by Kate Tilney
So much for changing her mind. Standing. I shove my hand in my pockets. “Okay.”
She doesn’t have to give me the boot twice.
But I’m not too disappointed. Sunset Canyon is a small town. I’m sure we’ll see each other around sooner than later. Maybe the next time, she’ll be a little less concerned about what is and isn’t appropriate.
LUCY
In the grocery store parking lot, I stare at my dashboard in dumbfounded disbelief.
“You have got to be freaking kidding me.”
I try turning the ignition once more and get a short clicking sound, but the engine won’t turn over.
I run through my limited knowledge of cars wondering what on earth it might be. I know I had a starter go out once when I was in high school. I think I had to tow the car into the shop then. Which would suck. I have eggs and ice cream in my trunk.
It could also be something like a battery. Normally, I’d call my dad to come and check, but he and my mom are on a much-deserved trip to Alaska. While I’m super thrilled for them on taking this bucket list trip, it doesn’t really help me out right now.
Resisting the urge to call my dad anyway, I start searching for mechanics on my phone. I’m a twenty-five-year-old woman. I should be able to take care of something like my car myself. I’m about to call the first number that pops up when someone knocks on my window.
With a yelp, I toss my phone in the air and turn to find a familiar face staring at me.
“Cooper.” It comes out as almost an accusation.
It’s been two days since I last saw him. Since he asked me out. I’ve regretted not doing so at least twenty times. Because, really, it wouldn’t be inappropriate for me to socialize with him as long as I no longer see him as a patient. While I like being the fire department's nurse, maybe I could trade with my colleague who works with the police.
And that’s about five steps ahead of grabbing coffee or dinner.
Shaking my head at myself, I reach for the handle and roll the window down.
“Hey,” I say. It sounds lame, but I don’t have anything better. “Fancy running into you here.”
“It’s a small town.” He grins at that, and I wonder why. “Are you having trouble getting it started?”
“Can you tell?”
“I heard. It sounds like you might have a dead battery.” He gestures to the front. “Want to pop the hood and I’ll give you a jump?”
Oh, I would love for him to give me a jump. In more than one way. Fumbling for the latch near my door, I open the hood. While I step out of the car, Cooper reappears holding cables. I can’t help but watch him in admiration as he works. Really, this is something I should know how to do for myself. As he moves past me, the hairs on the back of my arm stand at attention.
“Thanks for helping me,” I say. “I’ve never jump-started my car before.”
“You’ve never had a dead battery?”
“No, I’ve had plenty of those.” I give my clunker an affectionate pat. “You don’t drive a classic like this without having to jump start it every now and again. But my dad usually comes to help.”
He arches an eyebrow, but he says nothing.
“I know. That’s so lame for a grown-ass woman to admit.” I throw my hands up in the air. “But what are you going to do?”
“I could show you sometime.” His lip twitches with a poorly suppressed grin. “Help you graduate to the next level of being a grown-ass woman.”
My belly does a little flip at the thought of spending some time with him. Alone. Under the hood of a car. That shouldn’t sound sexy, but it does. Everything about Cooper seems sexy.
“That would be nice.”
“And maybe we could have dinner?” he asks.
I’m about to repeat the line I said a couple of days ago. But I don’t. Because I really would like to spend more time with this man. Besides, it does seem like the universe keeps pushing us together. Why deny it. “I could do dinner.”
“How’s tomorrow night?”
“Tomorrow works.”
“Good.” Then he flashes me a grin that has me weak in the knees. “We’re all hooked up here. Give me just another minute.”
I’m willing to give him every minute that he wants. I can’t resist anymore.
Four
COOPER
I knock on the door to Lucy’s apartment at exactly seven o’clock. Though the guys at the station would make fun of me for the rest of my life if I ever admitted this, I’m nervous. I’ve dated my fair share of women through the years. But none of them has ever pulled at me the way Lucy does. I want tonight to go well. I want it to be a story we’ll tell the grandkids.
Taking a deep breath, I rock back and forth on my heels while I wait for the door to open.
When it does, Lucy beckons me inside.
“I’m running so late. I was stuck late with a patient at the hospital, and I needed a shower. Can you give me five minutes to finish getting ready?”
“Sure.” I follow her inside. As she closes the door behind me and runs down the hallway of her apartment, I take the opportunity to look around.
Her apartment is tidy. Most of the women I’ve dated have left piles of shoes by the door and stacks of magazines all over the place. But besides the two textbooks and notebook sitting neatly on her kitchen table, everything seems to be in order.
And my brother’s wife would probably say it’s cute. There’s one of those yarn blankets hanging over the edge of her couch. There’s a cushion with a cat stitched onto it.
“Do you have a cat?” I call out.
“I wish,” she answers from the bathroom. “My landlord won’t allow pets.”
That’s too bad. I bet she’d like the company. And now, I have the very sudden urge to get her a kitten.
Turning around, my gaze lands on a picture. I frown. There’s nothing wrong with the painting. It’s of a woman in a red dress having a cocktail at a bar. It looks like the sort of you thing you could buy at one of those home goods stores. No, the problem is that it’s just slightly askew.
