Wilde Riders (Old Town Country Romance) (7 page)

I’ve never longed so deeply for anyone but I can feel the desire for Cooper stir deep within me.

“Do you have a condom?” I throw out there because I’m not sure how else to let him know I need him inside me
right now.

“Subtle again.” He laughs as he
disentangles himself from the little human knot we’d created on the bed.

He
searches through the nightstand until he finds a box of condoms. “One of the benefits of having three brothers,” he says. “Plenty of condoms when you need one.”

It only seems like a matter of seconds before he’s got the condom on. “Now where were we?” he says as he straddles me.

He looks into my eyes as if he’s searching for something, I’m not sure what. Playtime is definitely over. He’s back to being Mr. Intense.

“Keep your eyes open and on me,” he demands.

It seems like such an unusual request but I do as I’m told. I keep my eyes aimed at his as he enters me with a quick, hard thrust.

I may have gone a little too long without sex because I gasp at the intrusion. He’s big and really hard and it takes a few more thrusts before I stretch to fully accommodate him. “That’s it, Baby,” he says as he continues to push. “Just relax.”

Normally I’d want to punch any man who would even consider calling me anything like baby, doll, honey or any other such diminutive, but for some reason, when Cooper says it, I really like it.

So much for being a modern
day Joan of Arc feminist.

Cooper continues to thrust with so much force I think we might break the poor antique bed.

“Look at me,” he insists, and I realize I’ve been looking at the headboard.

His dark eyes are now filled with
an absolute determination that sends waves of shivers through me.

    I let out another gasp when Cooper grabs my ass and a
ngles me in such a way that his next thrust reaches even deeper inside me, which I didn’t think was possible.

I’m just about to completely lose my mind in the fervor of intense sex when he again angles me in such a way that he goes even deeper.

And I’m completely and totally lost.

I can faintly hear myself saying, “Oh, God,” and I can hear Cooper say, “Look at me, Baby” but I’m floating somewhere outside of my body in the bliss of orgasmic release.

The only thing that brings me back to Earth is Cooper’s hand brushing my cheek. “Where did you go?” he whispers.

I shake my head in response. “I have no idea.”

He looks confused, and maybe a little crestfallen, like he’s not sure he’s performed to my satisfaction.

“Was that okay
?” he asks as he continues to brush his hand lightly on my cheek.

I can’t help but laugh. Okay would be the understatement of the millennia.

He looks like I slapped him. I suddenly feel horrible that I laughed. “I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “I really didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just that okay is not the word I would use to describe—whatever it is that you just did to me—it was absolutely amazing. And that’s not even a good enough. More like Earth-shattering.”

Now he’s biting back a smile. “Earth
-shattering, huh? I’ll take that.”

He places a soft kiss on my lips. Then says, “I’d better get cleaned up. We’ve got plenty of bathrooms, if you need to use one.”

“Do you mind if I take a quick shower?” I ask.

“Not at all. All of the bathrooms should have fresh towels. Are you hungry? I could make us something to eat.”

I hadn’t thought about it but as soon as Cooper says hungry, I can feel my stomach rumble. “I could eat,” I reply.

“Meet me downstairs in the kitchen whenever you’re ready.”

As Cooper gets up from the bed, I remember that I only have my business suit to wear. “Do you have any sweatpants and a T-shirt I could borrow? I’m not sure I want to put that suit back on.”

“Yeah, sure. You’ll be swimming in my clothes. Maybe I’ll borrow something from Hunter. He hasn’t quite filled out yet.”

“Are you sure he won’t mind?” The last thing I want is for one of Cooper’s brothers to be mad at me because I borrowed some of his clothes.

“I’m sure he won’t mind,” Cooper assures me. “I’ll put them in the blue bathroom for you. It’s the second door on the right.”

“Blue bathroom, huh? Does that mean there’s a pink bathroom somewhere? Maybe even a purple one?”

He
laughs. “The guest bathrooms are blue, yellow and green. Sorry, no pink. That’s probably because my mom never had any daughters. Much to her chagrin, I might add.”

“I would imagine having four boys was tough,” I say.

