3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

London

S ince I left my husband, having a friend is a luxury. And I've always been very good at judging whether or not a man is truly being sensitive with me, or if he just wants to get me into bed. Normally, it's the latter, but there's just something about Cooper that tells me that he's the real deal. I've trusted my instincts before, which is how I got out of a bad situation in time, so I know that my gut doesn't lie. Sure, I should have listened to it sooner, and left James long before I did, but I was thinking of Bean. The last thing a child needs is to be apart from their father. And the trouble that he was into had nothing to do with her. Until it did.

And that's when I left.

It's been a long time since someone held me. Especially without being asked to. And, my God, Cooper is such a fantastic hugger. With the perfect grip, a slight sway in his stance, holding me across the neck and back, making me feel so secure, so safe, I could stand here forever. And the fact that he initiated the hug is telling. He cares. He has not made any moves towards me to indicate any sort of attraction, making me feel doubly safe. The last thing I need right now is to get involved with someone. But as I stand here, letting myself go, allowing myself to vent, to let out all that hurt, fear, and loneliness, suddenly it's like my body is possessed.

My eyes meet his. This sweet man, who knows nothing about me, yet he knows more than most, looks at me with so much care, concern, and compassion, that something inside me draws me closer to him. He sweeps his thumb across my lower lids, wiping the tears away, and the innocence, the sincerity in his eyes...does something to me. But instead of attacking him, like my body is telling me to do, I weep more, staring at him, eyes on his. His eyes search mine as he pulls my face to his, at his temple, resting his large, strong hand on the side of my face. The heart beating in my chest cannot be ignored. It's racing against him.

"Shhh..." He lulls, with a calmness in his voice, almost paternal, like he was a father in a past life. My hands that rest on his shoulders, make a path to the nape of his neck, where they gently grasp the curls, skating my nails across his skin. The gesture makes him move his head slightly and draw in a deep breath. And that gesture from him makes my heart beat a little faster. My lips find their way to his cheek, feeling the light stubble, and the warmth, taking in the scant scent of his aftershave. Although the kiss is only half sexual, the whimper that comes out of me is almost primal.

He whispers in my ear. "It's okay."

Somehow, I believe him.

Fingers dancing in his hair, slowly, sensually, as my lips find their way to his cheek again, and then they trail to the front of his ear, to his jawline, and back to his cheek. He pulls his face back, and rests his forehead on mine, as my mouth opens, and I feel his lips so close to mine I can almost taste them. Eyes closed, tears still pouring down my cheeks, I slide my lips to his, whimpering as I move. His hands trek to my cheeks, as he plants his mouth on mine, first sucking my lower lip, then the top lip, as I gasp with both need and emotion, letting myself be close to a man I hardly know for the first time in my life.

His lips are full and soft, and his kiss is deep, better than any kiss I've ever had. But he keeps his tongue in his mouth, which is both painful and more erotic than if he made the kiss less chaste. My breathing instantly becomes ragged from emotion and need, while he continues to suck my lips, waking up things that have been dead in me since I left James. Bean is sound asleep. A bomb couldn't wake her up. So, I allow myself to get lost in the moment. His hands are at my waist, and they slide up the hem of my shirt, as I take in the warmth and slight roughness of his hands. God, it feels so good, it's almost too much. To be touched again. Human contact, aside from that of my eight-year-old.

My body quivers yet it's melting to his. His fingers find the hook to my bra and he unhinges me...in more ways than one. As my breasts are freed, his hands slowly move to my front, up my belly, and he pushes the fabric away, placing his hands full, palm down, on them. The moan that comes out of me reverberates against his lips, as my nipples bead at his touch. Between his fingers, he gently pinches my nipples, and I feel it...there. Moans becoming louder, he kisses me to buffer the sound, and in one fell swoop, he lifts me onto his waist, removing his lips from mine as he gazes intently at me, fire in his eyes, while carrying me to my bedroom.

