Chapter 16
Cooper
She doesn’t answer,but she doesn’t move away from me either. I can feel the way the tension is rolling off her, hear it in the way she’s breathing. If I’ve ever had a chance with her, this is it. So I take it and hope like hell it doesn’t sink our friendship if I fail. I’ve gotten too attached to more Trix in my life, too needy to have her any way I can, to be ready to lose her. But I need to know if there’s anything more for her there.
“You’ve been on my list for a long time, Trix.”
“I didn’t think you had room on your list.” She teases me, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
“You’re at the top, and if anyone else was ever on it, I don’t remember.”
“How did I end up on this list exactly?” I can hear the hesitation in her voice, the confusion at us even having this discussion. But I’ve waited for this opening with her for so long, I can’t let it go without trying.
“A sundress.”
“A sundress?” There’s a small, stuttered laugh that falls from her lips.
“Remember a couple of summers ago when we were all supposed to go fishing? But then Lizzy wanted to sleep in, and you and Rob had that fight?”
“Yeah. I remember. I had no business being on a boat, let alone fishing.”
“But you came anyway. With a sundress and no sunscreen. I had to put some on your shoulders, and your skin was so damn soft, Trix. You were so sweet, and I could see where your eyes were still red from him making you cry. It killed me.”
“I was embarrassed. Your parents heard us fighting, and I just wanted to be anywhere that wasn’t the house.” Her brow furrows at the memory.
“I know. Which is why I took you out on the boat even though it took all my self-control not to say anything. Especially with the way you looked. How quiet you were. So I just promised myself I’d make you laugh and forget things for a few hours. Teach you something to get your mind off it. Try to get my mind off you in the process.”
“You did. I had a lot of fun that day. It felt like I could forget for a bit, and I honestly didn’t want to go back to shore.”
“Me either. I wanted to kiss you that day. So fucking bad it hurt.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” she whispers, and I still my hands in response.
I can hear my heart pounding in my ears, and I’m nervous I fucked up by confessing it to her. I don’t know what I’m doing with her, even when I think I do. I start to pull away, but she stops me, her palm over the top of my knuckles, and a soft sound from her has me holding still. “I wouldn’t have appreciated it then the way I would now. If you’d kissed me at the fair…” She trails off, and the pounding in my ears is nearly deafening.
“I’ll kiss you anytime you want. Anywhere you want.”
She must like my confession because she tilts her head and looks up at me, the ghost of a smile crosses her face before her eyes drop to my mouth. It’s all the encouragement I need from her before I lean over to kiss her. I’m careful, so careful, gently brushing my lips over hers and giving her the chance to push me away if she wants. It’s almost too good to be true. Like for once in my life, birthday wishes are real because I’m finally getting something I’ve wanted for ages.
Except she doesn’t push back, she returns it—kissing me like she wants me. With a kind of greediness that makes me think I’m not the only one who’s imagined this before now. She tastes sweet like the cake batter she’s fixing, and I brush my tongue over her lower lip for another taste before hers darts out and tangles with mine. I thread my fingers through her hair, and her hands wander down my chest.
For a moment, I have everything I’ve ever wanted. But then her hand presses down gently, and she takes a step back. Her lashes fluttering, and her gaze falling to the floor.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she whispers, and the words crash through my daze. Battering my thoughts as she retreats, and putting the ocean of what-ifs back in between us.
“Why not?” My brain honestly can’t come up with a single good reason, but if she has them, I’ll listen.
Her brow furrows, and she looks at me for a moment and then away.
“You’re my landlord now, for starters.”
“That’s temporary.”
“You’re his brother.”
“You said you wouldn’t hold that against me.”
She levels me with a look. “I don’t, but… this can’t go anywhere. Not really. I mean, not that it could anyway. You don’t do serious, and right now, neither do I.”
“So it doesn’t have to be serious. It just has to be fun. And you already know I’m fun.” I’m bargaining with her. Bargaining with myself, really, because I’ll take whatever she gives me.
She smiles, one that’s sincere and travels all the way to her eyes as she looks me over. “You are a lot of fun.”
“So I don’t see the problem.”
Her eyes dart back to some distant spot behind me, and she fidgets with the spoon in her hand like she’s still trying to reason herself out of this.
“I’m on your list. You’re on mine. We’re both adults. You’ve already kissed me. Slept in my bed. Might as well take full advantage of the hospitality around here.” I give her a laundry list of reasons we should jump into the deep end. Ones I’ve told myself a million times.
