Tall, Dark, and Bad Read online

  Definitely not a good sign!

  She walked into her bedroom and froze when her gaze fell on a pair of scuffed boots. Shock rendered her motionless; her mouth formed a perfect O. Finally, her gaze crept upward. The man had his back to her, but she would have recognized the scoundrel no matter what. Who else had hair the color of black shoe polish and shoulders wide enough to pull a covered wagon? And … and he was wearing her bathrobe of all things!

  “Excuse me,” she called out in a voice shrill enough to break glass and send little arrows of pain darting through the back of her skull.

  Cooper turned over in the bed and smiled at the disheveled, half-naked vision before him. “Good morning, sweetheart.”

  Chapter Four

  Summer suddenly noted the look in Cooper’s eyes, bold and assessing, and her heart gave a wild lurch as she realized she was still in her underwear. She yelped and turned a vivid scarlet, then ducked into the bathroom. Her embarrassment and humiliation was heightened by the sound of male laughter coming from the next room.

  Blast the man! Who did he think he was? Here she was, feeling next to death, and he seemed to be enjoying every minute of it. Summer snatched an oversized bath towel from a rack and wrapped it around her sarong-style. It smelled of rose scented soap and male flesh. Cooper had taken a shower. Since the towel was completely dry, he must have done so the night before. But why?

  She sat on the edge of the bathtub and covered her face with her hands. Lord, what had possessed her to act so irresponsibly? Here she was, basically a teetotaler, and she’d tossed back those drinks like a real pro. And that wasn’t the worst of it! Oh, no, that didn’t even come close to the shame of waking up next to a man she’d known less than twelve hours, or prancing about in black bikini underwear as though she were part of a burlesque show.

  She had to get rid of him. Her grandmother would ask questions, naturally, but she would think of something. With the decision made, she squared her shoulders and marched into the bedroom. She found him lying on his back with his hands stacked beneath his head as though he had every right to be there.

  He gave her a toe-curling grin. “I sure could use a cup of coffee.”

  “How did you get into my home?” she demanded. “No, let me be more specific. How did you manage to get past the security guard? Even more pressing, what the hell are you doing in my bed?”

  “Don’t you remember?”

  She tossed him an accusing look. “No, I don’t remember.”

  “I’m not surprised. You were pretty far gone at the time. I took the liberty of anticipating how you’d feel this morning,” he added, “by placing a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water on your night table.”

  Still trembling, Summer reached for the bottle, opened it, and popped two tablets into her mouth before draining the glass of water.

  The pounding in her head seemed to get worse. She met his gaze but found her eyes straying to his wide chest and the thick mat of hair that covered it. Her robe did very little to hide that part of his anatomy.

  She dreaded hearing the answer to her next question. “Did I undress myself?”

  “You were in no condition.” He saw the uncertainty in her eyes, and he knew he was a real heel for letting her believe the worst, but he was having too much fun to stop. Besides, she had it coming after all she’d put him through the night before.

  “I want you out of here,” she said, her voice as cold and bitter as a December wind. “Now!”

  He arched one dark brow, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and stood. “You’re not even going to offer me breakfast?”

  The killing glare she shot him was all the answer he needed. Cooper planted his hands on his hips and pretended outrage. Not an easy task considering how he was dressed. “Well, that’s a fine how-do-you-do,” he said. “I can’t believe you’d just kick me out after … after all the nice things I did for you last night. The least you could do is thank me.”

  Summer colored fiercely. “Thank you?” she sputtered in disbelief. Surely there wasn’t a man alive who could match his arrogance. “I’m supposed to thank you for what you did? I should cut your liver out and feed it to my neighbor’s cat. But you’re not worth dulling a perfectly good blade.”

  He shrugged. “Fine. Be that way. But if you think I enjoyed doing what I did for one minute, you’re wrong. I went through with it only because I knew no other man would.” He shuddered. “Why do you think I showered immediately afterward?”

