“Fuck, Emily!”

He moves fast, and before I know it, I’m on my back and he’s braced over me. Cooper’s lips find mine, and I ache for him.

I’ve never been like this. Never have I had this insane deep need within my body for a man. Cooper pulls back and his eyes meet mine. I see the depths in those emerald eyes. The emotions swimming around that tell me he’s feeling it, too.

“Cooper,” I say as my voice cracks. “I-I’ve never felt like this…”

He kisses me slowly and then stares down at me. “Me, either.”

“I need you.”

“You’ll have me.”

He grabs a condom. I watch as he rolls it on, my body humming with excitement.

There’s no going back, and I honestly don’t ever want to. Cooper settles himself between my thighs, kissing me slowly as he slides in. I moan in his mouth and dig my fingers in his back. Cooper moves as our lips stay connected. Emotions rumble through me one by one. The last year I’ve dreamed of what it would be like. I had no idea it would be so much more.

He looks down at me, and our eyes lock. “You’re going to ruin me,” Cooper says.

Little does he know that he’s going to ruin me right back.

We make love. There’s no other way to say it. Cooper’s eyes stay on mine as he gives himself to me and I do the same. I want him to feel everything I feel even though it’s too much. How am I supposed to go on the road and not think of him? It’s going to be impossible.

I don’t care.

For right now, I hold on to the thick muscles of his arms as I start to build again. My mind fills with all the things that have happened in just a few days, and I wonder if I’m not completely insane. Cooper is everything I want and nothing I should have.

And the truth is that I’m falling in love with him.

If I’m honest with myself, I have been for a long time.

When the reality hits me, my eyes meet his, and I fall apart. Tears fall from my lashes as my orgasm rockets through me.

Cooper’s lips are on mine, swallowing my cries of pleasure as he follows me over the edge.

Chapter Seven

Cooper

What the hell am I doing?

I shouldn’t be here.

I should be in Dallas, but I couldn’t stay away from her. It was bad enough trying to keep Emily Young from my mind before, but now I’m screwed. I’ll never be able to walk away in one piece.

I pull Emily into the crook of my arm and run my fingers against her skin. She shifts onto her side and looks up at me.

“Coop?” Her sweet, soft voice breaks the silence.

My eyes meet hers and I raise my brow.

“Are we crazy?”

I laugh. “Probably.”

“What do we do now?” Emily questions.

I want to tell her to pack her shit and come home with me, which is ridiculous. I would never tell her to give up her career, her dreams, but it’s what I want. I want to take her home and keep her with me. I want to wake up every day beside her.

She’s perfect.

Instead, I tell her the only choice we have. “We make it work. We talk, and I’ll find a way to you when I can.”

Her eyes soften, and the sweet smile I love forms on her perfect lips. “I like that answer.”

“I like you.”

Her smile grows. “I like you. A lot.”

“Yeah?” I ask with a hint of curiosity. “How much?”

“A lot more than I want to.”

“Why is that?”

Her shoulder lifts and falls a little. “I think you’re goin’ to be a lot more trouble than you look.”

I chuckle and tickle her side. “Trouble, huh?”

Emily’s laughter fills the tiny room, and she squirms beneath me. This right here is everything I wanted. It feels like a lifetime of waiting, all leading me to this woman in my arms. I pull her close because a piece of me is worried this will evaporate like mist.

More than likely it will.

Emily is the girl I will never catch, the girl who shouldn’t have to be contained in a goin’-nowhere town.

Sure, I’ll get what I can here and there, but in the end, she’ll see I’m a goin’-nowhere farmer while she’s reaching for the stars.

Fuck, I’m a fool.

“Hey?” Emily touches my cheek. “You okay?”

I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the shit I don’t want to think about. I can berate myself later, but right now, I want to be with her. I don’t know how many moments we’ll have together, so I’m damn sure going to make each one count.

“Just thinkin’ about other ways to cause you trouble.”

