Cowboy 12 Pack
Page 35
Cooper shook his head, a smile curling his lips.
For a moment, Emma’s heart stopped.
Then he bucked beneath her and flipped her onto her back. “Emma Jacobs, I’ve wanted you since the moment we met. I want you so much I ache with it.”
Emma released the breath she’d been holding, swallowed hard on a sob and twined her hands around his neck. “Then kiss me.”
He lowered his mouth to claim hers in a kiss so tender it melted Emma’s insides.
His hand swept away her panties, the warm, calloused fingers, scraping her skin in a sensuous glide. Then he parted her legs with his knee and slipped between them.
The kiss lasted until Emma thought she might never need to breathe again. Then Cooper’s lips skimmed across her chin and down the length of her throat, to the turgid peak of her right nipple. He nibbled and laved, then sucked the tip between his lips.
Emma arched off the blanket, pushing her breast deeper into his warm, wet mouth. Every part of her body tingled with electric shocks, the tension building, heating up at her core.
Cooper abandoned her breasts and moved lower, pressing kisses to each of her ribs, his tongue dipping into her belly button. His steady path downward ignited an inferno inside her.
When Cooper reached the thatch of curls covering Emma’s sex, she drew up a knee and braced herself for what might come next.
With broad, coarse fingers, he parted her folds and stroked the little swollen bundle of nerves at her center.
Emma gasped, her bottom rising off the ground, her fingers threading through Cooper’s dark hair.
The world stood still as Cooper touched his tongue to her most sensitive spot.
“Oh, dear God,” she cried out, her fingers clenching against his scalp.
He flicked her again, sending a shower of shocks shooting throughout her body. Tingling began in her toes and fingers, speeding through her arms into her body and soul.
She rose to meet his next assault, unprepared for the exquisite torture of his mouth claiming her, sucking her in. Every muscle solidified. Emma forgot how to breathe, forgot where she was and gave herself up to the explosion of sensations raging through her.
Before she could regroup or rethink, Cooper released her and fumbled in the pocket of her dress, removing the dark foil package.
She took the packet from his fingers, tore it with her teeth and slipped the rubber down over his engorged cock. Then she spread her knees wide, grabbed his length and guided him into her channel.
He slid into her warm wetness, filling the emptiness she’d lived with for so long.
When he’d buried himself to the hilt, he stopped, holding steady, giving her time to adjust to his length and girth. Then he was moving in and out, picking up speed with each stroke.
Emma rose to meet his every thrust. She clutched his buttocks, making him pump harder, faster until he was pounding in and out of her body.
On one final thrust, he stopped, his body rigid, his eyes closed tight, his face tensed.
Inside, his cock throbbed against her channel.
Emma wrapped her legs around his waist and held him there, savoring their intimacy, the feel of his length inside, the sensation of his skin tight against hers.
When he finally relaxed, Cooper dropped to the blanket beside her, turning her on her side without breaking their connection. Then he kissed her again, his lips soft against hers. “You’re amazing.”
She slid her leg up over his thigh. “Not so bad yourself.”
The longer they lay there, the more the cool night air chilled Emma’s body and with it, the memories crowded in, bringing the guilt.
Cooper slipped free of her and she let her leg fall to her side.
Heat filled her cheeks as the reality of what she’d done set in. She sat up and reached for her clothes. “We’d better go.”
Cooper sat up behind her, brushed her hair back from her neck and pressed a kiss to the column of her throat. “You know this changes everything, don’t you?”
Shaking her head, Emma sucked in a long breath, squeezing her eyes closed. “Why does it have to change anything?”
His hand stilled on her shoulder. “I don’t understand.”
“Nothing to understand.” Clutching her clothes in her hands, she stood.
Cooper grabbed his trousers and stood, dragging them up over his legs. “You’re wrong.”
“I told you from the beginning, I didn’t want a relationship. This was our last date.”
He gripped her shoulders and leaned down to her eye level. “Look at me and tell me what just happened meant nothing.”
