by Anna Blakely
“You totally did.” Mac gasped. “Sean Aaron Cooper, that is an awful thing to do!”
“Whoa.” He put his hands palms-up. “If you’re throwing out middle names, you’ve already been around my mother far too long. Get your bags. We’re leaving.”
All three started laughing. God, he loved seeing Mac laugh.
“Hey, Mom, is it okay if I steal Mac away for a bit? I want to take her on a drive. Show her the land and the river.”
“Sure, honey. But be home in an hour or so. Dinner’s still served at five-thirty sharp.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“I should help your mom clean up first,” Mac offered sincerely.
“That’s sweet of you, but I’ll have this cleaned up in no time,” his mom assured her. “After that, I think I’ll take a quick cat nap before starting supper. You two go on and have fun.”
“Thanks, Cheryl.” Mac told his mom. “And, thanks for letting me help.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Tomorrow we get to do the other side of the sidewalk.”
Mac grinned. “I look forward to it.”
Coop took her hand in his. “Come on. I want to show you something.”
It must have taken a few steps for Mac to realize they were holding hands like a couple, because she pulled away suddenly. He looked over at her and frowned.
“What’s the matter?”
She gave his mom a quick, sideways glance. “Should we really be doing that in front of your mom?”
Coop couldn’t help himself. “What’s she gonna do, ground me?”
“I’m serious, Sean.” Her voice was hushed. “A little flirting is one thing, but if your parents see us holding hands, they’re going to think—”
“We’re together?” He linked his fingers with hers again. “It’s okay, Mac. My dad already knows.”
Eyes widening, her brows rose high. “You told him?”
“He asked.” Coop shrugged. “I wasn’t going to lie.”
Mac took a few seconds before she looked over at his mom and back to him again. “What about her? I know I only just met her, but I really like your mom. I don’t want to do anything to make her think I’m—”
Coop grabbed Mac’s face with both hands and planted a big, hard kiss on her lips. He could feel her stiffen beneath him, but when he traced her pursed lips with the tip of his tongue, she began to melt beneath his touch. He smiled when she began kissing him back.
Before they could get too carried away, he ended the kiss. With his hands still framing her face, Mac stared back at him with a mixture of shock and arousal.
“W-why did you do that?”
He caressed her smooth cheeks with his thumbs. “To get you to quit worrying so much. Now both my parents know we’re more than friends. Problem solved.”
With a cute as fuck look on her face, Mac swallowed. “Is she looking at us?”
“Mom’s going back into the house. If it helps, she’s wearing a huge ass smile on her face.”
“Really?”
“My parents love you, Mac. Now, come on.” He took her hand in his again. “I really do have something I want to show you, and we’re burning daylight.”
“Where are you taking me now?” A few strands of Mac’s hair blew in her face as she looked out the truck’s open window.
“Told you. There’s something I want you to see.”
With her head leaning against the passenger window’s frame, she closed her eyes and let the warm, spring breeze flow over her.
“You’re not going to elaborate?”
“Hold your horses, Impatient Annie. You’ll see soon enough.”
“Oh! That reminds me.” She turned to him. “Do you think we could go riding while we’re here?”
Coop took his eyes off the dirt road lining the edge of his family’s property. “You ever ride a horse?”
“I’ve ridden with Olivia a couple times.” Their boss and his wife owned a beautiful, secluded ranch about an hour south of where they were now.
“Okay, sure. I’ll have Dad get the saddles ready so we can go out in the morning after breakfast.”
Mac’s lips curled up high. She didn’t have much experience with horses, but the few times she’d ridden with her friend had been a lot of fun.
As they continued down the road that seemed never-ending, she imagined what it would be like to live in a place so beautiful. Coop had told her his parents’ farm was pretty, but his blasé description hadn’t come close to doing it justice.
Earlier, before she and his mom had gotten started on the flowers, he’d given her a quick tour of the house, barn, and immediate land surrounding them. Mac smiled, remembering how proud his dad had been when he’d been pointing out all the different vegetables he’d planted in his garden.
Sitting here now, with the wind in her face and her body swaying from the slight bumps in the uneven road, Mac couldn’t help but wonder if Coop realized how lucky he was.
Robert and Cheryl Cooper were as close to perfect as two parents could be. Sure, she’d only known them a few hours, but Mac could already tell they were genuinely kind, caring people.
She thought of her own parents. Of how loving they’d been with her. She also thought of the business her dad and uncle had been in. Mac didn’t want to admit it, but she knew in her heart, her mother had to have known.
She’d known and had still chosen to be with her dad. With parents like hers, was Mac destined to continue making the wrong choices, too?
“We’re here.”
Mac blinked away the painful thoughts, her eyes refocusing on what was before her. The truck breached a section of trees, and Coop slowed the vehicle to a stop at the top of a large hill.
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh, Sean,” his name came out breathlessly. “This is incredible.”
“Just wait.” Lightly pushing his booted foot down onto the gas, he turned the truck around before backing up a smidge.
