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Cooper McCullough wasn’t at all what she had expected, and he talked about D/s with a kind of reverence. His affection and respect for Miley had Anabella rethinking her own preconceived notions. He was a very confusing man and difficult to understand… or was he? Maybe what was confusing were her own feelings for the man and what they might mean.
One thing was for sure, someone was trying to kill her, and Coop and the Cerberus team were committed to foiling them. And with that comforting thought—that Cerberus could stop whoever it was, not that someone was trying to kill her—she was able to close her eyes and let sleep claim her.
CHAPTER10
COOPER
Coop followed her to the bedroom door. He placed his hand on the door and considered trying to push her limits, but decided he’d put it out there. The choice about if they moved forward together was up to her. Patience wasn’t normally his strong suit, but she was worth the wait.
He tried lying down—that didn’t work. He tried taking a cold shower—that didn’t work. He thought about finding a little relief in stroking his hard-on while he envisioned her lips around his cock as he watched it appear and disappear into her mouth. Not surprisingly, that didn’t work, either. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Remembering why they were at the cabin, he pulled on socks and a pair of cross-hike shoes before retrieving his weapon and tucking it into the back of his waistband.
Wandering back into the kitchen, Coop retrieved the files and notebook Anabella had brought from her loft. He was impressed by how organized and thorough she was. She might not have evidence enough to take to the authorities or to really know what she had, but it was clear even to him that she was onto something. That the authorities had not wanted to listen was something altogether different.
Before sitting down, he lit a fire in the massive fireplace and settled down on the sofa to really look at what she had. He hoped he’d find some insight that would prove to Anabella that he was more than just a beefcake, which was what he feared she thought of him—just muscles and a big cock. Normally, he didn’t care what others thought of him, especially in matters of sex, but Anabella was different. He wanted more than just a simple exchange of need for need. He wanted her. He wanted to possess her and for her to possess him. He wanted what Royce and King had.
There was a crackling noise, which at first Coop dismissed as being the fire, but when it happened a second time as he was watching the fire, he knew they were no longer alone. If it was one of the men patrolling, they would never have come close enough to the cottage to be heard without letting Coop know they were near. Not doing so could get someone hurt.
Coop stilled, slowing his breathing and focusing on the auditory clues as to what was happening. There it was again—the sound of someone moving quietly. Pulling the gun from his jeans, he moved stealthily through the cottage. The only light in the cottage had been that of the fireplace. He moved out of the fire’s light and became one with the shadows as he crept towards the sound. The sound of one of the porch floorboards creaking drew his attention and he moved parallel to the sound.
He glanced toward the kitchen counter where he’d left his phone and laptop. If someone was going to try and breach the cottage, he would need to move fast in order to keep Anabella safe. He cursed himself silently for not showing her how to access the escape tunnel—clearly his mind had been more engaged with entertaining her and learning about who she was than concentrating on the job. When whatever this turned out to be was over, he would make sure she knew.
He glanced over to the bedroom side of the cottage; Anabella’s door was still closed. Coop could hear someone moving along the porch and made his way toward the front door, ready to defend Anabella regardless of the cost. He knew if he fired a shot, the patrol would come running—if they still lived. The floorboards creaked again—whoever was out there was getting closer.
Grasping the knob, he turned it, flinging the door open and stepping out onto the porch moving out of the ring of light cast by the fireplace inside.
“Hit the ground or die,” he shouted.
Movement on the porch gave him the approximate placement of the intruder.
“Now, or I pull the trigger.”
The intruder, a figure dressed all in black, jumped from the porch and ran towards the wood. It was difficult to see him well enough to shoot. It was more that Coop could sense his movement than truly see it. Normally there would be enough light cast by the moon, but tonight the cold-hearted orb had chosen to keep its illumination to itself.
He fired a shot, but before he could get off another, from behind him Anabella screamed. Coop turned to see if he had missed a secondary intruder who might now be threatening her. Instead of Anabella fighting off an intruder, he was greeted by Anabella dressed in nothing more than a t-shirt that came midway down her thigh as she charged towards him and into what could be a dangerous situation. Coop barred the doorway and pushed her back inside and out of the light.
“Shut and lock the door. Keep to the shadows but get to my phone on the island and hit one. Tell them we have an intruder. Don’t unlock that door for anyone but me. Understand?”
Her eyes open wide and full of fear, Anabella seemed frozen to the spot. He wanted to comfort her but couldn’t risk taking the time. “Now, Anabella. Move.”
* * *
ANABELLA
Cooper pulled the door shut and hesitated. She realized he was waiting for her to engage the lock, which she did. She could hear him shout again as he ran from the cottage to follow her would-be assailant. As she neared the kitchen island, she could hear gunshots in the distance, and flinched with each one.
Picking up Coop’s phone, she couldn’t get the damn thing to activate. It was as if it was possessed. Pressing the power button, she had it restart. That took precious time she was afraid Coop didn’t have. Why hadn’t he just come in here with her and called for help from in here? Would that be what it was like to be involved with someone like him—watching from the shadows as he rushed into danger?
With shaking hands, she managed to get the phone restarted and activated so she could pull up the phone’s keypad. She was so rattled she dropped the damn thing on the floor. She leaned over to pick it up and managed to knock it under the island. It was as if the damn thing had a mind of its own and was playing for the other team. As she stood, she caught what looked like movement in the shadows from the kitchen window. Shit!
Anabella glanced toward the floor—the phone was not where she could easily get to it. The knife block was too far away and besides, didn’t they always say never bring a knife to a gunfight? She remembered seeing a shotgun in the corner of the pantry. She ran inside and lifted it up. What the hell was she going to do with it? Even though she’d taken the training courses, she’d only fired a handgun on the gun range. She knew what a shotgun was and theoretically knew how to fire it, but she’d never actually used one before. She didn’t even know if the thing was loaded. Hopefully it was. Her plan was to point dead center at whoever came after her and pull the trigger. She might die anyway, but she was not going down without a fight.
She pulled the pantry door closed, remaining inside. She braced herself against the back wall—the wall with the wine rack that hid the entrance to the escape tunnel. If they lived through this, he was bloody well going to show her how to access the damn thing. She tried to quiet her breathing so she could hear if and when someone entered the cottage and began to search for her.
Just like in the movies, her ears alerted her to an approaching intruder. Her eyes were riveted on the pantry door as the knob began to turn. Lifting the shotgun, she aimed it at the door.
CHAPTER11
COOPER
