Page 39 of Cooper

“You’re very lucky that we found you before he did,” said Blythe. “Your wounds will heal quickly.”

“Then what?” she whispered. Cooper cleared his throat and stepped closer to the bed.

“Then. I hope you’ll find a way to forgive my arrogance and stupidity, my alpha male orders, and general unkindness. I know it will take some time but it will never change the fact that I love you more than life itself.”

Bianca just stared at him, unsure of what to say or do. Finally, she lifted her fingers and waved him closer. He didn’t want to hope for too much but he knelt beside the bed and prayed.

The loud crack of her hand across his face told him what he needed to know. No woman would be that angry if she didn’t care. He cried, nodding at her.

“Do it again if it will make you feel better. Do it as many times as you need,” he said weeping. Bianca started crying as well, slapping his face again but without much strength.

Cooper held her palm against the flesh of his cheek and wept, kissing her palm over and over again as she cried with him.

“Why couldn’t you trust that I was doing what felt right for me, for us?” she sobbed.

“Because I’m stupid. I’m a stupid, arrogant male who believes I know better than you, a woman who is an untrained operative. I didn’t count on you knowing more than I could ever know, Bianca. I didn’t count on you being intelligent and kind, knowledgeable and loving. It was my fault. All of this was my fault.

“If I hadn’t said those things, you would have stayed and we would have found Pablo.”

She sucked in a sharp breath, scanning the room as if Pablo were hidden in a closet or behind the door.

“He’s gone,” he said quietly. “You will never have to worry about him or anyone again. But. If you do. If we do. I promise you that I will include you in on every plan to handle the matter, no matter. All I ask is that you give me another chance. A chance I don’t deserve.”

“I wish I could hate you, Cooper. I wish I could be angry with you, but I can’t. I know that you were just trying to be protective of me but it reminded me of what happened in Argentina. It felt like you didn’t care, instead of that you did care. I was hurt and angry and did something foolish.”

“It’s all my fault,” he said bending over body, holding her tightly to him. She laced her fingers through his dark hair, massaging his scalp.

“I love you, Cooper. Nothing will ever change the fact that I love you and I want you to be your wife. I want you…” She stilled, looking up at Gabi and Blythe. “Is he asleep?”

“Yep,” smirked Gabi. “But in fairness, he hasn’t slept in about forty-eight hours.”

The women just laughed, leaving the young couple to finally get a good night’s rest. As Matthew predicted, it would all work out if you allowed the truth to be told fully.

Cooper kept his promise to Matthew. He didn’t try to dive back into where they’d come from. Instead, he worked his way slowly back to where they were before all the drama.

He loved Bianca every day without forcing intercourse upon her. He brought her flowers, he took her to dinners and movies. He made sure to take long walks with her when they could and he encouraged her to start marketing her handbags.

In fact, he’d turned one of their guest rooms into a work space for her so that she could work on the bags whenever she wanted to.

“Good morning,” he said kissing her sweetly as he handed her a cup of coffee.

“Good morning,” she smiled.

“Are you ready for breakfast?” he asked turning to see her smile.

“No,” she said shaking her head. “I’d like to have breakfast here.”

“Oh. Okay. I’m not sure what I have,” he said opening the refrigerator. “Eggs, well, three eggs. I can go get us something.”

Bianca gripped his arm, pulling him toward her. She wore one of his button-down dress shirts, her favorite nightwear lately. Gripping his hand, she placed it at the opening, sliding his fingers into the shirt to touch her breasts. She held it there for a moment, her breath coming rapidly.

“Bianca,” he whispered as the flush crept up his cheeks.

She gripped his other hand and slowly brought up under the hem of the shirt, guiding his fingers between her thighs, up and up until he realized she was wearing nothing beneath the shirt.

“Fuck, Bianca,” he swallowed.

“Make love to me, Cooper. Show me how much you love me.” Cooper moved so quickly he worried that he might have hurt her. Gripping her ass cheeks, he lifted her to straddle his hard body as he walked toward the bedroom, lying her on the edge of the bed.