Kiss Me if You Can (Most Eligible Bachelor Series Book 1)

by Carly Phillips

  Sara grinned. “Ever hear the expression, good cop, bad cop?”

  Lexie nodded.

  “My ex-partner and I used to fall into those roles, and though I can be a hard-ass when I need to be, I can also be a good listener, which makes me perfect for the good-cop role. So, what are you shopping for? Because I’m just browsing.”

  Lexie really didn’t want to share her mission with Sara. “I just need some lingerie,” she said, vaguely, but even as she spoke, a heated blush rose to her cheeks. “I need something to wear to surprise Coop,” she blurted out before Sara could accurately read her embarrassment.

  A wide grin spread across the other woman’s face. “Why didn’t you say so? Mind if I tag along? I’m pretty good at picking out the racier things.”

  She wiggled her eyebrows and Lexie laughed. “Why not? I really suck at this shopping stuff,” she admitted.

  Sara had a way about her that put Lexie at ease; remarkable considering how uptight she’d made her feel in the beginning. Apparently, she kept her defenses high until she made a decision about a person, but once someone earned her stamp of approval, Sara let down her walls. Lexie only hoped Sara didn’t live to regret her decision to help once Lexie and Coop’s relationship ran its course.

  The women shared lunch in the restaurant upstairs, and by the end of the day, Lexie had a spectacular-looking lingerie set, which she hoped would knock Coop’s socks off.

  As they walked out of the store and onto the street, the heat struck Lexie immediately. “This was fun, and I appreciate your helping me.”

  Sara smiled. “My pleasure. And now I’m going to go a step further with advice that goes beyond clothing.”

  A warning tingle ripped through Lexie. “I’m listening,” she said warily.

  “I come from a family of divorced cops. It’s all part of the job, so long-term relationships really aren’t my thing.”

  Lexie sensed a hint of sadness and regret in Sara’s statement.

  “Running away is something I understand better than most.”

  Lexie narrowed her gaze. “I don’t run away.”

  She should have known she’d let down her guard too easily. Sara was yet another person who judged Lexie and her choices.

  “I explained to you that travel has become a part of me.”

  “You did.” Sara nodded but didn’t apologize for misunderstanding. “You also said the sightseeing and travel started as a way to escape tension at home.”

  “And it morphed into something greater. Something important to me. Why does everyone insist on viewing it as wrong?” Lexie asked, frustrated and upset. She’d suffered enough of this with her family. She didn’t need it from a woman who was a perfect stranger.

  But she was also Coop’s closest friend.

  Who’s your closest friend? The question entered Lexie’s mind uninvited, chipping at the defenses she’d built up over the years.

  “All I’m saying is that sometimes we get caught up in a cycle that becomes impossible to break. And I’m suggesting you take a hard look at your life before you leave for wherever it is you decide to go next. Because the things that matter most to you might not be waiting when you return.”

  Wow. Now, this was the Sara she’d first met. Hard-edged and intrusive. “Thanks for the advice,” Lexie said stiffly.

  Sara’s penetrating gaze met hers. “I know you’re mad now, but I hope one day you’ll thank me for saying this.”

  “I doubt it.” Lexie’s fingers curled tightly around the shopping bag in her hand.

  “We’ll see. Enjoy your purchases,” Sara said, turned and headed off in the opposite direction, leaving Lexie speechless and feeling blindsided by the unsolicited advice.

  Somehow she pushed Sara’s comments to the back of her mind and refocused on tonight. A combination of excitement and anticipation took over. Especially when she remembered she still had Coop’s key in her purse.

  Coop headed home from work, hoping for a few minutes to shower before Lexie arrived. He’d spent the last couple of hours sorting through the police blotter, deciding what stories would make it into the paper. Sometimes there were serious ones, and sometimes, like today, he’d get the oddball crime. An upscale restaurant had hosted a collectors’ meeting of the Fabergé Egg Society—who knew there was such a group?—where a rare egg had been reported missing. One minute the designer egg had been there, the next minute it was gone. All the members of the society, plus the waiters and staff of the restaurant, had been questioned, but there were no suspects. A reward had been issued for the valuable antique. Since Coop had the room, he ran the piece and put the issue to bed.

