Page 95 of The Rebel

I could turn around, although that would make me look foolish, like I couldn’t stand the thought of sharing the bar withhim, his presence enough to send me back to the elevator. I could sit on the opposite side of the bar and show him I was unbothered and uninterested.

Or I could plant my ass directly next to him and make him even grumpier.

NINETEEN

Cooper

There were only two things I wanted: to breathe in air that didn’t have her scent and to sit and drink in a bar that showed no signs of her.

Five minutes. That was how long I had gotten to soak in both, enjoying my freedom, until it was suddenly taken away from me.

Why the fuck couldn’t she have gotten room service?

There was no way she could have heard me outside the door to her room. I had been silent the whole time I was standing there, my hand pressed against the smooth, painted surface, forcing myself not to knock. I didn’t know why I’d stopped at her door or what had possessed me to even get close to it. But after I had passed her suite, I’d backtracked. I got near it, and then I practically pressed my whole damn body against it. Of course, while I was there, doing everything in my fucking power not to bang my fist on the wood, the floor decided to creak.

It was that noise that brought me back to reality.

That had sent me straight here, where I downed a bourbon and quickly ordered a second.

And instead of relaxing in the quietness and a Rowan-free space, I was looking into the eyes of my enemy.

The woman who was making me question my loyalty to my family.

Who was making me want things that I’d never wanted before.

Who was testing the very little patience I had.

When she was within ten feet, I caught a whiff of her apple and cedarwood scents, and a bolt of anger shot straight through me. But it was also there, within that distance, that I allowed my eyes to dip down her body.

The second I reached her chest, I knew it was a bad idea.

She didn’t have on a bra, so her tits were loose in the tight tank, her nipples hard, the ribbed top showing the start of her cleavage and the perfect curves of her waist.

Goddamn it.

I should have stopped there. I shouldn’t have looked even an inch lower.

But I couldn’t help myself.

Her black leggings forked at her pussy, hugging her gorgeous thighs until they met her boots, which only hid her cute toes that I’d only ever seen painted white.

As she reached the spot beside me, she sat in the empty stool, flicking her hair to my side so I was hit with even more of her perfume.

My eyes closed as I took it in, squeezing the glass into my palms. “There are at least ten open seats around this bar. Why in the fuck would you choose this one?”

She turned to me, her lips wide in the most beautiful smile. “To make you say those exact words.”

“You succeeded. Congratulations.”

“Order me a drink, Cooper. The hell you’ve put me through the last two days, it’s the least you could do.”

I huffed all the air from my lungs, dragging my stare away from her, and focused on the bartender, waiting for him to approach before I said, “The lady will have a bourbon.”

“I’m a lady now, huh?”

I faced her, wishing I hadn’t, so I turned my attention to the bottles that were stacked on the shelves behind the bar. “Would you rather me have called you a pain in my ass?”

She laughed, and I fucking hated how much I loved that sound. “Do you ever get tired of being cranky? Of holding so much frustration inside, everything that comes out of you is Negative Nancy?”

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