by Reana Malori
“Did it escape your attention that I’m home early?” he asked.
Turning her back to him, she muttered, “Yes, I noticed. But it doesn’t matter.”
Walking up behind her, he pressed his body against hers and instantly became hard. Seconds later, he felt her lean back against him and he felt that all was right in the world.
“Why doesn’t it matter, Faith? I’m home now. Where I belong,” he responded. The plea for understanding was laced within every word.
After a pause, she answered, “Because you left in the first place.” Turning her head to the side, he felt her take a few deep breaths and then freeze. Suddenly, she pulled back, her face screwed up in disgust.
“You stink.”
Surprised by her words, it took him a minute to understand what she was saying, “Faith…” he began, but her hand came up to stop him.
“No, Cooper, I don’t want to hear it. It’s not my business. You’re free to do whatever you want, with whomever you want,” her voice cracked as she was finishing and it tore at him.
“Are you even going to let me explain?” Now he was getting angry. Did she really think he would leave the arms of another woman and come to her? Touch her?
“No,” she responded as he stared at her in shock. “Again, not my issue.” Backing away from him, she got to the door of the room where Madison was sleeping. “Madison can stay here with me tonight. We’re making blueberry pancakes in the morning. If you want breakfast.”
“Faith, are you serious right now,” he asked as she stood her ground. She was the most stubborn, opinionated, maddening woman he had ever met.
“Keep your voice down Cooper!” Closing the doors leading to the family room where Madison was sleeping, she turned back to him and simply stood here.
God, he wanted to make love to her so fucking bad right now, but she would probably slap him if he approached her. His brain may be saying one thing, but his throbbing cock was saying another. No other woman would do for him. Ever. Now his job was to help her see it.
“Fine, I’m leaving. But before I go,” he said as he walked toward her. He was positive she was expecting him to walk in and kiss Madison good night. She was sorely mistaken. This was about him and her.
Striding up to her, he grabbed her arm, not hard, but with enough pull that she came forward, stumbling into him.
“Cooper, what are you doing?”
“I’m saying goodnight,” he responded. His hands came up and grabbed her face as his head tilted down, his lips pressing into hers.
Her mouth opened in a gasp of surprise and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue gliding into her mouth, seeking out hers. The moan that released from her almost made him cum on the spot. This...fucking...woman. One word popped up in his head. Mine!
Releasing his hands from her face, he slid them down her body to her thighs. In one strong motion, he lifted her up, placing her hot core right over where his cock lay. Hands grabbing her under the ass, he continued kissing, his tongue dueling with hers. All he could think was that she tasted like heaven. Why had he waited so long?
Almost to the brink of losing control, all he wanted to do was sink inside of her until he couldn’t tell where he ended and she began. Her moans continued to reach his ears as they kissed deeply. His hands began to press her ass closer as he ground his hips into her. All he could think of was that they both needed to be naked, and his cock should be buried to the hilt inside of her.
Their mouths separated for a moment and he began kissing her neck, just below her ear. Ragged breath and low whimpers were all he could here. And then she said the words that made his world tilt on its axis.
“Cooper, please,” she begged.
For what, he wasn’t sure. But at this moment, he would give her anything in his power. Lifting his head, he looked into her eyes and saw raw passion. He was positive that his eyes reflected the same.
“Baby, I need you. Faith, please baby, don’t deny me.” His voice sounded foreign to him.
“I would nev—,” she was in the middle of speaking when they both heard a sound come from the room where Madison was sleeping.
“Faith?” The little voice echoed through the house. It served to jolt both of them out of their sexual frenzy. Hands pushing against him, Faith squirmed out of his arms, forcing him to release her. Her legs unwrapped from his waist and her feet hit the ground. Looking at him with uncertainty in her eyes, she skirted around him and left him standing there panting with barely unleashed desire.
“I’m coming, honey,” she called out to his little girl as she walked away.
Breathing deeply, Cooper tried to rein in his emotions. They were on the verge of having sex in the middle of her foyer. His daughter just in the next room over. Calming down to the point where he could move with some semblance of normalcy, he stood up straight and adjusted his pants, moving his hardness out of the way so that it wasn’t as noticeable. Yeah, right. With how he was feeling right now, that wasn’t going to work very well.
Faith stepped back out of the family room and walked toward him. Looking down at her, he knew that their moment of passion had passed. Whatever had flared up between them just moments ago had calmed down to a low simmer.
“She’s asleep again. I think she just turned over and noticed that I wasn’t in the room with her,” she said. “She’s back asleep now.”
“Do you want me to go?” He knew what he wanted her to say, but it was her choice.
“No. I don’t,” she admitted, a sexy smile coming over her face as she glanced down at the still noticeable bulge in his pants.
“Oh thank God, let’s go—,” she interrupted before he could finish.
“But, I think you should. We need to think about this Cooper. I’m not sure if you’re even ready for this.”
“Why would you say that? I just showed you that I’m more than ready to be with you,” he said, confused by what she was saying.
Looking away briefly, she turned back to him, her gaze strong and sure, “Have you gotten over Heather?”
