Scandalous (5 page)

Chapter Eight

Coop

I slam my foot down on the gas and head for my hotel, wishing it my was apartment I was headed to. How is it that
she
moved in with
me
, but we break up and
I’m
the one out on my ass?

Things haven’t been good with Mia for a while now, so her suggesting we take a break shouldn’t have been a complete shock, but thinking of all the sacrifices I made to be with her makes me angry that she’d give up on us so damn quickly.

The last thing she said to me was “Call me when you’ve figured out what you want.”

What do I want? I thought I wanted Mia. But now I have no idea. I can’t get Beth out of my head, but how much of that is guilt over what happened? I slam my hand down on the steering wheel and curse, because I have no idea what I’m gonna do.

I swipe the room card, waiting until the green light glows before I push the door open. Throwing my bags down on the bed, I walk straight over to the minibar and prepare myself a drink. I can’t think straight, but given I have my final exams next week, I know I need to study.

Setting myself up at the desk, I crack open my laptop and stare at the jumble of words in front of me. I sigh and reach for my drink, knowing the likelihood of me getting anything at all done is very remote.

My phone vibrates, indicating a message. I’m not sure who I’m hoping it is more—Beth or Mia. I pull out my phone and see it’s Clare. I make a face. No doubt Mia has been in her ear. This is the first time I’ve regretted how close Mia has become to my sister.

“Hey,” I say, rubbing my forehead.

“Seriously, Coop? Is this still over that Beth chick?”

“Nice to hear from you, too,” I mutter. “Do me a favor, Nic: stay out of this. I know you’re friends with Mia and everything, but just leave it alone.”

“No—fuck that, Coop. You’re doing what you always do as soon as things get too hard for you. Guess what? Relationships take work. You don’t just bail the second things don’t go the way you wanted them to.”

“That’s not what happened. And for the record, she kicked me out.”

“Because you were being a total knob,” she laughs. “God, Coop. Grow up already. Sort this out before it’s too late.”

Sighing, I toss the phone aside and down my drink. The last thing I need is my sister on my case about my love life. Maybe I have messed everything up, but that doesn’t give her the right to stick her nose into my life.

I lie back on the bed and think about Mia. Do I love her? Sure I do. Love isn’t the problem. I just think we want different things. Then I think about Beth and everything gets even more confusing.

I fumble on the floor below the bed looking for my phone, which is where I’m pretty sure it fell when it bounced off the mattress. My fingers graze over the case and I snatch it up. I stare at it for a long time before opening my messages and typing out a new text.

Me: Did you and Roman sort shit out?

Beth: Sure, if you call me storming off and him leaving sorting things out.

Me: Ouch. I’ve got a full bottle of scotch sitting here if you want to come over.

Beth: You me and Mia? Oh yay, sounds like fun.

Me: Well, that’s kinda a long story. I’m not actually at home. Over at the Alwhich Hotel. Room 104.

Beth: What? Well now I have to come over, if only to find out what’s going on. You better not have done anything stupid, Coop.

Me: See you soon. Pick me up a burger and shake on your way over.

I toss the phone aside and shake my head. Why does everyone immediately think this whole thing is my fault? People were so fucking happy when poor Coop pulled his life together that all of a sudden this happens and I’m a mess?

Sitting up, I peel off my clothes and walk into the bathroom. I run the shower and then step under the hot stream, my hand resting against the tiles. I soap myself up, my hand trailing down to my cock. I groan as my fingers curl around its thick shaft, my fist pumping back and forth. Beth and large amounts of alcohol might just be a recipe for disaster, so I’m going to do all I can to ensure I don’t do anything I might regret.

“Fuck yeah,” I mutter as my fist moves back and forth. I can’t help myself. I can’t get her out of my fucking head. All those times we fucked when she was my client…that time in the movie theater…the numerous times she jumped me in the elevator…just the thought of being inside her again is enough to make me explode.

A growl escapes my lips as I release, my spray coating the tiles in front of me. I groan as my fingers slowly work my length until the slightest touch becomes unbearable. I grab the shower nozzle and aim it at the wall, washing away all evidence before I step out of the shower, wrapping a towel loosely around my waist.

Guilt washes through me as I think about what just happened. Guilt was becoming a familiar feeling for me. It had been a while since I’d slept with Mia—or anyone, for that matter—but that didn’t stop me from jacking myself off at every available chance, and my muse was always the same person.

A knock at the door interrupts my thinking. Startled, I glance at the clock and see that half an hour has passed. Fuck.

