“I didn’t…I thought—”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”
“I didn’t have a suit,” she rushed out. “So I came here where I could swim and exercise in private.”
“Really, Julia, it’s okay. I don’t mind at all. In fact…” He stopped himself before he said something to scare her off, something like, In fact, I’d like to climb in there with you and trail my tongue over your entire body until you’re screaming for me to fuck you.
But he knew she was unsure of this whole situation, and he had to take it slow. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off and ruin his chance at having something amazing with her.
“In fact what?” she asked, her tone soft, sensual.
He rocked back and forth on his feet, the sound of the water lapping against her naked flesh filling him with lust and urging him to turn back around to see her. His muscles bunched, and he stared at the lodge in the distance as he struggled to answer her. “I…just…ah…wanted…”
“You just what?” she asked, pushing him for an answer, a reminder that she was a lawyer and wasn’t about to let him get off so easily.
When he didn’t answer, she said, “Coop.”
His pulse kicked up at the soft, sexy way she said his name.
Was it possible…?
Could she be flirting with him?
Before he realized what he was doing, he spun back around to face her. When their eyes met and locked, he didn’t miss the way her smoky gaze left his face to take in his chest, his stomach, the bulge between his legs. As her blatant perusal paused on his growing erection, he damn near lost all sense of control and climbed in there with her.
That was desire in her eyes, hunger brewing just below the surface. His heart raced, and his body tightened.
“Well,” she probed. “What did you want, Coop?”
Goddammit, the look in her eyes and the raw ache of lust he heard in her voice spoke volumes. She wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her, and that made him the happiest fucking guy in the world.
Everything about this sweet and sexy woman weakened his resolve, and he knew he wanted her more than ever.
The hell with taking it slow.
Unhinged at the want reflecting in her eyes, he hungered for her with an intensity that scared the shit out of him. As blood pounded through his veins, Coop dipped his head and took one step closer, deciding a blatant seduction was most definitely in order.
“I was wondering if you’d like some company.”
Dark lashes slowly blinked over whiskey-brown eyes, but when they opened, something came over her face, something that filled him with unease. With a frown marring her forehead, she folded her arms over her chest, dipped lower in the water, and said, “I think you’ve got the wrong girl.”
Chapter Five
Julia stared at Coop’s retreating back, her stomach plummeting. What the hell had she been thinking?
While she wanted to say yes to his proposition—God knew her body was urging her to invite him in and go for it—his sexy offer had suddenly reminded her that it was Mari he really wanted. Hurt caused her to strike out at him.
The second those blunt words had left her mouth, Coop backed off, his eyes dark, confused. And why wouldn’t he be confused? It was clear to anyone within a fifty-mile radius that her entire body had reacted with want when she first caught him watching her.
And she’d turned him away.
God, I am such an idiot.
Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to live a day in her sister’s life? Was she really going to pass that up?
Okay, so Julia might not have been the one Coop had been expecting to get off that plane, but maybe this wasn’t about him anymore. Maybe this moment was about her and what she wanted.
She walked from the pond, quickly towel-dried her body, and pulled on a borrowed pair of denim shorts and a pretty pink T-shirt that was a little too snug around her breasts. Once dressed, she followed the path Coop had taken and soon found him alone inside the barn, the warm morning light drifting in through the open doors and falling over his hard body.
He had his back to her, and she watched the way he quietly talked to his horse, the way he stroked the gelding with care. While Coop might be tough and rugged on the outside, there was a reflective side of him, a side that was sweet and caring. A side that always tugged at her, and drew her in.
“Coop,” she said, trying not to sound breathless as she imagined those capable hands of his on her body, taking her to places she’d never before been.
He spun around to face her, and when his glance met hers, he raked shaky hands through his hair. “Julia,” he began. “Jesus, I’m sorry. I misread—”
She took a deep breath and blurted out, “You’re not the one at fault here.”
He cast his eyes downward. “I made a mistake—”
“No, you didn’t. I did.”
His gaze flew back to hers, and he hooked his thumbs through his belt loops in a familiar move. She tried not to react when the hard muscles along his arms flexed and relaxed again. “What are you talking about? I shouldn’t have—”
“Yes, you should have.”
He gave a slow shake of his head. “I don’t understand.”
Julia drew a centering breath, and while she couldn’t pretend to be her sister, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t act like her and get what she wanted from Coop, what she always wanted. She went up on her toes and said, “The answer is yes, Coop.”
She watched his throat work as he swallowed. “Yes?”
“Yes, I would like some company.” She stepped into him, and when she aligned her body with his, positioning herself against his cock, he slid his arm around her waist, tugging her against him.
His gaze moved over her face, assessing her. The heat from his body, as well as the hardness between his legs, excited her. Made her feel bold and adventurous.
He dipped his head, his mouth closer to hers. “Are you sure?”
No. She had no idea what she was doing, but she appreciated his concern nonetheless. He was easy to trust, easy to be with, and she wanted to spend the next few hours doing it the cowboy’s way.
She put her hands on his shoulders and looked his body over as she let them slide down his chest. “I want this,” she murmured. “All of this.”
He exhaled sharply, and his hands shook as they trailed up her back. He smiled at her, but it wasn’t dark or predatory. It was soft, sexy…tempting.
He touched her damp hair, and her thoughts stalled as he seductively wound a long strand between his fingers. Her insides quivered with the needy way he looked at her. God, no man had ever looked at her like that before.
His gaze dropped to the two wet spots on her T-shirt. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “You’re all wet.”
Oh God, he had no idea.
He backed her up, and she could feel a new urgency in his touch, one that excited her beyond anything she’d ever known.
God, was this really happening? After all these years was she really going to touch Coop, feel him touch her in return?
“A girl should have what she wants,” he said, his voice dripping with promise.
Her nipples tightened with arousal, and everything inside her urged her to go for it—to enjoy a wild ride with this sexy cowboy before returning to Nova Scotia, to the real world where she was all work and no play.
When they hit the wall, his groin bumped hers, and a moan of want crawled out of her throat. Coop grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head. As he caged her between his chest and the wooden slats, her entire body tightened in anticipation.