24. Chapter Twenty-Four

I think I lost my shoes in the living room and then my shirt in the hallway, and by the time Coop and I make it to the bedroom, his fingers are working to unbuckle my belt, all while his lips continue to ravage mine.

"Mmm, can... can I?" he asks between kisses as he tugs my belt out of the belt loops and tosses it somewhere. The backs of my knees hit the edge of his bed.

"Can you what?"

His fingers tease under the waistband of my jeans in a silent question as he starts to trail open-mouthed kisses along my jawline. God, it feels so good. Yes, please.

"Mm-hmm, yeah, yeah." I groan as he continues kissing down my neck, doing that same thing he did earlier where he stops and sucks on my skin at every kiss.

I feel him smile against me, and it only makes me want him more. My hands thread up into his hair as he starts to slowly unbutton and unzip my pants. He's not hesitant, but he's methodical and careful, which is a pretty huge contrast to the chaotic way we'd gotten to the bedroom. After he's got the zipper all the way down, and my heart's beating so hard he can probably hear it, he straightens back up, brings both hands to frame my face, and kisses me.

Slowly.

Damn, if he's going to do everything slowly, I'm not sure how long I'll survive.

It's some incredible feeling, and it's even better now—now that I know how much he wants this, how much he wants us. Now that I know he missed me as much as I missed him. Now that I know he loves me.

I slip my arms around his waist and underneath his T-shirt—reminding me that he's still much too overdressed. And there's this shiver, like a thrill of anticipation and desire and want, that rushes me.

"Ah, fuck, Josh, that's—" He groans as my hands wander up his back and then around to his chest.

"I want to see you," I say, my voice thick with emotion, and he nods, steps back a bit, and pulls his T-shirt off over his head in one smooth motion.

God, he's perfection. Just incredible. Hard muscles, smooth skin, and a happy trail that I really, really want to follow lower. My whole body seems to buzz in agreement.

I reach out and set my hands on his stomach, and god, yeah—he's solid and strong. Damn. I want to kiss and taste every inch of his gorgeous body. His muscles quiver under my touch, and I tear my eyes away from where my hands are now exploring his chest to look up at his face. His eyes are screwed shut, and he's biting his lower lip, and when I let my fingertips brush deliberately—and slowly—over his nipples, he lets out a short breath and drops his chin to his chest.

"You like that?"

He laughs and shakes his head. "Fuck, I'm almost sad you even have to ask. It's fucking incredible. All of this."

Now it's my turn to laugh, and I'm also nodding. Because, yeah, I totally agree.

"I think it'll get better." I lean in and kiss his neck. "I think it'll get much better."

My thumbs tease him again. And god, his nipples are stiffer now. He moans, and the sound goes straight to my dick. It's throbbing and hard and unfortunately still confined in my pants, which are unfortunately still on.

"Mmm, why are your pants still on?" he says, echoing my own thoughts.

"Because you didn't take them off yet," I reply cheekily.

"Ahh, that's... a problem." He growls, or at least that's what it sounds like, and his hands slide down under my pants until he's gripping my ass, pulling me closer to him. His voice is low and husky as he whispers, "But we can fix it."

"Mm-hmm" is all I can manage because I'm hotter now, and his chest is pressed against mine, and damn, he's all muscle. I start to kiss lower on his neck, but he's suddenly slipping my pants down, his hands burning a trail down the outsides of my legs.

I hear his sharp intake of breath as I step out of my pants. He's crouching, looking up at me, and his hands are on my knees, his thumbs rubbing gently along my skin. And now up a little higher, but along my inner thighs. Shit, that's—that's so good.

"God, god, Coop."

"Hmm? You like this?" His thumbs press into me more firmly.

"I'm—I'm almost sad you have to ask," I say, copying his words from earlier. God, I'm hard. Harder. And I want his touch like I've never wanted anything before.

"I didn't have to," he murmurs.

Holy shit, when did he move? His breath is hot on my thigh now, just below his hand. And he's kissing me. And god, that's sensitive.

He continues, "I just wanted to hear your sexy voice. Your fucking sexy voice."

His fingers tease up and under the edges of my boxer briefs now, and his—god, his mouth and tongue are right there too. I feel myself throb and twitch with want, and I groan.

"God, it's so good."

"It'll get better. Much fucking better."

He stands up slowly, kissing and licking his way up my chest. His hands linger right where they were, at the bottom edge of my briefs, still teasing me. God, I don't know how much more I can take. My knees are shaking as his mouth reaches my throat, and he stops and sucks gently as he lets his hands move now, drifting upward but carefully avoiding where I want—need—him to touch me most.

"Ahh, you—you're—" I can't even finish my thought. Instead, I reach up to cup his cheeks and then draw him up to me the rest of the way. Our lips meet again, and at the same time, one of his hands strokes slowly up my throbbing shaft. And I'm almost coming apart right then. I think I cry out his name, and then he backs off a bit, his lips brushing along my cheek.

He's whispering in my ear now. "Shh, it's okay, shh." But then he does it again—his hand grips around my base as much as he can through my briefs, and he strokes upward. God, so slow. And it's just incredible and overwhelming. And I want more.

I cling to him as he strokes me again and again, my head buried in his shoulder and my arms wrapped around his waist.

"God, you feel so fucking good," he murmurs against my cheek, and he kisses my temple.

And just when I think I'm about to come, his hand slips away, out to my hip and then up my chest. I groan a protest and straighten up, and he immediately captures my lips. His hands find my hips, and he starts to reach under my briefs, but I pull away.

"Your pants first. It's only fair," I say breathlessly.

"But—"

I lean in and whisper in his ear, "I want us to come together." I unbutton his pants and then unzip them, and he whimpers a little. "We can't do that"—I push his jeans down—"if your pants are on."

