Lost Chances (17 page)

This time, she groaned. No matter if it was the right thing to do. She craved to ignore right and wrong. All she wanted was another night like they'd already had. The night he didn't remember. Duh, Sophia!

"Food sounds good." She spun around and checked out everything he had. "Did you rob the deli?"

His cheeks turned red. "I didn't know what kind of meat, cheese, and bread you liked."

"But you know what my favorite flower is?"

"I remembered it was your mother’s and I noticed you still kept them in the house." He grabbed a plate. "What all do you want?"

The man was even going to fix a plate for her. And he bought a variety of foods just so she’d have som
ething she liked. Was this man for real? She bit her bottom lip and noticed his eyes drop to her mouth.

"You really should stop that." The deepness in his voice sent a shiver down her spine, but she still let go of her lip.

He didn't just have one kind of bread. She pointed at the buns. "My favorite. I'll take that with the Swiss cheese—" She read the labels on the deli bags, "—and the black forest ham."

"Mayo and mustard?"

"Mayo only. I really don't need any, so just a little." She felt silly watching him as he finished her sandwich and then started on his own. "I can't believe you planned all this. I'll admit I was worried when the flowers led me here. I thought you might have planned to go swimming and didn't tell me to bring a bathing suit."

His burst of laughter startled her. "Now that would've been a good plan. Have you come with no bathing suit. I'll admit, I did think about planning a swim, but decided if we were going to take it slow, that just might not be the best idea. Picnic by the river seemed reason
able."

"So you don't think you could control yourself if we went swimming?" It was wrong to tease him, yet it came naturally around Cooper.

He leaned in close enough for his minty breath to tickle her face. "Sweetheart, I'm really not even sure how much I'm in control right now. If you were only in a bathing suit, I know I couldn't stop myself from taking you. And wouldn't that just ruin our plan to take things slow?"

A fluttering in her stomach moved lower and she had to squeeze her legs together. The loud pounding of her heart nearly drowned out the calm splashes of the river water. When a slow smile crept across his face, she slapped his arm.

"Oh, you deserved that after teasing me."

She could tell by the gruff sound in his voice and the way he kept clearing his throat that he wasn’t joking.

His eyes never left her as he devoured his sandwich in record time. She finished up her own, then sat her plate down.

"I have dessert." He winked and reached into a bag.

Looking at the container he held in his hands sent her into a fit of giggles. "Seriously?"

"Oh yeah."

The Peter Pan peanut butter took her back to the past when he'd literally carry it around in his book bag at school, or just bring it over when he spent the night at their house. Her father even started to keep it stocked in their house when he realized how much Cooper loved the stuff.

"I can't believe you're still addicted to peanut bu
tter." It amazed her how different he’d become, yet still so much the same. "Did you just bring spoons, or do you have something to eat it with?"

"I have some
crackers, and a spoon." He pulled out the box and then one spoon.

"Am I to share a spoon with you?" Not that she had any issues with sharing.

"If you don't want to, I'm not opposed to you using your fingers. You licking the peanut butter off is something I'd love to see."

If he thought he could get away with messing with her, he was dead wrong. She grabbed the container and stuck her finger inside, but instead of putting it in her own mouth; she lifted up onto her knees and pressed the fingertip to his lips.

His eyes widened, then his mouth opened just enough for her to insert her finger. The sucking sensation on the digit sent an unexpected jolt through her body. He grabbed her hand before she could pull it away to nibble on the tips of each finger and then the inside of her wrist.

Thinking he was finished, she started to speak until he leaned in to bite her neck, following a sensual trail all the way up until they ended up face to face—his lips only a millimeter away from hers. She gasped with surprise when he grabbed her bottom lip with his teeth and then soothed it by sucking. Closing her eyes, she dropped her head back as she felt his breath leading a path past her chin, down her neck, and stopping right above her breast.

She bit her lip to keep from whimpering. As if he'd never been there, the warmth of his body disappeared.

"Now, would you like to share the spoon?"

She opened her eyes. Holy shit, that was the hottest thing ever, and nothing really happened. He was baiting her but she didn't back down, so she grabbed the spoon first. The glob of peanut butter was something she hadn't done in a while; it tasted so good. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting a moan escape and then she opened them back to find him focused on her. His tongue darted out to lick his lips. "This is the best dessert you could've come up with."

"I never knew it could be such a damn turn on to watch you eat peanut butter. Every time I think I'm pr
epared, you surprise the hell out of me, Sophia." He sat the jar down and slid off the tail gate. "I have to cool off."

She didn't realize what he meant and then he was stripping his shirt off. Next, he pulled his boots, socks, and pants off.

"Wh-what are you doing?" The muscles in his back bunched and flexed with each movement. It was so hard to pull her gaze away—his butt had her transfixed and she just gawked at the briefs hugging the rock-hard cheeks. How they didn't rip where his thighs stretched the material remained a mystery to her.

"Sophia, if you don't quit staring at my backside like that, then you'll come in with me even if you don't want to." He looked over his shoulder at her before diving into the water.

"I thought this wasn't the plan." It didn't matter if it wasn't anyways, because the water looked fantastic and she wanted so bad to get closer to him. She also needed to cool off after the torture he subjected her to.

Not wanting to waste something so valuable, she put the lid back on the peanut butter and slid off the truck. She'd never look at a jar of peanut butter the same. He followed her every movement until she stood at the water's edge. She grabbed the bottom of the sun dress and he spun away.

