Lost Chances

by C. T. Nicholson

  "Sophia, if you don't quit staring at my backside like that, then you'll come in with me even if you don't want to." He looked over his shoulder at her before diving into the water.

  "I thought this wasn't the plan." It didn't matter if it wasn't anyways, because the water looked fantastic and she wanted so bad to get closer to him. She also needed to cool off after the torture he subjected her to.

  Not wanting to waste something so valuable, she put the lid back on the peanut butter and slid off the truck. She'd never look at a jar of peanut butter the same. He followed her every movement until she stood at the water's edge. She grabbed the bottom of the sun dress and he spun away.

  "I sure as shit can't watch you strip, or see you like that."

  She loved the way she affected him with such a simple act. If only he remembered the first time she stood naked in front of him. She pulled the dress over her head and tossed it on the truck. Not wanting her bra and underwear to be soaked, she risked removing them too, before hurrying into the water until she was completely submerged up to her shoulders. "Okay."

  Laughter bubbled up when he turned with his eyes closed and then opened just one at first. "I wasn't tricking you."

  "I don't know. This little game we're playing is heading in a direction I didn't plan on." He swam closer to her.

  She moved back. What if he got upset that she was completely naked? And what would happen after he did find out? "I'm not sure what game you're referring to?"

  "Ha! I don't believe one bit that little moan you did while eating the peanut butter was for real." He swam close enough to touch her, but didn't.

  "It was really tasty." A scream escaped when he grabbed her waist and jerked her against his hard body.

  His eyes squeezed closed. "You're naked."

  At first she just nodded and then realized he didn't see her with his eyes still shut. "Yes."

  "You win." Those lids popped open to give her a glimpse of those baby blues. It didn't last long when he shoved his hands in her hair and jerked her in for a killer kiss. He pulled his right hand away and she shuddered against him as he cupped one breast, his thumb grazing the hard nipple. His attention moved to the other side for only a few seconds before both of his hands dropped to her butt and lifted her.

  The change of position brought her out of the water enough for him to lavish one side and then the next with his tongue and teeth. She squeezed her legs against his butt and was rewarded with his erection slipping across her exposed sex. The sensations grew to where she found herself grinding against him.

  One hand still held her up, even as the other slid around to tease her opening. A finger stretched her as it slipped inside easily. He kissed her again, his tongue thrusting in and out at the same pace as his finger and she waited for her body to shatter.

  She reached a hand down herself and maneuvered his briefs until they weren't blocking the object of her attention. Once they were out of the way enough, she wrapped as much of her hand around the base as she could, grinning when he jumped in her hand. She squeezed tight and slid up to the tip and back down. The noise that came out of him sounded a lot like a growl—the sexiest thing she'd ever heard.

  She didn't stop even as a second finger joined the first and then his thumb circled her clit. The fluttering in her stomach seized and she tensed as her mind exploded and her body contracted around his invasion. She couldn't kiss him anymore without fear of biting his tongue, so she threw her head back and screamed, never slowing her own hand until he jerked against her and his groan joined in her joy. His fingers didn't stop until she rode out the orgasm completely and her body grew limp.

  A sharp breath slipped out when he pulled his hand away. The nerves in her body switched to overdrive and every time his body brushed against her, she jerked. She thought the first night they shared had been amazing, but that was nothing compared to being completely aware of everything he was doing to her.

  He carried her out of the water and sat her on the edge of the truck and kissed her lips softly. "Hold on."

  She was sure she would fall if he didn't hurry. The limp feeling in her body had her holding tight to the truck. Soon, he was lifting her back up to carry her over to another blanket he'd spread out over the ground. Gently, he laid her down, then stretched out beside her, positioning her so her head rested on his arm.

  She glanced down to see the bulge between his legs. "I thought you came."

  "I did. That's not completely erect, but holding you naked against my body won't keep it away for long. You just don't know what you do to me and after having you shatter around my hand like that, I don't think I'll ever sleep without dreaming of it." He kissed her and bit her lips lightly. "You're so easy to please, and so damn good with those hands of yours."

  A warm blush filled her cheeks. She was lying on a blanket under the darkening sky with Cooper, completely naked. "I've never felt anything so satisfying in my life."

  "Good. I want to be the only one who can make you feel that way. I think we screwed up the taking things slow aspect of our relationship."

  She started to giggle and then couldn't stop. His own laughter joined in. "I think you're right about that."

  The arm under her head was the one with the tattoo that she'd been dying to study. "When did you have this done?"

  The design showed an antique looking map with what look liked coordinates, with a compass as the centerpiece. She found herself tracing the lines.

  "I had it done not long after I left town. I've always wanted a tattoo, but it had to be special. After my grandpa's death, I felt lost and what better way to help me than a map? Leaving you seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Then I realized I was even more lost than before." He cleared his throat and pointed up at the stars. "Look how clear the sky is tonight."

  "It's beautiful. My dad used to tell me that the brightest star in the sky was Mom looking down on us." Even though she knew what stars really were, she still thought about that every time she looked up at night. "I could lie here all night just staring at them."

