Loathing a Landon (The Barrington Billionaires Book 12) by Ruth Cardello

Author:Ruth Cardello [Cardello, Ruth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance
ISBN: 9781951888305
Publisher: Ruth Cardello
Published: 2022-08-19T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Amanda

‡

The next morning, showered and dressed in the same clothes I’d worn the day before, I put a lid on the tea I’d just poured myself in the lobby of the hotel. Cooper was debating his choice of pastry from the breakfast bar. Our eyes met and I said, “I don’t want to go back yet.”

He held my gaze. “I understand that feeling too well, but I can’t move forward with anything . . . not my life . . . not you, until I figure out the situation with my brother.”

Inspecting the pastry options was safer than letting him see the disappointment I was afraid would show in my eyes. I’d never felt closer to Cooper than I had when I woke up in his arms that morning. We’d showered together, laughed about noises we’d heard through the walls during the night. It hadn’t sounded like a couple having sex—more like a family of raccoons knocking everything over. Whether they were drunk or sexually adventurous, we’d done our best to match their enthusiasm. I’d never look at a hotel desk the same way again.

So how had Cooper and I become awkward around each other again? He hadn’t made any promises or declared feelings for me. In fact, his original plan had been to take me to dinner and see how that went.

If I didn’t want to be on this roller coaster, why did I keep hopping back on? The truth was almost as scary as being pregnant. Being with Cooper on his terms and when both of our lives were upside down felt better than anything I’d experienced with another man. I didn’t want a man who’d say all the right things but leave as soon as things got hard. Cooper might not be ready for a normal relationship yet, but he’d just come out of hiding for our baby.

Flowers and pretty words could never top something like that.

Still, it didn’t make the place we were in easier. I wanted to tell him he didn’t have to look for his brother. It was so tempting to suggest that after the baby was safe we could run away, choose different names, and hide out together.

I had my parents to think of—so tempting or not, that wasn’t an option.

I doubted Cooper would ever go back into hiding again anyway. He was already walking taller, looking more people directly in the eye. Like a man preparing for battle? I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him, but I had no idea how to protect him.

“You okay?” he asked as I took a long time making my selection.

I grabbed one of the individually wrapped muffins. “Yes.”

He guided me away from the food to a booth. I slid into one side, he took the other. “When we get back to Driverton, things might happen fast. I’m hoping Tom did some digging into my family. If he didn’t, I’ll do my own research. Mine involves leaving, though . . .”

“With Tom?”

“Or on my own. I know how to travel fast and light.

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