And he did want her.
It’d been over a year since he’d been with a woman. His self-imposed celibacy had surprised him, but no woman had stirred his interest. Not like Kelsey had from the first moment he’d seen her racing across the ranch on horseback.
Cooper yanked his shirt free from his jeans, letting the material hang loose. The last thing he needed was her seeing his body’s response to the thoughts running through his head.
Because he’d read fear in her eyes that afternoon in the store. Oh, there’d been flashes of desire, too, but he wasn’t sure if getting mixed up with her, no matter how his blood pulsed with a steady longing, was the best idea.
Not with the little guy in front of him as his number one priority.
“Okay, I think I got everything.” She walked back into the living room, her arms filled with bottles and towels.
Putting the stuff on the table, she disappeared into the kitchen. Seconds later, he heard cabinets being opened before she joined him with two garbage bags, quickly disposing of the offending diaper, the magazine it sat on and the pile of used wipes. She motioned for him to lift Anthony. He did and she slid the soiled quilt out from under him and stuck it in the other bag.
“Ah, you’re learning pretty quickly, huh?” She grinned and pointed to the outfit still covering the baby’s lower half.
“Once was enough.” Cooper returned her smile. “Now I keep him covered…just in case.”
She took care of the two bags as Cooper stood. He watched her lay a large towel on the dining room table and fill the tub with soapy water, making sure the water wasn’t too warm.
“You’ve done this before,” he said.
“Not for a long time. I was around to help with Jessica’s oldest daughter, Ella, but I’d only come back to visit when the others were born until I moved back to Red Rock last year.” She placed the tub on the towel. “Besides, common sense goes a long way. Come on, I’ll help you get that…stuff off him before it dries.”
Cooper moved to the sink and held the baby firmly beneath the arms while Kelsey repeatedly doused Anthony’s stomach, backside and legs with warm water. They managed to rinse him off with a minimum amount of splashing.
That changed when Cooper transferred the baby to the tub. Having still not mastered the ability to sit up on his own, Anthony didn’t let that stop him from kicking at the bubbles or reaching for the tiny washcloth floating on the water.
“Whoa,” Cooper cried out. “You’re a slippery little sucker!”
He reached for one chubby arm while Kelsey took hold of the other, the two of them getting wrapped up in each other as Anthony’s churning feet sent up a shower of bubbles and water.
“I guess he thinks we should be as wet as he is,” Kelsey said with a quick laugh. “Here, hold him like this—”
Cooper laughed, too. “Wait, let me get my hand under here—”
“Maybe it would work if I moved over here…”
Kelsey squeezed between him and the table. Cooper sucked in a quick breath as her backside brushed across his crotch. The contact had him bowing his body to keep her from realizing how quickly he was losing the battle to tamp down his reaction, but that only succeeded in dropping his head so it was level with hers.
Anthony chose that moment to let loose with another squeal of happiness and his little feet sent up a second spray of water and bubbles—right into Kelsey’s face.
She sputtered and turned away, her ponytail whacking Cooper in the face. “Oops! Sorry about that.”
She quickly turned back and they both stilled.
Cooper’s gaze locked with hers, his mouth hovering inches from the pouty pink lips that had haunted his dreams. He dropped his head an inch, then paused and drew in a deep breath. A warm and natural scent that spoke of horses, hay and the sweetness of fresh strawberries filled his head. A scent that matched Kelsey perfectly. A low moan of approval started deep in his chest, but he managed to keep it from escaping.
At least he thought so until her beautiful chocolate-brown eyes grew wide.
“Any idea where we go from here?” she asked.
He had a few suggestions, most of which ended horizontal and skin to skin.
As if she could read his thoughts, Kelsey bit down on her lower lip. Damn, he wanted to soothe that bite with a quick swipe of his tongue before he swept it into her mouth—
“Why don’t I head to this side of the table?” Kelsey scooted out from under his arms, moving toward the end of the tub but still holding firmly to Anthony. “This way you can get him washed and keep an eye on those unruly legs of his.”
