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He closed the distance between us, his lips pressing against mine. He kept them there, and I sensed that he was breathing me in, his hands suddenly holding my cheeks, keeping us together even though I wasn’t going anywhere.
Because, oh God, I liked the feel of Cooper’s mouth.
And I loved the way my body reacted to him.
There was a small slip of his tongue; it only lasted a few seconds before he pulled it back in, pecking my lips until those parted from mine too.
Before I could respond, he said, “I’ve got to catch my flight.”
I nodded.
This was a goodbye I hadn’t mentally prepared for. I’d pushed it far from my mind, planning on dealing with it when the time came.
Now that it was here, I didn’t like the feeling inside me.
But I pushed that away too.
“Thank you for a perfect Christmas.”
“Perfect?” I challenged.
“Yes.” His hand went to the back of my neck, clasping it hard enough that I felt it everywhere. “I needed nothing but you.”
How could words make me breathless?
I didn’t know.
But his did.
I set my fingers on top of his, attempting to ground myself despite the fact that I was sitting with my feet on the floor, and whispered, “Thank you for making mine so memorable.” I tried to take a deep breath. “Safe travels back to LA.”
I scanned his face one last time.
Those dark blue eyes.
Lips.
Scruff.
“You as well.”
The chair felt too confined, so I stood, and I found myself closing the small distance between us and wrapping my arms around his neck. My eyes closed as I inhaled, as the sage and burnt orange took ahold of me. As thoughts from our last three nights together moved through my brain like a movie reel.
I didn’t know why I had such an urge to hold him tighter. Why I wanted just one more moment with him and then instantly questioned whether that would be enough.
But what I realized fairly quickly was that I had to force myself to unravel my arms from around him and take a few steps back, ignoring the pounding in my heart and the aching in my stomach and the desperate need pulsing through my fingers to reach for his.
This was—this had to be—enough.
“See ya, Cooper.” My voice was quiet and gentle.
He gave me a smile that was so incredibly sexy, and then he picked up his messenger bag from the table and walked toward the door, giving me a low, “You’d better,” just before he opened it and disappeared.
As soon as I was alone, my arms wrapped around my stomach, holding the air in my lungs as I stared at the closed door, listening to the silence in the room. A sinking feeling was filling me. One that had completely come out of nowhere.
It had been inevitable that we both had to leave. Lake Louise wasn’t home. I was the one who hadn’t given him my number, a move that had been strategic, which was why I didn’t understand where these emotions were coming from.
Regardless of whether I wanted him or not, I couldn’t be with Cooper Spade.