Startled by her question, he said the first thing that came into his mind, “What the hell does my wife have anything to do with this?”
“Oh, Cooper, don’t you see? She has everything to do with this.” Pausing for a moment and walking further away from the room where Madison slept and closer to him. “Answer me this. Are you still married?”
“Faith, that is unfair. Don’t use my wife to push me away,” he said, his voice filled with frustration.
“I don’t have to. You just did.”
About to reach out to her, he stilled. In that moment, clarity hit him like a lightning bolt and he knew exactly what was wrong. Faith had asked him about Heather and he had responded in present-tense, not past. His libido may be ready to move on, but unconsciously, he considered himself still married.
“Faith, this night is not ending like I had planned.” Placing both hands on his hips, he dipped his head low. How the hell was he supposed to fight this? Couldn’t she understand how difficult this was for him?
“I know it didn’t. But, it ended the way it was supposed to.” Opening the door for him, she stood there waiting, “Go home, Cooper. Breakfast will be ready at ten in the morning. We’ll be here waiting for you when you decide to join us.”
Knowing when he was defeated and that it was best to pull back and regroup, Cooper walked to the open door. Stopping just in front of her, he cupped her face with one of his hands. Her eyes closed as she pressed closer into his warm palm, her lips brushing a light kiss against his skin. It had been such a stupid slip, but to Faith, he knew it was the one thing holding them apart.
“Really, Cooper, it’s okay. You’ll know when it’s time.”
“I know that I’m ready now, Faith. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. You have to see that. Now that I’ve found you, I’m not willing to let you go so easily,” the words sounded strained.
Her eyes glistened as she looked up at him, �
��I’ll be here. But for now, let’s slow down. Can we do that?”
“Do I have a choice?” He had completely fucked this up and now he had to pay the price.
“Not really. Good night, Cooper,” she smiled at him.
“Night, baby.” Stepping out of the door, he turned as she closed it. Something caused him to pause before he walked away. Soon after he heard the locks engage, he heard a sound come through the door. Unsure of what it was at first, he leaned closer, pressing his ear to the wood. There it was again.
He felt his breath catch as he recognized the sound. Crying.
Faith was crying on the other side of the door and it was all because of him. Resting his forehead on the door, he was unable to move. There was no way he could leave her now. Not with that sound coming through the door and piercing his heart like a knife. Knowing that she’s hurting on the other side of the door, and trying to hide it from him, slayed him.
Making a decision, he knocked softly on the door. With her being right on the other side, he knew she would hear it. When a few seconds passed, but no more crying could be heard, he knocked softly again. He soon heard the locks and then the door opened.
One look at her face and he knew this had been the right decision. Stepping inside, his large frame caused her to step back as he entered her home again. “Baby, why are you doing this? Please, Faith, don’t cry.”
Gathering her in his arms, he held her while he felt tiny tremors course through her body, “I’m not going anywhere. I know you think I’m not over Heather. And while right now is not the time to talk about that, I will prove to you that all I need, all I want, is you. But tonight, is all about you. I refuse to walk away from this house and leave you. My place is here, with you and Madison.”
“I don’t want her to find us in my bed, Cooper. That would confuse her too much,” she responded in a watery voice.
“Fine, then let’s sleep on the big couch in the other room. She’s already on the small one and you were going to sleep in the room with her anyway.” His back would hurt like hell and he would probably be awake all night, but it would be worth it. Any other time, maybe he would force the issue of lying on a comfortable mattress—but tonight was not that moment. If she wanted them to sleep on the couch, that’s what he would do.
Lifting her head, she wiped her eyes, “I probably look a mess.”
Cupping her face with his hands, he lifted her head up so that he could look directly into her eyes, “You look beautiful. Never doubt it.”
“You’re a liar, Mr. Branson, but I’ll take it. Okay, let me go get some blankets. I even think I have some of your shorts and a t-shirt over here.”
“I’ll be right here, Faith,” he said as she walked away. He meant every word.
Faith’s eyes opened to the sunlight. Her face was pressed against a warm body, her mouth open. One of her arms was wrapped around his waist, her hand splayed on his back. Cooper’s leg was in between hers and her top leg was curled around his thigh. Slowly peeling herself away from him, she could feel herself blush at the scene.
Lifting her eyes to Cooper’s face, she admired his profile for a few minutes. They had never slept this closely before. Unwrapping her arm from his back, she felt him shift and stilled. Peeking over her shoulder, she made sure that Madison was still sleeping. All she needed was for the little girl to wake up and see her daddy and Ms. Faith in a compromising position.
Turning back to Cooper, his eyes were still closed and his breathing even. Taking the opportunity in front of her, she ran her fingertips along his jaw in a feather-soft touch. In sleep, he looked so peaceful. You wouldn’t know that inside was a sleeping lion.
Not only had he been trained to take a life in a matter of seconds, but he had done so in the heat of battle. The unseen scars were as much a part of him as the visible ones that crisscrossed his bare chest and arms. He tried to hide that side of him, but she knew better. Growing up in a neighborhood where you had to learn how to handle yourself on a daily basis, where kids saw and experienced way too much, she knew the look of someone trying to hide their pain away from everyone.
