Page 22 of Craving Cooper

I feed her, putting on a pot of coffee, although I leave it to brew while I head for the bathroom. The shower feels good, and I take my time, only getting out when I really have to. There’s no need to dress up today, so I opt for jeans and an oversized t-shirt, fixing myself a coffee and putting on the laundry before I write out a shopping list, checking the kitchen cabinets, and the refrigerator to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything. Once that’s done, and my coffee is drunk, I grab my keys, my purse and my phone and head out to the grocery store.

Like I said to Cooper, there’s a reason I do this on Sundays, which is that it’s easier to park on Main Street when most of the stores are closed. I can get all my groceries inside, without feeling like I’ve walked ten miles in the process, and I let out a sigh of relief when I close the door of my apartment again, knowing the groceries are packed away, and the car is parked safely at the rear of the property again. There’s nothing more for me to do… and I’m mightily relieved by that.

It’s still only late morning, so I fix myself another coffee, grab a pastry – one of the ones that jumped into my cart as I was pushing it around the grocery store – and I settle down on the couch with a book. I know I should probably tidy my apartment, but it’s not looking too bad, and I need to rest my aching muscles. Besides, this is a good book. It’s about a man who everyone had thought was dead, following a mysterious accident on his honeymoon, which left his bride in tatters. Now, though, he’s returned to his hometown to discover his wife is about to re-marry. There are elements of suspense and romance, and although I’m over halfway through, I still can’t decide which of the two men I’m rooting for. They’re both really nice, and are portrayed as super sexy, but I get the feeling it won’t prove to be as simple as that in the end…

The day passed quickly, with breaks for lunch and dinner, both of which I kept simple. A sandwich was enough for me at noon, and I had some pasta in the fridge, which I re-heated for my evening meal.

I finished the book this afternoon, and I have to say, it was disappointing in the end. The woman chose her new fiancé, but only because the man who’d returned from the dead turned out not to be her husband, but his twin brother instead. There was no explanation for how he miraculously appeared when nobody had known of his existence beforehand, and no mention of a wider family to question what was going on. It was all really silly, and very annoying. I felt as though I’d wasted several hours of my life that I’d never get back, and I’ve spent the rest of the afternoon and evening watching movies and feeling somewhat cheated.

I know I can’t be late to bed, though, so I switch everything off at nine-thirty, tidy the kitchen, feed Saffron, and get undressed, putting my clothes into the empty laundry hamper this time.

I’m not in the mood for reading any more novels, but I catch up with the news on my phone, jumping out of my skin when I hear Cooper’s door slam closed at just after ten. I didn’t hear him come in, but there’s no doubting it’s him. He seems to be alone, too. I can’t hear Meredith, and she’s never usually quiet… although it would be unusual for her to be here at this time on a Sunday, so I’m not that surprised.

They’ve obviously been together all day, but it’s quiet downstairs, so it feels safe to let my mind drift to images of Cooper, my imagination running riot, now I know what he looks like bare-chested, my pussy tingling at the thought.

“It’s no good,” I mumble to myself, throwing back the covers as I reach for my trusty vibrator. It’s small, and black, and powerful… and something I usually reserve for weekdays, when I know Meredith won’t be around to interrupt my moments of solitude, and my thoughts of Cooper…

I close my eyes as I switch on my vibrator and touch it to my clit. My nipples harden in an instant, and I part my legs as I dream of what he could do with me. No, to me. Definitely to me. I want his hands all over me, touching me… everywhere. I want his fingers inside me, his tongue caressing every single inch of my body.

“Oh, God…” I mutter between gritted teeth, the pleasure building.

I know I should keep it quiet. I usually manage to… but I can’t, and as my orgasm builds, I let out a whimper, which builds and builds to a crescendo of a scream.

I can’t hold it back, but so what if he hears me? Why should I care?

And why should he? He’s got Meredith.

Chapter Six

Cooper

After yesterday’s exertions, I’d been looking forward to spending a few extra hours in bed this morning. I’d even switched off my alarm, not long before falling into bed, and once I’d taken care of not being woken, I went straight to sleep.

I didn’t dream, but I think I was too tired, even for that.

What I hadn’t expected was that I’d be woken at just after seven-thirty by my phone, and as I come to, startled by it ringing, I wish I’d remembered to turn it off, too. The thought strikes me, as I try to shake the cotton candy from my head, that it might be Meredith, calling early on a Sunday morning just to annoy me. It’s the kind of thing she’d do, and while it would be easy to ignore her, by the fourth ring, the cotton candy has gone and I’m already wide awake, so I snatch up the phone, frowning when I see Brady’s name on the screen.

“Has something happened?” I ask, not bothering with a ‘hello’, or a ‘good morning’.

“You could say that. Laurel’s hurt her back.”

“I know I told you to enjoy yourselves, but you didn’t need to injure the poor woman.”

“I didn’t. She got up in the night and tripped over one of the boxes.”

I feel guilty now and sit up, focusing on the seascape that hangs on the wall opposite my bed. “Is she okay?”

“She’ll be fine, providing she can get some rest.”

“Which is why you’re calling? You need me to come over?”

“Could you? There’s still so much to do, and I don’t want to go back to work tomorrow and leave it all to Laurel.”

I smile, throwing back the covers. “I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

“You’re a lifesaver.”

We end the call and I get up, heading straight for the shower, smiling as I turn on the water. I thought I’d feel worse than I do, considering I couldn’t even raise the energy to pour myself a glass of water last night. All I did was undress and clamber into bed. But I don’t feel too bad… yet. I’m sure I will by the end of the day, though, and as I wash my hair, I struggle to recall my Monday morning schedule. I don’t think it’s too busy… which is just as well, because I doubt I’ll be capable of working too hard. Not after two days of moving furniture.

---