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I swallowed hard and allowed Cooper to steer me to my office.
“Sit,” he commanded, once the door was closed behind him.
I sank into my desk chair and set my coffee down on the table. Somewhere along the way, as he’d steered me down the corridors to my office, frustration had won out over the other emotions, and as I gripped the arms of my desk chair, rage was all I could feel pulsing through my veins. He was treating me like a dog on a leash, dragging me down the hallways like that. Where did he get the idea that I was his property?
By the time he opened his mouth, I was ready to go to war.
“What was that all about?” he asked. His jaw twitched as he waited for my answer.
“I went to get a coffee. I didn’t realize I needed your permission for that.” My teeth were clenched and my fingers dug into the leather even deeper.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then ask me more specifically. I swear,
Cooper, you need to take some sort of etiquette class. Then again, I’m not sure that even Emily Post herself could help you.”
Cooper smiled and it sent a chill down my spine. “Charming,” he said.
I offered him my own strained smile and then unclenched one of my fists long enough to take a sip of coffee. “You were saying?”
“Allison, don’t push me. I’m in no mood.”
I sighed and set the cup back down, harder than intended and some of the precious liquid splashed out the top. “What do you want?”
“What was Parker talking about? What’s happening tonight?”
“That’s really none of your business.”
He leaned forward, bracing both of his hands on my desk as he stared down at me. I did my best to not flinch under his harsh glare.
“You are my business.”
I rolled my eyes. “Cooper, unless this is about work, I really don’t want to talk about it. Now, you said you were coming to see me, so why don’t we talk about that.”
The anger in Cooper’s eyes was practically radiating from his body as he hovered over me. I did my best to choke back my anxiety, and met his stare with my own intensity. He needed to know that I wasn’t a plaything that he could just use and toss away any time he wanted. If there was ever a relationship that needed boundaries, this was it. But, at the same time, somewhere in my core, I wanted him and pushing his limits was turning me on. No one had ever gotten this crazy jealous…possessive…of me and it was both startling and intoxicating.
“Answer my question and we can talk about whatever you want,” he said.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Cooper. He asked me to dinner, okay? Are you happy?” I sat back, waiting for him to blow up, but there was something that happened in his eyes. A shift.
“And you agreed to this invitation?”
“No, I did not,” I said. Technically, my answer was true. I hadn’t said yes or no. I hadn’t really wanted to go on the date, but at the same time, I needed to send a message to Cooper and going out with Parker might be just the thing.
Just as quickly as his anger had sparked, it seemed to dissipate. He straightened and smoothed his jacket. “All right.”
I watched his transformation in complete awe and confusion. In some sick way, I almost preferred him a little on the edge. His sudden coolness was unsettling. I was tempted to bring up his weekend whereabouts with the actress just to rile him back up again, but decided to keep that card in my hand for a while longer.
“So? What did you need to talk to me about?” I prompted.
My frustration was stifled and the desire for him was starting to creep back in as my eyes wandered over his squared shoulders. His jacket was cut perfectly to show off his broad, muscled frame. His large hands smoothed over his tie and my pulse quickened, thinking of his fingers and all the wonderfully exquisite things they were capable of.
Ugh. I shifted in my chair as pressure started to build between my thighs.
I needed to get him out of my office before I did something stupid. Again.
“I wanted to check on your progress. I had an afternoon meeting Friday and was unable to stop by before I had to leave,” he said. His face was all business, but I noted his eyes wandering down the line of my shirt, spending a moment longer than necessary on the place where the shirt buttoned together, over my full chest.
