THANK YOU THANK YOU for all the feedback! Sorry for the delay in getting this next part up – I was away on vacation. I'm so excited every time I see one of your reviews! It keeps me going! I hope you enjoy the next part! --- Mac

CHAPTER 10

Did he just say "me"? I think he did!

Me. Me! ME! Me… oh my god, Cooper just said "me." I know what you're thinking. He just said "me", lady, get a grip. Right? But he said "me" as in he (aka "me") could pretend to be my… deep breath… boyfriend! Do you see why I'm freaking out? He will be my boyfriend. And, okay, I know it would only be pretend. But still… a single word really has never before made me so sublimely happy.

"Heather?" Cooper asks, because, you know, I've zoned out in a Jan Brady-like way in front of him. Again. Ugh. I have to get my act together if I want to convince him I could bear children that won't also constantly zone out.

I open my mouth to say the inevitable answer – an emphatic "yes!" of course – when something occurs to me. Something horrible. Something that leads me to say the single word that breaks my heart.

"No."

Cooper raises his eyebrows as something that looks almost like hurt flickers across his expression momentarily only to be replaced with a look of total confusion. He smiles sort of shyly and sticks his hands in his pockets. "The idea of being my girlfriend that awful?" he asks casually.

"What? No," I say.

Just the opposite, in fact. But I don't say that.

"You want to draw this guy out? Okay. But Coop, jealousy doesn't make this guy simply come forward and wave. It makes him kill! It did once. And if you think for one second I'm putting anyone… especially you… in that position, well you're out of your mind."

He never breaks my gaze and in his, I think he understands what I'm saying completely. He nods.

"Okay," he finally says. He leans against the counter and folds his arms across his chest. "I mean, I wasn't planning on being stupid. I just…" he trails off and looks at me squarely, a tortured expression on his face. "I came so close last time and he got away. I want him caught and as far away from you as possible. I figured, if it's my trap, then I control it when he walks into it."

He puts a hand in his hair and stares down at me, conflicted. "But okay, we'll figure a way to do this, then, that keeps us both – you and me – alive."

"That sounds like a plan," I say. "Because if you got yourself killed, I'd be really mad at you. Like unforgivably mad," I add.

He laughs softly. "I don't want that to happen," he says, walking towards me. He sits at the table. "I'll be careful."

"Good," I say. "I will too."

"Exactly what I like to hear," he says, smiling. "So… will you be my girlfriend?"

My heart starts hammering in my chest as he says in a completely playful tone – which should deflate my hopes because, let's face it, the playful tone means only one thing: he's only asking as part of a ruse – the question I've been dying to hear forever.

And… I can't help it that it makes me blush. The question, I mean. I clear my throat, though, trying to seem casual, like this is a question I get asked all the time by lots of guys.

"Um… well, what's the plan? I mean, you said we'd think of a way that keeps you alive, and I'm really kind of attached to that plan. So let's have it," I say, sitting back, trying to will my face to return to its normal color, which only seems to make it redder.

"Well, at the pool for example, no one knew anything and couldn't save that poor guy. We have Barrett and the police behind us. And this time, I'll call for backup the minute I think I need it. I won't try to save the day all on my own. I won't be stupid, Heather. Not again. And… I'm ready for him. The guy at the pool – if he was killed and it was by Tad – couldn't have defended himself from an attack he had no clue was coming."

I look down and consider it. I did want the same thing as Cooper. To draw this guy out and just get him. Put him away. The sooner the better. And jealousy really was the perfect way to do that.

I look at Cooper, at his deep blue eyes that are filled with kindness, concern and friendship. That's probably all they'll ever be filled with when looking at me. And even though I desperately want more, I'm so lucky to have him look at me that way at all. He's one of my best friends and he's outright telling me that he's willing to put himself on the line to keep me safe. The thought makes me want to cry.

I mean, how did I get so lucky? How did I end up with such amazing people in my life? Cooper, Magda, Patty and Frank and even my dad! A couple of years ago, I would've said my mom and Jordan were the solids in my life, my rocks. But here I sit, in the kitchen of Cooper's home… which he opened to me, no questions asked. And yeah, he's just told me he'll do anything basically to keep me safe. He'll pretend to be my boyfriend. He'll protect me. He'll keep me safe. He'll be there for me always.

He's the solid thing in my life. One of the only solid things. One of my best friends. The man I love.