He's wearing these sexy black boxer briefs that are similar to mine, and after he steps out of his jeans, I'm back on him again. My hands slip around his back and down, and I grip his ass and pull his hips into mine. Both of us moan.

"Ahh, fuuuuuuck, yessssss. You feel so good," he rasps, and then he kisses me again.

His hot tongue sweeps into my mouth as he presses into me. God, I want... his mouth to explore some other things too. The thought makes me tremble with need. But that's for later. Because right now, I do want what I just told him. I want us to come together.

I turn us around and then push him back onto the bed. He seems surprised, but only for a second, then he grabs my hand and pulls me down on top of him.

As I let my weight settle over him, it's like everything shifts to a slightly different pace. It's all slow motion and pleasure and heat. Somehow, we end up scooting back until his head's resting on a pillow and I'm straddling him, my hands on his chest. His fingers massage my ass, encouraging me as I rock against him. With a groan, he pushes his head back into the pillow, and I lower my lips to kiss his neck, needing to taste him.

Ahh, god, his skin. I love it. And I want more. I want to see and feel all of him. I push myself up onto my knees and then slip my fingers under the waistband of his briefs. His eyes are half-open, and he's breathing hard, his thumbs now rubbing gentle circles on my thighs. It's the sexiest thing I've ever seen in my life.

I lean over and press a kiss to his sternum. Then, I shift a little lower, and my lips trace a path down his chest, placing light kisses as I go. As I reach just above his navel, I pull down slightly on the edges of his briefs, and he moans my name.

God, it's so incredibly sexy.

I glance up at him. "Is that a yes?"

"Ahh, fuck, yessssss. Very much yes. Please, yes."

I laugh lightly against his skin and then kiss his stomach again before I finish undressing him. It's almost a little scary—when his briefs are off and he's lying there fully naked in front of me, watching as I admire him. I say that because the thing I notice first isn't his gorgeous body—although, god, he really is perfection. No, what I notice first is the vulnerability in his eyes. And it echoes his words from earlier when he'd told me he wasn't really ready.

He's trusting me now.

Even though I'd hurt him so much. Even though I'd abandoned him like the stupid kid I was. Despite all that, he's showing me he forgives me. He told me he loves me back. He wants this—he wants us.

"God, you're incredible," I say. And I hope he knows I don't only mean physically.

He blinks and then looks away for a second before he sits up and reaches for me. "Now—now you. So we're both..."

His touch is gentle and careful as he pushes me over onto my back and then slides my briefs down. And he runs his hands up my inner thighs, his eyes darkening with desire. He's quiet, but when he licks his lips, I shiver, knowing exactly what he wants. Instead of settling over me, like I sort of expected him to, he shifts to my side and then pulls me back on top of him until I'm straddling him.

God.

I'm naked.

And on top of him.

And his hard, thick shaft twitches against mine.

I shudder and lower my forehead to his as I resist the urge to rock my hips. I want it. So much. But I think we both need a moment—at least, I know I do, and he's lying so still, his eyes closed tightly, his hands tense on my thighs.

"Coop." His name is all I can manage, and he groans.

"Hmm?"

I shift my weight to one arm, even though I can feel it trembling, and I reach between us and slowly wrap my fingers around both of our erections.

"Ahh, oh, god," he says, and he moans as his hands slide up my thighs and then around to my back. "Wh-what are you—ahh, shit, that feels so good."

I kiss him, but it's some indistinct, breathy sort of kiss that may or may not have actually touched his lips. And at the same time, I stroke both of us. Together. Firmly but slowly.

"You said slow, right?" I whisper as I repeat the motion.

He groans. "Yeah, yeah. Fuck, that's—god, just... just like that."

He sucks in a breath as I stroke us both again, and then he stretches up to me. Our mouths meet this time—another of those lingering kisses that drives me closer to the edge than I already am. And his hands wander all over, still with this maddening slowness to them that's just incredibly arousing in a way I've never felt before. He's caressing my ass, then my chest, and then his hands meet at the back of my neck and pull me deeper into the kiss.

"God, don't—don't fucking stop," he pleads as he breaks the kiss. He sounds vaguely out of breath, which is how I feel. I'm also on fire all over. And my heart's racing, and there's this fullness growing in my groin that's some mixture of pressure and pleasure and—and shit, it feels so damn good.

I start pumping again, still keeping the pace slow, and when his hand joins mine, wrapping around both of us just below my hand, I can't help but gasp. It's more of the same—the fire, the fullness, the heat—but like, more more. And all I can do is moan his name and try to keep up this rhythm I started and he's continuing that's agonizingly, incredibly, amazingly slow and sensual in a way I'd never thought it could be. I'm moaning again and panting as my chest tightens. Everything, actually, everything is sort of tightening, and his lips are suddenly on mine again, swallowing the sounds I'm making.

He tears his lips away for just long enough to rasp "F-faster now, god, please," and then both of us pick up the pace as he crushes his mouth to mine again. And I hope he's as close as I am, because I'm coming very soon and I don't want it to stop this time.

"Ahh, fuck." He moans and pushes his head back into his pillow. "I'm—god, I'm so—oh, godddddd."

I groan and lower my head to his shoulder as I feel his dick throb in my hand. He's gone still underneath me, moaning something with a low, deep vibration that rumbles through his chest. God, the sound is just enough. That and him still pumping with me. Just once more and then everything that had been tight and hot seems to all burst at once into pure pleasure, rippling through me. He holds me, one arm wrapped around my back and the other still stroking my hard shaft as I come. And I think I'm moaning or crying his name or something, but it's all so bright and the sensations are so loud and overwhelming.

God.

Holy shit.

"Fucking incredible," he murmurs, his breath hot against my cheek.

And all I can do is nod in agreement. It was. Definitely fucking incredible.