Hold Me Until Morning

by Christina Phillips

  If anything, it made it worse.

  Or better.

  Whatever.

  She tore off her own gloves and flung her arms around his neck. She distantly heard a thud as he dropped her helmet. Then his arms were around her and he held her close.

  “Thank you.” It was hard to speak, but she had to say something to account for the way she’d flung herself into his arms. For the way she was still in his arms. His biceps felt so much better than she’d imagined. She closed her eyes and savored the moment. It was wrong, though. It could never go anywhere.

  So why does it feel so right?

  “Just doing my job.” His voice was rough against her ear. He appeared in no hurry to let her go. “Keeping you safe.”

  “Yes…” I feel safe with you. She sank against him. He was all corded muscle and leashed strength. Don’t let me go.

  He loosened his grip on her, and his body tensed. “Paris.” His voice was gruff, and he scanned the forest around them.

  Reality slammed through her, and she froze. Is he looking for someone? She slowly pulled back. What am I doing? They might’ve known each other years ago, but he was practically a stranger to her now.

  Suppose he set this whole thing up, just to get me alone out here? Was that paparazzo somewhere out there, hiding behind a tree, waiting for the right moment to get a sleazy shot of her?

  For endless seconds she stared at him as that horrible thought pounded through her mind. He’s Scott’s best friend. He wouldn’t do that to her.

  And there’s no need for him to try and get me alone. They were alone in the cabin. And he’d made it very clear he wasn’t going to take advantage of her. Why would he go to all this trouble, when he could easily set up a hidden camera in her bedroom?

  “Hell. I didn’t mean to—” He gave an awkward shrug. “It’s just…”

  “It’s fine,” she said quickly. “I’m fine.”

  I’m also seriously deranged if I think you want to get me naked in the middle of the forest just so that some low-life can take photos of me. She had to stop thinking the worst of people. At least, when it came to him. Her brother might be a dick on occasion, but he was no fool. Unlike her, he was a damn good judge of character.

  “Are you sure?” Cooper’s entire focus was on her now. It was unnerving. “I’ve customized the bike to go off road, but it was still a bumpy ride.”

  She had the crazy urge to laugh, but for once he didn’t look as though he’d just cracked a joke. Don’t say it. She couldn’t stop herself. “Guess my ass will let me know in the morning, huh?”

  He swallowed, as though the thought of her ass wasn’t so great. “We’ll give it ten minutes and then leave. He’ll be long gone by then.”

  “Okay.” Her gaze slipped. His T-shirt stretched across impressive pecs and his arms—

  Don’t think about his arms. Except she couldn’t help it. She wanted his arms around her again.

  Stop drooling over him. He wasn’t going to act on this insane attraction between them, and thank God for that. Because that would be a disaster.

  She wracked her brains for something intelligent to say. “He’d be crazy to try and tangle with you, anyway.”

  Ugh…

  “I won’t let him near you.”

  “I know.” It seemed the forest shrank around them, until there wasn’t enough air to breathe properly. She hitched in a shallow gasp. All she had to do was reach out and they’d be touching.

  Don’t do it.

  Her fingers trailed along the unyielding gorgeousness of his chest. Butterflies erupted in her stomach, and she took an unintentional step toward him.

  “Paris, no.” He gripped her hand, but instead of pushing her away, he held her there. “We can’t do this. You know that.”

  “We’re not doing anything.”

  God, his hands are so strong. She’d never found anything sexy about hands, but that was before Cooper.

  His fingers tightened around hers. They were so close that his body heat wrapped around her like a velvet embrace. “You’re Scott’s little sister.” He sounded as though that was the worst thing in the world.

  She shuddered and breathed in deep. The scent of forest and flowers swirled all around, but it was the exotic hint of nutmeg and citrus in Cooper’s cologne that sank into her blood and set up a throbbing need deep in her sex.

  Let go of him. He wouldn’t try and stop her from moving away, but it was a distant demand, lost beneath the overwhelming reality of being plastered against his hard body.

