Tempting Taylor (12 page)

He pulled away briefly, pulling off his shirt and chucking
off his jeans, grimacing as his cock sprang free of its confines. Gritting his
teeth and shutting his eyes, he pulled in a deep, steadying breath, trying to
calm the tingles running up his spine. When he felt a fluttering touch on the
slit of his cock, he nearly came anyway.

Taylor cupped his balls in her hand, softly squeezing, as
she licked again and again at the moisture leaking from the tip. He opened his
eyes and watched her lips enclose the head of his shaft, her tongue teasing the
sensitive underside, which had him jumping out of his skin. He clenched his
jaw, fighting for control and failing. Unable to help himself, he thrust into
her mouth, a series of quick lunges that pushed him deeper. Christ. His cock
between her lips was the most erotic sight he’d ever seen, one he would never
forget. But now was not the time to indulge. He was on a hair trigger. One deep
push in her mouth and he would be a goner.

Pulling out, ignoring her protest, he nudged her back on the
bed and slipped inside her in the same instant. He didn’t stop until he was in
balls deep, clasped inside her tight, slick pussy. Their low moans mingled. He
plunged, hard and deep, pounding his way to ecstasy. Her legs wrapped around
his hips, and he groaned as he slid in deeper. Fuck. This was how it was
supposed to be. Him lodged deep inside her, thrusting, thrusting…

Just like that, he came. His vision faded. His ears buzzed.
His brain shut down. Dimly he was aware of her shuddering beneath him.
Thank
God
, he thought dazedly as he jerked inside her again and again. By the
time he was aware again, he was lying heavily on top of her, his face buried in
her neck. He was breathing like he’d just run a marathon.

It was an effort, but he was able to get up on his elbows
and look down at her. Taylor’s eyes were closed but her lips were curved in a
satiated smile.

“I’m glad you weren’t naked when you danced at the club.”

She choked on a breathless laugh. “That’s the first thing
that you can think of after we just did that?”

“It did take a minute or two for my brain to start
functioning again.” It seemed as if his brain cells had poured out of him as
well when he came.

Taylor cupped his cheek. “I did that just for you.”

“I gotta tell you, when you wiggled that ass, I wanted to
spank it.”

She flushed.

“What? You’ve never been spanked before?” Taylor shook her
head, her expression faintly shocked. At the thought of being the first to
spank her luscious ass, Cooper stirred inside her.

Her eyes widened. “Cooper—”

He groaned and nuzzled her neck. “It’s all your fault. Just
the thought of spanking these,” he cupped his palms around her buttocks and
squeezed, “is exciting as hell.”

She let out a soft, sexy moan when he rotated his hips.

“We’re going to have to try it sometime. But for now,” he
grunted as she tightened around his dick, “time for round two.”

She uttered something he didn’t quite understand, but then
he was past the point of talking and proceeded to make love to her.

The next day, it was all over the internet and gossip rags
that Cooper was the illegitimate son of John Callas.

Taylor clicked on the article, clenching her teeth as she
read the so-called expose that Bettina had orchestrated. Fury choked her.
Bettina had declared that Cooper was motivated by revenge because Mason had
discovered early on that Cooper wasn’t his son and had written him out of his
will. Bile rose up her throat as Bettina’s words screamed at her from her
computer monitor.
Vile, disgusting bitch
, she thought. It was clear
Bettina would stop at nothing in her quest to destroy Cooper, using the media
to do her dirty work.

She stood up and hurried to the elevator. Her only thought
was to see Cooper and make sure he was okay. By now, he would already know
about the article. She pulled a deep breath and glanced anxiously at the
numbers as the elevator climbed higher. As soon as the doors opened, she strode
down the long hallway, stopping briefly at his secretary’s desk.

“I need to see him, Laura.” She was breaking the rules in
going to his office but she didn’t care right now. She fought to keep her voice
steady. “Is Cooper in?”

Laura nodded. “Yes he is. But—”

“Sorry. It’s an emergency,” Taylor muttered as she opened
the door without waiting for her to finish. Inside, she found Cooper standing
by his desk, speaking on the phone.

Laura came rushing behind her. “I apologize, Cooper, but she
just walked right past me and—”

Cooper murmured a few words in the phone before he hung up.
“It’s all right, Laura. I’ll take it from here.”

The other woman retreated and pulled the door shut. When he
drew near, Taylor wrapped her arms around him. “Hey. What’s going on?”

“Are you okay?” she asked anxiously, trying to gauge his expression.
“I read about what Bettina said.”

His arms came around her. “Oh yeah, that.”

“That?” she echoed incredulously. “That was the most
disgusting thing I’ve ever read. I had to come up here and see you. I was
concerned.”

Incredibly enough, Cooper grinned. “Ah, so you do care.”
Without waiting for her to answer, he leaned down and captured her lips in a
long, lingering kiss. Taylor had no time to ponder the implications of his
reaction and just responded to the touch of his lips on hers.

“Don’t mind me, both of you.”

