“I know, baby,” he whispered. “I know it is. Sit on my cock. I need to feel you so fucking bad, I can’t even think straight.”
It was different from all the other times. We were always the types to love long, slow bouts of foreplay. Those times dragged on and on and usually, we were so worked up by the time we were done that the sex was just the fireworks after the show. Still amazing, but part of the experience, not all of it.
This time, I felt it between us. Both of us were ready to fuck the other’s brains out now. The emotions, the closeness of losing him and me saying I loved him for the very first time all culminated into a wild storm that wouldn’t be tamed until we were spent, clutching each other and moaning as we tried to keep our brains functioning.
That’s what we needed at that moment. Unfettered pleasure and closeness and I never wanted to let him go in fact. After seeing how close he had come to being snatched away from me—so very, very close…
I shook the thought from my head so violently it throbbed in protest. All I wanted to focus on were those fingers that rubbed me into a euphoric oblivion. I lifted myself above his thick, raging cock and rubbed it along my slit.
Ripples of anticipation ripped through me as I impaled myself on him. I cried out his name at the top of my lungs as I took him into my body. We were secluded enough that I could be free, but I knew that even if we weren’t, I still would have shouted his name out. Cooper was mine and I didn’t give a damn who knew it.
“Right there,” Cooper moaned as I lifted and dropped my hips. “Fuck, you feel so good,” he breathed.
He sucked one of my breasts into his mouth and I rolled my head at the tight tug of his lips and the gentle scraping of his teeth. My skin would end up slightly bruised, marked by his mouth, but I didn’t care. I wanted that bite, that claim that showed the world I was his completely. “Cooper,” I whispered as I felt the quick burning orgasm building in my belly. “I love you so much. I love you so fucking much.”
“I love you too,” he breathed and held me tightly. “I’m always going to love you. I always have.”
There was awe and admiration in his eyes and I knew without a doubt that he was telling the truth. I picked up speed and clenched my pussy around his shaft until I felt his cock pulse and throb inside of me. Each stroke of my tightness hurled him closer to the edge and dragged me along with him.
I cried out as I came so hard my body convulsed against his. My nails dug into his shoulders, but all Cooper did was growl as he pumped upward into my body. It only took a few rough, deep thrusts before he shook his head. “Get up,” he moaned. “I need to come.”
I did him one better. Still dizzy and high on the orgasm that had just ripped through me, I slipped between his thighs to my knees. I wrapped my mouth around his cock and bobbed my head up and down on his shaft. Cooper’s muscles strained and tightened before he bounced his hips up sharply and I swallowed inches of his cock in one go. I breathed through my nose and watched him with wet eyes before he gasped and hot cum splashed into the back of my throat.
I leaned back and showed him his cum inside. I swirled it before I swallowed while my hand traced down my throat. Cooper shuddered in response and it brought a smile to my lips. Yeah, when I loved someone and they showed how much they loved me, I had absolutely no problem going above and beyond. If anyone deserved this, it was Cooper.
“Good God,” he muttered as he ran a hand down his thigh. “That was... Good God.”
I chuckled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Oh, you should,” he muttered. “That was amazing.”
I stood up and placed my hand on his chest. He tilted his head up toward me and I kissed him softly. I clutched him hard never wanting to lose him. The thought of him being gone, taken away from me—well it had wiped away any fear or doubt in my heart. I loved Cooper and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.
“Time for bed?” he asked as he gazed up at me with hazy eyes after our kiss.
“Oh, definitely. I’m dying to pass out,” I admitted as I stretched and yawned. “Do you want those pills now?”
“Probably a good idea.” Cooper nodded. “I don’t want to wake up in even more pain.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You said it didn’t hurt that much.”
He grinned. “I wanted to have sex with you.”
I slapped his shoulder. “Really! You’re just as bad as you were when we were teenagers.”
“Worse, because now I know how to use this thing,” he said, pointing to his dick that already seemed to be growing hard again.
