Cooper (The Family Simon Book 6) by Juliana Stone Page B

her brain already knew. Cooper Simon was beautiful. Every single delicious inch of him was so damn—
    A throat cleared.
    Perfect.
    Then a cough.
    And big.
    Since Morgan’s eyes were the only things that currently worked, they squeezed shut even as a voice in her brain screamed , run! How long did she stand there like an idiot with cheeks burning hot and probably as red as the apples on her kitchen table? Who knew, but it was long enough for Cooper to grab a towel, because when she finally managed to open her eyes, he was grinning at her in a way that made her insides turn to liquid. Cooper was no longer naked. A navy-blue towel sat dangerously low on his hips.
    Not that it mattered. She’d seen everything he owned.
    They looked across the landing at each other, and the longer the silence grew, the redder her face got. The redder her face got, the deeper his smile became.
    “Sorry.” How he could speak through his grin was beyond Morgan. Also? He was so not sorry.
    “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
    “I’m not embarrassed.” She was so damn embarrassed, it wasn’t funny. “I just…You had no clothes on, and that, well… That startled me.”
    Jesus, Morgan. Stop talking.
    “I thought I wouldn’t see you until Monday.”
    “Oh, I…” Morgan cleared her throat, confused. “I didn’t know I had Fridays off?”
    “Normally, you wouldn’t, but it’s Good Friday, and we chatted about it. Remember?”
    Easter weekend. Right. She’d been so distracted she’d forgotten it was early this year.
    “I’m an idiot. I forgot.” She offered a wan smile. “It’s been a weird week.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I should go.”
    “No. Don’t leave.”
    She turned back to Cooper. His expression was unreadable.
    “Sorry?” she asked lightly, unsure and a little confused.
    “You’ve made the trip out already, and I could actually use some help.” A slow smile spread across his face. “That’s if you had no other plans?”
    “No, I…” She found herself stumbling over her words. “That is, I was planning on working for the day, so…” She took a moment, because suddenly, her heart was in her throat. “What did you have in mind?”
    Cooper ran a hand through his damp hair, and she tried her best not to stare at his chest as he did so. Unlike a lot of men these days, he had chest hair. The guy was well-groomed, of course, but the sprinkling of hair made him appear that much more male. And, well, she liked that. A lot.
    “I’m having Rick and Charlie out for dinner in a few hours, and I’m running behind.” Morgan felt herself wavering. She thought of the food in the fridge. Now it all made sense.
    “I know cooking isn’t exactly part of your job description, but I meant it when I said I could use the help.”
    Morgan hesitated for all of two seconds. Sara had gone out of town—a last-minute girls’ trip to the city—and with her father home nursing a twelve-pack, she’d take a few hours out here over his company. He made it clear on most days that he preferred to be alone, and Morgan was more than fine letting him be. She could only take so much abuse.
    “Okay,” she said quietly.
    Cooper looked surprised, but then that damn smile of his lit up his face, and she found herself smiling in return.
    “Okay,” he repeated. “Good. I’ll meet you in the kitchen?” He glanced down at himself. “I should get dressed.”
    Just then, a bundle of fur came barreling out of Cooper’s bedroom, a sock hanging from its mouth. Morgan squinted. Or was that a pair of socks?
    “Stanley,” Cooper barked.
    The dog came to a sudden stop, its big head swiveling around, before spying Cooper. It took off again, shaking its head and dropping the socks as it yipped excitedly. Nails clicked on the wood floor, and the pup’s barks rose dramatically as it lunged at Cooper. If not for his reflexes, Morgan would have gotten another look at every inch of the man.
    Cooper swore and glared at the dog as he