Taylor jumped. She whirled around, well, as much as she
could with Cooper’s arms around her, and saw a tall, well-built man in his
sixties standing by the bank of windows. She instantly recognized John Callas.
Hot color crept up her neck and warmed her cheeks. She hadn’t even noticed him
there.

Cooper made the introductions. “Taylor Sanders, meet John
Callas.”

Taylor held out her hand shyly. “Hello.”

“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you, Taylor.” There was a
twinkle in John’s dark eyes. “I must say, when Cooper said you were pretty, he
didn’t do you justice.”

Cooper talked about her to John Callas? The thought was
absolutely mortifying. “Umm…thanks.” She had absolutely no idea what to say.

John grinned. “Don’t worry. He sang your praises the entire
time.”

She glanced at Cooper and found him looking at her with an
enigmatic smile on his face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were here. I just
rushed up here to see him and…” She disengaged from Cooper but found her hand
locked tight within his. “It was very nice to meet you. I will leave you two
now.”

“The pleasure was all mine.” John inclined his dark head
toward Cooper. “Why don’t you bring her with you to dinner tonight?”

“Oh no,” she responded quickly, “please don’t think you have
to include me in your plans. Cooper and I don’t…” She trailed off, not knowing
how to explain to the older man that she and Cooper didn’t really go out on
dates. She glanced at Cooper, silently asking for help, but he remained
stubbornly quiet.

“Young lady, I would consider it an honor if you would join
us. I would love for you to meet Monica, my fiancée.”

It would have been rude to decline at that point. Feeling
like she’d just been bulldozed, Taylor mustered a smile and accepted. “I would
love to come.” Cooper’s grin told her he knew that she’d just been
outmaneuvered.

John gave her a big smile. “That’s settled then. I’ll see
you tonight.”

“Thank you. Well, I better go back to my office.” She headed
to the door, Cooper following closely behind her, her hand still clasped in
his.

He stopped her before she opened the door. “I’ll pick you up
tonight. We’ll talk later, hmm?”

Taylor could only nod right before he gave her a soft kiss.
Mindful of John’s presence, she murmured a hasty goodbye and walked out. She
threw Laura an apologetic smile as she hurried by. All the way down to her
office, a million thoughts flitted through her brain, foremost of them was
having dinner with Cooper and John Callas tonight. Contrary to her initial
concern, Cooper didn’t look at all worried or fazed by Bettina’s revelation. In
fact, he seemed…happy. What the heck was going on?

* * * * *

John Callas was a charmer.

Taylor came to that conclusion after spending about an hour
in his company. The older man was funny and sharp. Looking at him in the glow
of the candlelight and the muted lighting in the five-star hotel’s posh dining
room, she recognized the physical resemblance between Cooper and John. But
beyond that, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see the closeness between the
two men. It was an easy camaraderie born of understanding and affection. Cooper
was relaxed and in a good mood as they talked about a variety of topics, mostly
revolving around business.

“Men.” Monica, John’s fiancée, leaned over to Taylor. “These
two always end up talking shop. Can’t help it, I guess.”

Taylor grinned. Monica was somewhere in her fifties, with a
flawless complexion and perfect makeup. She was also funny as hell, her wicked
sense of humor a perfect counterpart to John. “Are they always like this?”

The older woman rolled her eyes. “Whenever Cooper visits us
in Palm Beach they spend half the time with their heads together. All about
business.” She patted Taylor’s hand. “I’m glad you came tonight.”

“Me too.” She was. Her initial reluctance at going tonight
had dissipated within the first half hour. Seeing Cooper with John and Monica
was a revelation. It was a softer side, one he didn’t always show.

“Cooper can’t take his eyes off you.” Monica lowered her
voice conspiratorially. “He acts nonchalant about it, but really, he looks at
you when he thinks nobody’s looking.”

Taylor’s gaze flew to Cooper.

Monica chuckled. “See what I mean?”

“What are you two talking about?” John asked, his fond gaze
on Monica.

The other woman blushed prettily. The pianist began playing
a soft, romantic tune on the baby grand. “I was just saying that Cooper hasn’t
danced with me in ages.” She turned to Cooper. “Well?”

Cooper stood up and held out a hand to Monica. “Come on.
Let’s show them how it’s done, shall we?” He dropped a hand on Taylor’s
shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”

She watched as Cooper led Monica to the small space near the
pianist and pulled her into his arms. Other couples followed suit, the
makeshift dance floor filling up.

“Monica is very fond of him,” John remarked quietly. “Loves
him like he was her own.”

“I can see that.”

“Cooper is not an easy man to understand. He’s a bit
reserved. Holds himself back.”

“That’s somewhat of an understatement, don’t you think?” she
joked.

John threw his head back and laughed. “I knew there was a
reason I liked you. I think you can hold your own against him.”

Taylor felt herself blushing. They seemed to be laboring
under a misconception about her and Cooper’s relationship. “John, Cooper and I,
we’re…”

“Cooper’s been through a lot and he became stronger for it.
I’m proud of him. Immensely.” There was such a wealth of love and pride in
John’s face, it was touching. “I won’t tell you the entire story, that’s not my
place. But suffice it to say, I would be very proud to proclaim from the
rooftops that he’s my son.”