“Why are we facing away from the view?”
“You’ll see.” He winked. “Come on.”
Reaching for the door handle, Mac took in the incredible view behind them as she climbed down out of the truck. Walking across the soft grass, she stopped a safe distance from the steep drop-off he’d backed up to.
Looking down, she felt in awe of the slow-moving river below them, as well as the enormous rock wall nature had created on the other side. It was absolutely breathtaking.
“It was my favorite spot to come to when I was younger.” Coop lowered the truck’s tailgate before coming to stand beside her.
Warmth from his hand spread across her lower back and into her heart as he rested it there. It seemed crazy but being here with him felt so…right.
“My folks’ land starts down there, on this side of the river.” He pointed below to the water’s edge. “When I’d come here alone, I’d either sit on my tailgate or on that rock over there.”
Mac turned to where he was pointing and saw an enormous, flat rock partially embedded in the ground a few feet from the edge.
“Anytime I needed to think or get some time away for myself, this is where I’d come.”
Making his way over to the truck, Coop pushed himself up onto the tailgate, letting his denim-clad legs dangle over its edge.
Still standing in the same spot, Mac continued looking around. “I can see why. Those hills and trees over there go on for miles. And the sound of the water is so peaceful. It’s like you have a little piece of Heaven right here at your fingertips.”
When he didn’t say anything, she looked back over at him. He was wearing the oddest expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
One corner of his lips curved upward. “That’s exactly what my dad has always said about the land here. That we’ve been blessed with our own tiny piece of Heaven.”
“Well, he’s right.” She gazed down at the river again. “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life.”
“Neither have I.”
> Mac smiled, but when she glanced back over at him, she realized he wasn’t looking at the picturesque landscape. He was staring straight at her.
Her breath caught in her chest at the emotion she found behind his eyes. Her pulse spiked as a crazy idea began to form.
“Uh, oh.” Coop’s gaze became suspicious. “Do I want to know what’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
Using slow, deliberate steps, she began closing the distance between them.
“You ever bring a date up here?”
Coop shook his head. “Other than my sisters, you’re the only female I’ve ever shown this place to.”
Mac’s heart gave her ribs a heavy thump. She smiled. “Good.”
Stopping directly in front of him, she placed her hands on his taught thighs. With a gentle push, she made enough room for her to be able to position herself between them.
“Uh, Mac? What are you—”
“What does it look like?”
Before he could answer, she’d slid her hands up his thighs and was reaching for the clasp on his belt.
Giving her more room to work, he braced himself with his hands at his sides and leaned back. “You sure want to do this here, all out in the open?”
“Why not? We’re not in your parents’ house, and you were the one who said we’d have to be creative. Right?” She released his belt.
Heat pooled in his eyes. “I seem to recall saying something like that.”
“Well.” Mac carefully released his zipper. “This is me being creative.”
Coop hissed a breath, the muscles in his lower belly flexing when her fingers made contact with his rigid cock. The pulsing skin was hot against her palm as she began stroking him as best she could.
It wasn’t nearly enough.
“I need more room to work.”
He laid back, lifted his lower half off the truck bed, and pushed his jeans down over his hips. Sitting back up the way he was before, his chest rose and fell with anticipation. “Better?”
Mac grinned. “Much.”
With all the freedom she needed to move, she took him in her hand again. Sliding her fist up and down his hard, velvet shaft, she leaned down and licked the drop of moisture already beading on the tip.
His body jerked as she got her first taste. Coop balanced himself on one hand, using the other to cup the back of her head.
“What you’re doing feels fucking amazing, but you don’t have to—”
“I want to make you come this way.”
He pulsed beneath her fist, her words sending another drop of his warm, salty essence onto her tongue. She licked him again.
“Take whatever you want, baby.” His eyes burned into hers. “It’s all yours.”
That was all she needed.
Hard as steel beneath her touch, Mac knew he was already close to the edge. Her own core was already wet and aching, longing for release, but she wanted him to come first.
On a mission, Mac kept her eyes on his as she wrapped her lips around the tip of his swollen cock. In a slow, torturous descent, she lowered her head, taking him in as far as her throat would allow.
Coop moaned, his eyes rolling shut as he dropped his head back between his shoulders. Mac could feel his fingertips tightening against the back of her skull. “Ah, baby,” he panted. “God, your mouth feels so good.”
She moved up and down, sucking him as she found her perfect rhythm. Each time she got to the top, Mac would flick and twirl her tongue around his most sensitive spot.
“Fuck.” He huffed out a breath. “I’m not gonna last long, you keep that up.”
She smiled around him. That’s kind of the point.
With a little more speed, Mac’s head bobbed up and down between his thighs. Wanting to give him as much pleasure as was possible, she added in her fist while sucking him off with the perfect amount of pressure.
Coop’s breathing became uneven and more labored. With each new stroke, she could feel him grow impossibly harder.
