Guilty Pleasures (The Ladies of The Burling School Book 3) Read online

  What she didn’t know was how to calm down enough so that she didn’t trip over her own feet. Even as the thought came, she bumped into the table in the foyer. And that was bad mostly because the heavy table was pushed against the wall, out of the way. Running into this particular table didn’t bode well for the evening ahead.

  The doorbell rang and Willow almost fell into the staircase, her knees were trembling so badly.

  But she straightened her shoulders, stiffened her spine, and walked to the door to answer it.

  And there he stood. The trembling immediately shifted from nervousness to awareness. The reason for the trembling didn’t help her coordination, unfortunately.

  “You look lovely,” Cooper said, his deep voice sending ripples of deliciousness down her spine. He handed her a bouquet of flowers and she took them, smiling appreciatively as she cradled them.

  “Thank you,” she replied back, staring up at him.

  There was a moment’s awkwardness, then he said, “Are you going to invite me inside?”

  Willow considered it, her eyes shifting from his own, down to his mouth. Memories of his kiss flashed through her mind and she sighed. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

  He laughed. “Probably not.” They stood there, watching each other, the pulse of awareness crackling between them like lightning. “So, if you’re not going to invite me inside,” he said softly, stepping closer, “are you ready to go?”

  She tilted her head back, afraid of losing contact with his eyes. They were filled with that now-familiar heat, but for some reason, she needed to see his eyes, to try to determine what he was thinking. Not that he would allow her to actually know his thoughts. But she needed to try. It felt like a self-preservation thing.

  “Yes. I’m ready to go.”

  He smiled slightly. “Why don’t you go put those flowers in water and I’ll wait here.”

  She started, looking down at the flowers in her arms. “Oh! Right! Yes, umm…” stepping back, she gestured for him to enter. “Please. Come inside.” She rubbed her temple, trying to clear her thoughts. “Sorry, that was rude of me.” Willow took another deep breath, closing her eyes for a brief moment and then moved back a few more steps. When she opened her eyes again, she pasted a hopefully-polite smile onto her face. “I’ll go find a vase,” she said. “Please, come on inside. You don’t have to stand out on the porch.”

  He stepped into the foyer and she closed the door, while giving him a wide berth. Touching him was too dangerous.

  Quickly, she located a vase and filled it with water, then placed the flowers in the vase. For a moment, she leaned into the flowers, enjoying their sweet fragrance. Willow didn’t need to turn her head to know that he’d followed her. She just knew. His presence was too powerful to ignore. “They’re really lovely. Thank you for the flowers.” She turned, relieved to discover that he remained across the room. “That was very kind of you,” she said, her hands fluttering in front of her nervously.

  “Come,” he ordered gently, extending his hand towards her. “Let’s get out of here before you bump the vase.”

  Willow looked around and realized that her hands were doing that fluttering thing again. “Yes. That’s probably another good idea,” she said, but eyed his offered hand warily. In the end, she put her hand in his, swallowing a hiss as the heat poured over her.

  “Where are we going for dinner?” she asked him, grabbing her purse and keys as they moved through the foyer.

  “I thought I’d cook for you back at my place,” he replied.

  Willow had just finished locking the door but his words sent a shiver through her. Dinner. His place. Alone. That wasn’t good.

  He took a step down from the porch, but Willow remained on the top step. On purpose. This gave her a bit of height, and also gave her a bit of a boost mentally. “No, I don’t think that we should go to your place, Cooper.”

  “It will be okay,” he said, trying to reassure her.

  She wanted to laugh at his optimism, but her thoughts lingered on what might happen if they were to head to his place. “No. It’s not going to be okay,” she asserted firmly, but Bonnie’s words echoed in the back of her head. “Privacy is bad.”

  “What’s worrying you?” he asked.

  She took a deep breath. “Cooper, we both know where things are heading between us,” she began. When he raised a dark eyebrow, she wanted to laugh. “Sex. This is heading towards sex.”