  He was hard all right.

  Step back right now.

  She couldn’t.

  “He’ll never know.” Had she said that out loud? She turned her head and slowly drifted her cheek along his jaw. His stubble grazed her like a rough caress.

  “I’ll know.”

  Is he going to make me beg? The crazy thing was, he wanted her. She knew it. And his refusal to instantly take what she offered just made him even more irresistible.

  “Does it matter?” Her whisper was ragged. Don’t push me away.

  “He’s my oldest friend. My best friend.” He sounded agonized. “I can’t betray his trust.”

  Is it wrong to find that such a turn on? There weren’t many guys she knew who’d reject her for that reason.

  Even so…

  “This has got nothing to do with my brother. It’s between you and me.”

  “I’m supposed to be looking out for you. Not—”

  Her lips found his and silenced whatever else he might’ve said. For an endless moment neither of them moved, as though they were caught in an invisible web. Then she tugged her hands free and raked her fingers through his hair, the silken strands sliding over her palms.

  He groaned, the sound vibrating through their joined lips, and one hand slid along her back to cup her ass.

  “Cooper.” She breathed his name against his mouth, and in answer he kissed her—a hot, demanding kiss that shattered forever any pretense that lust didn’t sizzle between them.

  She opened her mouth and his tongue slid inside. She rocked against him, wanting to be closer, needing him in a way that turned her mind inside out.

  He pulled back, panting. “We need to stop.”

  Was he for real? She’d just had the best kiss of her life, and he thought they should stop?

  “No, we don’t.”

  “What the hell are we doing?”

  It wasn’t really a question. He didn’t need an answer, and she didn’t want to talk about it anymore.

  She rolled onto her toes and nipped his bottom lip. Distract him. “You’re the hottest bodyguard I’ve ever had.”

  He laughed and didn’t back off, which had to be a good thing. “Had a few, have you?”

  She trailed her fingernails along the back of his neck and he shuddered. God, that was a turn on. Despite her image, and all the hangers-on, she’d never felt this kind of power when it came to sex before, not even with Hudson.

  “They don’t last long with my mom watching their every move.” She wasn’t going to think about Anson. “Let me know if you’re interested in a full-time position.”

  She didn’t mean it—of course she didn’t. Cooper was far too distracting to have around on a full-time basis. But it sure made for a tempting fantasy.

  He hugged her so tight she was amazed he didn’t crush her bones. Breathing was overrated, anyway. “This an interview?” Without warning he pulled her wig off and forked his fingers through her hair. “You need my full résumé?”

  She clutched his shoulders before her knees gave way. His smile was deadly.

  “I guess I do.” She sounded hoarse. “A girl can’t be too careful.”

  He slid his hand beneath her shirt. Her knees gave up the fight and buckled. Luckily her fingers didn’t have any intention of releasing their death grip on his shoulders. She swallowed a groan as he explored her naked back. He leaned in close and nipped the sensitive flesh beneath her ear.

  “Tell me
to stop.” His husky growl was the sexiest thing ever.

  He can’t be serious. She tightened her grip on him. “Don’t you dare stop.”

  “Paris.”

  With a frustrated moan she dragged his shirt from his jeans. His flesh was warm and tautly muscled. She closed her eyes behind her shades, relieved he couldn’t see just how much he affected her.

  “Keep going. Full résumé, remember?”

  He ground out a curse and tugged open her jeans. Oh God, yes…

  “You sure about this?” His breath was hot against her face, but not as hot as his words. She writhed helplessly as he worked his fingers inside her panties, and nearly died when he touched her swollen clit.

  She tried to say yes but it sounded more like a feral growl. He didn’t appear to care.

  “You’re so wet.” His finger slid along her and she shuddered. Every beat of her heart pulsed between her thighs. She’d never felt anything like it before.

  “Push my jeans down.” She’d do it herself but she was afraid she might collapse if she let go of him. Why did he need telling in any case? Shouldn’t he be ripping her clothes off her by now?