A groan spilled from my lips. “You are literally the fucking worst. Why do I love you?”
“I’m charming, sexy, funny, and I worship you.”
I grinned. “Never mind, I remember now.”
“That’s what I thought.” Cooper kissed me.
I hummed against his lips. When I stood up, I gathered some more pills and water for him and he happily took them. I started picking up the clothes that we’d scattered around the room.
He carefully stood and tested his ankle. He started reaching for things, but I slapped his hand away. “Go ahead and go to the bedroom. I’ll be up in a minute.”
“You don’t have to clean up. I feel bad having you do that alone.”
I smiled. “That’s exactly why I don’t mind. Go ahead, I’ll be up soon.”
“Alright.” He smiled and slapped my ass making me yelp. “I’ll be up until you’re in bed with me.”
“You’re the sweetest,” I purred.
Cooper climbed the stairs and I went back to cleaning up our things. When I grabbed my phone, I noticed a new text message. It was probably Mel. I hoped everything was okay at the bar. I opened it and dropped the phone as if it had bitten me.
Do you want him to die? Break up with him or next time, I won’t miss.
I reached down with a shaky hand and picked up my phone. The number it had been sent from was blocked, but I knew who it was from. Brian. Who else could have sent it? No one else would threaten to kill the man I was dating.
Why wouldn’t he leave me alone?
Brian didn’t want me when I was right there next to him, but suddenly he was desperate for me. It suddenly felt eerie as if he was right behind me. I even glanced over my shoulder and expected him to be there, but of course, it was empty. My heart fluttered in my chest and I quickly ran up the stairs as if something was on my heels.
I had to escape him. I had to do something before he hurt Cooper. If he got hurt, I would never forgive myself.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Ivy
“Jo?” Cooper asked when he glanced up at me from the bed as I stood in the doorway, frozen. “What’s the matter?”
I couldn’t speak. Wordlessly, I crossed the room and handed my phone to Cooper. He glanced up at me, but I just shook my head and gestured toward it. If I spoke, I was afraid I would sob because the nightmare was never ending. I couldn’t get away from Brian, no matter how fucking far I went.
Cooper opened the phone and read the text message. His face darkened. He turned it off and set the phone on the nightstand. “Come here,” he said and crooked a finger at me.
I dropped the clothes I’d been holding and ran over to the bed. When I hopped in, he grabbed me and held me close against his body. Whenever he touched me like this, all of the worries and fear I held evaporated. How could one man calm me so much?
“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered as he stroked my hair. “If that asshole thinks I’m going to let you go because of some vapid threat he’s a dumbass. I’m not going anywhere and neither are you.”
I sat up and wiped my eyes. Despite trying my hardest, tears had rolled down my cheeks and dripped on my arm. I shook my head and toyed with my fingers nervously. “You don’t know him like I do, Cooper. If he says he’s going to do something, he always does it. The man is a psychopath and he’d do anything to make sure that I suffer.” My throat squeezed and I sucked in a b
reath. “I shouldn’t have come back here. I popped up and brought all of my baggage and bullshit with me. It’s not fair,” I said as I broke down again.
“Hey, hey,” Cooper said, lifting my head and cradling my face between his palms. “You are not the one at fault here. He is. You deserve to be happy, safe and loved and he can go fuck off with his bullshit. I’m going to be right here and protect you no matter what happens.”
For some reason, this statement made me cry harder. Cooper would get himself killed because he wanted to keep me safe. I couldn’t let him do that!
“You don’t get it,” I said as I pulled away from him. “Brian is like a shark that has scented blood. He won’t give up that easily. I need to get away. I have to quit the bar and move somewhere else. I’m not going to be selfish and put you at risk when you didn’t ask for any of this.”
“Jo,” he said and grabbed me to keep me from getting out of the bed. “I didn’t ask for any of it, but I signed up for supporting you and protecting you when I asked you to give me another chance. I love you and there is no way I’m going to let that bastard take you away from me.”
