Page 33 of The Off-Limits Rule: Extended Edition

Cooper isn’t in here, but I notice a cracked door inside his room with light peeking out. I’m just about to go open it when I hear the shower faucet turn on and catch the tiniest glimpse of skin, just enough to know there’s a human in there with no clothes on, and I bolt from the room, run into the living room, and leap onto the couch, deciding it’s best to await further instructions from Cooper rather than barging into his bathroom and seeing him naked in the shower.

Ten minutes and a whole lot of daydreams later, I’m still sitting stiff as a board, trying to figure out what my purpose is here, when I hear footsteps coming down the hall. My breath catches when Cooper turns the corner. He’s barefoot, wearing gray cotton joggers and a white T-shirt. His wet hair is slightly unruly, and he has a five-o’clock shadow, making him look like a walking ad for men’s shower gel. Whatever scent it is, I’m buying a whole case. The warm, clean, masculine smell precedes him as he approaches, and I drag in a deep breath, thankful he doesn’t smell like a sickperson. His blue eyes snag on me sitting on his couch, and I stiffen again.

“Oh. Sorry. Is it okay that I’m still here?” I shake my head and pull my feet out from under me. “I wasn’t sure…I mean…maybe you want me to go? I should have just left the ginger ale. I just—” Before I can fully slip my feet back into my sandals and stand, Cooper comes over and collapses onto the couch, spreading out over the entire length of it and resting his head in my lap.

My breath freezes in my lungs, and I sit stunned for a solid minute with my hands in the air. Cooper doesn’t say a single word. He shuts his eyes and snuggles his head back against my stomach like this is something we do every single night.I guess he doesn’t want the ginger ale…?

Another small groan rumbles from his chest and breaks my heart. I may be enjoying this moment immensely, but he clearly feels terrible. Without really thinking, my hands lower, and my fingers thread through his hair. I barely touch him at first, worried that maybe I’m crossing some invisible boundary since we’re not in the salon and he’s not my client right now. But then he snuggles in further and makes a contented noise that empowers me to apply more pressure. For several minutes, I rake my fingers over Cooper’s scalp, wondering what the hell is happening. I try to stay emotionally detached from this moment, assuring myself that it’s only occurring because he feels terrible and can sense the motherliness in me, but it’s no use. I love the way his wavy hair feels slipping through my fingers and how comfortable and docile he looks curled up in my lap.

I think Cooper is asleep, because his breathing has been deep and steady, but with his eyes shut he says, “I like the stuff you brought.”

My fingers stop their caress. “Consider it a housewarming gift.”

Suddenly, Cooper’s big shoulders shift and bunch under his shirt as he lifts up slightly to reach something on the cushion beside me. He lays his head back down in my lap and hands a remote up to me. “Here. Rent whatever you want to watch.”

That’s when I notice the TV mounted on the wall for the first time. “Hey, you got a TV.”

“Yeah. You inspired me to start adding a few things.”

Irefuseto let those words go to my heart. He means inspired in that I brought it to his attention, not that I made him want to start filling his house with homey things because he’s desperately in love withme.

“What do you want to watch?” I ask, turning on the TV, then looking down when Cooper doesn’t answer. His eyes are closed, and he looks passed out. I smile, running my hand through his hair one more time while scrolling through his queue and settling on a movie I haven’t seen in way too long. “I hope you don’t mind watchingThe Holiday.”

He doesn’t answer, but I do see the corner of his mouth quirk up before he takes in a deep breath and wraps one of his arms tightly around my thighs like he’s holding on to a pillow. He’ssnugglingme. I look around, briefly waiting for thePunk’dcamera crew to burst out from a closet.

When they don’t, I look back down at Cooper. “Do—do you want a pillow?”

He grunts a negative answer and holds on to me tighter. “You’re perfect,” he mumbles into my legs.

“You mean perfectly squishy like a pillow?” I ask, not really enjoying that answer.

“No,” he answers matter-of-factly. “Just perfect.” But that’s all he says.

I can’t help the smile tugging at my mouth as I watch Cooper fall asleep snuggling my legs. It strikes me that this is exactly how Levi lies down when he’s sick, because I’m the most important thing to him, and when someone feels horrible, they want to keep the most important thing in their life nearby for comfort.

So why is Cooper holding on to me like this?

Chapter 14

Lucy

My feet are killing me, and I swap all of my weight to my left foot, hoping to give my right a break as I place the two hundredth foil in my client’s hair. She and her bestie popped in here an hour ago, right at closing time, and begged Jessie and me to squeeze them in for last-minute highlight appointments. I wanted to laugh in their faces, but then she tucked some hair behind her ear, and her SUV-sized diamond ring raised its eyebrows suggestively at me. Jessie also saw the dollar signs hovering over these ladies’ heads, and we both became the world’s most accommodating stylists.Would you like a glass of wine? A foot rub? Need me to do your grocery shopping? Socks mended? SURE! Don’t forget to tip, and no, I don’t have change for a hundred.

But believe me, we are more than working for this money. They wanted highlights, lowlights, dark roots, and to talk nonstop until my ears bleed and my brain oozes out of my nose. You’d think they’d want to talk to each other, butno.

“How far along are you?” the girl named Sasha asks Jessie—which is honestly a bold move because Jessie’s baby bump is still small enough to potentially be an undigested burger.

“I’m in my second trimester.”

“Cute. Who’s your baby daddy?”

Jessie falters with her foil, though I doubt anyone noticed it but me. It’s an invasive question (one I’ve never had the guts to ask) and I’m sure not one Jessie appreciates. “Like, his name? You wouldn’t know him.”

“You never know,” the girl says with a cheeky grin that no one appreciates. “I get around.” Just for that, Sasha is going to leave with slightly brassier highlights than she’d like. “I’m kidding, girl! So, did he bail? I noticed you don’t have a ring on.”

Jessie gives a tight smile in the mirror. “Yep. Bailed.”

My heart tugs. I know exactly what that feels like. I know how it feels to have to answer those prodding questions, and I know what it feels like to not be wanted. If it wasn’t weird, I’d go wrap my arms around Jessie, snuggle her right here in the middle of the salon, and tell her shewillget throughit.

---