Bittersweet Symphony (The Damaged Souls series Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

snickered. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.”
    What she didn’t know was that groan had nothing to do with the sexual innuendo and everything to do with what I knew would happen later tonight when Cooper and I were finally alone.
    The cupcake was Rebecca’s idea.
    The sexy red lingerie in the top drawer of my armoire at home was mine. There were many things I loved about my boyfriend—his hardness was definitely at the top of that ever-growing list.
    There was nothing soft about him.
    At least not when I was with him.
    Now it was my own thoughts betraying me—causing me to sigh out loud.
    “Let me guess? Your mind just checked into the gutter?”
    I nodded. “Don’t act so shocked. I’m not the one who owns prime real estate there, Miss I-Must-Describe-My-Sex-Life-In-Graphic-Detail.”
    We weaved through the bar, around tables and chairs, the boys still unaware of our approach. Whatever they were discussing had Cooper laughing, his head tilted back as he kept a firm grip on the pool cue.
    What I wouldn’t give to see that man laugh so freely all the time—like he didn’t shoulder the weight of the world.
    It was Marty who first caught sight of us, his eyes going wide the second he did. He placed the beer bottle in his hand on the side table. Words were exchanged and I inhaled.
    Show time.
    “I hope he likes this,” I whispered quickly, my gaze never leaving Cooper. Even now it made me gasp just how intensely I loved him. Sometimes it was scary because of the tiny voice in my head that reminded me what happened the last time I surrendered my heart so completely. There was always a risk whenever you opened up to another person—a sense of vulnerability that left you standing on unsteady ground, the earth tilting on its axis, keeping you off balance . . . in a good way.
    The sensation was exhilarating and addictive.
    Loving Cooper wasn’t dangerous. It was the uncertainty of the future that kept me from throwing myself fully over the edge and hurtling head first into him.
    He must’ve sensed me, that uncanny ability of his to know whenever I was close. His eyes widened as the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile, right before his gaze darted to Rebecca and recognition flooded his features. There was a brief second where I could see him visibly steel himself and his fingers tightened around the wooden stick until I worried it might snap from the pressure.
    And then just like that, he exhaled and relaxed.
    “Haaaaaapppppppyyyy,” Rebecca started and it was my turn to release a sigh of relief. She was true to her word—saving the insanely screechy tone she loved using for her early morning shower performances. “Biiiiiiirrrrrtthhhhhhday toooo yooooouuuuuu!”
    Fluttering started up again in my stomach, one of the many ways my body reacted to Cooper. While Rebecca and her singing were the center of attention to those who’d stopped what they were doing to watch, there was no mistaking I was the only one in the room judging from Cooper’s heated stare.
    I’d asked him once why he did that—why he acted as if we were the only two existing whilst surrounded by a crowd. He’d laughed and brushed it off, denying that he did, but he wasn’t the only one who could be relentless. Finally, he’d admitted I’d become his anchor—a way for him to ground himself in the situation—that I was his lighthouse and beacon. The confession had rendered me speechless for the simple fact that I hadn’t been prepared for such honesty and rawness from him.
    I’d expected some off-the-cuff remark about him imagining me naked or something—anything but the stripped down and exposed truth from his heart.
    Whatever the reason was for his focus tonight, I didn’t care. I would take it—take it all—and revel in it.
    The bar erupted into a round of noisy applause as Rebecca’s tame rendition of the birthday song came to an end. I was proud of her. It wasn’t always easy to dial down her excitement.
    “Thanks, guys.”