Chasing Dreams (Devil's Bend)

by Edwards, Nicole

  Oh how the tables had turned and absolutely not in her favor. Tessa didn’t have a problem telling him exactly what she wanted, but she knew from experience that could very well backfire in her face and she wasn’t looking to be the talk of the town over the way she had let loose with a guy.

  He must have realized she wasn’t going to answer him because Cooper’s mouth once again pressed against hers, his tongue lightly tracing her bottom lip as she moaned in pleasure.

  “When I get you somewhere private,” he began, trailing that exquisite mouth across her jaw, “I’m going to tell you all the things I plan to do to you. As I do them.”

  Holy hell. Tessa wanted to take him back to her place. One night of sexual bliss was all she needed to cure the dry spell, and she would have Cooper Krenshaw out of her system.

  “But, not tonight.” Cooper pulled back, looking into her eyes, and that glimmer of passion said he knew what she had been thinking.

  Tessa groaned half-heartedly. She was grateful that the man seemed to have some sort of restraint because she was quickly learning that, with him, she had none.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Cooper wasn’t sure how much more of her he could handle before he was reduced to a horny teenage boy who couldn’t control himself.

  He was holding Tessa in his arms, her body pressed against his, her legs wrapped around his waist and even through his jeans, he could feel the heat of her sex against his aching cock.

  As much as he wanted her, he wasn’t willing to give up one night of what would probably be the most mind-blowing sex of his entire life if that meant she would walk away from him indefinitely. No, Cooper had more in mind when it came to this woman. He wanted so much more than one night. Hell, he wasn’t sure thirty nights would be enough, but he was willing to try.

  Letting her slide down to her feet, Cooper kept her pressed between himself and the wall, keeping his hands planted firmly on the sweet, rounded curves of her ass. Lord, the woman had the most amazing ass.

  “Tuesday night I’m going to pick you up at your house. I’m going to take you out like I planned. And then…” He freed one hand so he could tilt her chin up to meet his gaze before he continued, “And then, if you still want to see where this leads, it’ll be your call. Until then, you’ll just have to resist.”

  Her tempting smirk and simple nod didn’t tell him anything, but he knew she would be thankful in the morning. Hell, his dick wasn’t all that happy with him, but Cooper had learned a long time ago to stop thinking with his dick.

  “You ready?” After reaching down and retrieving his hat, he twined his fingers with hers as he took a step back, keeping his eyes pinned on her. She was the sexiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on and with her hair tousled, her lips swollen from his kisses, Cooper wasn’t sure he would be able to walk away when they made it to her truck.

  She nodded again as she grabbed her hat off of the stage, still not saying a word, but he didn’t push her. Instead, he held her hand firmly in his and led her to the back door, then waited for her to lock up. Once they reached her truck, he stopped her before she opened the door. Backing her up against the cool metal, Cooper once again pressed his mouth to hers, but this time he didn’t go for gentle. He wanted to make sure she understood how much he wanted her.

  When her arms came up around his neck once again, he couldn’t resist pushing his hips against hers as he claimed her mouth. His blood had turned to lava in his veins, and he was so hot, he wouldn’t be surprised if his skin didn’t start to melt, but it was a risk he was willing to take. Her kiss was so much more than he anticipated, and the hungry way she delved her tongue into his mouth told Cooper that there was a wildcat beneath that cool, reserved exterior. He had sensed it earlier, but he also detected the way she had held back from him.

  If he had anything to say about it, she wouldn’t be able to hold back. Cooper wasn’t a gentle lover, and with Tessa, he was beginning to wonder whether he’d met his match.

  When they both came up for air – something they seemed to do a lot – Cooper cupped her face with his hands, holding her so that she couldn’t look away. “I doubt I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”

  “No one said you had to,” she retorted, sounding somewhat frustrated.

  “Trust me, darlin’. I want you more than you’ll ever know, but I’m not looking for one night. If I was, I’d have buried my cock in your pussy right there against the wall in your bar.” Cooper let the harsh words escape, wanting her to understand that the need was just as great for him as it was for her.

  He was a gentleman when he was supposed to be, but when it came to Tessa and him behind closed doors, he wasn’t going to promise her soft music and candlelight all the time. He wanted everything she could give him and in no way was he just referring to sex.

  The shiver that made her hands tremble told him that his coarse tone didn’t bother her. In fact, if he had to guess, she very much liked it.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep.” He pressed his lips lightly against hers again. “You’re going to need it.”

  Chapter Ten

  Going back to his motel room was certainly Cooper’s original plan, however, when Tessa took a right turn out of the parking lot of The Rusty Nail, rather than a left that would lead her back to her house, he decided to follow.

  He had a feeling she was going to stop for breakfast or a unusually late dinner because she had mentioned that to Eric earlier in the evening. Considering Cooper had kept her at the bar longer than usual, he figured it would only be fair for him to pay for her meal. Not to mention, he’d get the opportunity for a pseudo-date without having to ask her.

  Since Tessa seemed completely against dating him, although she had relented to the bet they had made, Cooper was willing to take his chances whenever the opportunity presented itself. Like tonight – or rather this morning.

