Tall, Dark, and Bad Read online

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  “I suppose.”

  “Warren said—” She paused at the dark look he shot her.

  “When did you talk to Warren?” he asked, his tone coolly disapproving.

  “I called him earlier,” she replied, “to let him know we’d be by to visit him later.”

  Cooper’s gaze locked with hers. “And what did good ol’ Warren have to say?”

  Summer noted the sudden edge to his voice. She didn’t like the way it made her feel. Nor did she care for the cold look in his eyes. “I don’t think I care to carry on this discussion.” She stood and started for the sink. Cooper grabbed her wrist and pulled her to a halt.

  She shook off his hand. She refused to let him stir her to anger. “Let’s get something straight, Cooper,” she said, her voice deceptively calm. “You don’t use that tone with me, and you certainly don’t put your hands on me unless I want you to.”

  He stood, and Summer was reminded once more of his size. Nevertheless, she refused to be intimidated by the man.

  “I asked you a simple question,” he said. “What did Warren say?’

  Summer decided not to repeat the entire conversation, especially the part where she had chastised Warren for sending Cooper in his place. “I mentioned stopping by Harry’s, having too much to drink, and you seeing me home in a cab. I told him I was concerned about someone stealing your motorcycle.”

  “And?” Cooper prodded.

  “Warren said anybody in their right mind would know better because you had a reputation of being a badass. Is that what you are, Cooper? If you’re so bad, why did you make certain I got home safely? Why did you stay in case I became ill again?”

  It irritated the hell out of him that she and Warren had discussed him behind his back, but he was doubly pissed that Warren had hinted to Summer about his past. He felt like he’d been punched in the gut. “Maybe I stayed because I was hoping to get laid. Did you ever think of that?”

  “So why didn’t you act on it, tough guy?” she asked. “You certainly had opportunity. You know what I think? I don’t think you’re so tough. I’m not afraid of you.”

  A shadow of annoyance darkened his face. “You’re a real bitch-on-wheels, aren’t you? No wonder you go for wimps like Warren.”

  “Have you always been jealous of your cousin?” she countered icily.

  “Jealous?” he said incredulously. “Of Warren?”

  “It makes sense to me. He’s handsome and personable,” she said, knowing most of the secretaries at work had had crushes on him at one time or another. “He’s got a lot on the ball career-wise.”

  “And you think I lack those qualities?”

  “I didn’t say that. You and your cousin are special in your own way.”

  “So you’re telling me Warren is special to you?”

  She didn’t hesitate. “Yes, he is,” she said, remembering how kind Warren had been when she’d first joined Worth Advertising as their token female. Some of the older men had resented her, and she’d been assigned the smaller, less important accounts. Warren had obviously seen promise in her. He had personally gone to Mr. Worth, the founder of Worth Advertising, and asked that she be allowed to assist him with a major project. Summer had worked especially hard, and in the end they had been granted the account. Warren had sung her praise, and she had won a grudging respect from the others.

  Cooper watched the thoughtful expression on her face. It didn’t take a mind reader to know she was thinking of Warren. She was right. He was jealous, but it had nothing to do with his cousin’s looks or career advancement. He envied the man for having won Summer’s affection. Not only that, it peeved him that Warren was better suited for her. He’d grown up in a home with all the advantages and had graduated from an Ivy League college. Cooper’s mother had quit high school to marry his father, who had deserted the family when Cooper was just a toddler and his mother pregnant with his little sister. With very little education, his mother had cleaned houses and taken in ironing for the rich. Still, it was only barely enough to keep them afloat, but she refused to let Cooper quit school and work full-time.

  He’d picked up whatever work he could before an older kid had taught him how to pick pockets and scam people. Then came fights and gambling. He’d already earned a reputation as a fighter, guys weren’t afraid to put their money on him no matter how big his opponent. He got a cut of the profits, of course, and decided it was an easy way to make good bucks. But his career came to a screeching halt the minute his mother saw his battered face. He would never forget her anguish.

