The KISS Principle (Erotic Romance) (10 page)

A smile played at his lips and he pulled her into the
most celebratory embrace she’d ever experienced, lifting her off her feet. His kiss
was fierce with conviction, his fingers dove into her hair, cradling the back
of her head. Without warning, he scooped her legs into the air and carried her from
the kitchen.

“The flowers,” Allie gasped once her head had cleared
and she realized they were headed for bed.

“I’ll buy you two dozen tomorrow.”

Allie squirmed in his arms. “Don’t be silly. It will
take two seconds to put them in water.”

He tossed her onto the bed and she bounced when she
landed. “And that’s two seconds too long.” His steely resolve was a marked
change from his romantic demeanor moments before. “Don’t you dare get off that
bed.” He winked, a trademark of the man she loved.

Love. I love him.

His fingers scrambled as he unbuttoned his shirt before
yanking his shirtsleeves down his arms. He made quick work of his jeans and boxers.

Allie became overheated at the sight of him before
her—long and lean, his cock primed. She arched her neck and twined her
fingers, stretching her arms high above her head on the bed. “You better get
over here,” she cooed.

“Ask and ye shall receive,” he quipped before kneeling
next to her. He smoothed his hands the length of her torso, lifting her top
over her head. Even through the fabric of her bra, her nipples tightened at his
touch as his palms grazed her breasts. He tugged her jeans and panties down her
legs and she reached behind and unhooked her bra.

Cooper hooked two fingers over the straps, dragging
them down her arms until the lacy cups fells away, revealing her breasts. He
dropped his head and teased her nipples, spiraling his tongue around the taut
and puckered points. His lips were downy soft as he sucked her into his mouth.
He wasted no time skimming his hand between her legs, beguiling her with every
careful caress of her clit.

“I love you, Allie,” he whispered, continuing in
languid but persistent circles at her apex, the pressure snowballing in her
belly.

She hitched her leg over his hip, raking her hand into
his thick hair where sweat had gathered at the nape of his neck. “I love you,
Cooper. Make love to me.” She bucked her hips when he made a particularly
intoxicating pass over her clit with his thumb. “Oh God. Now. Hurry.”

He plucked a condom from the drawer, rolling it on
before he settled himself between her legs. He waited at her entrance for an instant,
their eyes locked—never had she felt so vulnerable and happy for it. With
an intoxicating thrust, he filled her to the limit as if he’d been made just
for her.

They rocked together and she wrapped her legs around
him, holding him as close as possible. Their lips and tongues were a delightful,
playful tangle. Cooper put much of his body weight on Allie and she adored the
way his firm chest rasped against the delicate skin of her breasts. He ground
against her pelvis, creating a heady friction that sent her racing for her
peak.

Cooper’s breaths grew shorter, his thrusts more eager
and intense. Allie held on as long as she could until it was too much and
pleasurable waves rippled through her. Cooper quickly followed, calling her
name, still moving inside her as his own climax subsided. He collapsed, sweaty,
and Allie traced her fingers the length of his muscular back. She grinned when
he hummed into her neck, relieved she’d finally admitted to him and to herself
that she was in love.

Chapter Ten

Allie studied Cooper as he slept with his mouth agape.
His lower lip drooped, hair flattened from the pillow and yet he looked as sexy
as any man she could imagine. She glanced at her alarm clock. Five twenty-six.
Four minutes until she needed to get up for work. She turned off the switch,
not wanting the buzzer to wake him from his peaceful slumber.

I told him I love him and the sky didn’t fall.
She touched his hair lightly. Everything with Cooper had been such a whirlwind,
crazy and unpredictable. When had she ever just gone with something? Her every
move in life was usually planned or at least quickly calculated.

 The most analytical part of her still knew that
anything truly permanent with Cooper was a long shot. He’d said a twelve-year
age difference didn’t bother him, but perhaps that was youth and inexperience
talking. There was no way for him to know whether he might meet some sweet
young thing who would change his mind.

Thinking about it was a dismal prospect.
Stop it
and enjoy the moment.
What had Cooper said?
The future will take care of
itself.
Time to adopt a new mantra when it came to love.

She showered and dressed, nervousness about the day
ahead stewing in her stomach. Rumblings and groans came from the bedroom as she
worked on her makeup.

Cooper shuffled through the bathroom door in only his
boxers. “Morning, beautiful.” He pecked her on the temple and proceeded to the
toilet.

“Good morning to you. What time are you headed into
the office?” She brushed on mascara, still hearing the stream of fluid behind
her. “You’re like a waterfall over there.” She’d never had a boyfriend who felt
comfortable enough to pee while she was still in the bathroom.

He washed his hands and pulled her into his arms. “You
sure you have to leave so early? It isn’t even seven.” He pushed her hair past
her shoulder and softly kissed her neck.

Her knees became rubber and she steadied herself
against the counter. “Sorry. I have a lot to do today.”

