Chapter Nine
Cooper jumped out of his seat and rounded the table. Before I could even take a full breath, his lips were crushed up against mine. He hungrily parted my lips and plunged his tongue into my mouth, tangling with mine and sending shivers dancing down my spine with each tangled twirl. He pulled me up from my chair, never leaving my lips. He grabbed at my hips, his fingers pressing into the fleshy skin as the shirt rode up, exposing my bare ass. Without hesitation, he lifted me up and my legs wrapped around his narrow hips, my feet locked together behind his back. Our furious kissing continued, leaving me breathless as he started towards the formal staircase through the living room. I clung tightly as he carried me up the stairs, my nails digging into his back, desperate for him to strip off his shirt so I could get to his skin.
He hauled me back into his bedroom and we finally broke apart when he released me onto his bed. I lay there, looking up at him, panting for breath as he stripped off his shirt.
“Cooper,” I said, breathless, as I squirmed on the bed before him, desperate for him to touch me again. My whole body was alive, every fiber on high alert.
Cooper put one leg on the bed and leaned forward, hovering over me. I arched up, trying to get him to kiss me again, but he gave me a devilish smile and backed off instead, teasing me. Then, slowly, he started unbuttoning each button on the shirt he had given me to wear. He left the fabric closed, waiting until the last button was undone, before sweeping the shirt open and revealing my naked body.
“Cooper.” I could barely speak. I was aching, my pussy was throbbing and I could feel how wet I was getting just at his expression and the promise of what was going to happen next.
He drew a finger from my chin all the way down, slowing as he got lower and lower on my body. Wherever his finger touched felt like it burst into hot flames that triggered all through my body as I tried to keep from grabbing his hand and putting it where I so desperately needed it to go. He wanted me to be patient, to wait for him.
The gentle sweeping of his fingertips reached the soft curve below my navel and then, painstakingly slowly, lowered into the thin patch of hair and I instantly arched back, my eyes closed, waiting for him. His finger stalled, not going any lower and I whimpered.
“Are you ready for me?” he asked, his voice low.
I opened my eyes and they locked with his. He had his half-cocked smile that meant he was amused. If I wasn’t so incredibly turned on, I would have been annoyed. As it was, I nodded, biting my lip and pleading with my eyes, willing him to continue.
“Good, but not yet,” he answered and my hopes fell. He brought his hand back up and cupped one of my breasts. “First, I want to taste these sweet pink titties.” He lowered his mouth to my nipple and flicked back and forth with his tongue.
I moaned out, and bucked back at the waves of pleasure coursing through me. My hand instinctively went between my thighs but Cooper stopped me, pulling my hand away and pinning it above my head on the bed.
“Not yet,” he firmly reminded me, before giving me a slight nip with his teeth.
I cried out and he laughed softly at my mild frustration. He sucked my nipple and then ran his tongue under the curve of my breast and moved to the other. He pinched my other nipple that was still wet from his tongue and then came back up to capture my lips in his, kissing me fiercely, his hands roaming back over my stomach, teasing and torturing me as he would dip lower, and then slide back up.
“Cooper, please,” I begged.
He released the arm he had pinned and then made his way down my body, keeping his dark eyes fixed on me intently as he moved slowly, his skin brushing against mine as he lowered down my body. He dropped a kiss to the top of my thigh and I arched back at the bolts of heat flashing over me.
My hands dug into the thick covers on the bed as he kissed the other thigh and used his hands to push apart my knees. He stopped and when I opened my eyes, he was staring at me and for a moment, I was flushed with a wave of anxiety, wondering what he was thinking as he explored.
“You’re perfect, Allison,” he breathed. He lowered his face and I shivered at the feel of his stubbled jaw rubbing against the sensitive skin on the inside of my thighs. Before my next breath, he flicked his tongue along my delicate fold and I bucked back on the bed as if I had been shocked. I moaned out and begged for him to keep going.
He ran his tongue back up and circled the tiny bundle of nerves that were pulsing with desire. I bit my lip to keep from screaming out at the intense pleasure as he used his tongue and soft, warm lips to explore every inch, each contact pushing me farther and farther. As I got closer to the breaking point, I was thrashing on the bed, and Cooper pulled back and wrapped his arms around my legs, forcing them open wider and pinning me still. I wrestled against him, trying to coax him to keep going. My orgasm was ebbing away and I needed him to touch me, to give me release.