"I sure as shit can't watch you strip, or see you like that."

She loved the way she affected him with such a simple act. If only he remembered the first time she stood naked in front of him. She pulled the dress over her head and tossed it on the truck. Not wanting her bra and underwear to be soaked, she risked removing them too, before hurrying into the water until she was co
mpletely submerged up to her shoulders. "Okay."

Laughter bubbled up when he turned with his eyes closed and then opened just one at first. "I wasn't tricking you."

"I don't know. This little game we're playing is heading in a direction I didn't plan on." He swam closer to her.

She moved back. What if he got upset that she was completely naked? And what would happen after he did find out? "I'm not sure what game you're referring to?"

"Ha! I don't believe one bit that little moan you did while eating the peanut butter was for real." He swam close enough to touch her, but didn't.

"It was really tasty." A scream escaped when he grabbed her waist and jerked her against his hard body.

His eyes squeezed closed. "You're naked."

At first she just nodded and then realized he didn't see her with his eyes still shut. "Yes."

"You win." Those lids popped open to give her a glimpse of those baby blues. It didn't last long when he shoved his hands in her hair and jerked her in for a killer kiss. He pulled his right hand away and she shuddered against him as he cupped one breast, his thumb grazing the hard nipple. His attention moved to the other side for only a few seconds before both of his hands dropped to her butt and lifted her.

The change of position brought her out of the w
ater enough for him to lavish one side and then the next with his tongue and teeth. She squeezed her legs against his butt and was rewarded with his erection slipping across her exposed sex. The sensations grew to where she found herself grinding against him.

One hand still held her up, even as the other slid around to tease her opening. A finger stretched her as it slipped inside easily. He kissed her again, his tongue thrusting in and out at the same pace as his finger and she waited for her body to shatter.

She reached a hand down herself and maneuvered his briefs until they weren't blocking the object of her attention. Once they were out of the way enough, she wrapped as much of her hand around the base as she could, grinning when he jumped in her hand. She squeezed tight and slid up to the tip and back down. The noise that came out of him sounded a lot like a growl—the sexiest thing she'd ever heard.

She didn't stop even as a second finger joined the first and then his thumb circled her clit. The fluttering in her stomach seized and she tensed as her mind exploded and her body contracted around his invasion. She couldn't kiss him anymore without fear of biting his tongue, so she threw her head back and screamed, never slowing her own hand until he jerked against her and his groan joined in her joy. His fingers didn't stop until she rode out the orgasm completely and her body grew limp.

A sharp breath slipped out when he pulled his hand away. The nerves in her body switched to overdrive and every time his body brushed against her, she jerked. She thought the first night they shared had been amazing, but that was nothing compared to being completely aware of everything he was doing to her.

He carried her out of the water and sat her on the edge of the truck and kissed her lips softly. "Hold on."

She was sure she would fall if he didn't hurry. The limp feeling in her body had her holding tight to the truck. Soon, he was lifting her back up to carry her over to another blanket he'd spread out over the ground. Gently, he laid her down, then stretched out beside her, positioning her so her head rested on his arm.

She glanced down to see the bulge between his legs. "I thought you came."

"I did. That's not completely erect, but holding you naked against my body won't keep it away for long. You just don't know what you do to me and after having you shatter around my hand like that, I don't think I'll ever sleep without dreaming of it." He kissed her and bit her lips lightly. "You're so easy to please, and so damn good with those hands of yours."

A warm blush filled her cheeks. She was lying on a blanket under the darkening sky with Cooper, completely naked. "I've never felt anything so satisfying in my life."

"Good. I want to be the only one who can make you feel that way. I think we screwed up the taking things slow aspect of our relationship."

She started to giggle and then couldn't stop. His own laughter joined in. "I think you're right about that."

The arm under her head was the one with the tattoo that she'd been dying to study. "When did you have this done?"

The design showed an antique looking map with what look liked coordinates, with a compass as the centerpiece. She found herself tracing the lines.

"I had it done not long after I left town. I've always wanted a tattoo, but it had to be special. After my grandpa's death, I felt lost and what better way to help me than a map? Leaving you seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Then I realized I was even more lost than before." He cleared his throat and pointed up at the stars. "Look how clear the sky is tonight."

"It's beautiful. My dad used to tell me that the brightest star in the sky was Mom looking down on us." Even though she knew what stars really were, she still thought about that every time she looked up at night. "I could lie here all night just staring at them."

"Me too."

She turned to find his gaze on her, not the stars. "The stars are up there."

"Not the one I care about." He kissed her gently, slipping his tongue in to dance against hers. After just enjoying the taste of him, she moaned with disappointment when he ended the kiss. "I don't want to end this moment, but will your brothers be worried?"

"I should head home soon, since they know Ryan is still out of town until tomorrow." Then she reme
mbered what she'd wanted to ask him. "Did Jacob catch us on the couch this morning?"

He stiffened. "Yeah, he did. We had a talk, and he said we should plan to tell Nick and Mike, before they find out another way."

"I was dreading that."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to them about how I feel about you and where I want this to go." He lifted onto his elbow. "Only when you're ready for them to know."

In some ways she didn't ever want them to find out because she was scared of how they'd react, but they had to know. "Jacob is right. We shouldn't wait. If you're sure you want to do it alone, then I'm okay with it. Just don't get in a fight, please."

"I'm not going to fight your brothers. At least I hope we've all grown up enough to talk like adults."