Her chest aching, and a sob rising up her throat, Emma looked away. “Why does what we did have to mean something?”
“Because it did.” He shook her gently. “Emma, look at me.”
She did, her vision clouded by the tears welling in her eyes. She’d loved Marcus, but Cooper was so alive and vibrant and here. If she chose him over Marcus, she’d betray her love. “I loved Marcus. Don’t make me choose between the two of you.”
“I’m not asking you to choose. Marcus is dead. I’m not.” He breathed a steadying breath and continued, “I want you, and I’m well on my way to falling in love. But I can’t compete with a memory. Do you or don’t you have room in your heart for me?”
Emma hesitated, her world shattering into a million pieces.
Cooper waited for several seconds, then his hands fell from her shoulders. “Forget I said anything. I’ll stick to the bargain. Tomorrow, you can tell your brothers that I was a jerk. I don’t care. Just end it.” He scooped up his shirt and boots and marched to the truck, leaving Emma standing on the sleeping bag, tears arrested, refusing to fall.
A heavy weight lodged deep in her chest. What had she done?
Chapter Ten
‡
AS SOON AS Cooper pulled up at her front door, Emma hopped out of the truck. At well past midnight, the lights were out in the living room and not one of her brothers waited on the porch to make sure she got home safely.
Before she could escape, Cooper rounded the truck and grabbed her hand. “Emma, wait.”
“Don’t.” She tugged her hand, but couldn’t break his grasp.
“I walked into this experiment skeptical, but I’m glad I did.” He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss into her palm. “No matter what happens, I’ll never regret having met you.” Then he let go, climbed into his truck and drove away.
Emma slipped into the house, padding barefoot down the hallway to her room. As she was closing the door, Nelson slipped in.
Then the flood gates opened, tears fell and silent sobs shook her body. She crawled into her bed, still wearing the yellow dress and cried.
Nelson stood beside the bed, nudging her hand and whining softly.
A soft knock on the door didn’t faze her. Emma couldn’t stop the flow of sadness.
“Emma?” Ace’s voice sounded through wooden panels.
Too lost in her own misery to care, she didn’t respond.
The door opened and Ace entered, followed by Brand, Colton and Dillon.
“What happened?” Ace sat on the edge of the mattress.
“Nothing,” Emma sobbed.
“Want me to beat him up?” Brand asked.
“I’ll get my shotgun,” Colton said. “Just say the word.”
“No.” She rolled her face into the pillow. “Just leave me alone.”
None of them moved.
“Go!” she wailed and threw a pillow in their direction.
Footsteps padded away, and the door closed.
And she was alone again. Emma rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, then turned to face the photo on the nightstand, her fingers reaching for the edge of the frame. “Marcus, what should I do?”
Nelson nudged her extended hand and the photo tipped over, face-down.
Emma froze. “Marcus?” A breeze lifted the curtains at the window and brushed across her skin like a kiss.
“I really did love you,” she whispered and curled around the empty pillow in the bed beside her. The photograph remained face-down, as Emma drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.
*
COOPER LAY IN his bed wide awake all night long. Lucky lay against his side, curled into a tight, colorful fur ball.
As much as he wanted to be with Emma, Cooper could tell the choice between him and her dead fiancé was pulling her apart. By morning, he’d made up his mind.
He tucked the kitten into his shirt pocket, stopped by the pet store in Temptation and bought a small animal pet carrier, a bag of kitty chow, another bag of litter and a tray and headed to the Rockin’ J Ranch. The trip was the longest and the shortest of his life.
As he pulled up in the yard, Ace stepped out on the porch, followed by Brand. Colton and Dillon rounded the side of the house and met their brothers at the bottom of the stairs. All four men crossed their arms and glared at Cooper.
Cooper eased down from his truck and stepped into the fray. “Is Emma home?”
“What did you do to her?” Dillon leaned forward, his hands clenching into fists.
