Intercepting Love Read online

  “Do you have the names of the family members and those involved?”

  “I do,” I said. Taking the piece of paper out of my pocket, I read off the names that he would need.

  “Okay, I got it. I’ll see what I can do. Can you give me a few days?”

  “Yeah, of course. Just call me back as soon as you hear something.”

  By the time we hung up, I was already starting to feel good from my pain meds; the haze making everything feel less complicated. Grabbing a bottle of vodka from my refrigerator, I marched outside and headed straight for Kate’s house … except I didn’t get that far.

  “Cooper, are you okay?” Lara asked, walking to her mailbox. “Why do you look stoned off of your ass?”

  “It’s because I am. I’m going to talk to Kate.”

  “Oh, no you’re not,” she shouted, rushing to step in my way. Placing her hands on my chest, she pushed against me, backing me up toward her garage. “The last thing you need to do is go over there like that and start a fight. What did you take?”

  “It’s just my prescription, Lara. It’s nothing illegal,” I stammered. “Anyway, Kate won’t talk to me so I’m going to go over there and make her.”

  “Has she not been talking to you? Why would she do that?”

  Chuckling, I lifted the bottle of vodka and took a long, hard gulp. I haven’t had alcohol in days, and it felt fucking amazing. “How the hell should I know? After last night she blew me off and started spending time with that fucker,” I hissed, pointing over at his truck.

  “Well that doesn’t make any sense.” Sighing, she looked at Kate’s house and then back to me. “Okay, I want you to go into my house and wait. I’m going to get Kate to come with me, and that way you can talk to her without Luke interfering. When you go inside, turn to the left and there will be a hallway. Go down to the second room on your right and wait in there. As soon as she gets into the room with you, I’m going to lock the door from the outside so she can’t walk away.”

  “Why are you doing this for me?” I asked.

  Lara grinned mischievously and winked. “Oh, I have my reasons. Don’t get me wrong, I like you and all, but for once I don’t want to see Luke get the girl. He deserves to be put in his place.”

  With those final words, she turned on her heel and marched off to Kate’s house. Kate wasn’t going to like getting locked into a room with me, but at least I’d get my answers.

  Kissing his way down my neck, Luke slowly lowered the strap of my tank top down one shoulder. “Why do you keep pushing me away, Kate? You have no idea how bad you’re killing me right now.”

  His fingers glided down my arm and then back up to cup my breast. “Am I supposed to make it easy on you?” I asked. “Besides, I’m not just going to jump in bed with you, Luke.”

  Picking me up in his arms, he laid me down on the couch and covered me with his body, spreading my legs with his knee.

  “And why not?” he growled, thrusting his hips up and down between my legs. His emerald gaze burned with desire as he leaned down to kiss my lips.

  As much as I wanted to deny it, my body craved a man’s touch. It had been so long since I felt an ounce of pleasure, and with Luke touching me in all the right places I couldn’t help but want to submit. Luke was there and he wanted me, but why couldn’t I give in?

  Before we could go any further, the doorbell rang. Agitated, Luke rested his head on my chest and groaned, reluctantly sliding off of me. “Why is it that we always get interrupted by something?”

  Maybe it was a sign, I thought.

  Straightening my tank top, I fixed my shorts and headed to the door while Luke stayed on the couch and adjusted his pants to hide the bulge. When he was ready and decent, I opened the door to see Lara standing there, looking overly excited with a big grin on her face.

  “Lara, what’s wrong? Why do you look like that?” I asked, laughing.

  “You have to come look at this new painting I got. It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

  “Do you want me to look at it now?”

  Her smile grew brighter. “Yes, but is it a bad time? I know Luke’s here.”

  “No,” I claimed, breathing a sigh of relief. “Your timing was actually perfect.” It saved me from making a decision I didn’t know if I was ready to make.

  Over my shoulder, I called out to Luke, “Luke, I’ll be right back. Lara wants to show me a new painting she bought.”