He didn’t bring his mouth back to me, but he inserted a finger deep inside me and thrust in and out, adding a finger after the first few strokes. His skilled fingers easily found a sensitive spot inside me and stroked with his finger.
“Holy shit!” I cried out. My body convulsed and thrashed but Cooper held me still, almost effortlessly. He kept going and my orgasm built again, this time stronger and more urgent-feeling. “Cooper. Don’t. Stop.”
As soon as I said it, he slowed and thrust his fingers deeper. “Not yet.”
“Fuck!” I yelled. My frustration growing deeper by the second as my whole body was on fire, waiting for relief.
I looked up and met his eyes, blazing with intensity. “We’re doing this my way tonight. You’re going to have to trust me.”
His fingers were still inside me but barely moving, and I felt my climax winding down. I wanted to tell him to fuck off, to get away from me, that he didn’t have to be such a fucking control freak, but I couldn’t say anything. I wanted nothing more than for him to have his way with me. The idea of it turned me on much more than I would have ever expected. I lay my head back down and felt Cooper release me and start back up my body. His hands slid up my sides, feeling my curves, and he paused to nibble at my breast for a moment, before coming back up to kiss me. The taste of my own wetness was still on his lips and it excited me when we kissed.
“I want to fuck you, Allison. Hard,” Cooper said. I nodded and lifted my hips, trying to grind against him to assure him that I was ready for him. He was still wearing his suit pants, but I could feel his excitement as I pressed against him, his hard shaft very obvious under the fabric.
“Fuck me, Cooper. I want you to,” I said. His eyes flashed and he got off me long enough to strip off the remainder of his clothing. I propped up on my elbows and watched, my desperation growing at the sight of his fully erect cock. I was hit by a rush of memories from the first time he had been inside me, how full he made me feel, and the power he could put behind each thrust.
He looked up from sliding on a condom and caught me staring at him. He smirked. “Lay back down.”
I followed instructions, a smile spreading over my face, too, as I waited for him. Luckily, it wasn’t a long wait. He was on top of me and without hesitation, thrust inside me, forcing me to take all of him inside. I gasped at the pressure and then melted into the sensation as he started to pull out and then thrust back in again. Each stroke was like lightning bolts of pleasure hitting me. My legs were wrapped around his back and I clung to his broad shoulders, my fingertips digging in a little more with each powerful stroke. I gripped his back, enjoying the power of the feel of his muscles in action as he fucked me.
I cried out his name when he took it up another level, both in speed and power. He was fucking me so hard I thought I‘d see stars, but he felt so good I didn’t dare try to slow him down.
He pushed up off of me slightly and looked down between our bodies. His chest glistened with our sweat and I followed his gaze and watched him entering me. His strokes slowed but the new angle made up for it and I was quickly rushing towards my peak. Watching him fuck me only turned me on more and I panted.
“Grab your nipples,” he instructed. “Look at me”
I looked up into his eyes, and then did as he said. I cupped both of my breasts with my hands and flicked and played with my nipples. He moved his mouth to my painfully hard peak and nipped. I moaned, the combination of sensations driving me crazy.
“Good. Now, touch your pussy, rub your clit.”
This time, I followed his instruction without hesitation. I snaked my arm down between us and touched myself. My fingers were instantly soaked and I gasped at the intensity.
“Come for me, right now,” he said, almost demanding.
I panted and sped up my fingers, easily sending myself over the edge. At the same time, he stiffened and exploded inside me, and I felt his cock pulsing hard as he finished. I was shaking and grabbed hold of him even tighter as my body shattered over and over, every fiber releasing, until I stilled and released Cooper and fell back against the soft bed. I lay there, trying to catch my breath, and started laughing.
“Holy shit.” I giggled and wiped my hair back from my face. “That was insane.”
Cooper was still on top of me, but rested on his elbows. “This is funny?” he asked, a twinge of amusement in his voice.
I didn’t want to say it out loud, but I had never felt so completely out of control with a man. I’d had lots of orgasms—most of them solo ventures—but nothing even close to what my body had just experienced. I knew I would be too raw to go again, at least not for a few minutes, but I was already fantasizing about what we had just done, and wanting to do it again.
