Page 20 of Wrecked (McIntyre Security Bodyguard #16)

I’m in such deep trouble here. I had a wonderful evening with Cooper tonight. We had fun, and it wasn’t once awkward. It felt like a real date. And I know I made him promise we wouldn’t have sex, but now I’m regretting that.

I want him.

The more I get to know him, the more attracted I am to him. Ignoring the debacle that was our first night together, he’s everything that turns me on in a guy.

He’s not the only one who’s going to have blue balls tonight if we don’t have sex.

“Sam.” His voice has dropped a full octave.

“Yes?” I smile as I continue drawing figure eights on his chest. My finger skims through his dark chest hair, over his firm pecs, bypassing his nipples, which are tight little nubs. God, I want to put my mouth on him so badly.

“I can only take so much, you know,” he says. “I’m trying to be good here and abide by the rule.”

“Which rule is that?” My finger circles one of his nipples, getting closer and closer to the tight little center.

“The only one we have—no sex tonight.”

I glance at the clock on my nightstand. “It’s two o’clock in the morning. Technically, it’s tomorrow, so the rule no longer applies.”

Cooper freezes, as if he’s afraid it’s a trick question. “Sam, I promised, and I keep my promises.”

“Okay. I can respect that.” I rise up on my elbow so I’m leaning over his chest. “Will you respect me if I kiss you?”

He blurts out a sound that is half-laughter and half-pained groan. “Yes. You have my permission to do anything you want with me.”

“Like this?” And then I lean down and flick his peaked nipple with the tip of my tongue.

He cries out sharply and arches his back. “Yes, like that,” he says in a strangled voice. “Especially like that.”

When I kiss his nipple and then suck on it, he fists the sheet beneath him and mutters something that sounds a lot like you’re trying to kill me, aren’t you .

“Can we have another date tomorrow evening?” I ask.

“Yes.” No hesitation. No equivocation. Just a yes .

I feel practically giddy. “Cooper?”

“Yeah?”

“I changed my mind about the rule tonight.”

“Did you?”

“Yes.”

“Are you absolutely sure? I don’t want to fuck up with you again. If this is a test, or a trick question—”

“It’s not. I promise.” I rise up and straddle his hips. As I rock forward, I press myself against him. We’re both naked except for our underwear. Just thin layers of knit fabric separate us.

He lets out a rough sound and clasps my thighs. “Just tell me exactly what you want, baby.”

“I want you .” As I lean down to kiss him lightly, my lips clinging to his, I rock myself against him. Even through the fabric of our underwear, our cocks align perfectly, sliding against each other. The friction and heat are so good I moan into his mouth.

Cooper’s hand comes up to cup the back of my head. His other hand strokes my back, sending shivers down my spine and giving me goosebumps.

“God, this feels so good I could come like this,” I say.

Cooper reaches inside my underwear and shoves the material down to free my erection. “Where’s your lube?”

“Nightstand.” I lean over and pull the drawer open to grab the bottle.

He takes it from me and squeezes some into his hand before he wraps his fingers around me and starts stroking. His grip is tight, but his movements are slow, gentle even. His gaze locks on mine as he judges my reaction to what he’s doing.

He strokes me from base to tip, his thumb brushing over the head, then down again. His free hand plays with one of my nipple piercings. “Tell me how you like it,” he says, his voice so deliciously deep. He’s clearly affected, too.

Moaning, I thrust into his grasp. “Just like you’re doing it.” My heart hammers into my ribs, my pulse races. My lungs are struggling to catch enough air. And I’m so hard, I’m aching. I warn him, “I’m going to come.”

“That’s the point, baby.”

Hearing him call me baby sends me over the edge. “Cooper!” My balls draw up tight, and a moment later, I’m shooting out thick ribbons of cream, painting his furred chest.

He sits up and kisses me, swallowing my cries of pleasure.

When my orgasm wanes, I slip off him, shove off my underwear, and then try to remove his. He’s hard as a pike, his erection thick and long, and I want him in my mouth.

Cooper stills my hands and pulls his underwear back up.

“What are you doing?” I ask, confused.

He grabs a tissue off the nightstand and wipes his chest. Then he lies back and pulls me into his arms, with my head on his shoulder. “I’m keeping my promise. Tonight was about you.” And then he kisses my forehead. “Go to sleep, baby.”

* * *

The next morning, I wake up first to the initial shock that Cooper’s in my bed. He spent the entire night with me. He didn’t run out. He didn’t ghost me. He stayed. Not only that, but I slept in his arms all night long.

Cooper’s lying on his back, and I’m nestled against him, one arm across his waist, and one of my legs draped over his thighs. My head is on his shoulder. He’s still fast asleep, his breathing deep and even.

He stayed.

I’m not exactly sure what this means, and I don’t want to read too much into it. Last night might have been a one-off kind of thing. An experiment maybe? It doesn’t mean anything has really changed between us. I don’t want to get my hopes up. I can’t bear the thought of being disappointed again.

I lie quietly, not wanting to wake him, and let my mind rewind to last night. He kept his promise, sort of, even after I told him he didn’t have to. He got me off, but he wouldn’t let me return the favor even though I wanted to so badly.

There’s enough early morning sunlight coming through the curtains that I can make out the features of his body.

His broad chest and muscular arms. His body hair, on his chest and arms and legs, is a big turn-on for me.

I have so little, and most of the guys I’ve been with had little, too.

It just makes him seem so—I don’t know—masculine?

A man’s man? Not that guys who don’t have body hair aren’t masculine, but Cooper’s on a whole other level.

His short silver hair is mussed from sleep, sticking up in tufts here and there. He’s sexy even with bedhead. I love his hair. I love that he’s older than I am. I love that he’s bossy and dominant. Just thinking about it is making me hard.

