by Kendall Ryan
“So, uh, I want to explain a little bit about the whole telling-Gavin thing,” Cooper said, looking across the table at me.
“Okay,” I said, my voice wavering a little. Part of me was dying to know what he’d told his brother, but another part of me wanted to pretend that what we were doing was a giant secret.
“Gavin and I have a bit of a . . . troubled history. You know his wife, Emma? She used to work for the company. Not as a regular escort, but as a personal escort that Gavin and I shared. It wasn’t as creepy as it sounds—we just wanted someone on hand so we’d always have a date for events. As you can imagine, things got complicated really fast. Gavin and I both ended up falling for her. And, uh, I guess it’s clear how that love triangle ended.” Cooper paused to take a sip of his wine. The look on his face was grim and remorseful.
Why was he telling me all this? I couldn’t decide if I wanted to know more, or if I was ready to get out of this conversation before he expected me to share something equally personal. Before I had a chance to say anything, though, Cooper continued.
“I wanted you to know that I’m over it. Emma and I cleared the air earlier today when she came over to help me with the cooking. My feelings for her are purely friendly now. Or brotherly, I guess. We’re in-laws, after all.” Cooper smiled to himself, and I could see that he was being genuine.
“Well, thanks for telling me that, I guess,” I said, fumbling over how to respond. “But you didn’t have to share all that with me, you know. We don’t have to dredge up our deepest darkest secrets, do we?” I silently prayed that he didn’t expect me to reciprocate his sharing, even if it felt like he would be understanding of whatever I wanted to tell him.
Cooper smiled. “No, don’t feel like you need to tell me anything. Not until you’re ready.”
I smiled back, thankful for his patience.
We chatted a little while longer before clearing our plates and doing the dishes together. I insisted on cleaning it all up myself because he had cooked, but Cooper refused to let me do the dishes alone. Once the kitchen was clean, we each poured ourselves another glass of wine and settled in on his plush leather couch.
I sat near him, but not too close. We talked about small things—television, music, and the like—before there was a brief lull in the conversation. Cooper cleared his throat and gave me a serious look.
“Tell me one thing no one knows about you,” he said. It wasn’t really a question, but it didn’t feel like a command. He was trying to move us into a slightly deeper conversation, and it made my pulse thrum.
“I can’t sleep without a white-noise machine,” I said shyly, not daring to meet his gaze.
I could see the hint of a smile on his lips. He was silent for a beat before saying quietly, “Thank you for sharing.”
I turned to face him, his green eyes piercing mine. I knew then that Cooper was unlike any other man I’d ever met. He was huge and handsome, had cooked me dinner, wanted to help me out of my shell, promised me orgasms, and was willing to supply me with orgasms. It was all a little overwhelming.
Cooper continued asking me questions, delving deeper into my preferences and limits, especially sexually. I told him that I wasn’t interested in pain—no whips, no spanking, no being tied up. The last thing I wanted was to be humiliated. He listened intently, nodding along to everything I said. Once I was done explaining what I wasn’t looking for in this relationship, he took my hand in his, his giant palm making mine look small in comparison.
“I promised that I will always make you feel cherished and safe and good. All I want is for you to feel the pleasure you’ve been denied,” he said, looking intensely in my eyes.
I nodded and looked down at my hand in his. I didn’t understand why Cooper was doing this, why he was so intent on making sure that I was okay. But I appreciated it.
A wave of emotion welled up inside me, a mixture of thankfulness, relief, and a hint of arousal. I brought my gaze back up to his, pausing briefly at his mouth. He leaned toward me, offering his lips for the taking. Ignoring the butterflies in my stomach, I leaned into him and pressed my lips to his, soft and gentle, allowing myself to get comfortable with the feel of his mouth on mine. We continued like that for a while, kissing slowly and softly, and it felt like he was coaxing me into more.
Whatever he was doing, one thing was clear to me.
It was working.
I relaxed into him, and we both shifted closer to each other, our hands wandering over each other’s bodies. Cooper ran his fingertips gently across my back, down my side, and over my hip before beginning the whole motion again, and my skin felt electric under his touch. I pressed my hands against his chest, savoring the way his muscles rose and fell to the rhythm of his breathing. We were both breathing heavily, small gasps and moans escaping from my mouth every time his tongue wandered over to my neck or across my collarbone.
Warmth spread from between my legs to the ends of my entire body. I was wetter than I was the first time we kissed—and I didn’t think that was possible. I could tell that Cooper was turned on too, but if I had to guess by how patient he was being, I would have said that he had no interest in going any further.
The need for more grew stronger inside me.
Was Cooper always this restrained? What about all those orgasms I was promised?
I kissed him harder and faster, moving my tongue more feverishly against his, and Cooper seemed to get the hint. Without skipping a beat, he placed his hand on my thigh, running it down to my knee before moving up between my legs. He touched me gently over my jeans, and I could feel that my panties were soaked through. I moaned at his touch, and his fingers moved deftly to my waist, unbuttoning my jeans and undoing the zipper. My heart pounded harder than ever, and even though I was nervous, no part of me wanted him to stop.
