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  That was desire in her eyes, hunger brewing just below the surface. His heart raced, and his body tightened.

  “Well,” she probed. “What did you want, Coop?”

  Goddammit, the look in her eyes and the raw ache of lust he heard in her voice spoke volumes. She wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her, and that made him the happiest fucking guy in the world.

  Everything about this sweet and sexy woman weakened his resolve, and he knew he wanted her more than ever.

  The hell with taking it slow.

  Unhinged at the want reflecting in her eyes, he hungered for her with an intensity that scared the shit out of him. As blood pounded through his veins, Coop dipped his head and took one step closer, deciding a blatant seduction was most definitely in order.

  “I was wondering if you’d like some company.”

  Dark lashes slowly blinked over whiskey-brown eyes, but when they opened, something came over her face, something that filled him with unease. With a frown marring her forehead, she folded her arms over her chest, dipped lower in the water, and said, “I think you’ve got the wrong girl.”

  Chapter Five

  Julia stared at Coop’s retreating back, her stomach plummeting. What the hell had she been thinking?

  While she wanted to say yes to his proposition—God knew her body was urging her to invite him in and go for it—his sexy offer had suddenly reminded her that it was Mari he really wanted. Hurt caused her to strike out at him.

  The second those blunt words had left her mouth, Coop backed off, his eyes dark, confused. And why wouldn’t he be confused? It was clear to anyone within a fifty-mile radius that her entire body had reacted with want when she first caught him watching her.

  And she’d turned him away.

  God, I am such an idiot.

  Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to live a day in her sister’s life? Was she really going to pass that up?

  Okay, so Julia might not have been the one Coop had been expecting to get off that plane, but maybe this wasn’t about him anymore. Maybe this moment was about her and what she wanted.

  She walked from the pond, quickly towel-dried her body, and pulled on a borrowed pair of denim shorts and a pretty pink T-shirt that was a little too snug around her breasts. Once dressed, she followed the path Coop had taken and soon found him alone inside the barn, the warm morning light drifting in through the open doors and falling over his hard body.

  He had his back to her, and she watched the way he quietly talked to his horse, the way he stroked the gelding with care. While Coop might be tough and rugged on the outside, there was a reflective side of him, a side that was sweet and caring. A side that always tugged at her, and drew her in.

  “Coop,” she said, trying not to sound breathless as she imagined those capable hands of his on her body, taking her to places she’d never before been.

  He spun around to face her, and when his glance met hers, he raked shaky hands through his hair. “Julia,” he began. “Jesus, I’m sorry. I misread—”

  She took a deep breath and blurted out, “You’re not the one at fault here.”

  He cast his eyes downward. “I made a mistake—”

  “No, you didn’t. I did.”

  His gaze flew back to hers, and he hooked his thumbs through his belt loops in a familiar move. She tried not to react when the hard muscles along his arms flexed and relaxed again. “What are you talking about? I shouldn’t have—”

  “Yes, you should have.”

  He gave a slow shake of his head. “I don’t understand.”

  Julia drew a centering breath, and while she couldn’t pretend to be her sister, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t act like her and get what she wanted from Coop, what she always wanted. She went up on her toes and said, “The answer is yes, Coop.”

  She watched his throat work as he swallowed. “Yes?”

  “Yes, I would like some company.” She stepped into him, and when she aligned her body with his, positioning herself against his cock, he slid his arm around her waist, tugging her against him.

  His gaze moved over her face, assessing her. The heat from his body, as well as the hardness between his legs, excited her. Made her feel bold and adventurous.

  He dipped his head, his mouth closer to hers. “Are you sure?”

  No. She had no idea what she was doing, but she appreciated his concern nonetheless. He was easy to trust, easy to be with, and she wanted to spend the next few hours doing it the cowboy’s way.

  She put her hands on his shoulders and looked his body over as she let them slide down his chest. “I want this,” she murmured. “All of this.”

