Temporarily Yours (A Shillings Agency Novel) (Entangled Brazen) (13 page)

“Watching him,” Kayla finished dryly. The moment was so frustrating she couldn’t help but shake her head. “Yeah. We got it.”

Cooper choked on a laugh, but covered his mouth to hide it. “I won’t be long, Mr. Moriarity.”

Her dad nodded. “Good.”

Then he left, too. Cooper grabbed her hands and squeezed them tight. “I’m going to say this quickly in case someone else comes up. I’m fucking serious, Kayla. I want to stay with you.”

She bit down hard on her lower lip. “Look Cooper, what we had was fun. Great, even. And I’ll miss you, but you need to stick with Plan A. I won’t be the one to take you away from it. Not in a million years.”

“But I want to stay. You’re not listening.”

“No,
you’re
not listening. I realized something today, watching Susan and Max. Watching my mom and dad, even. I do want a future with someone, a good one. And for a little while, I wanted that someone to be you. But I’m not going to compete with something that happened in the past. I’m sorry about Josh, about what his fiancée is going through. I’m sorry that you feel responsible for it. But I’m right
here
, right
now
. And I think I’ve got a pretty damn good grasp of the things I can and can’t handle.”

He blanched. “Kayla, I’m sorry.”

“I don’t need your apologies.” She lifted her chin. “And I’m not finished yet. I
can
handle someone not being here. I
can
handle the man I love being in danger. But what I
can’t
handle is the fear that he’s just going to run off whenever he decides it’s best for me, regardless of my input. I want a partnership where I have a voice that’s heard, even if the man in my life is halfway across the globe in a war zone when he hears it. So…there. Good luck with your job. I have to go back in now.”

“I don’t want your good wishes, damn it.” He cupped her face, his grip firm yet gentle. His gaze clashed with hers. “I want you to believe me. I want you to let me be yours. And I want you to be mine. I just panicked for a second, and I pushed you away. I’m begging you not to do the same thing to me. Don’t push me away.”

“Kayla, is everything okay?” Uncle Frankie asked, his voice hesitant.

They both turned to him at the same time and shouted, “Yes!”

He stumbled back, blinking rapidly. “Okay, then.”

And then they were alone again. Kayla covered her face and took a shaky breath. She couldn’t do this. Couldn’t do any of this. She wanted so badly to believe him, the same way she’d believed him when he promised he’d stand by her through the wedding. And then he’d bailed.

And now he was back.

And he was still holding her.

“Let me stay, Kayla. Give me another chance. Please.”

She was tempted. So damn tempted. But could she trust him?

“I’m sorry, Cooper, but I need a man that will face his fears…not run from them. I can’t do this. I can’t be yours.”

And then she left.

Chapter Twenty

Cooper watched her go, feeling more frustrated than ever before. He needed to find a way to get her to listen to him without interruption. If he could only get the words out without someone running to her side, breaking up their conversation, she might listen. Maybe then she would realize he didn’t want or need the stupid job overseas anymore.

He knew that now, even if she didn’t.

As he scanned the crowd, searching for her blue dress amidst the partygoers, desperation clawed its way over his chest, choking him. This was his last chance to prove he wanted to be with her and not in the fucking desert, and he couldn’t mess it up.

Not this time.

When he finally spotted her, she was already halfway across the room. He would never make it to her side before she disappeared in the crowd, even if he shoved little kids out of his way to get there. “Kayla!” he whispered brokenly.

“You’ll never catch up to her,” Susan said, grabbing his elbow and dragging him in the opposite direction of Kayla. “Sorry, I was listening. What you said was great, but you need more power of persuasion—and you need it fast. Get on the stage and take the mic.”

Cooper’s heart stopped. And his stomach roiled. “I…I c-can’t.”

“Sure you can. I don’t mind.” She shoved him toward the stairs. “Go get her.”

“I…I…” He racked his brain for another option—any other option—or for another way to get her attention before he lost her again. “Shit. I can just chase her down.”

“No. It has to be a grand gesture if you want her to swoon.” Susan shoved him again. Christ, the girl was stronger than she looked. “Haven’t you ever watched a romantic drama? There
has
to be a grand gesture.”

Grand gesture his ass
.

He hadn’t realized he’d muttered the words. Undaunted, the determined bride said, “Look, ditching my sister the night before my wedding was a shitty thing to do. So, yeah, you’re going to have to counter with something just as big—except this time in a good way—if you want to win her over. A grand freaking gesture.”

She had a point.

