She was the strongest, bravest woman he knew—and that was saying something with the resilient, courageous women he was around every day. There was so much he wanted to tell Marlee, but it all got lost in the passion that’d consumed him the moment he made the mistake of looking at her mouth.
The curve of her smile made his soul sing. The way she laughed was something he hadn’t known he longed to hear. But the desire he saw in her eyes when she looked at him made him forget all about going slowly. It pushed him over the edge of reason, and he wasn’t about to put on the brakes.
He deepened the kiss as her hands slid from his chest upward and linked around his neck. Her taste was heaven. There were no awkward moments, no bumped heads or miscommunication. And the longer he held her, the longer the kiss went on, the more he knew, without a doubt, that he’d found the one person in the billions around the world that was meant for him. It should startle him, or at the very least take him aback, but it didn’t. How could it when everything felt so right?
All Cooper wanted to do was keep kissing her, but he knew it would lead to other things if he did. And while he had no problems having sex outdoors, it was cold, and he at least owed Marlee a fire. Reluctantly, he slowed the kiss and then ended it. Somehow, he was able to release her and step back.
Marlee’s chest heaved as she touched her lips. “I’ve been wondering what your kiss would taste like.”
That was the last thing she should’ve said. He reached for her at the same time she reached for him. Their mouths clashed again, their tongues dueling as the flames of desire grew. Cooper slid his hands under her coat and felt the way her body trembled when he touched her. He ground himself against her, unable to stop himself. She moaned and shifted her hands to his hips, holding him tightly against her as they moved against each other.
This time, she was the one who ended the kiss. Their eyes met as he stepped back, trying to get himself under control. He took a deep breath and adjusted his hat. If he didn’t, he was going to reach for her again. And this time, he might not let her go.
“That was…” Marlee said, her voice trailing off.
Cooper nodded. “Yeah. For me, too.”
She pushed away from the fence and moved toward him. He held up a hand, stopping her. “You should know that if we kiss again, I’m not going to stop.”
“Thank God,” she said.
He blinked, not expecting her to react in such a way. “When it comes to you, I have no willpower. I want you. It’s as simple as that.”
“That’s good since I feel the same.”
Cooper looked up at the stars, doing his best not to pull her against him.
Marlee drew in a breath and then slowly released it. “Usually, a response like mine gets the other party moving, not standing still.”
Cooper chuckled. “You’d think that, right? Things are different with you. I feel … out of control.”
“I like that.”
He looked at her. “You barely know me. I barely know you.”
“True. But I know I like how this feels. I don’t want to think about anything else. For the first time in years, I’m going to think about myself and what I want. We can stand out here and talk about things because it is beautiful. Or we can go somewhere so I can rip off your clothes and see that fine body naked.”
“Where the hell have you been all my life?” he asked in amazement.
She shrugged, her smile growing. “Apparently, waiting to find you.”
“Come on,” he said as he took her hand. “We’re getting out of here and going back to my place where I’ll be the one to rip off your clothes and see that fine body of yours.”
Marlee laughed and quickened her steps to match his long strides. “That sounds like fun. I wonder if we can wait to get to your place.”
“Hell. That’s a good question.”
With desire throbbing, they looked at each other and smiled. The moment was one he’d never forget. They finally reached the truck and released each other’s hands to get into their respective seats. He jumped in first and glanced over at her as he started the engine. That’s when he saw her looking around as if she were searching for something.
“The deer is gone,” he teased.
She smiled as she glanced at him and buckled her seat belt. “Old habits.”
He wanted to ask her more about that, but it would have to wait until later. Cooper continued down the road to his place, which was, thankfully, very close. At any other time, he might have wondered what she thought as they drove up the drive to the old farmhouse he’d bought to restore. Now, all he wanted was both of them in the house with his cock inside her.
The moment the truck was in park, her door was open. Cooper met her at the front of the vehicle, and they half-ran up the steps to the porch where he keyed in the combination and the door unlocked. No sooner were they inside than Marlee shut the door and pushed him against the wall.
His hat tumbled off as their lips met. He blindly reached over and locked the door before yanking off her coat. It hit the floor, and he turned her. With their lips still locked, they took turns removing one item of clothing at a time while navigating their way to his room.
When they reached the doorway, they were both naked. Cooper turned her and pressed her against the wall, running his hands down her slender build from the indent of her waist to the flare of her hips. His palms itched to feel the weight of her breasts. Slowly, he caressed back up until he cupped her breast. Her nipple pressed tightly into his palm, making him groan, and his balls tighten.
He tore his mouth from hers and kissed down her neck until he brought one nipple at a time to his mouth and swirled his tongue around it before suckling. Marlee’s head dropped back, her eyes closed as her swollen lips parted with her sighs.
Cooper kissed between her breasts and lower while he rolled her nipples between his fingers. He dropped to his knees and slid his hands to her hips. There, he paused and looked up at her. After a moment, she lifted her head to meet his gaze. He gave her a smile and slipped his hand behind the knee of one leg. Slowly, he lifted it and draped it over his shoulder.
Her breath came faster now as she realized what he was going to do. He held her gaze as he moved his head toward her sex and licked her. Her moan—full of longing and a deep ache—nearly made him spill his seed right then.
Cooper took his time as he licked and laved her, learning her, tasting her essence. Her hands splayed on the wall, and her moans had turned to soft cries, but he wasn’t finished with her. He waited until she was shaking with need before he slid a finger inside her and flicked his tongue over her clit.
Her breath hitched, and her body tightened right before she jerked with a climax. He continued teasing her until her body stopped moving. Then he lowered her leg, her foot on the floor, before he straightened.
“I forgot what that felt like,” she murmured.
He cocked his head. “What?”
“Pleasure.”
“Then you’ll have as much of it as I can give you.”
She smiled and leaned forward to flick her tongue across his nipple. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
“Are you?” he asked with a smile. Then he bent and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist. “I don’t think you’re going to have to hold me to anything because I can’t get enough of you.”