“You know I hate being the center of attention,” I reminded her. She didn’t need to know about the thing with Cooper.
“It’ll be fine,” she said, patting my leg. “I invited Trent, so you’ll have a distraction.”
“I wish you hadn’t done that,” I groaned. “You’re leading him on. I don’t want to get into a relationship right now.”
“He’s a good man,” she argued, “and maybe that’s just what you need. Plus, he’s a lot better than that playboy, Cooper.”
I rolled my eyes at her. She had never approved of my relationship with him and when he had left me without a backward glance, it had solidified her hatred. Hence the reason I wasn’t filling her in on our little arrangement. The sex was just going to be a release for the stress of my life. Nothing more.
“I’m not getting involved with Coop,” I insisted as she pulled into the tavern. “But it’s not fair for Trent to think he has a chance when I just don’t have it in me to get involved.”
“Fine, I’ll back off for now,” she relented, finger pointing at me. “However, as soon as your father is better, all bets are off.”
Leaning over the console when she parked the car, I hugged her, hard. I knew Jen loved me and she was trying to do what she thought was best for me. Unfortunately, not everyone was meant to be happily married like her. Heck, I would settle for content. This was something I needed for me; she just wouldn’t understand.
I saw Cooper’s truck parked along the side of the building and that, along with the breeze teasing my legs, had me biting back a groan. I felt so exposed, yet so sexy. The secret hiding beneath my skirt gave me such a rush that if I didn’t see the intended target soon, I would have to take things into my own hands.
Jen opened the door for me as I fidgeted with my outfit for the millionth time. She laughed, ushering me inside. If she only knew what was going on, she certainly wouldn’t be laughing. I stood still for a moment, letting my eyes adjust, and I was floored.
We had gotten there early to help get things ready, however, they seemed to have everything under control. The band was on the stage and looked to be discussing their playlist, Willie and Rick were behind the bar, prepping, and Lexie and Maggie had some of the other early birds organizing tables and moving food. Grind Construction and “Get Well” banners were hung up, and a rather large donation jar was positioned by the entrance.
“What do ya think?” Willie asked as he approached us.
Tears filled my eyes as I launched myself at him. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude for what all these people had done for my family. My eyes squeezed shut when I felt his arms clasp tight around me. I held in the sobs that threatened to escape and took a deep breath. Feeling a little more in control of my emotions, I opened my eyes and eased up on the hold I had around my friend’s neck. Before he settled me back on my feet, my gaze clashed with his brother’s over his shoulder. I struggled to read his expression, but if the tick in his jaw and crossed arms were any indication, he was pissed.
Willie cupped my cheeks in his hands when he let me go, and wiped away my tears. Despite not melting into a pile of goo over this man, I couldn’t help but admire the play of muscle on his forearms under all the color. Not to mention the gray t-shirt stretched across his pecs and the ball cap turned backwards, giving everyone a full view of his never-ending smile. Oh, why couldn’t I have fallen for the soft-spoken sexy one?
I put my hands over his and gave him a quick squeeze before pulling away to finish mopping up my face. When he turned to hug Jen, I caught Cooper in my peripheral vision, coming our way. He looked ready to skin his brother alive. I gave him a hard look and a sharp shake of my head. What the hell was his problem?
What the hell was my problem? How had I thought that it could be just sex? He was the proverbial playboy, but we had a past and he had never liked to share. There was no way this would work. Especially not if he was ready to strangle his brother over a friendly hug. He didn’t get to go all caveman on me. That was not how this was supposed to go.
I shifted my attention back to the man in front of me when I felt his hand on my arm. His understanding look, along with the daggers Jen was shooting Cooper had me shaking my head to clear it. Pasting a smile on my face, I hooked my arm through his and made the motion for him to show me what they had set up. While he led us to the seating area, now half-filled with tables of food, I tried to ignore the ache still burning in the same spot my barely-there underwear was covering. It would have to wait until I got home.
