Trials and Tiaras (Untouchable #7) - Heather Long Page 0,6
promised. “Another couple of hours before they land. So we’ll be back well before then.”
The hint of tension around her eyes eased again, and she nodded before slipping inside. The second the door closed, I snapped a hand out and caught the pillow Coop flung at me.
“Are you for real right now? Or humoring her?”
“I don’t know,” I told him honestly before flinging the pillow back. “Get dressed, and we’ll figure out. Right now, she’s the priority.”
He studied me for a beat. “Don’t make yourself. If you aren’t comfortable, just don’t. Jake and I don’t care. I think it’s hot when he’s all over her, and it’s the same for him with me. So…if it makes you crazy, just tease her and I can always take a walk or you can.”
“You don’t even want to go for a run.”
With a snort, he flipped me off. “Fuck no. But I guess I have to now.” He pulled the covers up on the bed and headed over to grab some sweatpants. I was pretty sure those were Jake’s. But we’d all ended up in each other’s shit at this point.
“It’ll be good for you,” I said, and he flipped me off as he dug into the laundry basket for a clean sweatshirt.
Fifteen minutes later, and both of them were in sweats and sweatshirts. Frankie had on one of Archie’s, and I appreciated that. Her worry over this whole scenario resurfaced at every mention, and he’d barely been able to take his eyes off of her. When she wasn’t around though, he fucking seethed, and I had to hope Jake could make sure he didn’t explode while he was gone.
She had her phone in her hand and checked it.
“They’re still in the air,” I reminded her, and she made a face.
“I know, I’m…”
“We get it,” Coop said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back against his chest. “We’re worried too. Well, Bubba is. Me, I’m still thinking about whether I can convince you both that sex would be a way better workout.”
One sharp jab of her elbow elicited a comical if exaggerated ‘oof’ from him as a real smile flitted across her face. “Stop teasing Ian. It’s not nice.”
“It’s fine, Angel,” I assured her, and that earned me a solid blink. “It doesn’t bother me in the slightest.” It didn’t. The teasing anyway. Whether the rest of it would…I wasn’t entirely sure, but the kneejerk reaction to just say no wasn’t there, so maybe? Maybe not?
“Really?” Interest flashed in her eyes and she bit her lower lip, and if I wasn’t already a little curious about testing those boundaries, I absolutely would be now.
“Really. Now, let’s move that beautiful ass of yours and, Coop, you really can sit this out, man, if you don’t think you can keep up.”
“Fuck you, Bubba,” he told me cheerfully, and she grinned again, yet the moment she turned her back, he shot me a thumbs up and I nodded. First level of distraction achieved.
Archie, Jake, and I had mapped a few runs from Frankie’s place at this point. If it were warmer, I’d have suggested we drive to the lake. As it was, there was an old bike trail about a quarter of a mile from the apartments, and it would be a good run, away from traffic but on solid surface.
I led the way at a walk, since I wanted to warm them up first. The fact Coop kept up a steady litany of complaints was hilarious. Sometimes, I wondered if he did it on purpose to distract her from any discomfort, or if he was so used to finding a way to make her smile, it just happened. Because Frankie didn’t complain once, but her smile grew a little wider with every step.
Once on the trail, we started off slow, and despite all his bitching, Coop had no trouble keeping up. Course, when the pair of class clowns started hamming it up, I was torn between interceding and letting them wear each other out. As it was, they managed a respectable two miles, a mile out and a mile back, but the last half-mile, Frankie walked with one hand against her side and panting.
“I remembered why I don’t do this,” she commented, and I grinned.
“You did great,” I promised her. “Coop on the other hand…”
He rolled his eyes and flipped me the middle finger, but Frankie laughed aloud, and that was worth just about any insult.