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Cooper shrugs, watching me while he opens the door. As I go to pass him, he snags my waist, surprising me with a tender kiss to the forehead. “If you need it, I can wait all night, T.”
I bite my lip, leaning into him. “I’m good. Let’s head out. Traffic probably sucks already.”
He hums in agreement, following me through my house to his Jeep. I press a hand over my stomach as he pulls out. No backing out now.
“What’s that face for?” he prompts when we’re halfway there.
I jump, sucking in a breath. The question startles me out of my run through of my memorized notes.
“What look? There’s no look, this is just my face.” I wave my hand in front of it to drive the point home. “Same old, same old.”
The corner of his mouth lifts. “Nah.” Reaching over, he settles his hand on my leg, fingers tucking between my thighs with a casual possessiveness that makes my stomach dip. One hand resting over the wheel, he exudes calm confidence while he weaves through the end of summer tourist traffic to reach Mariner’s Cove for the party. “You forget how well I can read you, T. That face is the same as the night I brought you to your first party. It’ll be chill. You have nothing to worry about, so quit overthinking before you blow a gasket.”
Damn his perceptiveness. It would take longer than the time we have to drive to our destination to unpack everything that has my stomach in knots and my mind running in circles. It hasn’t been quiet since he told me there wasn’t anything friendly about how he thinks of me before he kissed me in a way that makes it clear we can never be just friends.
I still don’t know where that leaves us when this charade of ours ends.
Cooper’s thumb draws a circle on my skin absently. I suppress a shiver, his touch affecting me like I’m one of Pavlov’s dogs attuned to what it means when his hands are on me. Now everyone else will see that effect without us having to hide it.
Once he pulls into a parking space at the cove ten minutes later, he makes no move to get out. “T, look at me.”
Licking my lips, I lift my eyes to him. He’s perfection in every sense of the word, his hair tousled by the salty air, full lips tilted in a fond, crooked smile, and understanding brimming in his eyes.
“What’s up? You were chill about this last weekend, so talk to me. I can’t help if you clam up and keep what’s bugging you to yourself.”
I shrug, wishing I had the words to explain why I got so in my head. “What if no one buys it and sees through our act? You’re you, Coop, and I’m—”
“Fucking gorgeous,” he cuts in, the weight of his eyes inescapable. “Don’t even give me that sassy little comment about to come out of your mouth. You are.”
“It’s just so many people to fool.” I swallow as the truth comes out. The nagging worry that I’m not good enough to be believable as his girlfriend eats at me. “What if we screw it up?”
“Not possible.”
I wish I had an ounce of his easy confidence. “There’s no way to know that one hundred percent.”
“For sure.”
“How?” I ask in exasperation. “There are too many variables—other people’s opinions, for one.”
He chuckles, a broad smile breaking free. “Easy. Because I’ve got you, my brainy little beauty, and you’re the most determined person I know. When you want something? You make it fucking happen. And this?” He gestures between us, then snags a piece of my hair to play with. “You want to sell this, or you wouldn’t be stressing about it.”
My heart climbs into my throat at his certainty. He makes everything seem easier than it is.
“You know how you were nervous about the first party?” He waits for me to nod stiffly, running his fingers through my hair until I relax. “Confession? So was I.”
I snort. “You don’t get nervous. You don’t have to say stuff just to be nice.”
“I’m not, babe. Full disclosure, I was nervous the whole time because I was desperate as shit to kiss you.” Taking my hand, he brushes his lips over the back of it. “I considered sneaking you away where we wouldn’t be seen before Jackson got there. Let go of what anyone else thinks. We’re a team, Tate. I’ve got your back, so you can stop panicking like you have to do this all on your own. We’re in this together, remember?”
Oh.
The vital thing I forgot. A breath blows out of me, half laugh, half relieved sigh. Duh. I’m not alone. Cooper sets me at ease and helps me pack away the worries that reared since the pier.
It doesn’t matter if I don’t have experience because my partner in crime does. Where I don’t know what to do, he’ll fill in the gaps.
“Thanks for the reminder.”
“Anytime.” He kisses my hand again, shooting me a cocky grin. “Now, come here so I can kiss the shit out of you.”
