He wanted to slide his cock inside of her. Wanted to feel her heat envelop him. It wouldn’t take much before she pulled his release from him, but he wasn’t willing to end it just yet. Although, Cooper was pretty damned sure he wasn’t stopping at only one time. Not tonight anyway.
“I need to feel you inside me,” Tessa begged. “Please, Cooper. I want to feel you.”
He couldn’t resist the thought of her wrapped around him, but he wasn’t willing to let her have a break.
Pushing himself up onto his knees, Cooper met her gaze. “Play with yourself,” he ordered. “I want to see how you use your fingers to fuck yourself.”
Tessa didn’t hesitate and once again, Cooper was desperately trying to muster up enough control to hold out just a little while longer. Pushing to his feet, he kept his gaze locked between her thighs, watching her fingers as she slowly slid one deep into her pussy, her moans filling the night and making his dick throb.
“You’re so pretty, Tessa,” he groaned, his body hard and his brain fuzzy. He knew he was standing for a reason, but it took him a few seconds to remember he was supposed to be getting naked.
Time stood still as he managed to remove his clothes in record time, barely remembering to grab the condom out of his pocket. Rather than move closer, he rolled the condom on, then began stroking his cock, his gaze roaming back to her face. The way she watched him made him want to move faster, to give in to the release that was beckoning.
What he wouldn’t give to feel her mouth wrapped around his cock. Her sweet, soft tongue teasing him. A tortured groan escaped, and he noticed Tessa smile. She was an angel with a devilishly naughty side. He liked that. Really liked that.
He nearly fell to his knees when she crooked her finger, inviting him closer while her other hand continued to thrust slowly, sinfully.
She was going to be the death of him.
Lowering himself to his knees once again, Cooper leaned over her, propping himself on his forearms, purposely leaving space between their bodies. Tessa pulled her arm up from between her legs, her eyes darting down to his mouth. When she teased his bottom lip with her finger, the same one she’d been fucking herself with, he slowly sucked it into his mouth.
“Let me feel you,” Tessa whispered as he bent closer to nibble her bottom lip, his cock resting between her thighs, the heat of her tormenting him.
In one swift move, Cooper flipped them, rolling her over until she was straddling his hips while he took the brunt force of the ungiving planks beneath them.
“Ride me, Tessa.”
Her eyes once again widened, but she didn’t falter as she leaned forward on one arm, using her other hand to guide his erection right to the heart of her.
Fucking hell.
So damn tight.
Cooper gritted his teeth, groaning as her body pulled him deeper, the tight walls of her sex squeezing him until he wasn’t sure he’d be able to breathe from the sheer ecstasy of it. He didn’t have time to think before she was lifting off of him, then lowering. Over and over again. Her lush, perky tits directly above his face as she took him deeper inside of her.
“Fuck!” The word escaped on a pained breath as he fought to hold on, not willing to come just yet because he didn’t want it to be over. “That’s it, darlin’. Fuck me.”
Tessa smiled down on him, her eyes glazed over with lust as she continued to ride him, faster, harder. Gripping her hips, Cooper met her thrusts, burying himself to the hilt inside of her, reveling that she was taking his full length.
“You feel so good,” she whispered. “So good.”
Cooper pulled her forward, crushing her breasts against his chest as he held her hips immobile, grinding his pelvis upward, lifting her, then pulling her down on his cock. They were both sweating, the evening breeze doing little to dampen the desire burning out of control.
“Yes! Fuck me, Cooper. Fuck me harder!”
Cooper lost his last vestiges of control, her words shattering his mind as he began thrusting harder.
“Come for me, Tessa. Fuck, baby. Come for me.” He wasn’t beyond begging. He refused to come until she did, but he couldn’t hold on much longer. The velvet grip of her pussy on his cock sent waves of sensation to the base of his spine. With each bone jarring thrust, his balls tightened, his muscles contracted.
“Cooper!”
Tessa’s scream was the only warning he received as her body clamped down on him, pulling him deeper, milking his release from him. Not to mention, shattering something deep inside of him.
Something he wasn’t sure would ever be the same if she decided this wasn’t enough for her.
Chapter Fourteen
By the time the sun penetrated her sleepy brain, Tessa had been rolling over, attempting to get away from the intrusive light. Expecting to feel the softness of her mattress, she groaned as pain shot through her hip from the hard, ungiving ground beneath her. Peeling one eye open, she noticed she was not in her bed, but rather outside. Memories of the events from the night before raced through her mind, her body immediately overheating. A full body blush consumed her as she remembered exactly what they’d done.
“Good morning.” The deep, melodic rumble teased her eardrums and Tessa leaned back against the warm body behind her.
Before she could even respond with her own morning greeting, Cooper lifted her leg, slipping his cock between her thighs from behind, easily sliding inside of her. Apparently her dreams, or maybe just her subconscious knowing he was there beside her, had been enough to prepare her for him first thing.
“Oh.” Tessa let the word linger on an exhale, enjoying the full sensation of him inside of her.
