Free Someone to Love by Lena Hampton Page B

obvious he was trying to make sure they were perfect. There were a few that he sat aside because they didn’t measure up, but she’d use them when he wasn’t looking because they were just fine.
    “Thanks for helping.”
    “You’d never get it done if I didn’t.”
    “You’re welcome would have sufficed.” He smiled and kept cutting. His hands were almost too big for the scissors. She wondered what those hands would feel like on her. Would they be firm and demand pleasure by kneading the soft flesh of her thighs, butt, and breasts until she begged for them to touch her most intimate place? Or would they caress along the length of her body, teasing it with the promise of release.
    She shouldn’t be thinking about those hands doing anything but cutting paper. After all, it wouldn’t be just the hands touching her, it would be the man attached to them. That man was dangerous to her plan of keeping her heart safe. Her defenses had already began to wane. He was smart, and charming, and kind. She presumed that underneath that forest of hair, he was handsome. Who was she kidding, he was even handsome with the hair.
    Diane was right, she did find him quite sexy. There were those broad shoulders, all the muscles- especially those abs, and those large hands she was sure would feel so good. She was back to those hands touching her. She needed her mind elsewhere.
    “How was your meeting?”
    “Promising.” A smile broke out on his face then he continued “The guy said he would likely be able to get the brews into a chain grocery store, at least in Indiana.”
    The rerun of the show they were watching went to a break as Cooper continued to discuss the meeting he’d had with a potential distributor. A commercial for a personal injury attorney came on which showed a series of mangled cars and video of a truck screeching to a halt. A gasp escaped from her and she knocked the glue over onto the floor.
    “Crap,” she said hopping up avoid getting the glue on herself too.
     
    ***
    Cooper left the room and came back with some cleaning wipes and paper towels. He was glad she’d knocked over the glue. He’d needed the distraction to stop him from putting his thoughts into action. The thought kept running through his head to give in to temptation and pull her up on the bed for a kiss and to try for more.
    He was about to start cleaning up the glue but Noli took the paper towels from him and began cleaning up. Tears began to drip onto the mess on the floor. She stopped wiping as her hands began to shake.
    “It’s okay Magnolia, it was just an accident.” The word accident turned her silent tears into a gut wrenching sob filled cry. Cooper took the wipes out her hands and joined her on the floor. “What’s wrong, Magnolia?”
    She wiped her tears, but they were replaced with more. “The car. That commercial.”
    Cooper strained to hear the incoherent words that sounded like they were struggling to get out her throat. He thought back to the commercial from moments ago and realized it showed several images of totaled cars. He turned the TV off then pulled her into his arms and lifted her onto the bed.
    Her legs were stretched on the navy and green plaid comforter, with the rest of her body on Cooper and her face hidden in his shirt as she continued to cry. He just held her there for a few moments, letting her cry. His hand rubbed her back as it heaved with sobs.
    Eventually she’d composed herself enough to speak again. “I saw it,” her words muffled as she spoke them into his chest. She turned her head and looked up at him. There was no pity in his eyes, just concern and warmth.
    “Saw what?”
    “The accident. I saw my parents’ accident.”
    “I didn’t know that.”
    “No one knows. My parents were headed home after my graduation. I got caught up talking to a classmate and left a while after my parents did. Traffic was flowing fine, then all of a sudden there was a back-up. I thought it was construction because