  She felt as though he’d slapped her. “You rodent!” she cried in utter contempt. “You are the most boorish, uncouth man I’ve ever met. You are vile and despicable, lower than the lowest life-form. You are vermin!” she added shrilly. “A maggot!”

  Cooper cocked his head to one side. “Could you please be more specific?”

  The humorous light in his eyes only incensed her more. She whirled around and stormed from the room as ferociously as a tornado.

  Cooper realized he’d pushed her too far. He hurried after her. “Summer, wait—”

  She was already halfway down the stairs. “Go to hell!” she spat out over her shoulder. She cleared the steps and marched into her kitchen, where she found the door to the laundry room ajar. She pointed. “Put on your clothes and leave this instant!”

  “I can’t.”

  “What do you mean, you can’t?” she said between gritted teeth.

  “They’re still wet. I never got around to putting them in the dryer last night.”

  “I don’t care if they’re on fire. I don’t care if your underwear is crawling with red ants. I want you out of my house now!”

  He’d never seen a female look so angry. The woman had a temper that would stop a charging bull. “Wait,” he said, holding both hands up as though he were the victim of a stickup. “Before you kick me out, I have something to tell you.”

  She covered her ears with her hands. “I refuse to listen to any more of your trash.”

  He grabbed her wrists and pulled them toward him. “Tough. ’Cause you’re going to listen anyway. Nothing happened between us last night, okay? I was just trying to have a little fun with you.”

  Her eyes became daggers. “Liar! And I thought you couldn’t get any lower.’

  “I can get plenty lower, believe me, but I try to draw the line at having sex with an unconscious woman. The only thing that happened is you got sick, and I had to clean it up. That’s the reason I took a shower and washed my clothes.”

  She studied him closely. “So we didn’t—”

  “No. You did such a good job of passing out that they’d have covered you with a sheet if you’d been in a hospital. I figured I’d better hang around in case you got sick again.”

  Her anger flared to new heights. “And you let me believe we were intimate!” she sputtered, backing away from him. “Do you have any idea how frightened I was not knowing if I’d contracted a disease or gotten pregnant? And you think that’s funny?”

  Cooper opened his mouth to defend himself just as she reached for a decorative teakettle and threw it at him. He ducked in the nick of time, and the kettle slammed into the wall behind him, sending a small picture askew. “Dammit to hell!” he shouted. “Are you crazy? You could have hit me with that!”

  Summer gasped aloud once she realized what she’d done. “Oh, my heavens!” she cried, covering her mouth with one hand. “I—I didn’t mean to—” She reached out for him and he backed away, eyeing her skeptically. “I’ve never done anything like that in my life,” she confessed. “You had me so upset. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Give me my clothes.”

  “But they’re still wet.”

  “Two minutes ago you were willing to let red ants gnaw on my privates.”

  Summer hurried into the laundry room and pulled his clothes from the washer. She tossed his clothes into the dryer and turned it on. “They’ll be dry before you know it,” she said. “In the meantime, I’ll make coffee and fix your breakfast.”

  Hi
s eyes were guarded. “Why are you suddenly being nice to me?” he demanded. “Afraid I’ll swear out a complaint?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said as though it were no big deal when, in fact, her insides were still quaking. “Besides, you’d be too embarrassed to go to the police. How would it look, me getting the upper hand on a big, tough biker like yourself?”

  She was starting to piss him off. “Excuse me, but I wouldn’t actually say you got the upper hand,” he said, beginning to pace. He had to work off his anger, the restless energy that made him want to shake her silly one minute and kiss her senseless the next. “I just wasn’t expecting you to start throwing things. Someone with your fine breeding,” he added with a sneer.

  Summer tried her best to look remorseful. She chanced a look in his direction. Just knowing he had nothing on underneath the robe made her a little breathless. As he continued to pace, she studied him. His legs and feet were strong and sturdy-looking, slightly muscular, and covered with dark hair. The robe flapped open at the bottom each time he turned, giving her a brief glimpse of his thighs. He paused when he caught her staring.

