Until Us
Until Novel Book 3
Cristin Cooper
Contents
Copyright
Also by Cristin Cooper
Prologue
1. September 2015
2. September 2015
3. September 2015
4. September 2015
5. September 2015
6. September 2015
7. September 2015
8. September 2015
9. October 2015
10. October 2015
11. October 2015
12. October 2015
13. November 2015
14. November 2015
15. November 2015
16. December 2015
17. December 2015
18. New Year’s Eve 2015
19. January 2016
20. January 2016
21. February 2016
22. March 2016
23. March 2016
24. March 2016
25. April 2016
26. May 2016
27. May 2016
28. May 2016
29. May 2016
30. May 2016
31. June 2016
32. June 2016
33. June 2016
34. June 2016
35. June 2016
Epilogue
FREE BOOK
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Books In Series
Preview
Copyright
Until us
Copyright © 2015 Cristin Cooper
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
* * *
Cover Designer: Cristin Cooper
Cover Photo: Bigstockphotos
Editing: Bookpeddlerediting
Also by Cristin Cooper
Always Series
Love, Ryan
Love You, Always
Love Me
* * *
Always Novella
Safe Love novella
* * *
Until Series
Until Now
Until Here novella
Until Us
Until You novella
* * *
Juliet Chronicles
Juliet Chronicles Book One
Juliet Chronicles Book Two
Juliet Chronicles Book Three
To all of life’s surprises.
The good.
The Bad.
The Easy and the hard.
Prologue
August 2014
Katie
* * *
Katie yawned into the back of her hand and leaned back on the bench seat between her new roommate Alexis and her roommate’s older brother Eric. The only sound came from Eric’s old pickup rumbling as it shook its way over the empty Portland streets.
Today had been the longest day of her life, and yet, when she looked over at Eric, she wasn’t sure if she were ready for it to end.
“If you’re tired, you can lean against my shoulder,” he offered, quickly glancing at her with a small smile. She returned it with a blush as the butterflies in her stomach took flight.
They were returning home after having a late night dinner with his and Alexis’s friends. The party started out as a welcome for Katie, which turned into an intimate evening between her and Eric. They’d sat at one end of a long table, unintentionally ignoring everyone else, while they spent hours getting to know one another.
From the moment she met him there was a connection. He was good-looking for sure, in a sexy lumberjack sort of way, but it was more than that. He had a friendly smile and an easy laugh. He chuckled along with his friends when they teased him about his scruffy beard and hermit lifestyle. He was unapologetic about who he was, and nothing was sexier than that.
She was tempted to accept the offer of his shoulder, and not just because her eyes were growing heavy. She wanted nothing more than to be close to him, but the little voice inside her head was loud. You just met him, and he’ll only be here a few weeks.
Instead of scooting closer, she leaned her head against the back window and closed her eyes.
When she first met the brother and sister, Alexis had mentioned Eric was just visiting, and Katie hadn’t thought much of it until a few hours later. It had been nearing midnight when they shared a plate of waffles, and she listened to him talk about his job as a biologist in Alaska. His face lit up, and he spoke with his whole body.
Disappointment lodged in the pit of her stomach when she realized nothing could come from whatever was happening between them. But she also wasn’t about to let it stop her from spending as much time with him as she could before he returned to his life.
Her eyes grew heavy and her head lolled to the side until she felt a hard surface. The smell of old vinyl and engine oil along with the vibrations of the old pickup reminded her of long drives with her Billy. Wondering when she would get a chance to do that again her chest tightened.
The past twenty-four hours had passed in a haze of goodbyes, hugs, tears, airplanes, cabs, and hellos. It was hard to believe it was just last night she was partying with her girlfriends excited about her future and now… It wasn’t until the cab driver dropped her off in front of her new home in Portland, Oregon that the tears came back around. She hadn’t thought about how much she would miss everyone.
Standing on the curb looking up at the condo Katie would share with her new roommate, she realized the small apartment she had shared with her mother in Flagstaff, Arizona would only be a place she would visit.
Raised by her single mother, Bridget, Katie had never known her father. But they made a family with Billy, the diner owner who’d taken her mother in when Bridget was a pregnant teenager with no place to go and helped her raise Katie.
Chuck and Diane worked in the diner and rounded out their family. She thought the overwhelming homesickness would swallow her whole, but after only a few minutes with Alexis and Eric, the sadness eased and she knew everything would be okay.
Katie drew in a deep, ragged breath as she felt the wave of sadness hit her again.
