Chapter 7 Corinne

I kept busy, focusing intently on everything Alyssa told me, and before I knew it, the day was over. I left the office without saying good-bye to Cooper, unsure how to act around him after what we’d last talked about.

Before heading home, I stopped at the grocery on the way to pick up the ingredients for tonight’s dinner. Once home, I wrangled all the groceries into my arms, making sure to leave at least one hand free to turn the doorknob.

“Aaron?” I called out as I opened the door, toeing off my shoes and trudging inside with the grocery bags.

He was the quietest, neatest roommate you could ever imagine, and mostly kept to himself. Wheelchair bound, Aaron watched TV or sat by the window while I was at work, petting his therapy dog, Ollie.

A freak accident several years ago had paralyzed him from the waist down, and a massive head injury reduced his mental abilities to that of about an eight-year-old. He was nonverbal and needed help in his daily care, but a nurse came for him every day while I worked, so he really was no trouble at all. In fact, if he weren’t here, I’d miss the whir of his breathing treatment machine, or the soft way he hummed when he took his bath.

Plus, there was something about sharing the apartment with him and Ollie that made me feel safer. Maybe it was that we’d shared the same routines for years. Growing up the way I did, I craved the familiar, liked a routine. I certainly didn’t want to go changing things around just because our arrangement was unorthodox.

Ollie greeted me first, and after I set the bags on the counter, I found Aaron sitting on the balcony, watching the birds peck at the bird feeder hanging nearby. His nurse was folding laundry in a basket beside him, and she smiled at me too.

“Thanks, Tabitha,” I said.

“He’s no problem at all, but you know that.”

I nodded, watching as she headed back inside with the basket balanced on her hip.

“Hey.” I placed my hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. His eyes met mine, and he gave me a tilted smile. “We’re having your favorite for dinner.”

After another squeeze to his shoulder, I headed back inside to begin cooking. Tabitha called out her good-bye, and I heard the front door close. As my fingers mashed and mixed raw ground beef, my brain wandered back to today’s encounter at the office.

I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something about Cooper’s offer made me feel naked and exposed. It wasn’t just that he was suggesting carefree, emotionless sex, though that fact did nothing to make me feel better about things. No, it was the way he responded when I told him about my past. He’d instantly softened and looked so disgusted with himself, I almost wanted to comfort him.

Almost.

I still couldn’t tell if it was all an act—maybe he played this scene out with every new employee his brothers threw his way. Come on way too strong, offer a shoulder to cry on when she freaks out, then coax her into giving him exactly what he wanted.

But that was where things got even more confusing. He could be a sex-addicted sociopath, which would explain how he was so good at making this arrangement sound so appealing. Then again, that didn’t seem like him either—I hardly knew him at all—and yet something about him seemed so real and genuine and honest.

I sighed and set the raw meat to the side, grabbing a handful to form into a patty. The only thing I knew for certain was that I had some thinking to do. And a lot of it.

• • •

Friday morning at work, I walked straight to Cooper’s office, intent on setting a few matters straight. I wasn’t ready to make a decision yet, but I sure as hell needed to make sure I knew exactly what was at stake.

But no matter how determined I was to be confident and assertive in front of Cooper, I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking as I opened the door to his office. I hated confrontation of any kind, especially when it happened with tall, attractive men who wanted something from me. Especially because he wanted that poor neglected spot between my legs.

I opened the door to find Cooper sitting at his desk, lost in thought as he stared at his computer screen. For a moment, I let myself take him in, admiring the hard planes of muscles under his crisp, dark blue button-down. I cocked my head to the side, noticing for the first time how green his eyes were. They were cool and focused in that moment, probably analyzing the company’s financials or the latest escort schedule, but I could just make out the faintest crinkles at their corners, the telltale of someone who smiled a lot.

Suddenly, those green eyes snapped up at me, equal parts bewildered and amused at the look on my face, which I could only imagine was dumb and intrusive.

“Corinne,” Cooper said with a grin. “What can I do for you?”

I immediately stood up straight and entered his office, closing the door behind me. He motioned to the chair in front of his desk but I shook my head, smoothing my black pencil skirt over my thighs.

“This won’t take long,” I said, ignoring the knot quickly forming in my stomach.

“Have you made your decision?” he asked, his voice calm.

“Actually, no. I haven’t made a decision yet. I’m here to clarify the stakes.” I surprised even myself with how sure and confident I sounded.

Cooper sat up straighter and almost seemed to be suppressing a smile. I couldn’t tell if he was intrigued or entertained by me, so I chose to believe the latter, just to be safe.

Not waiting for him to answer, I continued. “I need this job. And I need to know whether my employment status hinges on me agreeing to have sex with you.”

At that, any trace of a smile vanished from Cooper’s face, and he looked at me with a grim, serious expression. “I would never do that,” he said, almost to himself. He cleared his throat, obviously shaken by what I’d said. “Corinne, I would never fire you for choosing not to have sex with me. I apologize—sincerely—if I gave you the impression that I’d throw you out on the street if you declined my offer.”

Relieved, I let out a breath and relaxed my shoulders a bit. I nodded and did my best to keep it together.

“Okay,” I said, dropping my gaze to the floor. “Thanks. I, uh, still need more time, though, before I make my decision.” I fidgeted with the hem of my cardigan, fully aware of how awkwardly my words were coming out.

“Of course,” Cooper said, folding his hands in his lap. “Take all the time you need, little dove. My offer still stands.” His tone had softened and so had my insides—liquefying into jelly as I stood there.

I nodded and stood there timidly for a moment, unsure of what else to say. It quickly felt like I was lingering too long, so I blurted a hasty “I should probably get to work” before bolting out of his office again.

I marched straight to the bathroom, needing some time and space to myself. I washed my hands in the sink, reveling in the coolness of the water on my warm and sweaty palms.

Looking up, I frowned at my reflection in the mirror. My face was beet red from the stress and embarrassment of confronting Cooper, and I was mortified by how visible my true feelings were.

After drying my hands, I smoothed my hair and pressed my cooled-down hands to my face. When my cheeks had calmed down to their normal rosy pink, I sighed and pushed back my shoulders, taking a deep breath in. Once I felt settled, I left the bathroom, prepared for another day of training.

It was silly, but knowing that Cooper wasn’t that kind of man—the kind who would hold my job over my head for sex—made me feel way less anxious about this decision. I still had no idea whether this arrangement was something I was okay with, let alone something I wanted, but now I was sure about one thing.

Whether I chose to be with him or not, Cooper Kingsley would leave one heck of an impression on me.