When he disappeared inside the house for a few minutes, Tessa moved over to the rickety porch swing and decided to test it out. There was a new cushion on it, probably the ugliest one he could possibly find, too. The dark red with even darker blue flowers was not at all appealing to the eyes. She liked the idea of him planning ahead for their date though and the longer she was there, the more she liked the idea of being somewhere that no one would interrupt them.
Getting comfortable, Tessa gazed out at the acres of empty space in front of her. There was no denying the jealousy she felt when it came to the land and the fact that Cooper had purchased it. It was the perfect place to build an equestrian center. She could almost picture where the barn and the stables would go, as well as the various areas that could be sectioned off for events. And despite the fact that she didn’t own the land outright, it was as though she now had the opportunity to live her dream vicariously through Cooper.
She wanted to believe that she wouldn’t harbor any ill-will toward the man for having the opportunity she knew she’d never have, but she wondered whether that was even possible.
Chapter Twelve
Cooper managed to clean up what he could and then grabbed two beers from the refrigerator. He wouldn’t let Tessa know that the beer was the only thing he had stocked up on prior to picking her up. Considering the refrigerator had seen much better days, – probably back in the seventies when it was new – he wasn’t all that keen on putting anything else inside. Thankfully, his refrigerator would be delivered later in the week, and he would be able to donate that one to someone else who could put it to good use.
Making his way back outside, he let the screen door slam behind him, the loud slap making him smile. It reminded him of growing up, running through the house and right out the back door, his momma yelling at him not to slam the door seconds before it did just that. God, he missed her even though he talked to her practically every single day. Sometimes more. That was probably the only thing about being in Texas that he found disconcerting. He had always been close to his parents.
Realizing he was on a first date – although technically, it was officially their second – with a woman he actually wanted to know more about, Cooper shook off the train of thought.
When he walked back outside, he found Tessa sitting on the swing, her legs curled up beneath her as she stared out at the overgrown fields that surrounded the house.
“What are you thinking right now?” he asked as he approached, handing her one of the beers.
“Huh?”
She was stalling, so he merely smiled at her, letting her know he’d caught onto her game. “I can tell you’re lost in thought. Where’d your mind go?”
“Nowhere,” she lied and Cooper frowned.
Figuring they knew each other better than most first date couples did, Cooper went ahead and sat on the swing beside her, wrapping his arm across the back and around her shoulder, easily pulling her up next to him. He loved the way she felt against him. The soft skin of her bare arm brushing against his, the sweet smell of her hair, it was a combination that brought out his protective side in a bad way. Then again, everything about her seemed to do that.
“See the old barn out there?” he asked her as she settled against his side, sighing as though she’d resigned herself to his questions.
“The one that’s falling down?” she giggled.
“That’d be the one.” Cooper took a swallow of his beer, then rested the bottle on his knee. “I’m gonna tear it down and build another one. I want to push it back a hundred yards or so. Get it farther from the house.”
“I’m assuming it’ll be bigger?”
“Yeah. I’m hoping to stable at least six horses and have more animals, so I’ll need a place big enough to store stuff. At first, it’ll probably seem like overkill. I’ll probably only start out with two or three horses, maybe a dog or two.”
“I think that’s a smart move. See where it goes.”
Cooper heard the sadness in her tone. According to everything he had learned since arriving in town, Tessa had the same dream he did. Although hers was probably more thought through… planned out.
“Would you do it differently?”
Tessa glanced up at him, her pretty green eyes sparkling as though he’d found the one thing she loved to talk about. He suddenly really wanted to get her input.
She turned back to look out at the fields and said, “The first measure of business should obviously be clearing the land, ensuring the outer fences are in shape. Check the barbed wire, get all of that repaired. I don’t think you’ll have to worry about a bunch of garbage to be hauled off with the exception of that barn.”
That was one thing about the property that Cooper had been happy about. The land was entirely fenced and based on what he saw, the majority of it was in decent shape. Only a few sections needed to be rebuilt, but certainly manageable.
“Got it. Clean and repair first.”
Tessa peeked up at him briefly. He ran his hand slowly down the side of her cheek, encouraging her to continue.
“From there, I’d probably start out small,” she continued, resting her head back against his shoulder, sipping her beer before holding it in her lap. “Obviously dispose of that,” she nodded with her chin toward the barn. “Depending on what you’re planning to replace it with, that could take some time.”
“I’m not looking to take a lot of time,” he informed her. Not that he flaunted his money, but he had enough to do what he wanted to do and then some. “It’ll probably be the first thing I really focus on. I’d like to see it up in a couple of months, if possible.”
“That’s definitely possible, but again, that depends on the size,” she stated. “From there, assuming you’ll build the stables at the same time, you should start out with three horses, maybe four. If you’re hiring a trainer, you’ll have some help in taking care of them. They’re a lot of work for one person, so you’ll be busy just with their upkeep. Are you going to hire someone to help?” she asked, lifting her beer to her lips again.
