Tempting Taylor (13 page)

“John brought me back here, whipped me into shape. He made
me go back to school and hired me to work in his company. The rest, as you
know, is history.”

“You still didn’t deserve to be treated the way you were.”

“I was the result of my mother’s love affair with John
Callas. They broke up and she was on the rebound when she met Mason and had a
whirlwind romance. By the time she realized she was pregnant with me, it was
too late. She’d already married Mason. She’d tried to make a go of the marriage
while they built up the publishing company, but Bettina came along.”

She frowned. “Nobody should have their private life splashed
all over the news.”

“Meeting this issue head on is the best way to take
Bettina’s ammunition away from her. I don’t give a damn if people know Mason
wasn’t my real father. It doesn’t bother me at all. I’m very proud to call John
my father,” he revealed quietly.

Taylor laid her head on his chest, blinking back sudden
tears. “I was so worried about you this morning when I found out…”

“Hey,” he said softly. “What’s this?”

“You had a rough childhood. You had to grow up in a hurry.
Alone. Without a mother to guide you and with a father who rejected you.”

Cooper rubbed his cheek against her hair in a soothing
motion. “I survived. That’s all that matters.”

Cooper was a strong, resilient man, shaped by his past.
“Don’t let Bettina win. Don’t let her hurt you.”

“She’s desperate. I’m not worried about her.” His deep voice
rumbled through his chest, vibrating under her cheek. “You were concerned about
me.”

Taylor sat up at the amazement in his tone. “Of course I was
concerned.”

He shifted on the couch. “Well, if you must know, I am still
hurting.”

Taylor met his innocent gaze suspiciously. “Yeah?”

With a nod, he took her hand and lowered it from his chest
down over his flat stomach before stopping on top of the bulge in his crotch.
“I have an ache right here that only you can soothe,” he whispered wickedly.

“Cooper,” she choked, though she didn’t stop him when he
curved her hand over his erect penis. Warmth engulfed her. “I’m serious.”

“Me too.” He rubbed his crotch against her open palm. At the
same time, he plunged his fingers in her hair and tugged her closer. “Dead
serious.”

“You’re distracting me,” she managed to say. “This whole
thing is such a mess and—”

“Bettina can do whatever she wants but she’ll never win. I
did what I set out to do, which was take back the company my mother poured her
heart and soul into. That was my goal and I did it. Now kiss me, woman.” He
captured her lips in a deep, long kiss. Taylor’s lids fluttered shut as she was
caught up in the spell he wove around her, lost in the slow, luxurious licks of
his tongue as he delved deep in her mouth.

Her thoughts scattered into a million pieces. The air seemed
electrified as a ripple of excitement tore through her. Her breasts felt heavy
and needy, which was the case whenever Cooper touched her. Hell, whenever he
looked at her with that glint in his eyes, her body responded as if there was a
direct switch between them.

Her eyes flew open when he pulled her onto his lap. The
skirt of her dress hiked up over her thighs. Cooper impatiently pulled it up
and over her head, leaving her dressed in a black bra and matching panties. He
traced the scalloped edge of the cup, his light touch leaving goose bumps in
its wake. With a flick of his fingers, he undid the front fastening, baring her
breasts.

“Beautiful,” he murmured. He kneaded her flesh with just the
right amount of firmness and gentleness, his thumb rubbing the nipples into
stinging hardness.

She moaned softly. “Cooper.” It was maddening, enduring the
squeezing motion coupled with the teeth-gritting pinches to the tip.

“Foreplay,” he rasped, his eyes hooded and locked on her,
“is definitely not overrated.”

“Torture you mean?” she forced between her teeth.

“It runs both ways, trust me.”

Her breasts were so sensitive, so worked up, that she
shuddered when he finally pulled a distended nipple into his mouth. Jolts of
pleasure tore through her, and she whimpered in protest when he moved back.

“Patience. I want this to last.”

“You’re going to kill me.” She plunged her fingers into his
hair and pulled his face up. “Kiss me.”

He complied, giving her a brief, unsatisfying kiss. Ignoring
her murmur of disapproval, he turned his attention to her other breast, giving
it the same painstaking attention as the other one. Taylor bit her lip, pulling
in deep breaths, trying to stem the tide of desire threatening to overtake her.