  "Me too."

  She turned to find his gaze on her, not the stars. "The stars are up there."

  "Not the one I care about." He kissed her gently, slipping his tongue in to dance against hers. After just enjoying the taste of him, she moaned with disappointment when he ended the kiss. "I don't want to end this moment, but will your brothers be worried?"

  "I should head home soon, since they know Ryan is still out of town until tomorrow." Then she remembered what she'd wanted to ask him. "Did Jacob catch us on the couch this morning?"

  He stiffened. "Yeah, he did. We had a talk, and he said we should plan to tell Nick and Mike, before they find out another way."

  "I was dreading that."

  "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to them about how I feel about you and where I want this to go." He lifted onto his elbow. "Only when you're ready for them to know."

  In some ways she didn't ever want them to find out because she was scared of how they'd react, but they had to know. "Jacob is right. We shouldn't wait. If you're sure you want to do it alone, then I'm okay with it. Just don't get in a fight, please."

  "I'm not going to fight your brothers. At least I hope we've all grown up enough to talk like adults."

  She raised a brow at him. "I really hope so, too."

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Cooper had all three brothers sitting around their living room. Jacob sat in the recliner, while Nick sat with his leg thrown over on one side of the large couch and Mike lounged back on the other side. There was another chair, but it seemed easier to stand. As much as he’d practiced how he would tell them, none of it seemed right.

  "What did you need to talk to us about?" Nick and Mike both watched him with curiosity, and Jacob just sat there with a slight smirk on his lips.

  Asshole. He knew exactly what Cooper had to say and it amused him. "Okay, I'm just going to say it. I've been seeing Sophia. I didn't want y'all to find out before
I could tell you how I felt about her. She means the world to me, and I want to prove it to her. I know she's your little sister and we've always been friends and that this might affect our friendship. But I also want you to know I'm not giving up the chance to be with her. No matter if y'all want to kick my ass or whatever."

  Nick and Mike both jumped to their feet, and Cooper waited for the attack… until the laughter started.

  "Look, we'll never be excited for our sister to date, but if anyone is right for her, then it's you." Mike slapped a little hard on the shoulder. "If you hurt her, then you know what to expect."

  "Same here. Plus, I think we all figured it out after you played that song at the camp fire. It was pretty damn obvious you were singing about Sophia and you never once removed your eyes from her while you played." Nick slapped his other shoulder. Painfully.

  The slaps had to be their way of warning him, and he'd take it. They already handled it a lot better than he ever imagined they would. "I'm glad my nose is still intact."

  "For now." Jacob spoke up for the first time.

  The front door opened and they all turned to see Sophia. She froze in place and focused on Cooper. By the way her brow lifted, she probably wondered if he'd already had the talk.

  "They know."

  Her shoulders dropped and it seemed like a weight of stress and worry left her body as she lightened up. "At least you're not bleeding."

  Mike gave her a hug and laughed. "I think we'll hold it in, unless he hurts you. Then there might be some consequences."

  "I don't expect anything less than that." Damn, his heart finally picked up its normal pace after seeing her walk in. She always caused it to stop for a beat or two. If that wasn't love, then he sure didn't know what was.

  Her brothers all made their exits, but not until they gave their last warnings. "Are you getting ready to meet Ryan?"

  "Yep. He made it back late last night. Are you sure you don't want to come along?" She linked her arms around his neck and played with the back of his neck with her fingertips.

  "I don't think I'd be able to keep my hands off you and that wouldn't give you a lot of time with him. Plus, I've got a lot to do today and tomorrow." He wanted to make it obvious that he was going to be busy. After talking to Ryan that morning, Sophia would be busy too. The plan to have Ryan take her to the bar on Friday was in the works. Cooper planned on going there to practice with the sound equipment while she hung out with him. That way, everything would be perfect when he surprised her Friday by performing on stage for her.

  He shuddered when she slipped her fingers further up into his hair. "If you keep doing that, I won't let you go anywhere."

  "Like you could stop me." He lifted a brow at her and she grinned. "Well, maybe you could, but you wouldn't force me. I'm sure I could talk you into letting me go."

  She sure as hell was right about that. "I don't think there's much you couldn't talk me into. Though, I guess I shouldn't admit that to you."

  "Probably not." She gave him a lopsided smile and winked at him. "I'm going to leave now and meet Ryan. He should be about ready to go to lunch."

  Her phone buzzed. She looked down at it and frowned. "Did you say you were busy tomorrow, too?"

  "Yes, why?"

  "Ryan asked if we had plans and if we wanted to meet at the bar tomorrow night." She tucked the phone back into her pocket.

  "I can try, but you should plan on going with him and I'll let you know if I can. But I want you all to myself on Sunday. I should be finished by then." He could tell she was putting too much thought into him being busy. It didn't matter, because she'd know soon enough it was all for her.

  "Okay. I'll see you later then." She kissed him and then left.

  Only a few minutes later, he also got a text from Ryan, saying all was set to go. He left the Johnson's house and headed straight to the bar driving slower than normal to keep from catching up with Sophia.

