Natalie’s knees almost buckled. “I bet you say that to all the girls,” she joked.
“Only you.” He tugged the flimsy material down to her ankles. “You’ve haunted me ever since that night.”
Heat filled her at his words, her ache for him doubling. Then his mouth returned to her skin and she trembled.
“Bewitched me,” he said, his lips spurring delicious tickles.
She looked down, watching him make love to her body.
This was Coop. The steely-eyed detective. Scars and all. The rough pads of his fingers scratched over her, giving her chills as he caressed her skin.
“So irresistible.” He licked her.
She moaned, her body trembling.
“You’re mine,” he whispered, his breath hot on her inner thigh.
“Please, Coop.” She closed her eyes. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”
There was no more talking after that, not until she cried out his name, her body pulsing from his skilled touches and intimate kisses. She clutched his shoulders, reeling, panting, wanting more.
He moved up her body, his clothes blocking her from feeling the heat of his flesh.
“You’re overdressed,” she told him, kissing him slowly, with all of her pent-up need. The musky scent of her on his skin made Natalie want to feel him inside of her even more.
“Take my shirt off,” he whispered in her ear.
She shoved the shirt off his shoulders. “Now what?”
“My pants.”
She reached between them, her fingers sure. Her body hummed, electrified at the thought of what was to come. She shoved his jeans down, her hands dawdling, her fingers exploring through his boxer briefs. “Now what, hot cop?”
He pulled back and stared down at her. “Hot cop?”
“You’re hot. And you’re a cop.” She scraped her nails along his length through the cotton barrier. “Now where were we?”
“You were taking off my clothes.”
She slipped her hand inside his waistband, but held back, brushing over him once, but no more. So close, yet not quite … She licked her lips. “What now?”
“Touch me, Natalie.” His mouth came down on hers. Hard. Like the rest of him. Her head spun as he wrapped his hand around hers and showed her exactly what he wanted and how.
Oh, Coop … This was the real deal. In the flesh. In her hand. She shoved down his boxer briefs.
“Now,” she said, hooking her leg around his thigh to give him more access.
“Not here.” He stepped out of his clothes and lifted her, dumping her on the bed. “Here.” He prowled across the mattress after her as she backed up to make more room for him, his gray eyes locked onto hers.
She wrapped her legs around him as he hovered over her. She waited, wanting all he had.
But he held back.
“What?” she asked.
“Natalie.” He kissed her softly, then pulled back to stare down at her again. “You take my breath away.”
Oh, boy! Good-bye, heart. Hello, insatiable pining.
She arched, pushing against him. “Coop, if you don’t finish what we’ve started, I’m going to handcuff you to the bed and torture the living hell out of you.”
“Whatever you say, wildcat.” He moved against her, sliding inside slowly and surely, all the while watching her.
“You feel so good,” she whispered, clutching his arms as he pulled back and then drove forward again, filling her body, heart, and soul. She was in way over her head now.
His focus lowered to her mouth, his eyes darkening. “Christ,” he rasped. She felt the goose bumps rise on his arms. “You’re so ready for me.”
She raised her hips to meet his thrusts. “I’ve been ready for you for years.”
“Kiss me,” he demanded, his gaze still on her mouth. “Your lips keep me up at night, aching.”
She cupped his cheeks, using her lips to woo him further. As he spun her higher and higher, she showed him how much she wanted him with her mouth and tongue.
He groaned loud … or maybe it was her doing the groaning. She tightened her legs and held on as he pushed her to the edge.
“Oh, God!” She clung to his shoulders, wanting more. “I’m so close.”
“Look at me,” he ordered in a guttural voice. When she did, he pushed deep. “You’re mine, Natalie.”
The passion in his eyes sent her sailing over the edge. She cried out, her body clenching around his.
He watched through lowered lashes as she shivered and quaked under him, his jaw clenching while he waited for her to still. Then he drove hard a few more times until his whole body grew rigid, his muscles straining.
He collapsed onto her afterward, his body pressing hers into the mattress, his face buried in her neck.
She ran her fingers over his damp back, skimming his scars, careful not to touch the birdshot wounds.
When his breathing returned to normal he rolled off of her onto his good side, bracing himself up on his elbow. His gray eyes held hers.
She was at a loss for words. He’d just mucked up her sex life when it came to being with anyone else after him. If he decided this would be a one-time event, she might go find Kate’s Taser and zap him in the ass. Repeatedly.
“Handcuff me to the bed, huh?” he said, breaking the silence. He reached out and traced her curves. “We can try that sometime, but I want to have a turn at it, too.”
She smiled, her heart and brain playing tug-of-war about telling him how amazing he’d been.
Her heart won.
“Wow!” she blurted.
Sheesh. Her heart was a lovesick moron! Leading with it was a bad idea. “What I meant to say was that you were mind-blowing.”
His fingers traveled up to her face, trailing along her jawline. “I’ve been wanting to lose myself in you for far too long.”
“Oh my, Coop.” She played coy and fanned herself, pretending to swoon until she ruined it by giggling. “I couldn’t have asked for a better fireworks-style ending to
