The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk) (23 page)

By a mile. By a thousand. Okay, a million.

My cheeks turned hotter than they already were because I suddenly wasn’t sure if I should be embarrassed that it had taken me until I was thirty-three years old to have the best sex of my life.

As a doctor I knew that that was entirely normal. There were some women who couldn’t orgasm from penetration alone and I was one of the lucky ones who could. There were some women who would go their whole lives having mediocre sex.

I should feel lucky.

But I was embarrassed to have climaxed so fast.

I was willing to bet Cooper had never been with a woman who had lit up and exploded that quickly. Usually, I made Andrew work for it and that got him all worked up and he
loved
that.

Likely Cooper’s “outrageously gorgeous” ex-wife had made him work for it.

What if I seemed gauche and inexperienced in comparison?

“Doc,” he murmured against my cheek, “I can practically
feel
you overthinking this.”

I slowly pulled my head from his shoulder and looked into his face.

The low-lidded relaxed expression of satisfaction he wore eased my concerns a little. Cooper caught my lower lip with his thumb, his eyes steady as he said softly, “You’ve got the prettiest mouth I’ve ever seen in my life.”

God! He was so charming. He’d literally charmed the panties right off me.

I suddenly remembered the woman on the beach and Bailey
telling me he’d dated a lot of women before me. Practice made perfect after all, huh.

I froze.

How many women had he screwed in his pub?

He sighed and squeezed my waist as he slowly pulled out of me. “Wait right there.”

He turned and walked toward the staff room, pulling up his jeans to cover my delectable view of the top of his muscular ass. Denied said view, I looked elsewhere and found myself mesmerized by the delicious V of his torso. I remembered what it felt like to cling to his big, broad shoulders as he moved in me.

Needing to occupy myself in some way, I hopped off the table, pulled the straps of my dress back up, grabbed my sweater, and searched for my panties. I couldn’t find them.

“I thought I told you not to move.” Cooper reappeared, his jeans refastened.

“No, you just said ‘wait right there.’”

“On the table.” He smirked at me as he reached for his T-shirt.

I wanted to pout when he put it back on.

But I didn’t have any time because Cooper wrapped an arm around my waist and hauled me up against him. With his other hand he cupped my nape and drew me to him for a long, sweet, deep, intimate kiss that had me clinging to his strong shoulders again.

When he eventually broke our embrace he stared into my eyes as if he were searching for something. “You’re not regretting this, are you, Doc?”

Why did it feel like having sex had complicated things so much? Usually sex was complication-free for me.

But before that night I’d been completely sure that Cooper was interested in exploring something more with me, and now I was freaking out that his interest would wane now that he’d had me.

I shook my head slowly. “No. It was good.”

He scowled, his arms tightening around me so much there wasn’t
an inch of space between us. “It was better than fucking good, Jessica.”

I scowled back and pushed at his chest for some breathing space. “Well, I’m sure you’d know all about that.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“You use the word ‘fuck’ a lot.”

“It’s a good
fucking
word.”

I was tempted to laugh at how disgruntled he sounded and he seemed to catch my amusement because his hold on me eased.

“What’s going on in your head, Jess?”

I thought about evading this conversation. I’d never had to have an adult, open conversation with a man about sex. However, I realized, somewhat reluctantly, if I wanted something more with Cooper Lawson I was going to have to give him more than I was used to giving.

I couldn’t change his past, but I could figure out what it was he wanted in the future by just being honest and asking the question.

“You still want something with me, right? This”—I gestured behind me to the table—“it wasn’t just about sex.”

“No,” he said. “It’s not just about sex.”

As I heaved a sigh of relief, he let go of my waist to cup my face in his hands, dipping his head down to mine so our noses almost touched. He stared deep into my eyes and I shivered. I felt like he was trying to see right into my soul.

“I’m in this for the long haul, Doc. I was before you walked into my bar tonight, but now, after the best fucking sex of my life, after how wild that was, there’s no way I’m letting you walk out of here without me.”

And there he went doing it again.

His words resonated deep within me along with giving me that deep, sexual belly flip of arousal.

