Uncut (Unexpected Book 4) (44 page)

T
he Cooperson family can smell my happiness from Hartford. That’s all I can think of. There’s no other logical explanation as to why my parents and my sister continue pestering me so often. I strut toward the living room to check my voice mails.

“Tristan, it’s Fey. As I told you on my last voice mail, Victoria and I are heading to California and we need access to your home.” There’s a long pause; I check the phone and the recording
is
still going. “She wants to explore the surrounding area, in case you end up moving the company to the West Coast after you two marry. Stop ignoring me. You know the only way to get rid of me is by making a fat deposit on my checking account. Mwah.”

Bitch.

Fuck, I mutter, and before I can erase the message, I receive a call from my father.

“Yes, Father.”

“Good, finally we get in touch. You’re a hard man to find, Tristan,” he says with a neutral voice. “As I said in my previous messages, we need you in Hartford tomorrow morning. Are you at the airport?”

“I’ve been busy all day with work,” I lie, because I spent most of the day with my girlfriend, as it is her day off, and we were working on patching our relationship. “This is the first I hear about the meeting, and as I told you last time, I can’t go anymore.”

“Thanksgiving is next week, Tristan. Why the hell aren’t you packing and coming home?” His voice increases several decibels. “Your mother wants me to remind you that the stripper can’t come with you. Not even to become your mistress. Mine at least has class, Tristan.”

What the fuck?

The last unexpected sentence hits me in the gut.
He
has a mistress. With class. Does my mother know about my father’s extramarital activities? Maybe she does.
Does she care?

“Everything okay, Coop?” Thea comes to meet me, holding a piece of cake.

“Is that her?” I stiffen, wanting to hang up, or pushing her away. Damn it, why is this shit so complicated? “Tristan, make things happen. If you can’t fly, let’s have a videoconference. Your family needs you.”

I hang up, holding the bridge of my nose and closing my eyes briefly. Fucking Cooperson family. If they were at least half as supportive and nice as the Deckers . . .

“Babe?” My eyes flutter open at Matt’s voice. Both are in front of me looking expectant. “You okay?”

I nod, taking the cake from Thea’s hands and walking by their side to where the rest of the family celebrates. My family shouldn’t matter, not while I’m with them.

“You want to talk, Coop?” Thea breaks the silence as we ride back to the city. Matthew stayed behind with his family. They were driving his grandma to the hospital to get her prepped for tomorrow’s surgery. “That call put you over the edge.”

My gut clenches as Thea asks me about the call. I release one hand off the wheel and rub between my eyes. “Can we not discuss the call, babe?”

“You’re going back to the cold, distant guy,” she says, placing her delicate hands on my thigh. “Remember what we agreed?”

I do. Guilt about my behavior for the remainder of the party presses down on me. Neither one deserved the sullen behavior, but I just couldn’t plaster a smile when my family is pushing me so far. Just a couple days ago, Mother sent me a mock-up invitation for my engagement party. A holiday theme. Suggesting we marry by New Year’s Day. If I give her an unlimited access to my funds, she’ll be able to have the festivities ready by that day.

“How can I help you?” Her sweet voice isn’t doing the job tonight. Nothing is helping shove away the swirling thoughts. Not even my girl.

“I don’t know, babe,” I respond, patting her hand. “I swear I have everyone on top of me.” “My parents, my sister, Jacob. Deadlines, staff, spreadsheets, and whatnot. The only easy thing I have is you, so can we not rehash my problems tonight?”

She kisses my cheek, and we keep our hands interlaced. During the car ride we both remain silent.

When we're about to arrive at her home, I give her an in because part of what we discussed earlier today is that I don’t open easily. “My father’s business is in trouble,” I share, because one thing is true: I need our old relationship back. “They’re pressing for me to head back.” I laugh as we pull into the parking lot of her place, then open the small compartment in between the passenger and the driver’s seat, showing her the invitation. “Mother sent this. They can’t fathom that I won’t be doing what they say, that I won’t marry Victoria. Neither one can accept my girlfriend. Can you imagine what’ll happen when I say, ‘By the way, I have a boyfriend too’?”

“I’m sorry, Coop. I wish I could make you forget,” she whispers, about to open her door. “Make it better.”

And I know that she does, but what can you do when you have a family like the one I have? I place an arm on top of her chest. “Allow me.” I kiss her chin before taking the car keys out of the ignition and getting her. “Do you want me to come by tomorrow for a run?”

“Come upstairs, Coop.” She pulls me by the hand after opening the building door. “I’ll make you some tea. We can talk, and you can tell me whatever you feel comfortable with, or we can just hang out.”

I stop her mid-step, grab her by the waist, and take her mouth. I need her so fucking much, that tonight I can’t be gentle. The kiss is possessive, hard with an edge. Thea doesn’t protest. She lets me dominate her full lips, while my hands roam her curvy body. Jesus, I missed her soft and warm body. Our kisses haven’t gone too far and I’ve restrained myself, but tonight it’s impossible. I get harder and harder by the second. Fuck, I have to stop.

“Upstairs,” she mumbles, untangling her arms from my body.

We jog to the fourth floor, and slam the door shut the moment we walk into her apartment while I push her against the wall. I tilt her face back and drag my lips along her jaw, down to her neck, pushing the knitted sweater down with my hands along with her dress. I continue nipping her naked torso. Long live the hatred of bras.

“Not against the wall, Tristan,” she protests, pushing me back. “I don’t want to have sex. If you can’t love me, let me love you.”

