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Questions for future Tatum, because I’ve got nothing at the moment. Nothing but a pit in my stomach and an odd burn in my chest whenever I see Coop with someone else.
“Okay, cool it crazy,” I mumble to myself as I lock up the car before trudging up the driveway.
My hopes of playing it cool and walking past them without incident go up in smoke the second my eyes lock with Cooper’s. He catches the ball against his chest with anoofwhen Jackson passes it to him.
“‘Sup, T,” he says in that charming deep tone that makes me swoony.
Stop it, I chide myself. I can’t help it. All I see when I look into his handsome brown eyes is the cocky little smirk he gives me when he knows I’m about to come, the way he held me close and cared for me after we had sex, and the wicked gleam that lit up his eyes before going down on me when he said he had to taste me again or he’d go wild.
How can he be that guy and the playboy?
I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Hey.”
Oh god, awkward much? This is ridiculous. I force out a breath through my nose. He’s not some unobtainable god—he’sCooper. My neighbor. My brother’s friend who’s always around. I need to chill out.
“How was work?” Cooper asks.
I shrug. “The usual.”
Jackson lifts a brow, bouncing his gaze between us. Before he can point out the air of stiffness, his phone rings. When he pulls it out, he nods toward the house.
“Harris is FaceTiming me. I’ll be right back.”
Once he disappears to take his call, my shoulders slump. Cooper steps up behind me, massaging them. I smother a moan of pleasure before it escapes me.
“What’s wrong, T?” he rasps against my ear.
“Dude.” I stiffen, reluctantly stepping out of reach and away from his magic fingers working the kinks out of my tired muscles. “Jackson could come back out here any second. You shouldn’t risk it. Rule three. The big one, remember?”
He sighs. “You’re right. I can’t help it. You’ve got this pouty thing going on with your mouth and I want to make you feel better.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to distract myself from the way my misbehaving heart expands. “It’s nothing. I’m just tired from work. I’m due for a day of self-care.”
He waggles his brows. “Want my help?”
I shake my head wryly, ignoring the swirl of desire in my core. “I’m pretty sure you helped me plenty the other day after the beach. Does that make us square?”
“Huh?” A crease appears on his forehead. “Nah, not in the slightest, baby. There’s so much more you have to learn and we only have a couple of weeks left before the semester starts.”
Damn it. My stomach dips at his suggestive tone and the affectionate way he calls me baby. It has the effect of something I haven’t managed since this afternoon—setting me at ease. Our deal might be unorthodox, but we’re both on the same page.
“Well, thanks for wanting to rub me down.” I grin and set my purse down.
He chuckles, retrieving the basketball. Dribbling slowly, he moves around me, glancing at the house before he leans in to speak.
“I want to do more than rub you. If we were really alone, you’d already be moaning my name.”
“Oof.” I bite my lip. “So confident. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a bonafide smooth operator.”
“You know damn well I can back it up.” He closes the small distance between us, ducking his head to give me a smoldering look. “And that I only speak the truth. I know exactly how I’d have you making a mess for me without taking your clothes off.”
Whew. I need to get away from him because I’m in danger of throwing caution to the wind and forgetting the rules of our agreement.
“Oh yeah?” I fake to the right, then steal the ball, dribbling around him.
“Ohh,” he draws out. “She thinks she’s slick, folks. Let’s see what she’s got.”
Laughter bubbles out of me. He blocks my shot, using our height difference to his advantage. He offers a smirk, then steps aside with his arm out. Squinting at him, I get ready to shoot the ball. I gasp when he steps behind me, grasping my waist.
