relaxes. Both of his hands come to my face and he holds me in place as he brings his mouth down on mine. He bends my body back so I have to wrap my hands around his neck for leverage and he deepens the kiss. Coop tilts his head and kisses me deeper yet.
People start hooting at us, someone yells “get a bed,” and women are laughing.
And Coop doesn’t let up.
He drags me upright, brings my body into his, and slaps a palm on my ass, pulling my pelvis to his.
And he kisses me harder.
People start cheering over his public spectacle, and when he finally pulls his mouth from mine, I’m breathing so hard I feel like I might faint. Luckily, Coop’s arm goes around my waist so my legs don’t buckle.
Then he picks up his beer from the bar, which is almost empty, turns, and holds it up to Ashley in a mock toast. I look at her and she’s glaring daggers at both of us. Coop just grins at her and finishes his beer.
Setting it back on the bar, he leans down and literally sweeps me off my feet. I throw my arms around his neck while he carries me out of the bar.
“Hope you’re ready to go, Miss Goodnight,” he says with a grin as people call out their goodbyes to us.
“That was awesome,” I murmur, and snuggle into his neck.
“I can’t believe that bitch hit you,” Coop mutters.
“Doesn’t matter,” I whisper, snuggling deeper into him. “You kiss me like that, nothing matters.”
Coop laughs as he carries me out the door.
Chapter 22
We’ve reached our expiration date…
Coop
I wait patiently as Hugo positions the excavator to dig out another dead bush. We’re working on a project at city hall, pulling out a long hedge of diseased holly that has started dying. They’re deeply rooted, so I had to bring in an excavator to get them out, but Hugo is the best heavy-machine operator on my crews so he gets the honors while I use an axe to cut out any roots not pulled up.
We’ve been at this all afternoon and I’m tired, dirty, and sore. I want a hot shower and then I want Eden, in that order. Then we can eat dinner. She said she was cooking something special but it can wait. My need for her seemingly cannot.
A tap on my shoulder startles me and I turn to see our mayor standing there. Kellen Stowe is two years older than me and has been our town’s mayor for almost a year now. He’s got a law degree and has a small practice here, but he’s a third-generation Newberry citizen and loves this town a lot. Being mayor of such a small town isn’t a full-time job, so he can still practice law as well.
I motion to Kellen to step away from the excavator so we don’t have to yell at each other, and we walk about twenty yards away, which puts us in the middle of the town hall parking lot.
“What’s up?” I ask him.
“Sorry I didn’t get out to celebrate Eden’s party last night,” he says. “Too much damn work to do.”
“No worries,” I tell him, because it wasn’t a big formal thing. Missy put the word out and gathered people to have a good time together and let Eden know she was valued. Didn’t bother me the mayor didn’t come.
Kellen leans in and says, “I know. But I wanted to thank her for her donation. I know she wants it to be anonymous, but I was thinking of sending her a gift or something. Maybe you can give me an idea.”
“Donation?” I ask with my eyebrows raised.
“You don’t know?” Kellen asks with worry. “I just assumed she would have told you. You know…seeing as how you two—”
“What donation?” I repeat.
“Two days ago,” Kellen tells me in a low voice, as if he’s afraid someone out here in the middle of the parking lot might overhear. “She dropped off a check for a million dollars with a short note. Told me that she wanted it used however the town most needed it, and she wanted it to remain anonymous.”