Page 37 of Broken Heart

It was likely that after Maria left my bookstore that day, she went back and told Simon that not only had I moved on, but that I’d be at the charity event. Wasn’t it possible he thought he knew me well enough to assume I wouldn’t have moved on or even considered attending?

Sure, Maria had suggested they both wanted to keep me in their lives, but there was something about that which felt a bit unbelievable. Or, well, it felt that way when it came to what I thought I knew about Simon and what he’d proven to me.

Regardless of what they wound up doing tonight—I was still hoping they’d not show up at all—there was one small part of me that believed there was something I could latch on to that calmed my nerves just a touch.

Cooper.

The mere thought of knowing he was going to be there with me made that possible. I couldn’t explain it, but I believed he would do everything possible to help me through whatever came my way tonight.

In the end, I was going to owe him a debt of gratitude, and I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to properly thank him for it.

Satisfied with how I looked, I exited my bedroom, descended the stairs, and opened my front door.

I had been aware of the dress code for the evening, but for some reason, I hadn’t done anything to prepare myself for what stood before me.

Cooper was unbelievably handsome. That much had been evident from the first day I met him. The more I got to know him, the more attractive he became.

But from a physical looks’ standpoint, particularly his attire, Cooper was relaxed. His job called for casual—jeans and T-shirts. If I had to guess, he probably threw on a sweatshirt in the winter. And Cooper’s attitude said as much. He didn’t seem like he was the kind of guy who cared much about what people thought about how he dressed.

If I was honest, his usual attire was kind of sexy, especially given the way his clothes fit him. I’d considered how he’d look with a shirt off on two or three occasions.

But none of that even came close to preparing me for this. This was… I didn’t even know if I could put into words what I was feeling at the sight of him dressed in a suit. God, it was devastating how handsome he was.

That dark hair and the way his navy suit only enhanced the striking quality of his blue eyes. I didn’t know how it was possible for me to not start drooling right there in front of him.

“Jesus,” he said, his voice hushed.

My body tensed. “What’s wrong?”

Cooper’s eyes roamed over my body from top to toe and back again before he settled them on my face and asked, “Do you have any idea just how beautiful you are?”

I felt heat hit my cheeks. I hadn’t thought I was unattractive by any means, but Simon hadn’t ever been particularly forthcoming with the compliments in the time we’d been together, either. As much as I loved how nice it was to hear Cooper openly share those sentiments with me, I wasn’t used to it.

“That’s really sweet of you,” I said softly. “I was just thinking about how I hadn’t prepared myself to see you in a suit. This is certainly a different look for you, too.”

Cooper glanced down at his body briefly before he asked, “Is it a bad look?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. In fact, it’s really nice.”

He smiled at me, the brightness shining in his eyes, matching the warmth I felt in my heart. “Thanks. Are you all set to go?”

Nodding, I said, “I just need to grab my clutch.”

A moment later, with my clutch firmly in one hand, I had locked my door and was being escorted to Cooper’s truck with his palm resting lightly on the small of my back. That simple touch sent shivers up my spine, adding to the trembling nerves I’d already felt in my belly.

The next thing I knew, Cooper had opened my door and helped me into his truck, and we were on our way to Westwood’s with the crisp, clean, and masculine scent of him filling the air around me.

“Did you find my place okay?” I asked, wanting to distract myself from all the feelings of attraction.

“Yep.”

“That’s good. Thank you, again, for doing this for me. I don’t know if you realize just how important this function is to me. I’d been devastated when I had to make the decision earlier in the year not to attend,” I shared.

“You’ve already thanked me, sweetheart. And I plan to have a great time tonight, so this really isn’t this burden I think you believe it’s going to be for me,” he returned.

There was that word again.

Sweetheart.

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