Page 13 of The Bear's Forever Mat
But there Amber was, pulling on her coat as his grandmother spoke with her.
Grandmother Laureen reached out and patted Amber’s hand. “Thanks for staying and explaining that to me, dear. Cooper will walk you to your car.”
“I’m okay on my own, Mrs. Borealis.”
“Nonsense.” His grandmother’s eyes flashed brightly. “What’s the use of having fine, strapping grandsons if I can’t commandeer them to do my bidding every now and then?”
She closed the door behind them, and silence fell. It had begun to snow, and the teeny crystals tumbled around them like icing sugar.
“Come on.” Cooper offered his arm and waited until Amber wrapped her gloved hand around his bicep. The distance to her vehicle was both too short and far too long considering his bear spent the duration all but screaming at him to pick her up and go find a cave.
They’d just stopped by her car when she turned decisively, took a deep breath, and spoke. “Come to my place for drink. It’s early still, and I’d love to spend some time with you outside the office.”
From the look in her eyes to the way she stood, it was crystal clear Amber was offering him every green light he’d ever dreamed of. It was unexpected—he’d hoped she’d be amiable to his courting in a few years, but this was out of the blue and Not On The Agenda.
And then she caught him even more off guard. She slid a hand up and around his neck, tugging him toward her. Close enough that when she lifted her face, it was her lips and his lips, with no space between them.
A kiss out of time. It wasn’t supposed to happen, but it was happening, and as her lips ghosted over his, he would have sworn that a million light bulbs went on around them and lit the darkness with a neon glow.
Cooper pulled back slightly. He was towering over her, but the look in her eyes said she was meeting him straight on. Equal to equal, not just in desire but in decision. God, he wanted that to be true, but there were still multiple items on his list that needed to be dealt with before they could do anything permanent.
So do something temporary,his bear suggested.
Busy,Cooper warned the beast.
Doesn’t look like it to me,his inner animal complained.
“Cooper?” Amber slid her hand along his jawline, then up to his hair, where she brushed it back, fingers tugging slightly. Her touch sizzled, wrapping around his body like a great big Christmas bow and tying him up firmly. Need raced upward, boiling and bubbling.
Her fingers tightened and she pulled him toward her again, and damn it if he wasn’t moving with her.
Now it wasn’t her encouragement that made him change position, but his need to possess and take and touch. He kissed her willing lips, drinking deeply from the sweetness of her mouth, and the thrill of brightness accompanying the contact made it all too clear how perfect things were going to be—when it was time.
Which wasn’t now, damn it all.
He pushed away all of the annoying thoughts about time and place and having to wait, and instead focused on what he had to enjoy right now. Her mouth on his, her hands clutching his shoulders as she leaned toward him. Thick layers of coat separated them, and yet he could feel her arching hard to press them closer.
Her tongue slipped along his, and a noise of pleasure rumbled from his chest to mix with her purr of need.
When he finally managed to break the kiss, her lips were swollen, her eyes bright. She breathed hard, cheeks flushed with excitement.
Then he did the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. He let go, peeling his fingers off her hips and forcing his feet backward until the separation between them was a good two feet—three feet—four feet and increasing.
He exhaled hard but met her eyes. “I’ll see you in a few days. We’ll talk then.”
“But Cooper—”
He ignored the longing in her voice, turned on his heel, and walked away. He was either the smartest bear in the world or he’d just thrown away everything he needed for his future happiness.
Following through on his This Needs To Be Done Right Now list sucked.
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It took a moment for the initial shock to fade.
He’d kissed her, damn it. That hadn’t simply been her pushing herself on him. Although he hadn’t expected it, Cooper had been 100 percent on board with the intimate contact.
