anything could interrupt my dive.
Cleaning the gear takes an age. Cooper brushes against me, touches me, laughs, whispers in my ear, murmurs along my neck. I could scream. I could run. I try to ignore him, ignore my arousal and go about normal business. It’s difficult to concentrate, much less ignore him.
‘We need to see about the cameras,’ he says just as we’re ready to leave. We were running too late to ask before the dive and I half expected him to forget. I had. I’m desperately seeking peace and sanity, away from him.
Arranging to hire cameras is easy. It’s the lesson on how to use them that tries my patience, especially with Cooper’s arm slung casually around me, his laugh shooting sparks down my spine, and his breath brushing across my skin.
Finally we’re heading for home.
‘I might head to my place for a bit.’ I don’t want to but I have to get control of myself and it’s not happening when I’m anywhere near him.
‘I don’t think so.’ Cooper’s words are a low growl. Not threatening but determined. I stop and stare. ‘I know what you need, Sam, and you won’t find it at your place.’
My temper flares. My hands go straight to my hips and my jaw locks tight against the yelling I’d like to do. With cold precision I speak each word slowly. ‘How do you know what I need?’
Cooper grins, eyebrows flicking, eyes dancing, lips pulled back so dimples slide into his cheeks. He takes my breath away. ‘I’ve tormented you all day, Sam, teasing you until I can smell your need. But it’s all in the spirit of doing something different each time. When we get home, you’ll be right.’
‘I’ll be right?’ I echo because his words make no sense to me. No sense at all.
‘You’re sitting on the edge, aren’t you? It won’t take much to tip you over? You smell like need. Hot, wet, strong need. I’ve just the plan for you. Come on.’ He takes hold of my hand, tugging as if I’m a wayward child. ‘I promise you’ll enjoy it.’
I don’t think. I don’t question. I follow.
I can’t work out what plan he could have where he’d need to spend all day teasing me. He can arouse me in seconds with a kiss.
There’s no point in querying my reaction to Cooper. Initially lust drew me to his body but I know him now and it’s not just his body I’m attracted to. He’s the best damn thing to happen to me. The best vacation activity I’ve ever found. I’ll never find anything like this again. He’s the holiday of a lifetime.
It takes far too long to get to his place, get rid of gear, and have his naked body against mine, his mouth open to my probing, desperate tongue. When he steps back, I’m panting, trying to suck air quickly enough to devour him again.
‘Steady. We have all night.’
‘You might but some bastard has played me until I’m ready to crack. I can’t wait any longer.’ I do a pretty good impression of a growl, for all my breathlessness.
‘You made the rules, Sam.’ Cooper steps back and gives me the grin that turns my legs to liquid. I groan as I sink onto the floor.
I’m too old to have a tantrum but that’s what I want to do. I’m like a two-year-old child frustrated beyond the point of comprehension. I want to thump my fists and kick my legs. I want to scream. But he’s right. I did make the rules. I started this game of walking away after teasing… Wish I’d known first that I was playing with a master.
‘What’s the plan, Cooper? You’ve got me at breaking point, now what?’
Cooper leans down and picks me up as if I weigh nothing. He deposits a kiss against my lips before I land on the bed. It’s not arousing, not tender, not romantic, but Lord, it feels every one of those things.
‘I want to watch you come.’ He says it in the most matter-of-fact tone, yet they’re possibly the most arousing words he could utter. As if I need any more arousal.
‘What?’ There’s no demand in my question. It’s more a request for clarification
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