Page 59 of Cooper’s Passion

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Anita wasn’t ready to talk about something personal with Cooper. She was fully aware of the elephant in the room: Cooper had said that he loved her to make it clear to his mother that he wouldn’t allow Yvette to hurt her. A vampire loved her? Even though he’d told her the previous night that he was falling in love with her, she hadn’t expected to hear him tell his mother of all people. Anita had no idea how to react to it. Therefore, she opted for changing the subject and discussing the case further. She needed more time to digest what she’d learned about Cooper so far, and what it meant for her, and for the case. Could she really trust him?

“You saw him when Janet Fillmore disappeared in Elko?”

“No, I didn’t see his face then. It was too dark, and I was too far away. But I saw his face when he took my mother twenty-one years ago. I saw his fangs and his glowing red eyes.”

“You saw his fangs? You knew he was a vampire? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Probably for the same reason you didn’t tell me that you’re a vampire. You wouldn’t have believed me.” She shrugged. “Had I known you were a vampire, I would have told you right away that I recognized his face from the sketch.”

Would she? Or would she have thought the worst and assumed that Cooper was helping the serial killer? In fact, she had acted exactly like that when she’d shot him, assuming he was bad because he was a vampire. But what if vampires were just like any other species? Some were bad, and some were good. Just like humans.

“I’m sorry that your mother was taken by a vampire,” Cooper said, his voice soft and full of compassion. “I know it was a long time ago, but it must hurt nevertheless.”

Anita nodded and tried to suppress the tears. “Nobody believed me that she was taken.” A sob tore from her chest. “My father thought she’d left us.”

“Did you tell him that you saw the man?”

“Yes. Many times. But he thought I was lying.” Another sob, and the tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision. “And all these years, I pushed those memories back, because maybe I had made it up. I was only nine. But now…”

She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. Cooper pulled her up into an embrace. “I know, Baby, you were right all along. We’ll get him, and he’ll pay for what he’s done. I promise you that.”

Anita rested her head on his shoulder and allowed the tears to flow and Cooper to console her with his embrace and his comforting words.

“Scanguards and I will make sure that he can’t hurt anybody else.”

Anita sobbed, but she finally knew that she would get justice for her mother, and for all the other women who’d met with the same fate. And maybe it was her fate to do this with the help of a man like Cooper, a man who wasn’t human, a man who had preternatural strength to take the killer down.

She was suddenly fully aware of the fact that Cooper wasn’t wearing a shirt. She felt his warm skin against her cheek, and his heartbeat reverberate against her palm that was resting on his chest. It beat much faster than hers. Worried, she lifted her head.

“Your heart is beating so fast. Are you okay?”

He met her gaze and smiled. “I’m better than ever. A vampire’s heart beats twice as fast as that of a human to give us our superior strength and speed.”

Cooper used his thumb to wipe away her tears. Then he pointed to the bullet wounds. “See? The skin has already closed, and I’m healing inside.”

Fascinated by the rapid healing process, she brushed her fingers over the wounds. “Does it still hurt?”

“A little.” He put two fingers under her chin to tilt it up. “So, about that apology…”

“What apology?”

“The one you haven’t given me yet for shooting me.” He smirked.

“I’m not gonna buy you a drink right now. I don’t think you should be having alcohol.”

Cooper chuckled, and the dimples in his cheeks made him look younger and so innocent that she could barely believe what he really was. “Alcohol actually has no effect on me. But I’m not interested in you buying me a drink… However, I wouldn’t say no to a kiss.”

Anita sucked in a breath of air, searching for an answer. Did she want to kiss him? She hadn’t been disgusted when she’d kissed him to distract him from the pain. On the contrary, it had felt just as wonderful as when they’d made love. But she knew what a kiss would lead to. They were alone, and once she kissed him, they would both want more. Was she ready for that? For sleeping with a vampire?

“I know you’re not afraid of me.”

Cooper brushed his lips over hers in a featherlight kiss. The tenderness surprised her.

“What if you can’t control yourself?”

“Do you have your handcuffs on you?”