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“Jessica,” he gasped, his hips stilling for a second before I felt his release as he caht shudders

My brain was still playing catch-up hat had happened and as the desire faded out enough for reality to seep in, despite ainst the table

Cooper coveredcaresses “Jess,” he said softly against my ear “Fuck, Jess”

I pushed up against hiy I had left I pushed up off the table and turned to his, his hands squeezing s around him I circled his shoulders with my arms and held on as we stared at one another

Cooper looked as shell-shocked as I felt

“Don’t leave me,” I said, my words barely above a whisper “I just found you”

He closed his eyes, like my words hurt hiht

We stayed like that for what seemed like forever before finally he kissed ly

And then he carried me back to bed

TWENTY-THREE

Jessica

“So I suggested he move into Ocean View, the room I had while I was on vacation, and he had the audacity to co the most particular son of a bitch I had ever had theyou, I don’t kno Bailey does it She was so cool and calm, and actually friendly to him”

Cooper squeezed ether Thisto uest at the inn

“And then, then he said—right to Bailey’s face—‘The whole décor is far more schmaltzy than it appeared online’ I mean, what the hell does ‘schmaltzy’ mean? I mean, I knohat it means, but how in the hell can décor be senti with sentirating’ and said that he should have booked at Paradise Sands—‘but this place was cheaper and what a hell of ato be all diploet out of the inn I was going to strangle him”

Cooper chuckled, shooting me this look I didn’t quite understand out of the corner of his eyes

“What?”

“You’ve been hanging out with Cat too much”

I grinned “She has a feistiness that this situation called for I just channeled her”

“Now I’m worried What did you do?”

“I kicked hi not to feel bad as I reoing to be insulting to the owner he could pick up his bags and get his pompous ass off the property and check into Paradise Sands after all He said he would Now Bailey is mad at me”

“Jess” He grinned, shaking his head at me “It’s nice you stuck up for Bailey, but I can understand why she’s pissed at you You kicked out a guest As far as I know she’s never, not once in her whole career, kicked out a guest”

The guilt I was feeling increased “But surely this was a situation that called for it, wasn’t it?”

He shrugged “I would have kicked him out of my bar, but that’s different”

“I never thought Bailey would be the kind of person ould take crap from anyone”

“She works in hospitality It comes with the job Why do you think she has such a low tolerance for bullshit in her personal life? She’s storing it up”

I laughed, cuddling closer to him “Do you want to hear the best bit? The bit Bailey doesn’t know”

His eyes smiled at me so I took that as a yes

“She has Vaughn’s direct nued numbers for business purposes—”

“We did that, too Most of us on the boardwalk did it”

“Oh” And there I’d been hoping they’d exchanged numbers for a different reason Stillit didn’t take away fro about it “Well, in uest and adhn because I could tell the cohn I told hi and that he could expect the pompous ass on his doorstep any minute and he elcome to the idiot, with his nonschmaltzy décor and overpriced hotel”

“Jesus, Jess,” Cooper muttered

“I know, it wasn’t fair His hotel is not overpriced But that’s not the part that’s irowly and wolfy on the phone”

“I don’t even knohat that means”

“Never uy had said to Bailey and when I did he got all quiet and intense”

“You could feel that on the phone?”

I shoved hiuy’s name You knohy?”

He rolled his eyes but played along “Why?”

“Because he was going to refuse him a room”

That got Cooper I saw the question in his eyes

“Really,” I said I squeezed his hand “He likes her, Coop” o;Jessica,” he gasped, his hips stilling for a second before I felt his release as he caht shudders