Because Of Cooper Read online

  His pulse spiked.

  Erin shivered.

  Cool it, Cooper.

  He slid his arm inside, flipped the lock and opened the door in one quick sweep. By the time Erin blinked, he was already seated beside her.

  He frowned. “Josiah, let’s get a move on. Erin’s in a hurry.”

  “Yes, sah.”

  The car started. Cooper rolled the window up and turned the buttons that fed air conditioning to the back seat all the way. Even as cold air blasted his body, Cooper was way too hot.

  He heard rustling and glanced over to find Erin running her hands over her bare arms. “Cooper, it’s freezing.”

  His eyes locked on her mouth again. Was it? He didn’t feel anything. In fact, he might as well be sitting on the beach it was so damn hot.

  Cooper dragged his duffel bag into his lap and rifled through it. Finally, he pulled out a hoodie and offered it to Erin.

  She eyed it warily. “What is it?”

  “What does it look like? A jacket.”

  “I don’t want your jacket. I want you to turn the air conditioner off.”

  Cooper reached out, grabbed one of her hands and planted the hoodie in her palms. “Wear it for now.”

  “No thanks.” She flung it back at him.

  It caught him in the face.

  Erin did not apologize.

  The hoodie fell on its own accord. Cooper let out a calming breath. “Your shirt… it’s got a tear in the back.”

  “What?” Her eyes widened. Erin twisted around and pulled on her shirt to see the tear, ripping the fabric further. “It must have happened when that guy bumped into me.”

  “You can buy another T-shirt at school. Wear that until then.”

  Erin opened her mouth, probably to argue with him. In the end, she undid the zipper and slid her hands through his jacket.

  The sleeves swallowed her arms. Cooper blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected Erin to be that small. She’d seemed so much taller in his memories.

  “I’m only accepting this because I have to,” she grumbled.

  Cooper turned away from her and stared out the window as his heart twitched. The past ten minutes had confirmed it. He was still not over Erin Marshall.

  What was he going to do about that?

  4 Erin

  Erin stormed out of Cooper’s SUV and slammed the door shut. She instantly regretted her burst of temper when Cooper’s driver sent a distressed look at the back door.

  Too embarrassed to apologize, she simply nodded at him and took off across the quad.

  Her chest thumped with every step. Cooper’s scent—it was definitely something mixed with sandalwood—flared in her nostrils. She hated herself for enjoying it.

  What is wrong with me?

  Erin figured she was suffering from some type of mental breakdown. She missed Iris already, and the fact that she wouldn’t see her again for the next three months made her latch onto the first familiar face.

  Temporary insanity. That explained why, when Cooper leaned in through the car window, Erin had felt a moment of inexplicable attraction.

  His golden eyes had locked on hers. Wouldn’t let her go. The moment his gaze dipped to her lips, her mouth had parted. Erin thought he was going to kiss her and she would have let him.

  Which was crazy.

  She had to get away. Had to pull her head out of the clouds and plant her feet in reality. Cooper Lawson was the monster who made her last few years in primary school a living hell.

  She would never allow herself to be attracted to him.

  “First things first,” she mumbled. “I need to get out of this hoodie.”

  Wearing Cooper’s jacket was like walking around in his embrace. The sooner she got out of it, the better.

  Erin’s gaze scanned her surroundings. The Balen University campus was filled with swaying coconut trees and perfectly groomed hibiscus bushes. Golden sunshine doused the green lawn, turning it into a waving sea of emerald.

  Students streamed through the cobble-stoned paths. Their chatter mingled with the quiet twitter of birds in flight and the song of the wind as it raked the tree leaves.

  She’d visited Balen U a couple times before so Erin walked confidently towards the back of the campus where she could, hopefully, purchase a school T-shirt to wear and fling Cooper’s jacket in the trash.

  Or maybe burn it.

  Yeah, she’d burn it.

  “Hey!” A voice travelled down the path. “Hey!”

  Erin glanced up and noticed a slim girl with dark brown skin waving at her. Her foot scraped the cobblestone as she paused and hooked a finger in her shirt. “Me?”