I stare still, into those blue depths. I look at a loose curl that hangs over his forehead. He hasn't had a haircut recently. I know he's meant to but hasn't had time. But I don't want him to get one. What I want is to put my hands in it. His dark, thick hair, I mean.

I don't want him to get hurt. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him. And I really don't know how I'd be able to live with myself if something happened to him because of me.

"I don't know," I say. I shrug helplessly. "It's dangerous."

"Heather, this man has possibly killed a man. He said that you're next. If it's the same guy, then he's even crazier than he was years ago; his threats are bigger. This thing… it's already dangerous and I'm in it. I'm already in. I'm already ready to fight him the first chance I get. What you're agreeing to now is the chance to make it happen faster and for us to have more control."

I release a long, quivering breath. "You have to be careful."

"I said I would be."

"Promise me."

He pauses and looks into my eyes, and something in his softens, like he understands exactly why I'm having such a hard time. "I promise," he says.

"Then… yes," I say. "I'll be your girlfriend." I only say that last line because I'm pretty sure I'll never have another opportunity to say those exact words to him. I try to make them sound playful, like his question had been. But I'm not sure I succeed. "People won't buy it," I mutter.

"Yes they will," he says, sitting back, our intense moment over. "You live with me and honestly probably know me better than anyone."

"That doesn't mean that people will buy us as a couple. I'm the exact opposite of your type," I point out.

"What's my type?" he asks automatically, unflinching, not missing a beat.

"Tall, skinny, gorgeous neurosurgeons that can speak nine languages and swim with dolphins in their spare time," I say, images of every girl I've ever seen him with flashing across my mind, including the one we ran into earlier. "Marian," I offer, at that thought.

His face darkens a bit at the mention of her name. "Marian," he says. He looks at me. "Last year, my friend Cal set me up on a blind date with her because I was going through sort of a hard time. There was no chemistry. For me anyway. But I did try dating her a few times, just to be sure, and she seemed to think we'd make a great couple and got sort of… well, clingy. She wouldn't really leave me alone, and eventually I stopped answering her calls, which is why she's been a bit tense the last two times I ran into her."

He rolls his eyes and shakes his head and then finally looks at me again. "Everyone seems to think they know my type. But no one – and I promise you, no one – has a clue."

"But," I say carefully, "you always date the same type of girl. Whether those dates work out or not, you clearly are attracted to it. That type, I mean."

He smiles kind of sadly and shakes his head again, never breaking my gaze. "Take my word for it. It's not that simple. Any of it."

I look down, taking that in, wondering what the hell is his type, because now I'm back to square one. I have no clue what he likes! Although… I'm a little relieved – aka a lot relieved – to know that it's not one of those girls like Marian. Because that type of girl really is the exact opposite of me. It's definitely intimidating.

"Okay," I say. "But it still won't work."

"Why?" he asks.

"Coop, come on. You and I are just supposed to sell people on the idea that we're a couple. That we just up and started dating today? Out of the blue? We live together and know each other so well, sure. True. But we don't…" I start blushing again, fiercely. "We don't do relationship stuff. You say I probably know you better than anyone, but in that way, there are a lot of women that know you a heck of a lot better than I do. No one would buy it."

"I thought of that too," he says.

And now he looks uncomfortable. And… now he's turning red!

"So… Plan B?" I ask, trying to make him feel less embarrassed by changing the subject to something more comfortable.

He laughs incredulously. "You're giving up on Plan A just like that? Just because it's not easy? And when you're perfectly aware that it's the best plan we've got?"

"Well, the way I see it, we've got ourselves a little bump in the road on Plan A. It can't hurt to develop a backup."

He edges his chair closer to mine and I notice that his cheeks are still flushed with color and… he seems nervous.

I've… I've never seen Cooper nervous. And why… why is he sitting so darn close to me now? Not that I mind, I mean he's hot and he smells great. He's got that Cooper smell I could just get lost in…

"We don't need a backup," he says quietly.

Oh yeah, he's nervous. But why? We've sat closer than this watching movies. Oh god… do I smell bad? Oh man, I can't check. The way he's staring at me, he'd totally notice. Even if I was as nonchalant as I usually am about that particular matter.

"Then what do we need?" I ask.

And now, I'm not sure why, but I'm really nervous too. My heart is hammering so hard against my ribs, I'm sure it's about to bust out of my body. I have butterflies in my stomach – the kind you get when you feel like something different, something great… is about to happen to you.

"Practice," he says.

Um. He's staring at my lips. He's staring at my lips! Cooper… is staring at my lips!