My fingers curled into the top of his biceps. “Best sex of my life, too,” I murmured. “It stunned me a little. Confused me . . . I thought maybe . . . you . . . this was old hat for you . . .”

He gave me a crooked grin. “You think I make a habit of fucking women in my bar.”

“You could,” I said. “You are definitely a man who could pull that off.”

Cooper threw his head back in laughter and I pressed my body deeper into his to feel his joy.

And then he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me.

Just as I’d suspected, he was a really good hugger.

When he pulled back he was smiling gently at me. “You’re the only woman I’ve had in my bar.” He let me go only to take my hand in his. “No one sits at that table anymore.” He gestured to the scene of the best sex we’d both ever had. “It’s now a shrine.”

“You can’t do that!” I was mortified at the possibility of people finding out why there was a table in Cooper Lawson’s bar that no one was allowed to sit at.

“I can. It’s my bar. I think I’ll even carve ‘Coop and Doc were here’ on it.”

Finally getting that he was joking, I made a face. “Funny.”

“You’re slow on the uptake tonight,” he teased.

“My brain was just frazzled by the orgasm to beat all orgasms.”

He squeezed my hand. “You up for more brain frazzling?”

I shivered at the thought. “Definitely.”

His eyes darkened. “Let’s go back to my place.”

Exhilarated by the prospect, I followed him, and it wasn’t until we’d stepped outside the bar into the cool night air that I said, “I don’t suppose you know where my panties are?”

“I do, actually.” He led me to the back of his bar to the parking lot. A dark-colored GMC was the only truck there.

“Um . . . could I have them, please?”

He stopped me at the passenger side of the truck, pressing me up against the car. “Why?” he whispered against my lips before he kissed me deeply. He came up for air a few seconds later. “You’re not going to need them where we’re going.”

The nagging pressure between my legs increased. “You are so very, very good at stringing the exact right words together.”

He kissed me again.

“You’re just good with your mouth in general,” I murmured.

Cooper grinned and brushed his lips over mine. “In the truck, Doc.”

The sound of his phone binging on the bedside table woke Cooper from a sound sleep. He was just about to reach for it when he became aware of the heat of her body and the smell of her perfume.

Jessica.

He opened his eyes to find her soft blond hair spilled out over the pillow in front of him, a few strands tickling his nose and chin. He couldn’t see her face, but her shoulders were bared, the sheet on his bed covering them both only to the waist.

One of his arms was stretched out along the pillow by her head, and his other was curled tight around her waist. His left leg was insinuated between hers, and his cock was pressed against the round cheeks of her ass.

He’d never slept with a woman like this before.

Not even Dana.

Dana had hated spooning—said it made her too hot, too uncomfortable.

That had never bothered him.

But that was because he didn’t know what he was missing until now.

Cooper buried his nose in Jessica’s neck, biting back a groan as the blood rushed to his dick. The night before, he’d fucked this amazing woman in the pub, then brought her home to his place, where he’d made love to her in his bed. The sex had been great, but it brought out something vulnerable in her and Cooper found he
didn’t like how uncertain she’d seemed about him. The doc was sexually confident at first and he liked that about her. He didn’t want to be a guy who took that confidence from her. He wanted to be the guy she felt free with—not insecure about—and he had a feeling Bailey had been filling Jessica’s ears with rumors about his behavior over the past eighteen months.

He wanted her to know that she wasn’t just some woman he wanted to fuck.

And so he’d taken his time when they got back to his place, exploring every inch of her curvy, gorgeous body . . . making love to her.

Hopefully she was more sure of him now.

Because he didn’t want to ever leave this bed as long as she was in it.

He heard her little gasp as she woke up to feel his erection pressed between the cheeks of her ass.

“You’ve got me addicted, Doc,” he murmured in her ear.

Jessica turned to face him and as she did he curled his hand around her full breast, his thumb catching her sweet nipple when it peaked against his touch. She gave him a sleepy, sexy smile as she hitched her leg over his and his cock strained further against her. “Morning,” she murmured, sliding her arm around his shoulder and moving in closer for a soft kiss.

“I can’t remember the last time I woke up to something this sweet,” he said, caressing her body as he moved his hips into her.

