Page 6 of September’s Bad Boy: Cooper (Bad Boys of Mustang Mountain #9)

RILEY

It starts with a favor.

After everything that happened at the town meeting, after the look in Cooper’s eyes and the way he held me like I was something worth holding on to, I know I can’t sit still. I have to do something. If there’s even the smallest chance he’s being framed, then I need to help prove it.

So, I make a call.

My dad’s old friend Barry used to run security for a resort in Whitefish. Now he owns a small electronics store that installs camera systems for half the businesses in downtown and helps monitor their security. He’s also one of the few people who doesn’t look at me like I’m still twelve.

When I show up at his shop, Barry greets me with a tired smile and a cup of weak coffee. “Didn’t expect to see you today, Riley. Everything alright?”

“Not really,” I say, setting the coffee aside. “I need your help.”

He listens without interruption as I explain what happened at the gym, the fires, and how Cooper’s being blamed. When I finish, he nods slowly, rubbing a hand through his silver beard.

“You think one of the cameras downtown caught something?” he asks.

“I hope so.”

He leads me to the back room where the monitor bank is set up.

Most of the feeds are on a rolling loop, but Barry saves footage for certain cameras that cover high-traffic areas.

We scrub through the early morning hours from the night of the vandalism, with our eyes locked on the black-and-white frames.

I almost miss it.

A shadow moves near the edge of the gym’s back alley, too confident to be random. The figure wears a hoodie and carries something under his arm—a tool bag, maybe. He kneels near the building for several minutes before disappearing down the alley again.

Barry slows the frame and then frowns.

“Wait a second,” he says, tapping the screen. “That guy... I’ve seen him before. Works for the development firms that tried to buy out half of Main. Name’s Curtis, I think. Shady as hell.”

My heart slams in my chest. “So, he had a motive.”

Barry nods. “And opportunity. I’ll pull this footage for you. Want me to send it to Lawson too?”

“Not yet,” I say. “Let me take it to Cooper first.”

On my way back to my car, I stop by Nelson’s Mercantile to grab a drink. The adrenaline is wearing off, and my nerves are catching up. The bell above the door jingles as I step inside, and for a moment it’s just me, the hum of the fridge, and the quiet murmur of a couple shoppers.

Then I hear him.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here.”

I turn, already knowing who it is.

Jason.

He steps out from the aisle of canned goods like he’s been waiting for me. His jaw is tight, and his eyes dark.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with Cooper,” he says, not bothering to hide the bitterness in his voice.

“I have,” I reply evenly.

“You do know who he is, right? What he’s done?”

“I know exactly who he is.”

Jason scoffs. “You think that kiss means something? That he’s changed?”

“I don’t think. I know .”

He takes a step closer. “Riley, you’re making a mistake.”

“No,” I say, my voice sharper now. “The mistake was letting you tell me who I should trust. You broke up with me, Jason. You don’t get to police my choices anymore.”

He opens his mouth, but I cut him off.

“I’m not doing this to hurt you. I’m doing it because Cooper deserves a fair shot. And honestly? So do I.”

“By defending him? After everything he put us through?”

“He didn’t put me through anything,” I snap. “You broke up with me, remember? Once again, I’ll remind you that you don’t get to decide where my loyalty lies.”

His jaw clenches, but I don’t back down.

“I’m not choosing sides, Jason. I’m choosing truth. Cooper’s being set up, and if you can’t see past your own anger long enough to realize that, then maybe you’re part of the problem.”

He flinches as if I slapped him.

Without giving him a chance to respond, I grab a bottle of soda from the fridge, pay quickly, and walk out without another word.

The tension in my body doesn’t fade until I pull up at Cooper’s place.

I knock once and barely wait a second before the door swings open.

Cooper stands there barefoot in low-slung sweatpants and a t-shirt that hugs his chest. His hair’s damp, like he just showered, and his eyes widen when he sees me.

“Riley?”

I step inside without asking, the weight of the flash drive burning a hole in my pocket. “I found something.”

His brows knit. “Are you okay?”

Shaking my head, I hold up the flash drive. “Barry pulled security footage. There was a guy near the gym the night of the vandalism. Barry recognized him—he works for the developer that was trying to buy up the buildings on Main Street.”

Cooper takes the drive from me like it might shatter. “You’re serious?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t.”

