Page 18 of Enduring Magic

Slowly, she nodded, gaining confidence in her decision. “I am.”

“Then give the sketches to Knox and let him work his personal magic.”

After accepting them, Knox dropped a kiss on her cheek. “They’re perfect, Summer. Don’t worry. I’ll have the finished rings for you in a few days, okay?”

“Thank you, Knox. It means more to us than you can possibly know.”

Summer was still sitting on Coop’s lap a few minutes later, thinking about what the finished product might look like, when his lips brushed her neck.

“Don’t stress, sweetheart. I know my cousin. He’s a perfectionist, and our rings will be incredible.”

“You think?”

“I know,” he said confidently.

Leaning back, she tilted her neck to allow him better access. “You know, it’s Saturday. The office is closed, and Olivia’s sleeping.”

“Mmm, you don’t say,” he murmured as he pressed light kisses along the column of her throat. Pausing at the sensitive spot beneath her ear, he scraped her skin with his teeth. “What did you have in mind?”

So there wasn’t any mistake, she moved his hand from her waist to her breast. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe anap.”

“I lovenappingwith you.”

Laughing, she stood and dragged him to his feet. “Last one to the bed is a rotten egg.”

“It’s always a contest with you.” He bent and tossed her over his shoulder. “Comfy? Not putting too much pressure on your belly?”

“All good, kind sir! Take me to bed.”

With a light slap to her butt, he strode down the hallway.

8

With great care, Coop shifted Summer from his shoulder to his arms and laid her on their bed. He spared an extra moment to simply take in the beauty of her face as she gazed up at him, love shining in her eyes and transforming her visage from pretty to stunning.

“I’m the luckiest sonofabitch alive,” he said gruffly. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m happy I did it.”

Her already wide smile grew. “I’d say we were both lucky. Love isn’t guaranteed in life, and for sure, it’s important to recognize and nurture it when it comes our way.”

“Truer words were never spoken.”

Taking his time, he reached a hand over his shoulder and grabbed a handful of his shirt, drawing it over his head. With a flick of his wrist, he sent it sailing toward the chair in the corner.

“I love when you do that,” Summer said with a girly sigh.

He laughed because she was always quick to tell him so every time he undressed, and if Coop could give her a small thrill by stripping the way she liked, he would. With great deliberation, he placed his hands on the waistband of his jeans.

“What about this?” Taking his time, he unbuttoned his pants and eased the zipper down with maddening slowness.

Her expression turned sly. “Hmm. Well, I don’t know. What do you think when I do this?” Lifting her hips, she copied his move by unbuttoning and unzipping her pants, taking twice as long to do it.

When she stopped, her pink lace panties were visible in the V of the opening.

Coop’s mouth watered.

“I took my shirt off first,” he reminded her as he lazily shucked his jeans and boxer briefs. “You’re not keeping up.”

“Good point.” Shifting to a sitting position, she inched her shirt up over the beginning of her baby bump, then her ribs, and finally over her chest to reveal the lacy bra that was the mate to her underwear.

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