Coop didn’t say a word. Hell, he barely breathed.
She opened the snap, dragged down the zipper and leaned forward, her face against him as she inhaled. “I love how you smell.”
His jaw clenched.
With her hands on the front of his thighs, she rubbed her cheek against him. He felt her warm breath, and it was all he could do to stay still.
Through his boxers, she grazed him with her teeth.
“Phoenix—”
“Let’s get these off you.” She tugged down his shorts and boxers together.
He kicked them aside, then reached for her shirt, but she brushed his hands away. “Not yet.”
Not yet? Tangling a hand in her hair, Coop tipped up her face. “You’re making me crazy.”
“Good. You deserve to go a little crazy.” Her small hand wrapped around him. Holding him firm while she leaned in and pressed a kiss to the underside of the head.
His cock swelled more, his breath laboring.
The feel of her tongue, flattened against him, licking down his length made his body clench. He urged her upward again, relishing the wet, hot glide—she drew the head into her mouth, sucking softly.
Coop groaned, both hands now in her hair. He didn’t want to steal her show, but he needed her to take more of him. He needed her to move.
He needed to fuck her mouth.
Almost against his will, he pressed forward, and Phoenix gave a small hum of acceptance, of pleasure. God, it was erotic and hot and it could only be better if she was naked, too. But for whatever reason, she seemed hell bent on driving him insane.
He was already halfway there.
Holding her still, he pressed into her warm mouth, loving how her lips closed around him, how she moved her tongue. Just as slowly he withdrew again.
Her hands went to his backside, her nails prickling his skin as she urged him in again.
No problem.
This time, when he was about to withdraw, she instead took him deeper, the suction so sweet that his balls tightened and he knew he was in danger of coming.
As if she sensed it, one hand came around to his front, fondling his testicles while she went down again, not so slowly now.
A river of heat rushed through his veins. His eyes went heavy—but he couldn’t look away from her. Wisps of dark hair came loose from her ponytail. Behind her glasses, her eyes were closed in a look of concentration. A flush stained her cheeks, hollowed from the suction. Her lips around his cock were wet.
Feeling the pressure rise, Coop feathered his thumbs along her jaw. “I’m going to come.”
She gave a humming reply, her nails contracting on his ass—and she didn’t stop.
Permission then.
The sensations, the visual, were both so sweet, he wanted it to last, his teeth clenched as he fought for control. She worked him as if she enjoyed it as much as he did.
That thought was his undoing.
He held her head, his hips moving, his body straining as release washed through him.
Phoenix drained him, her hands now gentle as she petted, soothed. As she accepted.
He was still semi-hard, his cock now glistening from her wet mouth, when she released him and looked up.
He watched her lick her lips. A deep breath didn’t help, not when he realized the problem.
He was falling in love.
Odd that a blowjob would bring on the realization.
*
Phoenix watched the play of emotions on Cooper’s face and wondered what he was thinking. There was a languid sensuality to his golden eyes, to the heaviness of his eyelids and the softness of his mouth.
Walking her fingers up his thighs, his hips and his abs, she offered her hands.
The slightest smile curved his mouth as he caught her wrists and lifted her to her feet. She put her arms over his shoulders and rested her cheek against his chest, unable to find the words to explain how different she felt.
David’s visit was like a warm, leisurely shower after a long, sweaty day. It had revived her, washing away all the grimy memories and crippling regret.
She hadn’t realized just how badly she needed David’s forgiveness until he gave it to her.
Against her temple, Cooper asked, “Any reason why that just happened?”
She could understand his confusion. She was usually so insistent on maintaining her work schedule—as if that would keep people from knowing about their involvement. Cooper’s Charm was like a big family, a big nosy family. Everyone knew everyone else’s business.
After happily servicing Cooper, she felt swollen with need, but also soft with affection. She burrowed closer, liking the downy prickle of his chest hair. “I felt like celebrating.”
He choked on a laugh. “I love the way you celebrate.”
“I loved it, too.”
He went still, then groaned. “Don’t. Not yet.”
Smiling against his shoulder, she asked, “Don’t what?”
Sliding his hands down to her bottom, he pressed her closer. “Get me hard again so soon.”
Phoenix wiggled, then sighed, “Ah, too late.”
His laugh was rough and sexy and in two steps, he tumbled her to the bed. “Let’s get you naked.”
She stretched luxuriously. “Let’s.”
Taking his time, Cooper stripped her, and as he did so, his hands played over her skin—the insides of her thighs, her stomach, beneath her breasts, even the ticklish undersides of her arms. His mouth followed his fingertips, sometimes biting gently, other times licking.
Sucking a time or two.
It was heaven, indulging all her senses without the past weighing her down.
With both of them naked now, Cooper lounged beside her, one big hand on her stomach as he blew warm breath over her nipple. “What were we celebrating, baby?”
She smiled. “Starting over.”
That made him rise up to see her face, his expression curious. “Are we?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t laugh or frown. Instead, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips and asked, “Why?”
“Because now I’m more me.” She put her palms to his chest, urging him to his back so she could crawl over him. “That doesn’t sound right, does it?”
“I think I get it.” Again, his hands settled on her bottom. “You’re back to yourself, the woman you were before your life got turned upside down.”
“Yes. I feel whole again, flesh and blood instead of a shadow.”
“You were never a shadow,” he chided.
Of course he didn’t think so, because he didn’t know the real her. She laughed, straddling his lap and bracing her hands on his chest. “Thank you. Condom?”
He studied her before reaching out one long arm, snagging the drawer on the nightstand and fishing out the protection. He started to hand it to her, then pulled it away, saying, “I have questions, but I think I’d rather wait to ask them.”
“Okay.” He could ask her anything. She’d decided not to worry about impressions or misunderstandings. Going forward, she refused to waste a single day. A single minute.
The past had imprisoned her long enough.
Still, he withheld the condom. “Will you be running off after this?”
Oh, he made it sound bad, the way she defected to her cabin each night. In so many ways, while trying to display independence she’d instead been a ’fraidy cat. But no more.
Unfortunately, she did still have work to do, so she said, “For a while. But if you want, I’ll come back tonight.”
His eyebrows knit together. “For dinner?”
“Sure.” She spread her fingers over his upper chest, then slowly dragged them down over his flat brown nipples. “You’re an excellent cook.”
Cooper clenched all over, drew a big breath, and said calmly, “For sex?”
“If you’re able, then sure, I can be convinced.”
“I’ll be able,” he growled, and finally gave over the little silver packet—but only so he could cup a hand around her neck and tug her down, face-to-face. His eyes were darker, like rum over ice. “To sleep?”