  “I wish.” His grip on her hair tightened, and he pushed one finger inside her. “Fuck, this is killing me.”

  She panted and squeezed his finger. So good. She needed more. “Cooper.” She sounded like she was drowning.

  His mouth on hers silenced her. His kiss was savage, and his finger teased her sensitive flesh, electrifying every nerve ending.

  She let out a choked gasp, and he tore his mouth from hers.

  “Can’t take any chances.” He massaged her slick flesh. Stars danced behind her eyes. “I’m not that well prepared.”

  She had no idea what he was talking about.

  “Please.” She breathed the word against his mouth. She really was begging for it. Any other time she would’ve found the concept hysterical. “I want you.”

  He made a strangled sound in his throat. “I’m not a fucking saint.”

  Roughly he pulled her head to his shoulder. Without thinking, she sank her teeth into his neck. He bucked against her, and she licked his delicious skin as he cupped her sex in the palm of his hand.

  They were plastered against each other. Cooper’s hand was tight against her, constricted by her jeans. Her heart thundered, and she couldn’t breathe. He buried his face in her hair and teased her clit as the world shattered around her.

  It was forever before she could drag in more than a shallow gasp. As Lola she’d had more on screen lovers than she could remember. In real life, there’d only been Hudson, and while his foreplay technique was flawless—he’d told her so the night he took her virginity—she’d never been able to really let herself go.

  There hadn’t been a whole lot of foreplay with Cooper. Not that she’d needed it. From the second she’d seen him again, every moment had been one long slow burn. Even if she had spent half the time pretending to ignore him, her body hadn’t been fooled for a second.

  He was still holding her, one hand shoved between her legs when reality slapped her in the face.

  She hadn’t just come for the first time in her life. She’d done it over his hand.

  “Damn, Paris.” His throaty words pulled her back to the present. “That was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Her fingers twitched where she still clung onto his shoulders. “What was?” She sounded like an idiot.

  He kissed her. A soft, hot kiss, that set off a chain reaction from her lips to her tender clit. His hand slid from her hair and cupped the back of her neck. “Watching you come.”

  Her legs wobbled. They seemed to do nothing else when she was around him. “Really?”

  Shit, had she said that out loud? But instead of wanting to disappear into a hole in the ground, like she had a minute ago, she smiled at him. Because seriously, who wouldn’t when Cooper Grayson said something like that to her?

  His finger teased her sensitized clit as he slowly pulled his hand free. She tried not to shudder and completely failed. It was kind of shocking to realize she wanted to do it all over again already.

  “Yeah, really.” There was a strained note in his voice as he held the open fly of her jeans between his finger and thumb. “I just wish I’d been inside you. Except that might’ve blown my fucking mind.”

  She was still smiling at him. He probably thought she was totally goofy. And then the meaning behind his words hit her.

  “Oh.” She froze in the act of trailing her fingers over his jaw and glanced down. Cooper was still buttoned up, but his erection was obvious. Her heart sped up again and thumped against her ribs. “Why didn’t you— I mean, don’t you want to…”

  Before she could embarrass herself any more, he rested his forehead against hers. “No condoms, babe.”

  I’m not that well prepared. So that’s what he’d meant. She should’ve guessed.

  Poor guy looked in agony. She slid her hand down his chest and abs and flattened her palm over his erection. God, he was big.

  He gripped her wrist. “Don’t.”

  “Why not?” She looked up at him. His dimple was nowhere in sight. “Don’t you like it?” She knew he did. She knew why he wanted her to stop, too. But that wasn’t going to happen.

  “I’m not coming when I can’t be inside you.”

  She pressed her thighs together but it did nothing for the lust swirling through her. Instead she tightened her grip around him. “I did.”

  His groan was the best sound she’d ever heard. “That’s different.” But he didn’t push her away. He angled her hand more securely over him. Ripples chased through her tender sex. She was desperate for him again. It was crazy.

