Intercepting Love

8. Kate

8

KATE

By the time I got back to the field, the guys were taking a break and sitting on the side lines. I watched as Cooper bantered back and forth with the other players and how he seemed at home with them. At first, I thought he’d keep his distance and be an a*s, but every time I turned around he surprised me. I guess it showed me how little I actually knew him.

When he saw me watching him, he came over to his car and I rolled down the window. He was dirty and drenched in sweat, but it didn’t make his smile any less sexy. The heat outside was probably in the mid-nineties, and with the sun blaring overhead I knew it had to be miserable for the guys in their pads.

“Did you have fun at your meeting?” he asked, leaning his arms in through the window.

“It was nice. I ate lunch with a friend.”

Cooper lifted a brow. “Was it a girl friend or a guy? Please tell me I didn’t let you borrow my car to meet up with another man.”

“No,” I laughed, “it was with our neighbor, Lara.” I didn’t know if I should tell him that I knew who his ex was. However, I figured if I mentioned it, it’d be best if I waited until he was done with practice.

“Ah, I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her. I’ll have to stop by and visit.”

Visions of her making him brownies and him eating them off of her went through my mind at that exact moment. Damn you, Lara, for putting those thoughts in my head.

“No you don’t,” I blurted out. “She actually asked if I would bring you to her restaurant tonight after practice. You can meet her then.”

Cooper’s lips pulled up into a sly smirk. “Why, Kate Townsend, is this your way of asking me out on a date? I didn’t think I’d break you down so easily.”

“You didn’t,” I scoffed halfheartedly. “This isn’t a date, and I’m only doing this because Lara asked me to bring you. Now do you want to go or not?”

“Fine, I’ll go. Even if it’s not a date, I’d be more than happy to go with you. I’ll just have to take a shower first, but you’re more than welcome to join me. My shoulder’s been giving me some trouble, and I heard that those exercises you showed me work better in water. You up for that?”

“They work better in a pool, Cooper, not a shower. You might want to consider a cold one while you’re at it.”

Shaking my head, I rolled up the car window to cut him off. He thought it was funny and laughed the whole way back to the team. My body didn’t think it was funny; instead, I had f*******n thoughts of touching his bare body in the shower running through my mind. I felt wet all over with sweat already pouring down the back of my neck, moistening my skin. Even the spot between my legs tingled with the thoughts of a rendezvous under the heated spray of the dual headed showers.

My God, it’s been too long.

* * *

After practice was over, Evan stayed behind with me in the parking lot while Cooper disappeared to the locker room to take a quick shower. “How you holding up today?” he asked hesitantly. “Any contact from Scott’s parents?”

“Not yet,” I replied, releasing a heavy sigh. “It’s been a year since they last contacted me, so maybe they’ve moved on.”

Evan shrugged. “There’s no telling, but if they give you problems you need to let me deal with it, okay?”

“I can handle my own problems, Evan.”

“Kate,” he warned, glaring down at me, “don’t start with me. I’m only looking out for you.”

“I know,” I murmured softly as he put his arm around my shoulders.

“So what’s up with you and Cooper?” he asked. “Everyone was giving him hell about you today, but he claims nothing’s going on. Does Luke know you two are getting close?”

“It’s not like that,” I assured him. “Cooper’s the one who moved into the house two doors down, and we figured since we live beside each other it made more sense to ride together.”

He stared at me as if he didn’t believe a single thing that came out of my mouth.

“Okay, Kate, whatever you say. You’re still going out with Luke on Saturday, right?”

I nodded. “Yep, I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Good, because he’s pretty stoked about it. Go out with him at least once before you break his heart. I swear I always thought it would be the other way around.”

“Evan, me and Luke haven’t even gone on one date. There’s no breaking hearts here. We have a date, and I’m sticking with my plans. Cooper and I are just friends, and to be honest, he’s actually not that bad.”

“Oh, I know he’s not,” Evan admitted. “He kicked a*s out there today. I just don’t want you getting in over your head with him … or Luke for that matter.”

I groaned and bumped him with my shoulder. “I don’t plan on it, and even if I did it’s my choice. You’ll just have to get over it.”

When Cooper emerged from the locker room, his hair was still damp and mussed from the shower, and even from the distance I could see the devilish smirk on his face. His heated gaze followed my body up and down, and without thinking I smiled and bit my lip.

“Oh hell, this isn’t good,” Evan groaned, snapping my attention back to him. “So help me, if he hurts you I’m going to kick his a*s. I can see it now that you two aren’t going to behave.”

“Everything okay?” Cooper asked, glancing back and forth between me and my brother.

Evan sighed and glared right at him. “It is for now, and it better stay that way.” Squeezing my arm, he sent one last warning glare to Cooper before strolling over to his truck.

“I’m assuming that was directed at me?” he asked.

“Of course,” I groaned, “but you were warned before getting mixed up with me.”

Taking my elbow, Cooper guided me to his car and opened the door. “I’m not worried about your brother, Kate. I’m not going to do anything to you unless you ask me to.”

“Like what?” I asked coyly.

Shielded from view by the car door, Cooper leaned in and brought his lips closer to mine, opening them slightly. I couldn’t move, but then again … I didn’t want to. Instead of kissing me, he murmured across my lips, “I’m sure you’ll figure that out when the time comes. If you want me to kiss you, I’m not going to do it until you place your soft lips on mine first. If you want me to touch you, I’m not going to unless you beg me for it. It’s all on you now, love.”

Breathing hard, I pulled back abruptly and cleared my throat. “Good,” I blurted out, “I agree. Now there won’t be any complications.”

“Exactly,” he agreed.

Exactly, I repeated in my mind.

Smirking, he shut the car door and ambled over to his side. From the look on his face he didn’t believe me, and even worse … I didn’t believe myself.