“Ah, shit, Mac. I’m close. If you don’t want to—”
Mac sucked him in harder. Took him deeper. And when she felt him jerk forward, she opened herself even more, ready to savor everything his body had to give.
“McKenna!”
Coop shouted her name into the wide-open air as he came. Mac felt his hot seed spurt against the back of her throat, and she swallowed. She kept swallowing until he was spent, his body depleting every single drop of pleasure inside her.
Raising her head, Mac licked her swollen lips as she stared up into a set of heavy-lidded, satiated eyes.
“For the record”—his words escaped between heaving breaths—“this is the best idea…you’ve ever had.”
Mac smiled wide. Seeing this man happy, knowing she’d brought him so much pleasure, she couldn’t agree more.
“Where the fuck are they?”
“Jesus.” He held the phone from his head to keep his eardrum from busting. “My guy’s working on it.”
“Your guys?” The man huffed angrily. “Your guys are the ones who let them get away in the first place.”
“That couldn’t be helped.”
“It could have if you’d waited to take Marino out instead of doing it in broad fucking daylight with Abigail and her boys standing right next to him.”
In hindsight, that probably was a rash decision. He was just so sick of the whole damn thing and wanted it over with, already.
He kept his voice calm, hoping it would rub off on the man nearly panicking on the other end of the call.
“There was no way to predict they’d bring in their own clean-up crew.”
“It wasn’t a goddamn cleaning crew,” the man growled. “It was Homeland Fucking Security.”
“I understand that, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. Look at it this way, we’re closer to ending this thing than we were a week ago. You wanted Luca out of the picture, he’s out. As for the other two, they’re going to show up eventually.”
“Eventually isn’t soon enough. The feds are closing in fast. I need her to take me to that money, now.”
“How do you even know she still has it? That was over eleven years ago. She’s probably spent it by now.”
“If she’d spent it, she wouldn’t have come to the funeral like you told her to.”
He thought for a moment. “You have a point.”
“No shit.” There was a long pause. “What about her phone? Shouldn’t your people have been able to track it by now?
“That’s what I called to tell you. They tracked her phone to her apartment in Dallas. I already have a guy there. He went there, earlier. She wasn’t there, but he tossed the place and found her phone in one of her drawers. She ditched it.”
“She’s laying low, you idiot. Of course she didn’t take it with her.”
The other man’s condescending tone had his teeth grinding. “You just said we should track her—”
“I don’t care what I said!”
He held his breath and counted to ten. “We didn’t actually expect to find her at her apartment. Would you like to know what my man did find?
“I’m assuming since we’re having this conversation, it wasn’t the two million.”
Keep your cool. He’ll get what he deserves later. “No, but they did find a possible way to get to her.”
“I’m listening.”
“On the refrigerator was a calendar. One of the dates was circled several times in thick, red ink.”
“When is it?”
“A week and a half from now. The words ‘Olivia’s Baby Due’ were written on it in big, red marker.”
“This helps us how?”
If you’d shut the hell up, I’ll tell you. “The man who owns R.I.S.C. has a wife. Her name is Olivia McQueen. From what I’ve been able to find, our Abigail is very close with this woman.”
“So if this Olivia person is expected to give birth soon, and the two women are close friends…”
“It’s qui
te possible she’ll be present at the time of delivery.”
There was a pause before, “We need to find out which hospital the McQueen woman is using.”
“Already got it. She’s a nurse at a private facility located in the southwest portion of Dallas. Only problem is, it’s owned by Homeland Security.”
“There’s no way to make your move there. You’ll have to wait until they’re either going or coming. You know I can’t risk having any witnesses on this.”
“I know. I’ve already worked everything out. One way or another, we will get her to you soon. When we do, you’ll get your money as planned.”
And I’ll finally get what’s coming to me.
10
One week later…
“You haven’t found anything?”
Coop stood on his parents’ front porch and looked down toward the fenced in area connected to the barn. He watched Mac’s ponytail bounce up and down as she trotted around the enclosure on his dad’s favorite horse.
Her wide smile shone bright, even from here. She’d done that a lot this past week—laughed and smiled. Now he was going to have to go tell her they were no closer to figuring out who’d sent the threat than they were when they first got here.
“Sorry, man.” Derek’s southern drawl hit Coop’s ear. “I’ve been tryin’. Like I said, the military thing was a dead end. None of Mac’s uncle’s men were ever in the service. Not the ones we know of, anyway. Like she said, he had others in his pockets. Could’ve been someone on the police force. Or hell, someone with a lot of huntin’ experience. I tried, man. Sorry.”
“I know you did. I appreciate it.”
“How’s our girl doin’ otherwise?”
Coop continued watching her ride. He smiled when she laughed at something his dad said. “Good. Really good, actually.”
“Glad to hear it.” There was a slight pause before Derek said, “You know. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I sure thought I sensed a little…somethin’ between you two on the plane ride home last week.”
“A little somethin’?” Coop repeated.
“You know, an electrical current of sorts. Like maybe you two were—”