I try to dismiss it by looking at what else, but I can’t resist. Crossing the room, I give it a slight nudge. The framed work falls back on the angle. I try it again. Once more, the painting falls back.
Taking a step closer, I reach up for it. I’m just about to set it back in place when Lucy calls my name. Turning to answer, I lose my grip and the frame smashes down on my forehead.
I let out a loud “shit” before I quickly shove the painting back on the wall and clutch my head.
Lucy suddenly appears at my side. “Are you hurt?”
“It’s my own dang fault.” I shake my head, wincing a little at the pain throbbing through my forehead. “That’s what I get for fussing with a painting that isn’t mine.”
She turns and looks at the wall. “What did you do to it?”
“It was a little crooked, I—”
“I know it was crooked. It’s been driving me crazy for months.” She chuckles lightly. “Trust you to fix it in five minutes.”
“And all I got was this stupid scratch on my forehead.”
Her brow furrows and she leans forward. “Move your hand. Let me see it.”
“I don’t know. It’s not a big deal.”
She gives me a stern look. “Don’t make me go into full nurse mode.”
It would be kind of fun to play doctor. Though, I suppose what she has in mind is completely different then what I’m thinking. Cautiously, I lower my hand and wince at the heavy smudge of red on my fingers.
She winces. “That’s a pretty good gash there. I don’t think you’ll need stitches, but you need it cleaned up.”
“We have dinner reservations.”
She steps back to roll her eyes at me. “We can’t go to dinner when you’re bleeding all over the place.”
“Good point.” Kicking myself mentally for being such an idiot, I give up my protest and follow her toward her bathroom.
She
grips my hand, and that’s not so bad. Besides. It looks like we’ll have something to tell the grandkids after all.
LUCY
Leading Cooper into my bathroom, I’m glad I was up late cleaning it last night. I was too excited about our date to sleep. I briefly consider lighting the candle on the counter but reach for the First Aid kit instead. He’s here for me to tend to a cut. I’m not setting the mood for romance.
“So much for a good start to our first date.” He flashes me a grin, and I fumble with the case. His hands come up to wrap around mine, keeping them steady. “I suppose this is kind of becoming par for the course for us.”
“I swear, I’m not usually this accident-prone,” I say.
“Neither am I. We must bring it out in each other.”
“I sure hope not.” Otherwise, we’ll both be in casts before we can go on a second date. “Just take a seat here, and I’ll get this taken care of.”
Cooper sits on the closed toilet seat while I pull on a pair of gloves.
“I can tell I’m dating a nurse.” He arches an eyebrow and winces. “You seem to be prepared to give triage here.”
“I suppose I could if it came to that. But maybe we should save that for our third date.”
“I like the sounds of that.”
I almost drop the antiseptic wipe. “You like the sounds of ending up in triage on a third date?”
“Not exactly. I just like the sound of us ending up on a third date.”
The butterflies in my belly start flapping at full speed. This man really is a wonder. On the outside, he seems hard and cold. Like he’s built from ice. But underneath the surface, he’s warm and hot.
“Just like Iceland,” I mumble to myself.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.” My cheeks burn. Will I ever get used to the effect this man has on me? I sure hope so. Otherwise one—or both of us—really will end up in the emergency room. I wipe the blood from his brow and give a nod. “The good news is, I don’t think you’ll need any stitches.”
“Whatever you think. I can take it.”
I have no doubt he can. This man is so strong, so capable. I bet he can withstand a lot of pain. I bet during his military service, he did. The thought squeezes at my heart.
“I’m going to seal it up with a couple of butterfly bandages.” I grab his chin and catch on my breath. His hazel eyes are warm and steady, staring at me with such trust.
Though my fingers are clumsy, I do my best to make quick work of piecing him together. I wonder if he can hear my heart pounding. When the last of the three bandages are in place, I let out a breath. I hadn’t realized I was holding it. But as I breathe in deeply, it’s impossible to ignore his musky smell.
Maybe I’m light-headed from it. Maybe it’s the adrenaline wearing off. Whatever it is, I am pulled to him. That has to be the reason I throw myself in his arms as our lips collide, sending anticipation and excitement flowing through my body.
Our dinner reservations flee my mind. I don’t need candles or fancy table settings. I just need this man and what he does to me.
Five
COOPER
My fingers slide in through her mass of curls. I pull her closer as I deepen the kiss. My groan mingles with her moan. She parts her thighs as she comes to straddle me. I push my hard length forward and she cuddles me against her.
I’d love nothing more than to take her. Right here. Right now. But our first time shouldn’t be in her bathroom. It should be on a bed covered in rose petals with candles flickering around us. Though, at this moment, I’d settle for a bed.
Sliding my hands down the curves of her body, I grip onto the backs of her thighs as a stand.
She stills against me, pulling back. “What are you doing?”
“Carrying you to bed,” I mumble against her neck.
“You can’t carry me?”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m too . . . I’m not . . .” She shakes her head, and I pause.