By the time the sun rose through the windows the next morning, Cooper and I had barely slept just a few hours. We had fucked like a couple of crazy teenagers all night long. Cooper had done things to me that I had never experienced before, and I woke up drenched in memories of everything that had happened, all blurred together in a steamy, heart-pounding, hair pulling rush.
I opened my eyes and rolled over to see that Cooper was sound asleep in the bed next to me. For a moment, I wondered why it felt so normal to wake up next to him. It had been a while since I’d gone to sleep next to a man, and yet, this morning at three a.m. when we had finally collapsed, too tired to go one more round, it hadn’t even crossed my mind to get up and leave.
Then again, I had no clothes, no car, and no one to come get me. So, that could be part of the reason I had been fine with settling into bed next to him.
I studied his chiseled face, now covered with an even darker layer of scruff, and a flutter of affection pulled on my heart. For some reason, I was possessed to reach out and brush his hair back. The soft touch was enough to stir him and he opened his eyes and stared at me. His face remained calm, like he didn’t have a moment of wondering who I was or what I was doing in his bed.
“Morning,” I said. I offered him a half-smile. From under the covers, I could see his firm arms and chest poking out from under the sheet and I was tempted to lay back and snuggle up to him. Some part of me was dying to know what it would feel like to have him spoon me, and pull me into his body like he needed me.
“I’m going to shower,” I said. I lifted my side of the covers and slid out of bed, needing to put some space between us before I let myself get carried away. I padded into the bathroom and was surprised when the stone floor under my bare feet was warm to the touch.
Heated floors. Very nice.
I went to the shower and stepped inside, turning the water on and rotating to a jet setting, letting the hot water pound away the soreness in my muscles from last night’s activities. I was pretty sure that it was only going to get more pronounced as the day went on, a memento of our passionate night together.
Somehow, I didn’t think I would mind.
As I rinsed off, I kept glancing through the foggy glass to see if Cooper was coming into the bathroom to join me. The shower was definitely big enough for two. My mind started wandering over all the things we could do in such a large shower.
My fantasy was interrupted by a ringing and I recognized a phone and muffled voices. I turned off the water and stood silently, trying to hear what was going on.
Nothing.
Moments later, Cooper’s voice called into the bathroom. “Allison?”
I rubbed a patch free of steam and saw his silhouette in the doorway. “Yes?”
“I’m leaving. I’ll send a car to take you home.”
“Wait. What?” I asked. I frantically pulled at the glass door and stepped out of the shower. I grabbed a towel off the shelf and wrapped it around me as I walked back into the bedroom. Cooper wasn’t there.
“I have to go and I’m sure you have other things you need to do,” Cooper said, reappearing. He stepped out of the closet and was fully dressed in a suit and tie. His face was still scruffy but he looked completely polished. As I stood there, naked and dripping water on his expensive carpet, I began to feel a sense of shame sinking in.
“You didn’t think I was going to keep you locked up here forever?” He smiled but something about it was cold. Calculating. I couldn’t read him anymore and it startled me. After everything that had happened, I thought we were finally getting to a new place, but those dreams shattered as I looked up into his blank stare.
“Not forever, but I guess I didn’t expect…” My voice trailed off. I had started the sentence but had no idea what I was trying to say.
“Your clothes, from the club,” he said, gesturing to a folded pile on the bed. “Goodbye, Allison.”
He turned and left without so much as a look back at me.
I backed up a step and sank down, onto the edge of the bed. My brain was creating and rejecting new ideas and theories faster than I could process everything and I felt dizzy.
What the fuck just happened?
I let myself reel for a few more minutes, and then forced myself up off the bed and back into the bathroom. I finished drying off and then went back to the bedroom and put on the street clothes that I had worn to the club yesterday— a pair of dark-wash jeans, a red tank top, my leather jacket, and my riding boots. I had no idea where he had gotten them. When I had changed to go onstage, I left them in my locker and thinking back, I couldn’t remember them being in the car with us yesterday. And yet, they were right here in front of me. Cleaned and folded.
I shook my head and finished getting dressed.