But Cooper feared the only gesture Kayla would get from him going up on that stage would be of him fainting like a fucking pansy in front of everyone in this room. But if that’s what it took, then he had to find a way to give it to her.

His gaze fell to the microphone on the stage, and he swallowed hard. Could he get the nerve to go up there? To give her a sign he wasn’t fucking around? That he was here to stay?

Hell yeah, he could. And he would.

His heart racing, he climbed the steps two at a time, not allowing himself to dwell on the fact that every single eye in the crowded room would be on him—that he was about to do the thing that terrified him most. Second only to losing Kayla.

He whispered a quick explanation in the DJ’s ear, and the man looked at Susan for confirmation. At her nod, he killed the music and held the mic out to Cooper. “Go for it. Good luck, man.”

Grabbing the mic with sweaty palms, it slipped out of his grip and clanged on the stage. A deafening boom filled the room and everyone grabbed their ears. As the crowd turned to see what caused the racket, he kept his focus on Kayla.

She hadn’t turned around like everyone else. She was heading for the bar, her steps a little bit unsteady but obviously not from drinking. He could tell she was upset.

So was he.

Bending down, he grabbed the microphone with a firm grip, the other hand holding his knee for support. If he tried to stand up straight, he might pass out. “Kayla, d-don’t take another step.”

She stopped and spun on her heel, her eyes wide. “Get down from there,” she called from across the room.

“Not until you listen to me.”

“Cooper…” With a helpless expression on her face, she looked at Susan, but Susan just grinned at her—at least until the bride gestured for him to start talking.

Go on
, Susan mouthed.

Shit. It was now or never.

He held the microphone in a death grip and forced himself to stand straight, despite the dizziness making his head spin. “You told me you wanted a man who would face his fears. Well, I’m doing it. I’m up here, ready to talk to you.”

The whole room watched, frozen like elegant ice statues, no one daring to do so much as cough. Kayla walked toward him, her steps slow. “So talk, then.”

“I’m going to start at the beginning and tell you the truth about that flight. I didn’t have a first class ticket. I was supposed to sit in coach, but I paid an extra three hundred dollars to upgrade at the last minute after I met you.”

She finally reached the floor directly in front of the stage. He tried to ignore everyone else. It was just the two of them—and he was not up on the stage. It was an old military trick of his. He needed to act as if nothing else existed but his target—and this time, his target wasn’t the enemy. It was Kayla.

He took another deep breath. “I wanted to sit with you. I saw how nervous you were and knew you would be alone on the plane, with no one to help you forget about your fears. But it was more than that. I wanted an excuse to keep talking to you. I couldn’t figure you out, and if I sat next to you on the trip…I would have hours to get to know more about you before we landed. I
needed
to know more.”

She bit down on her lip and he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. So he soldiered on.

“After I met you, I couldn’t believe you were still single and sitting next to me. The first time I kissed you, I think I knew then that you were the one for me.” He broke off and scanned the crowd, acutely aware of his captivated audience. After clearing his throat, he continued. “They say when you meet the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with, you know it. There’s no questioning or second-guessing. You just know, like a punch to the face. That’s how I felt about you. No, how I
feel
about you.”

“Cooper…”

He held his free hand up. “When I met you, I told you I had to get this job overseas because I needed to make up for past mistakes. But you helped me realize that’s not true. That this…this single minded determination I have to commit my life to righting an unfortunate accident isn’t the best thing for me. You saw things in me that I didn’t even see in myself. And that’s something I love about us. We make each other stronger. Braver.”

She smiled and blinked back tears.

“I know I don’t need to be needed anymore. It’s not a requirement for happiness. I don’t need you to need me, but God I need you.” He held his free hand over his heart. “I need you here. And I have you to thank for the new perspective I have on life.” He looked out over the crowd. “All of you, actually. Thank you.”

He focused again on her and only her again. She covered her mouth with her hand, as if struggling to maintain composure, and hugged herself with her other arm. It was time to finish this speech up so he could hold her. “When I left after our fight last night, instead of feeling ready to move on, I felt empty. By the time I got to the hotel, I knew I’d made a huge mistake. I knew what I had to do, and I started making phone calls. I started changing my life.” He glanced at Mr. Holt, who was standing close to Kayla. “I’m not going overseas, Kayla. I’m staying in Maine, at my dad’s company. And with you, I hope.”

