Page 106 of Revelry

Pleasure builds inside me, and when he wraps his arm around my waist and strokes my clit with deft fingers that know all too well what I like, I come. Cooper sinks his teeth into my shoulder, sucking my flesh into his mouth, and his cock jerks inside me. Hot come spurts from his body into mine, and I relish the feel of him softening inside me as we stay like that, both afraid to move, afraid to break the spell.

He places one large hand on my back and pushes me down on the mattress. I’m aching, satiated, and overcome with more emotion than I know what to do with. Tears start to leak out of the corners of my eyes because he won’t lie down with me. He won’t take me in his arms and hold me. Instead, he shifts to the end of the bed, completely naked, his forearms resting on his knees and his hard gaze directed down at the floor.

“What’s the matter?”

“Coming here was a mistake.”

Ice spreads through my veins, and I swallow hard.Did I hallucinate that amazing sex? Was it bad? Have I been so long without that I forgot what was good and what was average? “Cooper—”

“I have to go.”

“That’s it? You’re gonna fly halfway across the world, fuck me and then leave?”

“I shouldn’t have taken it that far.”

“Why not?”

He shrugs off my hold. “Levi told me you were seeing someone. I’ve known that for weeks.” He buries his head in his hands. “I just fucking met the guy, and I fucked you anyway because I couldn’t help myself. I lose my head completely when I’m with you. I’m sorry, Ali.”

“You think I’m sleeping with Tim?”

“Well, aren’t you?”

“Cooper, he’s my old flatmate. He was Bradley’s best friend. We’re just friends—he felt badly for me when Levi called, so he made out he was my boyfriend.”

“But you brought him back to your apartment?”

“Yeah, and he also found me here four hours ago, with unwashed bedhead and Mint Pattie stuck to my face.”

He frowns. “Why would you have Mint Pattie stuck to your face?”

“Shame spiral.” I wave that away, trying to get him to focus on what’s important here. “It’s irrelevant.”

“So you’re not—”

“Fucking my old roommate? Nope. I’m in love with some other guy. He thinks he’s a big hot-shot rock star, but he’s mostly just average in every way.”

He laughs, and it’s been so long since I’ve heard that sound that more tears spring into my eyes. “That so?”

“Yup. Honestly, the ego on this guy is ridiculous.” I swipe at the tears and Coop climbs over me, settling his hips into the space between my legs and pinning me to the bed, his forearms pushing down into the mattress either side of my head.

“Hi,” he whispers. “I’m the egotistical, average-in-every-way rock star.”

I smile up at him. “Hi.”

“I have to go soon.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. I only had an eight-hour layover. I’ve got a show in about forty-six hours.” His eyes light with excitement. “You should come with me.”

“I can’t. There’s that whole paparazzi thing. I finally got them to leave me the hell alone by never leaving my apartment. Plus I have to work.”

“I’ll pay you to never leave my bed.” He says, and then cringes when he realises that hits a little too close to home. “Shit, Ali. I didn’t mean—”

I pull his face down to mine and kiss him deeply, cutting off his apology. Yes, he lied, but I was an idiot to doubt his sincerity or his love for me.

“Sorry,” he says, when I finally release his mouth.

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