Cooper glanced down, watching as her lips touched the edge of the bottle, the way she tipped it up just a little before moving it back to her lap and sliding her pretty pink tongue over her bottom lip. He suddenly had a craving to lick that bottom lip himself.
Maybe it was the fact that they were somewhere private for the first time since he’d met her, maybe it was just being outside with nature, or maybe it was simply the woman… Any way he sliced it, Cooper hadn’t felt this content in a long time. For years, he’d been going ninety miles an hour, never slowing down. But here, this place, this woman, he felt as though he had a chance to enjoy it.
“Do you think I should hire someone?” Lifting his gaze back to the rapidly darkening expanse of sky in front of them, Cooper listened to the crickets as they chirped loudly around them.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea. You can check in with the high school. They’ve got an agriculture program and might have some kids looking to learn.”
Cooper liked that idea. A lot. Apparently Tessa Donovan had done her homework. It confirmed for him that she’d been telling him the truth from the get go.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither of them needing conversation to make things comfortable. Cooper loved sitting outside like this. With nature being the only sound disrupting the breeze flowing across the acres of tall grass. Other than the light from the kitchen spilling through the screen door and spraying a soft, buttery glow over the wooden planks of the porch, it was now almost totally dark. There weren’t any other lights in the distance, no other houses within miles to disturb the perfection of the evening.
“Why haven’t you done this yet?” he asked, using his hand to gesture toward the barn in the distance.
When Tessa flinched in his arms, her soft body no longer pliant, he tightened his arm around her, unwilling to let her run from him. She didn’t have to answer the question, but he didn’t want her to go. Not yet.
Tessa tried to pull away again, but Cooper held her tight. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?” she asked, once again trying to sit up straight.
“Don’t run away. I’m sorry. Forget I even asked.”
Long seconds passed before Tessa eased back against him, but Cooper noticed that she wasn’t relaxed anymore. Her body was rigid beneath his arm, her shoulders tense. He lowered his head toward her, pressing his lips against her hair and inhaling her sweet, fresh fragrance.
He could get used to this. Get used to this woman. Although he hadn’t known her all that long, Tessa was the type of woman he’d been looking for. Sweet, honest, maybe a bit too apprehensive though. She had all of the characteristics of a woman who could withstand a long term relationship if she’d give herself another chance. Something he was looking for, more so now than in previous years.
Ever since he hit thirty, Cooper had been looking for long term. Maybe not actively pursuing women for a happily ever after, but he had kept the thought in mind when entertaining the women he came in contact with.
From the minute he stepped off of the stage in Chicago, Illinois, Cooper had known he was ready to slow down. To settle down. And as he walked out of the concert arena, he decided there was never a better time than right then. He found himself heading south soon after that.
A year ago, he had wanted to believe he had found his happily ever after, although the circumstances hadn’t been within his control, he figured fate had been dealing him a surprise hand. Unfortunately, he’d learned soon enough that his life had just taken an off-road detour, and he was forced to find his way back to his original path.
Now that he was in Devil’s Bend, he felt like he had finally found the place he was meant to end up and no matter how much Marcus threatened him, Cooper wasn’t going anywhere. Was it possible that he had found everything he was looking for? Could Tessa be the woman?
“Have you considered a petting zoo?” Tessa’s sweet voice drifted over the sound of cicadas chirping in the towering oak trees.
Cooper laughed, and this time Tessa did pull away. Completely. She pushed up off the swing, sending it rocking wildly until he managed to still it, moving to the edge.
“Where’re you going?” he asked, looking up at her as she paced away. “Come here, Tessa.”
When she stopped abruptly, Cooper held his breath, waiting to see what she would say.
“Why’d you laugh?” she asked, her voice suddenly sad.
Choosing not to spook her, Cooper remained where he was, placing his empty beer bottle on the porch beneath his feet.
“Come here, Tessa,” he repeated more firmly, his eyes never leaving her. Ok, so she was definitely skittish, even more than he thought. They needed to work on that knee-jerk reaction of hers.
He wasn’t sure whether she won whatever internal struggle she was having or not, but Tessa finally turned to face him and he locked his gaze on hers. There wasn’t an ounce of the sadness he had detected in her tone written on her face. No, she looked more pissed than upset, but he was ready to remedy that.
He tilted his head slightly, lifting one eyebrow as he waited for her to give him a piece of her mind, or worse, turn and run. Cooper might be laidback, he might be easing into the slow life, but he wasn’t a patient man for the most part. With Tessa, he realized he wasn’t going to have much of a choice but to adapt.
She took a few steps closer, putting her beer bottle on the table. When he lifted his eyebrow once more, she moved even closer. Once she was within feet of him, he put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer, causing her to stumble. She righted herself by placing her hands on his shoulders as he looked up into her face.
“I wasn’t laughing at you, Tessa.” He kept his voice firm, making sure she understood that he preferred talking to running. “I was laughing because of how perfect you are. Or rather how ironic it is that we have so much in common, yet we’re so different.”
Tessa’s expression didn’t change, but she wasn’t trying to pull away from him, so Cooper considered that a win.
