Faithful

by S. A. Wolfe

  “Better. It helped to have my mom at home and everyone in the house every day. It was tiring, though. We all talked until we were sick of each other, but it made the funeral easier. And it’s better knowing she’s not in pain anymore.”

  “I like your family. Greer is really something. She was taking care of everyone. You, too. You’re a natural with people. The big ones and the little, poopy ones.”

  “Yeah,” he says with a laugh. “I’ve changed a lot of diapers over the years. Greer liked you, too. So did my mother.”

  I toy with another bite of pie, pushing it around in the pie tin.

  “What’s wrong? You’re not talking as much as you usually do, and you haven’t said anything snarky yet.” He quiets my fidgety hand and removes the fork.

  “Being snarky to someone who just lost his mother isn’t really appropriate. Am I that bad?””

  “I need someone to make me laugh. I’ve been fucking miserable without you these past few weeks.”

  “Me, too.”

  As I reach out to stroke his cheek, he catches my hand, holding it against his leg.

  “I didn’t think I would ever feel that way about you,” I say. “And I didn’t think you could do it. But you did—you broke my heart.”

  His expression darkens. “You ripped my heart out, Imogene. How many times have you walked out on me? The last time I saw you, you left me standing in the street.”

  “Then let’s make each other feel better. I won’t mention how much you love your family and how everything you do revolves around them and that your opinion on marriage is bullshit.”

  Cooper scoffs with a faint smile.

  “I won’t mention any of that.” I get on my hands and knees and crawl a breath away from his face. “For tonight, you can have my body, and we’ll make each other feel good. Tomorrow, we’ll go back to being frenemies and won’t mention it.”

  “You’ve propositioned me when I’m at my weakest, and I want you more than anything I’ve ever wanted. I accept your terms, only because I’ll most likely renege later. But you know that.”

  “I do, and I’m willing to take my chances because …”

  “Because you want me inside of you.”

  “Yes.” I’m unsteady at the thought of his naked body.

  Cooper unzips my boots, pulls them off, and then strips my jacket and blouse off as he kisses me hard. I fall to the floor where he straddles me, helping me to remove the rest of my clothing. I undo his zipper and discover he’s not wearing underwear. Then, after he removes his work boots, T-shirt, and jeans in a matter of seconds, I wrap my hand around his hard cock.

  “I’d carry you to the bed, but I recall that you have a thing for the floor.”

  I shut him up with my mouth, pulling him down by the neck and kissing him until I have control over him. My other hand strokes him and rubs him against the wetness building in me. He’s ready to push into me, and I want him to. I want it hard and fast, and I don’t want to think about words like love and forever. My legs have him where I want.

  As he’s about to enter me, he jerks back. “I don’t have a condom. Shit!” He’s instantly a bundle of tense, knotted muscles above me.

  “I’ve been on the pill since I was seventeen, and I’ve never had sex without a condom.”

  “I’ve never done it without a condom, either,” he grits as though his composure is hanging by a thread.

  “What about the pretty doctor?” I ask mostly to toy with him, although also out of a warped, jealous curiosity.

  Cooper looks like he’s being strangled. “Sofia? It’s been at least six years. I always used a condom. I haven’t been with anyone except you in the last six months.”

  That makes me smile, and I stroke the tip of him until he’s slick and pulsing in my hand.

  “Christ, can we do this?” He watches my hand fondle him. “Now?”

  “Yes.”

  With the magic word, he thrusts into me with enough force to push the rug a foot backwards. I yelp as he fills me.

  “Ah! God,” he bellows. “This feels better than I expected. Jesus, why did I ever use condoms with you?”

  “Because I told you to.”

  “Right.” He smiles at me as he gains stability on his arms and tries out a few thrusts. “It’s very different without armor. Let’s make use of this.” He lifts one of my legs and throws it over his shoulder. “You’re very flexible, and I can think of quite a few things I want to do with you.”