Within moments, Cooper moved his body over mine, peeling my jeans off and settling in between my legs. I moved my knees wider apart to make room for his massive frame as he began kissing the insides of my thighs. I threw my head back on the couch, my breathing ragged in anticipation of what I knew what was about to happen.
“Tell me this is okay, little dove,” he murmured as his fingers slid under the waistband of my lace panties.
“Yes, please,” I whispered.
He pulled my panties down, and I lifted my bottom so he could remove them completely.
The moment his tongue came into contact with my clit, I felt like my heart was going to explode. He licked slowly and purposefully over the length of my folds, and I couldn’t contain the low moans that came out of me. As Cooper continued working his mouth over my sex, my entire body responded to him. My back arched and my moans were frequent—the pleasure overtook me in a way I never thought it could.
Without thinking, I reached for his head, running my fingers through his hair as my hips moved to the rhythm of his tongue. Within minutes, I felt an orgasm building inside me, and I could tell that Cooper felt it too. He lapped at my folds with more purpose than ever, coaxing me to climax, and when I came, it felt like my soul left my body. I melted into the couch, letting waves of pleasure wash over me until there was nothing left.
Cooper rose to his feet and sat down next to me, running his hand tenderly over my thigh. We sat there for a moment, our chests heaving, and suddenly, I became aware of how exposed I was. My jeans and panties were in a puddle on the floor, my nakedness fully on display. A wave of shame washed over me and I jumped to my feet, pulling up my pants and hastily buttoning them.
What have I just done?
I had to get out of there. Now.
“I, uh, I have to go,” I said, looking frantically around the room to find my purse, my phone, my shoes. I gathered my things in a hurry, making a point not to look at Cooper. I could hear him saying something indistinct, but I wasn’t listening. I didn’t care what he had to say. All I knew was that I couldn’t be around him anymore, that I needed to find somewhere else to be—and fast.
Before he could stop me, I ran out the door and closed it behind me, taking the elevator down and walking swiftly to my car.
The drive home was a blur, my mind racing with frantic, embarrassed thoughts. I couldn’t believe that Cooper had just seen so much of my naked body, that I had let him do the things he did to me. No matter how good it had felt in the moment, I couldn’t shake the shame that consumed me at the thought of myself on display for him, fully exposed on the couch he sat on every day.
When I got home, I immediately took a shower, still numb from my reaction to the intimacy Cooper and I had shared. It was too much—I knew that now. Even with how patient he had been in the moment, I felt like we had crossed a line, and I didn’t know if I could ever look him in the eye again. As I did my best to scrub the shame off my skin, I could feel my heart pounding throughout my entire body.
I wasn’t prepared for the level of intimacy and intensity that Cooper had to offer. I thought I’d wrapped my head around our arrangement, but I guess I’d pictured two people under the sheets in a dark room, not what had just happened where I’d been so exposed, so worshipped by his mouth. It was overwhelming.
One thought kept running through my mind, louder and clearer than all the rest.
I never should have said yes to Cooper’s offer.
Chapter Nine
Cooper
Heaven and hell, all wrapped up into one tidy evening.
I chugged my third cup of coffee, the second of which already had my stomach churning with acid. But there was no help for it. It had been a sleepless night, and I had a full day of work ahead of me. If only I could get Corinne out of my head for two fucking seconds, I’d be golden.
And if I could wipe away the memory of her running out of my apartment like her ass was on fire last night, I’d be extra golden.
Fuck.
The evening had started promising enough. At least, that’s what I’d thought at the time. But the more I ran it over in my mind, the more I wasn’t sure. Our agreement had been for no-strings sex, and what had I done?
I’d made it a date. Cooked her dinner, even. That was personal. More personal was my mouth all over her sweet pussy, tasting her like she was my last meal.
Though I was pretty sure it was my outpouring of information about Emma and Gavin that had pushed it all too far. I’d encouraged Corinne to share in kind and she’d offered me glimpses of her past, but I could see now in hindsight that I’d pushed too hard, too fast. Maybe she wasn’t as willing to share her pain as I was.
It made sense. After all, it would be hard to work with a person after you’d bared your soul to them.
Then again, it was also hard to make love with someone who didn’t know the first thing about you.
I’d struggled with these questions and more all night after she left. Thinking about the way she’d looked sitting across from me at dinner, and then the way she’d been in my arms later.
Which, of course, was the strangest thing of all.
If I’d put her off with my questions, why had she gone along with it so readily? Her kisses had been effortless, timid but curious, just like her demeanor. My sweet little dove. And when I’d dropped between her thighs and seen that perfect pink pussy waiting for me, she’d been so wet and ready that I’d had no doubt of what she wanted. I just wanted to ease her ache, to bring her to orgasm and hear her soft whimpers.
Even now, as I licked my lips, I could feel her heated skin. Could practically taste her as I remembered her bucking against me, her responsive little body moving with my every touch.
