Page 37 of The Off-Limits Rule: Extended Edition

I haven’t resorted to that level of crushing with Cooper yet, but mostly because he doesn’t have a social media account, so there’s nowhere to download and print photos of his gorgeous face. Ha ha, kidding. I’d never do that.

Never…

“He’s here!” Levi shouts, acting as an unnecessary second doorbell.

“Oh, great!” Does my voice sound high-pitched to you? “Go get your shoes on, and I’ll answer the door.”

“K!” Levi runs off, a blur of blond hair as he dashes to the mudroom for his shoes.

I take that opportunity to full-on madwoman-sprint to the door and fling it open. I spring out at Cooper like a jack-in-the-box, and he responds appropriately. His shoulders jump, and he takes a quick step back before realizing I’m not a psycho murderer and relaxing his shoulders.

I shut the door behind me and lean back against it with my hands on the doorknob. Cooper takes one deep breath and shakes his head, smiling. “Geez, woman. I thought I was about to have a heart attack at thirty-two.”

My eyebrows pull together. “Have you had your blood pressure checked lately?”

He’s wearing a baseball hat, but since I’m so short I can still see his eyes—his confused eyes. “Huh?”

“Just saying…it’s not uncommon for men to have heart attacks at thirty. You should have your—” And then I realize I’m being a weirdo again and give myself a mental slap. “Never mind. I just wanted to get to you before Levi so you can know a few things.”

He crosses his toned arms and assumes a serious expression. “Okay, shoot.”

“He’s never been introduced to any of my male friends before, so be prepared for any uncomfortable question under the sun, and just know that I have zero control over what comes out of his mouth.”

“Like, what are we talking? Is Santa Claus real, or where do babies come from?”

“Probably some combination of both. Defer to me on both accounts.”

“Got it. Go on.”

I grip the handle harder, using it as an anchor so I don’t go wrapping my arms around his tempting shoulders. This casual cotton tee is really working for him. Let’s be real, though—everything works for him. “He’s a four-year-old. He’s going to get super upset with the kite sometimes, and he might throw a tantrum when it’s time to leave. When we’re in the car, he likes to listen to ‘Wheels on the Bus’ on repeat. And he almost always—”

“Lucy…” Cooper says, cutting me off with a heart-melting smile. He steps forward, and I watch his hands rise up to rest on my hips. I’m a human circuit board now. Electrical currents zing through me, and I’m pretty sure if his index finger touched the tip of my nose, my entire body would light up like a rainbow strobe light.

Cooper’s hands squeeze my hips as he pries me away from the door to inch up closer to him. I’m silent because obviouslyI have no idea what’s happening.Are we at this level of touching now? Can I get in on this action too?

He pulls me up close to him, and it takes me an embarrassing amount of time to realize he’s hugging me. His arms are wrapped around my shoulders and flexing as he presses me up firmly against him. I tentatively raise my arms and settle them properly on his back—light as a feather, afraid that if I give those hands too much power, they’ll take over and suddenly be under his shirt, squeezing every ridge I find. And there are many, people.

Because my face is pressed against his pectoral muscles, I feel his words more than hear them. “Stop freaking out. I’ve metchildren before, and I liked almost half of them.” I feel empowered by his joke and pinch his side. He jolts a little and chuckles. “Seriously. It’s going to be a fun day, so stop worrying.”

“I can’t help but worry. I’m a mom—it’s what we do.”

“You don’t have to, though.”

Wait, did he just…? Yeah. Cooper just kissed the top of my head. It was so soft it was almost undetectable. Like he didn’t mean to but couldn’t help himself at the same time. Suddenly, the bro code theory holds a little more weight. I want to come right out and ask Cooper, but I’m not quite ready yet. I need to gather more supporting evidence, and when I’m seventy-five percent sure, I’ll ask him.

“So…I’m your only man-friend to ever meet Levi? Is there a reason for that?” I can hear the smug amusement in his voice.

“Yeah, but don’t go getting a big head,” I say, realizing we’re still hugging in a verynot-just-friendssort of way. “You’re also myonlyman-friend.”

In the next moment, the front door flies open. Cooper not only releases me in record time but also manages to somehow roll me away from him like I’m a leper in biblical times. I stare at him with wide eyes and laughter building in my throat. Cooper’s embarrassed smile is probably the sexiest thing I’ve seen.

He looks at me and stage-whispers, “You got in my head.”

“Can we go now, Mom?” Levi asks, blue sneakers Velcroed on, tall Buzz Lightyear sock game on point, and completely unfazed by the giant man who was just snuggling his mama.

“Yeah, babe, we can.” I hold my hand out and wiggle my fingers for Levi to step out and take. “I want you to meet Mr. Cooper. He’s…one of Uncle Drew’s friends.”

Levi takes my hand and squints up at Cooper. “Hi,” he says with a little wave.

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