Free Reckless for Cowboy by Daire St. Denis Page B

you’re a stupid cunt.
    I shrug out from under his hands and slide off the counter. My legs support me this time. I brush past Cooper and rush out of the kitchen, down the hall to the spare bedroom, my vision blurred with tears. I start throwing stuff into my overnight bag. There’s not much stuff so it doesn’t take long. When I turn around, Cooper’s standing in the doorway.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Take me home.” I clutch my bag in front of me, like a shield. “Now.”
    “No.”
    There’s a sob building behind my breastbone and I have no intention of letting Cooper see me this way. “Fine. I’ll find my own way home.” I go to push him out of the way but he won’t budge. I drive my elbow into his abdomen. Apart from a sharp exhalation, he doesn’t move.
    “You’re not going anywhere.”
    “Get out of my way.” I pound on his chest. “Leave me alone.” The sobs come out of nowhere and suddenly he’s got me wrapped in his arms, holding me tight.
    “Shh, Brooke. Everything’s okay.” He strokes my hair and carries me to the bed, setting me in his lap. “I’ve seen this too many times. People get bucked off and don’t know how injured they are. They go home and pass out in the tub or fall asleep and can’t wake up because they have a concussion. My friend Miles hit a fence. He didn’t know he broke his neck until he couldn’t get out of bed the next day.”
    “Oh,” I manage to say through my sobs.
    “You’re still in shock.”
    He cradles me against him and I’m surprised by the uneven rise and fall of his chest.
    “Dammit, Brooke, if anything happened to you…”
    There’s that phrase again, said with a voice laden with emotion. “Please don’t say that. Please don’t swear at me.”
    Cooper pulls back and looks at me. His eyes widen in realization of what he’s done. “Oh sweetheart. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to swear at you. You just scared me.”
    “I did?”
    “You have no idea.”
    I sniffle and say, “I kind of scared myself.”
    “No kidding.”
    “That was pretty crazy, right?”
    “Yep.”
    “Did you see her bucking there at the end? She was really bucking.”
    “She sure was.”
    “I stayed on, not too bad, huh?”
    “I was impressed.”
    “Wow. I impressed Cooper Hays with my horsemanship skills, that’s something.”
    “Horsemanship? No. Survival? Yes.”
    I start laughing. It’s a giddy, nervous, relieved laugh and Cooper laughs with me. Then he’s kissing me like he’s never kissed me before. I think I must have really scared him because his lips are soft and tender and every few seconds there’s this little catch in his breathing.
    “I’m okay, Coop. Really, I am,” I whisper.
    I pull away and glance at my watch. “And…I hate to break up the party, but we really should head back. I need to get ready for work.”
    “You’re not working tonight.”
    I’m about to protest but he doesn’t give me the chance. “I mean it Brooke. You might have whiplash. Who knows? At the very least you’re shaken up and when the shock subsides, you’re going to be exhausted. Take the night off.”
    I consider his words. “Where would I stay?” I ask slowly.
    “Where do you think?”
    *~*~*
    I call Tom and he’s none too pleased about me taking a night off on the last weekend of Stampede. But, what’s he going to do? Fire me? I only have one day left.
    We eat an early dinner of barbequed steak, corn on the cob, beans and Caesar salad. Cooper won’t let me do anything to help and insists I rest despite my many protests. Although the meal is delicious, I don’t have much of an appetite and I can’t figure out if it’s because I’ve already fulfilled my calorie quota for the day or if it’s the adrenaline in my system from riding a bee-stung horse.
    The fact that all I can think about is Cooper—Cooper’s hands, Cooper’s mouth, his tongue and various other body parts, tells me that my lack of appetite is probably caused by the man sitting