Page 60 of Slick Trip

“As you should be,” Cooper muttered. “I’m very fucking devoted to you too.”

21

Finally

COOPER

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Jon asked. “Talking,” he clarified. He was right, but I sighed dramatically anyway.

“Maybe not, but imagine the things we could’ve done instead.”

Jon fought off a smile.

“I’m trying to do right by you,” he pointed out. “The least you could do is help.”

“But I am helping. I’m helping you simply by existing.”

Jon snorted, but he couldn’t hide it—he thought I was funny.

“If you really want to do right by me, you should finish that sentence,” I added, fidgeting with the water bottle. “You said I’m the only person you—what? I don’t care if it’s something bad, but I need to know.”

Obviously, I cared—I’d die if it was something bad. But I still needed to know.

He took a deep breath.

“You’re the only person I’ve ever seen myself with.”

I didn’t dare breathe. I wanted to bubble-wrap the feeling so nothing could shatter it.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“It’s always been you,” he said. He paused, searching for words. “From the start, you got under my skin. And lately, you’ve made me think about things like . . . a future.”

“A future?” I repeated, as if I’d heard the word for the first time in my life. Jon gave me a look like he knew I was messing with him, but I didn’t care. He’d made me wait, so what if I wanted him to sweat a little?

“You’ve made me dream about an actual fucking future with kids and a dog and some stupid house in the suburbs!”

Suddenly, I didn’t want to push him anymore. I just wanted him to know that whatever he was willing to give me, I’d take. That a future with him was the only future I’d ever wanted. I tried to wrap my head around it. Jon Beckett—calm, impossible, larger than life Jon Beckett—dreamed about a family with me.

“I want all that too,” I whispered. “But it won’t be a stupid house. It’ll be the best house, with all the kids and dogs and even cats if you want.” I sniffed. “Rabbits are cute too, but I’ve heard they chew cords, and that might be bad for your computer.”

Jon stood up and walked around the table, stopping in front of me. He grabbed my hand, then pulled me up.

“Fuck, Coop. Now I want a rabbit,” Jon muttered. Then his mouth curved into a smirk and the smirk turned into an unhurried once-over. He was really letting himself look at me, and I was enjoying it. A lot. Slowly, his eyes moved from my head to my toes and up again. I found myself standing a little taller, rolling my shoulders back, suddenly desperate for him to see me in the best possible light.

He noticed and nodded in approval, making me ridiculously pleased with my efforts to. . . stand upright.

“I think we’re done talking for now,” he said quietly, his hand lifting my chin. My breath stuttered. Jon’s expression changed from soft to dark and intimate.

“It’s time to reward this very good—” He kissed the corner of my mouth. “Very patient—” he murmured before biting gently at my lower lip. “Very pretty Omega.”

A small whimper slipped out of me. “You think I’m pretty?”

He pushed a curl off my forehead and looked at me.

“There’s no one prettier than you, Coop.”

I blushed. “How are you going to reward me?” I whispered.