Page 41 of Broken Heart

Now, it made sense. Cooper wanted to be certain I wasn’t just appearing happy for the sake of throwing it in Simon’s face. He was legitimately questioning the perceived happiness.

I glanced down at his hand on my arm, loved the way it, combined with his gentle voice, made me feel inside. Warmth moved through me as I returned my attention to his handsome and concerned face, and I smiled. “I’m the happiest I’ve been in a very long time, Cooper.”

He gave my arm a squeeze and smiled back at me. “Good. I intend to make sure you remain just as happy for the rest of the evening.”

I let out a laugh. “I’m looking forward to that. It appears I’ll be dancing later.”

“Without a doubt. You don’t honestly believe I’m going to have you here, looking as beautiful as you do, and not take the opportunity to show you off.”

God, he made me feel so good about myself. “You’re flattering me, Cooper.”

His hand left my arm and moved to the satin material of my dress covering my thigh. Then he leaned close and whispered in my ear while giving my thigh a squeeze. “I’m glad to hear it. Because that’s exactly what I intended to do.”

Between the deep rumble of his voice that I loved so much, the possessive grip of his hand on my thigh, and the rich scent of him filling my nose, a rush of desire moved through me. I had no choice but to react with a shiver as I squeezed my legs together tightly.

Cooper pulled his face back and looked at me with a glimmer of appreciation in his eyes. If he’d had my words about not wanting to get into another relationship in the back of his mind, it was evident he wasn’t bothered by them. If anything, he was being playful, and I believed he knew precisely what he was doing to me. Maybe he was just as determined to change my mind as I was about figuring out if he was the real deal.

Before either of us could accomplish those tasks, the head of the foundation, Bob Gibson, stepped up on the stage at the front of the room and spoke.

“Can I have your attention please?” he asked. The conversations died down, and the occasional clink of a glass hitting a utensil filled the air. When the room was silent, he continued, “I’ve just been told that we’re only a few minutes away from dinner being served, so before that happens, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for joining us this evening and for all of your donations. We are so grateful for all of your generosity, which helps us gain the very critical funding needed to provide resources and programs throughout Landing and the surrounding towns. This year, due to an unexpected, last-minute donation, we’re now going to be able to branch out to even more areas across the state. I’d like to take this opportunity to give that donor the chance to speak to you this evening.” Bob scanned the crowd, his eyes ultimately settling on our table. With a slight nod in our direction, his gaze focused on the man beside me as he said, “Everyone, I’d like to invite Cooper Westwood to the stage.”

Applause broke out in the room as my stunned expression fell on Cooper. He smiled at me, winked, and stood. Then he made his way to the front of the room as I belatedly joined in the applause.

Cooper took the microphone from Bob. “Thank you,” he said. The clapping died down, and he went on, “It’s an honor to be here with all of you tonight. Though the event has been held here for several years, this is my first time attending, and I’m having a wonderful time.” Cooper paused a moment, his eyes pinned on mine for several beats before he spoke again. “The Westwood Company has a longstanding history of generosity within this community. We have always wanted to give back to the people who make it possible for us to do what we do year after year. And so, this year, we’re honored to be able to donate to a cause that’s not just doing good work, it’s doing that work in our community and spreading the resources out from here. Reading is such a fundamental skill and something that everyone should be able to do, especially children. Not only is it important to teach children how to read, but it’s important to make sure they have access to books. We’d much rather see the youth of Landing and the surrounding towns get lost in one book after another instead of seeking out other, perhaps harmful, activities. So, The Westwood Company is happy to contribute one million dollars to that effort, and we look forward to seeing the change we can help enact.”

Cheers and applause sounded in the room, my eyes blinking rapidly in a vain attempt to stave off the tears. One million dollars. Bob had said this was a last-minute and unexpected donation. Was Cooper the one behind all of this?

As the room quieted down, Cooper said, “Thank you again. It looks like they’re coming out with dinner, so I’ll quit talking. Enjoy your night tonight.”

Cooper handed the microphone to Bob and made his way back to me as the sound of conversation filled the room once again. He lowered himself into his chair and allowed his eyes to connect with mine. Lifting one hand to my cheek, he gently swiped the tear away and said, “Sweetheart, don’t cry.”

“Your family never donated to this charity before?” I asked, my throat painfully tight.

He shook his head. “No.”

“Why this year?” I pressed.

Cooper tipped his head to the side, his hand still tenderly cupping the side of my face. “Because I listened when you told me about what reading meant to you as a kid, and I realized that not every kid has lived the life I’ve had. There’re not just socioeconomic factors at play, Skye. There’s heartbreak and loss and a myriad of other reasons that children might need access to more books or the resources to learn how to read. I thought it was important to contribute to something meaningful like this charity, so I talked to my parents and my brother, Tate. They agreed it was a worthy cause, and they knew how important it was to me.”

“You did a really nice thing, Cooper,” I rasped.

“So, smile about it,” he urged me. “Be happy we’re here together and that we’re going to have a wonderful time tonight.” He glanced over my head, grinned, and said, “In fact, I think your night is about to get even better.”

I hesitated to turn around. Instead, I asked, “Why?”

“Because your food is here.”

He’d really listened to me. And there was something about that, even if it seemed like a trivial thing in this case, that I liked a whole lot.

Our plates were set down in front of us, and we dove in. When I took the first bite, I did a little dance in my seat and moaned with delight. “Mmm. This is delicious.”

Cooper looked at me like he was waging a war inside his head, debating whether to ignore me or kiss me. If my little moan was tempting him, maybe I was going to have to do it a few more times before I finished my meal.

And having that thought surprised me. Because I wasn’t the kind of girl who was confident in my ability to flirt. But there was something about Cooper that made me want to break out of my shell a bit.

No matter what, I knew I’d have a wonderful time tonight. But if I could just manage to let loose a bit, I didn’t doubt Cooper was going to take advantage and kick things up a notch in his quest to fulfill his promise to show me a good time.

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