An hour later, I was surrounded by a couple hundred people and there was a line out the door. There had been a steady stream of local well-wishers who stopped by the table, but there were also a lot of unfamiliar faces in the tavern. I knew many of them were here to see Dark Roads, and for that, I was grateful because it took some of the attention away from us. It also kept the band busy, which meant Cooper hadn’t tried to approach me again.
Suddenly a shrill whistle pierced the air. Everyone’s eyes moved to the stage, and slowly they sat or quieted down. Each of the members was behind their respective instruments and Chris held his microphone, patiently waiting. My brother stood next to him, chatting with Evan.
“I’d like to say a few things before we get started tonight,” Chris started. “Most of you know that we are here to show our support of one of our own, Dale Cyr, and his family. Dale has been a fixture in this town my entire life. I grew up with his kids, worked for him for a spell, and love him like a second father. When I found out about his diagnosis, it hit me hard and I knew I needed to do something. So, the band and I talked. Along with donations from the show tonight, we will be give the Cyrs a check for $20,000, to help cover medical costs.”
I slapped my hands over my mouth as my eyes filled with tears. I hadn’t been expecting that. Through the haze, I could see my brother wiping his face and hugging Chris; evidently, he hadn’t known about it either. Keegan took the mic that was handed to him and once he had composed himself, he addressed the crowd.
“Wow, I’m speechless after that,” he admitted, turning slightly toward the band to acknowledge them. “My family and I can’t thank Dark Roads, and you all, enough for all of the support and love you have given us as we battle this. I’d also like to thank Willie for holding the event here. Now, without further ado, let’s turn it over to the greatest group of men I know…Dark Roads!”
My brother left the stage to come back to our table, but was quickly engulfed in the throng of people. The band wasted no time jumping into one of their latest hits, and the room came alive once again. Jen bounced along with the beat in her seat next to me, and I couldn’t help but smile at her.
While they played their first set, I split my time between locals and my family and friends. It was a little tiring, making small talk; however, I was happy for the distraction. I tuned out the band as best as I could and continually tried to pretend I wasn’t wearing a barely-there strap of fabric under my dress.
“Come dance with me,” a masculine voice whispered in my ear when the band slowed the tempo.
Tingles rode down my spine from the warm breath dancing across my skin. I turned and found Trent leaning close, his arm slung over the back of my chair. He had gradually been getting braver as the beers had flowed. I nodded, but immediately realized my mistake as he grabbed my hand in his.
When we found an empty spot on the floor, he pulled me tightly into his arms, so we were chest to chest. His hands gripped my hips, keeping me close, and leaving me no place to put my hands except lightly on his shoulders. Trent certainly wasn’t making the “friends” thing easy. The possessive way he held me signaled that, for that moment, at least, I was his.
“You’ve got to let me breathe, Trent,” I told him, a slight teasing tone to my voice.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized, letting up a bit, but still holding me close.
“No worries,” I assured him as we swayed.
I felt eyes boring into me and wasn’t surprised, wh
en I glanced at the stage, to find Cooper watching us. His face was flush and the veins in his arms stood out. I couldn’t tell if it was from the strain of playing or from the fact that he looked like he wanted to beat my dance partner to a pulp. I raised an eyebrow at him, as though to ask him how he had a right to be angry. He surprised me by winking and breaking into a grin. Men!
“Trent, listen,” I said, leaning closer so he could hear me above the music. “You’re a great guy. You’re good looking, smart, nice…”
“But you aren’t interested,” he interrupted, flexing his hands slightly.
“No, unfortunately not,” I admitted. “Not in you, not in anyone. I have too much going on right now to be in a relationship.”
“Someone might want to tell the guy behind the drums that,” he informed me, pulling away to kiss me on the forehead and head back to the table.
I stood there, stunned. What was he talking about? Rather than give Cooper the pleasure of looking at him again, I made my way to the bar. I needed a shot, bad. It took me a bit to reach it, as people kept stopping me and asking about my dad. Finally, I squirmed into an empty spot and barely registered that the band had taken a break.