He straightened but left his hands on her hips.
“You’re even wearing my favorite skirt.” A smirk sat on his lips. “Before I
forget, I want to give you the lawyer’s phone number. It’s in the pocket of my
jeans.”

She followed him into the bedroom, admiring the view when
he bent over to pluck his pants from the floor. “I don’t think I’ll need a
lawyer after all, but I’ll call him if it’ll make you happy.”

“What do you mean you might not need a lawyer? You
need a lawyer. We agreed on that.”

Allie went to her dresser and chose a pair of large
gold hoop earrings from her jewelry box. “I was going to tell you my genius
idea last night.” She slid the first earring into place as Cooper followed her,
his forehead creased with worry. “Until somebody distracted me with roses and
kisses and I love you.” Popping up on to her tiptoes, she brushed her lips
against his.

He dropped the super-serious look. “And? Your plan?”

Allie put in her second earring. “Right. It came to me
yesterday when I was at the office. Nobody knows Ian better than I do. I know
how he thinks and what motivates him.”

Now he looked confused again. “So you’re going to share
this information with the lawyer?”

“No. I’m going to work this out with him myself. We’re
having lunch today.”

Cooper’s response registered first in his body. His
skin became hot, his back as tight as if someone had sewn his shoulder blades
together. “No way. You are not doing that. Do you have any idea how stupid that
is?”

“Stupid? Isn’t that a little harsh?” Allie’s eyes flashed
with determination. “I thought this through and this is the only way for me to
save my company on my terms. I’m going to find a compromise and Ian can get the
higher-ups to call off the dogs.”

He shook his head and grabbed her shoulders. Allie’s
vision swept to where one of his hands was clamped on her body. Her jaw tensed
and she took a deep breath.

“I’m serious, Allie. What if you say the wrong thing?”
He watched as she cocked an eyebrow. “You might end up giving him information
that will make it that much easier for them to put you out of business. Then
what? This is really naïve of you. I can’t believe you’d think for even a
minute that this is a good idea.”

Allie stood silent. She pursed her lips, accenting her
cheekbones, which were unfortunately painted in a deep crimson. Every tick of
the clock was an eternity.

“Are you finished? Can I speak now?” she asked in a
clipped tone. “Ian is using our history as a weapon, but he’s not the only one
who can play that game. I just have to let him think that he’s winning. I’ll go
into this lunch contrite and sweet and make several suggestions on a
compromise. You catch more flies with sugar and I’ve been a bitch. I think I
need to soften my approach.” She unzipped her skirt and tucked in her blouse.
“This is neither stupid nor is it naïve on my part. I know what I’m doing.”

His heart sank at the sight of her in an outfit that
showed off every inch of her curves. He watched as she put on black pumps.
Great.
Now she’s sex on stilettos.
His guy mind knew exactly what would be going
through Ian’s head when he saw her. Hell, every guy who saw her would be
struggling to keep it in his pants. The difference being that Ian knew exactly
what was under that silky blouse and skintight skirt.

He rubbed his face with both hands, fighting back the
jealousy that thundered through his veins, finishing with a rake of his hair.
“Allie, honey. This is a really, really bad idea. I don’t know how else to say
this to you. I don’t trust Ian at all. He’s a total sleazeball. And I really
don’t trust him being around you when you look like that.” Allowing that last
part to slip out may have been ill-advised, but it was the truth.

“We’re going to freaking Miller and Main. The
restaurant will be packed at lunch.” She brushed past him and pulled a red
leather handbag off the shelf in the closet. “The thing that’s really bothering
me is that I can’t figure out if you’re worried that I’m going to make a bad
business decision or if you’re just worried about me having lunch with my
ex-boyfriend.”

How in the hell am I supposed to separate the two?
Cooper
threw his hands up into the air. “Take your pick.”

Her eyes flew to the bedside table. “Shit. Is that the
time? I have a meeting at nine that I need to finish preparing for.” She stepped
closer and rubbed his bare arms reassuringly. “Look. I don’t want to argue. I’m
going to be fine. I have this under control. You don’t need to worry about me.”

His feelings were so strong that it made his chest
ache. He wanted nothing more than to protect her, keep her safe in every way,
from everything and most importantly, everyone. “But I do worry. I love you. I
don’t want him to hurt you.”

“I love you too, but you have to trust me. I know what
I’m doing.”

* * * * *

Brian plunked down his planner on Cooper’s desk. “All
right. Spill it. What in the hell is going on with you? You’ve been a total
asshole all morning.”

Cooper twisted his lips. His brother was right. He’d
been on edge ever since Allie had left for work that morning. He glanced over
his shoulder and got up to close his office door. He exhaled with puffed
cheeks. “Allie is having lunch with Ian, her ex-boyfriend today. She came up with
this harebrained idea that she can convince him to drop the lawsuit on her own.”

“Huh.” Brian nodded. “She could convince me of almost
anything. It might work.”

Cooper slumped down in his chair. “Please stop talking
about my girlfriend that way. What am I supposed to do?”

