“Good night,” Stephanie squeaked, her eyes wide with anticipation when she looked over at him. “I hope you sleep well.”
“Good night, kids,” his grandmother called. “I’m sure I won’t hear a thing.”
He watched Stephanie’s cheeks turn red, which only made him want to kiss her more, and this time the desire was more than he could handle. Before he could stop himself, he pulled her into his arms, crushing the nightgown between them, and lowered his mouth to hers. She groaned deep in her throat, then her arms slowly snaked up around his neck, and she began to kiss him back.
Wave after wave of pleasure shot through him and the creature inside him came fully awake and began to demand more, breaking down his defenses even more. After crushing Stephanie up against him, he deepened the kiss, then began to explore her body with his hands, memorizing every dip and curve until he finally found her breasts. She let out a little gasp of surprise when he cupped them in his hands, then broke the kiss between them when he found her hard nipples and began to tease them with his finger and thumb.
He captured her mouth again, not ready to give up the sweet nectar of her kisses, but the sound of his grandmother’s bathroom door shutting broke through the passion and Stephanie came back to herself with a jerk. She stumbled back from him, a mixture of guilt and desire in her eyes, then took a couple more steps away from him.
“You’re very dangerous, Cooper,” she whispered. “I think I’ll be okay without that blanket.”
“Good night, Stephanie,” he said, unable to stop the smile that spread across his face. “That was the best kiss I’ve ever had, just in case you’re wondering.”
“I wasn’t,” she said, shaking her head. “Really?”
“Oh, yeah, I just thought you should know,” he said. “I’ve never felt anything like that before. You’re definitely meant for me, Stephanie, and I can’t wait until I can claim you.”
Her face turned pink. “Oh…that’s…I don’t…” she stammered, then ran to her door and threw it open. “Good night.”
Stephanie disappeared behind the closed door, but he didn’t care. Whistling a tune, he went to his room and stretched out on the bed. No matter what else was going on, there was one thing he was becoming more and more sure of--Stephanie was meant to be his. He just wasn’t sure how to make it happen, how to break that final piece of news to her about what he really was, but if he wanted a life with her, he would have to and soon.
***Stephanie***
Stephanie was still trembling when she climbed into bed, her body still yearning for Cooper’s touch, and she had no idea how to shut it down. He wasn’t the only one who was swimming in uncharted waters; she’d never felt anything like this before, never lost control so completely. It should have been more frightening than it was, but she was beginning to accept she was meant to be with Cooper, for how long she wasn’t sure, only that she couldn’t walk away.
The prospect of taking a broken heart with her when she left didn’t thrill her, but it was the price she’d have to pay if she wanted to experience something wonderful with Cooper. Snuggling deeper under the covers against the chill in the room, she closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep, but anticipation made it impossible, and she found herself fantasizing about what it would be like when it finally happened.
She was half asleep, letting her imagination run wild when the sound of voices interrupted her fantasy and her eyes popped open. Suddenly wide awake, alarm bells going on in her head, she lay there listening to the silence in the house, wondering if she’d been imagining it. When there was nothing but the sounds of the night outside her window, she closed her eyes again and tried to remember where she’d been in her fantasy.
Only a second later, she heard the voice again and this time much clearer. “We should set the house on fire,” a deep voice said. “Roast the bitch right in her bed, it would serve her right.”
“Shhh…someone will hear you,” another voice said. “You know what Dad said, we’re only allowed to scare her, we can’t hurt her. She has to be alive when we get the land, and she has to do it voluntarily or the clan won’t recognize ownership.”
“Then let’s get on with it,” the first man said. “The sooner we take out the barn, the sooner she’s going to be willing to sell out to us, and we did warn her. Now we show her that we meant business.”
“You take the back, I’ll take…” the voices faded away, leaving a terrible silence behind.
Throwing back the covers, she jumped out of the bed, raced for the door, down the hallway, and began pounding on Cooper’s door. “Cooper, wake up, it’s an emergency,” she called. “I just heard some men talking outside my window. They’re going to do something to the barn.”
The door flew open a second later. “Hold on, say that again,” he said, his face creased with worry. “Go a little slower this time.”
She took a deep breath, then repeated everything she’d heard, barely noticing when Gilda joined them in the hallway. “I thought those boys were just trying to scare me,” the older woman said, her face suddenly white with fear. “They said they were going to burn down the barn, but I didn’t think they’d actually do it.”
“Grandma, what are you talking about?” Cooper asked, his face full of worry. “Who are you talking about?”
“Those Amos boys, they’re after my land and the house,” she said, then sighed. “They said since I’m all used up, it should go to someone young who will appreciate it. They want me to sell out to them.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Cooper demanded, then stomped back into his room, emerging again fully dressed. “I have to go stop them. You two stay here.”
“I’m sorry, Cooper, I didn’t think it would go this far,” Gilda said. “Are you sure you can handle them alone?”
“Call Ricky and have him meet me there, tell him what’s going on,” he said. “I’ll be fine. Lock the doors after I leave and don’t open them for anyone but Ricky or me.”
Stephanie didn’t like the fear and panic that was slowly building inside her. “Cooper, what’s going on?” she asked, wrapping her arms around her middle. “Are you really going out there alone? They were talking about burning the house down. Shouldn’t we call the police or something?”
“It would take them forever to get here even if they could,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “I’ll be fine, I promise, I just need to know that you’re going to be inside where it’s safe.”
Stephanie studied him for a second, then nodded. “Okay, we’ll stay here, but be careful,” she said. “I’m getting used to having you around.”
