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"Too late," she says with a wave and a smile. Mortified that he's caught us gawking at him, I walk over to the front door just as there's a knock. I open it and there he stands on my front porch, just as beautiful now as he was when I first saw him. It almost takes my breath away.
"Hi," I say when I finally locate my tongue and get it to produce words.
"Hi there." He gifts me with a heart-stopping smile, and I almost swoon right there.
"Do you want to come in for a minute, or do we need to get going?"
"We've got a few before the sunset will start, and I'd like to see what you've done with the place since you moved in," he says.
I wave him in, and as he crosses the threshold, the entryway suddenly feels much smaller. He's not even standing close to me, but I feel like we're on top of each other. I can smell his spicy cologne, and I think I could get drunk off the scent alone. It takes every ounce of strength I have not to lean in and take a deep whiff.
"Well, there’s my studio. Down the hall is a bedroom and a half bathroom, and upstairs is another bedroom, bathroom, and the master. The place only needed some cosmetic updates since it sat empty for about ten years."
"It looks great. Can I see your studio?" he asks, looking through the windows of the french doors.
"Sure." We walk into the room, and I realize I never took down the painting of Cooper's eyes. I quickly grab it and set it down by the wall, hoping he didn't see it when he walked in. I turn to look at him, and he's looking around the room, so I don't think he saw it, thank god.
"You've got a great setup in here. What's the door for?"
"That's where I store and mix my paints. I use mostly oil paints, and the large surface on top gives me room to create different colors from the paint I have."
"I'd like to see that sometime. I never realized you had to mix your own paint," Cooper says.
I smile at him. "I would be glad to show you, but just as a heads up, if I start mixing, I'm going to want to paint, and then I'm not much company. I tend to zone out when I paint or do anything creative."
"I'll remember that when you're showing me the ropes."
I nod because I'm not sure what else to say. This guy wants to watch me paint, and I’m not sure what to do with that information. We walk back out of the studio and into the living room where Hailey is sitting on the couch watching tv.
"How are you, Hailey?" Cooper asks as we walk into the room.
"Oh, I'm great, Cooper. How are you?"
"Doing fine, thanks. Quinn, we should get going. Are you ready?" The sound of my name in his deep voice has my body lighting up. I can imagine him growling it in my ear as he hovers over me.
I shake my head to stop those thoughts from getting out of hand.
"Yes, I'm ready. Let me grab my camera bag and we can head out," I manage to squeak out.
"Camera bag?" Cooper asks while I walk over to the couch and grab my things.
"If I'm going to a location I can't paint in person, I always bring my camera with me. That way, I have something to refer back to if I need a reminder. The photos are never quite as good as painting in person, but they're better than going off memory."
"So, not only can you paint, but you're also a photographer?"
"It’s more of a necessity, really. It comes in handy when I can't remember the little details of the landscape.” I sling my bag over my shoulder and turn to look at Hailey, “I'll see you later?"
"Yeah, or tomorrow. Whatever. You two kids have fun, and don't do anything I wouldn't do." She winks.
I feel my cheeks heat, and I hear Cooper chuckle behind me. I walk back over to where he’s standing, and he motions for me to take the lead. We leave the house and head toward his white truck parked in the driveway.
Cooper walks to the passenger side and opens the door for me. I smile my thanks and climb into his truck. He closes the door once I'm settled, and the smell of his cologne envelops me as I watch him walk around and get in on the driver's side.
I feel the butterflies in my stomach dissipate and give way to excitement with the realization that I'm getting to spend the evening with the most drop-dead gorgeous man, and he just gave me his million-dollar smile. I smile back, feeling electricity in the air between us so thick I could cut it with a knife.
"I picked up some sandwiches and stuff to have for dinner when we get to the lake. I hope that's okay," he says as he starts the truck and backs out of the driveway.
"That sounds perfect. I'm excited to see the lake. I haven't been since the summer before Gram and Pap died."