  “You have to go now?” he asked.

  Lara lifted a curious brow and I laughed it off nervously. “Yes, so just sit tight.”

  Quickly, I shut the door and sighed. “Thank you for saving me. I swear he knows how to push a woman’s buttons.”

  When we got further away from the house and into her yard, she leaned in and asked, “You haven’t slept with him, have you?”

  “No, of course not! Trust me, I’ve been tempted, but I know better.”

  It’d been so long since I felt what a real orgasm was like. I wanted it like I wanted air to breathe. The longer I was around Luke, the more I wanted to give in, especially now that Cooper proved to be exactly what I thought he was.

  “Why do you say that?” Lara asked as we stepped up on her front porch. “Don’t you like him?”

  “I do, but something’s holding me back.”

  A wide smile spread across her face as she led me through her house to one of the back bedrooms. “Are you sure it’s not a someone instead of a something?”

  I shrugged. “Does it matter?”

  She opened the door slightly and put her hands on my shoulders so she could look at me. “It makes all of the difference in the world, Kate. You’re not scared of Luke, but you are of Cooper because you know he can be the real deal. Stop running and look at what’s in front of you.”

  “Lara, what are you talking about?”

  She pushed open the door to reveal Cooper sitting on the navy blue bed with his elbows resting on his knees and gazing straight at me. Arms crossed, Lara nodded toward the room. “You two need to talk. Deny it all you want, but I know you want to talk to him, too.”

  I did want to talk to him to tell him what a worthless douchebag he was for leaving me. Turning my back on Cooper, I glared at Lara and gritted my teeth. “Fine, two minutes, and that’s it.”

  Lara winked over her shoulder at Cooper and shut the door, the sound of a lock clicking into place. When I tried the handle, it wouldn’t budge. “Lara, you can’t be serious! Unlock the damn door,” I shouted, banging on the door.

  “Nope, not until you and Cooper talk. This is for your own good.”

  I banged on the door some more, but it was no use because I could hear her footsteps echoing down the hall. “Lara! Lara, get back here!”

  “Is it so bad to be locked in here with me?” Cooper asked. “You know, I thought things were going great with us the past couple of days. What happened?”

  Leaning against the door, I sighed before turning around. “Look, Cooper, it doesn’t matter. We work together, that’s it. We need to keep our relationship on professional terms.”

  “Professional terms?” he sputtered, slurring his words. “So you’re saying we can’t even be friends?”

  It was then I smelled the remnants of liquor in the room. His dumbass was drunk, and here I was trying to talk to him. He probably wasn’t even going to remember what was discussed anyway.

  As I walked past him I said, “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.” Suddenly, he grabbed my arms and turned me around, holding me close to his body with both hands on my biceps.

  “Cooper, let me go.”

  “No, not until you give me an explanation. Even if it takes all night, you’re not going anywhere.”

  “Fine,” I snapped, finally having the courage to look him in the eyes. “The sooner I get this over with the sooner ...”

  I stopped mid-sentence the second I got a good look at his eyes; something wasn’t right, they were mainly pools of the magnificent blue of his irises with only a t
iny pinpoint showing of his pupils. It wasn’t normal, especially since the darkened room we were in would make anyone’s pupils larger … and it wasn’t the alcohol that would do it either.

  “Son of a bitch,” I hissed. “You’re on something, aren’t you? Tell me!”

  “Why are you switching the subject?” he countered. “Why don’t you tell me what I did wrong? Are you mad about last night, or embarrassed that I saw you at your worst? You don’t have to hide that stuff from me.”

  Narrowing his gaze, he pulled me closer and I could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Everything about his arms felt familiar, like I’d been in them before. How could that be?

  “Why don’t you answer my questions first and then I’ll answer yours,” I murmured breathlessly. “I promise to be honest and tell you the truth, but only if you do the same.”