Leaning slightly on the counter, I signaled Rick that I wanted something when he had a chance. People nudged and pressed against me as I waited, tapping my fingernails on the top. After my drink, I was headed outside; air would be good. A few minutes later, the youngest Hall brother made his way over to me, sauntering like he owned the place, and showing a nice package tucked into tight jeans, a white Henley with the sleeves pulled up his forearms, and boots.
“What can I get you, gorgeous?” he asked.
“Two shots of whiskey,” came a familiar voice from behind me.
Rick’s eyebrows shot up, however, he turned to do his brother’s bidding. I closed my eyes and tried not to lean back into the very male body at my back. When the shots clinked down in front of me, I opened my eyes and quickly grabbed one, downing it. The burn wasn’t enough. While I reached for the second one, Cooper leaned closer, bringing us flush and tucking his hardened member between my butt cheeks. One hand came up to my hip to keep me against him – like I would have moved at that point – while the other found the bottom of my skirt and slid under it, to run up my leg.
Downing the shot, I banged the glass on the counter and threw Rick a smile. I moved one hand to press against Cooper’s to keep it from traveling any further. I knew that with the amount of people around us and his large frame, no one could see what was happening. The thrill of it, combined with his warm, calloused hands, had my juices flowing.
Before I had a chance to say anything, I was being pulled down the hall we had been in that morning. My nipples perked at the memory and I bit my lip to stifle a moan. This time, instead of propping me against the wall, he tugged me into an office. I had made it two steps before I heard the lock click and my back was against the door.
“You know it’s not nice to tease a man, sweetheart,” Cooper growled as he undid his pants and slid them down his thighs.
The man had gone commando! Nothing covered his impressive throbbing flesh as it strained toward me. When I brought my eyes back to his, they were filled with barely restrained lust. His mouth held a smirk that said he knew what I was thinking and that he promised to uphold his end of the bargain. As much as I wanted to reach for him, I couldn’t get my limbs to move an inch. When he sheathed himself with the condom from his pocket, the spell was finally broken.
“I wasn’t teasing you,” I panted, as he brought his hands to my thighs to lift my legs and wrap them around his waist.
“Hanging off other men?” he questioned, pressing ever so slightly at my entrance with the tip after he shifted my thong. “I don’t do games. If you want sex, it’s only with me.”
The possessive tone in his voice nearly undid me. I strained against him and clawed at his shoulders to get him to drop me onto him. His grip on my ass tightened and he teased in and out slightly, without actually penetrating me. I moaned and found his mouth covering mine. He twirled my tongue around his and sucked gently.
“It goes both ways,” I told him, pulling away and looking him in the eye. “I am not going to share your body.”
“That won’t be a problem,” he assured me, bracing me against the door so he could bring a hand up to run it down my cheek. “I wish I could take my time, but people are going to be looking for us.”
With that comment, he brought his hand back down to my ass and drove into me with one quick hard thrust. I bit down on my lip to keep from screaming out when his mouth found the spot just behind my ear and nipped. He pulled out and slammed into me again a couple of times. I could feel him getting harder and his bites soon became muffled groans in my neck. It wouldn’t take much more.
Knowing his hands were occupied with holding me, I reached down to flick my clit. That was all I needed; I clamped around him and rode hard, hoping to bring him with me. His body happily obliged, filling the condom inside me with hot liquid.
My muscles started to twitch from the strain of being wrapped around him and arching into the wood behind me. I wiggled slightly and with a chuckle, Cooper helped me down. He handed me a tissue to clean myself while he disposed of the condom and got back into his jeans. I openly admired his body as he buttoned them and looked up at me.
His pants were tighter than the ones I had seen him in earlier on in the day, and they left little to the imagination. The black t-shirt he wore was equally as fitting and showed the curves of his muscled pecs. I leaned over and traced a finger up the tattoos on his left arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps on his flesh. His hand came up to stop my movements.
“I don’t have time for another round, Ave,” he muttered. “If you keep doing that, we are never going to make it back out there.”