  She’d never teased a guy like this before. On set it was all choreographed, and she’d never been comfortable enough to do anything like this with Hudson. Which was weird, since she and Cooper weren’t even really dating.

  Maybe that was the difference. It was kind of exciting.

  She rose onto her toes again and whispered in his ear. “That’s kind of sexist.”

  He gripped her ass, grinding her against their joined hands. “I’m all for equality, but I’m not fucking coming in front of you.”

  She flexed her fingers around his rigid length and nibbled kisses along his jaw. He shuddered, and that exhilarating sense of power rushed through her again. She gripped his butt, mirroring how he held her, and wriggled against him for good measure.

  “Wanna bet?”

  “Paris.” There was a warning in his voice, but mostly it was pure lust. He sure wasn’t putting up much resistance, that was for sure. “Not going to happen.”

  “Okay.” She let go of his butt and cupped his balls. He almost broke her goddamn wrist when his grip tightened. “Still want me to stop?” God, this was fun, in a kind of masochistic way.

  “Yes.” He ground the word between his clenched teeth. She gave him a little squeeze, just because she could, and he wrenched her off him with a muffled curse.

  “Cooper.” It was all she could manage, but he didn’t answer. He just swung around, shoulders hunched, tension spiking from him.

  She wound her arms around him and leaned her cheek against his back as he finished what she’d started. Time lost all meaning. All she could feel was Cooper’s rigid body, until finally he let out a stifled groan and his muscles relaxed. But he didn’t move, and neither did she, and slowly she became aware of the gurgling of the creek and the birdsong in the forest.

  He took a deep breath, but still didn’t look at her. “Christ.” His voice shook. “That was insane.”

  “Mm.” With reluctance she let go of him and fixed her jeans. Was he mad at her? She didn’t know what to say, so she picked up her wig and focused on pulling out all the bits of twig and leaves that had caught in the hair.

  He still didn’t turn around. It was starting to freak her out. “Are you okay?” There was an edge in her voice.

  “Sure.” He tossed her an oddly brooding
look over his shoulder then hunkered down at the edge of the creek to freshen up. She fiddled with her wig for a little longer before pulling on the leather gloves.

  This was so much worse than after she’d first had sex with Hudson. He’d been smugly satisfied and assumed she was, too. This time it appeared she was the smugly satisfied one, because Cooper sure didn’t give the impression he’d enjoyed himself.

  She picked up her helmet and hugged it. What had she been thinking, pushing Cooper over the edge like that?

  The one guy she’d met who didn’t give a shit about her celebrity status, and she’d managed to screw it up within two days. At least he wouldn’t sell the sordid tale to the press. She should be thankful for that.

  Surely he wouldn’t sell her out…would he?

  Cooper forcibly unclenched his fists and stood. He’d been a fucking idiot, but he had to face Paris sooner or later. If he were her, he’d fire himself on the spot.

  He turned round. She was clutching her helmet and biting her lip. He took a deep breath and went over to her.

  “Hey.” His voice was gruff, and the way she kind of angled her body away from him didn’t help. He resisted the urge to cup her chin and make her look at him. “Look. That shouldn’t have happened. It won’t happen again.”

  Heat flared through him. It wouldn’t happen again, but hell if he didn’t want it to. Except, next time, he’d make damn sure he had an entire box of condoms handy.

  There wasn’t going to be a next time. She’d only turned to him because she’d been hyped up by the chase—not because she really wanted him. Why the hell would a girl like Paris want someone like him?

  She didn’t answer, unless he counted the shrug she gave him. She wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easy, and he didn’t blame her.

  He was supposed to be protecting her, and for the last God knows how long all that had been on his mind was how fucking irresistible she was.

  He cleared his throat. “It’s no excuse, but we weren’t followed. There’s nobody here. We weren’t seen.”

  She glanced up at him then, her pink lips parted. Don’t think about her lips. He definitely wasn’t going to think about how she’d fallen apart, clutching him as though he was the only thing in her world. It left every wet dream he’d ever had in the dust.