Being pinned and fucked within an inch of my life by a sexy beast of a lumberjack was my new favorite thing. I raked my fingernails down his back, gripped his perfect bubble butt, and arched to meet him thrust for thrust.
Cooper buried his face in my neck, licking, nipping, kissing, as he pumped his hips. So fucking good, but I was already close. Too close. I slipped my hand between our bodies to finish myself off and?—
“On your knees,” Cooper barked.
He gave me space to comply, his razor-sharp baby blues watching me fumble onto all fours, his proud cock pointing at the ceiling. Christ, he was insanely hot. A masculine, bearded, tough guy with calloused hands intent on taking me apart should have made me nervous, but this was the fantasy that had lurked in my mind for decades. This, right here. Him.
Cooper entered me quickly, no soft words this time. That was okay. I didn’t need coddling. I wanted him to give me everything he had. I could take it. And I did. He pushed me flat, one hand pressed between my shoulder blades, the other tugging my hair as he fucked me into the mattress.
“Fuck, yes…yes…fuck!” I tried to get to my cock, but Cooper was faster.
“I got you. Come on. Come for me.”
I roared through the strongest orgasm I’d ever experienced. It hit like a meteor and sent me flying. And Cooper was right there with me, bucking his hips furiously and trembling.
Neither of us moved…or talked afterward. I didn’t know about Cooper, but I was in no hurry to reenter the land of the living.
I came to in waves, my surroundings clicking into place like shards of shattered glass taped together in a mosaic. It was disorienting as fuck, and just as I started to think I’d fallen down a rabbit hole like Alice in fucking Wonderland, Cooper was there, pulling me against his chest…holding me.
Why did I love this? Who the fuck was I?
CHAPTER 7
SILAS
The rest of the day was spent lounging in front of the fire, watching old adventure flicks. I muted the volume during Cooper’s occasional work calls and FaceTime sessions with his kids. I probably should have gathered my belongings and headed next door to give him some privacy, but he didn’t seem to mind my presence, and I was too curious about the many facets of Cooper: father, lumberjack boss man, lover.
He was all business with his employees, but he wasn’t an asshole. More of a “no-nonsense, get shit done” kind of guy. With his kids, he morphed into a gentle giant. His sharp edges softened in the form of crinkled eyes, indulgent smiles, and infinite patience. He joked with them, reeled them in if they pushed too far, but never raised his voice.
And with me…he was—well, it was safe to say I confused him. I shouldn’t have been here, but I was, and for reasons unknown, this felt so good and right…and real.
Obviously, it wasn’t real. I knew that. Just as I knew that avoiding social media and the world that existed beyond Wood Hollow wasn’t a long-term strategy. Those were tomorrow problems.
Or the next day.
I spent a second night in his bed and woke up to gray skies but no new snow. According to Cooper, Wood Hollow would slowly return to normal. He wasn’t in a hurry to get to the mill, but he planned to be there at noon. That gave us time to fool around, eat breakfast, and at Cooper’s insistence…shovel Vally’s driveway.
No snowball fight today, but a chunk of snow at the bottom of the steps leading to Val’s porch made the perfect base for a snowman. We cleared the path, adding more bulk to the round figure until there was no denying I had the beginnings of an awesome Frosty lookalike.
Suddenly, I was a man on a mission. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d made a snowman. I’d scanned the yard for sticks and stones to use for limbs and facial features, but the earth was buried in white stuff, so I poked holes where his eyes might be with my fingers and drew a wide smile while Cooper shoveled away.
“A little rustic, but not bad for my first effort in twenty-five years,” I said, brushing my gloved palms as I examined my creation.
“You haven’t made a snowman in twenty-five years?”
“At least. Tahoe is just a few hours away from Oakland, but I was busy with football and I got the impression the trip was too expensive. Money was tight when I was growing up.”
He propped his shovel against the railing. “Your folks must be proud of you.”
“I ’spose.” I shrugged noncommittedly, then hooked a thumb at the modern log cabin behind me. “Want to check out Val’s house? It’s pretty cool.”
Awkward segue, but Cooper wasn’t bothered. He followed me up the short set of steps leading to the grand entry.
Vally’s investment property was a modern marvel of glass, wood, and steel. I’d spent one night and a few collective wakinghours here, so I couldn’t give much of a tour. Too bad, ’cause Cooper was interested.
He knocked on a beam and gestured to the ceiling. “We forested, treated, and prepared every piece of wood for this house.”
“No shit?”