Cooper gave his head a quick shake, trying to rid his brain of the erotic images so he could concentrate on his son. “Good idea. It looks like he’s got a great future as an All-American punter—”
The soapy washcloth landed on Cooper’s chest with a loud splat. Surprised, he grabbed it before it fell to the floor.
“Or maybe an All-American pitcher? I hear the Rangers are always looking for someone who can throw a curve like that.”
Kelsey’s saucy grin went straight to his gut, bursting into a fireball of longing before the blaze quickly moved south. Not good.
Cooper tore his gaze from her to look at Anthony, who clapped happily at his antics before aiming his bubble-covered fists to his mouth. “Oh, no, you don’t.”
He reached for the baby’s hands with one of his. At the same time he reached behind his neck and with one yank, pulled his soaked shirt up and over his head. Shrugging out one arm, then the other without bothering to undo any of the buttons, he dropped the damp material to the floor.
“That evens the playing field,” he said. “Now, let’s see if we can get you cleaned up before you flood the house, young man.”
Kelsey tried to breathe.
Honest, she did, but the air lodged in her throat refusing to move. It wasn’t until Cooper’s fingers slipped over hers where she held Anthony in place that her breath finally rushed from her lungs.
He looked at her, but she managed to focus her attention on the soapy water. Of course, that put his perfect six-pack right in her line of sight.
Yowza!
Being a native Texan meant she’d seen plenty of sexy cowboys with tightly toned bodies, but she’d never been affected like this before, by any man. Tanned flesh pulled taut over defined muscles. Muscles that represented strength and years spent outdoors doing hard work.
She found herself inhaling deeply to catch her breath, but it only brought in the clean scent of baby wash and man. A heady combination. As heady as the moment she’d found herself pressed against him when they were wrangling for control of the baby. It had only lasted a moment, but she’d felt the telling hardness against her backside and it’d taken all her willpower not to lean into him. Seconds later she could’ve sworn he was going to kiss her—
“Ah, Kelsey?”
Her eyes flew to his. A grin told her he’d caught her gawking. That and the bright flash of passion in his eyes caused heat to flood her cheeks. “Y-yes?”
“You can let go now.”
“Huh?”
Cooper slid his hands under hers to take hold of Anthony beneath his armpits. “I’m done with the bath. If you could give him a quick rinse while I keep him steady—”
“Yes—of course.”
Kelsey released the baby to grab the cup floating in the separate clean water basin. She waited until Cooper lifted his son from the water, tiny feet still churning, sending a spray of bubbles all over Cooper’s chest. He sucked in his stomach and his jeans slipped down another inch from his slim hips. A sliver of pale skin appeared, a sharp contrast to the deeply tanned skin everywhere else.
Double yowza!
“Geez, maybe he’s destined to be an Olympic swimmer with these restless feet,” Cooper said, then grinned. “Let’s do this fast…just in case he feels the need to—you know.”
Kelsey dragged her attention from Cooper to focus on Anthony, pouring cupful after cupf
ul over the baby’s shoulders until he was squeaky clean.
She then grabbed a nearby towel and stepped in close to wrap it around the baby. Cooper mirrored her movements and they again became a tangle of hands and arms and bodies. His hands brushed over her breasts as he cradled his son to his chest, trapping her hands between the fluff of the towel and his heated skin.
“I’ve got him.” Cooper repeated his words from earlier, this time they were said in a hoarse whisper. “You can let go.”
She pulled her hands free and stepped back. Cooper’s gaze dropped from her face to her body before he blinked hard and turned away.
“Give me a few minutes to get him dressed. Be right back.”
To stop herself from watching Cooper’s wide back, narrow waist and sexy butt disappear down the hall, Kelsey grabbed the baby’s tub and emptied it in the sink.
