Stolen Breaths by Pamela Sparkman Read Free Book Online Page A

before?”
    “I planned on telling you, but you got me distracted earlier…”
    I pretended not to notice his amusement. “Soooo, you think after dinner you could play me a song?”
    “Since you asked me like that, how could I say no?”
    He took the bread out of the oven, got out the plates and forks, and proceeded to prepare our plates, placing a slice of garlic bread on each.
    “How’s the chicken?” he asked after he waited for me to take a bite and swallow.
    “It’s pretty fabulous actually. I’m not surprised. You seem to do everything well.”
    His eyes locked on my mouth while I chewed my food, and I saw the corners of his mouth rise up I could tell he was thinking about that last comment and applying it to something other than food. He brought his eyes back up to mine and smiled.
    We both learned a little more about each other over dinner. He was an only child; grew up in South Carolina and was raised by his parents, who were killed in a boating accident when he was twenty-one. He had finished college and gotten his degree in Business, and was working for a company. When his grandfather died, he’d moved here and took over the business. Ms. Sophie and he were close and always had been, and he wanted to be near her so she wouldn’t be alone. Watching the two of them together was something else too. I loved how he loved his grandmother, and I loved how she always looked at him lovingly, oozing with pride. They had each other and they knew it.
    Cooper stood to take our plates to the sink. “What are you smiling about?” he asked.
    “I was just thinking how much I like Ms. Sophie. And I like that you two are so close. She’s a sweet lady.”
    “Yes, she is. And apparently very sneaky when she wants to be.”
    “Ha! Ya think? Still, she’s been a light in my darkness and I love her for that.”
    When he turned on the water in the sink, I stood up. “Stop. Let me do that. You cooked, I’ll clean.” I tried to squirm my way between him and the sink, reaching for the soapy sponge.
    Holding the sponge far away from my reach, he said, “No, you’re supposed to be relaxing.”
    “I don’t want to relax. I want to do the dishes.”
    “Nobody wants to do dishes, Lil. Now go sit down please and let me finish.”
    “I’m serious, Cooper. Let me wash the dishes.” I made a calculated move to jump and grab the sponge. I missed.
    He backed up and held his other arm out. “What are you doing, Lily? You’re making me get water all over the floor. Get back,” he said laughing, only half serious.
    “Fine,” I pouted. “I’m only trying to help.” I backed away and he walked back towards the sink, sponge still in hand, looking victorious. I maneuvered around him and grabbed the sponge from him and he spun around so fast that my first instinct was to take off running. I had no plan of action. I ran through the house squealing, “Get back, Cooper!”
    He chased after me and I dodged a chair and a coffee table then ran myself into a dead end. Crap . I hit the wall and turned around quickly, searching for an exit. Cooper’s body was blocking any escape route.
    He moved his body toward me knowing that he had me cornered, and was savoring the moment. I looked down and saw that I still had the sponge. I tossed it as far as I could, hoping that he’d want to get it back. He casually watched it fly across the room and land on the wood floor before turning his face back toward mine. With a raised eyebrow and a very amused look on his face he stood there contemplating what he should do next.
    I held up my hands in front of me as some kind of false protection and squealed, “Cooper, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I just wanted to help with the dishes!” I was laughing myself silly because the look on his face was priceless. He moved in closer like an animal stalking its prey. He moved to place one hand on the wall behind my head, and he placed his other hand on my hip. He had me boxed in, but I didn’t feel