“Hold on a sec!” I call out, running over to the table where my jeans are hanging over the back of a chair. I throw them on, not worrying about boxers, and race over to the door. Beth pushes a McDonald’s bag and a drink against my bare chest, her eyebrows raised.

“What the hell, Coop?”

“I wish everyone would stop saying that,” I grumble. I open the bag and take out my burger, motioning for her to come inside. “Nic called before and blasted the fuck out of me for ruining my life.”

“I’m glad someone did. What happened?” she repeats, her expression perplexed.

“We just needed some time apart,” I shrug. “All we were doing was fighting, and…” My voice trails off as I realize I don’t know what to say to her. She’s smart enough to at least have an idea that some of this might be about her. The last thing I want to do, though, is make her uncomfortable. “This is about Mia and me. Nobody else,” I say pointedly.

She blushes, her gaze falling to the floor.

“Are you sure about that?” she asks. Her soft voice pierces my heart as she raises her eyes to meet mine. All I see is uncertainty and fear. After all she’s been through over the last year, I know what she needs is my friendship and my friendship only, not all this bullshit.

“I’m positive.” I put my burger down and reach for her hand, my fingers running over her soft skin. “You’re my best friend. I’d never do anything to jeopardize that, okay?”

“Okay,” she whispers, a tiny hint of a smile threatening her lips.

“More?” I ask, holding the bottle over her empty glass. She nods and giggles as I pour aimlessly. Half of the scotch misses the glass and seeps into the plush carpet underneath, but I’m so sloshed I barely notice.

We’ve gone through nearly a whole bottle in two hours while watching shit movies on cable and gorging on room service. This is the most relaxed I’ve felt in ages and it feels good to let loose—though I know I’ll regret it in the morning.

Chapter Nine

Beth

The vibrating of my phone wakes me. I open my eyes, not realizing where I am until I spot Coop passed out on the bed. Shit. I pick up the phone and see that it’s Roman. Not only that, but it’s five a.m. and I have half a dozen missed calls. I sit up, the room spinning under the hangover I’m obviously suffering from.

“Hello?” I mumble, rubbing my forehead.

“Beth? Where the hell are you? I’ve been worried sick about you.”

“I’m so sorry,” I say, panicking. “I fell asleep.”

“Where are you?” he demands.

I hesitate. Nothing happened, but I know right away he is going to jump to conclusions. “I’m with Coop,” I say, my voice quiet. Silence greets me. My heart pounds as I wait for him to respond. “He’s just a friend¸ Roman. That’s it.”

“Yeah?” he says, his voice hardened. “Does he know that?”

My voice catches in my throat. I glance over at Coop, who is still fast asleep, oblivious to what’s going on. There’s no point in me admitting that I’m pretty sure he does have feelings for me. That’s not going to help the situation.

I sigh, struggling to come up with a way to defuse this whole mess. “I’m coming home now, okay?”

“You haven’t answered my question. Where are you? At
his
house?”

“No.” I wet my lips and rub my head. “Coop is staying in a hotel. He and Mia having some, uh, problems.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? You spend the night in a hotel with a guy who clearly has feelings for you, and you’re acting like it’s no big deal?”

“I’m not acting like it’s not a big deal. How he feels is irrelevant because I love you.” I sigh. “Look, I’ll see you soon when I get home, okay?”

“You won’t, because I’ll be at work,” he snaps.

“When will you be home?” I ask, my voice trembling.

His tone softens. “Tonight. We’ll talk tonight, okay? I love you, Beth.”

“I love you too,” I mumble.

Hanging up the phone, I quickly stand up, my head spinning. I fumble around my bag, quickly shoveling my belongings into it. I don’t remember much, but from the looks of it we had a pretty big night. For the tiniest second, I rack my brain trying to remember if something happened.

No sooner do I think it than I feel guilty. The fact that I can even think that says a lot, doesn’t it? I can’t think about this now. I have to get home. Walking over to the bed, I nudge Coop.

“Wake up,” I say curtly.

He opens his eyes and looks around, confused, the same way I did when I first woke up. His eyes fall on me, and he curses.

“Yep. But it gets worse: Roman just called, wanting to know where I was. I can’t believe you got me so drunk.”

“Hey, so I tied you down and forced the alcohol down your throat? The way I remember it, you were a willing party.” He smirks. “Very willing.”

I scowl at him and cross my arms. He is right. As much as I want to blame him, this is just much my fault.

“Anyway, I’m going. So sort things out with Mia, okay?”

“Sort things out with Roman,” he mimics.

