When his eyes return to mine, he searches my face as if he’s mesmerized by the prisms in my eyes—fascinated and in awe.
His hand finds mine under the covers, his heat pressing to my skin. “Because I like you.”
“You don’t know me. That’s what the date was for.”
Pulling my hand to his mouth, he whispers against my fingers. “I know enough to know I should stay away from you.”
“Here we go with that again. This isn’t Twilight, and I don’t believe in vampires.”
His smile shines in the low light. “No, but you asked me to be honest. I asked you out because I find you incredibly attractive. I called it off because I enjoyed our encounter enough to know that I’m not the guy for you.”
“That doesn’t make sense, Cooper.”
“Hmm,” he hums but doesn’t feel the need to go into it deeper. He kisses my fingers instead, one by one until all five are done, then our fingers fold together. “When’s the last time you laid in bed with someone you just met?”
“Never.”
He chuckles, though I didn’t mean my answer to be funny. It’s just the truth. Still grinning, he says, “We should sleep. Our finals tomorrow won’t ace themselves.” My hand is released, and he closes his eyes again. “It’s been a long fucking day.”
I shouldn’t want him here or like his touch so much. I shouldn’t want him to kiss me or wonder if he’ll be gentle or rough. There’s so much I shouldn’t want or do with Cooper, but my better senses flew out the window the moment I invited him home. The more deviant ones took over when I asked him to stay in my bed. “It has,” I reply, slightly breathless as I build up the courage to take advantage of this man beside me.
He looks at me like something’s wrong. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.”
The back of his hand presses to my cheek. I don’t move away but lean in, wanting his heat all over. “You’re warm. You might have a fever.”
I can’t hide my physical need for touch . . . for his touch specifically. Embarrassed by my ridiculous reaction to a gorgeous man in bed with me, I turn away and lie on my back. “I don’t have a fever.”
The tip of his finger taps my chin to angle me toward him again. “Are you turned on, Story?” His dulcet tone reaches into my chest, breaching my inhibitions and making me want to confess my sins.
Each beat of my heart now thunders as nerves kick in. “I just . . .” I start but take a hard breath to swallow down the profession that lumps in my throat. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“It’s okay, sweet girl. We’ll take it one step at a time.” He leans in and kisses my forehead. “We’ll do what feels right or nothing at all.”
Loosen up.
Go off instinct.
Go by what feels right.
I exhale in a feeble attempt to stop my heart from racing.
“There was no expectation other than getting my paper done. Now we’re just two people spending time together while this storm blows through.”
Nodding, I’m unable to think clearly under his appreciative gaze. Though my mind is scrambling, I’m starting to think we’re on two totally different pages. I was thinking this was leading somewhere.
He turns to face me. “What were you thinking?”
“Nothing. My mind is a blank canvas.” He cocks his eyebrow, and I shrivel in humiliation. “I mean, sure, yeah, we’re two people passing time in the same bed, but . . .”
“But?”
I gulp . . . loud enough for him to hear, and my nervousness threatens to drag me under.
A wry grin spreads like wildfire, and he leans in. My breath catches, and I close my eyes just as he’s about to kiss me. And then I stay completely still . . . waiting for the moment, for a kiss I never saw coming but welcome wholeheartedly without the usual foreplay of flirting, banter, and first dates. Wait, I got two out of three.
Rejection begins licking the wounds of my battered heart the longer I wait with no contact. My eyes fly open to find Cooper staring at me. He’s so close that his breath warms me when he says, “I thought it wise to give you one last chance.”
“Chance for what?”
“To change our fate.”
Our eyes are fixed on each other’s long enough for me to gather the courage to touch his cheek. The scruff from a day or more since he had a good shave is coarse against my palm, but I press into it, the thrill of being so close to someone so masculine, so hard in all the good ways and gentle in how he treats me, taking over. Maybe I’m making a big mistake, but it’s one that Cooper has me craving.
I lift on my elbow and lean closer, so close that I tilt my head just slightly to taste his breath. “I think it’s too late.”
I’m going to kiss this man. I’ll blame it on the hour and feeling confident.
But his hands cup my face before I can, holding me while his gaze volleys between my eyes. Then he whispers, “I really wish you wouldn’t have said that.”
His mouth crashes into mine, and when I part my lips and our tongues touch for the first time, I know it won’t be the last.
5
Cooper
Untethered from her inhibitions, Story moans into my mouth as her hands slide over my shoulders. Her grip tightens over my muscles as she rocks against me.
This is not something I could have predicted. Not with her. I can get laid any day of the week, but that’s not what tonight was about. At least not how it started.
Is this how I want it to end?
Fuck yeah, I’d like a good time with her.
And by how she’s kissing me, I’m not alone.
But . . . why is there an ounce of doubt lingering in the back of my mind?
I move to hold her by the waist and pull her close, our bodies finding purchase against each other and evoking another delicious moan from her. Fuck. Why’d she have to tempt me? Didn’t her daddy teach her that playing with the devil never ends well?
Slipping a leg between hers, I run one hand over her hip while keeping the other in place around her waist. The pajamas she’s wearing don’t do her body justice, but I like that she chose comfort over anything else, including me.
What’s the fun if dinner is served on a silver platter?
I’d much rather work for dessert.
She grinds against my thigh, and my head fucking spins from the thought of seeing her get off on me. Story has me feeling like a teenager making out in my Jaguar back in high school. Something about kissing her feels like the first time all over again. I don’t remember my first kiss, much less who it was with, but I know I won’t forget this, not with her.
Despite how hard she’s made my dick, I never planned for this to happen, but the way our tongues tangle and our bodies move together, this feels too good. If I’m leaving, I know this is my last chance. I rip my mouth from hers, leaving both of us panting.
Her lashes flutter open, and a smile follows right after. “What is it?”
I push a section of hair behind her ear and look at her. God, she’s beautiful, like the first time I saw her. It didn’t matter that it was across a crowded room. This girl stood out to me, and now I realize why. She’s an angel, her eyes peering at me like she knows who I am inside but doesn’t hold it against me. I caress her cheek just to feel her again. “How are you real?” I whisper.
Her cheeks flame red, growing hot to the touch. “I don’t understand.”
I kiss her, her lips fire against mine. Resting my forehead to hers, I inhale her, weakening with each taste I get. “I have a confession.” Still conflicted if we should even be doing this, I decide it might be too late to change our minds. I don’t want to keep any secrets from her. Our bodies are still entwined, and I kiss each of her heated cheeks. When I lean back, I add, “I saw you once.”
“I know. I was making a fool of myself by eating a large pickle in a movie theater.”
This girl makes me smile so effortlessly that I’d thought I’d forgotten how. “No. I mean, yes, you were eating a pickle, but no, you weren’t making a fool of yourself. I enjoyed watching you devour it if you want to know the truth.”