  He exhaled sharply, and his hands shook as they trailed up her back. He smiled at her, but it wasn’t dark or predatory. It was soft, sexy…tempting.

  He touched her damp hair, and her thoughts stalled as he seductively wound a long strand between his fingers. Her insides quivered with the needy way he looked at her. God, no man had ever looked at her like that before.

  His gaze dropped to the two wet spots on her T-shirt. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “You’re all wet.”

  Oh God, he had no idea.

  He backed her up, and she could feel a new urgency in his touch, one that excited her beyond anything she’d ever known.

  God, was this really happening? After all these years was she really going to touch Coop, feel him touch her in return?

  “A girl should have what she wants,” he said, his voice dripping with promise.

  Her nipples tightened with arousal, and everything inside her urged her to go for it—to enjoy a wild ride with this sexy cowboy before returning to Nova Scotia, to the real world where she was all work and no play.

  When they hit the wall, his groin bumped hers, and a moan of want crawled out of her throat. Coop grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head. As he caged her between his chest and the wooden slats, her entire body tightened in anticipation.

  Coop must have misread her reactions. He positioned his mouth close to hers, and his voice came out a little breathless, a little labored, when he said, “I’ll stop if you want me to. But Jesus, if you’re having second thoughts, please let me know now before—”

  “I don’t want you to stop.”

  He exhaled sharply. “No regrets?” he asked, his warm breath whispering across her quivering flesh.

  She gestured with a slight nod, answering his question. “Are we going to go back—?”

  His voice dropped an octave as he spread her legs with his knee. His expression was tender and hot when he said, “No, I want you right here, right now.”

  When her body pulsed in anticipation, Coop groaned out loud. She moved her hips. The movement was slight, but highly suggestive. “Then what are you waiting for?” she asked, hardly able to believe how bold she felt and how much she liked it.

  His lips closed over hers. His kiss was hard, hot, and so damn hungry that it curled her toes and shut down her ability to think with any clarity. Which was fine by her, really. Because at the moment, she didn’t want to think. She wanted to feel, to concentrate on this hot man and the pleasure he was offering.

  And by God, he had so much pleasure to offer…

  His tongue moved inside to play with hers, and she reveled in the minty flavor of his mouth. Her heart crashed, and as he deepened the kiss, it took every ounce of strength she possessed to keep her knees from failing. She’d never wanted a man as much as she did him. His hands slid over her, and she shook, needing him to hurry this along before she burst into a million tiny pieces.

  As if he read her thoughts, he put his hands on her waist to support her and spun her around to face the ladder leading to the loft above. He nudged her to set her in to motion, and put his mouth near her ear when they reached it.

  “Climb,” he commanded, and reached into his saddlebag to grab something.

  She started up, and he stayed close behind. Hyperaware her backside was inches from his face, she hurried up. She re
ached the top, and Coop gave her an easy shove until she was sprawled out on a pile of hay. Coop stood over her, his gaze leisurely trailing over her body as though he was savoring the sight of her—savoring this moment. She rolled her tongue around a suddenly dry mouth.

  “Now this is where I want you,” he murmured, the fire in his eyes licking at her flesh.

  The dark intensity in his gaze did the strangest things to her body. Julia gulped air and moistened her lips the best she could as goose bumps broke out on her flesh.

  “You shouldn’t do that.” Coop dropped to his knees, widened her thighs, and positioned himself there.

  “What?”

  God, she couldn’t believe how rugged and sexy he looked as he slid himself between her legs. A warm breeze blew through the loft, and she caught a hint of Coop’s rich scent stirring in the air. As it stimulated her senses, she ached for him in a way she’d never ached for a man before.

  “Your lips,” he murmured, his lusty gaze zeroing in on her mouth. “You shouldn’t lick them like that.”

