Page 34 of Boss Me

The dog froze again at Cooper’s voice.

“Shh. Walk a few steps away. You’re scaring him.”

I didn’t have to look to see that Cooper did what I’d asked. I felt his absence behind me. “C’mon, sweetie. No one’s gonna hurt you.”

The dog skulked closer and closer until it snatched one cut-up bite and ran back to the shadows.

“That’s right. Good boy. Now come have some more.”

He repeated the process, grabbing a bite and running away, until it was all gone. I wanted to reach out and scratch those huge, triangular ears, but I didn’t want to scare him. I wadded up the foil and stuffed it into the bag. “All gone,” I called.

Those big, dark eyes glinted at me from the shadows.

“Happy now?” Cooper said. But his voice didn’t hold the bite of sarcasm. It was softer than I’d ever heard it.

He stood tall and straight on the sand against the gurgling surf. His hair fell in perfect, beachy waves over his brow. He probably didn’t even need to use product to achieve hair perfection. And tonight, he was all mine to admire. “Yeah, I am.”

Like he’d somehow read my thoughts, he ducked his head. “Let’s go before any other hungry dogs find out what a soft heart you have.”

I picked up my shoes, and together we continued toward his house. There were so many things I wanted to ask him, needed to ask him. About the stock sale. About why he’d come to the island. About why he hadn’t gone to Boston. But every time I looked at him and saw the softness in his eye, his jaw loose and unclenched in a way I’d never seen at the office, I forgot what I’d been about to ask. The moon lifted above the trees and gilded him in silver, and the only thought left in my brain was about tracing those lines of moonlight with my fingers.

But I couldn’t. I was his assistant, and he was my cold, stern boss. Cooper Fallon would never have a relationship with an employee, and certainly not his direct employee. Besides, my heart was still bruised and battered from Trey. I couldn’t give it away to someone like Cooper. Hell, I didn’t know for sure he was out. According to the tabloids, he dated women. The more-than-friends feelings I sensed he had for Jackson might have been a shameful secret. He might not have accepted his bisexuality; not everyone did. I could’ve been imagining the tenderness I thought I’d seen in his angular face when he looked at me.

By the time we reached his gate, I’d built up an emotional hurricane in my chest. I had to get away from Cooper and chill out. I’d wasted the day; I couldn’t afford to waste another. I’d sleep in a real bed and in the morning, I’d be prepared to ask Cooper the questions I needed to ask. I wouldn’t be distracted by his cheekbones or the touchable waves of his hair or the fondness in his tone.

“G’night,” I said, already turning toward the shell path.

“Good-night, Ben.”

Everything inside me stilled at the low thrum of his voice. I dared to look up at his face.

It was a mistake. Some trick of the moonlight warmed his blue eyes. And when he flicked out his tongue to wet his lower lip, he was just tasting the tang of the ocean spray. Something touched my knuckle, and I looked down as Cooper’s hand brushed by mine and then tucked into the pocket of his shorts.

My knees loosened under me. “Good-night.”

“You already said that.” The glint of his teeth—an actual smile from Cooper Fallon—was the last thing I saw before the gate closed behind him.

I stood there for a moment, gasping in the sea air. Then I slid on my shoes and crunched back toward the resort along the shell path. Actually, I floated.

When my phone rang, I didn’t even glance at the caller ID, still locked in Cooper’s dreamy smile.

“Hello?”

“Ben, are you okay?” Marlee’s voice dropped me out of the dream.

I cleared my throat. “Fine. What’s up?”

“What’s up with you? Any progress?”

I winced. “Not yet. I’m trying to ease into it.”

Her voice crackled. “You’re out of time for easing. That sell order executes tomorrow.”

14

COOPER

On Monday when I woke up sober again, I shoved the bag with the shirts Ben had bought me into the back of the closet and put on my workout shirt and shorts. I wasn’t going to work out, but I wouldn’t wear clothes that reminded me of Ben, either.

---