I roll my eyes and stalk to the door.

**

“Thanks,” I mumble, throwing a fifty at the cab driver. “Keep the change.”

After reaching my car, I’d had the realization that I’m probably over the limit. Rather than risk getting myself in even more trouble, I decided just to catch a cab. I climb out of the car and slam the door. Roman’s car is gone, and I’m secretly glad that he has already left. My head is pounding; the last thing I want to deal with right now is more drama.

I walk through to the kitchen, where I grab two Tylenol. I down them with a glass of water. Groaning, I rest my head on the kitchen counter, wishing I could erase the last day. Instead, I opt to spend the rest of the morning in bed. At least maybe with a bit more sleep, I might begin to feel human again.

It’s after two in the afternoon when I finally drag myself from the bedroom. I replace lying on the bed with lying on the couch, and spend most of the afternoon watching crappy TV shows. Every now and then I check my phone to see if Roman has called. Each time, my heart fills with disappointment when I see that he hasn’t.

By dinnertime, Roman’s still not home and I’m bored. I check my email and see more information about the movie has been sent, including the script. I’m surprised by how excited I am as I sit down and read the script. Roman’s reaction to their interest in me quashed a lot of my excitement. I still have no idea whether or not I’ll take the role, but the more I read about it, the more I want to do it.

The funny thing is, a year ago just the thought of me not doing something I wanted to do for myself because a guy didn’t want me to would have made me laugh. I used to be so independent. I feel like I lost a lot of that—a lot of myself—after the attack. I wish I could plug back into that girl. The person I used to be.

Don’t get me wrong—Roman has been wonderful for me and I wouldn’t have gotten through the past year without him, but sometimes I feel like I’m too dependent on him, and it scares the hell out of me.

Chapter Ten

Roman

Me: I’ll be home later than I thought. Don’t wait up.

I wince as I send the message. Could I have sounded any colder? Not that that was my intention. I was still pissed about her spending the night with Coop, but I did have a legitimate reason for being late. Well, kind of legitimate.

I glance around the empty bar and sigh.
He’s late
. He’s got five more minutes before I get up and leave. The longer I sit here the more agitated I become. The waitress clears my empty glass. I mumble “thanks” as she eyes me, her heavily made-up lips curving into a smile.

“You all alone tonight?” she purrs.

“Just waiting for a friend,” I reply, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. She’s got to be at least forty, and I don’t doubt she’s been around the block a few times.

She shrugs. “If you need company, I’ll be over at the bar. I finish at midnight.” She winks and then wanders off.

I shake my head and laugh, lifting my hand to rub my chin. I see Carlos walking through the bar and my expression hardens. Just the sight of him makes my mood sour. Fucking prick.

“Good to see you again, Roman. Thanks for meeting me. Nice place, huh?” He falls into the seat opposite me and pulls out a cigarette. I shake my head
no
as he offers me one. He shrugs, placing one between his lips. The smell of stale cigarettes and vomit brushes past my senses and I can’t actually tell if the stench is him or just this place.

Yep. He definitely fits in here.

“What do you want, Carlos?” I say.

“I wanna meet my daughter. I’m going to make contact with her, then she’ll turn to you for advice, and I want you to convince her of the wonderful reasons why she should give me a chance.”

I snort. “You’re fucking kidding me, right? I mean, this has to be a joke.”

“It’s no joke, Roman. I’m going to be a part of my daughter’s life, and you’re going to help me.”

“And if I don’t?” I challenge. I already know the answer, but I can’t help pushing this guy.

“You know what’ll happen if you don’t help me. And you know that means losing her.” His sly smile pisses me off—mainly because he’s right. I think about my reaction to Beth spending the night with Coop. God only knows how she would react to all the shit Carlos has on me.

I kick back my chair. Carlos’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Where you going?” he asks.

“I’m leaving. You could have said all this fucking shit over the phone. You didn’t need to drag me out to some shithole bar. I’ll do what you want me to, but I don’t have to sit here and share a fucking drink with you, you useless scumbag.”

I storm out without waiting for his response. I glance at my phone and see it’s barely eight thirty. I’m way too worked up to go home and face Beth, so I get in my car and head to the club.

**

I’m alone in my office when Scarlett walks in. She stops, her eyes widening when she sees me sitting on the sofa.

“Roman,” she sputters. “I didn’t think you’d be here.”

“Mind explaining why you’re in my office then?” I ask casually.

“Invoices,” she replies quickly, reaching for a folder. “You obviously have something on your mind again.”