She shakes her head and laughs again before it fades to a smile, and then her brow furrows.
“Speaking of taking advantage and your bed…” She twirls the spoon between her fingers, and her cheeks flush slightly, her lip worrying between her teeth. “I watched you the other day. I didn’t mean to. I went back to get my phone after you went to shower, and the door was open…”
“Watched me?” I’m confused at first, and then the pieces start to fall into place when I remember the state I was in after she slept in my bed. My little self session to get her out of my head. Doing it all while I imagined her spread out in front of me. Fuck… “Oh.” I swallow down the awkward feeling. If I was capable of blushing I might be doing it right now.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. It was just… and then you said… Or I thought you said…” She stumbles over her words as she looks up at me.
“Your name.” Fucckkkkk. “Yeah, about that…” I grab my hat, taking it off and putting it back on again. Straightening the bill out on the back like it’ll make a difference in my ability to explain away what she saw. It’s a nervous habit of mine I can’t help. One I’m doing while I try to explain the fact I get off while I think about her.
“It was hot. Honestly.” She saves what’s left of my ego. “You were… I thought about walking in there, and then I ran off and wondered if I needed to confess my sins somewhere or something. I was torn between that and taking my own shower.” The smile she gives me then makes my heart stop.
“Your own shower?”
“Shower…” She uses air quotes and presses her lips together as her eyes dart off to the side.
“Did you? Fuck… Tell me you did.”
“No. I felt guilty, and I was in your house.”
“Right. You were in my house. You should have come to me. I would have taken care of you.”
Her tongue darts out over her lower lip, and she glances at me before she starts to turn away again. I catch her chin and sweep my thumb over it, bringing her eyes back to mine.
“I can take care of you right now if that’s what you need.”
“I…” She looks at me, and I can tell she’s considering it, that she’s curious, but thinks it’s the wrong thing to want. I’m too desperate to hear her come to care what’s wrong right now. “I have to finish the cake.”
“You can finish it while I finish you. Not a problem, Trix.”
“What?” Her fingers turn the spoon over again and then slip down over the handle. It’s a simple act that has me imagining more.
“Finish making the cake. You were doing such a good job before I interrupted. I want to watch you finish it.” I stand and gently press my hands to her hips, turning her around so she’s back facing the counter.
She sets the spoon down and reaches slowly for the spatula, and my hands coast over her hips, playing over the soft bit of skin between her shirt and her waistband. I can hear her breathing shift again with anticipation, feel it in the way she moves like she’s waiting for what I’ll do next.
My lips are at her throat of their own volition. I can’t get enough of the feel of her soft skin, the smell of her perfume, and the soft sound she makes when I kiss my way down her neck. My fingers follow a similar descent, making their way under the skirt she has on and teasing my way slowly over her skin before I go to slide my fingers under the band of her panties.
Until there’s a shrill sound that knocks us both out of the moment.
The doorbell rings, and I pause, racking my brain for who the hell could be here. Lizzy’s with her mom. I didn’t make any orders yet. I don’t live in the kind of neighborhood where people just stop by.
There’s a small exhale on her part, and her lashes flutter open.
“You should get that,” she says with a touch of reluctance in her voice.
“You know who it is?” I guess she did say she ordered something.
“Yes. Your birthday party.” She smiles up at me and then breaks out into a laugh. “Surprise!”
I bite my lower lip and shake my head until I can’t help but laugh too.
“Fuck… I’m gonna tell them to go around to the back, and then I’m finishing what we started. They can wait on us for a few minutes.”
“I should get the cake in, or it’ll never be ready in time. I’m late as it is. Can’t have a birthday without cake, you know.”
I run my hand under her chin and tilt it up so her eyes meet mine, raising a brow.
“Respectfully, fuck the cake.”
Another spate of laughter rolls through her, but she nods her agreement. I hurry to the door, and sure enough, my guys are out there. I greet them quickly, thanking them for showing up as they yell surprise and give me shit about being another year older.
“Trix is finishing the cake and doesn’t want anyone seeing the mess. Can you go around back and give me five to help her clean up, then I’ll be out?” I ask, nodding my head toward my back fence.
“The wife making you a cake instead of buying it? So domestic.” Ramsey gives me a shit-eating grin.
“Wife?” I hear Daphne ask as she walks up the path with her friends. Apparently, they were invited too.