  Rational thought fled when Coop dragged his hands over her thighs, his sexy gaze roaming over her face. With her body taking over where her brain had left off, her throat tightened and her flesh heated with unbridled want.

  Breathing was difficult. “Why…why not?”

  “Because it makes me crazy, that’s why.”

  “And?” She licked her lips again, wanting to make him as wild as he was making her.

  He groaned, crawled up her body, and then tangled his fingers through her hair before pushing it off her face.

  “Cut it out or I’ll lose it,” he growled into her ear. “And I’m not ready to. Not yet. Not with you.”

  When she heard the need—the urgency—in his voice, her heart began racing. She loved that she had this effect on him. “Why not?”

  A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Because now that I’ve got you where I want you, I’m not in a hurry to go anywhere. I plan to take my sweet time with you, Julia. I plan to make you scream for me.”

  “Coop.” Anticipation quaked through her.

  His mouth curved as he traced her lips with his index finger. With a bemused expression on his handsome face, he lowered his voice and in a sexy drawl said, “I take it you like that idea.”

  “Yeah. I…I like it a lot.” She was surprised she could even find her voice as his mouth came closer and closer to hers.

  The second his lips closed over hers, her body sizzled, and she was certain she’d died and gone to heaven. Or maybe it was hell. Either way, she didn’t care. His kisses told her the journey was going to be worth it.

  His hands trailed over her curves, his rough calluses scraping along her skin and leaving a quiver in their wake. He gripped the hem of her T-shirt and tugged it up and over her head. His thumbs went to her wet bra, and a tortured look came over his face.

  He stroked her nipples through the white lace, and his touch sent shock waves rocketing through her.

  “Last night,” he murmured in the hollow of her throat, his scalding lips firing her blood, “when I came to your room. It was all I could do not to drag you to this loft and take you.”

  “I…me…”

  He lifted his head. “What? Were you thinking the same?” He briefly shut his eyes. “If you tell me you were thinking the same I could very well lose it.”

  “I was,” she said.

  “Christ.” He wet his lips, pulled the cups from her breasts, and drew her hard bud into his mouth. He groaned, swiping his hot tongue over her achy nipples. “So sweet, so fucking sweet.”

  Julia ran her hands though his hair, holding him to her. His touch burned right to her core, and she could feel small quakes pulling at her. Jesus, no man had ever made her come simply from kissing her breasts before. Then again, none of those men were Chase Cooper.

  As his breath scorched her, she writhed beneath him, aching for his touch. He paid homage to her other breast, and when he bit down, air ripped from her lungs.

  He lifted his head, a sheepish look on his face. “Sorry…I just…” He exhaled, his warm breath fell over her. “Well, I did warn you.”

  A thrill raced through her, and she slid her hands around his head to guide him back. A chuckle sounded in his throat, and with the soft blade of his tongue, he soothed the sting. The combination of pain and pleasure was almost more than she could bear.

  Once he had his fill of her breasts, he trailed his tongue down her body until he reached the button on her shorts. Making quick work of that barrier, he pulled down her zipper and dragged her shorts and panties to her ankles.

  After she kicked them off, he settled back on his knees and sat there, taking his sweet time to stare at her nakedness. She reached for him, her body achy, needy, but when she caught the raw ache of lust in his eyes, she trembled from head to toe.

  “Coop,” she choked out.

  He gripped her legs, spread them wide, and then leaned into her, his breath scorching her flesh. His burning mouth pressed hungrily to her heat while he brushed the soft pad of his thumb over her inflamed clit.

  He moaned in pure bliss, and the warmth of his mouth as he feasted on her just about pushed her over the precipice. God, she’d never been so responsive before, but everything in the way this man touched her turned her on. Never had she felt so wild, so sexy…so wanted.

  As his tongue seared her, her muscles clenched. She could feel need building, coming to a peak. When a tremor raced through her, he pressed deeper, his mouth taking full possession of her sex. He licked, sucked, nibbled, and stroked, the rough velvet of his tongue making her delirious. Past the point of no return, she cried out his name, just as he had said she would.

