Retribution (15 page)

“I’m your stepson. You’d think that we would hate each other.”

I shrugged. “I never said it made any sense, but it is what it is. I care about you, Coop. I won’t ever let you go.”

The moment I’d spoken those words, I knew that they were the truth. No matter what happened, I wouldn’t let him go. Even if I left Morgantown forever, I would never be able to forget about him.

He stared at me for a moment. “I care about you, too.”

“Then, you won’t leave me on my own. You’ll be smart and stay with me.”

“It’s not that simple anymore, Claire.”

“But it is! You’re all that’s holding me together anymore. If I lose you, I’ll lose myself!” I shouted angrily.

I didn’t even care about what I’d just admitted to him. He knew I wasn’t strong enough to handle all this on my own. He’d always known that. I wasn’t as strong as him. I never would be. I didn’t feel ashamed from admitting that.

Some women were strong naturally. They took control of their lives and would steamroll right over anyone who disagreed with them. I wasn’t one of those women. I needed guidance and support. Granted, I’d come a long way since I married Robert. I was no longer innocent and naive, and for that, I was thankful.

Having my eyes opened in the cruelest way had given me an edge Robert never expected. Yes, I was weak, but I wasn’t as weak as Robert thought I was.

“What do you expect from me?” Cooper demanded.

“I expect love!”

My eyes widened, and I clamped my hand over my mouth as I jerked away from him. I couldn’t believe I’d just said that out loud to Cooper.

He watched me for a moment. “Is that what you want? Love? Because I’m not the right man for that, Claire. I never have been, even before my father destroyed my life. When we spoke before, I didn’t mean…” He trailed off.

“I don’t know what I want anymore. All I know is that when I’m with you, one-on-one, my chest doesn’t hurt as much. I don’t feel quite so terrified when I know you’re next to me.”

He shook his head. “You put too much faith in me.”

“Or maybe you don’t put enough faith in yourself. You’re strong, Coop. You always have been. You just have to wait this thing out. Robert will get his in the end. It’s not worth sacrificing your life over. You’re so much better than he is. You have so much potential. Don’t let him destroy that, too.”

“There isn’t a part of me that he hasn’t destroyed or at least tainted over the years,” Cooper said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Then, start taking parts back. You’re so much stronger than this. You can’t let your hate destroy you. Save yourself before there’s nothing left,” I said.

“I don’t care anymore, Claire. I haven’t cared for a long time.”

I forced myself to take a deep breath before raising my hand and cupping his cheek. “Yeah, well, I care. I want the Cooper that I met—perverted, sarcastic, funny, and caring. That’s the man I care about. You need to find him and bring him back to me.”

He rested his head against my hand for a moment. It was the sweetest moment I could ever remember.

“What is this to you, Claire?” he finally asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You and me—what is this? You act as if you care, but I can’t help but wonder if you’re just looking for someone to protect you from my father.”

My mouth popped open in shock. Of course he would think the worst of me. “I don’t want you just because you promised to protect me, Coop. I’ve always wanted you, even when I told myself it was wrong. You pull me in and make me want things that terrify me.”

“And what happens after I finally catch my father? Will you still want me then? Or will you run away because you know he won’t come after you then? I told you that you are mine when it’s finished. But will you really hang around long enough for that to happen?”

I felt my face heat in anger. “How dare you think that of me, Cooper!”

“You can’t really blame me, can you? After all we’ve been through, obviously, I’m going to wonder when you will push me away again.”

“I only pushed you away because what I felt for you was wrong, and we both knew it. I didn’t want to hurt you or Robert. I wanted to be a good person. If I didn’t push you away, I knew that I’d do something I’d regret.”

“Something you’d regret? Like what? Would you have slept with me and then curled up in a ball in the corner, hating yourself?”

“Like fall in love with you!” I blurted out. “You’re so easy to love, Cooper. You have no idea.”

It was his turn to act shocked. “You think you could love me?”

“I know I can. I think I already do. I’d like to say that I knew from the moment I met you, but that would be a lie. At that point, I thought you were a pompous asshole, but after I got to know you, I realized what a good man you were. You’re one of the best.”