  The girl’s smile grew larger and she nodded. Her long, box braids flailed behind her like a black coat. She wore a pink, off-the-shoulder blouse and tight jeans.

  When she drew nearer, Erin gasped in recognition. “Kay? Kay!” Excitement skittered through her. One arm raised to return Kay’s enthusiastic greeting.

  She hadn’t been close to Kay in primary school. Unfortunately, Kay’s crush on Cooper made Erin question her standards. After graduation, they attended the same high school, but Kay didn’t run in Erin’s circles.

  Now that Iris wasn’t around, Erin didn’t have a ‘circle’, and she was open to making new friends.

  Why is she so happy to see me?

  Feeling like she should at least return half of Kay’s enthusiasm, Erin bounced on the tips of her feet and swiped her arms from side to side like a windshield wiper.

  There. That was a move that said, I want to be friends.

  “Cooper!” Kay screamed.

  Cooper?

  Erin’s arm froze. Her gaze tracked Kay’s face as she ran in front of her. Then beside her. Then past her, all without acknowledging Erin once.

  Her arm shriveled back to her side. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. The students who’d caught the whole thing snickered and pointed at her. Erin’s fingers tiptoed up the strap of her purse and clutched it tight. Her nostrils flared.

  Cooper.

  A slight turn of her head allowed Erin to spy on the couple behind her. Kay stood in front of Cooper, but the jerk wasn’t watching Kay. He was staring at her with one side of his lips curled up in amusement.

  He’d probably seen her getting snubbed.

  With a groan of frustration, Erin charged away from them. She kept her head down and her gaze on the stones at her feet.

  What a fantastic way to start off freshman year.

  Erin noticed a tent in the distance and headed there. Two enormous black speakers were mounted on a plain, wooden podium. The latest dancehall and soca tracks blared, rattling the air. Streamers and balloons were taped to the benches scattered beneath the tent.

  Erin spotted Peggy flitting between the stage and a desk that read ‘Freshmen Welcome’. A relieved sigh flew past her lips.

  Her bossy sister could be a pain but, right now, Erin needed somewhere to cool her feet and lick her emotional Cooper-inflicted wounds.

  Peggy glanced up and locked eyes with her. When her sister waved, Erin smiled. Now that greeting was meant for her.

  She trotted toward the desk and plopped on the edge of it. “I’m here. Where’s my medal?”

  “You were supposed to be here an hour ago. You’re lucky I’m not putting you on the black list.” Peggy’s blue eyes narrowed on her jacket. “Rin, it’s like a million degrees right now. Why are you wearing a jacket?”

  “A million degrees?” A guy with shiny black hair, black eyes and a thin mouth rose and slipped his arm around Peggy’s waist. “I don’t think that’s right.”

  Erin’s jaw dropped when, instead of stuffing her fist in the guy’s face, Peggy giggled. “Babe, stop. We’re in public.”

  ‘Babe’ removed his arms and winked at Erin. “Who’s this?”

  “I’m her sister. Who are you?”

  “Erin,” Peggy gestured to her side, “this is my boyfriend, Vinnie.”

  “Vinnie? What kind of name is th
at?”

  “It’s Latin,” Vinnie said with an arrogant toss of his head. “Means conqueror.”

  “Okay… then.”

  Peggy swatted at her arm. “Be nice.”

  “Since when did you have a boyfriend?”

  Vinnie snorted and turned to Peggy. “Since when did you have a black sister?”

  Was Peggy crazy? What did she see in this guy?

  Erin raked her gaze down Vinnie’s frame. He was muscular—the kind that meant he spent hours in the gym. His shirt and pants were designer. His sneakers didn’t have so much as a scuff on them.

  How was that even possible? Did he cover his shoes with garbage bags before walking around?

  Noticing her perusal, Vinnie gave her a sleazy smile. Erin almost gagged.

  Disgusting.

  “Guys, you just met two minutes ago.” Peggy clutched a stack of papers from the desk and pinned Erin with a scolding look. “Could you try not to fight?”

  “Why are you looking at me?”

  Vinnie smirked. “Babe, when you said your sister was adopted I didn’t expect… this.”

  This? So she was a ‘this’ now?