She rinsed it out and set it outside on the front porch to dry. Then she washed out the baby’s dirty onesie using dish soap and rolled it in a towel to soak up the excess moisture. It took her longer to wipe up the rest of the kitchen as soapy water seemed to be everywhere.
Done, she glanced down at herself, noticing for the first time the transparency of her damp T-shirt. Oh, perfect. Cooper would come back any second, probably after stopping off to get a clean, dry shirt of his own, and here she looked like a reject from a wet T-shirt contest.
Would he think it was on purpose?
He was attracted to her, heck, he’d come right out and told her so two days ago. And what had she done in return? Placed his son in his arms, told him she wasn’t interested and took off.
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
The childhood taunt rang in her ears as she whipped off her shirt, thankful for the sports bra she wore on a daily basis, and grabbed her hoodie from the table. Yanking it on, she managed to get the zipper feed into the catch when a male voice stopped her.
“Don’t get dressed on my account.”
Kelsey looked up.
No clean shirt, no baby. Just one hundred percent, mouth-watering—her eyes dipped—aroused cowboy.
“Cooper.”
He crossed the room in a heartbeat, swore softly under his breath before his mouth captured hers in a searing kiss. There was no hesitation, no shyness, no tentatively getting to know the shape of each other’s mouths. His lips were firm, his tongue insistent as he swept it into her mouth, seeking, wanting.
She wound her hands around his neck, meeting his kiss head-on, pressing her curves to the hard planes of his chest. His hands brushed her sweat jacket from her shoulders. He broke free of her mouth, his lips moving along to her jaw until he nipped at her ear.
“I wasn’t going to do this,” he whispered hotly, “but you said my name…”
She arched her neck to give him more access to continue whatever he was doing with his mouth. “Cooper…”
“Yeah, just like that.”
His hands sprayed wide across her back, moving from the stretchy fabric of her sports bra, down to the waistband of her jeans until they cupped her backside. He gave a gentle squeeze and pulled her even closer as his mouth took possession of hers again.
She moaned and dug her fingers into the thickness of his hair, wanting him closer, wanting to be closer. Suddenly, the floor disappeared beneath her feet as Cooper lifted her up against his chest. She hooked her legs around his waist as he walked into the living room, stopping when they reached the couch.
“Anthony,” she gasped.
“Fast asleep before I even got the diaper on him.”
Cooper let go of her and her boots slid to the carpet. Then he turned and dropped to the cushioned surface, pulling her onto his lap. She straddled him, pressing the most intimate part of herself against his arousal.
Their mutual groans disappeared as they kissed again, her fingers digging into his shoulders as his hands clenched her hips. The center seam of her jeans pressed into the heated dampness between her legs.
Could Cooper feel that heat? Did he have any idea how the urgent rocking of his hips was driving her crazy?
His hands moved upward until he palmed her breasts through the thin fabric of her bra. She responded to his touch by arching her back. He broke free from her mouth and leaned forward. Replacing his hands with his lips, he nipped at one extended nipple right through her bra. At the same time, his free hand went to the juncture of her thighs and the simple pressure of his thumb had her rising up on her knees.
She raked her hands down his chest, her blunt nails scoring his skin. When she reached the hard length of his erection, she cupped him and squeezed. He must’ve taken that move as an invitation, because he quickly unbuttoned her jeans and lowered the zipper.
Kelsey knew where this was heading, and deep inside she also knew it would be wonderful. Wild and free—that’s what she claimed to be, as untamed and liberated as her precious horses. So why couldn’t she take this moment, take where this was headed and just enjoy herself? Enjoy him?
When Cooper’s mouth moved up to the valley between her breasts, his tongue dancing over her skin as his fingertips dipped inside the edge of her panties, Kelsey grabbed at his wrist.
“Cooper, please,” she gasped, “wait.”
He stilled.
“What—what are we doing?”
His punch of laughter was hot against her breast. “If you don’t know, I must not be doing it right.”
