4-Ever Theirs: Four to Score, Book 1

by Jayne Rylon

  When she got home, she’d give the receipt to Reed. At the end of the month, he’d deduct the guys’ share of the food from what she owed in rent. They ate so damn much, sometimes she got a refund. Usually, her cart overflowed with frozen pizzas, beer, boxed mac and cheese, and an assortment of similar junk food.

  Today, it contained—judging by the price—a nice bottle of wine, two steaks, a bag of fingerling potatoes and some bittersweet chocolate squares. Each of those items had been added in Cooper’s impressive script.

  She didn’t mind shopping for her own romantic dinner with him in the least.

  In fact, she’d bet he’d realized that collecting the items he’d carefully thought about and placed on the list to facilitate his seduction would heighten her anticipation.

  Score one for him.

  Not that she could stand to be much more excited about their date night.

  Rushing through the rest of the chore, she wondered if he’d be waiting for her when she returned. Or maybe she’d have some time to borrow another dress from the ladies next door and curl her hair. He’d seemed to like what she’d done with it last weekend.

  Why hadn’t they done this sooner?

  She tried not to regret the terror she could have avoided if they had.

  Through it all, she worried. How would she make sure it was good for him too?

  Tonight shouldn’t be exclusively about her. She wanted to leave them with amazing memories of her. If she was totally honest, she’d admit she felt the need to brand each of them with some piece of her so that they could never forget what they’d shared. Not only this week, but also in the past four years.

  As she’d suspected, she hadn’t even made it to the cracked concrete stairs at the end of their sidewalk before Cooper came out to meet her. His long legs made short work of the distance between them. Tall and lankier than their other two roommates, he was a pleasure to watch in motion. His chestnut hair had a bit of a curl to it. The shaggy cut framed his classic features nicely too.

  “Hey,” he said by way of greeting.

  She was too busy ogling him—now that she could do so with open interest—to protest when he insisted on taking every one of the plastic bags overflowing her fists from her instead of sharing the load. Typical.

  “Find everything you needed?” he asked with a charming smirk.

  “I think so. Except for the jumbo condom assortment. You might be out of luck.” She couldn’t resist torturing him.

  “Seriously?” He stopped dead, as though he might sprint to the nearest drugstore without bothering to set down their dinner first.

  “No, of course not.” Andi laughed. “But you should see the look on your face. Relax, Cooper. Even if there were a sudden latex shortage, you could spend the night teaching me how to give killer BJs instead.”

  “Oh God.” He groaned. “This is going to be tougher than I thought.”

  “To be with me? Like that?” She swallowed hard, wondering if she could keep herself from crying like a sore loser if he backed out now.

  He shook his head and glared at her, something he rarely did. “To make it until after dinner before fucking you senseless.”

  Good thing she wasn’t carrying anything or she would have dropped it right there. The electric shocks his promise sent through her zapped her heart.

  “Hey, I’m fine with some countertop action. Getting messy in the chocolate. You know, whatever works.” She tried to play it casual and failed miserably. Because the reality was, she was dying for something to take the edge off her need. A taste of what was to come.

  “As delicious as that sounds…” His resolve seemed to be cracking for a moment, until he shook his head. “Nope. We’re doing this the right way. Come on, help me figure out how to bake something edible for dessert.”

  “Only if you’ll let me eat it in bed.” Andi tried not to pout.

  “Deal.” He grinned.

  They worked together seamlessly in the kitchen, him searching for recipes while she got out the rest of the ingredients they’d require. As much as she hated to admit it, being with him like this relaxed her. It was just another night hanging out with Cooper.

  Except with the lights turned low and a mismatched pair of candles burning on the kitchen table, it was impossible to deny that this evening would have the ending she’d often wished it would.

  When they’d set the table and the last item was down to five minutes remaining in the oven, Cooper surprised her. He came up behind her and rested his hands on her hips, pulling her back to his front so that there was no denying his arousal.

  Maybe by jumbo condom assortment, he’d actually been referring to the size of each condom, not the quantity in the box. Hmmm.

  Automatically, she tipped her head to the side and exposed her neck. He didn’t disappoint, leaning down to kiss her there. Shivers exploded along every nerve ending in a four-inch radius. It was so easy, and so addictive. She wanted more.

  “You’re certain?” he whispered. “This is what you want?”

  “Yes,” she gasped as she rocked backward against him.

  Instead of pulling her closer, he set her away. When she spun toward him, a muscle in his jaw ticked. “Go get dressed for dinner then. I left you something on your bed. Wear it if you like it. Or don’t if you’d rather not. I love you like this, Andi. In your comfy clothes with your hair wrapped up in that clip like you always have it. I only thought you might want to try something different, that’s all. Maybe it’s time each of us grow up, just a little. Become who we’re meant to be someday.”

  She could see it then, him wearing the hell out of a designer suit, arguing high-profile cases. In the not too distant future, Cooper would be a man of power and wealth. One who would back up his gentleman tendencies with a suave flair no woman could resist.

  For him, and herself, she would do this. See if she could be the kind of woman he would need.