“What makes you say that?” I grumble. Why does she think she can read me?

“Well, for starters, you’re here. This is the first place you come when something is on your mind.” She pauses, running her finger along the length of the large oak bookshelf beside her. “Why don’t you talk to Beth about whatever is bothering you rather than hiding away here? It can’t be good for you.”

“That is none of your business,” I fire back.

She shrugs and steps closer to me. “Maybe it’s Beth you have a problem with?”

I freeze as her fingers touch my leg. She moves closer to me until she is almost straddling my thigh. I reposition myself, pushing her away in the process. Within seconds, she is back on me, trying to sit on my lap.

I push her off again, this time with more force, angry that she isn’t getting the message. Why does she think I would ever do that to Beth?
Because every time you have something on your mind you flee to the club.
It was the truth. Scarlett probably knows more about me than Beth. The things she could tell Beth about me if she wanted to…if she was angry enough to. I sigh, and try to think of a way to get out of this without upsetting anyone. Scarlett’s face falls into a frown as she tries to sit on my lap again.

“Just forget about her. For one night let me show you what it can be like to be with a real woman.” Her arms drape around my neck.

I breathe out, ready to refuse her again, when I look toward the door and see Beth standing there. My heart pounds as I stare at her in disbelief. She stares back at me, her eyes cold and hurt.

“Get the fuck of me,” I growl. All of my intentions of being nice have gone out the window. My only focus is making sure Beth can see there is nothing going on here. I toss Scarlett off my lap, sending her sprawling onto the floor, and I stand up and move toward Beth. “It’s not what you think,” I begin, but she cuts me off.

“Really? Because it looks like your idea of being snowed under at work is fucking your assistant,” she hurls at me.

“We were not fucking. We were not doing anything,” I say quietly, not expecting her to believe me. Why should she, after walking in on what she just did? If I walked in on Coop all over her, would I accept nothing was going on? My throat constricts at the thought.

Beth laughs, her hand falling to her hip. “Are you kidding me? I saw you, Roman. She was climbing all over you, and you were
letting
her.” Scarlett snickers behind me. I turn around and shoot her a look.

“I wasn’t letting her, I was trying to push her off. She came on to me—”

“And you couldn’t break away?” She laughs bitterly. “She’s like a quarter of the size of you. What, are you telling me she overpowered you?”

I groan and rub my head, annoyed that she won’t listen to me. She seriously thinks that I would cheat on her? Why are we even fucking together if that’s what she thinks?

I take her hand and squeeze it. Using my other hand, I tilt her chin upwards until her eyes meet mine. “I swear to you, nothing happened and nothing was going to happen. You want me to trust that you can spend the night with Coop and nothing happened? I do. I trust you, Beth. Tell me you trust me.”

She hesitates, but then nods. “I do trust you.” Her eyes fall on Scarlett, who is now sitting in the chair, and she scowls. “It’s her I don’t trust.”

I pull her close and kiss the side of her face. I can feel her relaxing against my touch. I want to tell her everything is okay. I want to apologize for how moody and distracted I’ve been over the last week, but I can’t find the right words.

I sigh, kissing her lips, my heart aching at the thought of being without her. I’m so far out of my depth and I have no idea how to fix everything.

“Let’s go home,” I mumble. “We’ll talk about this later, okay?”

“Fine,” she agrees. “But this is not over. Don’t think this means we won’t be talking about this.”

**

“Nothing happened, Beth. I promise you nothing happened.”

She’s been giving me the silent treatment since we got home, and while I understand why she’s upset, I wish we could just talk about it. She raises her eyebrows but says nothing as she continues to flip through the magazine she’s reading.

Angry, I storm over and rip it from her hands, tossing it across the room. She glares at me.

“What the hell is your problem?” she asks, standing up.

“I want to talk about this. You’re angry. Let’s work this out.”

“Fine. You want to talk, we’ll talk. How about we start with why you’re always working late? Then maybe we can move onto why you’ve been so damn moody. And when we’re done with that, maybe you can tell me why your so against me doing something with my career.” She throws her hands up, her usually stunning features laced with hurt and anger. “See? We have so many fucking issues we don’t even need to talk about Scarlett and Coop.”

I sit down, defeated, knowing she’s right. Our relationship is falling apart and it’s all my fault. I want so badly to just be honest with her, tell her everything and have no more secrets.

“Look, I’m going to bed. We’ll work this out, I know that.” She kisses my cheek as she walks past. “I love you, Roman.”

I love you too. More than you’ll ever know.