Chasing Dreams (Devil's Bend)

by Edwards, Nicole

  “Sure thing,” Eric yelled from the opposite side of the room as he left.

  When Eric’s car roared out of the parking lot a few minutes later, Tessa knew she was stuck having to deal with Cooper before she went home. Part of her wanted to know what he and Marcus had talked about, and why he seemed so moody all of a sudden. The other part wanted to rip him a new one for treating her so callously when Marcus had been there.

  “Where’re you going?” Cooper asked as she tried to make a hasty retreat to the bathroom.

  “The restroom. What? Do you want to hold my hand?” she snipped. She needed a couple of minutes to gain some of her composure, and then she’d be better equipped to deal with whatever he had to say.

  She had a feeling he was getting ready to let her down easy.

  Thankfully, Cooper didn’t say anything more, and she disappeared down the dark, narrow hallway heading straight for the bathroom. The first measure of business was to splash cold water on her face. She could do this. She could.

  “If he’s going back to Nashville then that’s what was meant to be,” she told her reflection.

  She spent a few minutes righting her clothes, making sure she looked more at ease than she felt. Frowning at her choice of outfit, Tessa fixed the sagging shoulder of her lightweight sweater. She’d actually dressed up tonight. Well, dressed up for her anyway. Her blue jean skirt and off the shoulder olive green sweater had made her feel pretty when she first put it on. The boots on her feet had made her feel normal.

  Yet now, knowing that Cooper was waiting for her, she felt significantly underdressed. It would’ve been easier to face him if she had on her jeans and a t-shirt.

  But, there was nothing she could do about that now.

  Taking a deep breath, Tessa flung open the door and shrieked when she ran right into Cooper’s chest, face first.

  “What the –”

  Before she could finish the sentence, Cooper had her slammed up against the wall, his steel hard thigh inserted between her legs pushing her skirt up high. The brutal way his tongue lashed into her mouth had Tessa responding with all of the frustration she had built up over the course of the night. Only her fury matched his, equally fervent, masking itself with the passion that burned bright and hot between them.

  Tessa was torn between yelling at him for hurting her the way he did and pulling him closer, trying to wrap herself around him like a blanket. The hallway echoed with their combined groans and moans, the sound of their harsh breaths reverberating in the limited space.

  “I need you, Tessa. Right here,” Cooper groaned when his lips released hers, their breaths mingling as they sucked in oxygen.

  Was he asking for permission? Would she give it?

  “You don’t deserve me,” she countered, her irritation with the situation resurfacing, a vivid reminder of how he had brushed her off like she didn’t mean a thing to him.

  “You’re right, I don’t. I won’t argue. It doesn’t change how I feel,” he said, his finger curling beneath her chin and forcing her head back so she couldn’t look away. His eyes were hidden by the shadow from the brim of his hat and Tessa wished she had her hat on. At least she could hide some part of what she was feeling. Even in the dim light of the hallway, she felt entirely too exposed.

  “You blew me off,” she bit out. “You acted like I didn’t matter.”

  Cooper let go of her chin, planting his hands against the wall on each side of her head, his unyielding thigh still lodged between hers, making her painfully aware of the arousal slowly gaining momentum.

  “You heard the way Marcus talks to me, Tessa. He treats me like a dog that’s supposed to heel at his feet, and I’m the one who makes him the fucking money. How do you think he treats people who don’t mean a damn thing to him? I wasn’t about to let him talk to you like that.”

  Well, when he put it that way... It did kind of make sense.

  “You could’ve told me. I deserved that much.”

  “Yes. You did. He just makes me so fucking mad.” The heat emanating off of Cooper wasn’t all from his animosity toward Marcus. He was still fuming, his anger bubbling out of control, but there was an underlying hunger.

  Tessa wanted to be his release. Letting her own outrage at the way Marcus treated Cooper consume her, she gripped his head, dislodging his hat as she pulled his face down to hers. Crushing her mouth to his, she pushed him, his body slamming into the opposite wall. They didn’t come up for air as the passion ignited like a firestorm in that narrow hallway as they all but devoured one another.