Back in my boots and jacket, I felt a little more like myself and my previous confusion and…if I was honest…hurt…was quickly replaced with anger and irritation.
All I knew was that I was getting the fuck out of his house and I was never coming back.
I jogged down the stairs and nearly plowed into someone on my way to the front of the house.
“Can I help you?” a man in a suit asked as I stepped back.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“My name is Eric. I’m Mr. Brighton’s assistant.”
I stared at the man. He was tall and stocky and for a moment, I wondered if he was like Cooper’s bodyguard or security guy. Maybe he hadn’t thought I would leave willingly. I looked around, past the man standing in my path. It was a beautiful house, but it wasn’t not like I was going to move in and force him to have me physically removed from the property.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m just trying to get home. Cooper said there would be a car.”
“Aha,” Eric said. “Well, it’s not here yet. Would you like to wait outside on the porch? The maid is scheduled to be here any minute and she doesn’t like cleaning around people.”
He had phrased it like a question, but the insinuation was clear. I was being, ever-so-politely, kicked out.
I turned on the heel of my boot and stormed down the hall, not bothering to look back at the snooty manservant. Out of the expansive front porch, I stared off into the distance at the view, absorbing the tranquil setting that raged against every pent-up emotion inside my chest. I clenched and unclenched my fists, furious with Cooper for treating me like trash, on top of everything he had already done.
“Ugh!” I fumed to myself and flopped onto the cushioned bench that sat facing the long driveway. “What a jackass, douche-bag, mother fucker!”
I crossed my arms around my chest and waited. Hating the fact that I was too damn far away to just stomp off and get myself home. I hated that I had to wait for him to send someone to fetch me.
My frustration bubbled up again and I launched off the bench and started pacing the length of the porch. My whole body felt twitchy and agitated. I was about to storm off down the driveway when a black car pulled up and stopped in front of the house. A man got out and peered up at me. “Miss Rand?”
I nodded to confirm my identity and started down the stone steps that met the driveway at the bottom. The driver opened the back door for me and I climbed into the car, forcing myself to relax against the seat. I put my head back and stared at the roof of the car.
“Stupid, stupid girl,” I whispered to myself, as tears slide from the corners of my eyes and trailed down my cheeks.
“Where would you like to go?” the driver asked once he was back behind the wheel.
I gave him my address and for the rest of the ride, he didn’t say another word.
The night before, the drive had flown by. Cooper and I were so locked in our arguing that I didn’t pay attention to just how far away we were from the city. On the way back, all alone, it seemed to drag on endlessly. My head was leaned up against the window as the sights from the freeway flashed by.
I did my best to keep my mind blank, but it kept circling back to Cooper, flashes of our hot, sweaty night together mixed with memories of his stony face this morning. Both versions of Cooper swirled together in my mind, making things more confusing and tying my emotions into tighter knots.
Nearly two hours later, we arrived in front of my apartment. I thanked the driver as he let me out and raced upstairs without another glance back. I burst through the front door and was greeted by Sam. At the sight of his little furry face, I burst into tears again. I picked him up, buried my face against him and clung to him as my body trembled with each new wave of tears. I carried him with me into the bedroom and didn’t even bother undressing before collapsing onto my bed.
Overwhelming exhaustion took over my body and before my tears had even dried, I was unable to keep my eyes open.
When I woke up, the sky beyond my windows was still light but a glance at the clock told me it was nearly six o’clock and dusk would be falling soon. I had slept all day without waking. Apparently, the previous night with Cooper had more than emotionally done me in. As I stretched, my anxiety crept in and I started wondering what to do next.
My landlord would be sniffing around for rent any day, and I had nothing to give to him. I had already received a letter that if things didn’t get back on track, I would be evicted. My one dance at the strip club had stacked up nicely, and might be enough to get the landlord off my case for a week or two, but now that Cooper had blackballed me from ever dancing there again, I would have to find a new source of income.
My blood pressure rose as I thought of Cooper and how controlling and meddling he was. Last night, after we had made love, I had lain in his arms and stupidly thought to myself that the reason he had interrupted my performance at the club was because he wanted to keep me and my body all to himself. Being discarded the next morning like a fucking call girl had shot that theory to hell, and I was back to wondering what the hell he was up to.