I let out a frustrated sigh and dumped my empty mug into the sink before glancing at the clock. This day wasn’t going to go by any quicker with me just standing here like an idiot.
I snatched up my laptop bag and hustled out of the apartment. On a whim, and for the fiftieth time since I’d gotten out of bed, I reached into my pocket and checked my phone just in case . . .
But there were no text alerts, so I jammed it back into my pocket before slipping into my car and cruising toward work.
The time to make sense of everything before I saw her next was running out fast. But if I hadn’t sorted things out overnight, it seemed unlikely that I was going to do it in the few minutes it took to get to midtown.
I could just ask her what had happened, I supposed . . . if she even bothered to come to work today. Or ever again.
Fuck.
Of all the scenarios I’d imagined, that was the one that worried me most. I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth and chewed, thinking hard. She couldn’t—she wouldn’t—give up this job just because of me. We paid too well for her to do that, and besides, it wasn’t as though we’d actually slept together.
So I’d gone down on her. Lots of bosses had probably done that to their assistants, right?
I almost snort-laughed at the thought, imagining what Quinn would say to that.
Okay, so maybe not. Still, it wasn’t the end of the world. If, after whatever had happened, she never wanted to see me again outside of work . . .
I shook my head at the sharp stab of discomfort in my gut as the acid there began to roil again.
No point in getting all worked up over something that might not even come to pass. I’d cross that bridge when I came to it. For now, I had to focus on looking like I hadn’t spent last night tossing and turning, pining like a fifteen-year-old boy over the cute new girl at summer camp.
I climbed from my car after parking in my designated spot, and then hustled toward the wide, rotating doors that led to the offices of Forbidden Desires. With a steadying breath, I stepped inside the elevator just in time for my gaze to land on the woman who’d been the cause of my distraction all night.
The second I saw her, my cock swelled and my mouth watered with the memory of her sweet taste.
Shit.
I cleared my throat in the hope that I could keep my voice from dropping into that husky tone it did when I was turned on. “Corinne,” I murmured, sidestepping as someone pushed into the elevator beside me, forcing me close enough to smell Corinne’s delicate scent.
Her cheeks went pink and her throat worked for a second before she nodded in greeting. “Good morning, Cooper.”
I glanced at the people surrounding us in the elevator. I wasn’t about to put her on the spot in front of an audience, but I couldn’t help myself entirely.
“How was your evening?” I asked, keeping my tone light.
She swiped a hand above her upper lip. When I realized it had broken out into fine beads of sweat, the coiling dread in my stomach instantly began to unwind.
Corinne could run, but she couldn’t hide.
She had been just as affected by last night as I was. Maybe that was why she’d been afraid. This thing between us—whatever it was—was powerful. Overwhelming. I could understand the urge to back away.
The only question now was whether I should let her.
“My evening was fine. Just fine.”
“Anything fun happen?” I asked innocently.
“Um, nope,” she said, her tone shrill, and she shrugged. “Just hung out at home, mostly.” She glanced from me to the corner of the elevator and rocked back and forth on her heels.
A second later, the metal doors slid open with a ding. A tall man in a blue blazer stepped out, leaving us alone with a severe-looking older woman.
“Me too,” I said when the doors had closed again. “Nothing interesting at all.”
Corinne turned to face me, her eyes wide with something like confusion and possibly even hurt.
Damn it.
I was confused myself, but I certainly hadn’t meant my teasing to make her feel bad.
She seemed like she wanted to say something when the elevator jolted to a stop again and the doors opened. The woman strode out, leaving the two of us alone. Corinne craned her neck, looking around with wide, desperate eyes, clearly considering getting out to hike the stairs the res
t of the way, but before she could bolt, the doors closed again.
She leaned back against the metal handrail and gripped it for dear life. I could practically hear her counting the seconds until we reached our floor and were surrounded by people again.
“Corinne, look,” I said, but she gave me a faint shake of the head.
“No. I really don’t want to talk about it.”
“Don’t you think we should, though? We have to work together, and this awkwardness is going to be evident to anyone looking on.”
“We’re almost to our floor, and I need to get my head together,” she said in a rush. I could almost feel the desperation rolling off her. “Besides, anyone could get on, and this is private.”
I paused. That was a fair enough point, but it didn’t stop the curiosity burning its way up my throat. One question. Just one.
Why did you run?
“Come to my office after you’ve gotten your things settled. I want to make sure we’re on solid ground. I promise, I won’t pressure you for . . . anything. We need to clear the air, though. For both our sakes.”
She nodded, though she refused to look at me.
And I wished like hell I knew what to make of that.
The doors dinged again, and she gripped her purse tighter against her as she made a beeline for her desk at a near sprint.
“Hey, good morning! Someone’s ready to get to work,” Alyssa teased, but Corinne just smiled weakly as she unpacked the few items in her bag and powered up her computer.
I exited the elevator more slowly, glancing around for any sign of my brothers before making my way to my own office and flicking on the lights.