His tongue was a wonderful instrument of torment, plying her
highly sensitized nipple with teasing licks, never giving her enough to satisfy
her. In the next second, he sent her shooting to the moon when he pulled the
tip between his lips and sucked.

Taylor tossed her head and leaned back, offering herself to
him fully. She wanted to comfort him this way, to soothe and erase the hurt
Bettina had wrought. Whatever he asked. Whatever he wanted.

Cooper tugged at her underwear. He grunted as he pulled the
remnants of her expensive silk underwear and tossed it somewhere behind him. At
this rate, she was going to have to shop for new panties soon, she thought
dazedly. She was wet, of course, as he found when his fingers burrowed between
her legs and plunged inside her slit.

Her breath caught in her throat. It never failed to amaze
her that every time he touched her, every time they came together, the powerful
desire she felt for him didn’t lessen. Instead it seemed to grow stronger.

“Jesus. You’re so tight,” he growled against her throat.

She was so wet, clamping down on his fingers as he thrust
deep inside her. Taylor dug her knees down on the couch, bracing herself,
opening to him fully, craving a much deeper possession.

Needing to touch skin, she fumbled with his shirt buttons,
pushing the sides apart and down his arms. He left her briefly, freeing his
arms from the sleeves, but returned to her pussy right away. Finally
encountering delicious, warm male skin, she rained kisses wherever she could
reach even as she attacked the fastening of his trousers. She tugged and pushed
until he raised his hips and chucked them himself, freeing his gorgeous cock.

Taylor licked her lips at the sight, touching the hot stalk
of hard flesh resting on his stomach. She indulged herself, holding him in one
hand while softly cupping his balls with the other.

His groan was music to her ears.

“God, you’re so beautiful.”

“Hardly,” he disagreed, his thumb seeking out her clit.

The breath hitched in her throat as he found the nub that
stuck impudently out between her labia. She retaliated by running her hand up
and down the shaft. “Yes you are. Hard as steel. Skin so soft.”

He withdrew his hand from her pussy and went around her
hips, sliding down the crease of her buttocks, teasing the puckered entrance of
her ass. Taylor stilled, her eyes flying to meet his. The gray irises were dark
with hunger.

“I want to take you here.”

The wetness from her pussy coating his fingers aided his
gentle foray inside. She caught her breath. That was something she’d never done
before. In fact, she had never considered it. She didn’t recoil from it now
though. The hunger written plainly in his features, the tight jaw, the flared
nostrils, told her he wanted this. She gloried in the excitement that streaked
through her, imagining him inside that forbidden place. For Cooper, she would
do anything. Give him anything.

His finger slipped between the tight muscle and he was
inside her. Taylor bit her lip and took a deep breath, bombarded by sensations
that were previously unknown to her. When he moved, unused muscles clenched
around the digit, both of them groaning. Fresh moisture leaked from her pussy.
Her skin was highly sensitized from head to toe and she quivered with the
pleasure.

She placed her lips against his ear. “Fuck me.”

Cooper gritted his teeth and shut his eyes momentarily.
Keeping his finger lodged inside her ass, he pulled in a controlling breath.
“Put me inside you, Taylor. Now.”

She took him in her hand, raising herself and positioning
him at her slit. Inch by delicious inch, she lowered herself until he fully
lodged deep inside her, kissing her cervix. “Ah God.” It felt so good.

His eyes were hooded as he leaned back and positioned her over
him. “Ride me.”

The soft command was all she needed to hear. Her hips went
up and down, circling, working his cock deeper every time, taking him all the
way to the root. He watched her undulations, harsh breaths coming from his
lips. One finger in her ass became two, the pain stretching her nether muscles
mixing with pleasure.

“Cooper,” she stuttered, holding on tightly to him. It was
incredible. The sensation of having him in her pussy and ass was unbelievable.

“Good?” he asked, sitting up, bracing his feet on the floor.

“Y-Yes.”

“It’s going to be even better when I fuck you here.” His
fingers were unrelenting, stretching, plunging.

Taylor was unable to speak. The tingling that gathered from
her toes and raced up her thighs, radiating from her breasts down to her pussy,
gained momentum. Cooper thrust deeply inside her, his arm wrapped around her
hips, holding her steady as he pistoned inside her pussy.