  “Yes, but…”

  She lifted her hand, cutting him off. “Just a moment,” she said, shifting her feet. She glanced down at her toes, took a deep breath and willed him to understand her point of view. “For me, sex has to mean something. I suspect that isn’t true for you, but I’m asking that you respect my boundaries here and not dismiss them.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “I know that you’re not looking for a long term relationship. Neither am I. I’m here mainly to explore this house and discover who my grandmother was, find out more about my past and learn about a woman I never got the chance to know. So living here is a short term situation for me.” She ignored the scowl at those words. “But we both know that if we have dinner at your place, you will kiss me and I’ll melt in your arms, just like I did last time. You’re amazing at kissing,” she admitted. “And I’m incredibly attracted to you. If you kiss me in a private place, there won’t be anything to stop us from moving to your bedroom. I’m very sure that the sex would be amazing, but in the morning, I’d wake up and regret it.” The scowl on his handsome face deepened and she fought back a smile at his frustration. “I’m not saying that we won’t have sex. I’m sure that we’re heading there. But I need time, Cooper. Time to get to know you. So, if that’s not on your agenda, if you’re uncomfortable with giving me a bit of time, I’ll understand.” She inhaled, then slowly released her breath. “But I can’t go to your place for dinner. At least, not tonight.”

  Cooper was stunned by the tenderness that hit him with her honesty. Yes, he knew that their relationship was heading towards a sexual liaison. And yes, he wouldn’t mind if they were to fall into bed together tonight. In fact, he was primed and ready for just that eventuality.

  She stood there on that step, looking terrified but determined, and he liked that. A lot! Hell, he loved assertive women, but normally, he preferred that assertiveness to manifest itself in bed, telling him what they liked sexually. Seeing Willow stand her ground was pretty amazing. Surprisingly, his desire for her increased to almost painful levels.

  “I can give you time, Willow,” he replied gently. He moved back up the steps until their eyes were at the same level, then leaned in and kissed her. It was a gentle kiss, but it was almost deeper than the last time he’d kissed her. There was a new element to their touch now. When he pulled back, he paused, wanting to kiss her again, to feel her lips move against his and have a longer taste of her sweetness. But he pulled back, his hands lingering briefly on her waist as he stepped back.

  “I’ll give you as much time as you need.” He stepped down the stairs, not wanting to kiss her deeply while standing outside of her house. Correction, he wanted to kiss her again, but he knew that the kiss might not stop and that would be a bad thing with Willow. She’d asked for time. He was going to give her as much time as she needed.

  The deep, throbbing need was still there, but tamped down now.

  Chapter 9

  Willow placed the linen napkin over her lap nervously, looking around at the elegant restaurant. It was a beautiful place, filled with fabulously glamorous diners. Her dress was of good quality, but it wasn’t all that sophisticated. She’d been to school with Tamara, who was a genuine princess, as well as Lana, who was sort of a Greek princess. Willow was no stranger to the glamorous life either. Her father was the country music superstar, Tony Mills. When she’d been younger, before he’d allowed Wife Number Five to ship her off to boarding school, Tony had brought her to restaurants like this one to show her off. Willow hadn’t really been his daugh
ter during those dining experiences, but she’d been brought out as more of a show piece, something that would gain public attention…for himself.

  Of course, Willow’s public appearances with her father usually only occurred after Tony had done something stupid, like getting drunk at a bar and starting a fight. His publicist would then urge her father to prance Willow out in a big, fluffy dress that had been decorated with stupid bows and ridiculous frills, adding sparkly shoes for extra “glam”. The press would take pictures of them together walking into the restaurant, but as soon as they were seated, Tony was more interested in signing autographs than in eating. Those had been miserable evenings. They all started well after her bedtime, but he hadn’t allowed her to eat before their big adventures into the publicity arena, explaining that he didn’t want her to spoil her appetite. After signing autographs, talking to the various people that wanted a picture with him, and doing all of the other things that celebrities did when around fans, it was usually around ten o’clock at night. They still hadn’t ordered any food, but by then, she’d fallen asleep, draped over several of the restaurant chairs or on the leather booth. Alone.

