CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Matthew’s words seemed emblazoned in Cooper’s brain. He couldn’t forget, he wouldn’t forget. He was right. He shouldn’t expect that Bianca would forgive him. This was twice now. Twice that he thought his orders would be followed, just because. And twice he’d nearly lost her.
For the first twenty-four hours, she slept, the doctors and nurses coming in and out, checking her vital signs and tending to her wounds. At least, the ones they could see.
She had a sprained knee and ankle, a few cuts and bruises on her face and arms, but it was the bruised kidneys that worried the doctors the most. If she remained still and did what she was told, she would recover fully.
Cooper didn’t want to overwhelm her. He asked to be given a guest room in the hospital wing so he could sleep and shower away from her. But it didn’t work. He walked the halls non-stop, checking on her in the middle of the night and hovering over the medical professionals.
“Coop, if I have to tell you one more time to go home, I’m going to have my husband kick your ass,” said Gabi. “We’re already short staffed here and I’m old and tired.”
“Don’t call Zulu,” he smirked, kissing her cheek. “I’m just scared, Gabi.”
“I know, baby,” she said rubbing his cheek. “It will work out but you can’t force it. Not this time.”
“Gabi?” called Blythe. “She’s waking.”
Cooper took slow, sure steps, following Gabi and Blythe into the room. He remained at the door, not wanting to scare Bianca.
“Well, there she is,” smiled Gabi. “How are you feeling?”
“W-water,” she whispered, her eyes still half-closed. Blythe held the cup to her lips, bending the straw for her.
“Take it slow, honey. Are you in pain?”
“N-no. Yes. My knee hurts a lot and my head,” she said frowning.
“You’re very lucky that we found you before he did,” said Blythe. “Your wounds will heal quickly.”
“Then what?” she whispered. Cooper cleared his throat and stepped closer to the bed.
“Then. I hope you’ll find a way to forgive my arrogance and stupidity, my alpha male orders, and general unkindness. I know it will take some time but it will never change the fact that I love you more than life itself.”
Bianca just stared at him, unsure of what to say or do. Finally, she lifted her fingers and waved him closer. He didn’t want to hope for too much but he knelt beside the bed and prayed.
The loud crack of her hand across his face told him what he needed to know. No woman would be that angry if she didn’t care. He cried, nodding at her.
“Do it again if it will make you feel better. Do it as many times as you need,” he said weeping. Bianca started crying as well, slapping his face again but without much strength.
Cooper held her palm against the flesh of his cheek and wept, kissing her palm over and over again as she cried with him.
“Why couldn’t you trust that I was doing what felt right for me, for us?” she sobbed.
“Because I’m stupid. I’m a stupid, arrogant male who believes I know better than you, a woman who is an untrained operative.
I didn’t count on you knowing more than I could ever know, Bianca.
I didn’t count on you being intelligent and kind, knowledgeable and loving.
It was my fault. All of this was my fault.
“If I hadn’t said those things, you would have stayed and we would have found Pablo.”
She sucked in a sharp breath, scanning the room as if Pablo were hidden in a closet or behind the door.
“He’s gone,” he said quietly. “You will never have to worry about him or anyone again. But. If you do. If we do. I promise you that I will include you in on every plan to handle the matter, no matter. All I ask is that you give me another chance. A chance I don’t deserve.”
“I wish I could hate you, Cooper. I wish I could be angry with you, but I can’t. I know that you were just trying to be protective of me but it reminded me of what happened in Argentina. It felt like you didn’t care, instead of that you did care. I was hurt and angry and did something foolish.”
“It’s all my fault,” he said bending over body, holding her tightly to him. She laced her fingers through his dark hair, massaging his scalp.
“I love you, Cooper. Nothing will ever change the fact that I love you and I want you to be your wife. I want you…” She stilled, looking up at Gabi and Blythe. “Is he asleep?”
“Yep,” smirked Gabi. “But in fairness, he hasn’t slept in about forty-eight hours.”
The women just laughed, leaving the young couple to finally get a good night’s rest. As Matthew predicted, it would all work out if you allowed the truth to be told fully.
Cooper kept his promise to Matthew. He didn’t try to dive back into where they’d come from. Instead, he worked his way slowly back to where they were before all the drama.
He loved Bianca every day without forcing intercourse upon her. He brought her flowers, he took her to dinners and movies. He made sure to take long walks with her when they could and he encouraged her to start marketing her handbags.
In fact, he’d turned one of their guest rooms into a work space for her so that she could work on the bags whenever she wanted to.
“Good morning,” he said kissing her sweetly as he handed her a cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” she smiled.
“Are you ready for breakfast?” he asked turning to see her smile.
“No,” she said shaking her head. “I’d like to have breakfast here.”
“Oh. Okay. I’m not sure what I have,” he said opening the refrigerator. “Eggs, well, three eggs. I can go get us something.”
