Cooper downed his drink and pushed the glass across the table. Erica had warned him that while he was still feeling all those warm and wonderful feelings about Cici, she sure as hell might not be feeling anything even close to that for him. He got that; he really did. But now that he’d come out from under the fog of grief, he wasn’t about to let Cici go without a fight. If there was the slightest chance she’d take him back after all these years, he was going to fight for it.
“You won’t need a picture. She’ll be the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen, with hair as black as mine and eyes so blue they’re nearly translucent. And her smile.” His chest warmed at the memory of her sexy-as-hell smile, which gave away all of her emotions. “Her smile could knock a man to his knees.”
How many times had he conjured up images of Cici—straddling him in the hotel room, her full breasts and rosy nipples pulling him over the edge as she arched back, lost in pleasure? Or lying naked beneath him, gazing up at him like he was her world—and holy fuck did he ever want to be. He could still feel that pull now, lust and love brewing low in his gut, making him feel powerful and vulnerable at once.
And like the giant prick Cici probably thought he was.
He closed his eyes, uttering a curse beneath his breath as he tried to get ahold of his emotions.
“You know what? This is a lot fucking harder than I thought it would be.” He couldn’t sit there for another second hoping she’d show up. He rose to his feet and tossed a handful of cash onto the table. He wanted to do this right, and right wasn’t waiting around for a coincidence to happen. There was only one reason he’d come back to Bay City, and he was going to find her.
Chapter Two
CICI NIXED TEGAN’S idea for a drink and a quick fuck. She hadn’t had a quick fuck since…well, since Cooper, and she wasn’t about to start now. She had a stable life with her daughter and a heart that was locked away behind steel doors, and she liked it that way. She kicked off her heels and dug through her carry-on for her Kindle. Not having had many nights to herself since giving birth to Melody, she was excited about relaxing with a little room service. A bottle of wine, a cheese plate, and a side of French bread—her favorite foods—add in a little quiet and a hot romance novel. Heaven. Book boyfriends were the best kind of men in the world. No fuss, no small talk, no lies, no broken hearts. She brought them out when she needed them and put them away for later.
Like a good sex toy.
She eyed her bag, debating taking that little friend out to play for a while, when a knock on the door startled her brain back into submission.
My wine awaits!
As she pulled the door open, her stomach immediately took a nosedive, her legs nearly giving out at the sight of Cooper Wild looking hot as sin. Her breath left her lungs in a rush as she tried to get her brain to fire. He was here. All six-foot-three, thickly muscled, darkly handsome inches of him standing before her. Here. Now.
Holy crap.
She’d thought about this moment for four long years. She’d even mapped out what she’d say, but now, as she struggled to remember how to breathe, her brain had gone to shit.
“Celeste.” His lips curved up at the edges, bringing his closely cropped beard with it.
Lord, hearing her name slide from his lips sent shudders of heat rippling through her. How the hell did he do that after all this time, after all the tears? And that beard? When did he grow that? And why did it have to look so freaking hot? Like ten days’ scruff so perfectly manicured that she imagined it scratching her thighs.
Shitshitshit.
She was in big trouble. Big, fucking, delicious trouble.
“You look beautiful.” His eyes never left hers.
She swallowed hard, trying to regain a modicum of control as his voice slithered inside her and his piercing stare melted her steely resolve. Damn him. He was all kinds of sexy, and she was a hot mess.
She never imagined she’d feel so weakened by the sight of him, sucked back in so fast, and yet anger and disappointment were hovering just close enough to make her clutch the door for stability.
“Cooper. What…? Why are you here?”
He lowered his eyes, as if he were thinking about the answer, and when he met her gaze again, his eyes were apologetic and soft. Hell if they didn’t make her knees weak, because it was like looking into their daughter’s eyes.
“I wanted to see you,” he finally answered.
She felt the sting of tears, but she was not going down that road. No way. She wasn’t a naive girl anymore. She was a woman, a mother, and a successful photographer. Now, if only she could hold on to that point long enough to speak.
“Maybe you should have thought about that four years ago.” Her confidence belied the clenching of her gut and the spasmodic racing of her pulse.
For a long moment they did little more than look at each other. Cici tightened her jaw, proud of herself for not letting tears slip down her cheeks and not automatically walking into his strong arms when she knew exactly how good they’d feel. Cooper reached a hand out to touch her, and she shifted her shoulder away, fighting the voice in her head telling her to take his hand. Just one touch.