Just A Kiss

  Knowing she was going to regret it later but not seeing any other choice short of erasing his memory, Victoria shut the door as Cooper was walking towards it. With one final check that no one could see into the skybox, Victoria shoved Cooper against the wall and kissed him. Hard.

  As soon as their lips touched Victoria knew she was in trouble because Cooper’s unique scent surrounded her, and the taste of his lips was just as intoxicating as the night before. It didn’t take long for him to respond and soon their positions were flipped. Cooper was now pressing her into the wall and kissing her twice as aggressively. A battle of teeth and tongues ensued and Victoria’s body was on fire from top to bottom.

  Just before the last of her brains cells were kissed out of her, Victoria managed to tear her mouth away and reach the door handle.

  Catching Cooper off guard worked to her advantage and she was able to get him to the door without much resistance.

  “Now go have a good show.” Was all she said before shutting the door in Cooper’s shocked face.

  The reality of what she just did hit her as soon as she sat down, and Victoria burst out laughing.

  “So much for keeping it professional.” She mumbled, and then laughed harder when she realized she was talking to herself.

  Victoria spent a few minutes getting herself under control before finally pulling out her list getting to work. An hour later she was no closer to finding out what was going on, but she had done all she could for now Victoria just had to hope one of her contacts could find something.

  When the last of her calls was made the game was only in the second inning, but Victoria had no interest in watching so she picked up her phone and dialed Lindsay’s number.

  “Hello.”

  “Hello Mrs. Brady.”

  Lindsay laughed.

  “That does have a certain ring to it, doesn’t it?”

  “It certainly does. I’m sitting at the ball field and I’m bored out of my mind so I thought I’d call and see how things were with you.”

  “Things are good. I convinced Stella to let me come back to work early, so I’m just sitting here going over possible honeymoon locations while she’s out on an ad shoot in the park. How are things with you?”

  Victoria heard something in Lindsay’s tone that told her Lindsay knew exactly how things were with her.

  “Stella opened her big mouth about last night, didn’t she?”

  “Um…”

  “Lindsay.”

  Victoria wasn’t upset at her sister. If Lindsay had been the one to text or call Victoria last night she would have told her the same story. But with Lindsay other issues never would have come up.

  “She may have mentioned dinner…” Lindsay paused, but when Victoria cleared her throat she went on. “Okay and something about a kiss too, but that’s all I swear. Do you care to add anything to what I’ve already heard?” Lindsay sounded so hopeful Victoria had to laugh.

  “There may have been another kiss an hour or so ago, but that one was a bigger mistake than the first.”

  “A mistake?” Lindsay sounded just as confused as Cooper had last night, and Victoria sighed.

  “He’s a client.” Why nobody understood that without her explaining Victoria didn’t know? “Mixing business and pleasure is a bad idea, especially when said client is still hung up on his ex.”

  Victoria didn’t know where that comment came from, but if his reaction this morning was anything to go by it was the truth.

  “What ex?” Lindsay asked, and Victoria explained what Cooper told her at dinner and about the whole interview mess. Lindsay gasped as soon as Victoria finished.

  “What a bitch. God, her and Heidi could be best friends.”

  Victoria growled at the mention of the spawn of Satan that tried to ruin her sister’s life, but thankfully failed.

  “Yeah well he’s obviously not over her and I have no intention of being somebodies rebound.”

  “So don’t be. You yourself told me a while back you were taking a break from trying to find a relationship, and it doesn’t sound like Cooper will be too anxious to jump back into the love pool any time soon.”

  “What are you trying to get at?” Victoria asked, but she had a pretty good idea what Lindsay was getting at.

  “The same thing I told you last month. You don’t have to be in a relationship to work off a little sexual frustration and this week together would be the perfect time to do it.”

  “He’s still my client.”

  “I didn’t say just jump into bed with him. Set some ground rules. One of which is business is business and what you two do together is kept separate. You both need to be on the same page, or it will never work.”

  Four days of hot sex wasn’t the worst idea in the world, but since it was Cooper she was contemplating doing this with, Victoria was really going to have to think it over.

  “Listen I’ve gotta go, someone just walked in, but think about it. Okay?”

  “I will. Now get back to work before Stella fires you.”

  Lindsay scoffed, but Victoria heard her laugh as she hung up. The conversation with Lindsay had given Victoria even more to think about, so she laid down on the couch to do just that.

  The game was in the third inning when Victoria closed her eyes and tried to make a pros and cons list for sleeping with Cooper. She got as far as seeing Cooper completely naked before her lack of sleep caught up with her, and Victoria fell asleep.

  The next thing she knew strong hands were lightly shaking her awake and she opened her eyes to see Cooper staring down at her with a smile on his face.

  “Time to wake up, Sunshine. I think the cleaning crew would like to get home at some point today.”

  Victoria rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands and sat up. Outside the window the once full stadium looked almost abandoned as she took in the empty seats. The only movement that could be seen was from the grounds crew working to right the field back to its pregame glory.