  Now he let himself into his apartment and immediately sensed Lexie’s presence. Once again, he found himself overwhelmed by the rightness of her being here, waiting for him, and no matter how he fought it, he couldn’t shake the feeling.

  He tossed his keys onto the hall table and walked inside. The table was set with his mismatched dishes, and he winced, taking in the lack of coordination along with the candles she’d had to have picked up herself since he didn’t own any. Chinese food cartons were also set out and still closed, waiting for them to enjoy.

  “Lexie?” he called out.

  “In the bedroom.”

  His mouth immediately went dry. He stepped closer and a seductive fragrance assaulted him in the best way. He inhaled again, and the scent lured him toward the bedroom.

  The door was partially closed, a ruffled dress hanging from the doorknob. His entire body went on red alert. He kicked the door open with the toe of his foot, drew a steadying breath and strode inside.

  His dimly lit, normally masculine bedroom was also decorated with burning candles flickering seductively around the room, while Lexie lay in the center of the bed, a vision in skimpy red-lace lingerie.

  She crooked a finger, a siren calling to him from across the room and all thoughts of Chinese food and showering fled. Coop couldn’t think about anything except the woman waiting for him.

  “This is a welcome surprise.” He barely recognized his own voice.

  “I thought you were expecting me.”

  He loosened the tie he’d been wearing and pulled it over his head, tossing it to the floor. As he continued to walk toward her, he worked on his shirt, opening the buttons one by one until he shrugged it off his shoulders and let it drop.

  Lexie watched him with wide, eyeglass-free eyes, which darkened with every move he made.

  “I never knew you were a frilly-lingerie kind of girl.” He kicked off his shoes and rid himself of his socks, then unbuttoned his slacks. He hooked his fingers into the waistband and pulled off both pants and boxers in one smooth motion.

  “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Her voice dropped an octave, her gaze focused on his hard-as-a-rock erection.

  He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he thickened beneath that approving, hungry stare.

  As he studied her, he wondered what was left to learn about Lexie, but he intended to find out. Sliding beside her on the mattress, he hooked his finger into the thin strap covering one shoulder and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent and tasting her with long laps of his tongue.

  She shuddered and tilted her head, encouraging him. He complied, laving his way up, taking soft bites of her flesh with his teeth, followed by long, soothing sweeps with his tongue.

  Her entire body trembled at the gentle assault, while Coop couldn’t believe how ready he was from just this simple taste. He paused long enough to devour the look of her, tousled and tempting, wearing seductive lingerie that revealed mere flashes of skin beneath the sexy material.

  “I bought it for you,” she said in a husky voice.

  The admission nearly broke him. It humbled him. It also aroused him beyond belief. He wanted to bury himself inside her wet sheath, but she’d obviously put thought into this seduction, and he wanted her to get more than a quickie out of it.

  He cupped his hand around her face, turning her
toward him. “And I appreciate it.”

  She smiled and stroked his cheek with her fingertips. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day,” she said, then sealed her lips over his.

  In the instant their mouths melded, things turned from gentle to urgent. She’d planned the seduction, but from the way her fingers dug into his shoulders and she pressed her breasts against his chest, rubbing restlessly, she obviously didn’t want slow.

  Neither did he. Coop dipped his head and pulled one tight, needy nipple into his mouth, sucking on the silken material, flicking at the tight bud with his teeth until Lexie whimpered aloud. She arched her back, pushing her breast deeper into his mouth. He roughly pulled at the fabric, exposing her breast and ripping the flimsy material.

  “I’ll pay for it,” he muttered and sealed his mouth over her flesh. He flicked his tongue back and forth over her distended nipple, and she groaned, thrusting her fingers into his hair, urging him on.

