Page 92 of Temptation and Tyranny

For a moment, Cooper was silent, and I feared I’d said too much. Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face. It was a real smile, one that reached his eyes and made him look years younger.

“You want the truth?” Cooper’s voice was raw, stripped of its usual controlled demeanor. I watched as vulnerability cracked through his carefully maintained composure, his defenses finally falling away.

“Every other woman was just passing time until I found you. You’re it for me, Allegra. The beginning and the end of everything.”

My heart stuttered in my chest, tears springing to my eyes at the naked emotion in his voice. This wasn’t the smooth-talking criminal who’d first walked into my clinic, or even the protective man who’d saved me from Tomas. This was Cooper laid bare, offering me his heart without reservation.

“Cooper...” His name caught in my throat, thick with emotion. I pulled him closer, needing to feel his solid warmth against me, to anchor myself in this moment I’d dreamed of but never truly believed wouldcome.

“I mean it,” he whispered, his lips brushing mine as he spoke. “No more pushing you away. No more pretending I don’t need you. You’re everything to me, Allegra. Everything.”

When our lips finally met, it wasn’t with the desperate passion of our previous encounters. This was different—slower, deeper, as if we had all the time in the world. His kiss tasted of promises and new beginnings, of a future I’d stopped letting myself hope for. In that moment, I understood what people meant when they talked about coming home. Because that’s what this was—Cooper’s arms around me, his heart beating against mine, his love wrapping around me like a shield against the world.

This wasn’t just a kiss. This was a beginning.

Tears fell freely from my eyes, but for the first time in what felt like forever, they were tears of joy. The warmth of his kiss lingered as we slowly drew apart, but Cooper kept me close, his forehead resting against mine. The morning sunlight painted patterns across his face, highlighting the raw passion in his eyes as they met mine. My heart raced at the tenderness I saw there.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he murmured, his fingers trailing softly along my jaw. The gentle touch sent shivers down my spine. “Every minute we were apart, I felt like part of me was dead. God, Allegra, you have no idea what you do to me.”

My breath caught at the raw emotion in his voice. His thumb brushed across my lower lip, his eyes following the movement with an intensity that made my heart race.

“When I saw you in that place...” his voicegrew rough, catching in his throat. “I’ve never been so fucking terrified in my life. The thought of losing you—” He broke off, pulling me closer until I could feel his heart thundering against my chest. “You’re everything. Everything I never knew I needed until you fell into my life.”

“Cooper,” I whispered, my fingers curling into his shirt.

“No, let me say this.” His eyes held mine, dark with emotion. “I’ve spent my whole life keeping people at arm’s length. Never letting anyone close enough to matter. Then you came along with those damn beautiful eyes and that heart that’s too good for someone like me. And suddenly nothing made sense anymore except you.”

The tears continued to trickle down my cheeks as he continued, his voice growing hoarse. “I tried so hard not to love you. Tried to convince myself I could walk away. But damn, Allegra, loving you isn’t even a choice anymore. It’s like breathing. It’s like my heart beating. It just is.”

His hand cupped my face, thumb catching a tear as it fell. “I know I don’t deserve a second chance. I know I’ve hurt you. But if you’ll let me, I’ll spend every day of my life making it up to you. Because you’re it for me, angel. The only thing that’s ever felt real in my whole damn life.”

I leaned into his touch, savoring the feeling of safety and belonging that radiated from him. “Then don’t let go,” I whispered.

Cooper’s smile turned playful, though his hot gaze remained intense. “Never again,” he promised, pulling me closer. The familiar scent of his colognesurrounded me as he wrapped his arms around my torso. Despite my injuries, I felt wonderfully alive, every nerve ending singing with awareness of his presence.

“You should rest,” he said softly, noticing my slight wince as I shifted position. But his actions betrayed his words as his fingers traced delicate patterns along my arm, raising goosebumps in their wake.

“I’ve done enough resting,” I replied, reaching up to run my fingers through his hair. The strands were longer than I’d ever seen them, and I felt him shiver at my touch. “Right now, I just want to be here with you.”

Cooper smiled again, and it was bright enough to light the entire room. “Your wish is my command.” He moved under the covers, slowly trailing more kisses along my thighs. When his mouth closed over my panties, I sighed deeply. He pulled the black satin down my legs, replacing his lips between my thighs. His talented mouth spread me apart, and I felt my entire core tighten—not with tension, but with overwhelming desire. I felt his breath, hot against my entrance, and it was like time stopped. I arched my back, the pleasure already building.

“I mean it, Allegra,” his voice came, husky from beneath the covers. “I’m yours to command—and I’ll obey your every desire, make every whim come true.”

“Cooper,” I moaned, as he circled my clit, his tongue working against me.

“That’s it, baby. Come for me.” He increased the pressure, and the orgasm washed over me, stars dancing behind my eyes. Before I could even come down from the high, he was back, hovering over me, kissing me desperately, like a man dying of thirst.

“Now, do you want my mouth in between your legs again, or my cock inside you?”

I pushed my legs back higher, and his cocky grin, the one that I fell in love with before I even knew the real him, turned up the corner of his mouth.

“There’s my clever girl.” I felt him reach between us, positioning himself at my entrance. “Brace yourself, angel. I’m going to be as gentle as I can,” he promised me, “but I need you so badly right now, it’s going to be a struggle.” He pushed inside me, but his entry was smooth. Despite the damage that had been done by Tomas, Cooper had put me back together.

Cooper rested his forehead against mine, kissing me thoroughly as he rocked inside of me, slow and purposefully. His warm body on top of mine felt like heaven, like he was protecting my body with his, and I knew he would keep me safe no matter what now.

“Fuck, angel.” His kisses became erratic as he moved faster, more and more turned on. I felt the familiar surge of pleasure echo through me again, and my eyes widened. Cooper chuckled, feeling the tightness start again. He reached between us, rubbing me and thrusting, until a second release, one I thought I would never experience, rolled through me.

“That’s it, just like that,” he breathed, and then he let himself go, turned on by my second climax. I felt the heavy weight of his seed, warm and thick. I fell back on the bed, absolutely exhausted, but feeling more satisfied than I’d ever been in my entire life.

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