“Deal,” he said.
We turned back down the street, each holding one of Benji’s hands.
Heading for home.
My stomach swoopedas Cooper picked me up at the foot of the stairs to my apartment, our laughter ringing in the narrow stairwell. Ilovedthat he could pick me up, and I was never, ever going to get tired of it.
Especially if it got us to a horizontal surface faster.
“Have I mentioned you’re incredible?” I asked as he nudged the bedroom door open with his hip, twirling me around as he stepped into the room.
He beamed at me, setting me down on the bed so carefully it barely creaked under the weight. I looked up at him, lips parted in awe. Awe of this unbelievable man I couldn’t evenhopeto deserve but who wanted me anyway.
Cooper, as usual, blushed, glancing away and catching his lower lip between his teeth.
I loved him. I loved him more every second I spent with him.
He offered absolutely no resistance as I reached up to him, pulling him down by the back of his neck and shuffling up the bed at the same time, dragging him after me. All I could think of was how badly I wanted him close, whatever way I could get him—anything other than that was a bonus.
Cooper chuckled into my mouth, easing me down onto the pillows and leaning over me. My fingers tightened in his curls as he let me take just a fraction of his weight, heat rushing south at the feel of him.
I owed Avery a thank you. Flowers and chocolates, probably. I’d handle that later.
For now, I had somethingmuchmore exciting to handle.
“You’re incredible,” I repeated against Cooper’s mouth, arching my back to make more contact with him. I smiled against his jaw as I slipped a hand under his t-shirt, splaying my fingers over warm skin as I toyed with the waistband of his jeans.
Cooper laughed against my cheek, his whole body shaking with it. Much as I liked hanging out with his family, getting through dinner had been agony tonight. Having him all to myself wasmuchbetter.
“So’re you,” he murmured, nuzzling my cheek, pressing a little more of his weight against me. He’d figured out how much I liked that. “Do you mean it? That you’re staying here?”
“I mean it,” I said. I wasn’t sure I’d ever meant anything so much in my entire life. “I mean it,” I repeated. “If it means I get to keep you.”
Cooper pulled back to look me in the eyes. His pupils were blown, but there was a lot more than arousal in them. “Definitely,” he said. “I’m all yours. For as long as you’ll have me.”
“Just sixty or seventy years, then.” I grinned up at him, then gave up on any pretense of restraint and pulled him in for another kiss.
Cooper’s laughter made kissing him a little difficult, but it was more than worth the effort as he melted against me, warm body pinning me to the mattress. I hitched my thigh over his hip,making both of us moan as our bodies slotted closer together. I was already half-hard, and so, as it turned out, was Cooper.
“That for me?” I asked, sliding the hand on his stomach down over the curve of his ass, squeezing a handful of it to bring his hips closer.
“Any way you want it.”
“In my mouth,” I said without having to think. “To start with.”
It was something I’d always done because it was expected of me. I wanted, this time, to offer it to someone who would never even haveasked. To someone I loved. To someone who lovedme.
Cooper pulled away again. I was afraid he was going to object, to tell me I couldn’t, or shouldn’t. I knew the concern would be coming from the right place, but…
“No argument here,” he said, tongue darting out to wet his lips. “Where do you want me?”
I surged up, taking advantage of Cooper’s surprise and his willingness to do whatever I wanted to flip us over, the mattress springs creaking under the movement.
“Right about here,” I said, sitting back to look him over like he was a prize I’d won. Hefeltlike one. My mother had a box full of my ballet medals and trophies, but I’d never been as excited to win anything as I was to have Cooper right now. “Work for you?”
Cooper’s eyes glittered as his whole face spilt into a smile. “Anything you want,” he said.
“You know I’ve never been bossy before in my life?”
