I step closer to her, grip her hips, and lift her onto the kitchen counter.
She gasps, her hands lift to grip my shoulders, her knees instinctively bracketing my waist. The floor creaks beneath my feet as I position myself between her legs.
“Now, where were we?” I murmur.
She answers me with a kiss.
It’s hungry and passionate, as if she’s been holding herself in since we were at the bar and finally decided she’s done waiting.
I kiss her, slower this time, needing to pace myself before I let this spin out of control.
I’ve thought about this moment since the first time I laid eyes on her, and I want to take my time with her.
She lets her hands roam over my shoulders, down my chest, and over my stomach before slipping her fingers beneath the material of my shirt. Her fingers are cold against my warm skin.
I groan against her mouth, and she instinctively rocks against me. I suck in a sharp breath when she grinds against my growing erection. She must feel it too, judging by the low gasp that follows.
My hand grips her chin, holding her firmly in place as I lean away. Her eyes are heavy with desire, and it takes everything in me not to spread her out on this counter and devour her here.
All I can think about is earning this, knowing that she trusts me to take care of her. If she’d only let me.
She drags her fingers into the hair at my nape and pulls me in, her lips brushing my ear. “Take me to the bedroom, Coop.”
I want to growl when I hear her use my nickname.
She doesn’t have to explain what she’s asking for, but I pull away to meet her gaze.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
Her eyes search my face before she nods. “I don’t have a single doubt in my mind.”
I smile against her mouth, kissing her again, as my hands slide under her thighs to lift her in my arms.
She giggles and tucks her face into the curve of my neck, as though she belongs there. She starts peppering kisses on my skin, and I groan, carrying her down the short hallway. I nudge the bedroom door open and kick it shut behind us.
I lower her onto the bed and drop to my knees on the floor, staring up at her.
She holds my gaze, eyes dark, her cheeks flushed, and her hair falling loose around her face.
For a moment, I just sit there and take her in.
“Cooper.” Her voice cracks. “Will you do something for me?”
I nod, brushing her hair away from her face. “Anything.”
“I want you, and I want this,” she says, her eyes meeting mine. “But I’m not breakable. You’re not going to hurt me.”
I exhale a heavy breath.
“What I need... what I want from you... tonight... is to help me turn my mind off. Make me forget everything that’s happened outside this room.”
I know what she’s asking me, and I’ll be whatever she needs me to be.
This time, when my hands move up her thighs, it’s not slow or gentle.
I slip beneath her shirt, pushing her bra down, and she rolls her eyes shut, a soft “Yes” falling from her lips.
At that moment, I commit to being everything she could ever need if it means seeing her like this again.