  “You have shamed me!” she’d cried. “Do you think I’m working this hard to raise a brute who is likely to end up in prison? What kind of example do you think you’re setting for your sister?”

  That had been his turning point. How could he expect his little sister to respect him or any man when she had been so badly hurt, first by a father who had deserted the family, then, by a brother who was nothing but a bully. He’d decided to make changes to his life, and although he had done well for himself, people had never forgotten how many men he had sent to the ER. Cooper suspected it would take a long time, years, before people realized he had changed. In the meantime, they would not risk making him angry, which was why he knew his bike had been safe.

  He had to face it. Summer was too good for him. She was out of his league.

  That made him want her all the more.

  The phone rang. Summer hurried to answer it. “Hello, Grandmother,” she said. “No, we didn’t forget about lunch. As a matter of fact, we were just about to walk out the door.”

  Summer hung up the telephone and heaved a sigh. “I don’t know how we’re going to pull this off,” she said. “My grandmother is likely to notice the tension between us.”

  Cooper joined her in the foyer. “You don’t get it,” he said.

  “Get what?”

  “I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you.” He hooked his finger beneath her chin and raised her head so that she was looking directly into his eyes. “And, as much as you’d like to deny it, I think you feel something for me as well.”

  She took a step back. “You don’t know how I feel,” she said. “You and I barely know each other. As for your wanting me, that has nothing to do with real feelings; it is simply a matter of lust. That sort of thing doesn’t make for deep, lasting relationships. It—”

  He silenced her with a kiss. Summer was so stunned that she just stood there as he moved his mouth over hers slowly, tantalizingly, sending her thoughts into a wild spin. Her body began to respond in ways that alternately frightened and delighted her, upsetting her balance while sending currents of desire through her.

  The kiss deepened as Cooper’s tongue skillfully explored the insides of her mouth. Summer was unable to resist, she curled her arms around his neck, suddenly unable to get close enough to him and the musky scent of his cologne. He pulled away for a split second, and she moaned a protest. His lips reappeared at the base of her throat, moved upward to the line of her jaw before toying with an earlobe. Finally, because he could no longer resist, he reached out and cupped her hips in his palms.

  He squeezed them gently and pulled her closer, lightly but firmly pressing against her so there was no doubt in her mind that he longed to be inside of her. He heard her small gasp of pleasure, felt her respond. She cried out softly, a pleading, desperate sound that told him she was as eager as he was to finish what they’d started.

  If she had been anyone else, he would have taken her there. He suspected their first coupling might not be all hearts and flowers or whatever she was used to. His need for her had become too great. All he wanted at this point was to have her wet and wanting, to know the pleasure of her sheathing him tightly, arching against him so he could fill her completely.

  Cooper lifted his head and looked into her eyes. He knew desire when he saw it, and it did him proud to know he wasn’t the only one getting hot and bothered over a simple kiss. It was clear she wanted more.
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br />   Cooper mentally cursed the fact that they were expected to have lunch with Summer’s grandmother. Food was the last thing on his mind.

  Cooper pulled away and gave a frustrated sigh. “We’d best get going,” he said. “Your grandmother will be worried.”

  Summer tried to hide her disappointment as she grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

  Chapter Five

  Summer climbed on the back of Cooper’s motorcycle a few minutes later. After sharing the kiss only minutes before, she wasn’t as hesitant to slip her arms around his waist as she’d been the night before.

  Cooper changed gears with his right toe and eased the throttle, and the bike rolled forward at a respectful pace. He crossed the parking lot, started to pull out onto the main road, then braked quickly as a car changed lanes and moved into his path. The bike came to a slightly jolting halt, and Summer was thrust forward on the seat. Her face warmed at the intimate contact, and at the way the two of them fit together so perfectly, her soft curves molding against his masculine contours.

  Once Summer adjusted herself on the bike so she wasn’t flattened against Cooper, she began to relax. The ride wasn’t as frightening as before, and she felt more comfortable on the turns, leaning into each one with him instead of fighting them.

