CHAPTER SEVEN
“She’ll be fine,” whispered Blythe. “She was still very weak and whether she admitted it or not, the shock of her uncle or father or whoever he was, was enough to push her over the edge.”
“What do I do?” he asked.
“Nothing, honey. Just be here for her and for God’s sake,” she said standing at the door and staring at all the men, “stop fucking treating us like we’re fragile crystal that can’t handle bad news. We’re stronger than you think.”
Logan smirked at the men, ready to take his wife home. He raised his brows and nodded.
“Actually, they’re stronger than we are,” he chuckled. Blythe and Logan left the cottage, Abe, Diego, Rush, Ham, and Gator seated at the kitchen table.
“Do you want us to stay, Coop?” asked Diego.
“Thanks, Grandpa, but I think I’m okay. Besides, I need to be here to face her anger. Again.” The other men smirked at him.
“You’re not the first, Coop. She’s got a healthy temper and she might need that in the future. For now, keep her quiet and safe, allow her to heal. We’ll keep digging into Pablo and try to figure out his role in all of this,” said Ham.
“Thank you.”
Coop puttered around the cottage, washing dishes, straightening the bathroom, and making sure that he didn’t make too much noise. Every fifteen minutes or so, he’d touch her forehead, as if she might suddenly have an unexplained fever.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I’ve fucked up again and I have no right to ask for your forgiveness, but I will beg if I need to. I only wanted to protect you.”
He held her hand, lowering his forehead to their linked fingers.
“Cooper?” she whispered, her eyes fluttering open. “You didn’t fuck up. Not this time.” She gave a weak smile and he laughed low in his gut.
“Did you know? Did you know that your uncle was pretending to be your father?” he asked.
“No,” she said with genuine tears in her eyes. “No but it explains so much of his behavior. The distance he kept from all of us. The government officials that would come into the village always coming to our store. When they did, my fa-, Pablo would make us leave, even mother.”
“He’s connected somehow and he was following your location.
Matthew brought a bag back with some of your personal things in it, including your cell phone.
It was being tracked. AJ and the team downloaded anything that might be important to you, to a new phone.
When you’re feeling better tomorrow, I’ll take you to get it from him. ”
He went to stand from his position behind the sofa and she gripped his forearm.
“You’re not going to leave me, are you?” she asked, nearly pleading.
“I have no intention of leaving you,” he smiled. “Besides, we’re in my cottage now.”
“Oh,” she said looking around. “They look so much alike.”
“They do. I can take you to yours if you want but I’d prefer you stay here tonight so I can watch you.”
“I’m okay with that,” she said nodding, her eyes fluttering with exhaustion once again.
“I’m going to lay you in the bed and I’ll sleep in the chair,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I’ll keep the monsters away now.”
Coop felt the light on his face, filtering through the window of his bedroom. He stretched, his bones cracking as he did. He moved his neck from one side to the other, more cracking.
When he looked up the bed was empty and he froze.
“Bianca?” he called.
He opened the bathroom door all the way but saw no one. Walking down the hallway, relief washed over him as he heard soft voices in his cottage. He should have known.
“Morning, Mom. Grandma,” he said kissing each woman on the cheek. He turned as Bianca poured a cup of coffee, exactly the way he’d ordered it from her a dozen times. “Good morning. Are you feeling better?”
“I am,” she smiled handing him the coffee. His fingers lingered over hers a few minutes longer than necessary and he saw the flush on her cheeks.
“We were just talking about taking a boat ride this morning but your father and grandfather think maybe I should wait a few days.” He noticed the two older men sitting on the front porch talking in low voices.
“That’s probably a good idea,” he said staring at the women.
“Breakfast is about ready,” said Lyra. “Why don’t you take a quick shower and we’ll get her over to the cafeteria.”
“Yeah. Yeah, sure that sounds good,” he nodded.
“Actually, I need to shower as well,” said Bianca. “I’ll take the guest shower and meet you out here.”
Lyra and Bella smiled at Cooper and left the two alone. Cooper swallowed hard, staring at her in his long t-shirt, the outline of those luscious breasts making him hard as a rock.
“Cooper,” she whispered taking a step toward him. He shook his head, taking a step back.
“Bianca, I’m trying to be a good man right now. If you take another step toward me, I can’t guarantee that I will be.”
“Cooper, can’t we just shower together? Can’t you let me just hold you or you hold me?”
“Do you understand what you’re asking of me?” he whispered.
“I know. I know and I’m sorry that I’m not ready for that yet but-but I want to touch you. Can I do that?”
He took her hand and nodded.
“Fuck yeah, you can do that,” he mumbled.
He turned the shower on and stripped, stepping beneath the hot spray first. When he turned, she was standing there, completely naked.
Her full, voluptuous breasts with their tan nipples were staring straight at him.
The tuft of luscious black hair between her legs made him grown, his purple head of his cock involuntarily bouncing.
Bianca reached out, sliding her fingers down his length.
“It’s warm,” she said softly. “It’s warm and soft, but also hard.”
Cooper stared down at her, his frown telling her everything that was passing through his mind.
“You’ve never, you’ve never been with a man?” he asked.
“No. Never. There weren’t a lot of eligible men in my village that were close to my age and I didn’t travel except to my grandparents in Texas. The ranch hands were always too old for me.”
“Well, I’m fucking grateful for that,” he growled. “I’m going to touch you, Bianca. I’m not going to make love to you but I’m going to touch you and let you know what it will feel like.” She nodded and he pressed her body against the slick tiles of his shower.
Lifting one leg high, resting in the crook of his elbow, his fingers from the other hand began dancing between her legs, gently sliding back and forth, in and out.
Bianca couldn’t help but moan, writhing against him as her hips involuntarily thrust forward and then back.
“Coo-Cooper,” she gasped.
“I know, baby. I know it feels good,” he said kissing down her neck and then claiming her mouth as he scissored his fingers inside her. He stretched her, plied her body to match his big hands but he didn’t take her virginity, not yet.
When her body shook with heavenly release, he gripped his cock and began to stroke. Without even asking, her fingers closed over his own and he guided her along his length, taking her thumb and rolling it over this sensitive head.
“You’re so perfect,” she murmured.
She reached out with her other hand, touching his heavy balls and Cooper lost it. He growled like an angry bear as his seed spewed across her breasts, the milky white liquid drastic against her tanned skin.
“Fuck,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Why?” she smiled. “I thought it was wonderful.” He took her mouth, almost violently, kissing her over and over again.
“Bianca, I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he moaned.
“Me, too,” she said smiling up at him. “Maybe we should get to breakfast and pick this all up again later.”
Cooper could only laugh, nodding at her.
“Baby, we will talk about this and so much more. You are mine, Bianca. You might not know what that means but you will. I’m never letting you go again.”