Page 56 of Clinch'd

After settling into the seat, I stare out the window, watching the city fly by. We’re quiet as we go, and when I look at Coop, I see he’s loosened up and his mouth has relaxed.

When another twenty minutes of silence go by, I shout, my hair flying around my face, “Where are we going?”

“What happened back there?” he asks, and I silently sigh when his sexy lips curl into a frown. I don’t particularly want to talk about it, which is why I shrug and say, “I don't know. He came on to me and it reminded me of my past.”

“Your past?”

“Yeah,” I say, shifting in my seat. “My mom had skeevy boyfriends.”

There’s an awkward pause before he says carefully, “Did they touch you?”

I shiver at the low tone, rubbing the goosebumps rising on my skin. “Not really, no. Just you know, come ons.”

“How old were you?”

“Coop—“

“How. Old. Were. You?”

With a wary glance I say, “My mother died when I was eight.”

The car serves a little before he corrects and I gasp, grabbing onto the dash. “Coop, slow down.”

Thankfully, he listens, although I find out why when he exits, pulling down a side street before parking at the curb. It’s quiet here with all the restaurants and store fronts closed.

What are we doing?

I turn to him with a raised brow but he’s looking into the distance with a clenched jaw.

“Coop?” I whisper.

When he looks at me, his eyes pools of darkness, I splay my hands. “That was a long time ago.”

“Maybe but it’s not fucking right.”

A laugh escapes me, and I say, “Maybe so, but there’s a lot of dragons to slay if we’re gonna walk down memory lane. You up for it?”

He chuffs, his mouth curling in a smile. “Baby, I’ll slay them all.”

My chest pulses and I smile, hiding the ache in my chest behind a silly grin. It’s been a long damn time since anyone cared enough to even ask. His proclamation is more than I can take, and I need a moment alone.

Since that’s not an option, I hide behind the mask I perfected a long time ago. But when he leans back, his eyes wide, I presume my acting skills have waned.

Bemused, I watch him blink rapidly before he pulls up his sexy grin. I mourn the loss of a real moment with him but let it go because it’s enough to hear him care about the ‘me’ from before. I haven’t had such a reaction since forever and I hold it close as he exits and walks around the vehicle.

“C’mon,” he says, opening the door and holding out his hand.

“Where?”

“The beach.” It’s pitch black but now that he’s mentioned it, I hear the distant roar of the waves. “We leave tomorrow. There’s no time but I thought you might like to see the beach.”

He waves toward the water, and I smile, grabbing his outstretched hand. Seeing the beach in the dark is possibly the most romantic thing ever.

Cooper heard me when I said I’d never been anywhere before and he’s giving me a slice of the sea. My heart thumps painfully and I’m thankful for the darkness hiding my wide smile.

After kicking off our shoes, we walk toward the water. My toes curl into the cold wet sand and when a wave passes over our feet, I gasp, “Fuck, that’s cold.”

With a laugh, he picks me up and I shriek as he carries me further into the water, “Coop!”

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