  Erin clamped hard on her lips and struggled to keep her temper in check. First impressions were important to her, but they weren’t everything. Maybe Vinnie would turn out to be a sweet, sensitive guy in the future.

  Or not.

  She highly doubted it.

  “Erin joined our family when I was eleven. We spent half of our lives together. We’re very close,” Peggy said.

  Vinnie flicked an eyebrow. “Is that right?”

  “Anyway,” Peggy waved Vinnie back so she could pull her legs out of the bench, “you never answered my question. Why are you wearing a hoodie in this weather?”

  “It’s a long story. Do you have an extra shirt here by chance?”

  “No, but you can buy one from that booth.” Peggy pointed to a table on the other end of the strip.

  Erin groaned. “It’s so far away.”

  “I’ll get it for you,” Vinnie said.

  Erin stiffened. “Why would you do that?”

  “A sister of Peggy’s is a sister of mine.” His black eyes fell over her shoulders and lingered on her chest. “I’d say you’re a size small.”

  “I prefer a medium.” Erin threw her arms over her stomach to hide her body from view.

  Vinnie grinned as if he knew what she was doing.

  Peggy, blissfully ignorant to the heated undercurrents between her boyfriend and sister, laughed. “Erin likes to wear baggy T-shirts. I tell her all the time that she should show her body off. I wish I had a chest like that.”

  “That’s enough.” Erin grabbed Peggy’s elbow. She didn’t want to discuss her breasts in front of Vinnie. He already looked like enough of a slime ball.

  “Geez, you’re sweating like a pig.” Peggy wiped Erin’s forehead with her hand. “Vinnie, hurry up and buy that shirt. I’ll pay you back later.”

  The way her big sister winked told Erin she wasn’t necessarily talking about money.

  Ew. Gross.

  Erin frowned at Vinnie’s back as he walked away from their table. The moment he was out of ear shot, she whirled on Peggy. “Does Mom and Dad know about this?”

  Peggy rearranged her clipboards. “About what?”

  “Don’t play innocent. If you have to hide Vinnie from them, why are you dating him in the first place?”

  “He’s a little rough around the edges,” Peggy admitted. “But he’s got a good heart. I really like this guy, and I don’t want Mom and Dad to get in my head.”

  Erin snorted. “You mean you don’t want to hear the truth.”

  “Stop.” Peggy lifted a hand. “If you don’t like Vinnie, fine. But can’t you at least try to see the good in him. For me?”

  “Fine,” Erin grumbled.

  Peggy’s smile made her entire face light up. She was a beautiful girl with flawless ivory skin and billowing blonde hair.

  Growing up, Erin used to be jealous of her sister’s ethereal look. Puberty took a bat to Erin and her self-esteem. Acne did her so bad, she practically lived at the dermatologist all during high school. Her skin had only recently started getting better.

  Most of the time, Erin still felt like that shy girl with the bumpy face.

  Peggy, on the other hand, could never understand her struggle. No blemish dared mar her perfect face. She was graceful, classy and socially conscious. Erin’s spiel at the Sleeping Beauty play rehearsal was inspired by her.

  “Did you send off Iris well?” Peggy asked.

  Erin shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Uh, yeah.”

  “Peggy!” A girl Erin recognized from the Student Council picture on the university’s homepage gestured wildly. “We need you.”

  “Duty calls.” Peggy tapped her shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll be here.” Erin watched her sister trot off. When Peggy had disappeared around the corner, she sank to the bench and flapped the front of her jacket.

  Thanks to Cooper’s insane urge to freeze her behind off in his car, she’d zipped the hoodie all the way. Now the heat was so constricting she just wanted to toss it off.

  Before she could, Erin heard footsteps. She spun and found Vinnie approaching with a red shirt. Balen University’s logo was stamped on the front of it.

  Erin eyed the shirt suspiciously. It looked a little too small, but she couldn’t be sure from this distance.

  Finally, Vinnie stopped in front of her and offered the blouse. “Sorry. I know you wanted a medium but this was the only size they had left.”

  Erin stood and accepted the shirt from him. She unfolded it and watched as it flapped in the wind. How exactly did Vinnie expect her to fit in this? Her chest would be straining against the material. If she could even pull it down.

