Billionaire Husband Test (Billionaire Online Dating Service) (6 page)

The seat Ace patted happened to be on the couch, between Ace and Cooper. Emma glanced down at her shirt and remembered her hair was still in wet tangles. “I should go put on some more clothes, since we have company.”

“Just Cooper. You two went skinny-dipping. You’re wearing more now than you were then.” Brand snorted. “Girls.”

“Since you’re up, could you make some popcorn?” Colton asked.

“And bring us a fresh round of beer,” Dillon added.

“What am I, your maid?” She fisted her hand around her brush and propped it on her hip, glaring at her brothers.

“Well, now that you mention it…” Brand grinned and ducked as her brush sailed through the air, aimed at his head. “Hey! Watch it.”

“Right, next time I won’t miss.” She shook her head, a smile replacing her glare. “Men.” She spun on her bare heel and headed for the kitchen, glad for the respite from sitting on the sofa with Cooper. She could deliver the requested popcorn and beer and make some excuse to return to her room for the rest of the evening.

She really thought her plan would work. Until…

“Where do I put the empties?” Cooper’s deep voice said behind her.

Emma had been in the process of opening the box with the popcorn when Cooper walked in. Her hand jerked and the individually wrapped popcorn bags flew across the room. “Holy hell.”

Cooper set the empty beer bottles on the counter and dropped to his haunches, his hand closing around the same bag Emma grabbed.

She jerked back her hand, her eyes wide as a shot of electricity bolted up her arm and that crazy heat singed her insides.

Cooper chuckled. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s okay. The bottles go in the corner trash can.” She hoped he’d take the hint and leave her to pick up her mess. Alone.

Instead, he gathered two other packages and the box and handed them to her.

Their fingers brushed together and Emma almost threw the box again. She jerked upward at the same time as Cooper, crashing foreheads. Pain arrowed through Emma’s skull, making her stagger backward.

“Here.” Cooper slipped an arm around her waist. “Lean on me. That had to hurt. I’ve been known to have a hard head.”

Forced to accept his offer or fall on her ass, Emma leaned into his muscled chest and blinked her eyes until the gray fog around the edges cleared.

Cooper’s fresh, outdoorsy scent overwhelmed her senses, and the warmth of his hand on the small of her back sent shivers of awareness across her skin. All that stood between his hand and her skin was a T-Shirt.

As soon as the thought registered, Emma pushed away. “Why are you still here?” she demanded, relying on anger to hide the confusing signals her body was sending to her brain.

He grinned. “Your brothers invited me to watch the game.”

Emma shoved a bag in the microwave and jammed her finger on the correct button then faced him, her hands fisted on her hips. “So?”

He shrugged. “I’d planned on watching it at my house, but our date ran a little longer than expected.” Cooper held up his hands. “Not that I was disappointed. I have to say skinny-dipping in the creek was the highlight of the day. I wouldn’t have missed it for a game.”

Her cheeks heated and she snorted. “Well, don’t get too cozy. Our arrangement is only temporary.”

“Do you want me to leave?” His brows rose up his forehead.

Hell yes, she wanted him to leave. His very presence made her twitchy, confused and…damn it…horny! “No. That would be too obvious. You might as well stay for the rest of the game.”

He tipped his head, his lips twisting. “Thanks…I think.”

“If you’ll grab the beer, I’ll bring the popcorn.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He gave her a mocking salute, dumped the empty bottles in the trash and pulled five bottles from the fridge. “You sure I can’t help you here?”

“No,” she said, the word a little harsher than she’d intended. What was wrong with her? She was never this rude to guests. She added in a softer tone. “I can handle this.”

His lips tipped upward. “You sure?”

Emma’s gaze captured Cooper’s. “Positive.”

As soon as he left the kitchen, Emma sagged against the counter. Who was she kidding? She could handle the popcorn. It was the man who had her belly turning cartwheels. The sooner their deal was over, the sooner she could get back to normal.

Cooper handed out the round of beer and settled on the couch, sure to leave room for Emma between him and Ace. With all the other chairs taken by her hulking brothers, she’d have only one choice. Based on her reaction in the kitchen, his presence was causing her some discomfort. Hopefully, in a good way and in his favor.

The scent of seasoned popcorn filled the air.

