by Reana Malori
“I don’t come into D.C. very often anymore. Heather and I used to come here for dinner quite often, or to the theatre,” Cooper said with ease.
She wasn’t even sure if he realized how casually he spoke about his wife in her presence. Noting that he did this quite often, she held her tongue, not quite knowing how to respond to what he said. A few minutes of silence filled the vehicle as he found a parking spot and parallel parked.
As soon as the vehicle stopped and the engine was turned off Madison began chatting away, “Faith, will the kites be really big?” In her excitement, Madison was unbuckling herself from her car seat without waiting for one of them to help.
“Hold on, princess. Let your dad help you. This is a very busy area,” she cautioned the little girl. All she needed was for something to happen on the one day that Cooper had agreed to spend the day outside of their neighborhood.
For the past few months, as they got settled into their new home, Cooper and Madison had been getting to know Faith. And Faith had been falling in love with Cooper. She had known it for weeks now, maybe even the last two months. Refusing to admit how she felt, she tried her best to keep her feelings hidden.
“Hey, Faith, are you ready?” His deep voice echoed throughout the vehicle. She was still sitting in her seat, buckled in, while they were both outside of the car. Cooper’s light blue eyes gave her a questioning look as he noticed that she had not moved.
Figuring that she would take advantage of the day given to her, she put a smile on her face and got out of the truck. Today was not a day to focus on the ‘what ifs’ and dissect her feelings for the sexy single father. It was all about fun, food, and flying kites today.
“I know the perfect spot for our picnic,” she announced.
Madison let go of her father’s hand and grabbed onto hers, “Faith, can I walk with you? Daddy has his hands full with our stuff.”
Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed that Cooper did indeed have his hands full. Blanket, picnic basket full of food that he had prepared for them, a brand new kite for them to open, and a big goofy smile on his face to complete the picture.
“Are you sure you can handle all that,” she laughingly asked.
Shrugging his shoulders, he looked at the stuff around him. “Of course, I can. Do you know, when I was in the Army, I could pack eighty pounds of gear into rucksack the size of Madison’s book bag? This is nothing,” he noted with a smirk. He turned on his heel and started walking toward the intersection in the direction of the Washington Monument.
“Okay, okay, Mr. I Can Pack Anything into a Thimble.” Looking down at Madison, she laughed out loud when the little girl starting shaking her head.
“Daddy, you always say that!”
Yup, she was one smart, sassy little girl. Faith loved it!
“Wow, I am worn out,” Faith flopped down on Cooper’s couch and laid her head on the back.
“Yeah, you and me both.” Cooper had just returned from putting Madison down for a nap.
The day trip had been a resounding success. The kites were big and beautiful and they were entertained for hours. Madison had run from one end of the mall to the other, oohing and ahhing over everything in her sight.
Faith pulled one foot underneath her as she turned her body in his direction. Staring at him for a few minutes, she admired his chiseled profile as he sat just feet away from her, his eyes closed. “She loved her kite, Cooper. Where did you find a princess picture that looked exactly like her?”
Opening his eyes, he caught her staring and she pulled her eyes away, looking at her hands. As he started to speak, she looked over at him again, free to admire him without feeling self-conscious.
“There’s this little novelty shop I found in Reston. One day I stopped by the place just to waste some time while waiting for a wom—for a friend,” he said.
Noticing his slip and correction, she wondered what that was all about. She knew he dated. He had never hid the fact that he was trying to reclaim some of his life again. They had never discussed it, but she knew. She just tried to not let it bother her. Not too much, anyway.
“But how does the kite look just like Madison,” she asked.
“Well, they will create anything you want with any material you want. All I had to do was provide them a small picture of Madison and they created a kite that had her face on it. It cost a small fortune, but it was worth it to see her face today,” he smiled as any proud father would after doing something amazing for their child.
They fell into a comfortable silence as they both took deep breaths. It felt good to relax after a long day out in the sun.
“Thirsty?” Cooper’s voice broke into her thoughts.
Lifting her head for a just a second, “Oh, goodness, yes! Do you have any iced tea?”
“Of course I do. I know you too well now. I always have iced tea waiting for you.” Getting up from the couch, he toed off his shoes and walked barefoot into the kitchen.
Basking in the feeling of just being here with him like this, she wondered what would happen if she let it be known that she wanted more. Would he push her away? Did he have any idea just how much she sometimes wanted to run her hands through his short hair? Her fingers itched to touch his cheek or skim across his chest. To feel his warm skin underneath her palms.
This felt good, being with him—with Madison—like this. Uncertainty and fear was holding her back, though. He hadn’t given any indication that he wanted more and she was not willing to risk what they had.
Although Cooper rarely talked about what happened to his wife, he did share the basics. She knew he loved his wife more than his own life. Even though she tried not to, she couldn’t help but wonder how much of Madison’s personality was her own, and how much she had received from each of her parents. Cooper seemed so laid back most of the time, but there were moments--dark moments when there was a lingering sadness reflected in his eyes. Knowing what she did about his backstory, it was either memories of his time in the Army or the memories of his life with Heather. Neither one boded well, but only one made her question what she was doing here with him. With a man who continued to hold on to the past.
