Torrid Little Affair (Forbidden Desires #3)

“Gavin and I have a bit of a . . . troubled history. You know his wife, Emma? She used to work for the company. Not as a regular escort, but as a personal escort that Gavin and I shared. It wasn’t as creepy as it sounds-we just wanted someone on hand so we’d always have a date for events. As you can imagine, things got complicated really fast. Gavin and I both ended up falling for her. And, uh, I guess it’s clear how that love triangle ended.” Cooper paused to take a sip of his wine. The look on his face was grim and remorseful.

Why was he telling me all this? I couldn’t decide if I wanted to know more, or if I was ready to get out of this conversation before he expected me to share something equally personal. Before I had a chance to say anything, though, Cooper continued.

“I wanted you to know that I’m over it. Emma and I cleared the air earlier today when she came over to help me with the cooking. My feelings for her are purely friendly now. Or brotherly, I guess. We’re in-laws, after all.” Cooper smiled to himself, and I could see that he was being genuine.

“Well, thanks for telling me that, I guess,” I said, fumbling over how to respond. “But you didn’t have to share all that with me, you know. We don’t have to dredge up our deepest darkest secrets, do we?” I silently prayed that he didn’t expect me to reciprocate his sharing, even if it felt like he would be understanding of whatever I wanted to tell him.

Cooper smiled. “No, don’t feel like you need to tell me anything. Not until you’re ready.”

I smiled back, thankful for his patience.

We chatted a little while longer before clearing our plates and doing the dishes together. I insisted on cleaning it all up myself because he had cooked, but Cooper refused to let me do the dishes alone. Once the kitchen was clean, we each poured ourselves another glass of wine and settled in on his plush leather couch.

I sat near him, but not too close. We talked about small things-television, music, and the like-before there was a brief lull in the conversation. Cooper cleared his throat and gave me a serious look.

“Tell me one thing no one knows about you,” he said. It wasn’t really a question, but it didn’t feel like a command. He was trying to move us into a slightly deeper conversation, and it made my pulse thrum.

“I can’t sleep without a white-noise machine,” I said shyly, not daring to meet his gaze.

I could see the hint of a smile on his lips. He was silent for a beat before saying quietly, “Thank you for sharing.”

I turned to face him, his green eyes piercing mine. I knew then that Cooper was unlike any other man I’d ever met. He was huge and handsome, had cooked me dinner, wanted to help me out of my shell, promised me orgasms, and was willing to supply me with orgasms. It was all a little overwhelming.

Cooper continued asking me questions, delving deeper into my preferences and limits, especially sexually. I told him that I wasn’t interested in pain-no whips, no spanking, no being tied up. The last thing I wanted was to be humiliated. He listened intently, nodding along to everything I said. Once I was done explaining what I wasn’t looking for in this relationship, he took my hand in his, his giant palm making mine look small in comparison.

“I promised that I will always make you feel cherished and safe and good. All I want is for you to feel the pleasure you’ve been denied,” he said, looking intensely in my eyes.

I nodded and looked down at my hand in his. I didn’t understand why Cooper was doing this, why he was so intent on making sure that I was okay. But I appreciated it.

A wave of emotion welled up inside me, a mixture of thankfulness, relief, and a hint of arousal. I brought my gaze back up to his, pausing briefly at his mouth. He leaned toward me, offering his lips for the taking. Ignoring the butterflies in my stomach, I leaned into him and pressed my lips to his, soft and gentle, allowing myself to get comfortable with the feel of his mouth on mine. We continued like that for a while, kissing slowly and softly, and it felt like he was coaxing me into more.

Whatever he was doing, one thing was clear to me.

It was working.