Page 108 of Craving Cooper

“I don’t know, but that must have been hard to hear.”

“You mean all those intimate things about the two of you fucking, how much she missed your cock, and how she didn’t want you to touch her ass?”

“Yeah.” Among other things.

She shakes her head. “It was worse hearing the two of you fucking than hearing you talk about it, but I need to ask…”

“Ask what?”

“Is… Is that why you like me?” she says. “Is it because I enjoy all the things we do together?”

“No.” I shake my head, brushing my fingers down her cheek and gazing into her eyes. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m eternally grateful you didn’t call me a pervert when I first touched your ass… but if you’d said ‘no’ in some other way, it wouldn’t have changed a thing. Is that why you’re crying? Because you think what we have is limited by what we do?”

“No. I just needed to know.”

“And does my answer change anything?”

“No.”

I smile, although I’m still confused by her tears. They haven’t stopped and I need some answers myself.

“I need to clarify something,” I say.

“What’s that?”

“You asked why I like you, but I don’t like you… at least I don’t just like you. I’m in love with you. If you heard everything else I said to Meredith, you must have heard me say that.”

She nods her head. “I did.”

“So, is that why you’re crying? Because I told her before I said it to you?”

“Yes, and no. I don’t mind so much that you told someone else first.”

“You’d just prefer it if the someone else hadn’t been Meredith?”

“Yes. But I can’t really complain. After all, I practically told Laurel how I feel about you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. She guessed I’d fallen for you, and I didn’t deny it, which is almost the same as saying it out loud… isn’t it?”

“It is.” I pull her closer and she lets me, as I smile to myself. Laurel’s secrets make more sense now, although… “When was this?” I ask, intrigue getting the better of me.

“It was on the day we helped them move house.”

She can’t mean that. “But… But that was before… before…”

“It was before everything for you, Coop. I’ve been in love with you since the moment I first saw you.”

I cup her face with my hand, gazing into her eyes.

“How did I not notice?”

“Because you weren’t looking.”

“I am now.” I smile, and she smiles back. “Okay. If you’re not crying because you think I’m only with you for your perfect ass, or because I just told my ex how I feel about you, then why are there still tears rolling down your cheeks? Is it because I asked you to leave?”

“No. I’ll admit that was what first set me off. It felt like you wanted to be alone with her, and I was scared about why that might be… until I realized you did it to protect me… because you love me.”

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