“You have no idea.”

“You’re right about that. Being an only child had some a
dvantages but it definitely had some disadvantages.”

“Do you want kids?” Cooper asks. It seems like a casual que
stion until he looks at me and I’m frozen in place by the seriousness in his eyes.

“I haven’t given it much thought,” I lie and I’m not sure why. It seems like such a deep question for someone to ask a one-night (or in our case one-weekend) stand.

“I do,” he states as he slips on his boxer briefs. “Probably two or three.”

“There are a few things I want to accomplish before I think about having a family,” I reply.

He raises an eyebrow. “Like?”

I can feel my face getting hot with embarrassment. Will my goals seem superficial to someone like Cooper? It’s obvious that family is important to him. And I’ve never shared such intimate things with a guy before. Most guys have never cared enough to even ask.

Cooper is looking at me like he’s studying my face. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me.”

“It’s not that,” I say. “I’m just surprised that you asked.”

He frowns. “Why wouldn’t I?”

I shrug. “Most guys don’t really care.”

“I guess I’m not like most guys.”

“There are very few ways in which you’re like most of the guys I know.”

I can see him swallow, hard, and I wonder if I’ve offended him. “Maybe we’d better get cleaned up.”

Just like that the conversation is over. I can’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment.

Seven

Cooper

I feel like I’m digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole the longer I let Riley believe that I’m not like every other Wall Street wannabe she knows when that’s exactly what I am—right down to the apartment in lower Manhattan and the car.

But I’m also the simple guy from New Jersey that she thinks I am. At least I was. Maybe I still am deep down inside. Who the hel
l knows? What’s that old saying?
Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive
. Well, I’m not just tangled. I’ve really gotten myself twisted into one big knot of lies. And I have no idea how I’m going to get myself untwisted.

As I head toward the kitchen, I notice my brother, Tucker, alone in the darkened living room. Jake must have let him come home early. That’s not unusual. What is unusual is that he’s stretched out on the couch staring at the wall.

“What’s on your mind, Tuck,” I ask as I plop down on the couch next to him.

He doesn’t reply right away. Then he turns to me and says, “Take care of that girl, Man. Do whatever you have to do but don’t let her go.”

I rake my fingers through my hair. “I’m just not sure it’s going to be anything more than a weekend thing.” As much as I may want it to be more, it’s not just my decision.

Tuck shakes his head. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you. Like the sun rises and sets on your ass. I think you’re wrong,
Man.”

“There’s a lot more to it than that.”

“You obviously like her. She likes you. What more is there?”

“It’s complicated.”

“I think you’re making it complicated.” He looks back at the wall. “If I had a girl like that, I’d do whatever it took to keep her. But you and I both know that’s never gonna happen.”

“Why would you say that?”

Tucker doesn’t respond right away. He continues starting at the wall.

“Tucker?” I say softly. I feel like he’s disappeared even though he’s still sitting right next to me.

When he looks back at me, his eyes are moist. It breaks my heart.

“What girl’s ever
gonna want me? My leg is totally messed up. I look like a freak. And I walk like some old dude who’s constipated.”

I want to laugh at his description of his limp, which is slight at best but I can see he’s really struggling to come to terms with his injury.

“I’m sure you’ll meet someone who won’t care about your leg. You were in a war. You served your country. That’s something to be proud of. You’re not a freak. And you definitely don’t walk like someone who’s constipated. Old, maybe, but not constipated. ”

That earns me a slight smile. “Easy for you to say. You never even have a hair on your head out of place.”

“My life isn’t as easy as you think it is, Tuck. I wish it was. I know I don’t have the problems you do but I do have my share of problems.”

“I’d trade your problems for mine any day.”

“I wish I could take your pain away. I really do. You’ve just got to work through it.”

When Tucker heaves a sigh and stares at the wall again, I sense the conversation is closed for now.

Just as I’m about to get up, I hear a scream from upstairs. 

Tucker and I both jump up from the couch and hurry out of the living room. I take the stairs two at a time until I reach the blue bathroom.

My youngest brother, Hunter, is standing outside the bathroom, with his hand stuck to the doorknob. His normally pale face is beet red and he’s blinking rapidly.