  Fifteen minutes later, his suspicions were confirmed when she pulled into the parking lot of IHOP just off of the interstate in the neighboring town. Since Devil’s Bend didn’t have any options that were open that late, her choice made sense to him.

  Parking directly beside her truck, Cooper climbed out at the same time she did.

  “Are you stalking me, cowboy?” she asked sweetly as she made her way to the sidewalk that surrounded the building.

  “I was just wondering the same thing about you,” he said seriously.

  The confusion that passed over Tessa’s face briefly almost made him smile. “You’re the one following me if I do recall.”

  Well, she had him there.

  “Since we’re both here, we might as well eat, don’t ya think?” Taking Tessa’s hand, Cooper led her to the front doors of the restaurant and then held one open for her. Once she was inside, he followed and then instructed the hostess they needed a table for two.

  When they were seated with their menus in front of them, Cooper smiled, waiting for her to look at him, which she managed to avoid for a painfully long time.

  “You’re relentless,” she told him as she glanced down at her menu, smiling.

  “That’s me,” he replied as he skimmed the menu, thrilled to know she still sensed him there even when she pretended to not be paying attention.

  “So, are you a regular here as well? Are they going to bring something out before you ever order it?”

  Cooper laughed, enjoying the way she liked to tease him. It had been quite some time since he had been on a real date with a woman. One who wasn’t more curious about his music career or the people he knew than who he really was.

  “Nope. But if you’d like to join me for breakfast every morning, we can change that.”

  Tessa’s face flushed, and she looked down at her menu again. He heard her mumble something along the lines of “Cowboy, you can’t handle me every morning”, but he didn’t say anything. He could show her just how much he could handle if she wished to dare him.

  The waiter arrived to take their order, and they rattled off what th
ey wanted. A few minutes later, they were sitting quietly while Tessa fussed with her coffee, adding cream and sugar. Cooper took his black, so he remained silent, waiting patiently until she was finished.

  “Do you go out to breakfast a lot after work?” he asked just to make conversation.

  “Every now and then Eric and I will stop somewhere. On some nights that Miranda works at the bar, we’ll stop afterward, especially if things were hectic. Just some time to unwind.”

  “So why tonight? Alone?”

  “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to sleep,” she said, and her honesty had that strange sensation surging through him. Cooper liked how open she was with him, although sometimes he didn’t think she meant to be.

  “You weren’t gonna be the only one,” he admitted as he watched for her reaction.

  There was a minute or two of silence and then Cooper realized she wasn’t going to talk if she didn’t have to. Considering there was so much he wanted to know about her, he figured he’d start tonight.

  “Does your mom ever stop by The Rusty Nail?”

  Ok, so jumping in with both feet might not have been the way to go based on Tessa’s horrified expression, but Cooper decided he would let the question hang until she answered with something.

  “I don’t want to talk about me,” she finally said when the silence was almost suffocating.

  “I didn’t ask about you. I was asking about your mother,” he explained.

  “Same difference,” she retorted.

  “Not really, no.”

  Another round of silence sat heavily between them until, finally, Cooper saw the moment Tessa surrendered.

  “My mother rarely leaves the house,” she said softly, her hands wrapped tightly around the coffee mug in front of her. “She’s been that way since I was a child.”

  “She doesn’t work?”

  “Not now she doesn’t. When I was younger, before she met my stepfather she did.”

  “What did she do?” Cooper knew he had to keep the dialogue going, or Tessa was going to shut down on him, and he truly wanted to get to know her.

  “She was a secretary for a law firm. For a while after she met Michael, Jack’s dad, she continued to work. It wasn’t until after they got married that she decided to quit.”

  “Are you close with her?” Because the question was a little more personal, Cooper didn’t expect her to answer.

  “No.” There was a long pause before Tessa continued. “My mother was diagnosed with depression many years ago. After she met Michael. Up until that point, we had no idea what was wrong with her. My dad left when Adam and I were kids, and for the longest time, that’s what I thought was wrong with her. But then she met Michael and she seemed happy. For a while. And then it was like a vicious cycle. Happy. Sad. Happy. Sad. Over and over and we didn’t know how to fix it for her.

  “Finally, Michael took her to the doctor. Since he’s quite a bit older than my mother, he was worried that she regretted marrying him even after she assured him that wasn’t the case. Jack was in high school before we found out she had depression. So, needless to say, she and I lost a lot of years in between.”

  That explained a lot. Cooper knew that Adam wasn’t close to his mother either, and truthfully, he hadn’t expected such an in-depth answer from Tessa. “Is she better now?”

  “When she takes her medicine she is.” Tessa looked so lost and so sad, Cooper wanted to rip her out of her seat and wrap his arms around her.

  “See, and that’s why I don’t like talking about me,” Tessa added. “My life story’s not all that interesting and I don’t want your pity.”

  Cooper grabbed Tessa’s arm when she would’ve jumped out of her seat and walked out on him.

  “Sit down,” he demanded, keeping his voice low.

  Tessa lowered herself back down in her seat and stared at him as though he’d lost his mind. He was beginning to think he had.

  “I’m sorry. I want to get to know you and I haven’t yet learned what the banned topics are yet.”