  The next thing Tessa knew, she was ripping open his belt buckle and yanking the button free on Cooper’s jeans. Pulling his cock free, she stroked him firmly with her hands as she pushed against him, trying to get closer. Cooper had different plans because Tessa found herself back against the opposite wall, his cock slipping from her hands when he grabbed her wrists, lifting them high above her head.

  “Don’t move,” he warned, the gleam in his eyes barely visible in the shadows. The grip he had on her wrist wasn’t painful, but the position he put her in made her body burn that much hotter. She was helpless beneath his strength, and although she knew he wouldn’t hurt her, – she didn’t know how she knew, but she did – Tessa wanted him to continue.

  Cooper’s rough palm slid beneath her sweater, scraping against her bare belly as he moved upward, shoving her bra out of the way until her right breast was freed. Only a second passed as the cool air brushed over her skin before the fiery heat of his mouth was on her. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, making her cry out as a bolt of pleasure/pain shot through her. When he nipped her with his teeth, her pussy clenched painfully tight, her clit pulsing with a need so fierce, she thought her legs might give out on her.

  Then his hand was gone from her breast, but before she could inhale he was shoving her skirt up higher on her hips, his fingers eagerly shifting her panties to the side before she felt the sinful rasp of his finger through her slickness.

  “Fuck me,” he breathed against her ear. “You’re wet, darlin’.”

  Just a little bit.

  “Don’t tease me, cowboy.” Tessa was hanging by a thread, and if he wasn’t careful, she was going to explode on impact.

  “Or what?” he growled.

  Cooper’s finger thrust inside of her, and Tessa gasped, her pussy clamping onto the intrusion, her body instinctively working to increase the friction.

  “That’s it, baby. Fuck my finger. Just like you’re going to fuck my cock.”

  Tessa knew she shouldn’t like the vulgar words, but she did. She wanted him to tell her all of the lewd things he was going to do to her while he did them. But she couldn’t think clearly with his finger penetrating her, curling inside of her at the perfect angle…

  “Oh, God!” she screamed when his thumb pressed against her clit, forcefully grinding the swollen bundle of nerves.

  Just when she was riding the high of the release that was building, Cooper’s hand disappeared.

  “You –” She was just about to call him a bastard when his grip on her wrists tightened.

  “I’m going to fuck you. Right here in your bar. I’m going to fuck your sweet pussy until you scream for me. If you don’t want me to, Tessa, I need to know right now.”

  “Yes.” Her choked plea sounded strangled, but she was hanging on a razor wire of ecstasy so potent, she was going to split right in two if he didn’t fuck her.

  “Leave your hands right there,” he instructed and Tessa barely registered the sound of foil tearing.

  Condom.

  Thank God he was prepared.

  She moaned, a garbled plea for him to hurry as she closed her eyes. And then he was on her, her wrists once again secured by his powerful grip, his cock lingering at her entrance long enough to line up and then he was slamming into her.

  “Fuck,” Cooper groaned hoarsely, his body doing exactly what he said.

  He was fucking her with wild abandon. The two of them the only people
in the place, hidden in the darkened hallway while he fucked her into oblivion. Tessa would’ve been appalled at her behavior had this been anyone else, but what she wanted from this man defied logic.

  And right now, she wanted every damn thing he could give her.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Cooper was blinded by lust, his body moving of its own accord, his hips pistoning hard against Tessa’s as his cock went deeper. His thighs were screaming from the position he was holding himself in, but fuck, the pain was so worth it. Her sweet pussy was wet, warm and so damn welcoming, he never wanted to stop.

  He watched all of the expressions play across her face as he pinned her to the wall. Each one of them reflecting everything Cooper was feeling. His frustration and anger had built to a crescendo, and he’d sought Tessa’s lovely body for release. He wasn’t mad at her. The opposite actually. But he needed her. She was like a lifeline in the violent storm he’d been battling for the last few hours. And now, he felt a surge of relief, all of the pain and anger dissipating beneath the onslaught of her sweet passion.