  And yes, there’d been pictures of her like that in the tabloids the next day. Everyone had thought she was so cute to have fallen asleep with her pretty bow flopped to one side during her “big night out with daddy”!

  It hadn’t been cute. It had been miserable and lonely.

  “What’s wrong?” Cooper asked as he sat down on the other side of the small table.

  “Nothing!” she replied quickly. Too quickly. Willow forced herself to smile brightly.

  He leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing as he watched her. “What’s wrong?” he repeated.

  Willow didn’t want to explain those miserable memories. “What do you do for a living, Cooper?” she asked, changing the subject. She wasn’t here with her father. She was here with a handsome man who was looking at her. He was interested in her!

  There was a bit of surprise in his eyes, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly. “You don’t know?”

  Willow’s head tilted to the side and her stomach tightened. But this time, it wasn’t sexual tension. This was horror. “Should I?”

  “You didn’t Google me?”

  Her lips pressed together. Her fingers curled into fists and she hid her hands in her lap. She crossed her legs as well and leaned back against the soft cushions of the chair. “No. If I need information about a project that I’m working on or have a question about something, I will look it up on the internet. And I read the news. Sometimes, I stream music or movies. But no. I don’t invade peoples’ privacy by reading about them online.” She sighed and pulled back mentally. “So, you’re some sort of celebrity? People write about you often?”

  The smile disappeared and she had the sinking feeling that he’d accurately read her body language. The man was dangerous, she thought. Too perceptive.

  “I’m not a celebrity. But my business generates a great deal of interest.”

  She nodded slowly, taking that piece of information into her mind and analyzing it carefully. “Since I don’t know what that business is, would you mind explaining?” she asked. Even to her own ears, she heard the formality. It was an old trick she’d learned to distance herself from the person she was talking to. It was a protective measure, allowing herself to…not care that someone might be using her. If she was formally polite and distant, then they couldn’t learn much about her. And she wouldn’t have to read about her private life in the tabloids the next day.

  “I run an investment firm,” he replied, then leaned forward. “What just happened, Willow?” he asked. His voice was determined, but gentle.

  She blinked, startled that he’d called her out. “Nothing,” she replied politely, looking at her lap and smoothing the linen napkin carefully.

  Cooper was quiet for a moment, watching her expression, then shook his head. “Yes, something definitely happened. Talk to me.”

  She eyed him warily, then shook her head. “How about if you tell me more about yourself before I reveal all my secrets?” she challenged, thinking that he’d choose a bunch of stupid details that were irrelevant to who he was as a person.

  So, she was taken aback when he nodded. “Fine. I’m thirty-six years old and I’ve never been married and don’t ever want to marry.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because my mother fell in love with a man when I was around eight and…” he paused. “It didn’t go well.”

  She understood. “My father has been married six…” she tilted her head and thought for a moment, “no…seven times. And that’s not including all of the times he swore he was in love. Obviously, those marriages never lasted.”

  He cringed. “He’s a male version of Elizabeth Taylor.” The sommelier arrived and Cooper ordered a bottle of wine that just happened to be one of Willow’s favorites. “Is the wine okay?” he asked before the waiter walked away. “I discovered it several years ago and I have several cases of it at home.”

  She smiled and that stiffness melted just a bit. “It’s a fabulous choice,” she told him.

  The wine steward bowed, complimented Cooper’s choice, and walked away.

  Cooper paused for a long moment, watching her carefully. “So, you don’t want to be married. What do you want your future to look like?”

  Willow shrugged. “I don’t know. I think that men are an interesting species,” she teased. “I think that a mutual affection, as well as respect and admiration for their personality is a very solid foundation for a relationship. I don’t believe in forever after, for obvious reasons. But I strongly believe in serial monogamy, for however long a relationship lasts.”