“Yeah?” She gives me a sultry smile.

I see the mischief dance in her blue eyes. I roll her onto her back, and as soon as I feel her heat, I want her again. When she grabs my ass, pulling me against her, I don’t deny her.

“Oh, yeah, darlin’, a whole lot of other ways.”

* * * *

“Don’t go back to Dallas,” Emily whines from the bed.

I stand at the end in my jeans and look for my shirt. “I wish I could stay.”

“But I don’t know when we’ll see each other again.”

I climb back on the bed, crawling toward her. I kiss her gently, and she grips my neck, keeping me there. It isn’t as if she has to try hard. I would stay for another night if I could. Hell, if she wanted me longer…

No, I won’t go down that road now.

Today is for goodbye. I need to actually see the presentation that I flew to Texas for. If I don’t get a move on, I’ll miss it.

When I pull back, her eyes fill with emotion. At least this sucks for her as well. “Don’t be sad, darlin’.”

She tucks the sheet under her arms and looks away. “But I am sad, Coop. I don’t want this to end.”

“Who said it has to end?” I ask her as I pull her against my chest.

I hate seeing her like this, and the last thing I want is to leave today knowing she’s sad. Not that I’m happy at the idea of driving away, but last night solidified how I feel and verified that there’s no way this is the end.

Emily Young will be mine. I’m going to marry this girl come hell or high water.

She nestles her face against my neck. “I like this. I like bein’ in your arms. I like it a lot more than I thought I would. A lot more than just spending a few nights together would mean with anyone else.”

I push her back so I can look in her eyes. “We may have spent a few days together like this, but we’ve spent a lifetime building more. You’re not just some random hookup, Emily. You and I have history and we’re not kids.”

“I know, and this is a long time coming.”

That makes me feel marginally better. There is still so much I want to say to her, but the last thing I want to do is fall hard for a girl who will never be mine.

Been there, done that, and I don’t want another fucking postcard.

“And hopefully a lot longer to come,” I say with a twinge of hope.

“How did you make me like you so easily?”

I try not to laugh, but she looks so cute. “I’m just irresistible.”

“Ehh.” She shrugs.

“Ehh?”

“Well, you’re somethin’, all right.”

I grip her chin between my thumb and forefinger, forcing her to look at me. “I’m more than that, and I’m tellin’ you now that I’m not walkin’ away from this. You’re going to have a very persistent man waitin’ for you, Emily Young. Very persistent.”

Her hand threads through my hair, and she smiles. “I’m pretty persistent, too.” Emily’s lips touch mine and then her blue eyes bore into mine. “Stay for breakfast. Then I’ll let you go without a fight.”

I grapple with the fact that it’ll take me four hours to get to Dallas and, if I stay, there is a very real chance I’ll miss the presentation. I still have to shower, pack my things, and eventually get on a plane, but the idea of even just another hour with her ties me up. Saying no to her isn’t something I want to do. Ever.

Jesus, I’m screwed.

“Breakfast, but then I need to go.”

Emily throws her arms around my neck, pulling me on top of her. She squeals and kisses my cheek repeatedly.

This right here is why I may just sell my farm and become her biggest groupie.

I lift myself up a little and Emily hangs on. “Get ready, darlin’. I have a feeling Wyatt isn’t going to be too happy with me if I don’t make it back to the farm.”

She gets up, gets dressed, and I can’t stop smiling. I’ve never been this happy before. I can’t remember a time in my adult life when just making someone smile like that gave me such joy.

While she finishes getting ready, I head out to the sitting area. There’s a huge bouquet of red roses on the table with her name on the card.

“The flowers are nice.” I try to sound offhanded.

Someone sent her flowers, and I’d be full of shit if I said it didn’t bother me.

“Oh!” she yells and peeks her head in. “I didn’t thank you! I’m sorry!”

“Thank me?” I ask.

“Yeah.” She giggles. “Thank you for sending me the flowers, Coop. I love roses.”