  “Cooper. Oh, God, Cooper. Make me come.”

  The way she begged made him harder, his hips driving against her painfully as his cock buried deeper. His balls were tightening, the electric current of warning starting at the base of his spine and slowly moving upward. She felt so fucking good, her pussy wrapped around his cock, slick, hot. He didn’t want to stop. He could fuck her just like this all night if she would let him.

  Cooper watched as Tessa’s eyes opened, locking with his. The rich warmth he’d seen in her sparkling green eyes was replaced with a soul deep desire. One that he wanted to fulfill.

  “Fuck. Me.” She didn’t close her eyes as she practically yelled the command.

  With one hand, Cooper held her wrists tightly, doing his best to ensure he didn’t bruise her while his other hand gripped her hip. “Come on my cock Tessa,” he growled, slamming into her once, twice, barely holding the leash on his control as he waited for Tessa to let go.

  Her head tilted back so erotically, the sleek column of her neck taut as her jaw thrust forward, her eyes closing. “Fuck yes!”

  The high pitched scream triggered Cooper’s release, his body stilling as he erupted, his dick jerking as he filled her.

  It could’ve been ten minutes, hell, it could’ve been an hour. Who knew how much time had passed after they’d given themselves over to the heat of passion in the dark hallway of Tessa’s bar. But neither of them had moved. Not an inch.

  Well, except for him releasing her arms, which she quickly threw around his neck, holding him against her. He rested his forehead against hers, desperately trying to draw air into his lungs.

  “I think that was the best sex I’ve ever had,” Tessa murmured.

  Chuckling at the breathy way she said those words, Cooper’s cock pulled out of her and he immediately missed the warmth of her body. While she fixed her clothes, Cooper disappeared into the bathroom to clean up, returning with his clothes back in order only to find that Tessa wasn’t in the hallway anymore.

  Shit.

  Ever since he’d gotten her soft, lush body against the wall, he had lost all common sense, not caring what happened because of the tunnel vision. The only thought was of Tessa, needing her to ease all of the anger and frustration that he’d let consume him since Marcus stepped foot in the building earlier.

  Now he feared what he was going to find when he stepped out of the hallway. Wasn’t like he could stay there forever, although the idea had merit. If he didn’t go out there, he could pretend that she wouldn’t have any regrets or wouldn’t be overthinking. After all, she had declared that the best sex she’d ever had and Cooper knew he couldn’t argue with her there.

  Did that qualify as makeup sex? The question made him smile, but he wiped the expression from his face as he stepped out of the hallway to face the music.

  “You ready?” Tessa asked, the beaming smile on her face nearly knocking him backward.

  Rather than giving her any ideas about being mad at him, he just nodded his head. They had taken separate trucks that morning, but he would be more than willing to leave his here if she had another idea.

  “Follow me to my house?”

  Or that worked too.

  Nodding again because his mouth was suddenly dry, he turned and followed her toward the back of the building. Once outside, he walked her to her truck, waited until she got situated and then went to his.

  His body was slowly recovering from his orgasm, and now that he was following her back to her house, Cooper wanted nothing more than to toss her on her bed and love her for the rest of the night. Then they could sleep the day away tomorrow and come back to the bar when it opened.

  Except he was going to have to meet Marcus tomorrow and tell the guy the grim news. He had probably put off firing Marcus because he wasn’t fond of confrontation, but Cooper knew it was long past time to do the deed. He needed to hire someone who would take care of him, make sure he was getting what he needed. For Marcus, Cooper was just padding his wallet. You would think he’d be treated with at least a little respect, but he didn’t get an ounce from Marcus. Never had.

  By the time Cooper pulled into Tessa’s driveway a few minutes later, his rage was returning, and he hated himself all the more for it. After ravishing Tessa’s body, he should’ve been relaxed to the point of exhaustion.

  “Come on, cowboy.” Tessa’s voice startled him when he realized she had opened his door and was standing just outside his truck. He had to glance around, barely remembering how he got there.