“Why do you ask?” Cooper frowned. “What did she say?’
“She didn’t say anything but she cried all night long.” Brand joined Dillon, flexing his broad shoulders, his fists clenched, ready to throw a punch.
Cooper didn’t care. A punch in the face couldn’t hurt any more than what he was about to do. “Relax. I came to break it off with Emma. Let me talk to her, and I’ll leave.”
“Is that why she cried all night, because you broke her heart?” Colton pushed up his sleeves. “I’m gonna kick your ass all the way back to Dallas.”
Cooper sighed. “No, I didn’t break off our relationship.”
“Why should we believe you?” Brand demanded.
“Believe what you want. Truth is, I made the mistake of telling her I was falling in love with her.”
“Right.” Dillon stepped closer, raising his fists. “And that’s why she cried her eyes out last night.”
Colton joined Dillon and Brand. “You’ll have to do better than that if you don’t want an ass whooping.”
Lucky chose that moment to poke his head out of Cooper’s pocket.
Cooper smiled down at the spunky little cat. “You wouldn’t hit a man carrying a kitten, would you?”
“I’ll deck anyone who makes my sister cry,” Dillon said.
Ace pushed through his brothers. “Leave him alone.”
“Are you believing his story?” Dillon turned on his brother.
With a twisted smile, Ace nodded. “Yeah. I do.”
Cooper brushed a hand across his forehead, really relieved he had at least one of the Jacobs on his side. “Thanks. These guys had me sweating.” He stared past Ace toward the house, his gut tightening. “Is she here?”
“She’s out riding. Left before any of us got out of bed.”
Disappointment dragged Cooper’s shoulders down. He had hoped to see her one last time, but maybe their situation was better this way. If he saw her, he’d only want to hold her until she pried his fingers loose. “Do you mind if I leave her a note?” He glanced down at the kitten as she climbed his shirt. “And the kitten.”
Still glaring, Dillon shot back, “We’re not big cat people around here.”
“We found it last night. Emma seemed taken with Lucky.” Cooper glanced into Ace’s eyes. “Sounds like she needs the company.”
“She has Nelson,” Dillon reminded.
“Yeah, but a girl could use more than one friend.” Ace took the kitten from Cooper. “Lucky, huh?”
“If we hadn’t walked down Main Street in Temptation, we wouldn’t have found her, trapped in a box. She might have died.”
Lucky swatted at Ace, claws unsheathed.
“Whoa, Tiger.” He held the kitten out for Cooper. “Maybe you should take her. Apparently, she doesn’t care for me.”
“She grows on you.” Cooper retrieved the kitten and glanced toward the side of the house, hoping Emma would turn up before he left.
“You sure you want to break it off with Emma?”
“It’s what she wants.”
“And you?”
Cooper bit back the truth and glanced down at the kitten, avoiding Ace’s gaze. “It’s what she wants.”
Ace snorted. “Based on the tears last night and her riding out this morning, I’d say Emma doesn’t know what Emma wants.”
“Trust me, if there was a way to bring her around, I’d gladly listen.” Cooper glanced up hopefully. “Maybe if you talked to her…”
Ace’s lips pressed together and he shook his head. “If there’s one thing I know about my sister, she has to come around on her own. If you want to leave her a note, you can. I’m still skeptical about the kitten.”
Cooper nodded, hope fading. He retrieved the cat supplies from his truck and the note he’d crafted before he’d left his house.
Ace led him through the front door and down the hallway, pushing open a door. “You can leave the note in her room. The cat too, since you brought along a kennel.”
“Thanks.” Cooper paused on the threshold. Stepping inside made him feel like he was trespassing on Emma’s personal space.
“Go on. I’m sure she’d rather read the note in private. I’ll leave you alone.”
“Thanks.” Cooper swallowed hard on the lump lodged in his throat. “I’ll make it quick.”
“Take your time.” Ace half-closed the door and retreated back the way he’d come.