Although he was almost painfully thick, her body had finally acclimated to the delicious intrusion, and she began rocking her hips backward. Her head lifted as his bicep tightened beneath her ear, his hand coming to rest on her bare breast, gripping it.
“I want to wake up like this more often,” he grumbled in her ear. “So wet, so tight,” he panted. “Never enough.”
Tessa knew just what he was saying. The way they had given in to each other several times through the night, she still wanted more of him. The seductive friction of his steel hard length as he burrowed deep inside of her had her gasping for breath.
When he leaned over her, effectively rolling her onto her stomach, Tessa’s breath hitched. He was behind her, his hard body pressed against hers fully, his hips rocking as he began fucking her harder. The morning sun was bright, yet she didn’t worry that anyone could see them. At the moment, she wasn’t even sure she would care. She just wanted him to continue.
Cooper’s thrusts abated as he lifted her hips until she was on her knees, the thin sleeping bag not nearly enough to relieve the pain from the hard wood beneath them, but the divine sensation of him sliding back into her dissolved most of her discomfort.
“Can you come for me again, darlin’?”
“If you keep doing that,” Tessa’s breath hitched, a moan disrupting her sentence. “Oh, God, yes.” And that’s all it took. The sharp, sudden tremor in her womb erupted outward as he slammed into her over and over again, sending shards of electricity through her veins as she hurled herself over the edge into mind-numbing bliss.
Two hours later, Tessa was back at home, standing beneath the warm spray of her shower, her aching muscles reminding her just how much pleasure Cooper had bestowed upon her the night before. Ever since she had asked him to take her home, scared she would wear out her welcome, she’d been trying to think of anything other than how in tune their bodies had been. She didn’t want to remember how wild she’d gotten with him, how her inhibitions had all but disappeared as he told her exactly what he planned to do to her, right before he followed through.
He must think she was easy. That thought was like a bucket of ice water being dumped over her head, forcing the heat from the memories to disappear instantly.
It didn’t matter that Cooper had seemed disappointed that she didn’t want to stay lon
ger. It didn’t matter that he offered to come inside and help her christen her shower. None of it mattered when she thought about the repercussions of what she’d done.
What happened when she pissed him off? What happened when she pushed Cooper away, and he retaliated against her? If history were to repeat itself, which she feared it would, he was going to spread vile rumors about her through their small town.
Just like Chad Harper.
Only people would listen to Cooper.
Tessa moved under the water, hoping the warmth would penetrate the chill that had taken up residence in her body. Chad was the only man Tessa had been with since Richie died four years ago. He was also the sole reason she knew she’d never be in a relationship again if she could help it. He was also the reason she didn’t have sex. Not even casual one nighters.
As he so kindly reminded her, she was out of control when it came to what she wanted. He’d told his friends how she’d begged him to fuck her. Repeatedly. Which she had, no doubt. During the throes of passion. Between the two of them. Never did she expect him to share their intimate moments with anyone else. But he did. Oh, how he did.
She’d learned her lesson. Considering she and Richie had been young, their sex life had still been enough to satisfy her. Tessa had learned a little too late that not all men were like Richie. Not all men knew how to keep their personal lives private.
For months after she tossed Chad to the curb because of his verbal abuse, Tessa had to fend off men who were looking for a good time. She had idiotically thought she was falling in love with Chad. They had only dated for a couple of months, but he’d filled a void that Richie had left when he died.
As it turned out, she was just a means to an end for Chad. He had been an up and coming country music singer and he was more popular in his own head than he was anywhere else. But Tessa had honestly liked him. He was handsome, charming. He was also a notorious flirt. And he was using her to play at The Rusty Nail, trying to lay the groundwork for his future stardom – which never came.
Needless to say, the very first time she was approached by one of Chad’s buddies, she had known then and there that what had happened between them surely hadn’t stayed between them. Another reason to add to the long list of his short comings.
Apparently, her breaking up with him had been a blow to Chad’s ego and rather than acting like a rational adult, he’d turned on her. A man who had professed his love for her on more than one occasion had turned on her so fast, her head spun.
Before she even knew what happened, rumors were spreading about how easy she was. How she had begged him to have sex with her on their second date. It didn’t seem to matter that he was lying, nor did it matter that she had never been with another man since her husband died. The rumors spread and Tessa vowed never to let it happen again.
Until Cooper.
It was as though he flashed one of those flirtatious, lopsided grins and her panties fell off. And last night, she’d given in to the pleasure her body sought so desperately. She wanted to savor every second she was with him. Only she should’ve known better. She should’ve thought about the repercussions.
When he left her on her front porch, he didn’t seem happy. He had kissed her quickly on the lips, then disappeared down the steps, leaving her to stare after him. Or maybe that’s just what she expected. Either way, regret was eating a hole right through her.
The water in the shower began to chill, and Tessa quickly turned it off, reaching for the towel she had tossed on the closed toilet seat. She wrapped the plush cotton around her, but she couldn’t seem to ward off the bone chilling cold that had replaced any warmth from the night before.
Why did she do this to herself? Why did she compare every man to Chad? Or to Richie for that matter?