  Victoria had kicked off her shoes before falling asleep, so after putting them back on Victoria grabbed her bag and followed Cooper into the hallway. Sure enough the cleaning crew was waiting outside the skybox and Victoria offered an apology before walking to the elevators.

  Cooper pushed the button, but it seemed his amusement from the box was gone and he was back to being the strong silent type. Victoria’s brain was still trying to wake up, so she was perfectly happy to hold off on discussing anything to do with earlier and followed him into the elevator.

  A few minutes later they got in the car and Victoria expected Cooper to head back to the hotel, but he didn’t. Instead they exited the ballpark and followed the coast.

  “Where are we going?”

  “We need to talk, and I’m hungry.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.” But of course he didn’t say anything, so Victoria slumped back in her seat and waited.

  A large ship wheel with the words Fisherman’s Wharf and a picture of a crab gleamed up ahead minutes later and Cooper pulled into a parking garage across the street.

  “Do you want to eat in a restaurant or eat as we walk?”

  “You mean I actually get a choice?” She said sarcastically, but Cooper didn’t rise to the bait and Victoria sighed. “Walking and eating is fine with me.”

  Cooper nodded then got out and opened her door.

  Once they made it across the street Cooper worked them through the crowd to a hot dog vendor and after buying two Victoria followed him to a very loud area on the pier.

  “Are those seals?” Victoria’s eyes widened as she looked at what had to be hundreds of the large animals.

  “Sea lions actually.”

  “There’s a difference?”

  “Yes.” He said with the hint of a smirk, which was the closest he had been to a smile since yesterday.

  Victoria ate her hot dog while watching and listening to the sea lions and waited for Cooper to add to their noise.

  Victoria had expected Coo
per to start ranting as soon as they got to where they were going, but to her surprise he just stood there staring out at the water and looking lost. When he finally did start talking his tone was so soft Victoria almost had to strain to hear him over the animals.

  “When I lived in L.A, it was rare that I made it home to visit more than once a year. Normally I would go home around Christmas for a few days and then I would head back, but this last year when I was home things were different.

  “My mom was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s two years ago, but when I got back she started talking about me doing my homework for school and other strange things like that and I started to worry.”

  Victoria stood there, not wanting to interrupt him, and listened to him talk about his mother and trying to figure out where this was going. The subject seemed to be hard on him, but Cooper shoved his hands in his pockets and went on.

  “I asked Amy about it and she said mom had been getting worse, but my dad is hard-headed and won’t talk about it. I was there for a week when I made the decision that I was going to move home as soon as possible.”

  He finally turned away from the water and looked at her.

  “When I got back to L.A I talked to my station manager and he worked with me on my contract, but wasn’t able to release me until the end of April. I didn’t want to say anything to Jenna until I was sure of what was going to happen, so when everything was finalized I bought the ring and made reservations at her favorite restaurant. I waited until we were done eating before I told her about my mom and moving, and then I got down on one knee and proposed.”

  Cooper’s face fell.

  “She burst into tears immediately, but not in the good way and ran out of the restaurant. I still had to pay the bill, so I threw some money on the table and went after her. I found her by my car crying but when she saw me she started yelling all sorts of things, but what stuck out in my mind was when she said if I loved her I would choose her instead of my family.”

  There was nothing more important to Victoria than her family, so she knew it wouldn’t be a hard decision to choose her family if given that particular ultimatum. Cooper obviously felt the same way, and she felt drawn to him even more.

  “I said some pretty awful things before I got in my car and drove home. We didn’t live together so packing up her stuff wasn’t hard. I put it all in a box and sat it in the hallway. I sent her a text telling her where she could find her things, and then I turned off my phone. Until a few weeks ago, I hadn’t heard from Jenna since that night.”

  “What did she say a few weeks ago?”

  Maybe if Victoria knew that she could figure out what Jenna was hoping to accomplish with this interview.

  “I don’t know. She text me but as soon as I saw it was her I deleted it.”

  So no help at all. But Victoria reminded herself that that wasn’t what was important right now.

  “I guess I’m telling you all of this so you can understand why I was upset earlier. Jenna should have no reason to want to see me and I certainly don’t want to see her, so I can only imagine the way this interview will go.”

  With all this new information Victoria knew she definitely needed to get him out of this interview somehow.

  They stood quietly for a while, both lost in their own thoughts, but eventually Cooper went to throw their wrappers away and when he came back he took her hand.

  “Come on let’s walk. There’s more to see than sleeping mammals.” Victoria wasn’t sure their talk was over, but for now she followed his lead.

  Cooper wasn’t kidding when he said there was more to see. Alcatraz loomed in the distance, street performers painted gold danced like robots and he even bought her Ben and Jerry’s when they passed by one of the carts.

  Victoria was just finishing up the last of her ice cream when Cooper, who had been mostly quietly since the sea lions, started talking.

  “You know, you baffle me.”

  Victoria paused with the spoon half way to her lips and cocked her head.

  “Oh yeah, how so?”

