Cooper by Liliana Hart Read Free Book Online Page A

And maybe tomorrow.”
    Cooper took out his piercings and dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. He would come to Claire with only himself to offer. He would give her everything he had. Everything he was. He knew in his heart that she was the woman for him. It wasn’t something that age or life or death could determine. And if he accepted that Claire was the one woman on this Earth that had been created for him, then all he could do was make the choice to accept that fate. Or deny it.
    He’d already made the mistake of denying it once. Because of fear. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. Claire was his. If she’d have him.
     
    ***
     
    There were a few people in the library when Cooper went in a half hour later. It didn’t matter who saw him. He was determined to make Claire hear him out. Being without her wasn’t an option.
    Claire was straightening up the children’s section and talking softly to a little boy of about three or four. She didn’t turn around when he entered, but her back stiffened as if she instinctively knew he was there.
    He leaned against the front counter and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for Claire to run out of things to do just to avoid him. She finally had no choice but to come in his direction. She lifted her chin and kept her expression politely blank as she looked at the spot just over his shoulder instead of at his eyes.
    “Claire, I need to talk to you.” His voice was soft in deference to where they were, but people were still giving him strange looks.
    “I’m working right now, Cooper. And I’ve heard about as much what you have to say as I want to. Just leave me alone.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t do that, sweetheart.” Her eyes finally met his, and it broke his heart to see such bitter desolation in their depths. Because of him. “I’ve taken the liberty of finding you a replacement for the afternoon. I need you to come with me. Just for a little while, so I can explain.”
    She laughed softly and shook her head as she made her way around the counter so there was something physically between them. Despite the laughter, if was hard to miss the icy blast of her anger.
    “So have you made it your personal mission to ruin my life? You’ve decided to harass me at my work place and dictate what I will and won’t do? I don’t belong to you, Cooper. I’m not your possession.”
    He pointedly glanced at the collar she wore and found delight at the way heat flushed across her skin.
    “You can fight this, but you won’t win,” he said. “Despite the circumstances that brought you to my attention, and no matter the intentions of either of us that night or the resulting outcome, there’s one thing that stands out in my mind. It only took one kiss to know that you were mine.”
    Her eyes softened and her mouth parted with a sigh, but it was obvious by her visible effort she was digging deep to find the resolve to not open her arms to him.
    “I decline,” she finally said with an arched brow and fire in her eyes. And something more—a challenge. He could see the outline of her nipples clearly beneath her shirt and the decoration that waited for him there. She couldn’t have made it any plainer that he was going to have to work harder for her forgiveness.
    He opened his hand and held it out so she saw the tiny key that rested in his palm.
    “Come with me and I’ll take it off.”
    “I won’t be bribed, Cooper MacKenzie, unless you’re carrying that key between your teeth while crawling over shards of glass. I could probably be persuaded then.”
    “You drive a pretty hard bargain.” He put the key in his pocket then lifted the pass-through in the counter so he could join her behind the desk. He’d seen Cat come in out of the corner of his eye, and he knew he and Claire had drawn a crowd from the library patrons. They’d be the hottest topic of conversation in Surrender before lunch time.
    “W…what are you doing?” she asked, taking a step