“I’m sorry if you thought I was laughing at you. I promise, I wasn’t. I’m not surprised that you’ve come up with a million ways to make this place into something only dreams are made of. You’ve managed to consider all of the possibilities.”
Tessa didn’t say anything as they stared at each other, the defining moment upon them. If she was going to put up a wall every time he did something she didn’t like, they weren’t going to get anywhere.
“I don’t want you to run,” he admitted openly, his hands involuntarily gripping her hips more firmly. Being this close to her made his body hum and his brain buzz. “I’m going to say and do stupid things from time to time. Bear with me.”
“I don’t want to run, but…” Tessa left the sentence hanging between them.
“Then stay. Right here with me.” Cooper allowed his voice to drop, brown eyes locked with green as he willed her to understand what he was feeling.
“I could ask the same from you,” Tessa whispered.
His brow furrowed as he tried to understand what she was telling him. Apparently she realized his confusion because she continued.
“It seems to me that you’re the one running. From your career, from your fans. Who’s to say you’ll stay here? Why would I even want to believe you would?”
Cooper let go of her hips, forcing himself to his feet as he moved away from her. Was Tessa right? Was he running? The thought pissed him off because that was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn’t run. When things got tough, he wanted to believe that he would stick it out, but maybe Tessa was right. Shit. Maybe he was just being selfish again.
“This isn’t easy for me,” Tessa stated from behind him, but Cooper didn’t turn to face her.
He wanted her to keep going. To explain herself. Based on what he knew about Tessa Donovan, she was a strong woman. She ran a bar practically by herself, and she had made her way in life. She had big dreams, but something had gotten in the way of them. Was it just money? Or was there something else holding her back? Those were the questions that he pondered at night when he thought about her. She intrigued him, unlike any woman before her. He wanted to know everything about her, and not just the feel of her silky skin beneath his hands.
Although there was that.
“Maybe I should go,” Tessa said, sounding even farther away, although he could still feel her standing behind him.
Unwilling to let her walk away, Cooper turned. The woman stole his breath when he looked at her. That simple, white sundress highlighted the smooth, tan skin of her arms, even in the darkness. The soft yellow glow from inside the house backlit her, making her look like an angel. He wanted this angel. He wanted to believe he’d found her for a reason.
Moving closer, Cooper kept his gaze pinned on hers, not allowing his eyes to roam over the gentle swell of her breasts, or the subtle curve of her waist. When she licked her lips, his gaze faltered, and he glanced down, wanting to suck on her bottom lip, to taste her the way he had before. He wanted to get carried away.
“I assure you, I’m not running. Not from my career or anything else. I came here for a reason. I’m just not sure what that reason was anymore.” Cooper was beginning to think he’d been lured to Devil’s Bend for this woman.
“Come here,” he whispered, standing just a few feet away from her. He wasn’t going to push her, but he wasn’t sure he could keep his hands off of her a minute longer.
She moved closer, causing him to hold his breath, the eager anticipation running amuck in his bloodstream. When she was within touching distance, Cooper forced his hands to remain at his side, refusing to touch her. Not yet.
“I’m not interested in casual, Tessa. I haven’t been interested in casual for a long time. I’m old enough to know what I want, and playing games ain’t it.” His honesty surprised even him. The way her eyes widened said h
e’d stunned her as well.
“What do you want?” she asked, sounding unsure of herself.
“Right now? I want you.” He wanted to pick up where they left off the other night.
“Tell me,” she whispered, obviously reading his mind.
“I want to peel that damned dress off of you and run my lips over every inch of your perfect skin. I want to sink to my knees and bury my tongue between your legs, to lap your sweetness until you scream my name. I want to risk getting splinters in my ass while you ride my cock right here on the back porch.”
Tessa’s breath hitched, she bit her bottom lip, but she didn’t run from him this time. Cooper could see the pebbled tips of her nipples through that soft fabric of her dress, and he wanted to untie the thin straps that kept her hidden from him and suck her into his mouth. What he wanted from her was intense. It had been since the moment he laid eyes on her. He wanted to learn every inch of her body by taste and touch. But he wasn’t willing to get anything less in return. He needed her to know his intentions.
“Do you understand me, Tessa?”
She nodded her head as though she did, but Cooper wasn’t so sure. Taking another step closer, he closed the gap between them, tilting her chin up so she had to maintain eye contact.
“Then I want to wake up in the morning with you in my arms. I want to feel your body pressed against me, the heat of your skin as I roll you over and slide inside of you.” He swallowed. “I’m not looking for one night, Tessa.”
“I’m not looking for forever, cowboy,” Tessa stated, her tone laced with what sounded like fear.
“No? And how do you know that?”
Cooper wasn’t necessarily looking for forever, but if it found him, he wasn’t going to walk away. He had never found forever, not in all of his thirty-one years, and by God, he wanted something of his own. He wanted a house, a wife, babies. He wanted the whole nine yards, and he would be damned if he was going to let his career hinder him anymore.
Chasing Dreams (Devil's Bend) Page 11