  Andi darted into her room and gasped when she spotted the dusky-purple silk wraparound dress set out with stockings, a crocheted wrap and matching heels. Sure, they were basic, practical, but she loved them and could see wearing them often. He hadn’t tried to make her into some slutty version of herself, but a more sophisticated one instead.

  She hoped she could live up to his vision of her.

  For a few minutes, she sat on the edge of her bed, fingering the lush fabrics.

  “How’d I do?” he asked from the doorway, his voice husky.

  “Amazing.” When she looked up, her eyes widened. She had been talking about his selections but the word certainly fit the man before her now. He’d cleaned himself up, put on a black button-down shirt and a new, pressed pair of slacks. The fact that he’d left the sleeves unbuttoned, rolled up on his forearms, and hadn’t bothered with socks or shoes somehow only heightened his attractiveness.

  “Damn, Cooper.” She fanned herself.

  “Mind if I watch?” he asked with a jerk of his chin toward her pretty dress.

  At first nervous, she grew bolder when she whipped her T-shirt over her head then shimmied out of her yoga pants. Standing before him in a basic black bra and panty set, she wished she had something fancier to tempt him with.

  He didn’t seem to mind in the least, jamming his hands in his pockets as if to keep from reaching for her.

  Knowing she could affect him, even a little, was all the encouragement she needed.

  Andi smiled as she started with the stockings, rolling them up her calves as she savored the caress of the fine material on her freshly shaved legs. Next, she stepped into the shoes.

  Cooper groaned. “You could stop right there and I’d be happy.”

  “Wouldn’t want to risk burning myself with dinner.” She winked.

  “Then you’d better hurry up and get that dress on.” His composure fractured, just a bit.

  Andi loved it.

  She did as he instructed, though, letting the garment fall into place with a swish around her knees. When she looked in the mirror
across the room, she was proud of herself and the way she looked. Not super model material, sure. But for an average woman, she rocked his dress and the newfound confidence his appraisal inspired.

  “You’re gorgeous, Andi.” He came closer and wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, angling her face upward.

  Before either of them could think too much about the boundaries they were crossing, he swooped down and kissed her. It was long enough, sensual enough, and satisfying enough to curl her toes and make her forget about dinner in favor of a different sort of hunger entirely.

  Except right then the smoke alarm went off.

  “Son of a bitch!” he shouted, and tore into the kitchen.

  Andi laughed, her heart full of joy. She admired his goofy grin as he rescued their dinner before it sustained too much damage. Just a little extra sear on the edges.

  Together, they ate. They talked and laughed and shared comfortable silences.

  When she pushed her plate aside, he stood and stalked to her place at the table.

  Andi rose, going all the way to her tiptoes so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and pull him toward her for another taste of his smile. This time he didn’t bother keeping things between them polite.

  Chapter Six

  Cooper nudged Andi’s lips with his own until she parted them and granted his tongue entrance to her mouth. When she wobbled as a result of the onslaught of pleasure he triggered, he put his hands on her ass. Nothing timid about the firm squeeze of his long fingers, either. Without further encouragement, she hopped then wrapped her legs around his waist, thrilled when he began to walk her down the hall toward her room, never once breaking their connection or pausing their kiss.

  He kicked her door closed then crossed to her bed in a couple long strides.

  The care he took when setting her gently onto the bed made her blink rapidly.

  “You okay?” he asked between butterfly kisses at the corner of her mouth. “I can go slower. Or stop.”

  “No, no. Please don’t.” She writhed beneath him, trying to increase contact with his torso despite the slight separation he’d put between them. “I’m fine. Just…touched. You didn’t have to make our evening so romantic. I wasn’t expecting that, but I’m glad you did. It’s nice to know this means something to you too.”

  “You have no idea, Andi.” He sank his fingers into her hair and settled over her, aligning their bodies as he continued to drive her wild with his mouth. He was by far the best kisser she’d ever had the pleasure of making out with. Not that she had a huge sample size to compare to, but enough—she was sure—to be certain of his skill.

  She figured the same would be true of his fucking.

  Andi had slept with her date to the senior prom, how cliché, and a couple of other guys the summer in between high school and college. None of them had done much for her. It hadn’t seemed like a sacrifice to abstain while she focused on her grades and her eventual career.

  Now she realized how damn much she’d been missing out on.

  Cooper trailed his fingers along her arms, making her moan shamelessly as her spine arched, pressing her body deeper into his hold. He swiped the shawl from her then got to work untying the ribbon at her waist, which kept the dress he’d selected for her closed.

  He unwrapped her as carefully as he had the simple presents she, Reed, and Simon had given him for birthdays and Christmases throughout the years. Savoring the moment. Never rushing. Endearing him to her with his gratitude and appreciation for the homemade gifts.

  Nothing was different today.

  Reverent, he praised her as he revealed more of her skin to his awed petting. “Your skin is so soft, Andi. So pretty. I’m afraid of touching you, messing you up.”

  “You could never do that,” she promised, returning the favor by cupping his cheek in her palm then reaching beneath his collar to stroke his upper back. She couldn’t wait to have him fully nude. His gorgeous form on display. “You’re not going to hurt me, Cooper.”

