her throat. “Some rough times, and, uh, they’re just really good books.”
His smile slipped away. “Maybe I will.”
Was it just Morgan, or was Cooper’s voice lower and huskier than before? He took a few steps closer to her, his face intense and serious. She knew what he was thinking. Knew what he was wondering. And a chill rolled over her.
“Do you want me to put the fire back on?”
He took another step until he was in her space. When was the last time anyone had been in her space? Cooper Simon had put himself right in the center of her wheelhouse, and she didn’t care.
“I’m not cold,” she found herself saying, staring up into his face.
“But you’re shivering.” His hands moved to her shoulders.
“I know.”
Silence surrounded them. But then she heard his breath catch at the back of his throat as his fingers slowly unraveled the blanket from her shoulders. It dropped to the floor, and her heart took off. She was pretty damn sure it was beating out of her chest. How it didn’t explode was beyond her. But right now, in this moment, Morgan was under some kind of weird spell. She wanted to look away from Cooper, but she couldn’t.
Her chest rose and fell as his fingers moved to the edge of her sweater and when he tugged on her zipper, she closed her eyes. She wanted to run away or grab his hands and stop them. But she couldn’t.
Fear clutched at her, and she might have whimpered. She felt the zipper give way. Felt cool air on her skin. Felt his fingers in her hair, loosening her ponytail until he managed to get it undone.
He moved closer still—she felt the heat from his body—and she bit her tongue when his hands slid to her face and then to her neck. Her stomach was a ball of knots, and she felt queasy. And light-headed. And so damn scared.
No one had touched her there in years. Not since the hospital. Not since the endless skin grafts. Not since Nathan.
She couldn’t feel a thing, not surprising considering the nerve damage, and her knees wobbled a bit when he leaned close. “Am I hurting you?”
She shook her head because she couldn’t answer, and when his hands cupped her face, she held her breath. Uncertain. Afraid. Weirdly excited. Cooper Simon had just got up close and personal with the ugliness that was a part of her. He’d touched it. And yet he still held her.
Warm breath fanned her cheeks, and her lashes fluttered. She wanted to open them. To look and see for herself what was reflected inside him. But she couldn’t because she was too afraid.
When his mouth slid over hers, her chest tightened and her knees knocked together. Her hands fisted his shirt, and she leaned into him, welcoming his strong arms as Cooper slid them around her, caging Morgan against his chest.
At first his kiss was tentative. It was a light tongue. A nip to the corner of her mouth. A nuzzle against her cheek. But then he shifted, and she felt his hardness, even as something hot and wet bloomed between her legs.
Cooper Simon continued his assault on her mouth, and good Lord, but the man could kiss. He was aggressive and yet restrained. He was hard and soft. He was everything in that moment. Her savior. Her anchor. He awakened a need inside Morgan that was painful, a need that had her drowning in a kiss that wouldn’t stop.
It became too much, and she tore her mouth from his, wriggling until he had to let her go.
Cooper was breathing hard, his face intense. She moved back a few steps and clutched at the ends of her sweater.
“I…” She had to take a few extra seconds because she needed to calm the hell down. “I should go.”
Morgan didn’t give Cooper a chance to say anything. She turned and headed for the foyer, grabbing her coat from the rack as she slid her feet into her boots.
“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?”
She nodded and didn’t bother turning around. She opened the door and hurried out into the night. Only when she was in the car did she look up at the house.
His smile slipped away. “Maybe I will.”
Was it just Morgan, or was Cooper’s voice lower and huskier than before? He took a few steps closer to her, his face intense and serious. She knew what he was thinking. Knew what he was wondering. And a chill rolled over her.
“Do you want me to put the fire back on?”
He took another step until he was in her space. When was the last time anyone had been in her space? Cooper Simon had put himself right in the center of her wheelhouse, and she didn’t care.
“I’m not cold,” she found herself saying, staring up into his face.
“But you’re shivering.” His hands moved to her shoulders.
“I know.”
Silence surrounded them. But then she heard his breath catch at the back of his throat as his fingers slowly unraveled the blanket from her shoulders. It dropped to the floor, and her heart took off. She was pretty damn sure it was beating out of her chest. How it didn’t explode was beyond her. But right now, in this moment, Morgan was under some kind of weird spell. She wanted to look away from Cooper, but she couldn’t.
Her chest rose and fell as his fingers moved to the edge of her sweater and when he tugged on her zipper, she closed her eyes. She wanted to run away or grab his hands and stop them. But she couldn’t.
Fear clutched at her, and she might have whimpered. She felt the zipper give way. Felt cool air on her skin. Felt his fingers in her hair, loosening her ponytail until he managed to get it undone.
He moved closer still—she felt the heat from his body—and she bit her tongue when his hands slid to her face and then to her neck. Her stomach was a ball of knots, and she felt queasy. And light-headed. And so damn scared.
No one had touched her there in years. Not since the hospital. Not since the endless skin grafts. Not since Nathan.
She couldn’t feel a thing, not surprising considering the nerve damage, and her knees wobbled a bit when he leaned close. “Am I hurting you?”
She shook her head because she couldn’t answer, and when his hands cupped her face, she held her breath. Uncertain. Afraid. Weirdly excited. Cooper Simon had just got up close and personal with the ugliness that was a part of her. He’d touched it. And yet he still held her.
Warm breath fanned her cheeks, and her lashes fluttered. She wanted to open them. To look and see for herself what was reflected inside him. But she couldn’t because she was too afraid.
When his mouth slid over hers, her chest tightened and her knees knocked together. Her hands fisted his shirt, and she leaned into him, welcoming his strong arms as Cooper slid them around her, caging Morgan against his chest.
At first his kiss was tentative. It was a light tongue. A nip to the corner of her mouth. A nuzzle against her cheek. But then he shifted, and she felt his hardness, even as something hot and wet bloomed between her legs.
Cooper Simon continued his assault on her mouth, and good Lord, but the man could kiss. He was aggressive and yet restrained. He was hard and soft. He was everything in that moment. Her savior. Her anchor. He awakened a need inside Morgan that was painful, a need that had her drowning in a kiss that wouldn’t stop.
It became too much, and she tore her mouth from his, wriggling until he had to let her go.
Cooper was breathing hard, his face intense. She moved back a few steps and clutched at the ends of her sweater.
“I…” She had to take a few extra seconds because she needed to calm the hell down. “I should go.”
Morgan didn’t give Cooper a chance to say anything. She turned and headed for the foyer, grabbing her coat from the rack as she slid her feet into her boots.
“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?”
She nodded and didn’t bother turning around. She opened the door and hurried out into the night. Only when she was in the car did she look up at the house.
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