The sudden tightness in her throat made it impossible to speak. No, he was doing everything right. She gave him a gentle squeeze to tell him so.
He pulled from her touch to lay his hands on her upper thighs. His gaze was intent as he looked at her. “Is something wrong?”
Kelsey peered at him through her over-long bangs and nodded. Wait—no, she didn’t want him to know that. She hastily shook her head.
His soft chuckle sent a stab of longing so deep inside, it landed in a part of her she’d never felt before. Deep down inside where she’d hidden all her foolish childhood dreams of finding the happily ever promised to every little girl who’d ever read a fairy tale.
Scared at what that longing meant, she was off his lap like a shot.
“You don’t want this to happen,” she said.
Cooper remained on the couch, stretching out one arm along the back. “All evidence to the contrary.”
Her gaze flickered below his waist before she turned away, busy redoing her jeans. “I don’t want… Neither of us needs or wants a complication in our lives right now.”
“Complication?”
Kelsey turned back. “We just met. You just got back to town and your son is your number one priority right now—”
Cooper rose from the couch and walked to where she stood, his steps slow and deliberate until he stopped right in front of her. With a gentle touch he forced her to look at him. “I know what my priorities are.”
A soft cry came through the baby monitor. Cooper swore and dropped his hand. When the next cry was louder, he held up a finger, gestured he would be just a minute and disappeared down the hall.
Kelsey went into the kitchen and picked up her sweatshirt from the floor. Slipping it on, she zippered it up and grabbed her wet T-shirt.
“I know what I want. And what I need.”
She froze, then realized Cooper’s voice came from the baby monitor. Unable to stop herself, she inched closer to where the handheld device sat on the end table.
“So Anthony, got any advice for your old man?” He continued talking. “It seems I’ve gotten myself into somewhat unfamiliar territory….”
Kelsey found herself drawn to the warmth and humor in Cooper’s voice, even when a rustling noise and the sound of Anthony’s babbling drowned out his words for a long moment before they became clear again.
“You think so? Yeah, that might just work.”
What might work? What was he planning?
Oh, my, was he going to… Was Cooper Fortune planning on seducing her?
Kelsey’s hand fisted, twisting her T-
shirt into a tight coil. Shaking her head, she backed away from the monitor.
No, she couldn’t let that happen.
She’d been lured down that road too many times with promises of love, adventure and devotion, only to have it always end the same way. A dead end with her left behind to nurse a broken heart and a bruised spirit.
Squelching her rising panic, she turned on her heel and raced for the door.
Chapter Five
Cooper slipped past the sliding glass doors that led from the back patio to the kitchen of the main house at Molly’s Pride. The smell of cinnamon was too tempting as a tray of freshly baked rolls, gooey icing melting into the curved tops, called out to him.
He put the baby carrier—with Anthony tucked inside happily sucking on his morning bottle—on the floor and reached for the closest roll.
“If you’re looking for breakfast, you’re too late.”
Cooper froze, busted with his hands on the goods. He pulled one of the rolls free, turned around and grinned. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
Evie, JR and Isabella’s housekeeper, returned his smile. She placed a basket filled with freshly cut flowers on the counter and peeled off her gardening gloves. “I guess it’s my own fault. Leaving those rolls out there in plain sight like that.”
Cooper took a large bite. “Mmm, so good,” he mumbled. “Thanks.”
A moment later a tall glass of ice cold milk sat on the counter in front of him.
“Can’t have one without the other,” Evie said.
He preferred coffee but, having just taken another mouthful, Cooper only gave a “thumbs-up” sign in response. He polished off the last of the bun and downed the milk.
Wiping at his mouth with the napkin Evie provided, he watched as she sorted the colorful blossoms taken from the impressive gardens surrounding the hacienda. Cooper didn’t recognize any of them by name, other than the famed Texas Bluebonnets and the long-stemmed yellow roses, but he knew just one would be the perfect way to put step two of his plan into action.
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