Cooper stared around at the bedroom with the wide windows overlooking the backyard, stretching past the fences to a pasture still tall with Bermuda hay, ready for baling. Too bad, he wouldn’t be around to help with the chore. He’d enjoyed working beside the Jacobs two days ago.
A hollowness grew in Cooper’s belly. Knowing this would be the last time he’d be around her brothers and this would be his last contact with Emma left him empty and sad.
No matter how many times he reminded himself that he’d known her only a very short time, he couldn’t believe he’d never see her again. In the few days he’d known Emma, she’d made a lasting impression, one that would remain a very long time and shape how he viewed other women. She’d set the bar so high, no other woman could reach it.
As he glanced around the room, he could see evidence of Emma in everything. The pictures on the wall, the quilt on the bed, the scent lingering in the air.
He set the pet carrier on the bed, the litter box, the bags of litter and cat food on the floor and pulled the note out of his back pocket.
Lucky clung to his shirt, as if sensing she was about to be left behind yet again.
“Don’t worry. Emma will take good care of you. She has more love in her heart than even she knows.” He plucked the cat’s claws out of the fabric, stroked its little head and set the calico kitten inside the carrier, shutting the door before she could escape.
“Take care of her.” He laid the envelope containing his note on the bed and backed away. That’s when he noticed the photo frame lying face-down on the nightstand.
Out of instinct, he set the frame upright, unprepared for the punch in the gut.
Emma’s face glowed with happiness as she smiled at a man with a military haircut.
Marcus.
Cooper backed out of the room, his heart squeezing hard, his lungs refusing to allow air in and out.
“Anything else you want us to tell Emma?” Ace intercepted Cooper as he made for the door.
“No,” was all he could push past the muscles constricting his throat.
Ace stuck out his hand. “We had high hopes things would turn out better. Sorry.”
Cooper shook the man’s hand and left without another word.
As he drove away, he glanced in the rearview mirror with the final hope of seeing Emma ride in on her horse.
Her brothers had streamed out onto the porch, their gazes following his truck.
No Emma.
> With nothing left to do, Cooper focused ahead and tried to forget about the woman who’d so easily captured his heart.
AS EMMA RODE into the barnyard, Dillon appeared from around the side of the house, his hands jammed into his front pockets, his face downcast. “You had a visitor.”
Her heart leaped and she swung down from the saddle. “Who?” Even before her brother answered, she knew.
Cooper.
She handed her reins to Dillon and pushed past him toward the house.
“He’s gone.”
Dillon’s voice halted Emma. Her racing heart screeched to a fluttering stop as she turned to face her youngest brother. “Why did he come?”
“To break up with you.” Dillon’s eyes narrowed. “A cryin’ shame if you ask me. I kinda liked the man.”
So, there it was. Cooper had done what she’d asked. Emma should have felt relieved. She’d gotten exactly what she’d wanted. Maybe now, her brothers would leave her alone about dating. Emma should have felt satisfied, but all she could muster was a cold, empty feeling in the center of her chest.
“He left a note in your room.”
Dillon’s voice lanced through the fog edging in around her, and Emma’s head jerked up. “What?”
“In your room, Cooper left a note.”
She spun on her boot heels and ran across the yard and in through the backdoor. Ace stepped out of her way as she raced down the hallway to her room.
A soft mewling sound hit her as she entered, and Emma’s knees almost buckled, a sob rising up her throat.
Lucky peered at her through the metal mesh of the pet carrier.
Emma freed the kitten and cuddled her against her chin, tears trickling down to land on the animal’s soft fur.
“Aren’t you going to read the note?” Ace said from the doorway.
Emma’s gaze shifted to the envelope propped against her pillow. She snatched it up with her free hand and opened it awkwardly, balancing the kitten. A single page fluttered out and landed on the nightstand next to the photo of her and Marcus.
Marcus was a lucky man and would have been proud of your undying love. I concede this battle to him, unable to compete for your love against such a heartfelt memory.