  He adjusts his body so he’s thrusting into me at an angle, slow at first with a circular motion. While I’m so wet and delirious with lust that my limbs feel detached and lifeless, Cooper is lost in his own nirvana over his newfound discovery, the raw contact between us as though he’s losing his virginity … to me.

  He kisses his way down to my breasts and takes one peaked nipple in his mouth, sucking until I feel the sensation in my wet core, making me writhe against him. Then he moves to the other nipple and sucks it even harder before biting his way back up my throat. I shudder and moan and finally move my hands to grip his shoulders.

  With him getting harder and stretching me, it sends me into a hysteria of need. I buck against him as he begins pounding into me, hitting that sweet spot. I cry out as the orgasm builds.

  “Like that,” I say breathlessly. “Harder … faster. I’m almost there.”

  Someone or something growls; it’s either Cooper or a bear in the woods. I hold on as if I need to get closer to him as he keeps striking that beautiful spot. Then I arch up as the eruption builds in me. Cooper drops to his elbows and furiously pounds into me with short, fast thrusts that send me over the edge, spiraling into bliss.

  He shouts my name and empties into me with three more thrusts before collapsing on top of me.

  “Home run,” I whisper, feeling spent.

  Cooper chuckles but doesn’t move.

  “You’re getting heavy,” I say dreamily.

  “Sorry. This feels so good. I don’t want it to end.”

  “The night’s not over.”

  He props himself up and puts his weight on his arms again then slowly detaches himself from me as if we’re a fragile coupling. Then he looks at me with that beautiful, forlorn expression that makes me swoon for him. I close my eyes to shut out his beauty. I don’t want a broken heart tonight; I just want to feel him again.

  “I’m going to get us some water.” He kisses me then grabs his boots.

  “I’m going to run to the bathroom.”

  “You have to put on your shoes if you’re going to walk through the kitchen. There are nails and sharp broken things everywhere.” He stands up, wearing only his steel-toed boots. I stare at him.

  “Kcuf. You look hot like that.”

  “Hold that thought.” He grins and goes into the kitchen.

  While he rummages in the fridge, I slip on my knee length black boots and make my way across the kitchen to the bathroom. When I return, Cooper is leaning against the counter, chugging from a water bottle. As he sees me, he spits up some water and practically chokes. His eyes travel from my boots up my naked body, his cock springing to life and giving me a full salute. I put my hands on my hips and watch him with amusement.

  “Shit, Imogene. You look like a naked Wonder Woman.”

  “It’s the boots.”

  “It’s the woman.”

  “Thank you.”

  He puts the bottle down and strides towards me, climbing over a pile of debris. Dressed, Cooper can be an intimidating figure; naked, in his big heavy boots, he looks like an imposing god who misplaced his toga.

  He cradles my face in his hands and kisses me with a loving gentleness, as though something he lost has now returned. Those romantic thoughts swim through my head, and I should shut them off, tune them out. However, I may only have this one night with him, and I damn well am going to make the most of it. I will suffer the consequences later.

  “Put your hands here,�
�� he commands as he places my palms on the edge of the remaining countertop. “Step back and bend over.”

  I do as he says, and he pushes my legs farther apart with his knee, his erection pressing against my ass as he palms my wet clit. It doesn’t take much for him to make my legs weak in the knees as he circles and plays with my wet folds slowly, tauntingly, and with expert control considering how hard his cock rubs against me.

  When he slips his fingers inside me, my head flops down and I grip the counter and let my hips go wild, undulating in ecstasy. I gasp as a sharp spasm of pleasure ripples from my center to the tips of my breasts. I am so close to climaxing, but Cooper is keeping it slow and steady, torturing me so I can’t reach my happy ending.

  “Cooper!” I say desperately.

  He thrusts in from behind, almost knocking the wind out of me. I’m holding onto the counter at a ninety-degree angle as he holds my hips and jerks me back towards him with each thrust. The gentle giant is gone. Cooper is all power, forcefully gripping my hips to the point of pain and pulling me harder to bury himself deeper.