The pleasure was too much. Taylor cried out and shuddered,
her orgasm slamming into her. She trembled, caught in the throes of white-hot
pleasure. Through the haze surrounding her mind, she heard Cooper’s harsh groan
as he spewed deep inside her. It was too much. She clung to him weakly,
thankful that he had the strength to hold her upright as she shook with
aftershocks.

Drowsy and satiated, she laid her head on his shoulder.

“Are you okay?” he asked after a while.

“Mmm,” she murmured. “Perfect.” She didn’t want to move.

“Let’s go upstairs.” He picked her up, still embedded within
her pussy, and made his way to her bedroom. The last thing Taylor remembered
was Cooper laying her down on the bed, finally disengaging from her and getting
in beside her.

Taylor read the glossy program as she perused the painting
in front of her. It was an oil painting of a girl standing near the edge of a
cliff. Her face was pensive, her eyes shadowed. Taylor was by no means an art
connoisseur but she felt as if she could touch the girl’s hair flowing softly
in the wind. As if she was right there in front of her. The painting was
hauntingly beautiful.

The opening night at the local art gallery was quickly
filling up. The artist, Robert Dodd, was new and on his way to becoming a star.
There were a couple of other reporters and photographers present, snapping away
at the invited guests who were continuing to arrive. Servers carrying trays
with champagne glasses circled around, offering drinks. Ordinarily this wasn’t
her cup of tea, but Jean-Paul, the e-zine’s resident movie and art critic, had
come down with the flu. He had begged her to go in his place since this was a
one-night show. She’d given in, but only after she extracted the promise that
he would give her free tickets to the next big concert in town. It was a good
way to fill the time because she missed Cooper. She hadn’t seen him at all this
week. His publicist had done a wonderful job of handling the latest Bettina
incident, releasing a carefully worded statement that John Callas was indeed
Cooper’s father. Taylor knew enough to give him space, and though she wanted
nothing more than to see him, she wanted to keep a low profile while the
media’s attention was so focused on him.

She sipped the champagne she’d snagged from a passing
server. The more she spent time with Cooper and got to know him, the more she
liked him. He was funny. He was genuinely interested in her work. She’d bounced
ideas for future articles off him and he’d given a couple of very good
suggestions.

“Ah, a smile at last.” Robert Dodd appeared at her side, a
grin on his face. “I hope you’re enjoying yourself.”

Earlier she’d had a chance to briefly interview Robert. He
was charming and handsome, flirtatious and clearly talented. He was very
attractive, but his eyes were a light blue. Not gray. His hair was blond and
longish, well past his collar. Not dark and short. He didn’t have a dimple on
his cheek when he smiled like Cooper.

“I am. You’re a very gifted artist.”

He grinned. “Thank you. I appreciate that. Painting is a
passion. I’m happiest when I’m working.”

She could understand that. His enthusiasm for his art showed
through his work. Taylor had no doubt he would soon be a big star.

Robert stepped closer to her. “How about a drink after the
show? There’s a nice little bar down the street.”

Taylor was about to refuse the invitation when a pair of
hands landed on her waist. She twisted to find Cooper behind her. “Sorry I’m
late. Traffic was heavy.” He bent and gave her a lingering kiss on the lips.

Shocked, Taylor couldn’t respond. What was Cooper doing
here?

He held out his hand to Robert, who had no choice but to
shake it. “Cooper Hathaway.” He curved a possessive arm around her. There was a
moment of silence while the two men stared at each other. Then Cooper nodded.
“I have one of your works, actually,
The Matador
.”

Understanding gleamed in Robert’s gaze. “Ah. One of my
favorites. An early work of mine. You have good taste,” he murmured with a
smile. “If you’ll both excuse me, I must mingle.” He clasped Taylor’s hand and
shook it. “I look forward to reading your article about the show.”

As soon as Robert was out of earshot, she asked, “What are
you doing here?”

He pulled her into an embrace and placed his lips at her
ear. “I called your office earlier but you had already left. Emily told me you
were here. Good thing I arrived just in time. That guy was all over you.”

Was that a hint of jealousy in his voice? The smile he wore
didn’t reach his eyes. “He was not. He was just being friendly.”

“A little too friendly, asking you out for a drink.”

