Page 48 of Temptation and Tyranny

I couldn’t help but challenge him slightly. I guess I was used to it after challenging him during our therapy sessions. “Do you really have everything, Cooper? Is this dangerous lifestyle really the way you want to live your life? You’re in so deep that your entire house is basically a bunker. You’ve encased yourself in a prison. It’s a beautiful prison, but a gilded cage is still a cage.”

Cooper frowned, then popped the cork off a bottle of wine. He was silent as he poured the burgundy liquid into the glass, then he poured a pale golden liquid into another, and I assumed it was scotch. Padding over to the sofa, he handed me the wine. Instead of sitting next to me, like before, he sat on an oversized chairnext to the couch. He took a long drink before he finally looked at me again.

“It’s who I am, Allegra. Take away all of this”—he gestured around the room—”and I’m no one. No one important, certainly no one interesting. My business is what makes me who I am.” He set his drink down on the coffee table.

“I don’t believe that for a second.”

Cooper launched to his feet, anger just underneath the surface of his usually calm demeanor. He moved in like a jackal, and for a moment, I felt like prey. He sank to his knees in front of me, wincing slightly as he bore some of his weight on his bad leg. “Really? Look at me,” he growled, and I couldn’t help but stare into his eyes. They were deep chocolate, and despite his frown, they were full of a beautiful warmth. “I’m a thief. A murderer. An opportunist. A womanizer. That’s all I’ll ever be. Don’t paint me as the hero of your story—because I’m most certainly the villain.”

His tone was harsh, but his eyes were pleading. Almost as if he was begging me to agree with him, to condemn him and end this…whatever it was between us. He was trying to frighten me, goading me into conceding. But for some reason, his speech had the opposite effect. Underneath his self-degradation, he was raw.

Broken.

Brittle.

Instead of flinching and moving away, I took his cheeks in my hands. He closed his eyes at the touch, exhaling deeply. His breathing was shaky, and I watched his naked chest moving with each trembling breath he took.

I should have walked away. Left the room. Demanded he let me go back to my apartment. My mind was screaming at me, telling me that spending another second around this man was the absolute last thing I should be doing. But instead, I leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips, wanting to fix whatever hurt he was carrying inside.

Cooper opened his eyes, and a flash of surprise crossed his chiseled features. “Allegra—”

“Don’t say another word. I don’t want to hear it.” I moved back in, and he groaned, grabbing me by the waist and shifting me onto his lap. He circled my mouth with his tongue, seeking permission to deepen the kiss. I instantly complied, losing myself in his masculine scent and warm hands. His fingers traced circles all over my thighs, which were bare since I was wearing his shirt.

“I’m not good for you,” he murmured, pulling away from my lips and snaking a hand underneath my shirt. His large hands went to my breasts, touching them softly at first, getting to know all of me, and then massaging deeper. His mouth nipped at my collarbone, and a shiver went through my entire body. As soon as he felt me shudder, he smiled and pulled the tee-shirt over my head. Completely exposed to the cold room, I moved my hand to cover myself instinctively. But instead, he grabbed my arms and held them back behind me. His hands were so massive that he was able to hold both my wrists with one hand, while the other made quick work of his pants. Once he was undressed, his fingers found the lace of my panties and he pulled them down my legs.

This time I whimpered, and a bit of fear rolled through me. I could feel my heart rate increase, andworry instantly grabbed at my chest. What if it didn’t work this time? Last time was so unexpected, and I wondered if that was some of the reason he was able to work himself partially inside of me. My mind started spiraling, and I felt my entire body clench in panic.

Cooper noticed immediately. “What’s wrong,ma belle?” His gaze immediately met mine.

“Nothing,” I said, trying not to let my mind get the better of me and ruin this.

“Bullshit. Tell me. Now.” His voice left no room for argument, and he let go of my hands. As soon as I was free from his grasp, I crossed my arms in front of my chest, embarrassed.

“It’s just…maybe this isn’t a good idea.” I glanced around the room, looking anywhere but at the man before me.

His hand cupped my cheek, and he gently turned my head to look at him. “Allegra, something is wrong. And I have a feeling it’s something to do with some trauma—you’ve endured.”

I gulped. Cooper was more insightful than I gave him credit for. I shouldn’t have been surprised, he had to be good at reading people and puzzling out things in order to run his evil empire.

“You can tell me, sweetheart. I promise, whatever it is, I’ll fix it.” He ran a finger up and down my bare arm, and I shivered.

If only it was that simple. “It’s hard to talk about. It’s an uncomfortable subject…”

“You’ve taken a bullet out of my shoulder, and I’ve been inside of you. I think we can be honest with each other.”

“That’s just it…” I struggled for the words. I’d never explained my troubles with anyone outside of my doctor and therapist, but something about Cooper made me feel like he was…safe. Which was ironic, considering that I was being stalked because of him. “I’m not sure if you were actually…in…”

He looked confused for a second, then gave a wry smile. “I might be a little big for you baby, but that’s nothing to worry about. We can work on it. Practice makes perfect—”

I sighed, cutting him off. “It’s not that…I just…I have trouble being…intimate. In that way…it got worse after Tomas, and—”

His smirk disappeared, and I felt my face redden. I suddenly wanted to disappear, shrivel into myself. I looked away, hot shame creeping up my neck.

“Hey. Look at me.” Once again, he placed his hand on my cheek, forcing me to look into his eyes. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” He gulped, and then his eyes met mine quickly. “Did he hurt you?” His entire body tensed, and for a second I thought he was going to combust.

“He….” I struggled for the words, not wanting Cooper to know the extent of my experiences with Tomas, but I also felt like I owed him an explanation, especially since he was the one to finally rid me of the asshole. “I never felt safe with him, and he pushed me for things I wasn’t…it was just a bad situation.” I hung my head, embarrassed that I’d let Tomas have so much power over me.

Cooper clenched his fists. “I’ll kill him. With my bare hands.”

---