Bianca gripped his arm, pulling him toward her. She wore one of his button-down dress shirts, her favorite nightwear lately. Gripping his hand, she placed it at the opening, sliding his fingers into the shirt to touch her breasts. She held it there for a moment, her breath coming rapidly.
“Bianca,” he whispered as the flush crept up his cheeks.
She gripped his other hand and slowly brought up under the hem of the shirt, guiding his fingers between her thighs, up and up until he realized she was wearing nothing beneath the shirt.
“Fuck, Bianca,” he swallowed.
“Make love to me, Cooper. Show me how much you love me.” Cooper moved so quickly he worried that he might have hurt her. Gripping her ass cheeks, he lifted her to straddle his hard body as he walked toward the bedroom, lying her on the edge of the bed.
With two hands, he gripped each side of the shirt and tore it apart, he breasts bouncing freely in front of him.
“Fuck me,” he mumbled. She reached out, one delicate finger gliding down his stiff cock, feeling the wet stickiness at its tip. He pushed her knees apart, careful not to squeeze the sprained knee.
“I’m fine,” she said as if reading his mind. “Please, Coop. Please fuck me.”
Before he could even think, he rammed his thick cock into her warm, wet, inviting pussy, feeling her squeeze around him. He’d broken her barrier with one stroke, not even thinking.
“I’m so sorry. I should have gone slower,” he said lowing his forehead to hers.
“No,” she smiled. “That’s how I wanted it. Fast. Get it over with. Now, you can take your time.”
“Baby, I’m not sure I can take my time,” he whispered.
“Then don’t.”
Her breasts bounced with every movement, the heavy flesh seemingly begging him for touch and tenderness. He took one tanned nipple into his mouth, flicking his tongue, the hardened nipple screaming now.
“Coop!” she cried out.
“Fuck, yes!” he growled. “Yes!”
He’d completely filled her body with his own desires, not worrying about protection or babies. It didn’t matter. He flipped her body over, bringin her knees beneath her and began driving into her from behind. Moments is all it took and he was filling her all over again.
That’s when Bianca took control, straddling his body as she rode his rock-hard cock, squeezing her breasts and nipples in front of him, teasing him with erotic sounds and moans.
It seemed like minutes to Cooper but when they realized it was nearly mid-afternoon, they both laughed, showering and making love again. By dinner, they were starving and the entire compound was texting them to be sure all was well.
Before they walked into the cafeteria, Cooper held out a light-blue velvet box. Inside was a two-carat yellow diamond, surrounded by other diamonds.
“Will you marry me, Bianca? Will you be the wife of the dumbest man on the planet, knowing that I’ll fuck up more than the average man?” She laughed at that, shaking her head.
“I can’t think of anything I want more,” she said. “I must be a glutton for punishment.”
“Then let’s go tell everyone what they already know,” he smirked. “We’ve got a wedding to plan.”
Seated in the grove, Matthew, Irene, Ruby, Sven, Nathan, Martha, and the other ghosts smiled at the young couple.
“You did good with him, Matthew. One of the most beautiful lectures you’ve ever given,” said Martha.
“I like to think of them as fireside chats, not lectures,” he smirked. “She’s a fine young woman and she’ll make a good wife for him. We have a lot more young men to come, including those two.” He nodded his head toward Morgan and Manx.
“They’re good men,” said Sven, kissing Ruby’s cheek. “Fine men. We will find fine women for them.”
“I’ve got lots of good girls in mind,” smiled Irene. “For now, let’s enjoy this moment.” Matthew chuckled, standing to take his wife’s hand.
“There will be many more, my love. Many, many more.”
EXCERPT for GRAYSON
Grayson stood from his make-shift desk and heard the bones popping and cracking as he did. He was fucking old. Too old to still be chasing bad guys through some fucking country he didn’t give a shit about.
“Master Sergeant? We’ve got the intel on the hostages. Four nuns, a priest and thirteen children.”
“Shit,” he muttered, straightening with another loud crack. The young corporal in front of him raised his brows with a smirk. “Not another fucking word. Where are they?”
“Here sir. We believe that if we follow this mountain path and work our way around the mountain, we can get to the camp from behind and bring them back down the same way. Satellites aren’t showing anyone around the mountain or on their way.”
“What about caves?” he asked.
“Sir?”
“Caves, corporal. Find out if there are fucking caves and if anyone is hiding in them. I won’t lose a bunch of men because of a bunch of do-good nuns and priests trying to educate kids that don’t want to be educated.”
“All due respect, sir, they were from an orphanage. It wasn’t about teaching them anything,” frowned the corporal.
Grayson closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and nodded.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. Find out about the caves and let me know. Tell the team to be ready to leave at 0300.”
“Yes, sir.”
Grayson fell back into his chair and leaned his head back. This would be the last one. He was too fucking old to still be doing this. Sgt. Major Grayson Matthew Michaels needed to go home.