  An eyebrow arched. “I’ll go exchange it for another style.”

  Vinnie stepped in her way. “That’s the only one they had in the lady’s section.”

  “Then I’ll get one from the guy’s section,” Erin snapped.

  “Relax, Erin.” Vinnie chuckled. He reached out and clutched her hoodie’s zipper.

  Erin’s eyes bugged when he started to pull it slowly down. Her eyes flitted from his large hands to his face. “What are you doing? Get off.”

  “I’m helping you out.”

  Erin swatted his hand away. “I don’t need your help.”

  “Come on.” Vinnie reached out to tug her zipper down further. “Don’t be nervous.”

  “Hey!” Erin clutched her jacket. “Stop.”

  “Drop your hands,” a familiar voice rumbled. “Before I do it for you.”

  Erin stiffened.

  She knew that voice.

  Cooper.

  5 Cooper

  “Who the hell are you?” The Arnold Schwarzenegger wanna-be whirled toward him. His black eyes bulged and his thin lips pulled into a hard line. Cooper could smell the sleaze on this guy from a million miles away.

  He wore flashy clothes and brand-name shoes to show the world that he meant something. That he mattered. He was the type who thought wealth exempted him from life’s consequences.

  Like Dad.

  Cooper gritted his teeth and glanced at Erin. She dug her fingers into his jacket, her gaze on the surface of the bench. Her brown skin glistened with sweat, whether from her fear or from the heat of the day, he couldn’t tell. Her curly hair lifted in the breeze.

  “Are you alright?” he asked quietly.

  “Of course she is!”

  Cooper flicked his eyes up and pinned the guy with a hard look. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

  He fell silent.

  “Erin?” Cooper said.

  “I’m okay.”

  Cooper straightened, satisfied with her answer for now. He jerked his chin in the guy’s direction. “What’s your name?”

  “Vinnie Fernando.”

  “Well, Vinnie,” Cooper stepped around the bench so he
could walk closer, “my name is Cooper Lawson and that jacket—” He pointed to Erin—“is mine. If I ever see you harassing it again, I won’t be this gentle.” He reached out and smoothed Vinnie’s collar. “Understood?”

  Vinnie cursed. “Erin, do you know this guy?”

  “I’m waiting for an answer,” Cooper said, digging his fingers into Vinnie’s shoulder.

  Vinnie’s knees buckled and he spit, “You’re dead meat, Lawson.”

  “Try me.” Cooper released Vinnie and stepped back. He brushed his shirt down and mumbled, “That’s my favorite jacket and now I have to toss it because you put your grimy hands on it.”

  Vinnie lifted his chin and squared his shoulders. “You think you’re such a tough guy? You wanna try me?”

  Cooper smiled as he clenched his fist. He wouldn’t hit first, but he was ready to defend himself if Vinnie started something.

  The tension in the air mounted.

  “Stop it.” Erin slipped between the two of them. She was on the taller side, but her head barely brushed his chest as she turned toward him. “This is my sister’s boyfriend.”

  So what? He got a pass for making her uncomfortable? Cooper didn’t know those rules existed.

  “And you!” Erin spun and pointed at Vinnie. “I don’t need your help to change out of my clothes. I’m going to assume your intentions were pure, but if you try something like that again, I’ll chop your arm off myself.”

  Vinnie’s eyes flickered to Cooper who was staring him down with deadly intent. He chuckled nervously and flashed a grin at Erin. “Geez, girl. I was just messing around. You don’t have to get so intense.”

  Erin grabbed the T-shirt and stormed away without a backward glance.

  Vinnie chuckled and playfully punched his arm. “Women, right?”

  Cooper glared at him. “Don’t touch me.”

  Vinnie’s smile dimmed. He rubbed the back of his neck. “You into Erin or something?”

  “Or something.” Cooper turned away, his eyes squinting against the fierce Caribbean sunshine.

  A woman caught his eye. She barreled down the thin path, her braids clacking behind her back. She wore a filmy pink shirt and tight blue jeans. Cooper stiffened and ducked his head to shade his face from view.