  He tormented one breast until her entire body shook in reaction before exposing the other, licking, biting and soothing, taking himself to an incredible level of hot, clawing need.

  They were both in sitting positions, and she crawled on top of him, locking her legs around his waist and tilting her pelvis so her moist, damp heat sealed against his stomach.

  No panties.

  “God,” he said on a guttural groan. She was so damn hot. He couldn’t get enough and slid his hand between their bodies, easing one finger inside her.

  Her inner walls clamped around him, and he nearly exploded. In and out, he slid his one long finger, pleasuring her while kissing those luscious lips.

  She wound her arms around his neck and eased herself backward, giving him easier access. All the while she rocked against his hand, moaning senseless, sexy words, urging him to give her more. With his thumb, he began to circle the sensitive outer bud, and she cried out, so he deepened the pressure outside, continuing to thrust his finger in and out.

  Her breath came in shallow gasps, her lower body moved on him, seeking deeper, more intense contact. Coop grit his teeth and swore to himself that he wouldn’t come until he was inside her. He leaned forward and kissed her again, which had the effect of pushing his finger deeper into her body, pressing his thumb into direct contact with her clit.

  Just when he thought he couldn’t hold out, she screamed as her release washed over her, her body milking his hand while he wrung every last contraction he could from deep inside her.

  Then he reached over and yanked open his drawer, pulling out a condom and barely getting it on, his hands were shaking so badly.

  Lexie lay sprawled on the bed, eyes partially closed, legs spread wide. “Hurry,” she whispered.

  He leaned over her and thrust hard, fast and deep inside her wet sheath, knowing it wouldn’t take much for him to come.

  What he didn’t expect was for her to join him.

  But the minute he slid inside her, the union of their bodies woke hers up again. He met her gaze. Eyes wide, she watched him as he slid out, feeling every slick inch of her passage, then pressed deep once more.

  Lexie bent her knees. “Again,” she murmured, her gaze never leaving his.

  He slid out, all the way this time, and her eyes reflected her objection.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  He silenced her with a kiss, a hard, demanding, taking-everything kind of kiss. Then he spread her with his hands, positioned himself and again took possession of her body.

  She cried out, and he pushed deeper, wanting them joined as tightly as possible. Never wanting to leave her again. He levered himself up with one hand and began a steady pumping of his hips, possessing her. Owning her. As he moved deep inside, as his body curled tighter, release beckoning ever closer, Coop realized this was sex like he’d never had before.

  This woman wasn’t like any he’d ever had before.

  Because he loved her.

  Dammit. He thought he’d protected himself. Tried.

  But as she met him thrust for thrust, giving of herself, all of herself, thought escaped him and a hot wave sent him over the edge, mind and body exploding, lost inside her.

  And from the sounds she made beneath him, she’d done the same.

  Chapter Fourteen

  They’d had fantastic sex. Amazing sex. Sex like Lexie had never experienced before. She and Coop connected on so many levels, she actually felt the bond between them in bed as well as out. Half-dressed—she wearing one of his old T-shirts, he clad only in his boxers—they’d eaten the Chinese food and cleaned up the kitchen together.

  They now found themselves back in his bed.

  Coop leaned against the pillows, allowing Lexie to admire his tanned and muscular chest and the sprinkling of hair she’d felt against her skin. God, he was sexy.

  He propped an arm behind his head. “I really need to get a full set of dishes,” he said, completely unaware of the effect he had on her.

  Lexie laughed. “I certainly can’t criticize. I don’t own any dishes at all.”

  “Good point.” He set his jaw, and his good mood evaporated, the smile leaving his face at the reminder of her vagabond lifestyle.

  While she was in the mood-ruining business, she decided she might as well launch into the discussion she’d been dreading. “So what are we going to do about my grandmother?”

  Coop exhaled slowly. “You realize we need to find out the truth, right?”

  Swallowing over the lump in her throat, she nodded. “I know.” She’d already accepted that fact and had been preparing herself.