“I—um—I—I.” Hunter is an introvert and generally has trouble expressing
himself but now he’s not making any sense at all.

“Hunter, what’s wrong?” I ask. He looks scared out of his mind.

“I—um—I—I.” He still can’t express whatever he’s trying to say.

“He walked in on me naked,” I hear Riley say from behind the door.

No wonder Hunter can’t speak. My youngest brother and I have never talked about sex but I have a hunch that he’s never seen a female naked before.

“It wasn’t locked,” Hunter says softly. “I didn’t know there would be a girl in there.”

I place a hand on my youngest brother’s shoulder. He’s filled out a little more since the last time I saw him but he’s still what you would classify as slender. Even at six feet he probably only weighs about one hundred sixty-five pounds.

Hunter has Jake’s boyish looks minus the charm. He’s quiet, introverted and obviously still very unsure of himself.

“It’s okay,” I say to try and calm him down. “I would have warned you but I didn’t know you were home.”

“I was at school. Studying. I just got home.”

“And how’s school going?” I ask. My youngest brother has been taking some classes at the local community college.

He
just shrugs. He’s never been a man of many words.

“Still trying to get into the academy?” Hunter has wanted to be a police officer his entire life. I’ve never heard him talk about much of anything else except maybe playing the drums, which is his only other love.

“I’ll be applying for the January class. As soon as I pass the background check and physical exam.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” I assure him.

Worry seems to crease his otherwise unlined face. “That’s easy for you to say, Coop. When have you not gotten everything you’ve ever wanted?”

Why do my younger brothers both seem to think life has been easy for me? This is a myth that needs to be debunked. “That’s not true,” I protest.

Hunter’s eyebrows pop up. “Seriously? Why do you think Tuck and I call you Mr. Lucky?”

I glance back at Tucker, who has been awfully quiet. He just shrugs.

“I’ve worked very hard for everything I’ve gotten and things have not always been easy for me.”

Tucker snorts behind me “Whatever you say,
Coop.”

“It’s the truth.”

Before any of us can say another word, Riley pokes her head out from the bathroom. “Is it okay for me to come out?”

When she steps out into the hallway, I can’t help but notice how much younger she looks wearing a T-shirt and sweats rather than a business suit. She looks no older than Hunter and he’s
just barely turned twenty-one.

“Is that my old Nirvana shirt and sweatpants?” Hunter asks.

Riley puts her hand to her mouth and I can see that she’s turning red with embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” she says. “Do you want them back?”

“No,” Hunter says quickly. “It’s fine. They don’t really fit me anymore anyway.”

“It’s my fault,” I add. “I should have asked before giving Riley your clothes. I didn’t think she’d fit into anything of mine.”

“I don’t mind,” Hunter says. I notice that he can barely look Riley in the face. He’s still so shy.

“You’re free to borrow my clothes,” Tucker adds.

When Riley looks over at him, I can see she’s still a little hes
itant around him.

I glare at Tucker. I don’t
know what he’s thinking. He’s bigger than me. The idea of Riley fitting into his clothing is ridiculous. 

“Well, you’ve kind of met my youngest brother, Hunter,” I say
, trying to add some levity to the tension-filled air.

She
gives Hunter a little wave. He gives her a barely-there smile in response then turns away.

“Riley and I were thinking about fixing something to eat,” I say. “Is anyone else hungry?”

“I grabbed something on the way home from the library,” Hunter says. “I’ve got class early in the morning anyway, so I’d better get to bed.”

As
he turns to head toward his bedroom, Riley says, “Nice to meet you, Hunter.”

He grunts some kind of unintelligible response as he hurries down the hallway.

I turn to Tucker. “What about you?”

He furrows his brow like he’s giving it some thought. Then he looks between me and Riley. “You two go ahead. I think I’ll hit the hay.”

“Goodnight,” Riley says and Tucker nods.

I grab Riley’s elbow and lead her down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“That was awkward,” I confess as I lean against the oversized refrigerator.

“This is an awesome kitchen,” Riley says, as she glances around the gourmet kitchen my mom had custom made.

