Page 46 of Broken Heart
I grinned. “I thought it was fitting.”
“If only I had known who was on the other side of that door,” he teased.
When I’d agreed to join Cooper in celebrating his birthday, I knew I had wanted to get him something as a token of my appreciation for how he’d helped me. But I didn’t want it to feel like a gift that was in any way connected to Simon or Maria. So, when I’d finally settled on the pocketknife for the reason I’d just shared with him, I chose to have it engraved with four words that would remind him of how we met—Next time, just knock.
I thought it was a fun way to incorporate our first encounter with one another, and I liked to think that even if things didn’t progress with us to the point he’d been hoping they would, Cooper would always have something to remember me.
“I’m glad you like it.”
Cooper took the knife, slid it into his pocket, and jerked his head back toward the island. “Is one of those for me?”
I pressed my lips together and nodded. “Yes. I assume your family is going to be having dinner at this party for you, so if you’d rather wait to have this, it’s okay.”
He shook his head. “No way. Cupcakes are always better when you have them before the entrée. What I really want to know right now is whether I can expect you to sing for me?”
Shaking my head, I shared, “I’m not that bold. I might be able to eat, cook, or read books like it’s nobody’s business, but I don’t sing when someone else can hear me.”
His lips twitched. “Why not?”
“I do not have a singing voice.”
“I don’t believe that. You have such a sweet speaking voice,” he reasoned, as though that would mean I could carry a tune.
I continued to shake my head. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I can’t sing on my own. But I do promise if everyone else sings to you later today, I will happily join in.”
“Do you promise?”
I picked up both cupcakes, handed one to him, and stated, “I promise.”
“Alright. So, what flavor are these cupcakes?” he asked.
I sighed. “As much as I wish I could say they are something particularly fancy, they’re standard chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting. They probably won’t hold a candle to what you’re used to, if your sister is on her way to being a professional baker, but I wanted to do something special.”
The look that washed over Cooper’s face told me he appreciated my effort, and his response was nothing less than I’d come to expect from him. “I have a feeling they’re going to be the best chocolate cupcakes I’ve ever tasted.”
I batted my eyelashes and sent a shy smile in his direction. “You’re flattering me again, Cooper.”
“I know. It’s intentional.”
Following a few beats of tension and lust-filled silence, Cooper and I peeled the wrappers from our cupcakes. Once more, I said, “Happy birthday.”
The next thing I knew, I was watching as he sunk his teeth into the cupcake just the same as me. But I was doing that while listening and forcing myself not to react as he moaned.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t hold myself back.
After swallowing my bite, I murmured, “And I thought I enjoyed food.”
“Sorry. This is delicious.”
“I’ve got a whole bunch of them made for you to take home with you later tonight. I was going to bring them to the celebration at your parents’ place today, but I figured they wouldn’t compare to whatever your family would already have for you,” I explained.
Cooper swallowed another bite, two-thirds of his cupcake already gone, and said, “They would have been very well received at the party, but I think I want to keep them for myself, if that’s okay.”
“It’s okay with me. I made them for you.”
“Perfect. Let’s keep them here, and I’ll get them when I bring you back here later tonight,” he suggested.
We finished up our cupcakes, with me needing to take a few extra bites and ultimately offering Cooper my last bite, before I gathered up my things so we could leave.