“What you are is perfect.” I kiss her chin, and she shivers in delight. “Now, will you point me in the right direction, or should I start opening random doors?”
She gestures to the open door next to the bathroom. As I carry her over the threshold, I flip on the light.
Before she can protest, I give her a stern look. “I want to see every inch of your body. You won’t be shy, will you?”
“I . . .” Then she shakes her head. “No. I won’t.”
“Good.” I make quick work of stripping us both out of our clothes. When her skin is bare, I take my fill of scoping out every glorious inch of her. I swear under my breath. “I am the luckiest man in the world.”
Her brows come together. “Why?”
As if she has to ask. “Because tonight, I get to have you.” Every last inch, body, and soul.
Dipping my head, I trail kisses over the curve of her neck and down her shoulder. Her breath catches as I lean her back on the bed. My mouth moves lower until I reach her breasts. Cupping them in my palms, I admire how they overflow my hands.
She really is sensational. Leaning forward, I capture a nipple in my lips. She bucks up. Her fingers slide to the back of my head, pulling my closer. I grin against her smooth skin. My girl wants me as bad as I want her.
After giving attention to both of her breasts, I lower myself more until I’m kneeling between her smooth thighs. She leans up on her elbows and sucks in a breath as I take my first taste of her. I growl low in my chest. She’s already wet. That’s what I do to her. She has the same effect on me. My tongue glides over her, lapping her up. Tasting her. Savoring her. Drawing the pleasure out of her body and into mine.
When her thighs press against my ears and she grabs the back of my head, I know she’s close. I reach up to caress her breasts, urging her onward.
She collapses back against the bed, taking deep gulps of air. Wiping my lips with the back of my hand, I glide back up and over her body, peppering the smooth skin with kisses as I do. She reaches for me, pulling my mouth to hers. Her tongue meets with mine, as her other hand moves down between our bodies.
I hiss when her hand grips my length. When I pull back, she glances down, hungrily, as her hand strokes my already painfully hard cock. I suck in another breath as she gives me a squeeze.
“Well,” she says.
“Well, what?” I somehow mumble out.
“What are you waiting for?”
What, indeed? Springing up, I reach into my discarded jeans and pluck out a condom. I grit my teeth as I slide it over myself to protect us both. When I’m back between her thighs, I line up at her entrance as I gently stroke her cheek. She leans into my palm.
“Ready?” I ask. When she nods, I push forward, groaning. “You’re so tight.”
I take my time filling her inch by inch, allowing her body to adjust to me. It takes every ounce of my self-control not to plunge in and out over and over. But I want this to be good for her, too.
Pulling up her knees, she takes me deeper. And once I’m fully inside, I rest my forehead against hers. Once I’ve given her a moment, I pull out just as slowly, before thrusting back inside.
She gasps and clutches onto me. Her fingernails dig into my shoulders as I move inside of her. Beads of sweat drip on the back of my neck as a pleasure I’ve never known grips hold of me.
When I feel her grip onto my cock, and she cries out my name, I know she’s found her bliss again. With a shout of my own, I plunge into her once more, coming harder than I ever have before.
As I pull out of her, I flop to my back, bringing her with me. I tighten my grip around her and pull her close. My insides are shaking, overcome with what I feel for her. I don’t know how it happened, but in just a couple of days, she’s become the most important person in the world. I’ll never let anything bad happen to her again.
“Do you need your car tomorrow morning?” I ask.
I feel her head move across my chest. “Tomorrow is a study day. Why?”
“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to drop it off by my brother’s shop.” If she’s going to drive that piece of crap around, I’d like to make sure it’s safe. “The other day, it sounded like your brakes might need some work.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I know I don’t.” I give her a gentle squeeze. “I want to.”
I hear her breath catch. Her voice is light and sweet when she says, “I’d appreciate that. Thank you.”
Lucy better get used to being treated like a queen. Because as long as we’re together, that’s how I plan on treating her. And if things go the way I hope, it’ll be a forever kind of thing.
I fall asleep with a grin on my lips.
Six
LUCY
I’m stirred awake with a tender kiss and the smell of freshly brewed coffee. My eyelids flutter open to find Cooper staring down at me.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
He says that every morning. Even though I know with my hair matted to my head and morning breath, I’m not at my best. But you’d never know it from the way he looks and speaks to me.
“I brought you breakfast.” He smoothes the hair away from my cheeks.
My belly flutters as I sit up while he fluffs the pillow behind me. “And what did the chef prepare?”
“For your first course, I have prepared a piping hot cup of coffee.” With his nose in the air, he makes a spectacle of placing a paper towel in my lap. “Black with one sugar and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg, as the lady prefers.”
My stomach tumbles again. When we started seeing each other about a week ago, Cooper barely had salt and sugar in his cupboards. Now, he’s expanded his kitchen inventory substantially.
“For the second course”—he sets a breakfast tray on my lap, and I wonder where that new addition has come from—“mademoiselle will find scrambled eggs with a dash of dill”—another new spice for his cupboards!—“ and a slice of dry toast. For the third, and final course, a fruit parfait.”