A large warm hand landed on her knee and squeezed. She sighed and smiled as the warm tingle from his touch spread through her whole body. Suddenly she realized the hard surface she was leaning against was Eric’s shoulder. Shocked awake, she lifted her head and rubbed her tired eyes.
His brows pulled in when he glanced at her before turning back to the road and asking in a quiet voice, “You okay?”
Verifying Alexis was still asleep against the passenger door before answering, she whispered, “Yeah.” But Katie really wasn’t. She missed her mom and Billy, even though she’d talked to her mother after arriving, but nothing compared to them lying on her bed at the end of the day talking about anything and everything.
He rubbed his hand up and down her thigh until he had to move his hand back to the gearshift between her thighs. It was the negative part of riding center in an old pickup and yet…the positive. His touch did nothing to ease her rambling thoughts; he just added to them.
Katie pulled out her phone to check the time. It felt like only minutes instead of hours since she said goodbye to her mother at the airport.
Eric made a right-hand turn that seemed slightly exaggerated. She slid on the vinyl seat until her body pressed against his. He smiled and his deep chuckle caused a warm blush to cover her cheeks. Again. She was pretty sure he did it on purpose. Instead of moving back to her spot, her bare leg remained against his denim thigh. His touch, al
ong with his kind smile, made her belly do funny things.
When he parked in front of hers and Alexis’s condo, he leaned past her and nudged Alexis awake. It took Alexis a moment to realize they had stopped and another few seconds to realize that neither Katie nor Eric, were exiting the truck.
Alexis gave them a knowing smile. “I’ll see you in the morning, Katie.” She jumped out of the pickup and slammed the door before running up the stairs to the condo.
Eric and Katie sat in silence, neither moving. The air between them grew thick with nervous energy. With the engine no longer running, the silence became awkward, and she began to wonder if Eric was waiting for her to let herself out.
With a voice so low she could barely hear, he said, “I’m not ready to say goodnight.” She didn’t bother hiding her grin.
To her disappointment, he opened his door and held out a hand to help her jump down. Neither of them let go. Instead, his hand tightened around hers.
Katie’s cheeks began to hurt from smiling so big. When she lifted her eyes to look at him, she noticed he had the same sexy grin he had been giving her all evening. When she first met him, she had thought it to be a little cocky but soon found out that his smile was as genuine as him. She followed Eric up the stairs, still holding his hand and when they reached her door, he faced her. “It was nice meeting you, Katie Larson.” She wanted to melt when his smile widened. It was going to be her Kryptonite. Mix it with the way he made her feel like the only person in the room and she was a goner.
“I’m really happy to meet you too, Eric McHenry.”
They stood facing each other smiling. Just smiling. If she were thinking straight, she might have been embarrassed. “So, what time do you want me to pick you up tomorrow?” he asked. She had almost forgotten he volunteered to take her to pick up her new car, a gift from Billy.
“Uh. Well, I’m at your mercy, so whatever time works for you, just as long as it’s after coffee and a maple bar,” she said in all seriousness.
The idea of spending more time with him made her heart race with anticipation, but at the same time, it made her anxious. She wasn’t supposed to fall for a guy her first night here. Starting her new life was supposed to include dating lots of men without her mother or Billy keeping a watchful eye. Already, she knew that wasn’t going to happen.
“Good to know. Then I guess I’ll be bringing coffee and maple bars tomorrow morning.”
Katie slid her key into the lock. “Sounds perfect.” She reluctantly let go of his hand and opened the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow…or later today.” A nervous giggle followed her awkward good-bye.
He stood staring at her as if he wanted to say something, but instead he nodded his head. “Good night, Katie.”
“Good night,” she whispered. Her smile fell in disappointment. She stepped inside, closing and locking the door. While slipping off her shoes, she couldn’t help wish their goodnight went a little differently. For a moment, she thought for sure Eric would make a move, but then…nothing.
“Ugh. You’re going to see him in a few hours,” she mumbled. Katie was halfway down the hall, near her bedroom, when she heard a key in the lock. She turned around, wondering who else had a key to their place. When the door opened, all the oxygen left her lungs. It was Eric. He wasn’t smiling. When she walked toward him to see if he was okay, he met her halfway.
“I...uh…just wanted to…umm. I just wanted to do one thing.” His voice wavered slightly, and his smiled looked strained. She hoped it was the one thing she wanted him to do. He took another step closer, circled his arms around her, leaned down, and barely grazed her lips with his.