“Sorry,” I whispered, feeling the need rise again as he ran his thumb up and down the inside of my wrist.
“Never apologize for wanting me,” he said, his voice going low, “because I always want you.”
“Is that why you went commando?” I asked, moving away from him to steady my nerves before we faced the crowd again.
“Yep,” he laughed, flashing a genuine smile.
We were silent for a few minutes as we calmed our breathing and Cooper worked on hiding his still hard length. On his way to the door, he stopped and cupped my cheek in his hand. I leaned into it and was surprised when he dropped a soft, sweet kiss on my lips. I furrowed my brow at him, and only received a shrug of the shoulders with a slight smile in return. He reached for the knob, leaving me instantly missing his warmth.
“I’m going to go out first. Give yourself a couple minutes,” he instructed. “Oh, Avery, make sure you don’t have any underwear on next time.”
My jaw dropped as the door clicked shut behind him. How dare he? He knew how uncomfortable I was wearing a thong as it was. No underwear, huh? Well, we’d see about that. Somehow, I needed to get control back, and I think I knew just how to do it.
Please, Coop,” she pleaded, as I slowly slid in and out of her warm folds, never fully penetrating.
I chuckled, barely holding back the load that was threatening to shoot out of my body. I wanted this moment to last forever. Avery’s gorgeous wavy long hair was fanned out around her face as she tossed her head back and forth. Her eyes were glazed over in passion and her mouth was slightly open in a moan. Sweat glistened on her curvy body and she was mesmerizing.
I stilled my movements once I was sheathed to the hilt, locked inside her, relishing in what a fucking lucky man I was. The night before, when she had been coming toward me down the aisle in a flowing white dress and a loving smile, she had truly been the most beautiful I had ever seen her. This was definitely a close second. My wife, naked except her diamonds, my diamonds, my promise, wrapped around her finger, and me bare, wrapped in her heat, as we started our life together and our own family. It didn’t get any better than this.
“Holy shit!” I ga
sped, jerking straight up in bed.
I dragged my hands down my face and hesitated to look beside me. The dream had felt so real that I could almost smell her. My body was still reacting from it, and my dick throbbed under the tent it was pitching in my sheets. Disappointment and surprise filled me when I confirmed that I was indeed alone in my bed.
Groaning, I rolled out of bed and padded to the master bathroom. Trying to piss wasn’t even an option, I decided, when I looked down at my naked body. Instead, I leaned into the new shower and cranked the water on. Resting my shoulder on the tile outside the glass walls, I took in the room.
This was the only part of the house that was officially completed. I had removed the standard shower/tub combo and instead installed a stand-up shower large enough for two. I had also tapped into an unused hall closet to expand the space enough to accommodate an enormous claw foot tub. I had left the single vanity concept, just tweaking it so two people could use it side-by-side, if necessary. I had fallen in love with the large bowl and vintage faucet I had put in. It would be perfect for a married couple should I ever sell the house.
The thought of a married couple had Avery popping back into my head and my erection flexing against my lower abs. Letting out a soft moan, I stepped into the shower and ignored the scalding water running over my body. I grabbed my body wash and squeezed a generous amount in the palm of my hand. Bracing myself against the wall with the other hand, I started running my hand up and down my shaft with slow, even strokes, working up a lather.
My mind immediately shifted to a certain brunette and the way she had looked as I slammed into her against the door in my brother’s office. She had been so hot, wet, and ready for me when I entered her in just one thrust. Increasing the strength of my grip, I started moving my hand faster. When I realized she had traded her standard bikinis in for a thong, I had almost come right there. It had only taken one finger to slide the material out of my way, so I could drive home. The memory of her pussy clamping down around me and her riding me harder in the throes of her orgasm had my hand pumping furiously to release the tingling starting in my spine. I moved the hand I had been using to hold myself up down to my balls, squeezing gently, and closing my eyes, I felt the cum explode from my body. A long low growl came with it that I couldn’t hold back.
The Return (The Comeback Series) Page 8