Initially, he had been very closed off and it had taken her quite a bit of effort to get him to open up to her. It wasn’t as if he really had a choice. After seeing the two of them move in, it quickly became clear that it was only the two of them and she had appointed herself as their welcoming committee. Her mind had jumped to the idea that a divorce had been involved until after that first meeting when the true reason there was no wife or mother included in their little family was shared with her. The full story as to what happened to Heather had taken quite a while to get out of Cooper.
Looking back, she smiled at the memory of their first meeting. She had been a goner from the beginning and there had been no stopping that train from leaving the station. Her world had shifted and her brain and heart had finally come into alignment. Before him, there had been other opportunities, other men who were either attractive or stimulating, but never both. Had she been tempted to throw caution to the wind? Of course. She had been tempted many, many times.
But with this man, in this moment, she could admit that no one had ever made her feel this way. Every moment she spent with him was better than the last. Never in her adult life had she craved a man as much as she craved Cooper. It felt as if she needed him in her life. She breathed easier when she was near him.
Hearing him come back from the kitchen, she held out her hand for her drink. With his own cold drink in hand, Cooper sat back down next to her on the couch. Giving her a side glance, he closed one eye, giving her a wink as he took a long swallow.
“So, how’s work? Everything going okay? You mentioned some new work coming in that might have you traveling to Denver,” he asked.
He remembered her talking about that from weeks ago? Setting her own glass on the side table, she crossed one leg over the other, “Yes, I think I’ll have to go there in the next few week
s.”
Motioning to her to give him one of her feet, “Rest your feet on me. You did as much walking as I did today.”
“No, Cooper, you don’t have to do that,” she demurred. Although, a foot massage would feel really good right now.
“Come on, lift them up. I want to.” Grabbing one leg, which set her body tingling at the first touch, he lifted one leg, then the other, over his lap.
“Okay, if you insist.” One denial was enough. If he wanted to give her a foot massage, then who was she to deny him the pleasure. And herself. “Thanks, Cooper.”
His hands began kneading the arch of her left foot and she almost had an orgasm. Oh, fuck! That feels so good. The man had very strong hands, which she knew, but she had never felt a massage like this. She was religious about getting a pedicure every other week and a foot massage came with the service. But never in her life had she felt something this good. He knew just the right amount of pressure to apply and when to release. Thumbs and fingers worked in tandem, loosening the tendons in her foot. “Mmmmm, that feels so damn good.”
Was that her voice? It sounded like she was in the middle of some good loving. Hell, she felt as if she were being made love to. Eyes closed in bliss, she wasn’t aware that she had continued to moan out her pleasure at the sensation until Cooper called her name.
“Faith.”
Another moan.
“Faith! Sweetheart, are you even listening to me?” He laughed and that got her attention, “Fuck, woman, if this is what you sound like when getting a foot massage, I wonder how you sound in bed.”
Faith’s eyes shot open and her head popped up in alarm. Oh, shit!
His ears heard the sounds coming from Faith’s mouth, but he didn’t think she realized what she was doing. Peeking up from under his lashes at the woman sitting on his couch in a trance-like state, he almost lost it. Her head was tilted back on the couch, her eyes were closed, and the moans echoing across the room made his dick rock hard.
Whoa! Put on the brakes! Faith was his friend. When did he start thinking of her that way? When? Hell, the moment she started making sounds of ecstasy sitting next to him while his hands were on her body. That’s when.
“Fuck, woman. If this is what you sound like when getting a foot massage, I wonder how you sound in bed,” the words were said before he could pull them back. Images of the two of them in bed entered his mind. He couldn’t help but picture her in the throes of passion, making sounds just like this as he stroked in and out of her. Suddenly, his fingers itched to touch her bare skin. His lips tingled with the thought of suckling on her hard nipples and feeling her hands wrap around his shoulders. Just as he was getting deeper into his fantasy, Faith jumped up and tried to pull away from him.
“Don’t be embarrassed, Faith. It must have felt good.” Feeling her pull her feet off of his lap, he protested, “No, don’t move. I like this. I like knowing that I can do something to make you happy.”
Dropping her head in her hands, she seemed to gather herself and then looked at him again, “Fine, but no more commenting on how I sound in bed.”
Picking up the motion with his hands again, he questioned, “Why not?”
“Because you’re not supposed to know, or care, what I sound like in bed,” she quipped back. Crossing her arms over her ample chest, as if to close herself off from him, she gave him a stern look.
His eyes were drawn to the movement, he watched her breasts adjust and move as her arms folded under them. Unbidden, another rolling scene that featured him and Faith naked and entwined on the floor of his family room popped into his head.
Vivid pictures played in his mind and he simply allowed them to play. He wanted to understand just how far he was willing to take this. His mouth watered as he continued to think about how it would feel to be latched onto one of her breasts, suckling on one of her nipples as he thrust his cock into her hot channel. How would it feel to have her thick legs wrapped around his waist, locking him in tight to her body? Not allowing him to pull away from her as she took her pleasure from his body. Her screams and moans of ecstasy the only sound in the room as he claimed her…claimed the woman that made him finally want more.