  ****

  Something was off with Cooper. Sophia didn't know what was going on, but tried to ignore the feeling that he wasn't being completely honest with her. She was just being paranoid.

  Ryan already stood outside waiting on her when she pulled into his drive. He got into the car smiling and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I'm glad to be back home."

  "Really? I would love to get out of town every once in a while." Not that she didn't love it and her family, but some change would've been nice. Having Cooper around was a pretty big change and she couldn't complain about that.

  "Did your face just turn as red as the shirt you're wearing? What in the world could you be thinking about?" When she didn't say anything, he laughed. "I've obviously missed a lot in only a week. Please, don't leave out a single detail."

  She told him about the first date and disaster and then the second date that had to be the most romantic moment in her life. Even though he got the point of just how far Cooper and she had gone, she didn't give him complete details. No matter how comfortable she felt talking with Ryan, there were just some things she couldn't talk about. Thinking about what they did had her whole body heating up in embarrassment.

  "Interesting. So things are working out well between you two. I'm glad you got away from Seth and if I was a woman, I'd be all about kicking Michelle's ass. What a complete bitch. I just can't wait to give her the look when I see her around town." The look he gave was not one you wanted being aimed toward yourself.

  He was so cute. "What about you? Did you meet anyone out of town?"

  The smile left his lips and he looked out the window. He wasn't upset though. The slight twinkle she caught in his eyes before he turned told her that much.

  "Fine. I tell you about my week and you just leave me hanging." She turned onto the highway heading toward the mall. "I guess I won't let you help with picking out my lingerie for the big night with Cooper. This is probably the only time I can get out to the mall and figured it would be the best time to pick something out."

  "Whatever. Why don't you just wear the outfit you bought last time? It's not like he remembers anyways." That made him laugh, but he sobered up quick when she didn't laugh with him. "Oh, Sophia, I didn't mean it like that. I've been drunk enough to not remember things that happened. Not fun."

  She elbowed his arm gently. "I could do that, but I can't find the underwear. Plus, I figured we'd have fun picking out something new."

  "Fine by me. I like to shop."

  Like no one knew that about him. The guy dressed better than anyone in town. Jacob got pretty close when he wasn't at work. "And I'm glad that's the case or I'd be clueless myself."

  "You were pretty bad when we met. I love you anyways."

  "Right." She pulled off the highway and made her way through the ridiculous traffic that she only saw when she left their small town. Her mind wandered off, trying to figure out why Cooper had acted so weird.

  She got out of the car and looked up when Ryan gave her a funny look. "What?"

  "Nothing. It's just I was sitting there talking and I think you missed every bit of it." He linked his arm with hers and they headed through the food court entrance. "I was asking if you wanted something to eat now or do a little shopping."

  "I'm sorry." It was so stupid to let the thought of Cooper being busy to worry her.

  "Are you going to tell me what has you quiet all of a sudden?"

  "It's just that Cooper has been a lot about spending time together, but he just said he was going to be busy for the next two days. I don't know. Obviously, I don't expect him to want to spend every second together. I've never been a clingy girlfriend."

  "It's because he didn't explain. I get it. You don't need to worry. From what you told me about the picnic at the lake, the guy probably has something planned, even if you don't know it. I don't think he's going anywhere. And I really don't think he's anything like Seth."

  "I never even worried about that with Seth. No matter what the signs were. I think I'm too scared to lose him again. Never mind. You're right and I just
need to make the best of our time together. We don't get to do this much and I can't wait to hang out at the bar. Are you playing?" She needed a night out and to get her mind off the worry. It was still hard not to remember Cooper leaving the first time. Even with her being young, she could still feel the pain of that day and the years after.

  "Not sure." He grabbed her hand and walked a little faster. "Let's eat first and then shop."

  "Okay." She wasn't really paying attention when he released her hand and she bumped into him. They were barely past the door. She glanced at him and caught him staring at something. Looking around led her to Jacob. "I thought he had a business meeting. This is hardly the place for that."

  "A meeting, huh?" He starting walking again straight to where Jacob and his very good looking male companion sat.

  The suit he wore had to be tailor made for him and his blonde hair was gelled and fit his looks well. What the heck was he even doing in the mall? The man seemed to have walked straight out of GQ magazine. He reached over and patted Jacob's hand. That had her pausing and grabbing Ryan's arm before he walked any further.

  "I don't think we should bother them." She went around the escalators located behind Jacob's seat. Even though she told herself not to, she looked back at the table again and caught her brother and the GQ model nearly kissing. She jerked her head away and walked faster until she was completely out of sight.

  "Sophia?" Ryan pulled her to a stop and twisted her to look at him.

  "They were going to kiss. My brother and that guy. I can't believe this." She'd never caught on to it. Not once.

  It took her a moment to realize that Ryan was just staring at her and had let her go completely. Pain filled his eyes and it didn't make sense until he spoke. "You don't seem to have any problems with my lifestyle, but if it's your brother…"