  How she wished that wasn’t a lie.

  Her heart would never make it through the next week unscathed. It was a price she was willing to pay to have him, and their other roommates, even if only for the next one hundred and twenty-five hours or so. There’d be plenty of time later to count the cost to her soul.

  His warm breath puffed over her as he sighed between nibbles at her neck. Eventually he wandered to her collarbones and finally across the swells of her breasts, lavishing attention on each square inch of her that his mouth traversed.

  Cooper reached beneath her, lifting her so that he could ease the dress off the bed and drape it carefully over the nightstand. Then he returned, unfastening her bra and peeling it off of her to unveil her breasts to his searing gaze.

  Andi couldn’t say what made her do it, but she plumped the mounds, cupping them and arching her back, offering her assets to him.

  “Yes,” he hissed before descending. His talented suckling combined with flicks of his tongue to prove she’d made the right choice.

  Her heels drummed on the bed as he drove her crazy even before his hands wandered south to the edge of her panties. It took everything in her to wheeze, “Wait, please.”

  Cooper stopped, immediately. So different than her horrific experience a few nights ago. He waited for her to elaborate or simply to leave. Whatever she decided, he would respect her wishes. It was incredible, the sense of empowerment he gave her. Being with him, like this, made her feel as though she could rule the world.

  Or at least direct their rapture.

  She’d settle for that.

  “If you put your hands in my panties, I’m going to lose my mind.” She smiled shyly up at him. “Before you do that, could you get undressed? I want to see you too. Feel you against me, skin on skin.”

  “Hell yes.” He knelt between her knees and began to unbutton his shirt. “When you talk like that, you make me so fucking hard, Andi.”

  “I noticed.” She grinned at the thick bulge in his pants. “You could skip to the good part, you know. I won’t be offended if you hurry.”

  “It’s all the good part. Being with you like this is more than I could have dreamed. And I thought about it a ton.” His eyes sort of glazed over for a moment, and she believed him. Damn. It made her feel better about the numerous times she’d woken to dreams of one or all of her roommates spending their evenings on the couch in an entirely different way.

  He shook his head then smiled down at her. “Besides, Reed will kick my ass if I don’t treat you the way you deserve.”

  Andi laughed at that, though she could see the kernel of truth in his eyes. She was so screwed.

  How would she leave them behind?

  How could she not?

  Her future lay elsewhere and they all knew it.

  Cooper tore his shirt open, causing the final few buttons to fly across the room and tink off the window. “Oops.”

  She grinned as he made equally fast work of shedding his pants and his gray briefs, leaving himself completely open to her unfettered appraisal. He was even more amazing than she’d guessed. All of him was lean and tight, well-muscled but balanced. And his cock…

  Andi swiped her knuckles across her lips, hoping she hadn’t actually drooled.

  “Better?” he asked with a self-assured grin.

  “Yep. Definitely prime beefcake.” She chuckled at his mock-offence.

  “Hey. I’m a man, not some slab of meat. I’ve got feelings and shit, you know.” He couldn’t even finish that with a straight face. “I like the way you look at me, sweetheart. Feel free to do it anytime. Makes a guy feel pretty damn good about himself.”

  “You should.” Opening her arms, she reached them up to him. “Now come back. I miss you.”

  Her throat squeezed as she realized how true those words would be soon.

  He lowered himself over her again, this time making her cry out when the weight of his erection thumped onto her belly and their bodies aligned as if they�
��d joined them a million times before. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”

  “Don’t think about it now. Let’s just enjoy,” she begged. There was no other way she’d make it through tonight or the others to come.

  “I intend to.” He kissed her more deeply then, with a sense of urgency he had masked before.

  She was right there with him.

  And when they broke apart, gulping for air, he slithered down her body. He levered his shoulders between her legs, then peeled her panties over her hips.

  Andi raised her legs and helped, kicking the scrap of cotton into the corner somewhere before splaying her legs on either side of his torso. Without a moment’s hesitation, he buried his face in her pussy, devouring her with a ferociousness he hadn’t come close to when he’d consumed his dinner earlier.

  He murmured to her about how good she tasted and how wet she was between laps of his tongue and the tricks his mouth played on her clit. Her entire body began to vibrate before long.

  “You close, Andi?” he asked as his fingertip circled the entrance to her body.

  “Yeah.” It was all she could manage.

  “I want to watch you come for me. I’m going to put my fingers inside you—you ready?” he double-checked, probably because of everything that had happened recently.

  “If you don’t, I’m going to—”

  She never did get to finish that thought. Because the steady pressure of him invading her clenching sheath combined with the lingual Olympics he played over her clit had her shattering on his face.

  Andi climaxed with unabashed enjoyment. She didn’t try to tone down her reactions or hide how fucking much he pleased her. Rapture blew through every molecule of her body. Just when she thought she couldn’t feel any better, he redoubled his efforts, taking her higher and drawing out her passion.

  He might have continued going down on her for hours if she hadn’t gotten his attention with a tug on his riotous hair.

  He looked up without pausing the action of his tongue. The erotic sight was too much. She lost it again in another mini-peak.