She gave a little gasp again, her neck arching slightly, her full lips parting.

Sexy as hell.

He slid his hand over her soft stomach and down between her thighs. His thumb pressed in, catching her clit, and she moaned. He played her until her hips were undulating against him for more and then he pushed two fingers inside her, groaning at the feel of her wetness.

“Jessica.” He didn’t know how to explain how much he loved being with her like this without sounding like a lovesick schoolboy.

Her fingers dug into his back as her panting increased.

She was ready.

Cooper wanted inside her, with nothing between them.

“You on the pill, Doc?” he said, his fingers moving faster, pushing her toward orgasm.

“Ah,” she whispered, her grip digging deeper, “Cooper, ah . . .”

“Doc. Pill?”

“Yes, yes . . .” She shook her head. “But . . . not . . . not been checked. Condom.”

Fuck.

She had to go and be sensible about it. “We both get checked ASAP, Doc. I want nothing between us. Just you and me.”

Her inner muscles rippled around his fingers and he savored the sight as she came around him. Jessica gave everything over to it. There was no bullshit posing, no fakeness, no shyness. Jess let go completely. And when she did it was sexier than anything he’d ever seen.

Her eyes closed; her cheeks flushed; she cried out—she let it take over as she arched her back into the sensations, thrusting her beautiful tits up in invitation.

Cooper took what she offered.

Cupping her breasts, caressing and memorizing the soft, gorgeous globes, he wrapped his mouth around one dark, flushed nipple and sucked at it.

“Oh, God!” Jess cried again, her hips jerking against his as he sucked and licked her nipples, one and then the other.

“You taste so fucking good,” he growled, pulling away only to push her gently onto her back.

He grabbed a condom from his bedside drawer and ripped it out of the wrapper.

“Let me.” Jessica sat up, reaching for the condom.

He pulled the sheet back, revealing his dick, and it jumped at the way she licked her lips like she wanted to eat him.

“Can’t wait much longer, Jessica,” he warned her, his voice guttural with need.

She stopped ogling him and started rolling the condom down his swollen cock.

Heaven.

Fucking heaven.

She made it even more heavenly by taking him between her fingers and thumb and giving him a hard jerk.

“Jesus, Jess.” He grabbed her wrist and pushed her back on the bed with his body. “Another time.” He kissed her hard, deep. “Definitely.”

Wrapping her arms around his back, she lifted her hips into him and gave him a smile of hunger and anticipation. “I can’t wait to taste you.”

He shuddered at the thought and gripped her by the hips, positioning himself at her entrance. “Tit for tat, Doc. You suck me off, I promise you I’ll make you come harder than you’ve ever come, just using my tongue.”

Desire flared in her eyes and she made a little whimpering noise that killed him. “I think I just came right now.”

“Not without me this time.” He drove into her, her snug channel clamping down on his dick, so hot and wet and tight . . . fucking perfect.

Fucking heaven.

“I’ll be right back.” The doc pressed a kiss to his lips before darting into his bathroom with her dress bundled up in her hands.

He supposed he should return her panties to her.

Grinning at the thought of her having to ask him for them, Cooper turned to pick up his phone. He’d just remembered it had binged before he and Jessica got carried away with unbelievable morning sex.

He was happy—and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this alive.

Sure, he had moments of enjoyment—usually when he was hanging with Joey—but contentment wasn’t the same as out-and-out happiness.

The doc made him happy.

He swiped the screen on his phone and just like that the grin was knocked clean off his face.

We have to talk. Dana. xx.

Cooper cursed and deleted the text. He’d blocked her number from his phone, so either she had gotten a new number or she was using someone else’s phone to contact him.

Damn it. He’d thought she’d gotten over harassing him after last time, but obviously someone had told her about Jessica.

Shit.

“Hey, you okay?”

He glanced up from his phone. Jessica was leaning against the doorjamb of the bathroom, makeupless, dress wrinkled, hair wild from his hands, and she was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

No way was Dana taking this happy moment away from him.