And then I realize it. Something different and great is about to happen to me. I think. Maybe he just means we should practice staring at each other's lips. Maybe people in relationships do that. I don't really know. I mean, when I started dating Jordan, I was young. We just wanted to make out. And Tad's potentially a psycho, so I can't really compare him to the typical boyfriend…

"Hey," he says, calmly, taking my hand in his non-bandaged one. "You okay?"

I nod. God, I'm so much better than okay. I mean Cooper, the man of my dreams is holding my hand and staring at my lips! It's like a dream. It kind of feels like we're dating! I know if I saw him and me in a restaurant doing exactly this, I'd buy it. I'd so totally buy it.

He releases my hand and reaches his hand up to touch my cheek gently. He runs the backs of his fingers over the skin smoothly, carefully. It's barely a touch, but it sets my skin on fire. Once again, I'm completely blushing.

And I can't believe it, but my heart's actually beating faster now.

He swallows, and looks into my eyes, all that friendship and kindness I saw before shining through ten times stronger. "Can I kiss you?" he whispers.

His bandaged hand squeezes one of my hands reassuringly. And I realize… I'm going to get to kiss him! To kiss Cooper. He's asking so I'm not scared. And… and he's waiting. I'm not going to get to kiss him if I don't say something!

I open my mouth to say something great like "you never have to ask – kiss me any time you'd like, and by the way, can we just really date instead of pretend date because I know already that if my lips get to touch yours finally, I'll never be able to kiss anyone else ever again?"

But nothing comes out. So I just nod.

He runs his fingers once again over my cheek, and begins to slowly lean in. I'm paralyzed. I mean… this is Cooper!

Cooper Cartwright.

Oh my god.

He's leaning in.

He stops, though, just inches from my lips and stares into my eyes.

I breathe in and close my eyes and then, I feel it. He's kissing me. Softly. Gently. I can't breathe; I've never felt anything in the world like this moment in my life.

His mouth explores mine slowly and carefully – he's ever my sweet friend, gentle with me above all else – and I instinctively raise a hand and put it on his cheek. I feel stubble against my hand, which is such a turn on, let me tell you.

I can hear him breathing and realize something amazing. He's just as nervous as I am. And I'm nervous like a teenager. How can someone like him be that nervous too! He's a kissing expert. At least, I think he is…

… I have got to stop thinking! COOPER IS KISSING ME!

Me!

I breathe in and edge just a little closer to him, and he puts his hands around my waist, deepening the kiss, moving past those gentle initial explorations into something more passionate.

But after only a few fantastic moments of that, he pulls away, staring down, his breathing erratic. He's not breathing hard, exactly, like I am… he's just… breathing in a totally sexy way.

"Oh god," he says under his breath.

I feel something inside me sink. "You didn't… was it bad?" I ask.

He looks up at me, clearly shocked. "What?"

"You said 'oh god'," I point out. "I'm sorry… I'm really not too experienced with all of this," I stammer nervously.

"Did you get the impression… at all… that I thought that was bad?"

I blush. Yes, again. "No, but… you were acting."

"Just because we're pretending doesn't mean that I'm a good actor," he says.

He stares at the floor, looking… shocked almost. Floored, even. And… something else that I can't put my finger on.

Before I can say another word, the doorbell rings.

I follow Cooper in a daze, thinking about those words. Trying not to fall over from the weakness in my knees from that totally exhilarating kiss.

I touch my lips, and realize that they're tingling and numb… yes, actually numb!

And despite the fact that we're only doing this because there's a jealous killer that wants me dead out there, I'm so completely happy right now.

Cooper stops before he answers the door and puts a hand through his hair and looks at me. His face is still completely flushed and only worsens when our eyes lock.

He answers the door. It's Barrett.

He's holding an envelope addressed to me… in magazine letters.

"Found this at your door," he says. "And—"

He breaks off and looks from Cooper to me, a tiny smirk forming. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," we both say. Too quickly.

"You were saying something?" Cooper says to Barrett, ushering him inside, and taking the envelope out of his hands. He hands it to me.

"Right," Barrett says, taking a seat.

I begin to open the envelope.

"I did that search on this guy Tad—"

I pull the new note out of the envelope, conscious of Cooper's eyes on me as I read it.

"—he's not—"

"Oh my god," I say, staring at the note, interrupting Barrett.

Both men look at me. And for once in the last hour, I don't blush.

I turn ghostly pale.