  They arrived at the Pettigrew estate twenty minutes later. Once Cooper had parked and helped her with her helmet, Summer led the way up the steps and to the front door. She rang the bell, and it was answered immediately by Mrs. Bradshaw.

  “Good afternoon, miss,” the housekeeper replied formally, stepping aside so they could enter.

  “Hello, Mrs. Bradshaw,” Summer replied. “You remember Mr. Garrett.”

  “Yes, of course,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact, her lips pressed tightly together. “May I take your jacket?” she asked Cooper.

  “That would be nice,” he said, shrugging it off and handing it to her. “Thanks,” he said.

  “Mrs. Pettigrew is in the den,” she said. “Lunch will be ready shortly.”

  Once again Summer led the way through the elaborate foyer and down the wide hall, where their footsteps were muffled by expensive Persian rugs. She paused at the doorway leading into her grandmother’s informal den and knocked even though the door was open.

  “Please join me.” Henrietta rose from her desk and hugged Summer, but her smile was somewhat stilted. Summer suspected she was still worried about the scene she’d witnessed that morning.

  She shook hands with Cooper. “So nice to see you again young man. And I must say I prefer that outfit to the one you had on earlier.”

  Summer blushed, but Cooper merely smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Pettigrew,” he said. “I agree wholeheartedly,” he added. “Perhaps one day I will tell you how the whole thing came about and we’ll have a good laugh.”

  “I look forward to it,” Henrietta said. “I’m always in the mood for a nice chuckle,” she added. “And, please, I insist that you call me Henrietta. Why don’t we sit down?” she suggested, making her way toward a plump floral sofa and matching club chairs. She took a chair and waited for them to sit before continuing the conversation. Cooper joined Summer on the sofa.

  “I’m afraid we didn’t get a chance to chat much last night, and I’m always interested in learning about my granddaughter’s friends.”

  Cooper took one of Summer’s hands in his. “I’d like to think your granddaughter and I are more than friends,” he said, giving Summer an intimate smile.

  Henrietta nodded slowly, then looked at Summer. “How long have you been seeing each other?”

  They answered simultaneously.

  “Not that long,” Cooper said.

  “Six months,” Summer replied.

  She shot Cooper a frantic look before returning her attention to her grandmother, who looked confused. “Actually, Cooper and I have known each other for quite a while, but we held off dating.”

  Cooper smiled. “I was afraid to ask her out,” he said, “for fear she would say no.”

  “And I was afraid he would never ask me,” Summer said, adding a chuckle to cover her lie. It amazed her how easily they slipped out these days, but she kept telling herself it was in the best interests of her grandmother.

  “And you’ve waited until now to tell me?” Henrietta asked.

  Summer shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. “I knew if I told you, you’d insist on meeting Cooper right away. I thought he and I should take some time to get to know each other better first.”

  “Part of it was my fault,” Cooper said. “I was afraid you wouldn’t approve of me.”

  “Oh? Is there any reason I shouldn’t?” Henrietta asked. “Other than the fact you have a penchant for my granddaughter’s clothes?”

  He chuckled. “I can assure you I’ll stay out of Summer’s closet in the future. Besides, her clothes don’t come close to fitting me as I’m sure you noticed. She’s such a shrimp.”

  “It just so happens that the robe was not mine to begin with,” Summer said. “It belongs to my old college roommate, a plus-sized woman. She left it by accident when she last visited.”

  “Back to my question,” Henrietta said.

  Cooper nodded. “I put off meeting you because I knew I was nothing like the men Summer is accustomed to dating.”

  “Different doesn’t necessarily mean bad,” Henrietta replied. “I shudder to think what this world would be like if everyone were exactly the same. What a person looks like on the outside matters little to me. I’m more interested in the stuff that’s inside.” She paused and eyed him thoughtfully. “I wonder what I’d see if I were able to look past that rugged exterior of yours.”

