Page 3 of Summer Nights

Cooper turned so that he was facing me. "Are you scared of storms?"

I laughed as if the idea was ludicrous. I made it a habit never to admit weakness to anyone. I was more than aware that it could and would be exploited by the wrong people. "Of course not."

He raised a brow. "It's okay to admit that there's a chink in your armor."

"I don't know what you're talking about." It was dark, but his face was laminated by the light coming through the window over the sink.

"I've always thought of you as wearing armor. Like you had to protect yourself from the world."

I sucked in a sharp breath. "That's ridiculous. I'm perfectly safe."

"Is that how you feel?" His voice was soft and gentle and threatened to unravel something deep inside of me.

I didn't want to admit it, but I'd been protecting myself for as long as I could remember no one had ever called me out on it before. My friends said I was strong, and I preferred to think of myself like that. "I don't know why we're talking about this."

Cooper glanced out the window. "Because we're stuck in this house without power while it storms, and there's nothing else to do."

It felt like he was probing, testing how far he could go. Instead, I did the one thing I knew would get his attention. I curled a hand around his neck and pulled his face down to my level. "I can think of a few things we can do to distract us."

He raised a brow. "And what's that?"

He was going to make me spell it out for him, but this is where I excelled. I didn't need anyone psychoanalyzing me. I preferred to keep things surface level, so I went up on tiptoe to press my lips against his.

For a long second, he didn't respond, and then his arm banded around my back, and he pulled me against his hard body. I almost groaned; the sensation was so incredible.

It was a mistake to think I had control of this situation.

My lips parted, and his tongue swept inside, claiming me. This was the kiss I'd always dreamed a man would give me. But I didn't usually pick men like him.

Cooper Kingston was different than any other man I'd ever been with. He had the power to blow through my walls and leave me vulnerable. I couldn't let that happen.

I pressed myself against his body and fought with him over control of the kiss. He lifted one of my legs so that my core was pressed against him. All thoughts of control fell away until I was soft and aching with need.

He kissed my chin. "Do you want this?"

"Yes," I gasped as he sucked on the sensitive skin of my neck.

"This doesn't mean anything."

I shivered at the promise. "Of course not."

"I won't call you for a second round."

I pulled back so I could look at his face. "You'd better not."

He grinned and lifted me with impressive strength, pressing me against the nearest wall. "I've wanted this for a long time."

I swallowed down my agreement. He already had too much of me; I wouldn't give him any more. This was a one-time thing, never to be repeated.

I'd allow myself one indulgence. One taste of Cooper Kingston. It would be foolish to ask for more. He was the perfect distraction from the storm.

He eased back slightly, allowing my feet to touch the ground. I slowly slid down the zipper of my skirt while his gaze tracked the movement. Once the skirt was pooled at my feet, I hooked my fingers on the sides of my panties and moved them over my hips and down my legs, letting them fall to the floor. Before I could unbutton my blouse, he'd shoved his pants down and lifted me into position.

With one motion, his cock filled me. My mouth fell open on a gasp. I'd never experienced anything like this. He was so big. I felt like he was consuming me.

Then I remembered how he'd shoved his pants down and how impressive his cock had looked. He wasn't wearing a condom. "Protection."

He growled as he lowered me once again, digging in his pocket for one. I didn't want to think about why he had one ready. Was he generally prepared for sex on the go?

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