She didn’t have the answers, didn’t think she would ever have them. The only thing she knew for a fact was that she wasn’t willing to let herself get close to Cooper. She should probably clarify that – she wouldn’t get any closer than she already was.
What happened between them last night would live in her memory forever, and hopefully, it would always remain between just the two of them. Tessa wasn’t sure what she’d do if she had to relive the painful lies all over again.
Geez, she really needed to get out of her funk. And soon.
Grabbing her cell phone, she dialed Izzy’s number, knowing that her best friend would be her only saving grace at this point.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
It’d only been three hours since Cooper dropped Tessa off at her house, yet it felt like days since he’d last seen her. Although he had busied himself by running to the hardware store and picking up a truckload of wood to repair the deteriorating porch, and had actually forced himself to work on it, he couldn’t keep his mind from drifting back to the night before.
He’d had to start working on the front porch, just to avoid going to the back of the house because the memories were even stronger there. Cooper could still see Tessa sprawled out beneath him, feel her sharp nails as they dug crescent shapes into his shoulders, hear the soft, gasping moans that had the blood rushing south in an instant.
Cooper had no idea what fascinated him so much about the woman. Considering they seemed to be at separate places in their lives - him wanting to settle down, her not looking for a relationship of any sort, aside from perhaps friends with benefits. It didn’t stop him from wanting her. Wanting to get to know her and not just what made her body burn. He wanted to know what made her smile, made her laugh. What made her so jaded.
Whatever was going on with her, she didn’t seem interested in sharing with him. This morning was proof because as soon as they’d made love with the early morning sun shining down upon them, she’d practically raced to get away from him. He had been confused, but not necessarily surprised. They didn’t talk much on the drive to her house, and when he walked her to her door, she had barely been able to look him in the eye. The last part was what did him in.
Cooper could accept her need to keep things casual, even if he didn’t agree with it. However, he wasn’t willing to be a notch in her bedpost any more than he’d want her to be one in his. No matter how many sexual partners he’d had in his past, Cooper had never been able to look at a woman that way.
Truth be told, he was never with nearly as many women as the media liked to proclaim. Mainly for that reason. He found that most of the women he met were interested in one of two things: being able to brag about their conquest, or eager to get their hands on his money. Some were even interested in both. He’d gotten used to the expectations, and yes, he had used sex to take the edge off from time to time. But things were different with Tessa. Significantly different.
There was chemistry there, obviously. But there was something more.
Taking a break, Cooper headed inside, checking his cell phone to see if he’d missed any calls. He hadn’t. He grabbed a bottle of water out of the cooler he had filled with ice during his trip into town, and stood at the back door, staring through the screen. He purposely avoided glancing down at the floor, or the railing.
Shit.
Wiping his forehead with the back of his hand, Cooper tried to think of something other than Tessa. The problem was, he couldn’t. He didn’t want to. He was acting like a damn woman, and it was beginning to piss him off.
Before he could give in to his frustration his cell phone rang, and his heart leaped right into his damn throat. Picking it up from the table, he glanced at the caller id and groaned.
“What’s up?” he greeted the one man he wasn’t interested in talking to at the moment.
“Coop. Where’re you at, man?” Marcus asked the same question he’d been asking for days. Cooper didn’t understand why Marcus didn’t just track his cell phone to pinpoint his exact location.
“At home.”
“Home? As in Nashville? Why the hell didn’t you say so?” Marcus’ tone had turned upbeat quickly, and Cooper couldn’t help but smile.
“
Not Nashville,” he answered, trying his best to hide the amusement in his voice. He wasn’t proud that he found satisfaction in being the downturn in Marcus’ day. Ok, so maybe he was proud.
“What the hell are you talking about? When are you coming back, Coop?”
“I’m not,” he answered honestly.
“Come on, man. If this is depression or some shit, I know we can get you some help. I just need to know when you’re coming back. I’ve got people starting to ask a lot of questions.”
Cooper frowned. This was the problem with Marcus. He never listened. Not that Cooper was much of a talker, but when he did, he expected the man who claimed to have his best interest in mind to actually listen to him. “It’s not depression.”
Marcus’ voice lowered, sounding more than a little irritated, “You know you’ve got a contract, don’t you?”
“Yep,” he answered, not giving a shit about the contract. He had one album about to release and one more he’d signed on to do. At this point, he wasn’t sure what that meant for him or the album, but he wasn’t interested in thinking about it at the moment.
“So, what? You’re just going to run away?”
Damn it. Why the hell were people saying that? Cooper wasn’t running.
“I’ve got some things to take care of. I need some time.”
“How much time?” Marcus asked, relief threaded through the words.
A year? Ten, maybe? Hell, Cooper had no idea. He had no intention of throwing himself headlong into the fray at this point. He just bought a damn house and he was actually beginning to feel more normal. It was a feeling he’d missed for so long, he barely remembered what it even felt like.
“I’ve got to go, M. I’ll call you in a couple of weeks, and we’ll figure out what comes next.”
Chasing Dreams (Devil's Bend) Page 13