“Our boy’s got a girl living with him now,” Garner answers her, nodding toward the fence as he heads that way and explains to the girls what’s going on.
I’m not sure if Trix is ready for the party she planned for me or how wild these guys can get, but the least I can do for all her trouble is give her an orgasm. So I haul ass back to the kitchen where she’s already got the cake in the oven and is cleaning up the mess she made with the batter. It amuses me that someone who’s otherwise so prim and proper can’t seem to bake without it exploding through half the place. It’s another thing about her on a long list of things I love.
I come up behind her as she wipes down the island. She glances outside when we both see the movement of people filling the backyard.
“I told them we needed a few minutes to finish cleaning up in here, so they’re out back.” I wrap my arms around her waist and kiss the side of her throat.
“It’s fine, really. I’ve got to make the fruit salad and get the drinks out of the fridge and into the cooler.”
“I’ll take care of the drinks, and the fruit salad can wait.”
“Cooper, it’s fine. Really. I can wait.” She gives me an amused look and resumes wiping the counter. I kiss my way down her neck and over her shoulder while she works until she pauses again and tilts her head to the side so I have better access, sighing as I hit the spot I’m learning she likes just under her jaw.
“Maybe you can wait, but I can’t. I’ve waited too fucking long already to hear you come for me.” I slip my fingers back under the waistband a moment later. “It’s my birthday wish. You wouldn’t deny me that, would you?”
“I wouldn’t,” she murmurs, her eyes closing as she speaks.
My fingers glide lower, brushing over her clit and then inside her. She’s soaking wet, and I’m desperate to know she’s coming thinking of me.
“You’re so fucking sexy, Trix. I wish I could have seen you watching me.” I circle my thumb over her clit, teasing her with the slightest touch, and she rocks forward.
“Oh god…” she whispers, and her lashes flutter again as she lets go of the cloth she was using. She grips the edge of the quartz slab as I start to work my fingers inside her, my thumb gently beginning to stroke over her clit in tandem. Her eyes open again a second later when she hears voices, and she watches as they start to unstack the chairs and set them up on the deck just outside the door.
“The door’s unlocked. They could come in,” she says softly.
“They could, so you should focus on coming first,” I answer, pumping my fingers in and out of her a touch faster as she rolls her hips forward to counter the sensation.
A chair clamors against the concrete as it comes off a stack and another burst of laughter distracts her.
“Coop,” she says, concern lacing her tone.
“Forget them, Trix. Imagine you’re watching me again. My hand wrapped around my cock while I think about you. You watching me through the crack in the doorway while you get so wet you can hardly stand it. Desperate for relief. Just like you are right now. So close for me…”
“Oh fuck,” she curses as I make my circles around her clit tighter and tighter. Her hips rock forward of their own volition, and I do my best to keep my rhythm for her as she starts to breathe heavier. She’s so wet, the sound of my fingers slipping over her skin is practically echoing in the kitchen, and even if someone couldn’t see the state I’ve put her in—they could hear it. A sound that’s going to play on a loop for me every night. I need it from here to eternity.
She cries out a moment later as she hits her release, and I swallow the sound with a rough kiss that mutes it before anyone outside can hear. They’re too distracted by their own laughter to notice, but I know it’ll be moments before one of them decides to burst in and destroy this little bubble I have with her right now. She kisses me back roughly and then sweet as I finish her off, slowing the pace of my fingers and then eventually slipping them free. Her lips are against mine as her breathing slows.
“Fuck that was hot, Trix.” My heart is pounding in my chest.
“Thank you,” she answers softly, a somewhat sheepish look of satisfaction on her face. I can’t help but grin that this beautiful fucking woman is thanking me when I should be thanking her for that experience. She takes a breath, and her eyes dart to the commotion outside again.
“We should get out there,” I say before she can.
“Let me just get changed, and I’ll be right there.”
“Okay.” I nod, putting a little space between us so she can get around me and the counter to her room.
“And Cooper?” She stops halfway down the hall and turns back before I can open the sliding glass to the deck.
“Yeah?”
“Happy birthday!” She laughs and then takes off the rest of the way to her room.
I open the door, and Ramsey’s standing there, his brow quirked at me when he sees the massive grin on my face.
“The cake that fucking good then?” He smirks before he takes a sip of the beer he brought with him.
“Only had a taste, but I can already tell it’s the best I’ve ever had.”
He rolls his eyes and hands me a beer out of his cooler.
“Happy fucking birthday then!”