As I replayed the events, searching my brain for any clue, I had a horrifying epiphany.
My money…
I had no idea where it was.
I scrambled out of bed and frantically patted myself down, thinking maybe Cooper had stashed it in a pocket for me. It wasn’t like he needed it. But all my pockets were empty.
“Shit! Shit, shit, shit,” I yelled as I double-checked every pocket on my pants and jacket.
Nothing.
It was gone.
All of it.
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I sucked in a deep breath and refused to let myself cry again. Cooper and his antics didn’t deserve even one more tear.
I stripped out of the clothes and changed into something fresh that wasn’t completely coated in Cooper’s scent and then left the apartment, formulating a plan as I went.
I was locking the door behind me when I felt someone watching me. I spun around and jumped back at the sight of my landlord. “Oh, hi, umm, listen…” I started.
He stared at me expectantly.
“I got the letter. I understand. I’m on the way now, actually, to get you some money.”
He crinkled his brow. “What are you talking about?” he asked.
“For rent? Is it too late?” I cringed, waiting for his reply.
“Allison, your rent has been paid up for the next year. I got a call from the bank this morning about a wire into my account. Your rent has been paid up for the next twelve months.”
“What?” I gasped, my mind reeling at his words. “There must have been a mistake. I don’t know anyone that has that kind of money…” My voice trailed away as the realization hit me.
Yes, I do. I know one person who probably has that kind of money hidden in his couch cushions.
“Shit.”
“Is there a problem? I can call the bank.”
I held up a hand to him. “No, no, it’s all right. Thank you for the information.”
He smiled at me and I walked the other direction. My mind had been made up. I knew what I needed to do.
I was forced to take the bus across town to get back to Marco’s and by the time I arrived, it was dark outside and a line of men were wrapped around the dilapidated building. I didn’t want to go past them, worried that some of them had seen my dance the night before, but I needed my money. I put on my best “fuck off” face and strode across the street and pushed to the front of the line, where the security guy let me through.
“Allie Cat! What the hell are you doing back again?” Marco greeted me as soon as I stepped into the door.
“Marco, where’s my money?”
His face was blank, as if he had no idea what I was talking about. “Allie Cat, I don’t mean to pry or nothin’, but your gentleman last night made it pretty apparent that you’re not supposed to come here anymore.”
“I don’t care what he told you. And by the way, he is not my gentleman. Actually, not a gentleman at all, but that’s beside the point for now.”
“Allie Cat, I don’t have your money,” Marco said. “That guy grabbed all your stuff before you got off stage.”
“I know, but the money was on me and I don’t remember what happened to it.”
I considered him, trying to decide if he was telling me the truth. He stared back at me, and I realized he wasn’t lying. He didn’t have it.
Then where was it?
Searching my memory, I remembered that I got off stage, I gathered the money in my hands, and then I saw Cooper. Damn. Everything else kind of went blank after seeing him. The horror, shame, and anger took over my other senses. Including my memory, apparently.
“All right.” For a moment, I thought about asking him if I could come back that night and dance, but I knew it would be too risky. Cooper would probably come haul me out again if I even tried, and I wasn’t willing to go through that humiliation again, being carried over his shoulder like a child pitching a fit in a supermarket.
I took one more look around and then left.
If the cash wasn’t at the club, then there was only one place it could be.
I went around the back of the club and released a huge sigh of relief at the sight of Cherry Bomb. The last time she had been left somewhere overnight, things had gone very badly. My heart sank as I realized that the duct tape-covered seat likely wasn’t going to get fixed for some time.
My rent was paid up, but what about all of my other bills and expenses? Either Cooper hadn’t thought of that, which seemed unlikely, or, he still wanted me to need him to some degree.
I shook back my hair and lowered my helmet onto my head.
All of my musings wiped away from my mind as I revved the engine and screeched out of the tiny alley behind the building. The freedom washed over me as I sped down the street and snaked through the city. This was why I Loved Cherry Bomb. Freedom. Independence. I rode back to my apartment, my drowsiness threatening to overtake me again. I knew it wouldn’t be smart to make such a long trip, but before I closed my eyes, I resolved to myself that first thing the morning, I’d have to go to the one place I had absolutely no interest in going…Cooper’s house.