  The wine steward returned with the wine and they paused while he poured. When they were alone again, Cooper leaned forward, lifting his glass to her in a toast. “To admiration and respect, and whatever relationship develops,” he announced.

  Willow considered that a very appropriate toast, considering their romantic histories – which was mostly derived from their parents’ experiences instead of personal relationships. For the next hour, they laughed and talked about politics and current events, favorite movies and music genres. It felt good to be with him, to sit across the table from him and have his total focus, laugh and debate with him. She discovered that he was easy to talk with and was open and knowledgeable in many subjects, but not obnoxiously opinionated. Even better, no one interrupted their dinner conversation. He seemed to want to know her. And, he didn’t ask a single question about her famous father.

  Cooper drove home from the restaurant gritting his teeth at the thought of innocently kissing her goodnight at the door. Talking to her tonight had been…interesting. Exceptionally interesting. He’d been attracted to her initially simply because she was beautiful and shockingly sexy with her fiery hair and her soft curves. And yes, he still wanted to explore every inch of her beautiful body. He wanted to pull her into his arms and make love with her until they were too worn out to move.

  Usually, dinners with the women he dated were simply a prelude to sex. And sex was an easy way to release the tension from the day. He didn’t hop from one woman’s bed to another, although he enjoyed sex. A lot!

  But dinner with Willow had been an event in and of itself. It wasn’t a prelude to anything. Well, not entirely true. He’d love to follow her into her house and press her up against the wall and have wild sex with her. But if that didn’t happen, and he suspected that it wouldn’t, then he still had enjoyed her company.

  He pulled into her driveway and turned off the engine. The silence of the night made the inside of his car more intimate.

  “I’d better go inside,” she whispered, but she didn’t move. Slowly, she turned to look at him.

  He leaned forward, kissing her lightly. Her lips were so damn soft. He felt them tremble under his. A moment later, he reached out, his fingers diving into her glorious hair and holding her head still for another kiss. This o
ne longer and more thorough. If he was going to leave her alone tonight, he wanted it to be right. He wanted to taste her and feel her body against his.

  She moaned softly and he tilted his head, deepening the kiss.

  “Invite me inside, Willow,” he ordered, nipping at her lips.

  “I can’t,” she sighed, her eyes closed as her head tilted back to receive his kiss. She licked her lips and he kissed her again. That’s when he pulled her closer, almost lifting her over the console dividing the driver’s and passenger’s seat. Pulling her head back by her hair, he devoured her, his tongue demanding entry to her mouth.

  But this wasn’t the place for this and the hard leather of the console pressed against his ribs. Pulling back, he looked down at her swollen lips, his body hard and aching for more.

  Cooper reminded himself that she’d already said no to sex tonight and he had to respect that answer.

  “I’m going to get out of the car until you are inside your house and the door locked, but I’ll stay on the sidewalk,” he explained, not comfortable with simply watching her walk into her house alone. She bit her lip and he couldn’t stop himself from lowering his head to take another taste. “If you don’t want me to try and convince you to change your mind about sex tonight, then you need to stop doing that,” he said, pulling back.

  “Doing what?” she asked.

  He suddenly realized that she had no idea what she was doing. His thumb came up, stroking her swollen lower lip. “Biting your lip. It’s very erotic.”

  Immediately, she stopped and he laughed softly, the sound filling the steamy interior of the car.

  “I’m going inside now,” she whispered. For a long moment, she didn’t move either, both of them looking at each other as the tension increased.

  Finally, she reached for the door handle and, with obvious regret, stepped out of his car.

  Cooper did the same, coming around to help her out. “Thank you,” she whispered, lowering her head, which caused her red hair to glide over her cheek, hiding her face from his view. In the moonlight, her hair wasn’t as red, but he could still see the sparks flashing up at him.