Cooper settled back on the sofa in an attempt to appear casual and focused on the game when all he could think about was Emma and the sexy curve of her thighs as her T-shirt brushed across them with every step she took.

Then she was there, carrying a bowl full of fluffy hot popcorn, her hair still tangled and damp.

She handed the popcorn to Colton, snatched up her brush and turned to leave.

Ace patted the seat beside him. “Sit. I’ll brush while we watch the game.”

Her gaze went from the space on the couch next to Cooper and then the game.

At that moment, the A&M quarterback spun a thirty-yard pass.

Emma’s eyes widened and her face grew intense.

When the receiver caught the ball, he ran for another twenty yards before being tackled on the twenty-yard line.

“Come on, you can’t leave now.” Ace held out his hand.

Emma slapped the brush into her brother’s palm, dropped to the floor in front of him and lifted her long hair off her neck.

Cooper missed the touchdown for watching Ace as he brushed his sister’s hair.

After only six strokes, Ace handed Cooper the brush. “Gotta make a pit stop. Wanna take over?” He leaped from his seat and made a beeline for the center hallway.

Emma glared at her retreating brother, then faced Cooper with her hand extended. “I can do it myself.”

He held the brush out of her reach and slid down to the end of the sofa, positioning his knees on either side of her shoulders. “I don’t mind.”

“But I might,” she whispered.

Cooper leaned close and spoke into her ear. “Consider it part of your plan.” Then he lifted a strand of already drying hair and worked the brush through the tangles, easing out the snarls without tugging on the roots

“Ummm.” The starch washed out of Emma’s shoulders the more Cooper brushed.

Ace dropped onto the couch a few moments later. “I can take over again.”

“Uh uh,” Emma said. “Cooper’s much better at it. At least, he isn’t yanking all the hair out of my head.”

Ace patted Cooper’s back. “A man of many talents. I take it you have sisters?”

Cooper’s chest tightened as he lifted another strand of hair and worked the brush through it. “Nope. But I’ve brushed enough horse’s tails to know how to work out a knot.”

Dillon guffawed. “Hear that, Em? He’s comparing you to a horse.”

Emma glared back at Cooper.

Colton laughed out loud. “Not making points, are ya, buddy?”

“A bit rusty at romance, cowboy?” Emma queried.

“Just the facts, ma’am.” Cooper planted his hand on her head and turned it back to the game. “The Aggies just scored.”

“Something you won’t do at this rate, huh, Coop?” Brand winked at Emma.

Emma tossed a pillow at her brother, her face bright pink. “Shut up, all of you. I’m trying to watch the game.”

Even after he’d worked out all the tangles, Cooper couldn’t bring himself to stop brushing Emma’s hair. The game went on and Emma shouted a couple times when the quarterback threw an interception or the kicker missed a field goal. On those occasions, she leaned right or left, her shoulders bumping against the insides of Cooper thighs.

The contact made his body react in ways it shouldn’t while he was in the same room as Emma’s four strapping hulks of brothers.

At one point, Emma handed Cooper his beer and he downed the last half in one gulp, hoping to take the edge off his growing lust. Nothing seemed to help. Emma was not only beautiful, but she liked sports and rode horses like a natural. The perfect woman as far as Cooper was concerned.

Her only drawback was that she was still in love. With a dead man. A war hero, at that. How could Cooper compete with a memory?

Chapter Five

By the time Cooper left, they’d all had supper together, feasting on the steaks her brothers grilled and baked potatoes Emma shoved into the microwave. If anyone else had viewed the scene, they looked like one big happy family.

Emma knew different. That night, she crawled into bed and lay on her side, staring at the picture on her nightstand.

“Marcus, why did you have to die? If you were still here, this whole date thing wouldn’t be an issue. By now, we’d be married and have a baby or two on the way.” At the thought of her belly growing with child, her chest ached with a hollowness she couldn’t fill. She and Marcus had wanted four children. Two boys and two girls. Heck, they’d have taken anything God had seen fit to give them. But that hadn’t been in His plan.

Emma sighed and closed her dry eyes. After the initial shock of Marcus’s death, she’d refused to shed another tear. Tears were for weak women, not Emma. A soft breeze lifted the filmy curtains around the open window. At times like this, she could almost feel Marcus touch her shoulder and reassure her everything would be all right. Marcus had a way of gentling horses and people that Emma had never mastered and always appreciated.