“Everything’s great, Doc.” He threw off the sheet. “Let me have a quick shower and I’ll get you back to the inn.” She was far too tempting standing in his doorway. He pressed into her instead of passing her by and stole a sweet kiss from her. Cooper loved how she just melted into him at the first touch. “You sure you don’t want to shower with me?”

She caught her bottom lip with her teeth and reluctantly shook her head as her hands explored his chest. “I shouldn’t.”

“You should do whatever you want.”

“If I get in the shower with you, I’ll make us late.”

That sounded too good to pass up.

Cooper took hold of the hem of her dress and drew it up over her head. Jessica raised her arms to help him relieve her of the fabric.
He threw the dress in the direction of the bed and then scooped her up into his arms.

Jessica whooped with surprised laughter and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Pure joy shone out of her big hazel eyes as he carried her back into the bathroom and placed her gently on her feet in his shower.

When he got in beside her, moving her out of the way of the water—because it came on freezing cold before it turned hot—and conveniently placing her up against the wall, she said, “Best morning ever, Coop.”

Those four little words made his chest go tight with a warm ache.

“Yeah,” he murmured against her mouth. “Not going to argue with that.”

There were only a few occasions when Cooper had been late getting to the bar to open up, but each of those times he’d been able to rely on Jace to open the place. Jace had worked as a bartender at the pub for the last five years and had a key.

Sure enough, after Cooper dropped off Jessica at the inn and then pulled into the parking lot behind his bar, he saw Jace’s and Crosby’s trucks parked there.

He was really late.

But damn it had been worth it.

He grinned as he walked around front instead of going in the back door through the kitchen. When Crosby was setting up he liked peace and quiet. In fact, Crosby liked peace and quiet, period. His least favorite time of year was the current busy season because Cooper always hired another cook to help him out.

The grin Cooper wore immediately died when he stepped inside his bar. Dana was sitting on a stool, smiling and talking to Jace. They both looked up at his entrance, Dana’s eyes lighting up at the sight of him like they used to when they first started dating.

Jace had the good sense to look concerned.

“Back room. Now,” Cooper said to him, ignoring Dana completely.

His bartender reluctantly followed him into his office.

“Look, Coop, before you saying anything, you know I was angrier than anyone for what Dana pulled on you, but I found her outside and she was crying, man. She really seems like she knows she’s fucked up.”

“Jesus Christ, Jace.” Cooper glowered at his idiocy. “That woman is the most manipulative person I’ve ever met. Do you want to know why she’s really here?”

Jace crossed his arms over his chest, looking uncomfortable.

“She’s here because word reached her that I’m seeing Jessica. She knows I’ve moved on and she’s not too happy about me doing that first.”

“Fuck,” Jace muttered, running a hand over his head, looking more than a little sheepish.

Cooper walked over to him and clamped a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll forgive you once for letting her into my bar, because you’re young and when I was your age I was stupid enough to let my cock do my thinking, too. Warning, Jace: Dana is beautiful and she can be sweet . . . but then she gets her hooks in you and that all turns to shit pretty quick.”

“Coop, I’m sorry, man.”

“Wait here while I get rid of her.” He sighed, not looking forward to that task, especially pissed that she’d have to ruin the best morning he’d had in a long time.

“Cooper,” she said breathily as he walked back into the bar. She stood up from her stool and he took in what she was wearing with more than a little annoyance.

It was a tight-fitting white summer dress that contrasted with her even tan. She wore it with wedged heels with white ties that wrapped around her slim ankles. The first day she’d walked into their kitchen wearing that outfit he’d been so taken by her beauty he’d made love to her right there and made her promise to wear that dress only for him in the future.

But that was back when he thought the passion between them was enough.

Now the sight of her left him cold. Like he was staring at a pretty doll and nothing more.

He ignored her intended manipulation with the dress. “You need to leave. Right now.”

Dana hurried over to him, stopping just short of touching him when he warned her with his stern expression to not even dare. “Look . . . I stopped coming around because I knew you needed more time . . . but I can’t wait any longer. Cooper, you have to know how deeply sorry I am for what I did. I was feeling adrift from you and instead of being mature about it, I got mad and stupid and did a thing that I can’t even believe that I did.” She begged him with her eyes. “Please forgive me. Please. I miss you so much.”