The tingle that spread through from his small kiss made her want more. His grip tightened around her, and she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck. Their lips met again, but not in a barely-there graze. It was full-on, I want you so bad, and if I don’t taste you right now, I might die kind of kiss. The type of kiss that left her wonderfully blissful, breathless, and needing more.
He moved his hands from her waist to her hair and pushed her against the wall in one heated movement. Her body came to life as she became aware of his every touch and the way his lips softened against hers as they leaned into each other. The moment their tongues met, Eric moaned into her mouth, causing her heart to race. She met his tongue movement for movement until they heard a cough and an “excuse me.”
Alexis’s voice was like ice-cold water being dumped on her head. Katie placed her hands between her and Eric and pushed him away. She watched as his chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath. She wiped the evidence of their kiss off her mouth before turning to face Alexis.
“Sorry. I just needed to get some water. You can go back to what you were doing once I’m safely back in my room with headphones on,” Alexis teased.
Eric’s low chuckle turned into a loud laugh when his eyes met Katie’s. There was no way to hide her blush or her mortification of being caught mauling her new roommates brother. “So, I’ll see you in a few hours, Katie,” he said while still chuckling. She covered her face with her hands, wishing to hide from him and his stupid, beautiful, deliciously, wonderful smile.
“Yup,” she mumbled into her hands, then rushed to her bedroom and closed the door before having to face Alexis again. She heard muffled goodnights right before the front door closed.
Once she heard Alexis walk past her door, Katie released a deep breath and fell on her bed in a lusty heap. She wasn’t sure what had gotten into her; it wasn’t like her to make out with a guy she just met.
When she closed her eyes, she couldn’t help smile, and her stomach did a few flips when she thought about the way he took charge and kissed her. Ravished her senses really.
Her lips felt swollen, and if she looked in the mirror, she was pretty sure she would see a beard burn on her face. So totally worth it. She had never been kissed like that, and she couldn’t wait until the next time.
Chapter One
September 2015
Katie
“Just take it!” Jason shoved the brown paper bag into Katie’s hand and pushed her towards the employee bathroom. Katie dug in her heels, but her shoes slid on the smooth hardwood floors. Her heart beat erratically in her chest as the panic built to the point it became difficult to breathe. She thought for sure she would need medical attention.
If she didn’t adore her boss, Jason, she would shove him and the brown paper bag with its contents where the sun didn’t shine. Why couldn’t he be more sensitive? At that moment, she almost regretted walking into his coffee shop a year ago.
* * *
Just as she was entering The Coffee Pot, a pimply-faced teen shoved past her and yelled, “I quit!” He dropped his apron in the doorway and lifted his hand, giving a one-finger salute.
Katie picked up the apron and walked over to the counter to pass it to the red-faced guy behind the counter. Sweat trickled down his cheeks and a deep crevice marked the center of his forehead as he turned his scowl to the next person in line.
“Um…so, does this mean you’re hiring?” She gave him her best waitress smile, having perfected it through the years working in Billy’s diner. She was known for being able to calm the crankiest patrons.
He took his eyes off the professionally dressed woman in line who tapped her foot in annoyance. “You know how to make coffee?” His reply was quick and slightly desperate.
“Diner coffee.” Just as the words came out, he tilted his head back and groaned. “But I’m a fast learner!” she finished. “Seriously, you show me once and I’ll remember.”
Keeping her big smile in place became increasingly uncomfortable as he continued to stare until finally he spoke. “If you can start right now, you’re hired.” He threw the apron back at her and she did a little cheer in her head as she hustled around the counter and listened carefully as he spouted instructions.
* * *
Most of the time she loved him and his cozy coffee shop. He wasn’t the warm-fuz
zy kind of friend and it took her a few weeks to tame the ‘Angry Beast’. His words. But they were friends now…or they were until he handed her the package.
Katie shook her head and pushed back against him, but he managed to shove her into the bathroom and close the door. “You can’t come out until you’re finished,” he said brusquely.
She pulled on the door handle he held closed from the other side. When she pounded on the door with both fists, frustrated tears sprung from her eyes. “Just because you’re my boss doesn’t mean you can boss me around.” A loud chuckle from the other side only angered her more. “You know what I mean. This is personal and none of your beeswax, so open the door.” She really didn’t want to do this.
“No,” he said bluntly, not bothering to argue with her.
“Fine. But I hate you,” she said between clenched teeth.
“I know,” he replied with a bored tone.
“Forever.” She intended it to be a threat, but it sounded more like resignation.
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