  Cooper pointed to a bench at the end of the pier and they sat down.

  “Where do I begin?” He said after they got settled. “Most of the time you are this confident feisty woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone, which is incredibly hot and frustrating all in one, but then there are these rare moments when you let your guard down and there’s this sweet, caring, almost vulnerable girl hiding underneath.”

  Victoria started to choke on her frozen treat.

  “You may be the first person to ever call me sweet.” Victoria laughed softly, but Cooper didn’t even crack a smile as he lifted a finger and ran it down her cheek. Making Victoria’s breath catch.

  “Well you are.” Cooper brushed his finger across her lip and desire flashed in his eyes. “You’re also beautiful, smart, sexy and so damn confusing you make my head spin.” Cooper lowered his hand and let out a sigh full of frustration. “What are we doing here, Victoria?”

  “Eating ice cream?” Victoria said dubiously, and Cooper rolled his eyes.

  “Not literally here. I meant what’s going on between us. Because last night I felt bad when I thought I was taking advantage of you and promised myself I would respect your wishes, but that’s hard to do when you kiss me the way you did up on the hill and earlier.”

  “I know, I’m sorry.” Was all Victoria could say because she was just as confused by her actions as Cooper was.

  “I don’t want you to be sorry.” Cooper bit out. “I want you to tell me what you want, or don’t want, but either way we can’t go on playing this sort of cat and mouse game with each other. It’s driving me crazy.”

  Now it was Victoria’s turn to stare out at the Pacific Ocean.

  Wanting Cooper wasn’t the problem. Even when he was pissing her off she’d wanted him. It was the consequences that could follow for Victoria that gave her pause for concern. Not only would she be risking her job and reputation if someone found out about them, but the risk to her personally could be far worse. Cooper always seemed to see things she didn’t want anyone to see, and if things went further he could end up seeing a whole lot more.

  Lindsay’s line about ground rules went through Victoria’s mind just then and Victoria knew what she had to do if they were going to give this a shot. Shifting on the bench so she could scoot closer to his side, Victoria leaned close enough to whisper in his ear.

  “I think outside surrounded by parents and children is the wrong atmosphere to discuss what I want.”

  Victoria watched Cooper swallow hard, and then it was like a bottle rocket went off beneath him as he shot off the bench and extended his hand to her.

  “Ready when you are.”

  Victoria looked around quickly before taking his hand and letting him lead her away from the pier and back to the car.

  Second guessing herself and her on the fly decision every step of the way.

  ****

  Chapter 10

  “Slow down. These heels weren’t meant for sprinting.” Victoria panted as they neared the parking garage elevator at the hotel, but since slow wasn’t something anywhere on Cooper’s radar he picked her up and carried her the rest of the way.

  “Put me down. I can walk on my own.”

  “I like my way better.”

  Cooper could still feel her warm breath against his skin as she whispered in his ear on the dock and getting her back to the room as quickly as possible was all he had on his mind.

  Victoria kept shifting in his arms, but she must have figured out she wasn’t going anywhere because she crossed her arms and let out the cutest growl.

  “We still need to talk, you know.”

  “I know.”

  Cooper had been around Victoria long enough to know she didn’t do anything without overanalyzing it to death and it appeared sex was no exception.

  They finally reached their suite and Cooper reluctantly lowered Victoria to her feet so he could open the door.


  Once they were inside Cooper went to sit on the couch. Leaning his head back and rubbing his eyes, Cooper figured whatever Victoria needed to say was probably going to take a while and he wanted to make sure he was comfortable. But comfort wasn’t even in the realm of possibility because the next thing he knew his legs were straddled by a pair of legs that had made more than one appearance in his late night fantasies.

  “Victoria?”

  “Yes?” She said back in the same questioning tone. A smirk lifting her lips.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I told you we need to talk.”

  Cooper looked at her like she had grown two heads.

  “You expect me to talk with you sitting on my lap? Are you crazy?”

  Victoria shifted slightly and when he hissed the little vixen actually laughed.

  “It’s quite possible.” She chuckled again. “But if you don’t want to talk, you can just listen.”

  Cooper snorted. Listening was going to be even more impossible, but then all of her playfulness faded away and she looked almost sad which got his full attention.

  “You have no idea how much I want this.”

  Cooper wanted to kiss her, to touch her, to thank her for saying what he wanted to hear, but between the look on her face and the tone of her voice Cooper could sense there was a ‘but’ coming and leaned back against the cushions.

  “But…” He supplied and she sighed.

  “But we work together, and I need to know that whatever happens will stay between us and not affect our working relationship. Otherwise this can’t happen.”

  Cooper ran his hands up to rest on Victoria’s thighs and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

  “I have no intention of ruining your reputation or either of our careers, Victoria. I would hope you know me better than that by now.”

  His answer seemed to please her, but when Cooper tried to pull her in for a kiss Victoria stopped him.

  “There’s one more thing.”

  Cooper kept his mouth hovering near hers, but didn’t make a move to get closer.