I stepped closer to him, suddenly determined to prove to him just how loveable he really was. He warily watched me as I leaned forward and softly kissed him. The moment our lips met, I sighed.

Kissing Cooper was as easy as breathing. It wasn’t because of his looks but because of who he was. He was strong, determined, and kind, and he made me feel safe. I couldn’t think of a time when I’d felt safe around someone, anyone really. From the moment I’d entered foster care, I’d never felt truly safe. When I’d met Robert, he’d made me feel something similar, but his controlling personality had made me wary. After he’d beaten me, any safety I’d felt in his presence was gone. The only emotion I felt around him was hate. He was a dirty, despicable man.

Cooper’s body was tense as I gently kissed him. I pressed myself against him, and he slowly relaxed. He even leaned in closer to me. I fought not to sigh again as he wrapped his arms around me and held me tight.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he mumbled against my lips.

“I certainly hope not,” I replied in between kisses.

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” he whispered.

We continued to kiss.

I had long forgotten where my loyalties were supposed to be. Because of Robert, I’d forced myself away from Cooper for so long. After everything Robert had done to me, I no longer cared. I was done being his ignorant little princess. He’d hurt me both mentally and physically. If this were a normal relationship with normal circumstances, I would have left him already, but it wasn’t. I couldn’t let him go just yet. Cooper needed me to help him find the answers he was so desperately seeking. It might make me the most wretched person alive, but I didn’t care. Robert needed to pay for all his sins, past and present.

Cooper pulled away. “I want you, Claire, but I’m sure you already know that. I’m pretty sure I made that clear several times in the past.”

“I know,” I said, suddenly shy.

“Will there ever be a day when you won’t turn me away?” he asked softly.

For the first time ever, Cooper looked unsure of himself. My heart melted as I stared into his eyes. This man was always so strong when I was around. The fact that he had let his walls down around me, even for a moment, meant more to me than he realized.

I reached up and traced his jaw with my fingers. “Yes.”

“When, Claire? When all this is over?”

I shook my head as I continued to run my fingers up and down his jaw. “No. Today is the day that I stop telling you no.”

He froze for a moment. “What?”

I stepped back and smiled up at him. “I care for you, Coop, and you care for me. I’m tired of doing what everyone else thinks is right. I want you, and I’m finished fighting with myself.”

He watched with rapt attention as I slowly started unbuttoning my shirt. I let it fall off my shoulders and to the floor. His eyes widened for a split second before he stepped forward and grabbed my arms. He slammed his mouth down on mine and kissed me deeply. I tried to reach up to wrap my arms around his neck, but he firmly held me in place. I clenched my hands into fists as I kissed him back, suddenly desperate for more.

He broke the kiss. His chest rose and fell quickly as he stared down at me. “You’re sure? There’s no going back from this, Claire. Once it happens, you can’t run away from me anymore.”

“I stopped running away from you a long time ago. I thought you would have noticed that.”

He smiled as he stepped backward, pulling me with him as he went. When he reached his bed, he sat down and pulled me in between his spread legs.

“Once I start, I won’t be able to stop.” He leaned forward and softly kissed my belly.

“I know.”

He released my arms, and my hands instantly found his hair. I leaned down and tugged him closer to me. I kissed him softly at first, trying to take my time. I didn’t want this to be fast. I wanted to savor every single moment of it. I’d secretly wanted Cooper for so long, and I wanted him to remember this day, to remember
me
, always. Yes, I was definitely going to show Cooper just how lovable he really was—right here, right now. It was time to stop hiding.

His hands found my pants, and he slowly worked the button free before unzipping them. With a gentle tug, they fell down to my feet. Without breaking our kiss, I stepped out of them. His hands found my hips and he roughly squeezed them, a low growl sounding in his throat.

“Stop,” he said as he pushed me away.

I pulled back and looked down at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just want to see you, all of you,” he said as he stood.