  “What are you looking at?”

  “You have nice legs.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and regarded her. “Don’t try to suck up to me, Summer, because it won’t work.”

  She smiled in spite of herself. Lord, what had possessed her to throw that kettle at him? She stepped closer, ready to apologize again.

  He backed off. “Keep your hands off me.”

  “Don’t be silly,” she said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  He gaped at her. “You think I’m afraid of you?”

  “Well, you certainly act like you are.”

  “I’m not afraid. It’s just that I can’t defend myself against a damn woman. If you were a man, I’d have already decked you, but—” He paused and looked thoughtful. His eyes narrowed into black slits. “Maybe I can teach you a lesson after all.”

  Summer saw the menacing look and retreated a step. “I don’t think I like whatever it is you’re planning,” she said.

  He pulled a chair from the square pine table, grabbed her wrist, and dragged her to it. She struggled, and the towel came loose and clumped around her feet. She squealed and reached for it, but Cooper yanked her closer. He sat down in the chair and pulled her across his lap.

  “What are you doing!” she cried.

  Cooper’s voice sounded more like a snarl when he spoke. “I’m doing what your grandmother should have done long before now.” He brought his hand down on her fanny in a solid whack.

  “Ouch!” She kicked. “Let me go!” she ordered, her pretty features contorted with shock and some anger.

  “That’s for offering me mechanics’ wages when I tried to do you a favor last night out of the kindness of my heart.”

  “You have no heart!” she replied, and was rewarded with another slap that hurt her pride more than her behind.

  “And that one was for teasing a bunch of horny men in a cowboy bar,” he said. “You put both of us in a dangerous situation.”

  “You’re an animal!” she sputtered. “Not even fit to enter my house.”

  The doorbell rang. Obviously the neighbors had heard the ruckus and decided to investigate. Good! Maybe they’d call the police. The idea of watching them lead Cooper away in handcuffs would be worth any scandal that might ensue. “Let me go,” she said between clenched teeth, “or I swear I’ll—”

  “You’ll what? Throw something else at me? Punch me in the face? And you call yourself a lady?” Even as he spouted off at her, he realized he no longer had the urge to smack her again. He glanced down at her bikini-clad bottom, and his gut tightened at the sight of the tempting swell. He couldn’t resist touching her any more than he could resist taking his next breath. But the minute his hand made contact, he knew he was lost. She was firm but womanly. Exquisite was the word that came to mind. He could no longer deny the strong attraction he felt for her.

  Summer’s heart slammed to her throat as Cooper’s hand came down on her once more, this time in a caress. She could feel the heat of his open palm burning through her satin-and-lace panties. She glanced over her shoulder, and their gazes met and locked. His eyes smoldered like black coals. She thought she felt heat on her skin, but told herself it was just her imagination. The fire in her belly was real. She suddenly couldn’t get enough oxygen into her lungs. “Cooper?” His name came out sounding like a croak.

  “Summer, I—” He shook himself. He hadn’t meant this to happen. The tables had turned on him, and he was in no way prepared. Her dreamy-eyed look and the slightly parted lips told him she was at her most vulnerable, and he didn’t have the first clue what to do about it.

  Neither of them heard the key turning in the lock at the front door, or the approaching footsteps.

  “Oh, my word!” Henrietta Pettigrew came to a dead halt in the doorway, her chauffeur on her heels. He looked away respectfully. The color drained from Henrietta’s face, and the genteel lady who never became rattled, even under the most harrowing circumstances, looked as though she might pass out.

  She clutched her chest. “Please wait for me in the car, Axel.” He nodded quickly, as though eager to escape.

  Henrietta took a deep breath. “What in heaven’s name is going on here?” she demanded.

  Without warning, Cooper released Summer, and she slid to the floor, bumping her knee in the process. She winced and reached for the towel, wrapping it about her haphazardly. “I know it looks bad, Grandmother,” she said, “but it’s not what you think”

  Cooper stood and nodded lamely. “Good morning, Mrs. Pettigrew, it’s good to see you again.”