“I hope you approve of what you see.” His deep voice makes my belly quiver.

I glance up to see him watching me through hooded blue eyes. “I do.” I press a kiss to his bare shoulder. “I want to do what I didn’t get to do last night.”

“And what’s that?”

“Give you head.”

“But we had an agreement. No sex, remember?”

“But that was yesterday. Besides, I rescinded the agreement.” I sit up and shove the covers down, revealing an enormous erection tenting his underwear. “Your body’s on board.”

“I wanted to show you last night that it wasn’t just about sex. Being with you was enough. Despite what you might think, Sam, you’re not some Grindr hook-up to me. I just don’t have any experience with something outside of sex. I don’t even know how to act.”

“Don’t worry. You’re doing a great job.”

When I palm his cock, Cooper groans. “God, you’re going to be the death of me, kid.”

I laugh. “I told you not to call me kid, remember? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m well past the age of consent.”

“I know, but I’m twice your age.” He reaches up and slides his fingers into my hair. “Are you really okay with the difference in our ages?”

“I’m fine with it. Just don’t expect me to call you daddy .” I peel his boxer briefs down his thighs, with his help, of course.

His erection springs free, defying gravity as it lifts into the air. His cock is sheer perfection, long, thick, and veiny. It’s rugged, just like the rest of him. There’s already a drop of pre-cum beading on the ruddy head.

When I lean down to lick it off, Cooper grabs hold of my bun. His body stiffens, and he groans hoarsely. That’s all the permission I need. I lean down and draw him into my mouth as far back as I can manage.

I’m determined to drive him wild and give him the best head he’s ever had. I use my mouth, my tongue, my hands, and my throat. His grip on my hair is borderline painful, but I love it.

His climax hits him. “Fuck, Sam, I’m coming!”

It sounds like he’s warning me, but I don’t care. I want this. He arches his back and thrusts upward into my mouth. I take every drop and swallow it down.

After he recovers, he returns the favor. He’s rough about it, like he does everything, and I feel so utterly consumed. Near the end, I’m whimpering because it feels so good. No one’s ever touched me like he does.

When I come, I see stars. And as I float back down to Earth, all I can think is that I’m afraid he’s ruined me for anyone else.

Cooper holds me until my body stops trembling. I feel wrecked, both physically and emotionally. He excites me like no one else ever has, but he also has the ability to crush me like no one else.

“It’s late, and I’ve got to get upstairs,” Cooper says as he climbs out of bed. He leans over and pats my ass. “I’ll see you in a little bit. Don’t dawdle.”

* * *

The rest of the week passes without too much drama. Friday night comes around—my favorite night of the week because it means Cooper will sleep in with me Saturday morning and spend the entire day with me.

In the morning, after our showers, we get dressed and head to the kitchen.

Cooper peers inside my fridge and kitchen cupboard. There’s nothing but leftovers, beer, water, and pop in the fridge, and the only food I have currently is a package of protein bars, a box of crackers, Pop-Tarts, and frozen breakfast sandwiches.

Cooper stares at our options and shakes his head in dismay. “Looks like someone needs to go to the grocery store. All right, we’ll do that later. Right now, let’s go out for breakfast. How about The Blueberry Café?”

“You had me at blueberry . Let’s go.”

We decide to walk since the weather is nice and the restaurant is only about fifteen minutes away.

It’s a popular place, so there’s a bit of a wait. Once we’re seated in a booth, a server stops by to pour coffee and take our orders. Cooper orders a spinach and cheddar omelet and sausage links. I opt for a stack of blueberry pancakes smothered in maple syrup and whipped cream.

We sit facing each other and drink our coffee while we wait for our food.

Cooper takes a sip of black coffee. “I have an idea.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a compromise, actually.”

I take a sip of my coffee which is flavored with caramel creamer and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkles. “I’m all ears.”

“We date ,” Cooper suggests, “exclusively.” He gives me a stern glare. “I will not share you, Sam. I need to make that crystal clear. That’s not something I can budge on.”

I grin. “Trust me, that won’t be a problem.”

“Good. However, we keep our relationship private. If you don’t mind.”

I suspect Cooper has been through something traumatic, something that causes him to be so closeted. I don’t want to push him on it. When he’s ready to tell me, he will. At least that’s my hope. I’m just happy he’s willing to meet me halfway.

“All right,” I say. “I accept your compromise.” For now.

When our food arrives, Cooper glances at my plate and shakes his head. “You and Beth could be siblings. She loves pancakes, too.”

Halfway through our meals, Cooper says, “So, what do guys who are dating do on a Saturday afternoon?”

I’m surprised he wants to spend more time with me. “You don’t have to get back?”

“I’m yours for as long as you want me,” he says. “So, what do you want to do?”

“How about we go see a movie?”

“Okay.” Our server arrives with the check and hands it to Cooper. He automatically hands it back to her along with his credit card.

The idea of him paying for my meal makes me dizzy. “I can pay for my half.” I reach for my wallet.

He gives me a stern look. “Put that away, Sam. I pay the bills.”

We walk back to the apartment building so we can get the Escalade. Cooper drives us to a mall in Lincoln Park that has a huge movie complex. He even lets me pick the movie. We go with an action movie, and he insists we get popcorn and soft drinks.

This is a real date. It’s the whole package. He even lays his hand on my thigh throughout the entire movie, as if I’m his, and he’s claiming me. At least here where we’re in the dark and no one knows us.

We’re dating in secret. I have to remind myself of that. It’s a compromise I agreed to, so I have to live with it. I have to be happy with it.

Because having him in secret is better than not having him at all.