Cooper by Liliana Hart

picked her up in his arms and cradled her against his chest as he made his way inside the house. The entryway was small and the house was open and roomy. The floors were wood and scarred but covered with rugs of vibrant colors. The whole house was vibrant—just as she was.
    “I’m so sorry, Claire. I’ve wanted you for so long, but I have no excuse for treating something that could have been beautiful between us as if it were meaningless. I hope you can forgive me. Because this does matter. Every sigh that escapes from your lips will be treasured. You’ll know that every memory we make or experience we share will be something that has the ability to break through the walls I’ve built over the years. And if we build on the past we’ve had and nurture the future, I think we’ll have something very, very precious.”
    The tears she’d been holding back fell from the corners of her eyes. “You are the most wonderfully confusing man I’ve ever met in my life. Now please take me to bed. I’ve waited a long time for you.”
    “With pleasure, sweetheart.”
    He tasted her lips and drew her tongue into his mouth, stroking and coaxing and building the flame that had existed between them from the first. Hands lingered and sighs were soft. They left their shoes in the entryway, and he circled her towards the bedrooms at the back of the house, a slow dance that made them dizzy with desire.
    Her skirt was unzipped and fell to her ankles, but he just lifted her over it and kept up his slow descent to her room. Her shirt came next, and his blood spiked as he saw her in just a black bra and panties and the silk of her stockings.
    “You are so beautiful,” he rasped, touching the swell above her breast reverently and drinking in her sighs of pleasure.
    She pulled his shirt over his head and immediately noticed the absence of his nipple rings. She looked to him in confusion.”
    “Why…”
    “Because I wanted to give you nothing but myself. No enhancements. Just me making love to you.” The panic that normally accompanied the thought of making love was non-existent. Because with Claire that was exactly what he wanted it to be.
    She brought her lips to his chest and kissed each nipple, swirling her tongue around the sensitive nerves until his head was thrown back in ecstasy and he was gritting his teeth to fight the need to throw caution to the wind and take her against the wall.
    “I’ll gladly take you as you are, Cooper. And I’ll always find pleasure in every facet of your body.” She gave him a seductive grin and her dark eyes sparkled with mischief. “But don’t throw away your jewelry just yet. I like them. A lot.”
    He kissed her harder then, his body primed and almost past the point of the gentle seduction he’d wanted to give her. He lifted her in his arms and carried her the rest of the way to her bedroom. A large Queen bed dominated the room, and it was covered with a white down comforter and a mound of pillows.
    Cooper folded down the covers while she watched him, her hands twisting nervously in front of her. Seeing her nerves calmed his own, and made him focus on making everything as pleasurable as possible for her. He kissed her lids and worked his way down to her lips as he flicked open the back catch of her bra. It fell to the floor and the feel of her against him—the cool touch of the gold from her nipples—had him moaning with pleasure.
    He laid her back on the bed and rid himself of his jeans and briefs. His cock strained with the anticipation of release and his sac tightened as he saw her lying before him, her dark eyes feverish with need. He came over her slowly, enjoying the different textures as their bodies touched fully for the first time.
    “Mmm, you feel so good against me. Heavy,” she said as she roamed her fingers over him with shy curiosity.
    “You’re killing me, Claire.” He took her roving hands and pressed them to the bed, and then he kissed away her protest by moving down