Leah Vale - The Bad Boy

A tapping sounded behind him, halting Joseph’s ramble down memory lane and pulling Cooper from his raunchy thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder to find the star of his fantasies standing between the doors she hadn’t bothered to close behind her when she’d stormed out.

The color was still high in her sculpted cheeks and her rich, brown hair wasn’t as sleek and controlled as it had been earlier. Her full breasts rose and fell rapidly beneath her sweater as if she were out of breath.

Hopefully, from thinking of him. The power to ruffle her would definitely be an asset to him.

“May I?” she asked Joseph.

“Of course. Come in.” Joseph indicated for her to take a seat in the other chair facing the desk. Right next to Cooper. “Did you find Alexander?”

She settled herself in the chair and crossed her legs with a distinct air of determination. Even though she was wearing slacks, there was no doubt her legs were shapely. It was all Cooper could do not to smack his lips.

Her attention studiously off him, she answered, “I did. In the stable.”

Joseph nodded. “Not surprising. Will he be joining us soon?” Gramps appeared eager for Cooper to meet his half brother. His hope was plain to see. As far as Cooper was concerned, Joe was definitely alone in that hope.

Sara finally looked Cooper’s way, and he was shocked by an unexpected softness that warmed her pretty green eyes to a deep jade. “I don’t think so.”

His stomach muscles clenched and he pulled his chin back. Here he’d been expecting some high-sticking from her after his earlier shenanigans. The squishies surprised the heck out of him.

Joseph let out a heavy breath, which drew Cooper’s attention. The old man’s disappointment was palpable.

Cooper had to fight not to tell him that was what he got for making Alexander’s life one big, fat lie. But Cooper needed Grandpa Joe on his side for his plan to work, so he kept his mouth shut.

Pushing to his feet, Joseph grumbled, “He should be here so we can discuss the role Cooper will take in the company. Excuse me for a moment.” He rounded the desk. “Sara, why don’t you go over our corporate structure with Cooper. Maybe one of the divisions will sound especially appealing to him,” Joseph suggested as he walked to the doors.

Cooper looked at her in time to see her press her full lips into a thin line, as if Joe had suggested she hop up onto the desk and give Cooper a show.

Thinking it a shame, he propped his elbow on the arm of his chair and leaned toward her to lessen the two-foot gap between them. He really should make an effort to smooth things over with her. “Aw, come on, now, I’m not all that bad.”

Challenge sparked in her eyes and she mimicked his movement, bringing herself face-to-face with him in a way that made Cooper’s body hum. “I’m not going to forget what you said, Mr. Anders, and we both know darn well I didn’t misunderstand you.”

Her expression softened again and she gently put a hand over his, the slight contact enough to warm his blood. “But I want you to know that I understand other things, also.”

While the last thing he wanted was anyone’s understanding, he smiled, liking her spirit. Whether or not she had the power to make things difficult for him, he had to keep her focus elsewhere. His gaze strayed to her full mouth. She hadn’t put on more lipstick since he’d been a breath away from her earlier, so her lips were a dusky pink that tempted him like nobody’s business. Julia Roberts had nothing on this pretty woman.

He pulled a lopsided smile. “Wouldn’t it be something if you ended up working for me? We could have a lot of fun, you know.”

Those pink lips parted and she reared back, wide-eyed, wedging herself against the far arm of her chair. Before he could decide if the flare of her pupils meant the notion aroused her or horrified her, she narrowed her eyes and skewered him with a speculative look. “You were arrested for what again?”

Appreciating her spunk, he settled back in his own chair. “Disorderly conduct. Should have been nothing more than a ticket, but it took them a while to sort everything out due to varying levels of intoxication and trustworthiness.”

She made a very indelicate noise. “I can imagine. But didn’t you say something about sitting on the biggest guy in the place? Not exactly the most masculine way to fight, is it?”

Loving that she was trying to take him down a notch or two now instead of coddling him, Cooper grinned at her. “‘Sitting’ isn’t a very accurate description of what I did.” He stood up and stepped in front of her. “Here, let me show you.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

She gasped, then protested, “No, that’s okay.”

She tried to sit down again, but he turned her so her back was to him, slipped his arms under hers and brought his hands up behind her satiny neck to link his fingers, which forced her to raise her arms above her head.

“Cooper!”

Her sweet scent filling his head again, he put his mouth next to her ear. “It’s your basic wrestling move. Quick, effective and painless—right?—though I have to confess I wasn’t as gentle with the bozo in the bar.”

He felt her spine stiffen. “But he could still peel you bald.” She demonstrated her point by burying her hands in his hair on both sides of his head and gathering a handful. But the tug she gave him reminded him more of what would happen in a bedroom rather than a barroom. His blood pressure rocketed.

He unlinked his fingers so he could move his hands into her silky, thick brown hair. “He was a heck of a lot taller than you, honey, and couldn’t reach me. The more he tried, the more I tightened my hold.”

He brought his elbows up just a bit, and she arched her back in response to the pressure, her full breasts straining against her sweater. Suddenly, he found himself doing some straining of his own. The woman could sure heat him up.

He had to swallow before he continued. “Which really annoyed him. I didn’t have much choice but to keep a hold of him until someone took him off my hands. Unfortunately, that someone happened to be the law.”

“Very nice. Now, let go.” Her voice was airy. And she still had her hands in his hair.

Cooper chuckled. Knowing it would probably be a while before he could convince her to let him this close again, he murmured, “Do you have any idea how good you smell?” and indulged himself by rubbing his cheek against her hair, remembering too late that he hadn’t shaved since before he’d gone to watch the ball game at the bar.

She relaxed against him and her fingers started moving in his hair. He could have sworn he heard her murmur, “Oh, crap.”

Footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor out in the hall, clearly heading toward the den, and they both froze.

Cooper released her and stepped away, but a few strands of her hair followed him, leaving her looking like someone had rubbed a balloon against the side of her head. She fixed her wide, surprisingly censure-free gaze on him just before Joseph reentered the room.

“Hopefully, Alexander will be joining us soon,” Joseph said, returning to his chair behind the desk and allowing Cooper and Sara time to regain their respective seats. His smile of encouragement suggested he was oblivious to what had just been going on in his den. “Do you have a better grasp of things now, Cooper?”

A cough sounded from the chair next to him, but Cooper simply smiled and shrugged. “There’s still so much to know. But I’m eager for the chance to feel my way along.”

Old Joe nodded sagely, definitely oblivious to what Cooper was really referring to. “You’ll get to it all, I’m sure.”

Cooper couldn’t keep from glancing at Sara, who was staring straight ahead, doing a bang-up job of appearing only mildly interested, aside from the raging blush on her cheeks and elegant throat. He added, “One can hope.”