  As his need grows and I feel him getting harder inside me, he begins to lose control, grunting and exhaling in a fury. Just when I think this goddamn beast is about to cheat me out of an orgasm, his fingers begin caressing my clit, and before I know it, he’s rubbing the perfect spot with the perfect rhythm, making me wetter.

  It’s a good thing our brains don’t have to work at this because I’m in a trance. Every nerve is tingling, my inner muscles clenching, trying their mightiest to hold on to him and the intoxicating joy as our bodies slap together. I scream some incoherent gibberish when I reach the pinnacle, and then I’m free falling, happily in a tailspin.

  I’m mush; my brain, my muscles. I can’t hold myself up any longer. Cooper leans against my back and wraps one strong arm under my waist and puts the other against the counter so I don’t bang my head. Then he goes to town on my accommodating body, pounding into me and yelling appreciative remarks of satisfaction.

  Standing me up, he holds my back against his chest so I feel his heart beating rapidly. He’s still breathing hard, and I’m still in a boneless stupor. Finally, he kisses my neck and rests his chin on my head.

  “This is great,” he says. “Pie, boots, and oh, yeah, my favorite naked woman.”

  I laugh and turn around in his arms to kiss him again.

  “Want to try out my new shower?”

  “Actually, I want to try that new soaking tub I saw.”

  “Ah, you saw that, did you? I got it because you mentioned how much you like bubble baths. I’ve never seen the appeal of a bath myself.”

  “Then let me show you.”

  He grins and leads me back to his bedroom to the newly renovated master bath. The thirty-year-old combination shower and tub unit is gone. In its place is a glass-enclosed shower stall for two, and under the window is an enormous half-egg shaped soaking tub. For the next hour, I wash every part of him and show him how spectacular a bathtub can be for slipping, sliding, riding, and coming.

  When we make it to the bed, Cooper rewards me by worshipping every part of my body with his mouth and skillful tongue. By the end, I’m another tired mess, ready to sleep, but Cooper has other ideas, more unfinished fantasies he wants to explore.

  By three in the morning, we’re falling asleep … on the floor, tangled in the bedding that has been stripped from the mattress. We’re surrounded by handcuffs, a couple of expensive ties, two cans of empty whipped cream, a bottle of honey that was a complete miss, and condom wrappers.

  We wake up when a screeching bird smashes into the glass of the bedroom window, and I about piss the sheets. After we have one more round of sex in the shower, I feel like Cinderella—my time is up.

  “Can I take you to the diner for breakfast?” Cooper’s damp hair falls forward over his face as he buttons his jeans.

  “No,” I reply as I watch him cover up his sexy chest and abs with a clean T-shirt.

  “Don’t tell me you’re spending another Saturday working.”

  “I’m helping Lauren with the nursery. I think I offered to paint it today.”

  “I can help. It will get done faster.” He eyes my solemn face with suspicion, and rightly so.

  “Cooper,” I sigh. “We’re back in the same place, and I told you I’m not settling for this. It’s not good enough for me.”

  “I thought we weren’t going to talk about this …”

  “This is bullshit. You thought that, after a night of sex, you’d skip back into my life and we’d carry on as if that little incident at the wedding never happened. It happened. You said you’re never getting married, and I said I can’t accept it.”

  “Last night, you said you weren’t going to mention this—”

  “Call me a liar!” I blurt out angrily. “I can’t help it. I saw you with your family. All that stuff about them being unfaithful to their spouses has nothing to do with us. And I’m sick of you hiding behind your excuse that no one can be trusted, that everyone is a liar and a cheater. I don’t buy it and neither do you.”

  “Hold on a minute,” he says sternly.

  “No, you hold on.” I start crying. The woman who doesn’t cry at weddings or over men is opening the flood gates for Cooper. “You are a good son; I heard it firsthand from your mother. You are a good brother; Greer and your brothers love you and depend on. You love being part of that family, and you gave everyone strength and love during a very sad time. I didn’t think much about marriage before, but since I’ve seen what you want to take off the table, I’m furious about that. I love you, and I want all of that with you. The marriage with the noisy family, the squabbling siblings, and the poopy diapers. And, yes, even the funerals when everyone has to come together.”