There are only two to choose from, and the other is the bathroom, so he has no issue finding it. He closes the door softly and as our eyes adjust to the darkness, his lips find mine again. This time he opens his mouth, sliding his tongue inside, making the blood in my veins sing and the pulse between my legs thump. Lips on mine, he lifts his arm and pulls his shirt off over his head, and then proceeds to pull mine off, sliding my bra down my shoulders, while he kisses the flesh on my neck. Never have I been this turned on before in my life. His body is so close to mine, I can feel the heat from it, and it's like a magnet.

Fingertips on the waistband of his jeans, I undo the button and nearly shudder at the sound of his zipper coming down. God, it's been so long since I heard that, and on Cooper, it sounds so sexy I could die. He follows suit, undoing my pants and taking them down, and in moments, we both stand there naked, and he looks down my body, and then back up to my eyes. "God, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

His words aren't lip service. His eyes tell me that. As he whispers to me, I fall into his arms, hungry for him, desperate to touch him. His hardened cock presses up against me, and it takes everything in me not to lift and impale myself with him. No, he has better ideas in mind, as he places his hands on my ass cheeks, and pulls me to him, carrying me the few more steps to the bed. My back finds the mattress and he hovers over me, hands on either side of my face, cupping it, as he kisses me with deep, erotic, noisy kisses that can be heard in the silence.

Pelvis moving, he finds my wetness, and artfully rubs the head of his cock up and down the length of me, touching my swollen nub deftly, driving me insane fast. Chest heaving, I feel myself climb so swiftly, my heart feels like it's going to pound through my chest. Tiny cries come on each exhale. He murmurs to me. "It's okay, darlin'. Let it go." As his mouth moves from my lips, down my neck, and the moment his lips are on my nipple, I come so hard and fast I swear to God I'll die after.

But his cock isn't finished yet. The rubbing doesn't stop as he slides inside me, mouth still on my nipple, only this time, he adds licking to his already ample sucking, and my back arches involuntarily, as I adjust to his girth, that is deliciously filling me, hitting all those hungry spots that haven't been touched for so long. Added to his ragged breathing, his desperate touch spurs me on, and I find myself reaching for his chest, pinching his nipples and parting my lips to his neck, in a tug of war of pleasure.

The soft yet sexy sounds that come out of him are my undoing. I've never been with a man that did that, that told me how much he was enjoying it, just with his breathing and soft grunts. They're almost another language on their own. Understood. Loud and clear. His head leans on my shoulder for a moment, in a gesture I take as defeat, as he lets out the sexiest grunt I've ever heard, letting me know that he's right there with me, feeling every bit of lust and pleasure as I am.

And that's when my body lets go for the second time tonight. My fingernails jab into the skin on his back as I climax with him, his body shuddering, his grunts longer, more reminiscent of full on, head to toe, ‘if this is how I'm going to die I'll take it', kind of pleasure. With a cleansing exhale, he leans his head back on my shoulder, kissing it tenderly, and then he rests for a moment, before lifting his head, kissing my lips, and removing himself from me, rolling onto his side to face me.

We're almost nose-to-nose, lying in bed together, just gazing at each other. And it's like I've known him all my life. But all the same, I can't tell him anything, and I brace myself for this. "I've never done anything like this before." He says, surprising me.

"Really? I figured with you being in a band and all, that you had a different girl each night. You are a very handsome man."

He smiles shyly. "Yeah, you'd think. But it's the guitarist and lead singer that the ladies go for. I'm usually hiding in the back. Very unpopular."

I kiss his nose. "I've never done anything like this before, either." I tell him, but then I bite my tongue. The less he knows about me the better.

"How long were you married?"

"Eleven years.Got married young."

"Yeah? Was that your folks making you do that?" He asks, sliding a finger down my cheek.

"No. I think I told you before that they hated him. My parents had to be coaxed to attend the wedding." I sigh, wanting so badly to tell him everything, to vent, to tell someone the hell that has become my life, but I know I can't. "We got married because I thought I was pregnant. He panicked."

"Was it a happy marriage in the beginning?"