“It was my mom’s fiftieth birthday present. She had the kitchen completely redone. Too bad she didn’t have as much time as she wanted to enjoy it.”

“How did you mom die?”
she asks, as she takes a seat on one of the stools next to the large island.

“Cancer,” I reply.

“I’m sorry,” Riley says softly.

“It was a tough year losing Mom and D
ad within six months of each other. But I wasn’t too surprised when we lost Dad so soon after mom died. The official cause of death was a heart attack but I think he died of a broken heart. I just don’t think he could live without my mom.”

“That’s sad but also kind of romantic.”

I shrug. “I’ve never been a romantic kind of guy. I didn’t think my dad was either, but he sure loved my mom.”

“They’re lucky they found each other.” Riley looks so sad when she says those words, it tugs at my heartstrings.

“Don’t you think you’ll ever find anyone like that?” I’m not sure why I ask the question. She just looks so forlorn. 

Finally, she shakes her head. “Most guys don’t stick around that long. Not that I’ve found anyone that I’ve really wanted to stick around—yet.”

The word yet is the only thing I grasp onto. Kind of like a life raft. Yet implies hope and promise of more than just a weekend fling.

I move between her legs, grab her and pull her close to me. As I look down at her, I notice her nipples are peeking out from the thin fabric of the well-worn T-shirt. She’s not wearing a bra and that completely turns me on. I feel my dick start to twitch in response. If my brothers weren’t home I’d take Riley right there in the middle of the kitchen.

I lean down and place a kiss on her soft lips. She tastes like mint toothpaste. I grab her ass and pull her into my growing erection.

“I thought you were hungry,” she whispers.

“Very.” I whisper back in a way that makes it clear I’m not talking about food.

I’m not generally the guy who goes multiple times in one night. At least, I never was before I laid eyes on Riley Smith. But standing there in the kitchen, with her in that old T-shirt, her nipples erect and just screaming to be taken into my mouth, I suddenly feel insatiable.
Like I’ll never get enough of her.

I have an overwhelming urge to be inside of her again. Like I won’t be able to fully breathe again until we’re naked in each other’s arms.

I put my hands under her ass and when I pull her up from the chair, she throws her legs around my waist. Like a caveman, I carry her right back up the stairs and right back into the bedroom.

I lay her on the bed and grab another condom from the dresser. I’m already so hard it aches. I can’t believe the effect this girl is having on me. It’s almost like I’m possessed.

My hands are immediately drawn to her nipples, still rigid under the T-shirt, just begging for attention. I pull up the shirt just enough to allow my mouth access to those erect nubs.

Riley lets out a soft moan of appreciation as I give her breasts the attention they seem to be screaming for.

I quickly push my shorts off and rid myself of my underwear just as quickly.

She
is looking at me and her big eyes seem to look even bigger as she takes in my erection.

I should probably be embarrassed that I’m so hard again so fast. She must think I’m like some sex-starved teenager. I’m rarely like this. I’m usually the epitome of self-control. But I can’t seem
to control myself with Riley. She’s like a drug that I just can’t seem to get enough of.

When I see
her remove her T-shirt and sweats just as quickly, I wonder if I have the same effect on her.

I rip open the condom package and sheath myself as quickly as my fingers allow.

My lips join with Riley’s as I push inside her. Her entrance is already so wet and ready for me, it is almost more than I can bear.

“Look at me,” I say as I continue to thrust into her.

Everything about Riley is absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. But her most beautiful feature is her big brown eyes. I’ve never seen eyes that were so expressive, so filled with promise and joy. I can see everything she’s feeling, and everything she’s experiencing, reflected in those eyes. They truly are the windows to her soul.

As I continue to
thrust, I feel like I’m quickly getting lost in the sensation, lost in the raw physicality of our act. I’m near exhaustion but I don’t stop—can’t stop—I’m too close to the edge of a sheer cliff that I’m about to go straight over.

When I see Riley’s eyes go even wider and she lets out a soft cry, I drive it home with a few last ragged thrusts until I’m completely lost—
falling into the abyss.