He sat up, and when he looked down and took in the fucked-out expression on Nate’s face, satisfaction coursed through him that he’d been the one to put it there.
Nate grinned up at him. “See something you like?”
“You look wrecked, and it suits you.”
“Well, you can wreck me anytime you’d like—at least, you can for the rest of the week.”
Cooper’s gut clenched, and he had to remind himself that Nate didn’t mean anything by it, that he didn’tknowthat he was Cooper’s mate, because Cooper hadn’t told him about the existence of mates yet. But he would.
He just had to hope he didn’t fuck it up.
Chapter Seven
“So, this isn’t a complaint, but are we staying the entire week at the Ritz, or did you have something else planned?” Nate grimaced. “Wow. That sounds super Veruca Salt.Are weonlygoing to the Ritz, Daddy?”
Someone at the next table swung around and stared. Cooper’s eyebrow rose into his hairline, which was when Nate realised just how that had sounded. He groaned and propped his elbows on the table of the hotel restaurant, burying his face in his hands.
Deft fingers peeled his hands away from his face, and Cooper grinned at him. “It’s fine, Nate. I got the reference. And in answer to your question, I’m hoping to spend a couple of nights in the Swan Valley. Liz is getting us a booking for tomorrow night at a werewolf-owned winery.” He paused, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “The chalets have soundproofing.”
Nate hid his face again. “OhGod. Is that because of this morning?”
“Baby, I love the noises you make, but you wereloud,” Cooper teased, his smile widening enough that the corners of his eyes creased attractively. “I took it as a compliment.”
Nate thought back to their early morning antics. They’d been fooling around in the shower, and Cooper had lifted him clear off the floor and fucked him against the wall, long and hard. Nate’s shouts had echoed off the tiles, loud enough that he was certain the entire floor must have heard him when he’d come his brains out—twice.
Nate assumed that was the reason for the judgemental stares they’d gotten from the couple in the next room when they’d shared the elevator down to the lobby.
Worth it, in his opinion.
He went back to eating his poached eggs and wondered again what kind of influence Cooper had, that not only was he important enough to get accommodation at the peak of summer—Rottnest notwithstanding—but that the head of Shiftercorp’s WA operations was bending over backwards to keep him happy. But he bit back the urge to ask if Cooper was a mafia kingpin, even as a joke, because he got the sense that whatever it was, Cooper wasn’t keen to talk about it—and in all honesty, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know.
It wasn’t like it mattered. He wasn’t going to see Coop again, anyway.
His stomach soured and he pushed his plate away.
Cooper’s brow furrowed. “Nate? What’s wrong? You look pale.”
“Nothing.” Nate bit his lip to keep from blurting out that he wanted this to last longer, because in all likelihood all that would just send Cooper running for the hills. He forced a smile. “That last bite of egg’s sitting wrong, that’s all.”
Cooper looked unconvinced, and Nate remembered too late that his heartbeat would have given away his lie in, well…a heartbeat. Cooper didn’t call him on it, though. Instead, he reached across the table and took Nate’s hand, giving it a squeeze. An unaccountable warmth bloomed in Nate’s chest, replacing his unease.
Cooper pushed his own plate aside and drained his coffee cup, checking his watch. “Shall we walk up to Hay Street?”
“Yeah, that sounds good,” Nate said. “I don’t come into the city much.”
Cooper’s hand sought his as they meandered through the streets, their casual pace a contrast to the smart-suited flood of young professionals with their Bluetooth earpieces and set expressions who were marching towards their destinations.
Nate was remindedwhyhe didn’t come into the city much after the third person elbowed him as they pushed past. He let out a grunt and muttered, “Bloody hell.”
Cooper had his arm around Nate’s waist in an instant, pulling him close and steering him down a laneway that was much less crowded. “Better?” he asked, not letting go as he gazed into Nate’s face before brushing a stray piece of hair behind his ear.
It was kind of sweet, and also kind of ridiculous. “It’s fine, Coop.”
Cooper pursed his lips. “I don’t like people touching what’s—” He snapped his mouth shut and cleared his throat, pointing down the laneway. “This looks interesting. Mind if we poke around down here?”
It was such a sad attempt to hide his protectiveness that Nate didn’t have the heart to call him on it. Instead he nodded, and let Cooper lead the way.
They passed coffee shops, a bookshop, a nail salon and a place that sold Bali fashions before stopping outside a tiny art gallery that was also a jeweller’s and deciding to go in. Nate got lost in the artist’s work for a while, the art on display there a combination of modern and quirky, before wandering through to the jewellery display room.
