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Other than the guys at the counter, a young mother and her tere holed up in a corner booth, an elderly couple held hands near theas they waited for their food, and a group of teenaged girls near the door kept glancing his way and whispering arinned to hiles and squeals
“You girls are going to be late for your last class,” Jessie ad-hot bowl of chowder in front of Cooper She shook her head and planted her hands on her hips as the girls left, their laughter and loud voices following them out “I swear the power you have over the fe to behold”
“It’s a curse,” he said with a grin before digging in
“I bet,” she replied dryly “I read about you and thatthe countertop, and he paused, spoon halfway to his mouth
Shit Here we go
“What was her na-or-other, I believe” Jessie topped up his coffee “Mrs being the most important part of that name, if you ask me”
Cooper sed the delicious chowder and glanced up at Jessie, but he had nothing to say It was a well-known fact he had a habit of hooking up o for a little excitement He scratched an itch and, in return, didn’t have to worry about a messy, complicated breakup Of course it wasn’t always so cut-and-dried, but in this instance, the iant, had an open e
For Cooper, it was a win He’d spent a feeeks with a beautiful, albeit somewhat vain and self-centered, woman, and there’d been no fear of attachment
Jessie topped up his coffee “Does it ever get old?”
“Sex?” he quipped, trying for a bit of lightness But Jessie wasn’t biting Her blue eyes darkened, and she looked at him in a way that et aith being so damn personal, but this was Jessie, and over the years, she’d earned a bit of leeway
“Being alone You et lonely”
Cooper considered a fluff answer, but in the end, he surprised hi thatsomeone you can’t have, that’s the culprit”
“And you’ve never wanted anyone?”
His gut tightened, and he dropped his gaze to the bowl of chowder in front of him He’d wanted someone once Wanted her with a need that had left him raw and exposed and vulnerable He closed his eyes and her face swa time
And damn, but the pain was just as sharp