“She’s a grown woman, Coop. She can do what she wants.
You’re going to have to get used to that. She’ll probably do all kinds of
things that you won’t like.”

“I just, ugh…” He buried his head in his hands. “I
can’t stand Ian and I know he’s going to screw her over. I can just feel it.”
His head held a cacophony of emotions he wished he didn’t have. They were
invading his entire body, making him sicker to his stomach with every passing
moment. “You should have seen the way she looked when she left the apartment
this morning. She said she was going to soften her approach. She said something
about catching more flies with sugar.”

“So you’re worried she’s going to cheat on you?”

“No. Not really. I trust her.” Visions of the night
before flashed before him. “I told her I love her.”

“And what did she say?”

“She said she loves me too.” This should have brought
a smile to his face, but he’d sensed hesitation from Allie last night. Yes,
she’d returned the words, but did she really mean it? Was she as head-over-heels
for him as he was for her?

Brian grinned and reached to slap his brother on the
arm. “That’s fantastic. I’m also guessing that’s what makes this so hard.”

“I just wish there was a way to know that she’s okay.”
He straightened his stapler on his desk for what felt like the twentieth time.
Anything slightly off-kilter was driving him bonkers.

“Then let’s go.” Brian slid his planner off Cooper’s
desk. “I’ll tell everybody we’re taking a long lunch.”

“What are you talking about? You think I should drop
in? That’ll go over like a lead balloon.”

“No, dumbass. We’ll sit on the other side of the
restaurant and I’ll keep an eye on her and tell you what’s going on. Then you
won’t have to worry so much. She can tell you exactly what happened later.”

“That’s about the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.”

“Would you rather sit at your desk and stew all
afternoon?”

Cooper stared at the black cursor blinking on his
laptop. He wouldn’t accomplish a single thing today. Not when Allie was having
lunch with Ian on the other side of town. Not when all he could think about was
her trying to soften her approach or entice him with sugar. “Fine. But I’m
bailing if I think there’s any chance she’ll see us.” He propped his sunglasses
on top of his head and stood up from his desk.

“One more thing,” Brian said. “You’re paying.”

As Allie had predicted, Miller and Main was packed. It
was a well-known spot for power lunches, and the hostess looked at Cooper as if
he were crazy when he asked for a booth partially obscured by a partition and a
wait station. It was easily the worst seat in the house.

Allie’s red leather handbag made her easy to spot and
luckily she sat with her back to the door in a half-round booth with Ian.
Cooper had only glanced at them, terrified of being busted but alarmed to see her
in such a cozy setting with her ex. A distance of several tables, or a few
miles, was more palatable.

“This is literally the most idiotic thing you’ve ever
talked me into,” Cooper said, looking at the menu, which at this point was
nothing more than an indecipherable jumble of letters on the page. “That
includes the time you convinced me to copy down the answers from your World
History test.”

Brian smirked as he set down his menu. “That was
pretty funny. Mom couldn’t figure out how you could get every single answer
wrong on a multiple-choice test.”

“Oh yeah, that was hilarious.”

The waiter brought the two India Pale Ales they’d
ordered. “Do you know what you’d like for lunch?”

“I’ll have the club sandwich and fries,” Brian said.

“Same for me,” Cooper muttered, distracted. He pulled
his phone from his pocket, desperate for something to do, but didn’t have a
single text or voicemail. “Can you see anything?” he asked, his heart pounding.
He watched his brother’s eyes narrow as he looked across the restaurant.
This
is so wrong. Insanely wrong.

Brian leaned a bit out of the booth. “You didn’t tell
me he was such a handsome guy.”

“Great. Thanks. I appreciate that. Can you just tell
me what they’re doing?”

 “He’s laughing. She’s taking a sip of her
martini.”

She’s having a damn martini?
“Okay.
I guess it’s good he’s laughing.”
Or is it? Maybe she’s cracking jokes.

 “The waitress just brought their food. It looks
like Allie got a salad. Not sure what he got.” Brian hesitated. “Maybe the prime
rib special. Damn, I knew I should’ve ordered that.”

“I don’t need to know what they’re eating.” Cooper
rubbed a clammy hand on his jeans, the wash so dark that his palm turned light
blue. He rubbed at his skin with the white napkin. “Anything else?”

“Um, he’s smiling and nodding his head.”

Smiling is good. I guess.

“He’s not saying anything, just chewing,” Brian
continued. “Now he’s drinking. Looks like he’s having bourbon.”

 “Again, don’t need the running commentary on
what they ordered.” Of course Ian was lunching on steak and bourbon.
Could
he try any harder to be the alpha male?

“Will you chill out? I’m just telling you what I see.”
Brian took a glug of his beer and swiped his upper lip with the back of his
hand. “It’s hard to know what Allie’s doing because I can’t really see her
face. All she’s doing is gesturing and flipping her hair back over her
shoulder. Stuff like that. Now she’s playing with her earring.”