Being strong was all he knew. She understood that. She accepted that. After last night, with what almost happened between them, she knew there had to be some changes.
Extricating her limbs from his, she slid from the couch to the floor like a slinky. Almost laughing out loud at the picture she made, she lay there for a few minutes trying to stay quiet. As long as Madison stayed asleep until she got up off of the floor that was all she needed. Getting up after a few minutes, she crept quietly out of the room, leaving the two people who held her heart sleeping peacefully.
After taking a quick shower and putting on clean clothes, she made her way into the kitchen and started pulling out the ingredients for their breakfast. Mind wandering as she moved around her kitchen, she thought back to last night.
God, that man made her forget who she was. When he knocked on her door the first time, she saw the time, but hadn’t given it much thought. Not until he came in all caveman style, making her panties wet and driving her crazy with his tongue and hands. If it hadn’t been for Madison calling out her name, who knows where they would have ended up.
Remembering the thickness of his cock rubbing at her center as they kissed, she felt her body start to respond to the memory of how good it felt. So powerful and strong, she gasped again as she remembered how he picked her up as if she weighed nothing. There was such power in his body, but he kept it hidden behind the facade of a carefree dad, who just so happened to wear a suit every day. If she had anything to say about it, she would have that man in her bed soon. And once there, she would be damned if he would leave.
This was her moment. It would finally be her chance to find happiness, and she couldn’t wait.
Picking up the sounds of movement in the other room, she refocused on the task at hand. Making breakfast for the man she loved and the little girl that had stolen her heart.
“Daddy, Daddy! You had a sleepover with me and Ms. Faith!”
Cooper’s eyes came open just as his daughter launched herself onto his chest. “Oomph!” Wincing a little in pain as she landed on top of him, “Morning, princess.”
“We made pancakes and bacon and cheesy eggs. Ms. Faith said that cheesy eggs are the best, so I’m going to have a whole bunch,” her chatter continued even as Cooper lifted up from lying prone on the couch.
Damn, his back hurt like a motherfucker. Clearly he had gotten soft after being out of the military for so long. There were nights that he and his team had slept on the hard ground with little more than their rucksack as a pillow. He stretched his neck and twisted his back to loosen up the kinks. “Okay, honey, where’s Ms. Faith?”
“She’s in the kitchen. She told me to come wake you up, so I did,” she seemed proud that she could contribute. “Come on, Daddy. You have five minutes. Ms. Faith said.”
“Okay, I’m getting up now. I’ll be there in two minutes. How does that sound?”
“I’ll go tell her,” she said as she turned tail and ran back to the kitchen.
Lifting up from the couch, he stretched and walked to the guest bathroom. Thank goodness Faith was a smart girl. He was lucky that she had some of his clothes over here from their many visits and outings. Plus, she kept a cadre of toothbrushes for guests to use. Oh yeah, that woman of his was the real deal.
His woman? Yeah, she was. That became true the moment he laid eyes on her. It just took his brain and heart time to catch up.
As he walked into the kitchen, he heard their voices raised in song, singing one of those catchy tunes playing on the radio lately. Smiling at their antics as they set the table and as Faith brought over the hot food on platters. Next came the orange juice and coffee for them, and strawberry milk for Madison.
Faith was the first one to see him, “Good morning, Cooper. Hungry?”
“Starving,” he said while eyeing her, instead of the food on the table. Grinning at her like a wolf ey
eing a tasty treat, he watched her eyes widen as she picked up on what he was saying. Mouthing, “soon baby,” in her direction, he turned to the table and saw Madison standing there looking so proud. “Everything looks really good. Did you help make this, munchkin?”
“I sure did, Daddy. I helped with the pancakes. Can you tell?”
Looking intently at the fluffy blueberry filled flapjacks, he exclaimed, “I sure can! Great job, honey.”
All of them sat down, with Faith saying grace. That done, they all dug into the food. Faith made Madison’s plate, only giving her a silver dollar size pancake, a small scoop of cheesy eggs, and one slice of bacon.
“How did you sleep,” he asked her once they had settled in to eat.
“It was wonderful, actually,” she responded after taking a drink of juice. “I woke up before both of you and started getting everything ready.” She eyed Madison and he picked up the hint that his little girl had not seen them lying together on the couch wrapped in each other’s arms.
“Ah, well, then I’m glad. So, what’s on tap for the day?”
“I have a little bit of work to do and some laundry,” Faith responded.
“Actually, I need to make a trip to see Heather’s parents. I forgot that I promised them that Madison and I would see them today.” Once he finished, he looked up at Faith’s face. He hadn’t forgotten their conversation last night and he was hoping she would understand that there was a difference in thinking of himself as married to someone who had passed, and keeping his daughter connected to both sides of her family. Maintaining balance for Madison was important.
“Faith—,” he began.
“No, it’s fine Cooper. I really do understand. This is important, for both you and Madison.” Her tentative smile reminded him that she had not forgotten their conversation, either. “Really. I understand. Don’t worry about it.”
