Page 91 of Playmaker

I turned to check his expression. His gaze lifted from my feet, over my body, and ended on my face. There was heat there. I knew exactly what he was asking.

He didn’t want to talk. He wanted to do what we’d done the last couple of nights and wash the memory of them away. The smart thing would be to say I was tired. This weekend—dealing with his family, sleeping with him—was threatening the barriers I kept up for safety. Feelings were stirring. But there was something around the slight downturn of his mouth, the lines around his eyes… His family had hurt him, drained the confidence that was a core part of his identity.

I wasn’t going to do that to him tonight.

I shook my head and he led me to his room. He framed my face in those big, callused hands and kissed me, gently, then with growing passion. I leaned in and let him lead.

He removed my clothing, carefully, with soft kisses on the newly exposed skin. He took off his tux before I could help, and placed me on his bed as if he was posing me. And then he took me apart, with his hands and mouth, until I cried out as I came.

He wrapped his arms around me and fell asleep while I stared at the wall, thoughts and feelings whirling in my brain.

* * *

The next morningon the way to the airport, Cooper got a phone call. He barely spoke, but I imagined, from the way his jaw tensed and his fingers tightened on the steering wheel, that it was someone in his family.

Just before we arrived at the airport car rental kiosk, Cooper broke in.

“Pierce, after what you did, with Vicky and then with Callie last night? You have no moral high ground. You never did. I don’t give a flying fuck what you think about me or my life or anything else. I’m done. Remove me from the family tree or whatever the fuck you want.” He hung up the call and turned into the lot.

He didn’t look like he wanted to talk. What he did want, and indulged as soon as we were on the plane, was to drink. I couldn’t blame him. I’d only been exposed to the Coopers for a weekend, and I’d have thrown back a few drinks if it wasn’t morning and one of us needed to be sober.

It was a Sunday morning flight and the plane was only half full. Based on my experiences this summer, the people who would normally fill up first class were out on the golf links. The only other couple up here with us were immersed in a movie.

The flight attendant was keeping her distance, since every time she came near Cooper he asked for more alcohol. I had my e-reader out, but I wasn’t reading. The quiet gave me time to think, and it confirmed the conclusions I’d reached last night.

I wanted to ignore it, for just a bit longer, and enjoy this little bubble out of my usual life. But I always faced things head-on, and this urge to push a harsh truth aside meant I had to take steps now. Cooper was staring at the seat back in front of him, glass of whiskey in his hand. His fourth or fifth? “Cooper.”

He turned to me. His eyes were slightly unfocused and his mouth a little loose.

“We’re done.”

He blinked at me, brows lowering. “What?”

“Our deal. It’s done.”

“Your tournament isn’t for another three weeks. We should still get some time in at Briarwood. This part, the wedding, it was the worst and it’s over.”

I shook my head. “We have to stop now.”

He tried to clear his brain from whatever amount of alcohol he’d consumed. “Callie, I’m not in any condition to work this through right now, but let me get home, sleep this off, get my head straight again.”

I had to tell him.

“Cooper—this was supposed to be fun, right? Just fun. No feelings. The problem is that I’m starting to get feelings, and we said that’s when this ends. I can survive the golf tournament. You’ve survived your sister’s wedding. Our deal is done.”

There. I’d said it. It was out there.

I stole a look at Cooper. I wasn’t sure what I expected. I knew he wasn’t going to say he was in love with me and throw his arms around me. That wasn’t what I wanted. I had a plan, and romantic feelings were not part of it.

Just last night, I’d said no to Cooper’s brother. I didn’t want a position that I got by fucking someone, true. If I’d been smart, I might have been able to manipulate the situation with Pierce to get what I wanted without sleeping with the asshole. But I hadn’t considered that. I’d only thought about Cooper. I couldn’t run my life that way.

Cooper was staring at me like I’d sprouted horns. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“But…we were having fun. I’m an asshole, really. You’ll get over this. It was just the wedding stuff.”

I didn’t need someone to explain my feelings to me. “I don’t lie to myself. I meant what I said. Thank you for your help, and I hope this weekend was enough to repay you. I have work to do, and you start back with hockey. This is the right time.”

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