Damaged and the Beast (Damaged #1)

“I look forward to seeing it,” I said dumbly because Cooper had removed his towel and was now descending into the water.

Once he was waist high in the water, Cooper hooked a finger and gestured for me to join him.

“It’s not really been ten minutes.”

“If you cramp or start drowning, I’ll save you.”

Grinning, I pulled off his shirt and walked quickly into the water, finally diving forward and swimming to Cooper. The view underwater was a bit too much to handle and I emerged wide-eyed.

“Already?” I asked, pushing my wet hair back.

Cooper just grinned. “I was a little hard the minute you put on my shirt. Once you took it off, I was done for.”

Shaking my head, I swam past him and to the deep end. As Cooper watched me swim back and forth, he wore the intense gaze like when he first visited Denny’s. I both loved and feared that gaze. Finally, I swam up to him.

“You’re so needy,” I teased.

“And you’re everything.”

Startled by the intensity behind the words, I remained silent. Running my fingers over his chest, I caressed his nipples and Cooper exhaled hard.

“Not even an option now,” he said, wrapping me in his arms. “If you say no, I’ll fucking cry.”

“Yes, I often horny up guys I plan to reject.”

Cooper smiled before kissing me hungrily. I felt nearly swallowed up by his need then he reached out and grabbed an inner tube floating by. It was the kind where a person leaned back into it and relaxed under an umbrella while the rest of them remained underwater. Except Cooper had plans for the rest of me.

Lifting my legs gently, he caressed my knees then leaned down and kissed where his fingers had been. The soft lingering kisses making me squirm, his lips moved upward and I panicked a little. Trying to close my legs, I noticed Cooper stop and frown as his lips found my inner right thigh. I avoided his confused gaze, instead staring up at the clear sky.

Cooper took the hint and moved his affection to my stomach, giving my belly button a lick. “An outie,” he said, grinning.

Smiling too, I was relieved he wasn’t forcing the issue. Relaxing my legs around him, I watched Cooper explore. At first, I thought he was just amazingly thorough then I realized he was testing me. So he was amazing and perceptive.

Cooper soon learned what I had discovered an hour earlier. I had very sensitive nipples. They and Cooper shared a long make out session. By the end, they were his slaves. Grinning as if knowing he’d won them over, Cooper kissed me tenderly.

I wrapped my legs around his hips and waited for the pressure of him filling my body. Once he was inside, I smiled. “I can’t believe I’m running around naked like this,” I nearly whispered, so relaxed as the upper part of my body floated and the lower part rested in the confident hands of a man in no hurry.

“I can’t believe how calm you are,” he said tenderly, his tone matching mine. “When we met, you were a ball of nerves. Now, look at how relaxed you are.”

“It’s all because of you.”

Cooper smiled, but I knew he was thinking of how he messed up in the past. I wasn’t thinking of anything besides the delicious pressure of Cooper moving in and out of me. As he held me in position with one hand, his free hand explored. Teasing my nipples then setting between my legs, they tried to coax an orgasm out of me.

As I stared up into the cloudless day, a hawk flew high over the massive trees. I watched the bird as my body inched closer and closer to an orgasm. My breathing sped up and I felt every nerve on fire. It was ready to happen when something just clicked and my eyes burned. As the moment passed, I refused to look at Cooper.

“I’m paying attention,” he whispered. “My girl is relaxed and doesn’t look afraid. Even with the tears, you look calm.”

Finally, I met his gaze. “I was so close.”

“It’ll happen,” he said, thrusting a little faster now, yet without any real intensity. “It’s my mission in life to make it happen and I never fail.”

I watched him return to exploring. His fingers grazed my lips then slid down my chin, just learning every groove of my body. By the time Cooper held my hips with both hands and worked towards an orgasm, I had my legs wrapped tightly around him. Loving to watch his face when he came, I found it extremely gratifying to see him so unguarded.

I floated there for a while longer with him inside me and his hands again exploring. We were so calm with each other that I couldn’t believe we’d slept together for the first time only the night before. While that time hadn’t been amazing, this day was perfect in too many ways to count.

Eventually, Cooper slid out of me then pulled me into his arms. “You look tired.”

“So do you,” I mumbled.

“We could take a nap in a guest room then grill our dinner. Maybe even swim again. The house is pretty much ours for the evening.”

“A nap?” I asked, grinning. “Who takes a nap?”

“I do all the time. I’m up at night and you don’t want to know how grumpy I get without enough sleep.”