  “I was thinking we ought to confront her directly.” He raised a hand before she could object. “Wait. Confront is the wrong word. I think we should sit down with her, tell her what we know and ask her for the truth. No more dancing around the subject. I’m sure it’ll be easier for her once everything’s out in the open.”

  Lexie raised an eyebrow. “Really? This is a woman who’s been keeping this secret over fifty years. I think she’s a pro at hiding things by now. Revealing it will probably be the tough part.”

  Coop reached out and grabbed Lexie’s hand. “Who are you more worried about hurting? Your grandmother? Or yourself?” he asked gently.

  Lexie hated the question mostly because she already knew the answer. “Probably both,” she admitted. “If my grandmother really did this—” and in Lexie’s heart, she already knew Charlotte had stolen the necklace “—then where does that leave me?”

  She asked the question that had been haunting her since the revelation in the police station basement. If Charlotte wasn’t the person Lexie had always believed her to be, then what did Lexie have to hang on to?

  Coop squeezed her hand tighter. “I think it leaves you as yourself—and that’s someone you aren’t yet comfortable with. That’s why you’ve spent your life thinking that as long as you could model yourself after your grandmother, you could justify your choices and decisions,” he finally said, summing her up pretty accurately.

  His words pierced her heart and caused a painful ache in her chest. “Are you sure you’re not a shrink?” she asked, laughing, so she wouldn’t cry.

  He grinned. “Minored in psychology in college. But that’s not how I figured you out. I know it because I know you.” He held on to her hand, imparting strength in his touch. “I met your parents, Lexie, and though you’re very different from them, those differences don’t make you a bad person.”

  “Really?” she asked, grabbing on to his words like a beacon of hope.

  He nodded. “Hey, you inherited some good things from your parents.”

  “Such as?” she asked wryly.

  His brows furrowed in thought. But not for too long. “Your work ethic for one,” he said pretty quickly. “You worked hard at your Web-design business and made it a success, right?”

  “Right.”

  “And you’re innately honest. So are they—even if you don’t always like what they have to say or the way they express themselves.”r />
  She nodded slowly. He did have a point.

  “And maybe you can look at things from your father’s point of view. It couldn’t have been easy being as uptight as he is and growing up with Charlotte as his mother.”

  Lexie blinked, letting Coop’s insightful words sink in. “I never thought about it like that.” Never looked at the world from her father’s perspective. “He probably felt as out of place with his mother as I do with him,” she murmured.

  “Common ground,” Coop said, sounding pleased.

  “Wow. Who’d have thunk it?” she asked, and her world spun a little bit on its axis.

  “Hey. No matter how much you idolize your grandmother or want to view yourself as just like her, whatever she did fifty-odd years ago has no reflection on the woman you are today.” He placed his hand beneath her chin and tilted her head upwards. “Promise me you’ll think about that?”

  How could she deny him anything? “Promise.”

  He smiled, satisfied. “While you’re thinking, remember this. You are also a successful Web designer and a fantastic person regardless of how different you are from the rest of your family.”

  Warmth spread over her like sunshine on her skin. “Sounds as if you like me,” she said, teasing him.

  He met her gaze, his gorgeous eyes drinking her in. “I more than like you, Lexie,” he said, his voice gruff with raw emotion.

  Panic washed over her at the depth of feeling she both saw and heard. “So we’re going to confront my grandmother. That’s the plan?” she asked, deliberately changing the subject.

  A flicker of disappointment flashed across his face before he quickly masked it. “Yes, that’s the plan.”

  She nodded. “Good. So let’s shower and do this.” She slid out of bed.

  Away from Coop, his touch and the feelings she didn’t want to face.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of hanging out on the street corner like a common hooker,” Charlotte said to Sylvia.

  Charlotte peered across the street at the Vintage Jewelers. It was early morning, and if they didn’t see Ricky soon, Charlotte and her aching feet might have to call it quits. She wasn’t as young as she used to be.