Her last thought as she drifted off to sleep was not of Marcus, but of the dark-haired, blue-eyed blind-date she’d spent the day with. An image of him rising out of the water, completely naked, filled her last waking thought and sent her into dreams so erotic she tossed and turned throughout the night.

By five o’clock in the morning, she’d given up on sleep, slipped into her jeans and boots and headed to the barn. After a long ride across the pasture, greeting the morning sun, she found herself pulling to a halt at Willow Creek where she and Cooper had been skinny dipping the day before. Heat rose in her body before the sun’s rays could warm the ground.

“Shoot.” She reined around her horse around and rode hard all the way back to the barn, brushed and settled her horse in a stall and headed for the house, entering through the kitchen.

“Up kinda early, aren’t you?” Ace stood at the stove, frying bacon. “Want a couple of eggs?”

“I’m not hungry.” She grabbed a glass, poured it half full of orange juice and downed it in one gulp.

Ace flipped the bacon, his back to her. “Love has a way of ruining your appetite.”

Anger surged and Emma slammed the glass on the counter. “I’m not in love. I only just met Cooper.”

Ace shot a glance over his shoulder, a grin spreading across his face. “But he got under your skin, didn’t he?”

“Why can’t you guys get it through your thick skulls?” She tossed back her wind-tangled hair and braced her hands on her hips. “I loved Marcus and I’ll never forget him. No other banker, insurance salesman or cowboy will ever take his place. Got that?”

Ace moved the pan off the burner and turned off the stove before gripping Emma’s arms. “I know.” He smoothed a hair out of her face. “You miss him. We get that. We’re not asking you to stop loving him or forget him. We just want you to get on with your life and be happy.”

“I’m as happy as I can be without Marcus.” Emma stared up into Ace’s eyes, her own so dry, she blinked. “Why can’t you leave me alone?”

Ace smiled. “Because you’re
not
happy. You’re still hurting and living an empty life. It breaks our hearts that you’re not willing to think there might be someone else out there for you.”

She sniffed. “Marcus was the only man for me.”

“Emma, you’re young, and you have a big heart with a lot of room to love. I mean look at this family.” He waved his hand over his head. “It’s big. Four brothers is a lot for a girl to handle, but you love us all.”

“That’s different.” She shoved a hand through her tangled hair. “You’re family.”

“How does a mother love more than one child?”

“Again, you’re talking family.”

“And you didn’t consider Marcus family?”

Emma frowned. “Yes. Again, it’s different. I wanted to marry him and have his children. I don’t want to marry
you
or have
your
children.” She shrugged.

“A comforting thought. But that’s the beauty of the heart—it knows no limits. You have to give yourself a chance.”

“You mean give
Cooper
a chance.” She snorted and shook her head. “He’s just another cowboy.” Who’d set her blood burning through her veins when it had no business doing that.

“If not Cooper, someone else.” Ace tipped her chin and stared into her eyes. “You can’t make a future for yourself until you loosen your hold on the past. Marcus is dead. He’d have wanted you to move on. To find love again and have a family.”

“I have all the family I need.” She wrapped her arms around Ace’s waist and buried her face in his shirt. “Why do I need more?” she muttered against his shirt.

“Because you deserve to love again.” Ace patted her hair and held her close.

“Hey, what’s all this hugging? Can a brother get in on some of that?” Brand entered the room, carrying his boots, his hair standing on end. He dropped the boots and opened his arms, wrapping them around Emma’s back, sandwiching her between himself and Ace. “Never too early for a group hug, in my book.”

“Can you lighten up?” Emma laughed. “I can’t breathe.”

Colton entered, fully dressed, clean-shaven and headed straight for the stove, bypassing Ace, Emma and Brand. “Watcha burnin’?”

“My bacon.” Ace broke the hold and lunged for the pan. “If you want some, cook it yourself.”

“Why, when you made enough for me?” Colton snitched a piece from the pan and popped it into his mouth, staring at Emma as he chewed. “Are we talking about Cooper?”

“No.” Emma pulled the bacon package out of the fridge and slapped it on the counter. “We’re low on sweet feed for the horses. Colton, why don’t you head to the feed store after breakfast?”