Ivy (Corked and Tapped Book 7) Read online

  She sipped her wine. That was sad. She loved the production department. “If you could be anything in the world, what would it be?”

  He took another drink and met her gaze. “You really want to know?”

  “Yes.” She stood taller.

  “An artist.”

  Her eyes widened. “Like painting?”

  “Or sketching or drawing. All of that.”

  “Why didn’t you pursue that instead?”

  “You haven’t met my father. He thought I should choose a more lucrative career. Art is a hobby.” Cooper arranged his face in a serious expression, making it clear he was about to imitate his dad. “Son, one day you’re going to thank me for this. You need a solid job. You can paint on the side if you enjoy it, but there is no money in art.”

  Ivy sobered and set her glass down. “Ouch. I’m so sorry.” She set a hand on his arm, her first intentional contact. “That sucks.”

  He shrugged. “I’ll live.”

  “Yeah, but you’re bored.”

  He forced a grin. “I know he means well and all, and maybe he’s even right, but I’m stubborn. I like to think my art is appealing and worthwhile.”

  Ivy stared at him. Thank God her parents hadn’t pushed her to do something she wasn’t interested in. She wasn’t sure if she would have responded well to that anyway. She had enough problems in her teenage years. If her parents hadn’t been supportive, she wasn’t sure what might have happened. “What about your mother?”

  “She died when I was young. I don’t even remember her.”

  Ivy rubbed a hand up and down his biceps. “Again. I’m sorry.”

  He shrugged. “It’s hard to mourn something you never really had.” Cooper physically shook the melancholy away. He finished his wine and set the glass down. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to put a damper on the evening. That is not how I start most dates.”

  Ah, so he does see this as a date. “No problem. I asked. You were just being honest. My fault. I’d like to see some of your art some time. Please tell me you at least still paint on the side.”

  He nodded. “I do. I have a studio in my spare bedroom. I spend my free time doing what I love.” Cooper turned to face the bar, setting both elbows on the edge. He could have seemed uninterested and closed off, but in fact he was facing her and his arm was pressing against hers.

  She searched his gaze. “There’s something mysterious about you.”

  “Mmm. Why do you say that?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it.”

  He cocked his head to one side and wiggled his brows. “I have my secrets. You’re not wrong.”

  She leaned into his arm harder. “Are you going to share them?”

  “We’ll see how the night goes.”

  “Ooh. Interesting. I like it.”

  “Not nearly that interesting. Don’t forget. I’m a nice guy. My boring secrets are not that exciting.”

  “Hmm. Boring secrets… My curiosity is piqued.”

  “Do you like to dance?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “I can dance.” She glanced around. There was music playing, but no one was dancing.

  He nodded toward the main bar. “There’s a band in there. I bet we could sneak out and no one would notice.”

  “I like this plan.”

  He shoved off the bar and took her hand in his. “We better check on our friends after that intense kiss we witnessed.”

  “Agreed.” Ivy was stunned at how close Rose was standing to Dylan. As far as Ivy knew, Rose had never once done anything so brazen in her life. Judging by the look on her face, this was a good thing.

  Chapter 3

  The main bar was crowded and much louder than the private party. Cooper still held her hand in his, their fingers lightly intertwined. It felt good. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone on a date when the guy didn’t try to maul her almost instantly.

  Something about her seemed to drag the worst out of men. There was no way to conceal her larger boobs no matter what she wore, for one. In addition, men seemed fond of her hair too. She knew she had a pretty face and full lips because people told her.

  Confidence was a tough thing to build, though, and she struggled with it every day. However, she never appreciated being treated like an object, and that alone was the reason every single date had been one and done. Usually a half and done.

  This date with Cooper—and yes, she was now certain it could officially be called a date—was unlike any other. She liked the direction it was going.

  Cooper pulled her closer and leaned in to speak in her ear. “Do you want to get a drink first?”

  She shook her head but reached for his neck and rose up on tiptoes to answer in his ear. It was too noisy for either of them to hear well otherwise. “No. But let’s get one and share it because I want to get a better look at the Phantom of the Opera over there.” She nodded toward the far end of the bar where she’d spotted the masked man.

  He lifted a brow and switched positions with her. “We just got here, and you’re already interested in another guy. I’m totally losing my touch.” His voice was half joking, half curious.

  She realized she hadn’t given him enough information. “Hardly. Maddie has her eye on the mysterious stranger. I just want to check him out, make sure she doesn’t end up with a loser.”

  Cooper nodded. “Ah. Got it. I’m on it.” He threaded his fingers with hers again and made his way through the crowd toward that end of the bar. There weren’t any spots to easily sidle up directly anyway, so it worked out perfectly.

  Ivy warmed even further to Cooper when he tapped the Phantom on the shoulder and said, “Can you order me a glass of Merlot when the bartender returns?” Now that they weren’t standing quite as close to the band, it was easier to hear.

  The man nodded. “Sure. Domestic or imported?”

  “Domestic is fine. Thanks, man. Appreciate it.” Cooper pulled a ten out of a pocket on his toga and handed it to the Phantom. “Love the costume. Best Phantom mask hands down.”