  Tessa seemed to relax as she resettled herself in the booth, but she didn’t say anything.

  “I’m not trying to pry, Tessa. I think this is how this is supposed to work.”

  “How what is supposed to work?” she asked.

  “You know, the whole dating thing. Aren’t we supposed to get to know each other?”

  “We’re not dating,” she said abruptly.

  Cooper couldn’t suppress the grin. He loved how feisty she was. “No need to get defensive,” he teased. “We’re just having breakfast.”

  He was saved from any rebuttal from Tessa because the waiter decided to bring their food out. Cooper was grateful for the interruption. The fire seemed to be smoldering in Tessa’s eyes, but he knew she needed a minute or two.

  But then, he was pretty sure he was going to be in for it.

  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

  Tessa hated talking about herself. Hated talking about her mother and their issues. And above all else, she hated dating. Well, the last part wasn’t necessarily an issue because until Cooper, she hadn’t been on a real date in… well, forever.

  Not that they were dating. Nor would this be classified as a date, if, in fact, the two meant different things.

  Tessa occupied herself by staring at her food, moving the eggs around her plate with her fork until Cooper cleared his throat and she glanced up at him.

  “Eat.”

  She wanted to tell him to make her, but then she realized how childish that sounded even in her own mind. And that made her smile, which in turn made Cooper smile. As her appetite slowly returned, Tessa tried to come up with some questions for him since he obviously now knew more about her than she did him.

  “What about your parents?” she asked when he put his fork down to take a sip of his coffee.

  “What about them?” He didn’t seem fazed by her question as he watched her like a hawk watches its prey.

  “Are you close to them?”

  “Yeah, we’re close,” he said, his answer hesitant.

  Tessa wasn’t proud of the fact that she wasn’t close to her mother, but she never held it against anyone else. Izzy’s parents were still married, and they doted on their daughter as much as Izzy would let them. And of course, there were Richie’s parents, who were still together, but had moved out of Devil’s Bend shortly after Richie died. They still called to check on Tessa frequently, but as time passed, she had stopped answering their calls. It was too hard to talk to them because they were a vivid reminder of what she had lost. She often wondered if it was a relief for them that she’d all but disappeared from their lives. She knew they wouldn’t say as much, but she still had to wonder.

  Wanting to get away from the depressing thoughts, Tessa shoveled a forkful of eggs in her mouth as she pondered her next question.

  “Do you see them often?”

  “At least once a month, sometimes more depending on my tour schedule.”

  Tour schedule. For the past couple of weeks, things had been so normal with Cooper around, she actually forgot what he did for a living. Somewhere along the way, she’d gotten used to him being at the bar and the reminder that he wasn’t a permanent fixture in town was like a punch to the throat.

  “Do they come to your shows?” she asked, suddenly wanting to get off of this subject. Off of any subject really. Tessa was scared to get to know Cooper better, scared that she would like him even more than she already did and that would make it more difficult to keep herself distanced from him.

  Which she definitely had to do.

  “When they can they do.”

  Cooper must’ve sensed her discomfort because he leaned forward and placed his hand on her arm. Tessa just stared at the place where he touched her for what felt like a long time.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said softly. “I just want to get to know you.” Cooper paused, and Tessa dared to look up, her eyes meeting his and holding. “You’re a lot like your brother, you kn
ow that?”

  “Which one?” Tessa knew exactly which one, but the question just came out.

  “Adam. He doesn’t share much with anyone.”

  “Adam has his reasons,” Tessa said abruptly. She didn’t know all of what Adam kept inside, but she absolutely understood his need to keep his feelings and experiences to himself. “And I’ve got my reasons.”

  “I get it,” Cooper said softly. “It still makes me crazy. When we were in college, getting information from him was like pulling teeth. Kinda like with you.”

  Cooper laughed, and the sound eased some of her tension, causing her to laugh too. She knew he was right about Adam because she had thought the same thing in the past. Not that she felt it was a bad thing that they didn’t share their life stories with everyone. Tessa knew how easy it was for someone to hurt you if they knew you. Trust didn’t come easy and, unfortunately, she and Adam had learned that early on with their father.

  “I’m sorry. I’m sure it’s easy for you because you’re in the spotlight all the time so you’re used to sharing your deepest, darkest secrets, but I’m not.”

  “See, that’s where you’re wrong,” Cooper said gruffly, the warmth of his hand disappearing from her arm and leaving her chilled all of a sudden. The look in his eyes matched the temperature as it plummeted due to the cold chill that ran down her spine.

  “Being in the spotlight makes it difficult to keep anything private. The things people learn about me don’t usually come from me or from anyone who knows me.”

  Tessa suddenly wanted to do anything to erase the anger off of Cooper’s face. She didn’t want to see him upset or mad, and she knew that her own defensiveness had resulted in this night going so terribly wrong. With a small smile, she reached over and touched his arm. “This not-really-a-date isn’t going all that well, is it?”

  For long seconds, Cooper just stared at her. Long enough that Tessa’s stomach started to churn. Just when she pulled her hand back, Cooper’s deep, rumbling laugh echoed through the entire restaurant and Tessa responded with a laugh of her own.