  Henrietta looked at him. “Why are you dressed in my granddaughter’s bathrobe, young man?”

  He looked embarrassed. “It was all I could find to put on once I took my shower.”

  Summer cringed inwardly, knowing he was making matters worse. “What Cooper is trying to say—”

  Henrietta hushed her by putting one hand up. “On second thought, I’d just as soon not hear your explanation,” she said coolly. “You’re both consenting adults. What you do in private is your business. Besides, I wasn’t spying on you,” she told Summer. “When you didn’t return for your car last night, I became worried. I called several times after my guests left, and I’ve been trying to reach you all morning.”

  “That’s my fault,” Cooper said. “I took the phone off the hook, so Summer could sleep in this morning. She wasn’t feeling well last night.”

  Henrietta went on as though she hadn’t heard. “Then, just as I was getting ready to come see about you, one of the guards from the gate called and told me some strange man brought you home last night, and you seemed completely disoriented. Those were his exact words.”

  “I take full responsibility,” Cooper said. “I, um, invited your granddaughter out for a couple of drinks. They were pretty strong. I brought her home in a cab. She became ill. I was afraid to leave her.”

  “But I’m all better now,” Summer said, which wasn’t all together true.”

  Henrietta looked from one to the other. “I’m glad to hear it. I’ll expect you to come for your car around lunchtime. Cooper can give you a ride on his motorcycle,” she added, eyeing him. “We didn’t get a chance to talk much last night. Since this … uh … romance seems to have progressed farther than I suspected, I’ll look forward to seeing more of you.” She eyed Cooper. “Hopefully, you’ll be dressed in men’s clothing next time.” Without another word, she turned and made her way to the foyer and out the front door.

  Summer and Cooper stared at each other again. “Do you think she’s upset?” he asked.

  “I’d venture a wild guess in that direction, yes, although I think she is more shocked than anything. It isn’t often she drops by and finds me in my underwear getting spanked by a man wearing my bathrobe.”

  “You had it coming, and you know it.”

  “Don’t
start with me, Cooper.” She turned for the coffeepot. The aspirin hadn’t helped her headache. Neither had the events of the morning.

  “So what are we going to do?” Cooper asked, sitting down in the chair once more.

  Summer plugged in the coffeemaker. “We aren’t going to do anything,” she replied. “I’m going to tell her the truth.”

  He laughed. “Oh, that ought to go over well.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?

  “She probably thinks we’re serious about each other; otherwise you’d never have let me spend the night. The fact that she found you across my lap can be explained away easily enough. We were just two people in love having a little fun.”

  “You call that fun? I shudder to think what you do for an encore.”

  “Hey, I’m kidding, okay?” Cooper stood and crossed the room. He reached out and tucked a stray lock of blond hair behind one ear.

  “I thought it was every woman’s fantasy to be dominated a bit, at least in bed.”

  “I’m not into pain, if that’s what you’re asking. I have no desire to be brutalized.”

  Cooper reached for another strand of gold hair and toyed with it. “I’m not talking about cruel and inhumane treatment, babe,” he said, his voice so smooth, it lulled her into a sense of well-being when she knew she needed to shield her emotions and remain alert. “I’m talking about releasing one’s darkest secrets and inhibitions in the bedroom. Where it’s safe. I’m talking about using all five senses and whatever else it takes to give our bodies the pleasures they were designed for. Imagine two people so enmeshed, it’s impossible to tell where one leaves off and the other begins. No holding back.”

  Summer was held rapt by the erotic images he’d planted in her brain. Her body felt heavy and warm, her insides had become soft and liquid. She reeled her thoughts in and steeled herself. “What new game is this?”

  He twirled her hair around his index finger. They locked gazes. “No game,” he said softly. “But a man must make love to a woman’s mind, before he can truly have her body.”