Whatever got into her head has nothing to do with my dick trying to slide inside her and fill her with everything I have. Thrust hard and fast until she can’t take me anymore. She takes me with her into the bedroom. I stare at her slender, toned legs. Fuck, I want her so badly. At her bed, she pushes me down. Her eyes don’t leave me. She straddles me and pulls my shirt over my head. I place my hands on her hips, fidgeting with the elastic of her panties.

She palms my bare chest, her nails teasing my skin. “I,” she emphasizes, kissing my eyes, then my nose, “am,” she continues, with my cheeks, and then my ears, “in charge, big boy.”

“Why?” I ask, mesmerized by this version of Thea who’s trying to take charge of the situation.

“Because you need love, Coop. Not a quick release.” She kisses my collarbone. “Because you said you want me back. This is me giving myself to you, Coop. Maybe I’m not ready to give you some memories, but I can give you my present and my future.”

Woman on top. This is different from the usual, but I think I like it. Thea slides up on my lap, aligning her crotch with my bulge. I touch her skin, sliding my hands along her ribs and back. Thea arches her back, her chest comes closer to mine, and our mouths are only a few inches apart. She bends slightly, pressing her plump lips against mine. A soft moan escapes her as our tongues begin to dance, a gentle slow dance where we connect, becoming inseparable, entangled. Each movement consumes me with passion. My hands join the pace. Her hips are swaying on top of me, and my dick is building pressure with the friction.

I want to strip her, slide inside her, fuck her, but I don’t. As she’s leading with her heart, I decide that mine should follow. Let her love me, as I love her. She’s pushing her limits. She’s giving herself. I shut down the outside world to receive and reciprocate the precious gift I’m being offered. To give what I’ve never given before, love instead of a quick fuck.

My hands run over her breasts, her nipples harden as I tease them, and her crotch moves faster against my dick. Sweet Jesus, she has to stop with this decadent torture before I explode. Though this is her game.

“Fucking gorgeous,” I say, fitting one of her tits into my mouth. I cup her other breast as I flick the one inside my mouth with my tongue. Suck it and nibble on it until I hear a guttural moan. Heat runs through my body, and my cock hardens with the sweet sounds she makes with my touch. Wanting more, I repeat the same ministration on the other side. Though this time my hands move over her stomach, going down. My palm feels it quivering as her breathing hitches. My fingers dip below her sex. Fuck, she’s wet and ready.

“Pants off,” she says urgently.

She gets off my lap, shedding out of her silky pair of lacy panties. For several breaths I hold her bright stare—it emanates passion, sweetness, love . . . lust. There’s nothing more precious than her and that lust-heavy gaze she’s giving me. I scoop her from the floor and place her in the middle of the bed. Our gazes meet as my tongue travels over her soft belly and down to the only barrier I have to claim her as mine. With both hands I push them lower; my mouth follows until I find her tasty pussy.

“Coop,” she moans as I lick her slit. Perhaps it’s a plea, or something else, but I like it. I like her calling my name as I touch her, as I kiss her.

Placing my hands on her thighs to open her legs wider, I bury my face in between them. I flick my tongue along her clit, then take it in my mouth and suck it. Her hips grind against my face—she sets the rhythm, my tongue follows, and I slide a finger inside her entrance to increase her pleasure. In and out, we continue until she cries my name out loud. Her legs quiver and the whispery moans make me harder, if it’s possible.

Making my way up, I kiss the inside of her thighs, her belly button, her puckered nipples, and finally her lips. We go full circle, meeting where we started.

Thea rolls me over onto my back. She stretches her body to reach into her nightstand and straightens, handing me a foiled square. In record time I tear the wrapper and roll it on.

“Sit,” she orders with a sweet voice.

As I do, she lifts herself and then covers my cock with her hot, wet pussy.

“Fuck,” I mutter as her tight, sweet pussy grips my dick. Immediately, I try to pump inside her, but she shakes her head. “What, why?”

“My show, Coop,” she says, lifting her hips and then sliding back on. “This has to be slow, gentle, like the tango. Our legs tangled, the same way our hearts should be.”

“Hug my waist with your legs, baby.”

She does, so I palm her back and plummet toward the bed, rolling her onto her back. My heart skips a few beats as her long, colorful strands of hair spread over the pillow. “Lovingly and slowly you say?” She nods. I lean back in and take her luscious lips. This time I take charge of the motion but it is the same pace she set from the beginning. “We’ll try slow, but take into account that I haven’t had sex in quite some time. I won’t last too long, baby.”

My cock is throbbing inside her, and I know it will only take a few thrusts and I’ll come undone. It’s been so fucking long since I’ve been inside a woman, and tonight I’m making love to
my
woman. The probabilities of lasting are against me, but for her I’m going to fight the urge and make it right. Going with slow motions, I resume our kissing, but the demanding little vixen is the one who changes the pace. The pace doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is the moment—our moment—being connected in the most profound way that any human being can be connected when in love. Her eyes are filled with love, her soul is bare to me, and the light she has is calling my name, telling me to follow it. Assuring me I’ll find eternal happiness.

We thrust against each other, wrapped in a package of love, wanton pleasure that’s about to explode. The tingling sensation in my groin begins to grow as I teeter close to the edge. Just as I’m about to come, jerking inside Thea, her pussy throbs around me making me come harder as I thrust deeper and deeper inside her.

“I love you, Butterfly.” I kiss her shoulder once my hitched breathing is under control, then move my lips lower and kiss a small butterfly tattoo. “Thank you for teaching me so much in such a little time.”

“Teaching?” She caresses my face with her long fingers.

“How to love, baby. This is all you.” I dispose of the condom and hold her against my body. Enjoying her for a few more minutes, forgetting the reality that’ll hit me tomorrow.

“I love you, Coop, never forget that.”