  Closing his eyes, he lowered his forehead to mine and sighed, his voice low and pained. “Okay, love, you want the truth … here it goes. I still take my pain killers every day. I’ve tried to stop, but I can’t. I’ve at least cut my pills down from six to four a day.”

  I gasped. “And you’ve done this for how long?”

  “For four months.”

  “Has your shoulder been giving you that many problems?” I asked. “Or are you taking them for the hell of it?”

  Cooper ran his fingers through his hair and blew out an angry breath. “I don’t know, both I guess. I love the way I feel when I’m on them because I never care about anything. At least, not until I met you. I’ve taken five of them today, and I still find myself thinking of nothing other than you. If I’m addicted to anything it’s not those fucking pills … it’s you.”

  My breath hitched in my throat and I froze. He was addicted to me? “Cooper,” I murmured, taking his face in my hands. His blue gaze stared back at me—so deep—that I almost forgot to breathe. “You need to tell me when you’re in pain. It’s my job to help you. Taking pills like you’re doing is a serious problem. Starting tomorrow you’re going to cut down the amount of four to three and you’re going to work with me. I’ll show you some exercises that are great for pain management. Then the next week we’ll cut down to two and finally to one.”

  “What about withdrawals? Will I experience that?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. That’s why you need to slowly cut back until you can wean yourself off of them. It’s not going to be easy, but I’m not going to let you go through it alone.”

  Not like you left me alone last night when I needed help. I knew he was going to need help and my heart couldn’t let him do it alone even though I was angry as hell at him.

  “Do you only want to help me because it’s your job?” he asked huskily. “Or do you actually care? And don’t lie to me. You promised to tell me the truth.”

  I glared at him for a few seconds before throwing my hands in the air. “Fine, that’s not the only reason. At first, I thought there was something between us, but I was wrong. You see, a friend wouldn’t have abandoned me last night. Yes, I’m embarrassed and I handled my problems in the wrong way. As much as I hate to admit this, I was actually kind of pissed that you dumped me on to Luke last night and left.”

  Slowly stepping back, Cooper’s eyes went wide and his jaw tensed. “Kate, I never left you last night. What made you think I’d leave you when you needed help? The only time I left was when seven o’clock rolled around and I needed to get ready for practice. Luke didn’t tell you?”

  Dumbfounded, I stood there gaping at him. “No, he didn’t,” I said through clenched teeth. “He made it sound like you didn’t want to bother with me.”

  “You have got to be kidding me! What a lying cocksucker. I should’ve known he wouldn’t tell you I was there. However,” he slowly began with a mischievous smile, “I think I should be offended that you don’t remember being in my arms all night. I have to admit, even though I didn’t get any sleep, I loved being able to take care of you.”

  So that’s why it felt familiar being in his arms; I spent all night in them.

  “Why are you smiling? Aren’t you pissed that he lied?” I asked incredulously. “I know I am.”

  “Yes, I’m angry, but he probably only said that to get me back. After Lara and I found you in the bathroom, I snuck you out the back door and brought you home. Lara lied to Luke so I could be with you and not have him interfere.”

  “So what you’re saying is that you’re both at fault? I should be mad at both of you?”

  Grinning, he took a step closer … then another. “Not exactly. I think you can say we’re both determined.” Tilting my chin up with his finger, he gazed down at me, his lips so close to mine. “I’m not a bad guy, love. I have my issues, and you have yours. I think in time we’ll be what each other needs. You may not see it now, but you will. I’m still waiting on you to ask me.”

  “Ask you what?” I breathed.

  “To kiss you, touch you … whatever it is you ask of me. When that time comes, I don’t want you to only want me. I want you to need me like I need you.”

  Finally, the door to the room unlocked and opened wide as Lara set us free. Closing my eyes, I felt Cooper’s finger leave my chin and the brush of air as he walked past me and out the door, completely silent. Lara’s voice was what I heard next.

  “Kate, if you don’t want him, can I have him?” she teased. “I couldn’t help but listen, and boy, did he have my heart racing.”

