Page 57 of Clinch'd

But he doesn’t listen, and I wrap my legs around his waist because if I’m going in, he's going with me. Apparently, he doesn’t care though because he drops sideways into the waves and we both go under.

I cling to him like a monkey, shivering against his body as we emerge. “I’m going to kill you,” I wheeze.

His chest rumbles and he says, “It’s time for another first.”

“Which is what?” I grumble, pushing my wet hair out of my face.

“Sex in the ocean,” he purrs, and I moan when he clutches my ass and grinds against my core.

“Fuck but I love your ass,” he groans and I arch against him.

“Coop,” I whisper, the words lost to the sound of the waves.

Cooper spins me around and grabs my core, his other hand caressing my breast. I shiver under his touch and lean against his shoulder before closing my eyes.

His breaths puff against my ear as he slides his fingers inside, pumping into me gently. We sway in the water, just the two of us in the darkness as he slowly brings me to orgasm.

When I cry out, he pulls me around and thrusts inside, grunting in my ear, “So wet and slick, baby.”

My heart thunders so loudly, I feel it in my ears as I grab his shoulders and meet his thrusts, desperate for him to feel what I do.

This insatiable burn that only grows the longer I’m with him. Does he feel it too?

The flames light me up from the inside and when he groans and stiffens, spots dance before my eyes.

“Coop,” I say, and he grasps me tighter, while that burn simmers in my soul.

Chapter 20

Cooper

Earlier, after Minnie confessed about her mother, she derailed me from my line of questioning, especially when I caught her in a damn lie.

I guess knowing her pain rivaled mine did strange things to my heart. I simultaneously wanted to protect her and push her away. With Minnie, it would seem I’m constantly being forced to face my roiling emotions. I don’t particularly enjoy the feeling, but I can’t bring myself to walk away.

Instead, I fucked the feelings right out of me before leaving her to get ready for later. All the way up to my room though, I considered her confession about her mother with a frown. It turned out, Minnie had more layers than an onion. Did I want to peel them back and reveal what’s inside?

That was the thousand dollar fucking question.

All thoughts I shouldn’t have been obsessing over because it had been a shitty ass night. I lost my fight to a fuckwad with nothing but meat between his ears and had bad fucking breath.

Beast’s concern over Minnie hung over my head like a dark cloud and I’d like to blame them both for my loss.

The truth is, I didn’t fucking care. I know I’m at the tail end of my career, weary of all the travel and partying. When I’m in the cage, much of that fades away but anymore I just don’t enjoy it.

If it weren’t for Monroe, I might have quit already but I can’t go home before I find her. That’s not an option. Beyond that, there’s a kernel of something pressing at my chest.

If I’m not a fighter, what the hell am I?

I skipped out on college and much of high school. While being an MMA fighter looks great in this venue, I can’t imagine it’s going to get me far in the real world.

I haven’t felt this fucking weird since I was sixteen and trying to keep my family fed. The difference is, they’re all adults now and I’m still me.

All of this was weighing me down when I spied Minnie slapping that asshole. Once again, I wanted to fucking pound someone down on her behalf and her joke about slaying dragons isn’t that far off.

Maybe this is the universe trying to tell me something. Fuck I don’t know. All I know is that Minnie makes me feel and I don’t mean the incredible sex although that’s fan-fucking-tastic.

It’s something else that I can’t define. The problem is, there’s an internal clock ticking in my head and instinct tells me this can’t last.

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