Free Witch Hearts by Liz Long Page B

black yoga pants and a t-shirt. She came back out to find Cooper still in the same spot.  
    “Thank you for everything tonight. You really don’t have to stay if you don’t want,” she told him.
    “Hey, you’ve already cast the ward. I don’t want to break it.”
    Ruby padded into the guest room, grabbing an extra pillow and blanket from the closet. Cooper followed her in and grinned at her.
    “What?” she asked.  
    “You don’t have to do all that. I can figure it out for myself.”
    “You’re a guest.” Ruby fluffed the pillow and straightened out the comforter on the queen-sized bed.  
    “Nah. I’d overstay my welcome if I were a guest. Consider me a temporary roommate.” He reached for her wrist, yielding her constant movement. She looked up at him, his green eyes burning into her blue ones.
    “I guess that’s all right,” she said with a small smile. “But you get to make coffee in the morning.”
    “Deal.”
    They stood in silence, Ruby keeping her eyes on Cooper's chest. She could feel Cooper's eyes on her, waiting for her to speak. She took a deep breath, feeling as though she were struggling to stay above water in the evening’s events.  
    “Ruby, are you all right? It’s been a hell of a night, but I can’t read you for anything. I can’t decide if you’re genuinely okay or staying busy to keep your mind off everything.” He didn’t let go of her wrist that now hung at her side and his fingertips grazed her hip.
    “The latter, unfortunately. If I stop to think about it, I might freak out and that’s not an option right now. We need to be on our guard, not falling apart.”
    “Will you be able to sleep tonight?”
    “No idea. Can’t say it’s been easy to sleep at all the last few days, but you know all about that.”
    “We could do a spell to help you sleep.”
    “Oh, no thanks. Last time Courtney tried that on me, I slept through an entire weekend. I’d rather count sheep or something.”
    Cooper smiled a little. “She was powerful, but man, when she messed up…”
    “There are still scorch marks on my kitchen ceiling from a potion she made a couple months ago. I have no idea what the hell she was trying to do,” Ruby said with a laugh.
    “Do you work tomorrow?”
    “No, Miranda gave me off through Monday at least. I need to see Detective Phillips at some point. I guess I’ll try to get in touch with my landlord in the morning, but since it’s Sunday, I’m not sure if we can get my locks changed until the business week.”
    “That’s what I’m here for,” Cooper said. He dropped Ruby's wrist and instead put his arms around her, bringing her in close to his chest.  
    She breathed in his spicy scent, wanting to remember that smell even when he wasn’t around. Laying her head on his chest, she heard his steady heartbeat and briefly worried he could hear hers quicken at his closeness. She allowed her eyes to close.  
    “Cooper, thank you for wanting to stay here.”
    He lowered his lips to her ear, though he didn’t whisper. “There’s no need to thank me. I want to do it. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you, too.”  
    Ruby remained quiet, not wanting to bring up Courtney. She didn’t want to shatter this delicate moment. She needed to ignore the warmth of his skin against hers, to brush off the goosebumps across her skin when his soft breathing tickled her neck.  
    After a minute, Cooper spoke again.
    “Do you remember that night?”
    “What night?” Ruby knew good and well to what he referred, but she wouldn’t dare let him think she gave it consideration.
    “You know.”
    Ruby hoped that he couldn’t feel her smile against his chest. “Maybe.”
    “Please tell me you remember.” The smile in Cooper’s tone gave way to a tease and she fought the urge to run her hand across his chest.  
    “You mean the night we got drunk at my apartment? And stayed up talking until sunrise?”
    “Yes, that night. More specifically…” Cooper