“Cooper—”

He kissed her. Right there in the middle of the crowded
gallery. It wasn’t a brief peck on the lips, but a full-fledged kiss that stole
her breath. Her eyes fluttered closed and it took a moment before the sound of
conversation around them penetrated her consciousness. Weak and breathless, she
tore her lips from under his and buried her face in his neck.

“We’re in front of a crowd of people,” she protested softly.

“I don’t care,” he whispered back.

She sighed. “Robert Dodd is harmless.”

“He was eating you up with his eyes.”

Choking back a laugh, she shook her head. “You’re crazy.”
She wrapped her arms around his middle, snuggling close. She’d missed him.

“He needs to know you’re not available.”

“I’m not even going to respond to that. It must be a man
thing,” she retorted, pulling him along the display. “He really is talented.
His work is amazing.”

“He is,” Cooper agreed grudgingly. “
The Matador
is a
fine example of that.

She threw him a teasing look. “See? You already like his
work.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like him,” he muttered under his
breath.

Taylor pulled him to the last painting hanging on the far
wall. It was of a young girl frolicking in a field of flowers. The stunning
profusion of colors done in bold brush strokes was breathtaking. “This is my
favorite. It’s alive and vibrant. You can almost feel the wind in your face.”

Cooper was looking at her instead of the painting. “You like
this.”

“Hmm.” She sighed. “It’s very soothing, in a unique way.
It’s a little girl enjoying the innocence of life. It’s beautiful.” She stared
one last time at the painting that for some reason tugged at her heartstrings
before lacing her fingers with his. “How about we get out of here so you can
stop scowling at poor Robert?”

He brushed his lips over their clasped hands. “How about
dinner?”

“You’re on.”

Cooper Hathaway and Mystery Girlfriend Spotted at Local
Art Show.

Taylor’s stomach twisted in knots as she skimmed the article
posted on a tabloid website. The picture had been taken at the art show last
night at the moment Cooper kissed her. There was another one of them with their
arms around each other. God, she should have been more careful. This was a
nightmare. She glanced at her phone. There were several missed calls with voice
mail messages, a couple of them from Emily.

She slammed the screen of her laptop down and stood up to
pace, wishing she was back in her own apartment and hadn’t spent the night here
at Cooper’s house. She’d been so careful not to be seen in public with Cooper.
Oh
why did he have to show up at the gallery anyway?

Anxiety rose to her throat, threatening to choke her. Taylor
swallowed. It was only a matter of hours before the picture would be picked up
by more mainstream media, even newspapers. Damn it. She could just imagine it.
Reporters were going to dig into her life in a bid to outdo one another for the
scoop about the woman with Cooper Hathaway. It wouldn’t be long before they
identified her. Inevitably, her parents’ sensational divorce would come up and
be talked about repeatedly. The thought was nauseating.

“Taylor.” Cooper appeared in the doorway of the kitchen,
looking calm and unruffled.

She faced him, trying to control the feelings rioting inside
her. How could he stand there as if nothing had happened? “We’re all over the
internet. Everybody knows.”

“Is that so bad?”

“I wish you’d stop acting like it’s not such a big deal. I
value my privacy. From the get-go, I told you I didn’t want to be part of some
media circus.”

“And you think I don’t value my privacy? Do you think I like
my life being splashed all over the news like I owe the public an explanation
for my actions?”

“I don’t want to be fodder for gossip,” she shot back
tightly.

“You can’t control what people talk about. So what if they
gossip? I don’t give a fuck what they do.”

She flinched. “I do.”

“Make me understand why you’re so upset that people know
we’re sleeping together. What the hell is so wrong with being with me?” he
demanded, his tone harsh and unyielding. “This is a fucking joke. I’m with you
and you seem ashamed to be with me.”

Hot color crept under her skin. “I am not ashamed to be with
you.” She crossed her arms. “This wasn’t part of our agreement. I thought we
understood each other from the beginning.”

“I’ve changed my mind.”

“What do you mean?” Sudden anxiety squeezed her lungs.
“Changed your mind about what?”

“Fuck the friends-with-benefits situation. I’m done with
that bullshit.”

She swallowed, unable to speak through the lump that lodged
in her throat.

“This is not a game to me. Sure, at first I thought what the
hell, sex without commitment sounds great. What guy wouldn’t like that?”

She winced. Put that way, it seemed so…cheap.

