Page 23 of Summer Nights (The Kingston Brothers #3)

This felt too intimate. We weren't supposed to be getting closer while I lived here. This arrangement was merely for convenience and so I could save money.

"You're panicking," Cooper observed, his hand touching the fluttering pulse on my neck.

My face pinched. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

"You didn't want to have sex?" Cooper asked, choosing his words carefully.

I frowned. "Not here."

He tipped his head to the side, considering me. "What do you mean?"

"This is your house."

"How is this different from anywhere else we've been together?"

I laughed a little hysterically, not quite believing that he didn't get it. "It's completely different. We're not in a relationship. We shouldn't be pretending that we are."

"That's not what I was doing." His hand sifted through the knots in my now-damp hair. "I was enjoying your body. If you don't want to have sex anymore, I'll respect your decision."

I sighed, not sure I could give this up. "I wanted to keep things more casual. That's all."

"I think the act of sex is intimate no matter where it occurs or who with," Cooper said thoughtfully.

I had rules about where and when and with who, and I certainly knew when it was time to end things with someone when it got to be too deep.

But with Cooper, I wasn't sure how to handle him.

He had an answer for everything. It was like he could anticipate what I was thinking and how to cut off my doubts.

He stroked my damp hair. "I thought we were doing what felt goods and not worrying about anything else?"

"We were."

"Then stop worrying. This is your time to relax and take care of yourself."

His lips pressed against my temple, and I melted into his embrace. I wanted to let go of my worries, rules, and expectations. I wanted to do what felt good. What he offered sounded delightful, and I couldn't argue with him.

"Let's get out of this water before we look like prunes. I stopped at the store on the way home so I could make you dinner."

"What are you making?" I asked as he surged out of the tub, drying off, before helping me out.

"Pasta with shrimp. I found a recipe online," he said.

"Do you normally cook so much?" I asked him as he covered me with a huge, warm towel. He must have a towel warmer somewhere in here. Maybe it was the towel rack because he hadn't taken the towels out of anything.

He grinned at me. "Not when it's just me. I enjoy cooking for more people."

"I'm not going to argue with that."

He started to dry me off, taking his time on my body. I felt cherished, and my heart contracted in my chest. I wasn't going to survive his care and attention. He was too good to me.

He made me think that something between us was not only possible but inevitable. I couldn't be treated like this and not fall for him.

I'd never allowed myself to be this close to anyone. Was living here a mistake?

"You want to change into something more comfortable while I get started on dinner?" His tone was gentle.

I wasn't going to survive living in close proximity to him.

At my nod, he said, "Take your time." Then he turned and left his bathroom.

I gathered my clothes and headed toward my room where I changed into soft shorts and a tank top. I didn't bother to put on a bra because my breasts had been tender lately. I looked in the full-length mirror. My breasts were larger and my bump visible under the white tank.

I ran a brush through my damp hair and headed downstairs where pasta was boiling on the stove.

Cooper looked up from his pot and said, "Why don't you sit outside? We can eat out there."

I grabbed one of the pregnancy books I'd bought from a local bookstore earlier in the weak and went outside to sit on the cushioned couch. It felt decadent to let someone else cook for me while I relaxed.

The breeze lifted my hair, and I couldn't focus on the words in the book. Not when the ocean stretched in front of me.

Families walked along the water, kids running ahead to chase a bird through the surf. It was the perfect evening, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

A few minutes later, Cooper brought a bowl of pasta and set it on the table. "I'll grab more dishes and silverware."

I sat at the table, feeling a little useless since I wasn't helping him.

Cooper returned with two bowls, forks, and two bottles of water.

"It's gorgeous out tonight."

Cooper nodded as he set everything down. "This is my favorite place to be."

"I can see why." Not everyone got to live their dream of visiting a beach, much less living on one. He was lucky to have this.

He dished out the pasta. It was linguine with mushrooms and shrimp. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will. It smells amazing."

"What are your plans for the weekend?"

“I take my siblings to the park in the afternoon.”

He raised a brow. "You want to do something together in the morning?"

"Like what?" I asked, intrigued.

" I'm supposed to help Shep with his house. You could come over and see the progress. But if you want to do something else on Sunday?—"

I twirled the pasta on my fork, my heart beating fast now that I figured out what I wanted to do. "I'd love to see Shep's house, and I've always wanted to go minigolfing."

Cooper paused and looked at me. "You've never been?"

"It's so expensive, or at least it was when I was growing up, and then you get older, and things like that are just for kids."

Cooper grinned. "We can go minigolfing."

I had visions of golfing and then eating an ice-cream cone.

I remembered it was one of those dates that was popular when we were in high school.

Not that I ever let a guy take me anywhere.

I always rebuffed that kind of attention back then.

I was focused on getting a college scholarship so I could have a better life.

I had vowed never to depend on anyone ever again, and here I was living with a man. I'd justified the move in my head, but now I was questioning the intelligence of the situation. We finished eating dinner, and I helped him clean up.

"You want to go for that walk now?"

"Sure, let me grab a sweater." The breeze in the evening could be cool.

When I returned, he held his hand out for me, and I rested my palm in his. It felt good to hold his hand. He was probably doing it so he could help me balance in the sand. He was usually worried about my safety. But it felt good.

Once we reached the edge of the surf, I asked, "Why did Shep get the house?"

"He was closest our grandmother."

"Did you get jealous of her attention for him?"

Cooper fell silent for a few seconds. "It wasn't that she liked him better. They just bonded in a different way. They understood each other. So no, none of us was jealous."

"You weren't upset that your twin got her house?" It had to be worth millions.

"We all inherited something from her, so it's fine. I think Shep feels closer to her there, and we'd never begrudge him that."

"That's sweet." Cooper surprised me more every day with how thoughtful he was. How deeply he felt about things. His personality around Shep had been muted because he had lived in his shadow. But I'd gotten to know him better the last few months.

"I hope I'm not preventing you from seeing your brother."

"I'd already decided to give him some space. He can't grow if I'm always keeping a close eye on him. As Dad always said, he has to sink or swim. I'm done keeping him afloat."

"If you want to have time with your brothers or friends, don't worry about me. I can cook when I have to."

Cooper grinned. " When I have to ?"

"I work in the evenings, so it's always been easier just to pick something up on the way home."

"I'll let you know if I'm not cooking dinner and going out instead. But I've been enjoying staying home lately. There's someone who I look forward to seeing at the end of the night."

I grinned. "And who might that be?"

He moved close to me, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. My breath hitched at his tender touch. "You."

Then he kissed me on the beach for anyone to see, and I didn't care. I wasn't worried about sending the wrong message or falling more for him. I was starting to think the fall was inevitable. I just hoped I could pick myself up after he was gone.