“Cooper.”
Feeling a nudge on his arm, he looked up at Faith. Something on his face must have reflected his inner thoughts. Because she gasped as she looked at him, her eyes widening first in alarm, then in something else. If she didn’t know better, she would think he was feeling and thinking the same thing.
“Cooper, I should go now,” she whispered to him.
It took a few moments for him to answer, “Why?”
Shifting to sit up, her feet slowly moved away from his lap, which he allowed this time. Faith reached down and grabbed her shoes from where she had placed them when they arrived to the house. “It’s late. We’ve had a long day. We’re both tired.” Standing up, she began to gather her other belongings, looking around the room as if she were missing something.
Lifting up from the couch, he came to stand in front of her. Just inches separated their bodies, but it felt like miles. Now that the thought had entered his head, he couldn’t—wouldn’t—allow it to just leave. He watched her fidget and knew she was nervous.
“You okay, Faith? You can stay. We can eat something,” he said as he closed the distance between them.
She stood there, not moving as he brought his body flush with hers. Everything in him wanted to just rip her clothes off and take what he wanted, but he knew that wasn’t the move he needed to make. Faith needed time. Maybe she needed to catch up with where he was.
“I’m fine, Cooper,” she responded breathlessly.
“Alright. If you say so,” he said while stepping back from her. Giving her the space to leave, he simply watched as she stayed in her place. Her eyes held confusion and uncertainty as she looked from him to the door.
Oh, sweetheart, all you have to do is make a choice, he thought to himself. Out loud, he said, “Change your mind?”
Jumping at the sound of his voice, she quickly started to move toward the door, “No, I’m good. Okay, I’ll see you later. Maybe tomorrow.” She opened the door, backing out as she continue to speak. “It was fun today, but I’m just so tired.”
“I understand,” he said as he continued stalking toward her. In five seconds, if she wasn’t already gone, she would be staying the night with him and his cock would be balls deep inside of her within ten minutes. Silently, he started to count. One...Two...forcing her to accept him wasn’t in the cards. Three... but he would do everything in his power to make her beg for it...Four…
“Okay, night, Cooper,” she closed the door just as he got to the count of five.
Torn between allowing her to walk out the door and not allowing her to leave his sight and carrying her caveman style upstairs to his bedroom, Cooper tried to calm down his heated libido. If he thought about it, could he even explain to himself why his feelings for Faith were all jumbled up in his brain all of a sudden? Well, maybe not all of a sudden. Things had been changing between them for a while, but he was now ready to give it a name. Yearning. Desire. Hunger.
Finally at the point where the red haze of lust had lifted, he purposely turned away from the door. Once he made it to the living room, the memory of how fucking sexy she looked standing in front of him just minutes ago hit him again.
His need for her was building more and more each moment they spent together. When first meeting Faith, he immediately noticed her beauty. Not classical, but seductive. Her face drew him to her and he couldn’t look away—still can’t. The lush curves of her body called out to him every time she accidentally brushed up against him, or when they touched or hugged. It was as if she pulled out some long buried desire to feel himself cradled between the thighs of a woman with soft flesh and meat on her bones, enough for him to grab onto as he pounded her body into oblivion.
God, he had it bad for this woman. It had been months of being near her, yet not being able to touch her the way he de
sired most. Fighting his desire had become a losing battle. Now, all he had to do was change things up. It was time to put her off her game.
Chapter Six
A week later, Cooper was sitting on the front porch watching the sun go down. Madison had been invited to a birthday party and had been gone for a few hours. Glancing at his watch, he noted the time and looked up the street to see if he could catch a glimpse of Madison and Faith. The party should be ending right about now and they were due back any moment.
Their neighborhood was teeming with activity and he watched kids ride bikes and skateboards up and down the street. Waving to those who waved at him, he smiled at the kids, and adults, who yelled out to him in greeting. Because of the season, it was still bright outside. In the distance, he could see a hint of the moon and stars that would soon light up the night sky.
“Hey there, Cooper,” he was greeted by a couple he knew from neighborhood gatherings.
Standing up, he waved and walked over to greet them, “Hey, Tom. How are you, Susan? Enjoying the night air?
“Yeah,” Tom answered, “the girls are over at the birthday party and we’re on our way to get them now. Instead of driving, figured we would walk. That way, they can burn off any excess energy.”
Laughing in solidarity, Cooper understood exactly what they were talking about, “Well, I’m fully expecting Madison to be bouncing off the walls when they get back. Faith should be bringing her back any minute now.”
“Those two are really close. I know that must be good for Madison to have Faith in her life,” Susan commented. “It would be a shame if Faith were to ever move away or want to have children of her own.” Giving him a piercing look, she continued, “Well, we’d better go grab them before it gets to be too late. Tell Faith I said hi.” Grabbing her husband’s hand as they continued walking down the street, she turned back one more time, “I think we’ll be having a get together in the next month or so. I’ll make sure Tom brings over an invitation.”