“But the joke was on me,” he scoffed. “I enjoyed being with
you. You’re different. I’ve been with enough women to recognize it. I’m trying
to figure things out, to work my head around it. At least I’m willing to do
that,” he said pointedly.

His words washed over her, giving rise to a host of
conflicting emotions. But why should she be surprised? Cooper was direct. He
waded through the mess and got to the bottom of things. He was rational, while
she was a seething mess of confusion.

“What you went through with the mess of your parents’
divorce and everything else that happened because of it was unfortunate. Nobody
should ever go through that, much less have the whole sordid mess play out in
the press.” His gaze was direct, unwavering. “But that was a long time ago. You
need to get over it.”

The words were harsh but also true. Taylor was honest enough
to admit that, but it still didn’t make it any easier to hear it. “You’re one
to talk. You’ve been driven by revenge this whole time. Revenge against your
father, against Bettina.” Anger rode her hard, and the words spilled out before
she could stop them.

His jaw tightened and he gave a tight nod. “True. That was
my motivation to succeed, to be able to reclaim the company that my mother
poured her heart into. Because if I didn’t, it would only have been a matter of
time before Bettina ran it into the ground. I promised myself I would get it
back somehow.”

He jammed his hands in his pockets. “Was I ruthless in
pursuing Hathaway Publishing? Damn right I was. Do I regret it? Hell no. And I
would do it again in a minute. You and I both have demons to deal with. But I’m
at peace with what I did.” He paused. “You can’t live your life carrying that
baggage,” he finished.

God, he was so unforgiving, his words so brutal. Cooper
called things like they were and was completely rational. He expected her to do
the same. In contrast, she was upset, and even more so now in the face of his
logic. “Or I could just leave and find a guy who isn’t a press magnet,” she
challenged recklessly.

Cooper froze. “Is that what you want?”

A sudden chill descended over the room. She shivered, afraid
she’d gone too far. When she didn’t answer—truthfully, she couldn’t—he turned
on his heel and walked out.

As soon as she was alone, Taylor slumped down on a chair and
buried her face in her hands.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
What the hell
possessed her to say all the things she did? She felt like shit for hurting his
feelings. The look on his face…

Her heart twisted.

With Cooper’s words echoing in her mind, she turned the
situation over and over in her head. She breathed deeply in an effort to calm
down and look at things without being upset.

She’d been living with baggage that should rightfully be
behind her. As a child, she’d had no control over the events that happened. It
was unfortunate and sad, but it wasn’t the most important thing in her life.
Her concerns seemed so petty now, so inconsequential. Cooper certainly hadn’t
taken it easy on her. He’d been brutally honest. He made her step back and look
at things as they were in reality, not as blown out of proportion as they were
in her mind.

The bottom line was she wanted Cooper, and all that came
with being with him. It was just that simple. When it was just the two of them,
he shed the persona of the hard-hitting businessman. He was no longer aloof and
reserved. Less guarded. The Cooper she knew was irresistible. So easy to fall
in love with.

She couldn’t ever remember a time when she’d been this
happy, this content with a man. He had a dry sense of humor that made her
laugh. Intelligence shone through in every word he said. Whenever she asked his
opinion, he gave her an objective point of view. In bed, he slayed her. One
look from him was enough to set her on fire. She looked forward to being with
him at the end of the workday. He was smart and unbearably sexy.

Oh. My. God.

Was she already in love with him?

Taylor blinked. There was no panic choking her. She didn’t
feel like running for the hills, screaming in fear. Certainty tightened around
her heart like a vise. She was in love with him and had been for quite some
time. She just hadn’t recognized it before. But now it was right in front of
her. She wanted to be with him, no matter what.

He was right. She was wrong.

She stood up and went in search of him. Propped against the
wall outside of his study was a large, square parcel, wrapped in brown paper
that had the imprint Claret Gallery all over. Taylor looked at the small card
that was attached near the top. It read “To Taylor. With Love, C”.

Tears welled in her eyes. She knew, just knew, that it was
the painting that she’d admired last night at the gallery. Somehow, he’d
managed to arrange the purchase and had obviously picked it up this morning.
With
love, C.
The words swam before her eyes. He loved her? Wiping her eyes, she
gripped the doorknob and pushed the door open, hoping it wasn’t too late for
both of them.