Page 37 of Claws and Feathers

“What happened to game night?”

“Marky happened,” Kate said matter-o-factly. “Lyle and Shannon took him home and now I’m bored. I need live music and free shots. Are you in or out?”

Abby and Cooper shared a look. Music, dancing, alcohol, sexual tension. Sounded like a prime opportunity for questionable decision-making. “Sounds good to me,” Abby said.

Cooper shrugged. “Yeah, okay.”

Kate clapped her hands together. “Hell yeah. Abby, we’re going to get our freakishly impressive dance moves on.” She tipped her head back and sucked down the entire glass of sangria, then made a ‘whoop’ sound. “Ready?”

Kate raced out of the kitchen and Cooper followed, his enchanting gaze and lingering scent making Abby’s head spin.

Oh, she wassonot ready.

The music was loud, the shots were rolling in, and the girls were, indeed, getting their freakishly impressive dance moves on. Cooper was leaning back against the bar, his eyes peeled to the tiny dance floor. More specifically, to the enticing blonde who was brimming with sangria-infused vitality and a strange mix of fresh innocence and sex appeal.

“Cooper! What can I get ya?”

Hannah’s chipper voice interrupted his unabashed perusal of Abby on the dance floor. He twisted around with a friendly smile, his own alcohol buzz starting to fizz. Normally, he’d be fine with that, but James was driving, so why not enjoy his rare night off? “Hey, Hannah. Three shots of Fireball and a Coke.”

“Coming right up!” she said cheerfully.

Cooper glanced down to the opposite end of the bar and noticed Henry sending a stone-cold stare in his direction. Cooper really hated that bastard. Partially for sleeping with Maya while they were still married, but mostly for breaking his sister’s heart. And also, his face. There was just something about his self-righteous face. Cooper pulled his eyes away and returned his attention to Hannah. “Mind bringing them to the table?” he asked.

“Of course, boss.” Hannah winked at him and got to work on the shots.

Cooper sauntered back over to the table they had secured, noticing James’ line of sight directed at Kate. He had sensed a bit of chemistry between them during game night and wondered if something was going to come of it. The thought of his sister withanyman made Cooper want to hurl, but if it had to be someone, he was glad it was James.

“I see trouble with those two,” James said jokingly. “They’re firecrackers.”

Cooper chuckled, eyeing the spectacle. Abby was glistening in a light sheen of sweat, her hair half stuck to her face. The thin spaghetti-strap of her tank top had fallen off her shoulder, though, she didn’t seem to care. Her body moved and swayed in perfect time to the rhythm, and Cooper was momentarily entranced. He knew he had pushed his boundaries with her earlier, but the beer was coursing through him, andhot damn, she looked good. The attachment he’d formed from working so hard on her case was slowly weaving into something more, as attraction began to spiral to the surface.

Ah,shit. It was a terrible time to be feeling such a thing, and the woman at the center of this inconvenient revelation was the last person he should be attracted to.

Hannah appeared then with the round of shots, and Cooper debated if alcohol was a smart call. Before he could debate too long, the girls rushed over to the table like moths to a flame.

“Ooh. Sweet cinnamon goodness,” Kate declared, snatching up one of the shot glasses and holding it up. “Here’s to new friends.”

Cooper raised his glass to Abby, their eyes locking in a heated hold. She had a faint smile on her face as she leaned over the table, her camisole top hanging dangerously low off her petite frame. Cooper bit down on his tongue, as if that would somehow keep his eyes from lowering to her chest. “I’ll drink to that.” He clinked his glass with hers and she giggled in response.

“You guys are my new best friends,” Abby announced. She drank down the shot in one swallow, then grimaced, sticking out her tongue in revulsion. “Ack.”

She was definitely inebriated, and it was cute as hell. Cooper finished his own shot and watched as she moved over to his side of the table and pulled a chair as close to him as possible. She sat down, her balance unsteady, and faced him with a giddy grin on her face.

“Did I ever tell you you’re my hero?”

Cooper leaned back in his chair, trying desperately to ignore the way she smelled like sweat and cinnamon and very bad things. She moved in close, her wild hair tickling his arm, and he swallowed back a thousand replies that didn’t seem at all appropriate. “You’ve mentioned it once or twice, Bette.”

Abby stared at him as the reference took a minute to seep through her whiskey haze. Then she burst into laughter. “Wow, I can’t unhear that now.”

He laughed with her, twirling the empty shot glass between his fingers, and willing it to fill itself with more liquor. Cooper was about to respond when a familiar voice pierced through their flirtatious fog.

“Don’t you two look adorable.”

Both Cooper and Abby whirled around in their chairs to see Maya standing before them with a daiquiri dangling from her hand and an arbitrary look on her face.

Oh, hell.

Chapter eleven

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