“Cooper I—”
“No,” he said firmly. “You are not going to quit working at the bar, and you sure as hell ain’t moving anywhere else, especially when that psycho is still out there ready and waiting for you. Do you understand me?”
I stared at Cooper. So much love and care radiated from him that I didn’t know what to do with it. I buried my face in his chest and let him hold me close to him. I didn’t hold back this time and I sobbed as my shoulders rose and fell.
Cooper stroked my back and hair the whole time. When I was done, I rubbed at my eyes and he handed me a tissue. “Better now?” he asked softly.
I nodded and blew my nose. “I don’t know what has happened to me. I’ve become such a crybaby lately.”
Cooper smiled softly at me before he squeezed my naked thigh.
“What are we going to do?” I whispered. “If I keep working there, you know he’s going to do something like what he did today. What if he doesn’t miss next time? Cooper, I would lose it if anything ever happened to you.”
“Then nothing is going to happen to me,” he said confidently. “If it’s a choice between hurting you and making sure I stay safe, guess what’s going to happen?”
I sniffled. “You’ll stay safe.”
“Exactly. I know how to handle myself and you’ve learned to defend yourself too. We can’t live in fear because of him, okay? That’s exactly what he wants and we’re not going to give it to him.” Cooper lifted the blanket and pulled me underneath it. “Now, we’re not going to think about him for one more second. We’re going to go to bed, have an amazing rest, and then in the morning we’ll go for round two.”
I grinned at his words. “Is that the only thing on your brain? Sex?”
“Have you seen how you look? Of course, that’s all I think about,” he scoffed.
“I love you,” I said.
“I love you too,” he said before he leaned down and planted a kiss on my lips, my neck and my cheek. “Now get some sleep. We’ll figure this out together. That’s what couples do. They stay together come what may.”
“Okay.” I yawned and nestled into my pillow.
Cooper shut out the lights.
I was engulfed in darkness, the scent of his clean sheets and his body. Before I knew it, my eyes grew heavy. I snuggled against him and forgot the world, even if it was just for a little while.
Chapter Forty
Ivy
I woke up with my body pressed against Cooper’s. His warmth soothed me as well as the way his breath tickled across the back of my neck. I smiled and pushed back against him, wanting to be as close as humanly possible to him. It felt right being so close, so comfortable and safe in his arms.
As I shifted, I felt something else press against me. I laughed under my breath. Seriously, it really was like we were two teenagers. I grinned and rocked my hips back and forth against his body grinding against his dick until he groaned and tugged me against his body sharply.
“If you start shit, just know that I will end it, woman,” he muttered.
“You talk a big game, but I don’t believe you. I guess you’re just going to have to prove it to me.”
“Really now?” he asked.
Now I heard the way his voice suddenly sounded alert.
“I’m going to the bathroom then we’re going to have a very deep discussion,” he growled against my ear. “About teasing me and the consequences of teasing me.”
I shivered. “When you use that voice it really drives me crazy.”
“I know. That’s why I do it.” Cooper kissed my shoulder and climbed out of bed.
I watched his deliciously bare ass as he made his way to the bathroom and disappeared inside. The man was ridiculously gorgeous and he knew it. Not that I was complaining.
I reached over to the nightstand and picked up my phone. When I turned it on, I thought about the message that I’d received from Brian the night before. The threat hung over my head like a cloud, but I wanted to believe Cooper. I didn’t want to be afraid of Brian. That was giving him more power than he deserved and I wouldn’t let him get to me like that anymore.
There were no new messages, so I sat my phone back on the table. No one was going to take me away from Cooper.
“You’re a million miles away,” he said as he padded back toward the bed. “What are you thinking about?”
I glanced up at him. “Nothing important,” I said as I held my hand out toward him. “I’d much rather you climb back into bed with me and we don’t talk at all.”
“I can make that happen,” he said as he leaned down and kissed me.