  The man smiled. “Thanks. Took me a damn long time to find the right one.”

  “The right one? Why? Are you in disguise for someone?” Cooper intentionally joked.

  “Yep. And it’s working too. She has no idea who I am, but she keeps coming back to stand next to me and order a drink.”

  Cooper’s eyes twinkled. “Ah, so you know this woman?”

  “Yep. I’ve known her for a long time. Don’t know why I waited to make my move.”

  “And does she return this sentiment?”

  “God, I hope so. If not, my sister is in a heap of trouble.” The Phantom took a sip of his beer.

  Ivy stared at Cooper. She was impressed. There is no way she could have gotten that much information out of this man Maddie had her sights on. Now she knew two things. Maddie’s Phantom was a good guy who’d wanted to go out with her for a long time. That was a relief. And two, Cooper was a genius. He’d worked every angle to get information out of the Phantom and succeeded.

  The wine finally arrived, and Cooper thanked the Phantom again before leading her away. “Get what you wanted?”

  “And then some. Thank you.”

  “You going to tell Maddie?”

  “Hell, no. She’s in good hands. I’ll let the Phantom work his magic. I’m dying to know who his sister is, though. Shit, that’s juicy.”

  Cooper chuckled. “The office gossip is going to be torrential on Monday.” He took his first sip of the wine, nodded approvingly, and handed it to her. “It’s good.”

  Another chink of nervousness broke away. Cooper had no idea how endearing he was. It came naturally. What man had she ever dated who would have tasted the wine first to make sure it wasn’t vinegary?

  What kind of man would walk up to a stranger without a single hesitation and check him out for a friend? Cooper apparently. And Ivy liked it.

  He led her to a wall near the back hallway and leaned his butt against it. Still h
olding her hand, he used his other one to take a sip from the glass without taking it from her. He simply tipped it with his free hand, his face leaning in close to hers.

  It was intimate and sexy.

  She shivered.

  He still seemed oblivious to his charm. “Are you worried about Rose? You said she’s usually shy.”

  “Should I be? Dylan is your friend, right?”

  “He is. And there’s nothing to worry about with him. I promise. He’s been talking about her for months.”

  “Does he by any chance send her roses?”

  Cooper chuckled. “Yes. Does she think it’s cute or creepy?”

  “Well, she acts like she thinks it’s creepy, but I’ve had my doubts. I think it’s sweet. I’ve told her so many times. Like a secret admirer. Besides, it looked to me like she was into him, so I guess it worked out.”

  “I can’t wait to hear how the hell they ended up in that deep kiss as soon as he approached her.”

  “You have no idea how out of character that is for her,” Ivy responded.

  “More Monday morning gossip. How will anyone get any work done?”

  Ivy smiled at him, wondering if there was any chance by the end of the night she and Cooper might also contribute to the Monday morning gossip chain. For the first time in ages, she was really interested in someone.

  And coincidentally, for the first time in ages, her date was not pawing her all over, trying to cop a feel every five seconds. Ironic? Or perhaps the fact that he wasn’t trying so hard was what made him so attractive.

  Chapter 4

  They finished the glass of wine, and Cooper found a tray to set it on. “The band is awesome. I know it’s crowded on the dance floor, but shall we try to find a spot?”

  That was the reason they came to this room. “Yep.”

  Again, he loosely held her hand as he led her through the throng of people. He managed to squeeze them in between a dragon and a ghost, and then he surprised her. Ignoring the fast pace of the song, he set his hands on her hips and pulled her in closer.

  She didn’t even hesitate. This was right.

  It felt good being in his arms. Better than any date in recent history. Granted, the competition was not stiff since nearly every man she’d been out with in the last year had been lucky to escape without a fat lip.

  Even though Cooper was finally touching more than just her hands, he didn’t let his palms wander up to cup her boobs or down to squeeze her ass. When his fingers spread, they landed on the small of her back.

  She tipped her head back to meet his gaze. “I like a man who can dance.”

  He chuckled. “I’m a horrible dancer. We aren’t even on the beat. Your standards are pretty low if you call this dancing.”

  “Okay, let me rephrase. I like a man who’s willing to dance and not be worried about other people judging him. Or,” she lifted one hand from where it rested on his chest to hold it up for emphasis, “worse is when a man thinks he can dance, but really he’s just making a total fool out of himself in front of the entire room.”

  “You’re saying I’m not in that last category?”

  “Not even close.” Suddenly the fast beat ended and the band switched to a slower song. The vibe in the room went down a notch as couples crowded the floor and singles walked off.

  Cooper slowed down their sway, easing his hands up her back under the blue tulle.

  Ivy smoothed her palms up his back too, wading through the material of the toga, which was basically a white sheet artfully draped around his body and over his shoulder. “You’ll warn me if my dress slides down and exposes too much boob right?”

  He snickered. “Hmmm. Let me think about that one.”

  She swatted his back playfully. “I can’t continue to look up at you if I have to worry about the front of my dress.”

  “Fine,” he fake groaned. “If I notice.”

  She swatted him again. “As if.” She had no idea why she was engaging him in a discussion about her chest. Testing him?