"It was. James was always very gallant and caring. He wanted to do his duty to the father of his child, but I knew that he loved me, too."

"And then you found out you weren't pregnant? Was he upset?"

"We had a very small wedding. Justice of the Peace." I say, scrunching my nose. "He wasn't upset when I got my period on our honeymoon." I say facetiously.

Cooper snuffles a laugh. "Oh, no."

"Yeah." I chuckle, nodding.

"Well, at least he already had the sex, you know. Some people like to wait until after the wedding."

Then I blurt. "I've never been with anyone except James." My tone is conversational. "This is the first time."

Cooper's eyes sparkle. Like I just paid him a huge compliment. And I guess I did. He doesn't ruin it by saying something corny or stupid, he just leans in and kisses me, making the confession more palatable. "I know I can't stay over, darlin', but when would you like me to leave?"

Never. Never leave. This is the first time in such a long time that I feel safe, happy, and like the world I left behind is finally gone. These are all the things that I want to say, but I choose these words instead. "Stay until I fall asleep?"

His grin is child-like. Like we're new best friends and I just invited him to a sleepover.

"I don't want Bean to know that I'm sleeping with her music teacher." I add with a soft chuckle.

Another sweet grin. "Where do you get the name Bean from?"

"I've called her that since she was in my belly. It just stuck."

He searches my eyes in the darkness. "What can I call you? Stella isn't fitting, and I know you said that I can't call you London."

I don't know what's sweeter. The fact that he trusts me so implicitly, or that he's being so incredibly respectful, I'm not sure which. "Call me Lennie. That's what my grandmother used to call me."

"Oh yeah?How come?"

"She hated the United Kingdom. Couldn't stand the fact that my mother named me London. Ironic because she was a huge fan of John Lennon, hence ‘Lennie'."

He chuckles at that. "Still, Lennie, to me, sounds like it's short for ‘Leonard'." He searches my eyes, combing his fingers through the hair at the side of my head. "How about I just call you beautiful?" His voice is whimsical, and I wonder if this is how he sounds after sex.

Now, normally, I'd gag right about now. But the way he suggests it is so sincere, so warm, that I can't help the smile. "Don't you think that would be rather suggestive? I think people would figure out that we were...intimate."

"Fair." He frowns. "But that part doesn't bother me." He says, just as a loud bang is heard from outside. Cooper jumps out of the bed, getting dressed so fast it's like he's on three times fast mode. "Stay there. Go check on Bean." He whispers.

"She won't wake up for anything." I tell him, but at the same time, my heart pounds in my chest, as I swiftly redress. "Where are you going?" I hiss at him, as he runs for the door.

"To check it out."

"Shouldn't you call the police?"

"You go on ahead and do that while I check it out." He says, giving me a quick kiss on the mouth.

I watch him go out to his truck and grab something, tucking it into his pants. And as I observe through the Christmas lights lining my windowsill, I can see him trotting down the street, looking in all directions. I dial and tell the dispatcher what's going on. She lazily tells me that someone will come take a look shortly. When he is out of sight, I go to Bean's bedroom. She's out like a light. Not stirring, nothing. Just as I suspected. Closing the door, I leave her to sleep, and walk back to the front door, tripping over the little Santa I have that looks like he's playing peekaboo against the wall. "Dammit!" I mutter to myself.

Cooper has a flashlight in his hand, and he's walking the streets, as I wonder if this is about me or if this is just the neighborhood that I've chosen to live in. Chosen is a word I use loosely, since there really was no choice in the matter. Getting out of where I came from was the first priority. This neighborhood was the lesser of two evils, let's just say, but I'll get into that later. The past month rewinds in my head, setting my heart aflutter, and I try to think positive, like none of thishas anything to do with it. But every time I hear a car backfire, I see a woman running from something, I hear about a stranger coming to town, until certain conditions are met, I'm always going to think that my past is catching up to me.

But they don't know where I am.

And I've made myself invisible.

Except for tonight.

And as Cooper returns, he says nine words that both shock me and make me feel something I haven't felt since I left home.