  “Mine too,” I whispered, and it was still racing.

  Now that I knew the truth, I couldn’t deny what was in my heart any longer. I just had one more thing I needed to do.

  By the time I got back to my house, I was so angry with Luke for lying that I could barely see straight. Playing games was one thing, but outright lying and saying he was the one who took care of me when he didn’t was something on a completely deceptive level. I couldn’t ignore it.

  Slamming the door shut, Luke jumped to his feet and approached me. “Well, it’s about time you got back,” he chimed, putting his arms around my waist. He bent down to kiss my neck and whispered in my ear, “Where were we?”

  “I think we were at the part where you lied. Does that ring a bell?”

  His lips froze on my skin and he slowly pulled back to gaze down at me. “What are you talking about, sweetheart?”

  I scoffed and walked past him to the living room. “I’m talking about last night, Luke. I’m talking about you lying to me and saying it was you who stayed with me when it was Cooper all along. You made me believe it was you. How could you do that? How could you lie to me like that?”

  Coming up behind me, he tried to put his arms around me again, but I moved away. If he thought I would give in to his charms he was sorely mistaken. When he realized I wasn’t going to buckle, he sighed and backed up toward the couch, putting his head in his hands when he sat down. “Fuck, Kate, what was I supposed to do? Cooper had Lara lie to me and say you didn’t want me around. I only wanted to pay him back for deceiving me. I would’ve stayed with you and taken care of you if I’d only known. I never got the chance.”

  I could see the sincerity in his gaze and slowly my anger started to dissipate. However, it still didn’t change the fact that he lied. Sitting beside him, I sighed and took his hand in mine. “Luke, I know you would’ve stayed with me and I’m sorry that Lara lied to you, but Cooper didn’t have anything to do with what she said.”

  “How do you know that?” he asked, furrowing his brows.

  “Because,” I murmured, “he just told me and I believe him.”

  “He just told you?” He peered over at the door and then back to me, his eyes narrowed. “So that’s the reason why Lara came over here to get you? To talk to Cooper?”

  When I didn’t say anything, he let my hand go and jumped off of the couch to his feet. “Don’t you see what they’re doing, Kate? They’re working against me. How the hell can I compete with that?” Angrily, he ran his hands through his hair and started for the door.

 
“Where are you going?” I shouted, rushing after him. I stopped him by plastering myself on the front door.

  “I’m going to talk to Cooper. He’s not going to come into town and take you away from me when things are just starting to happen for us.”

  Exasperated, I lifted my hands in the air and snapped, “Nothing has even happened with us, Luke. We’ve kissed and fooled around some, that’s it. I don’t understand why you’re getting so upset when we don’t even have a commitment. All you have to do is walk down the street and you’d have at least five women jumping all over you.”

  Immediately, he tensed and blew out an angry breath. “So is that what you want me to do?” he asked. “Are you saying you want to let me go and run straight to Cooper?”

  Taking a deep breath, I slowly walked up to him and looked into his weary green gaze. “I didn’t say I was going to do that,” I hissed, “but at least he didn’t lie to me. It’s because of Cooper that I’m not ripping your head off for doing what you did. This isn’t a competition, and you of all people should know I don’t like playing games. I’m trying not to be angry with you, but I don’t think I can do this right now.”

  I opened the door and stood back, my heart pounding out of control. “I need some time to think, Luke.”

  I hated turning him away, but after everything that had happened I knew what I wanted, but I also knew what I needed.

  “Some time,” he repeated dryly. “I don’t like the sound of that, but it looks like I have no choice.” Taking a deep breath, he put his hands on my waist and bent down to kiss me on the cheek. “I’ll give you what you want, Kate, but all I ask is that you don’t give up on me. I’m sorry for what I did. Please believe me.”

  I watched him walk out the door, but before getting into his truck his gaze met Cooper’s across the street. They stared each other down as if in a silent standoff, but then their gazes met mine. Why couldn’t things just be easy?