“The look that says you want more.”
“I want more …And what more do I want?”
He continues to study me. “I don’t know. Just more. It’s like … a mixture of boredom, dissatisfaction, frustration, and yearning.”
“That’s a lot of shit packed into one look,” I joke, but my heart is beating faster now, because he’s pretty much summed it up. That’s been my state of mind since I got to college. No, even longer—dare I say, my entire life.
“Am I wrong?” he asks roughly.
Our gazes lock. The urge to confide in him is so strong I have to bite the tip of my tongue to stop myself.
Suddenly, amidst the crashing waves and screeching seagulls, I hear a faint yelping.
“Did you hear that?” I look around for the source of the pained, desperate noise.
Cooper chuckles. “Stop trying to distract me.”
“I’m not. Seriously, don’t you hear it?”
“Hear what? I don’t—”
“Shhh!” I order.
I listen, straining to discern another clue. It’s getting darker, with the lights from the boardwalk overtaking the dwindling dusk. Another yelp rings out, this one louder.
I jump to my feet.
“It’s nothing,” Cooper says, but I ignore him and follow the sound toward the pier. He jogs after me, his voice frazzled as he assures me I’m imagining things.
“I’m not imagining it,” I insist.
And then I see it, the source of the yelps. Beyond the pier, on the jetty, I make out a shape stranded on the rocks as the tide comes in.
Heart pounding, I whirl around to face Cooper. “It’s a dog!”
CHAPTER NINE
COOPER
Before I can blink, Mackenzie tears her dress off.
As in, this chick is actually getting naked.
No, not naked, I realize when she doesn’t remove her bra and underwear. My disappointment over the strip show ending prematurely is dimmed by the fact that she looks pretty goddamn good in a bra and underwear.
But as she runs into the rising tide and is quickly swallowed up to her neck, the rational part of my brain kicks in.
“Mac!” I shout after her. “Get back here, damn it!”
She’s already swimming away.
Awesome. She’s gonna drown trying to get that mangy stray back to shore.
Grumbling curses under my breath, I strip out of my jeans and shoes and chase after Mackenzie, who has reached the rocks and is now climbing up to the dog. I swim hard against the current, as the waves try to throw me against the pier’s pylons or slam me into the rocks. Finally, I grab on to one of the boulders and haul myself out of the water.
“You’re crazy, you know that?” I growl.
The shivering dog sits anxiously by Mac, who’s attempting to comfort it. “We have to help her,” she tells me.
Shit. This filthy, pathetic thing is just a puppy, but there’s no way Mackenzie is swimming with it back to shore. I had a hard time myself fighting off the current, and I probably weigh twice as much as Mac.
“Give her to me,” I say with a sigh. When I reach for the dog, she hides behind Mac and almost falls in the water trying to back away from me. “Come on, damn it. It’s me or nothing.”
“It’s okay, little one, he’s not as scary as he looks,” Mac coos to the mutt. Meanwhile I stand there glaring at them both.
The dog continues to hesitate, so finally Mac picks her up and deposits the unhappy wet bundle into my waiting hands. Almost instantly, the frightened animal is clawing and kicking to get away. This is going to be a goddamn nightmare.
Mackenzie pets the dog’s soaked fur in a futile attempt to calm her. “You sure about this?” she asks me. “I can try—”
No chance. The waves would knock the dog right out of her grip and the damn thing would drown while I pulled Mac to shore. Not happening.
“Go,” I order. “I’m right behind you.”
With a nod, she dives and makes for the shore.
Standing on the rocks, I have a little pep talk with the pup. “I’m trying to help you, okay? Do not bite my face off. Let’s get along for the next few minutes. Deal?”
The animal whines and whimpers, which I suppose is the best I’m getting.
As gently as I can, I climb down into the water and hold the dog like a football above the waves as I swim with one arm. The whole time, the damn thing is freaking out thinking I’m trying to kill her or something. She barks and scratches. Tries a few times to wriggle free. With every move she makes, a little more flesh is gouged from my body. As soon as we reach the sand, I let the dog go and it runs straight for Mac, all but diving into her arms. You’re welcome, traitor.