I gasped when he grabbed my hips again and spun us around. Ever so gently, he laid me down on the center of his bed. I watched him as he stepped back. He quickly pulled my underwear down my legs and tossed them aside. Not daring to breath, I unclasped my bra and threw it on the floor next to his bed. His eyes trailed my body, making heat rush to my face. The hunger in his eyes was so intense that it took my breath away.

“You’re better than I could have ever imagined, and trust me, I’ve imagined plenty of times.”

“Have you really?” I asked.

“Every single time we’ve been around each other. You make a man weak, Claire. I’ve never wanted someone the way I want you. At first, I thought it was simply because you were his, but it didn’t take me long to realize how wrong I was. Spending time with you, I’ve learned your quirks, laughed at your temper, and realized that you are fucking perfect for me. You’re a beautiful woman, inside and out.”

I stared at him in shock, trying to think of something to say. Cooper had stunned me. Gone was the arrogant man I’d come to know, and in his place was a man who seemed to truly care about me.

“Thank you,” was all I could manage to say.

He grinned. “No need to thank me. I was just pointing out the obvious.” He paused. “But now, I’m done talking.”

His grin never left his face as he unbuttoned his pants and pulled them off. His shirt disappeared next, leaving him only in his boxers. I watched with rapt attention as he slid them down his hips. When they were gone, neither of us moved or spoke.

I trailed my eyes down his body, taking in every inch of him. I’d seen his chest and stomach on several occasions, but below…

I gulped when my eyes reached the deep V of his lower abdomen. They slowly worked their way lower, truly seeing Cooper in all his glory for the first time. I blushed.

Cooper’s body was everything I had expected and more. Pure steel was covered in soft skin.

“You’re beautiful,” I murmured, breaking the silence in the room.

He moved closer to the bed. “As are you.”

He didn’t speak as he climbed onto the bed and positioned his body over mine. He slowly lowered his head until our lips finally met. Just as I had, he slowly kissed me, as if to savor every moment of this. My arms wrapped around him again, pulling his body down on mine. I gasped against his lips as our skin finally touched. I shuddered as he let out a tiny groan.

His lips moved from my mouth to my jaw and then to my neck. His teeth nipped at my skin, and my body tensed, expecting pain but it never came. His bites were soft, egging on the longing in my body.

He slowly made his way down my body, his lips never leaving my skin. When he reached my breasts, his hand found one and started circling my nipple as his mouth covered my other. He flicked his tongue, and I jerked. My body was on fire, and every little touch made me feel as if I were about to come out of my skin.

He released me and continued his way down my body. “I want to memorize every inch of you.”

He kissed my stomach before dipping his tongue into my belly button.

Unable to stop myself, I laughed. “That tickles.”

I felt him grin against my skin, but he said nothing. Instead, he moved lower, placing small kisses on each of my hip bones. I tensed for a moment as he pushed my legs apart. I knew what he planned to do, but I wasn’t so sure I could handle that. I’d never had a man’s mouth on me
there.

“Cooper, don’t.”

“Shh…trust me,” he said. He positioned himself so that his face was right where he wanted it to be.

Without another word, he moved forward and ran his tongue along my slit. I gasped and jerked, but he grabbed my hips and held me down.

“I promise, you’re going to enjoy this.”

His tongue attacked my body, making me wither and jerk. He slowly circled my clit before running his tongue across it. I felt as if my entire body was going to explode. He continued his assault with his tongue as one of his hands released my hip. He thrust a finger inside me, and I moaned loudly. I would’ve been embarrassed if I were with anyone else but Cooper. With him, it felt right, and holy mother of God, it felt
good
. No, it was better than good. It was earth-shattering, and my senses were on overload.

Sweat broke out across my skin, and my hips bucked as I felt myself coming closer and closer to the point of no return. I knew that, within seconds, I would come with his mouth still torturing me in the best way possible.

When I did come, my hands found his hair, and I wrapped my fingers around the silky strands, trying to pull him closer to me, as I called out his name. He worked me as the orgasm rocked my body, never once slowing down. When my breathing finally slowed, Cooper kissed the inside of my thigh before pulling away. He moved until he was lying next to me in the bed.