  “Yes,” she screamed, giving no regard to anyone or anything but this moment and this man. A horse may have whinnied, but she couldn’t be certain.

  “You taste so fucking good,” he murmured. When he urged her thighs wider apart, granting himself deeper access, a whimper escaped her lips.

  He applied more pressure to her aching nub, and she began moving, pressing against his mouth, her body seeking what it needed. Coop inserted a finger, and then slowly drew it out, only to push it back in again. She grew slicker and slicker with each thrust. In no time at all, her body pulsed and throbbed with the hot flow of release. Heat swept through her, her climax so damn intense she had to grip his shoulders to hang on.

  “That’s so good.”

  Every muscle in her body tightened in euphoria, and pure ecstasy reverberated through her blood. He brushed his tongue over her clit in low, lazy strokes that drew out her orgasm until her very last spasm.

  She tried to pull him to her, but he wasn’t done with her. Instead of crawling up her body or urging her to tend to his physical needs like every other man she’d been with, he stayed deep between her legs.

  God, she’d never had a man give without taking before. He pushed another finger deep inside her for a deliciously snug fit.

  A second orgasm hit fast and furious, and when her walls closed around him, his head came up and he growled out loud. As she watched him take such joy in pleasuring her, her entire body trembled from want, from so many years of longing for this man. She exhaled a shallow breath and grabbed his shoulders tighter, desperate to feel him inside her.

  “Please…”

  “Please what?”

  She exhaled a shaky breath, impatience thrumming through her. “I want you. Inside me.”

  “Soon,” he murmured, but she knew by his voice and the tension in his body that he was every bit as crazed as she was.

  “No. I’ve waited too long for this, wanted you for too long. I need you inside me. Now.” She was so delirious with want she had no idea what she was saying, but Coop must have understood, because something warm and possessive passed over his eyes. Hot lust shimmered in the depth of his baby blues as he crawled up her body, the glorious weight of his hard torso pressing down on hers.

  His hands settled on either side of her as he brushed
his lips over hers. A second later, he was removing his pants and pulling a condom out of his jeans to roll it on. Looking a bit rattled and frantic, he settled himself back on top of her, the tip of his thick cock teasing her.

  “Tell me you want this.”

  She swallowed, her entire body quaking. “I think you know I do.”

  His nostrils flared, and there was a new intensity about him when he said, “Tell me you want me.”

  “I want you, Coop.”

  As soon as the words left her mouth, he slid his fingers through her hair and plunged deep, spreading her walls as he pushed his impressive girth inside her.

  She wrapped her arms around him and held tight, knowing she was in for the ride of a lifetime. When he began pumping, their bodies coming together as though they were made for each other, the pleasure was almost too much for her to bear. She vibrated in delight, and when he angled his body for deeper thrusts, her low moan curled around them.

  “You’re so tight, baby. So fucking tight.”

  She shuddered, every nerve ending coming alive as another wave hit her hard. Her muscles pulsed.

  He growled and closed his eyes. “You’re killing me here, sweetheart.” Coop pushed harder, his hands fisting her hair as he buried his mouth in the crook of her neck. “But it’s too soon…”

  He lifted his head, and when she saw how desperate he was, Julia cupped his face. “It’s not too soon. Please.”

  When some deeper emotion flashed in the stormy depths of his eyes, her breath caught.

  “Coop?” she asked.

  “I…I’m good,” he panted. “It’s just…I can’t believe you’re here with me.”

  With that, he began slamming hard, frantic, like a man starved for so much more than just physical release. As he ravished her, she welcomed each thrust, met each push with one of her own.

  Never wanting the moment to end, she raked her hands over his back, her sex squeezing his cock. In no time at all, his body tightened, his muscles clenched, and then he stilled. He threw his head back, and his cock throbbed as he came.