  “You love me?” He jumps forward to take my hand, but I slap his hand away.

  “Is that all you heard? Because the rest of it is pretty important.” I glare at him to hide my embarrassment that he can’t return my heartfelt sentiment.

  “We can still have that without a marriage certificate.”

  “No. What is your problem with paper—notarized certificates? Didn’t you need one for your gun permit? Jesus Kcuffing Christ. Under your loose definition of living together in your house, I get a few drawers, we go off to work, and meet up at night for sex. But, if things get tough or even boring, walking away is an easy out.”

  “I’m not like that. And you love me.”

  “Stop saying that.” I swat my hand blindly in front of me, but he jumps out of the way this time.

  “But I’m not like that,” he says more loudly.

  “You’re setting us up to both be like that. I want to build a life together, while you’d rather live side by side. It’s not the same.”

  “If you really believed that, you wouldn’t be with me.”

  “I’m not with you, right? We just hooked up for a night.” I dab my eyes with my sleeve and head for the front door.

  “Are you leaving me again? Seriously?” Cooper shouts as I stomp through the dirt driveway to my car. “Last time, you left me standing in the street!”

  “Yes, I’m leaving. Again. This time, I’m driving off into the sunset!”

  As I swing open my car door too hard and it bounces back and hits me in the ass, Cooper stands in his doorway with his arms crossed and that smug expression like the Jolly Green Giant.

  “I’ve got news for you!” he shouts. “Sunset doesn’t happen for another eight hours!”

  Thirty-One

  “Exactly what did you say to him?” Lauren asks two weeks later after she gets tired of seeing Cooper and me giving each other the silent treatment every day in the parking lot.

  “That I love him and we’re done. Something like that.”

  “You said you don’t want to get married anytime soon, so why are you fighting about this?”

  “Because he took it off the table.”

  “Oh, y
ou and your stupid table.”

  “You know I’m right. If Leo had said that a month or two into dating, you would have dumped him.”

  Lauren purses her lips and looks down at the gravy she’s stirring for the pot roast. “You’re right. I would have broken up with Leo if we weren’t on the same page. But I’m kind of sad about you and Cooper because you two are so great together. He went through a really tough time reuniting with his mother, and then he had to watch her die. This isn’t the time to talk about if you’re on the same page. This is the time to be together and let him heal or grieve. Then maybe the other things you want will come later.”

  “What if they don’t? What if I fall more in love with him and then face a more devastating rejection later?”

  Lauren gives me her sad, puppy dog frown.

  “Don’t make me feel worse. I already feel terrible. I would rather be consoling him. I want to be that special person who makes him feel better when he’s grieving, not this whiny woman I’m turning into. But every time we’re together, we want to sleep together. I can’t be his sex friend.”

  Lauren pinches her nose and sighs. “You are the special person who makes him feel better. He’s crazy about you, Imogene, and it’s not just the sex and pie.”

  “Crazy isn’t the same as love.” I take the pot roast out of the oven and uncover it. “I know you think I’m being unreasonable, but I think I’m doing both of us a favor. Cooper doesn’t have to put up with my demands. I’m giving him all the space he needs. We’ll be friends again … eventually. It will be good.” I lift the pot roast out of the pan with two spatulas.

  “Great, you keep telling yourself that because you’re going to get to practice being friends when he gets here in about … oh … ten minutes.”

  “You invited him for dinner?” I drop the pot roast on the serving platter and broth splatters everywhere.

  “Leo did. Today at work.” Lauren gives an apologetic eyebrow raise. “Next to me, Cooper is his best friend, and he wants to have him over. Leo feels like he hasn’t done enough for Cooper.”

  “Leo should have his best friend over, and I should start looking for a new place to live so I don’t make things awkward for all of us.”