  “Maybe I should go home,” he told her, irritated with himself for his lack of concentration, but he knew he would be even more pissed off if he took out his anger on her.

  Angry sex notwithstanding.

  “Get out, Cooper.” Tessa’s tone left no room for argument as she turned and stalked off, obviously not letting him get away with the disappearing act.

  Fine. But she asked for it.

  Chapter Twenty

  When Cooper finally made his way in the house, Tessa dropped her keys on the table by the door and let Havoc and Harmony out for a few minutes. She wasn’t going to let Cooper mope for long, so before she returned to the living room, she ushered the dogs in as soon as they did their business, and sent them into the bedroom they had commandeered as their own.

  Cooper was sitting on the couch, his head tilted back, eyes closed. She could see the strain on his face, and she decided exactly what she needed to do. Disappearing down the hall before he realized she was watching him, Tessa grabbed a couple of candles from the dresser in her bedroom and relocated them to the bathroom.

  Hunting for a lighter proved to be challenging, but then she remembered she’d tucked one in her nightstand. Once the candles were lit, she turned on the shower and went back to the living room for Cooper.

  “Come with me, cowboy,” she told him, her tone just as firm as when she had dealt with him outside. Even after their bout of explosive sex, he was still incredibly tense, so taking control of the situation seemed like the only way she was going to get through to him.

  He opened one eye, peering at her from the side before he sighed and then pushed himself to his feet. She waited until he joined her at the door to the hall. Grabbing his hand, she led him to the bathroom. Being an old farmhouse, she didn’t have a master bathroom, unless the only bathroom in the house was considered a master, so this one would have to do. It wasn’t pretty with the pale yellow tile and faded flower wallpaper, and it wasn’t big, but the shower worked and that’s all that mattered to Tessa.

  “Get undressed,” she instructed.

  She didn’t waste any time removing her sweater and skirt, followed by her panties and bra. She noticed Cooper’s hesitation as he watched her, and the passion that had returned to his golden gaze was hotter than the steam now billowing in the small space. Stepping into the long, narrow tub, Tessa pulled the shower curtain closed behind her.

  The rustle
of clothing being removed was barely heard over the sound of the shower, but knowing Cooper was getting with the program lightened Tessa’s heart. It did funny things to her insides to know that he was spurred into motion by the sight of her naked body.

  Once he climbed in with her, Tessa forced him closer to the shower spray, putting herself behind him.

  “Put your hands on the wall,” she said sweetly, trying to keep the anticipation out of her tone. It wasn’t an easy thing to do.

  Tessa had always been the take charge kind of girl, ever since she was young, but this was pushing even her boundaries. Here in front of her was a glorious, naked cowboy, one that made her feel significantly small by comparison, although she wasn’t a lightweight and he was doing what she instructed him to do.

  Aside from a skeptical backward glance, Cooper did what she asked, leaning forward and placing his hand on the wall beneath the shower head. She turned the sprayer so that it ran down the tiled wall beside them and then grabbed a bottle of body wash from the shelf. Pouring a significant amount into her hands, she started soaping his back, making her way up to his shoulders.

  The intention of this shower liaison was to get him to relax. Since sex hadn’t accomplished that goal, she was going to work on him with her hands.

  The low groan that echoed made Tessa smile. She kept rubbing, kneading her fingers into the tight muscles across his broad shoulders. The body wash actually contained baby oil, so her hands were slick as they moved easily over his wet skin.

  A solid ten minutes had passed before Tessa reached around, offering the same ministrations to his chest muscles as she pressed her breasts against his back. “Does that feel good?” she asked as she let her hands wander over his sides. Reaching for the bottle again, she added more and then put her hands back on him.

  “Like heaven,” he groaned.

  Well, then she would keep going.

  Dropping to her knees, Tessa knelt behind Cooper, her soap slick hands wrapping around his ankles, massaging the muscles as she moved upward, over his corded calves, then up to his rock hard thighs. Considering how thick they were, she focused both hands on one before alternating to the other. She continued her upward trek until she reached his perfect ass, digging her fingers deep into the muscles once she was upright.