“I’m not ashamed. I just want to see where this goes before we announce it to the whole damn town.”
He made a harsh, unintelligible sound and his dark, bordering-on-black eyes burned with the unbridled intensity she’d come to associate with this man. And lord, he wore the look well. Cooper epitomized the phrase rough around the edges, with his unkempt black hair, tall muscular body and affinity for chest-hugging muscle tees and jeans that molded to his long legs. He also smoked like a chimney, lacked a brain-to-mouth filter, and knew exactly how to turn her on.
The anger simmering beneath his sexy surface only made her heart beat faster, because she knew punishment would be on his agenda. And damn it, but Lexie loved Cooper’s kind of punishment.
They entered the dark house, and he was already heading toward the hallway leading to her bedroom. He didn’t bother glancing back to see if she was following. He knew she would, and she didn’t disappoint. She was a pathetic sucker when it came to Cooper Grady. Which was funny, because in her day-to-day life, she didn’t let anyone order her around. As the editor-in-chief of the Paradise Post, Lexie called the shots on a daily basis.
But behind closed doors, Cooper gave the orders.
Truth was, she found his dominance refreshing. She was always so in control, analyzing every detail, making sure everything ran smoothly. With Cooper, she could let go. She didn’t worry about appearances, didn’t feel insecure; she simply said goodbye to her inhibitions and got to be the woman she wanted to be, rather than the one she pretended to be.
In her bedroom, Cooper didn’t waste any time before unzipping his pants. His resentment was still palpable in the air, but so was his arousal.
Lexie’s mouth dried out as he eased his jeans down his strong thighs. A second later, her mouth filled with saliva as he pulled out his long, thick cock. He was harder than granite, his engorged head glossy with a bead of moisture, and a thrill shot through her from the knowledge that she was the one who’d brought that raw flash of lust to the eyes of this sexy, virile man.
Keeping one hand on his erection, he lifted the other one to crook a finger in her direction. “C’mere,” he rasped.
She kicked off her stilettos as she walked over to him.
“I’m still mad at you,” Cooper said huskily.
She moved her hand down to encircle his rock-hard shaft. “Yeah? How can I make it better?” she murmured.
A lopsided grin lifted the corner of his mouth. “A blowjob would be a good start.” He cocked his head. “Followed by a few rounds of serious, hardcore fucking.”
Lord, she loved how blunt he was, how he never sugar coated a damn thing.
Tingles of desire traveled through her body and settled between her legs, growing stronger when he thrust his hips and pressed the tip of his cock into her palm.
“I’m not joking around, princess.” His voice came out in a lazy drawl. “On your knees. Now.”
Without so much as a protest, Lexie sank to the floor.
Chapter Three
Jake killed the engine and turned to Bree, who’d been quiet during the entire ride over to her parents’ house. Well, house was an understatement. The Lockharts lived in a three-story brick mansion complete with concrete pillars out front, a sleek wraparound porch and a second-floor balcony. The lawn was perfectly manicured and the array of red and yellow roses in the flowerbeds ringing the porch boasted a silver dusting of frost.
It was mid-November, but the first Colorado snow had yet to fall. Soon the town would look like a winter wonderland, and the Lockhart mansion would be strung up with Christmas lights and rooftop reindeer—the Lockharts always went all out during the holiday season. They also threw a huge party every year on Christmas Eve, to which neither Jake nor his family had ever been invited.
The evidence of Bree’s wealthy roots brought a familiar pang of resentment, but not strong enough to dim the arousal still coursing through his blood. Getting Bree in bed had been his end game, but he hadn’t expected to screw her on the floor of the restaurant. Just went to show that his restraint didn’t stand a chance around this woman. He’d always been too frickin’ eager to get her naked.
And he couldn’t wait to do it again.
“Come over tomorrow night,” he said when Bree still didn’t utter a word.
Slowly, she turned her head and fixed him with a wary look. “Not a good idea.”
Jake reached across the armrest and took her hand, dragging his thumb over the center of her palm.
Her breath hitched.
His cock hardened.
Christ, why did he crave her this badly? The attraction was as powerful as ever, even after all these years.
“I know you felt it back at the restaurant,” he said gruffly. “It’s like nothing has changed.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” she said in a soft voice. “Things have changed. I’ve changed.”
“Yeah, how?” he challenged.