He saw her turn to Frankie, who nodded at her, an encouraging smile on his face. Turning back to Cooper, she took a step forward. Then another. Then another. “Cooper…”

He straightened his shoulders and waited to see if she’d accept him, flaws and all. “If you’ll have me, there’s a one hundred percent chance I’ll be forever yours.”

She grinned and put her hands on her hips. “So now you’re into percentages, too?”

He grinned. “God yes. Those, and everything else that matters to you.”

“Then there’s a one hundred percent guarantee that I’ll be forever yours, too.”

“I thought nothing was one hundred percent in real life.”

She held her arms out to her sides. “I was wrong.”

“Thank God.” He dropped the mic and leapt off the edge of the stage, his feet hitting the dance floor directly in front of Kayla. Picking her up in his arms, he spun her in a circle and then pressed his lips to hers. The crowd clapped and cheered.

He pulled back to grin down at her, wanting more than a chaste kiss, but it would have to wait until they had more privacy. Instead, he dropped his forehead to hers and hugged her tighter. “Can we get out of here before I puke all over the place? The aftermath of getting on stage is a bitch.”

“Hell, yes.” Grabbing him by the hand, she tugged him across the crowded room. They stopped in front of Susan and Max, who were both grinning from ear to ear. “Thanks for the use of the stage,” Cooper said.

Susan hugged them both, laughing. “You’re welcome. Now get.”

Kayla winked. “Whatever the bride wants.”

The second they cleared the restaurant and entered the lobby, Cooper stopped walking. He needed her
now
. “I want to stay here tonight. I’ll go get a room.”

“No need.” She pointed over her shoulder. “I’ve got one already. I was planning on drowning my heartbreak with vodka cranberries and knew I wouldn’t be driving since I don’t have a car
to
drive. It’s right down that hallway.”

When she started walking again, he grabbed her hand. She shot him an impatient look and huffed. He smiled at her, cupping her cheek in his free hand. “I can’t believe you agreed to a hundred percent.”

She smiled. “We’re a sure bet.”

“I’m going to make you the happiest woman ever.” He brushed his lips across hers. Light. Teasing. “Fair warning, though. I’m also going to make you fall in love with me. Consider yourself warned.”

“Consider me scared.” She ran her fingers down his jaw, her chest rising and falling rapidly. If he had it his way, he would do a lot more than make her breathe faster when they got to their room. “But honestly?”

He tugged her down the hallway. It was time to get her naked and screaming. “Yeah?”

“I’m already falling for you.”

His heart skipped a beat, and he spun to face her. He backed her against the wall and kissed her, putting all of his feelings and joy in that one kiss. Still, it wasn’t enough. Pulling back, he cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes, blown away by his happiness. “How did I get so damn lucky?”

She shot him a sexy come-hither look through her lashes. “I don’t know, but you’ll get even luckier once you get me into room 107.”

“Well in that case, I’ll speed up the process.” He swung her into his arms, and she clung to his shoulders. “You were right, you know.”

“About what?”

“My father. We talked it out last night.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yep. He isn’t ashamed of me, and he isn’t giving me the job because of my last name. He really thinks I’m the best. After the whole thing with Josh, I’d lost all faith in my abilities. He knew what was going on and was trying to reassure me that I still had the goods, but I was just too much of an ass to believe him.”

“I
know
you’re the best.”

His heart sped up. “Thanks. And thanks for opening my eyes. I told him I’ll train for a year, and then I’ll consider taking over the company. I still believe I need to work my way through the ranks—and he agreed.” He took a deep breath. “So I start at Shillings Agency next week.”

“That’s amazing.” She offered him a sheepish smile. “I talked to my dad, too. You were right about my parents. They really do love me, and even understand me.”

He laughed. “I know.”

She swatted his shoulder. “No need to be so cocky.”

“I can’t help it. I’m a cocky bastard.” He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. “And I’m selfish, too. I can’t wait to get you home so I can keep you all to myself every single night.”

“Oh God.” Kayla groaned and dropped her head on his shoulder. “Thanks for reminding me that we have to fly home. Why’d you have to go and ruin my happy buzz?”

He chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll be with you. I have ways to keep your mind off the fear.”

“Hm.” She smoothed his suit jacket and entwined her hands behind his neck. Pulling him closer, she added, “And what ways are those?”

He opened the door and kicked it shut behind him. Backing her up against the wall, he tilted up her chin. He took a moment to savor her like this.

Passionate. Wanting. Beautiful.

He tugged up her thigh until she took the hint and wrapped her legs around his waist. Then he ran his hands down the curves of her body.

“Distraction…”