He exhales slowly, shoulders sagging as if some of the weight just dropped off them. He turns and walks toward the kitchen.

Following him, I sit on a barstool. Everything from the last few days hits me at once—the tension, the whispers, the fear of what might happen if the town doesn’t believe him. I press my hands to my face and breathe deeply.

When I lower my hands, Cooper is watching me, eyes soft.

“You didn’t have to do this,” he says.

“Yes, I did. But I also want to say… If you're serious about this gym, there are community grants for youth programs and revitalization,” I tell him. “I’ve written two for the library and one for the Founder’s Festival last year. I can help.”

His fingers brush against mine, making my breath catch.

“Riley.”

I turn toward him, my heart beating too fast, and I say the first thing that comes to my mind. “I’m tired of pretending I don’t care.”

He leans in slowly, his hand lifting to cradle my cheek. Our lips meet, soft at first, tentative. Then I shift toward him, and the kiss deepens. His hands grip my hips, grounding me, pulling me closer.

He breaks the kiss with a groan, pressing his forehead to mine. “Are you sure?”

I answer by kissing him again.

In one swift motion, he lifts me, setting me on the counter like I weigh nothing. His mouth trails down my neck, and his hands roam my sides. I cling to him, drowning in the heat, in the feeling of finally being where I’m supposed to be.

But then he stops, his breath ragged against my collarbone. I feel him pull back just enough to look at me, his dark eyes searching my face.

"We should slow down," he says, though his hands remain firmly planted on either side of my hips.

The counter is cold against my legs, but everywhere Cooper touches burns. I can smell his soap, something clean and masculine, mixed with the faint scent of his cologne.

"Should we?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

His thumb traces along my jawline. "I don't want you to regret this tomorrow."

The tenderness in his voice makes my heart ache. I reach up to touch his face, feeling the slight roughness of stubble beneath my palm.

"The only thing I'd regret is stopping," I tell him.

Something shifts in his expression—surprise, maybe relief. He leans down to kiss me again, slower this time, deeper.

His hands slip under my shirt, warm against my skin, and I shiver at the contact. The flash drive sits forgotten on the counter beside us, our mission temporarily eclipsed by something more urgent, more primal.

"We could take this somewhere more comfortable," Cooper suggests, his voice rough with want.

“I don’t know, I had this fantasy of you taking me on the kitchen counter while Jason was absorbed in his video games downstairs…”

Cooper's eyes widen, and for a moment he looks genuinely shocked before a slow smile curves his lips.

"Jesus, Riley," he says, his voice dropping to that gravelly tone that makes my stomach flip. "You can't say things like that."

I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer. "Why not? It's the truth."

His hands tighten on my hips. "Because it makes me want to do very bad things to you right here."

"I'm counting on it," I whisper against his mouth.

Cooper's pupils dilate, and I watch his control slip another notch. His grip on my hips becomes possessive, fingers digging in just enough to make me gasp.

"You're going to be the death of me," he murmurs, capturing my mouth again.

This kiss is different—hungrier, more desperate. I lose myself in the heat of his mouth, the way his tongue traces my bottom lip before delving deeper. My hands fist in his t-shirt, pulling him impossibly closer until there's no space left between us.

He breaks away to trail kisses down my throat, finding that spot where my pulse hammers wildly. I arch into him, a soft moan escaping before I can stop it.

"I've wanted this for so long," he says against my skin, his voice rough with confession. "Wanted you ."

The admission sends heat spiraling through me. I tilt his face up so I can look into his eyes—those dark, intense eyes that have haunted my dreams for months.

"How long?" I ask, needing to know.

His eyes search mine, vulnerable in a way I've never seen before.

"Since you were eighteen," he admits quietly.

"That summer before you went away to college.

You practically lived in my backyard by the pool, in a different bikini almost every day.

My favorite was the blue one that matched your eyes.

.. God, Riley, I tried not to notice. You were Jason's girl, and you were young, and I was?—"

"A mess," I finish softly.

He nods, shame flickering across his features. "I was a mess. And you deserved better than what I could give you then."

My heart clenches at the raw honesty in his voice. I trace the line of his jaw with my fingertips, feeling him lean into my touch.

"And now?" I ask.

"Now I'm still probably not good enough for you," he says with a self-deprecating smile. "But I'm selfish enough to want you anyway."

Pulling him down to me, I brush my lips against his. "Good thing I get to decide what I deserve."