  Now it was Cooper’s turn to look uncomfortable. He was not used to answering personal questions; in fact, he’d spent much of his life protecting his secrets. But he genuinely liked Henrietta, and he realized, under the circumstances, she had a right to ask questions. He would have to be blind not to see how deeply she loved her granddaughter.

  “I made a few mistakes in my younger days,” he said at last, being deliberately vague. “I’d like to think I learned from them.” He glanced at Summer, then focused once more on her grandmother. “I grew up poor,” he said with an easy smile, “so that taught me to appreciate even the simplest things in life.” Henrietta nodded but said nothing. She didn’t have to. Cooper could see the understanding in her eyes. He suspected she’d seen a lot of poverty in her charity work. Not to mention pain and emotional suffering. “I don’t have a college degree, but I’m a voracious reader. I try to treat people fairly and honestly, and I’ve found in most cases they respond likewise.” He shrugged. “That about sums it up.”

  “And what are your intentions regarding my granddaughter?” Henrietta asked.

  Cooper could see that Summer was uneasy as well, and he tried to reassure her with a smile before responding to the other woman’s question. “I have the greatest respect for your granddaughter,” he said. “As for what the future holds, a lot depends on Summer. I know her career means a lot to her. I do not want to stand in the way of her achieving her goals and realizing her dreams.”

  Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Henrietta smiled. “You put that very nicely, Cooper.”

  Mrs. Bradshaw interrupted from the doorway. “Excuse me, Mrs. Pettigrew. Lunch is served.”

  “Oh, good,” Henrietta said, starting to get up. Cooper hurried over to assist. “You’re very kind,” she said, accepting his help, “but I won’t have you and Summer treating me like an invalid.”

  “That was not my intent,” he said. “I simply believe a man should act a certain way while in the presence of a lady.

  Henrietta chuckled. “My, but I believe you could charm the skin off a snake if you put your mind to it.”

  Following closely behind, Summer suspected her grandmother was probably right.

  Once they were seated at one end of the long mahogany dining table, Millie carried in three plates containing sliced chicken breasts on wh
ole wheat bread, a scoop of coleslaw, and stewed apples. Mrs. Bradshaw filled the glasses with tea.

  Summer smiled. “I’m happy to see that you’re adopting a healthier diet,” she told her grandmother.

  “Blame it on Mrs. Bradshaw,” Henrietta said. “If it were up to me we’d be sitting down to a fried chicken dinner, but I have no say what comes out of my kitchen.” She shrugged. “Which is just as well because I don’t have time to worry about every little thing I put in my mouth?”

  They chatted easily among themselves as they ate. Fortunately, Henrietta seemed to be in a talkative mood, which meant Summer and Cooper weren’t forced to answer a lot of questions. “By the way,” the older woman said, glancing at Summer. “You haven’t forgotten about Wednesday night?”

  Summer scanned her brain, but nothing came to mind. “What about it?”

  “It’s the annual AIDS benefit, dear. We never miss it.”

  Summer didn’t have to be reminded how important AIDS research was to Henrietta. She, too, had become more involved in her grandmother’s causes over the years, and as heartbreaking as some of the causes were, she’d derived a great deal of satisfaction in the simple act of helping others. “I’m sure it’s on my calendar, I just overlooked it,” she said. “Of course I’ll be there.”

  Henrietta looked at Cooper. “I’d be honored if you would join our little fund-raiser this year,” she said. “It’s about time my granddaughter attended one of these benefits with a handsome man on her arm instead of tagging along behind her granny.”

  “I’d love to come,” Cooper said.

  Summer could feel a blush creeping up her neck. She gave an embarrassed cough. “Uh, sweetheart,” she said, giving Cooper a tense look. “You told me you were going to have to start working more hours because of the increased bike sales.” She looked at Henrietta. “Cooper sells twice as many motorcycles this time of year,” she said.

  “I’m sure I can spare one evening for a good cause,” he said smoothly. “Besides, it’s about time I became more involved with the community.”

  Summer’s eyes clouded with anxiety, but she forced herself to smile. “But, dear, the dinner is one thousand dollars per plate.”