“Good.”
We stayed in bed for so long that my stomach growled in the end and broke up our happy morning. I’d completely forgotten about Brian’s text message and I wanted it to stay that way. I rolled over and stretched out on the bed as I yawned. “I’m starving. We should get breakfast.”
Cooper was sprawled out beside me, still catching his breath. “I think you’re on your own. I can’t move. I don’t even know why I thought I could keep up with you that many times in a row.”
I grinned. “That’s the power of a woman,” I teased. “I could go a few more times.”
Cooper nipped my arm.
I chuckled.
“Do we even have food?” he asked. “We’ve been on a restaurant kick and I can’t remember the last time I went grocery shopping.”
“I can get some food. I’ve been meaning to go to the supermarket anyway.”
Cooper grabbed my wrist as I tried to roll out of the bed. “Hold on, I’ll go with you. Just give me another minute.”
I shook my head. “I think you need to let that ankle rest today. Besides, it won’t take me long to get a few things and come back.”
He frowned. “I don’t really want you leaving on your own.”
“If I was going somewhere deserted then I would agree, but it’s the grocery store. There’s plenty of people around and it’s broad daylight. I promise, I’ll be fine.”
“Alright,” he finally relented and pulled me down for a long, slow kiss. “Be careful and call me if you need me.”
“I’ll be fine. Like you said, I can’t live like I’m afraid and I’m not going to. If you weren’t here, I would still have to live and navigate the world on my own and this is no different.”
“Do you have to be so smart?”
“Yes,” I said cheekily.
“As logical as that thought is, I still worry about you.”
“I know you do and I adore you for it.” My hand trailed over his cheek. Then I left him to lie in bed and relax. I found a pair of comfortable shorts and a tank top then twisted my hair up into a ponytail. I placed one more kiss on him before I wiggled my fingers at him and left.
The drive to the supermarket was uneventful and it reinforced the thought that I would be okay. I
headed into the store and slowly walked down the aisles with a smile on my face. It felt nice to be doing something so normal and mundane, and to know that when I arrived back home, Cooper would be waiting for me eagerly.
Home. I’d thought of Cooper’s place as home, hadn’t I?
The thought made my smile spread. It was home when I was at Cooper’s. The soothing, relaxing atmosphere, the warmth he displayed toward me, the way I was completely comfortable when it was just the two of us. It was amazing.
I decided I was going to make us a big breakfast; eggs, steak, home fries, fruit, bacon. It would be delicious and I couldn’t wait to see Cooper devour it all. He’d done so much for me that I wanted to pay him back and just making him breakfast didn’t feel like nearly enough.
“I’ll think of something,” I muttered to myself. “Something he’ll love.”
I didn’t want to leave him waiting for too long so I finished up grabbing food and paid for it. He’d slipped me his credit card when I wasn’t paying attention, but I still had some cash and I used it. Still, I smiled at his attempt to make sure I really was taken care of. I happily took the bags and carried them to the car when I was nearly yanked off of my feet.
Before I could scream, a hand slapped over my mouth and cut off any sound that might have escaped as I was dragged into an alley. I struggled against the hands that held me and tried to kick, but he was stronger. Finally, I was able to bite into him and he howled before he shoved me against the brick of a building. I was slightly dazed and looked up to see Brian sneering at me.
“What are you doing?” I shouted as I touched my head to make sure there was no blood. “What do you want?”
“You know damn well what I want,” he snapped. “And if you even think about screaming, I’ll make sure you never scream again.”
I swallowed thickly. My eyes shot up and down the alley, but there was no one in sight. The busy street was close enough, but there was no guarantee that I would reach it before he got to me. “Brian, we are over. There’s nothing else to talk about. I left because I didn’t want to do this anymore and you’re still following me. I don’t want to fight with you. I just want to be done with this and move on with my life. I’m happy. If you ever gave a shit about me just let me be happy,” I cried.
Let’s Start Over Page 20