She swallowed the lump that suddenly lodged in her throat.
There was inherent strength and determination in his tone.

“Everything will come out in the next couple of days. I’m
here to support him in whatever he decided to do.”

“He’s lucky to have you.”

He took her hand and squeezed it briefly. “You’re different.
I can tell. Otherwise he wouldn’t have agreed to bring you here tonight.” John
held up his hand when Taylor would have responded. “Just remember that anything
worthwhile requires a bit of work.”

Cooper and Monica came back to the table. Cooper looked at
her thoughtfully before his gaze slid over to John, but he didn’t say anything.
Monica kept up a light chatter until they all stood up to say their goodbyes.
Taylor really did enjoy their company. They were warm, accepting people.

Monica hugged her effusively. “Oh I’m sure we’ll see each
other again. John and I are going to be in town awhile.”

“I’m thinking of catching up with some old friends,” John
explained.

“Of course,” Taylor agreed. “That would be lovely.”

“You must come with Cooper to visit us in Palm Beach.”
Monica gave her a sly grin. “You know you’re the very first girl that Cooper
has introduced to us. The others,” she waved a dismissive hand in the air, “we
only read about in magazines.”

John chuckled. “Stop embarrassing Taylor, Monica.” He turned
to Cooper. “I will see you tomorrow?”

“I’ll give you a call in the morning.”

“All right. Good night, son.”

They walked in silence to the front of the hotel, waiting
for the valet to bring the car around. During the drive to her apartment,
Taylor didn’t say anything. Thoughts were churning in her head. She was the
first woman Cooper had ever introduced to them? With a slight shake of her
head, Taylor looked out the window. She didn’t even want to begin to speculate
on what that meant.

Cooper followed close behind her as she entered her
apartment. She turned to him. “I can make some coffee if you like.”

He sat down on the couch and patted the space next to him.
“Sit here with me for a minute.” When she did, he pulled her close and wrapped
his arms around her.

Taylor leaned her head on his chest, the sound of his
heartbeat oddly comforting. “Today was certainly eventful.”

“Does it bother you to learn that John Callas is my real
father?”

“Why should it bother me? I’m worried about you,” she
confessed. “This can’t be easy, having everything revealed the way it was.”

“No.” His sigh ruffled her hair. “It wasn’t. But at the same
time, I’m kind of glad things happened the way they did.”

“Oh?” she prompted, snuggling closer, rubbing her cheek on
the smooth cotton of his dress shirt.

“It was the only ace that Bettina had up her sleeve.”

Cooper fingered tendrils of her hair, his touch gentle. “I
had to be prepared for any eventuality, especially this one. I had already
called John and let him know what was going on, and he decided to come out
here. We both knew it was only a matter of time before Bettina revealed what
she thought of as her trump card.”

Taylor closed her eyes, loving the soothing vibration of his
voice. “She’s evil and desperate.”

“That she is,” he agreed. “She demanded money and I told her
to go to hell.”

The ruthlessness that underlined his tone made her shiver.
Bettina had made a mistake in crossing the line with Cooper.

“What are you going to do now?”

His expression was somber. “Go on the offensive. Tomorrow,
the company publicist will announce that John Callas is indeed my father. Beat
Bettina at her own game.”

“I hope this will make her back off.” Taylor knew it was
probably wishful thinking. People like Bettina never gave up. Money was such a
powerful motivator. She cupped his face in her palm. “Will you tell me about
how you met John?”

He settled deeper into the cushions, his arms wrapped around
her. “Mason threw me out of the house when I turned fifteen.” His voice was
low. “We had a big fight and he said he was done pretending to be my father.
Called me bastard and pushed me out the door.”

The picture of a vulnerable fifteen-year-old flashed in her
mind. She slid her arms around his waist. “You were so young.”

He shrugged. “I probably deserved it. I was rebellious and
angry and did everything I could to provoke him. I hated my life. I hated the
fact that he made me live with him when my mother died. Bettina couldn’t stand
me being in the house. She was the one who went digging around my mother’s past
and found out about her relationship with John Callas. She did the math and
figured out that I couldn’t have been Mason’s son.”

“But you were just a boy. The circumstances of your birth
were not your fault,” she protested, outraged for him.

A wistful smile played on his lips. “It’s okay. Finding out
that Mason wasn’t my father before he threw me out was the best thing that ever
happened to me.”

“Where did you go?” she asked curiously.

“All over. I hitchhiked my way to Texas. I found a job at a
ranch. I looked older than my age, you see, and people didn’t ask too many
questions. After a while, I moved to New Mexico, then to California. That’s
where John found me.”

“Thank God.” Her murmur was heartfelt. To let somebody so
young fend for himself was just frightening.

“It wasn’t so bad. I learned to rely on myself, became
street smart. It taught me a lot about life.”

Taylor knew he was deliberately making light of what must
have been a very difficult time in his life. It had made him the man he was
today, and for that, she was grateful. “Then what happened?” she prompted him
to continue.