  “How am I supposed to know? You said yourself you appreciated that I kept my gaze on your face.”

  “Uh-huh. And you said you weren’t dead and that your peripheral vision is working fine.”

  He laughed. If she was subconsciously testing him, he passed.

  Now would have been the perfect moment for him to kiss her, but he didn’t. Instead, he slid his hand onto the back of her neck and pressed her cheek against his chest. This was also nice.

  He was nice.

  He turned her about a quarter to the left, and then dipped his face to whisper in her ear. “Maddie is at the bar talking to the Phantom.”

  Ivy lifted her head as he spun her back the other way so she could see. Sure enough, the Phantom was handing Maddie an amaretto sour, and Maddie was leaning into him, saying something and smiling widely. Good. She deserved some fun.

  “I wonder if her best friend, Clara, had anything to do with this,” Ivy commented.

  “Which one is Clara? What is she dressed as?”

  “Sandy from Grease. I saw her at the bar earlier.”

  “Ah, yes. She was with Landon. I don’t know if she had anything to do with the Phantom, but I saw the two of them leave together.”

  Ivy tipped her head back again, shocked. “Clara and Landon? Mind-boggling. How could Maddie manage to match up so many people?”

  “No idea, but apparently she’s good at it. Dylan didn’t even have a beer in his hand. He must have really been blown away after that kiss since he hadn’t made it to the bar yet.”

  “Rose doesn’t drink. Maybe he was being chivalrous in front of her?”

  “How very noble of him.”

  “What about you? You ordered the same thing as me. How do I know if you even like red wine? Maybe you just wanted me to think you did.”

  He gave a deep conniving chuckle. “My plan is working.”

  She loved how his face crinkled when he laughed. She loved how he looked at her like no one else was in the room. She loved how his hands were absently stroking her back.

  She had never wanted a man to kiss her this badly in her life. And yet, he made no move to do so. Should she? Was there any doubt on his part she was into him?

  No. She would wait. Patience. They were having a wonderful time. He would make a move if he wanted. If not, she wouldn’t have made a fool out of herself. Besides, how far was she willing to go with him? It had been a while since she made it past first base, and getting naked with a man still made her nervous, even after years of therapy to fix her body image issues.

  They danced through three more songs, some faster, some slower. All the while, Cooper kept up easy conversation about Jacoby Advertising and her job in production, which was apparently more interesting than his, and her hobbies.

  Finally, their conversation veered back to his art. “I want to see your work.”

  He hesitated. “You mean like now?”

  She shrugged. “Why not? Do you have anyplace else you need to be?” Was she being pushy putting herself out there like this? She wanted him to take her to his apartment. The feeling was rare. She needed to grab onto it. Hopefully he realized even though that was forward of her, it wasn’t something she did often.

  “Nope. We can do that, but you have to promise to pretend you love my work even if you hate it. I don’t show many people. It’s been a long time since I’ve let anyone into that side of my world.”

  “I promise to lie,” she teased. “But the only problem with that is, I’m not a good liar, so then we won’t be able to go out again. I wouldn’t be able to keep up the ruse.”

  “This is a conundrum. Is it worth it?” His eyes were dancing.

  “Well, on the one hand, it’s risky. If you’re a horrible artist, then we’re doomed because of the deceit. On the other hand, I guess it would be better to find out it’s not going to work out sooner rather than later.”

  He’d been maintaining a mock serious expression during this banter, and it suddenly
broke when he laughed hard. “Let’s go.”

  God, I hope I love his art.

  Chapter 5

  Cooper lived on the tenth floor of an apartment building only a few blocks from her own. His place was surprisingly tidy for a guy who couldn’t possibly have expected to bring someone back with him. Or had he?

  He was quiet as he let them into his space. The living room was done in mostly black with an assortment of artwork on the walls that drew her attention immediately. Black and white photos and sketches and designs. Tasteful. Sophisticated. They looked expensive.

  “Wine?” he asked as he left her staring at the walls.

  “Yes, please.” She got absorbed in a particular sketch of a family walking down a beach. The view was from the back of them as they headed away. It was so real she felt like she was at the beach herself watching them. She could even feel their excitement, which was odd considering she couldn’t see their faces. But the mom and dad each had a hold of a little boy’s hands and were lifting him off the ground. He was mid-swing through the air, his head tipped back.

  Happiness.

  Suddenly, she jerked her gaze to the side to find Cooper leaning against the island between the kitchen and the living room. He was staring at her, his expression unreadable.

  “You did this, didn’t you?” she whispered.

  “Depends. Did you want to go on a second date?” A smile spread.

  He was so sincere, though. Not joking. He liked her. She would take it.

  She turned and slowly sauntered toward him. When she reached him, she set her hands on his hips and leaned close. “Yes, but I’m anxious to see what the rest of this date holds first.”

  He set his hands on her lower back and held her gaze. Searching. Thinking. He looked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words to get it out.

  She decided to keep talking, giving him time and space. He had mentioned earlier he had mysterious secrets. She was certain something was on the tip of his tongue right now. But she wanted it to come out organically. No pressure.