Cooper

After spending one last weekend on the sunny Florida coast, I’d arrived back in Boston last night and spent a restful night in my old bed. Even though I really hadn’t been ready to come home yet, it seemed that at least so far, it was going okay. I was surprised to discover that I’d missed the smallest things—like my espresso machine and my steam shower and my cleaning lady. My penthouse has been kept immaculate, and for that I was grateful.

Strolling into the office on Monday morning, I waved a greeting at the receptionist and found my brothers standing inside the open area as if they were waiting for my arrival.

Quinn, my oldest brother, pulled me into a hug, clapping me loudly on the back. “He lives and breathes.”

I shoved him away playfully. “I’m here.”

“You’re fucking tanned. Look at you.” Quinn grinned at me.

I rolled my eyes, my gaze finally setting on my other brother, Gavin. He was six years older than me, closer in age to me than Quinn, but we felt a million years apart. Ever since Emma, his new wife, had strolled into these offices last year—our worlds had been turned upside down.

I knew they’d be perfect together, and so like the good younger brother I was, I’d pushed them together. Gavin had been reluctant, not wanting to get into another relationship after his last girlfriend died tragically. So I’d done the only thing I could think of to spur him into action—I’d taken her out myself and pretended I was interested in the pretty little librarian.

But after a while, I wasn’t pretending. Emma won me over, and I fell hard and fast. And in the end? She’d chosen the man standing before me.

“We missed you around here,” Gavin said, surprising me. His embrace was quick, really just a half hug and a thump on the back, but it was a warm and unexpected surprise.

“There’s a peace offering waiting for you in your office.” Quinn shot me a lopsided grin.

“Thanks, man.” I shook Quinn’s hand again and wandered to the coffee machine where a fresh pot was already brewing. A waited a moment for it to stop, then poured myself a mugful.

It felt good to be back, better than I would have thought. The familiar scent of coffee hung in the air, and in the background, I could hear the tapping of fingers against keyboards. It was structured and orderly, and I decided that might be a good thing. My nights spent chasing a bottle of bourbon, the marathons of meaningless sex, and days spent nursing a hangover couldn’t go on forever. Not that my cock minded much, but my liver? That was another story. I wasn’t even thirty yet, but I often felt sluggish and tired.

Pushing those thoughts away, I rounded the corner to my office with its wall of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the downtown skyline. It was comforting, familiar, but the view wasn’t what captured my attention.

True to his word, it appeared that Quinn had gotten me a welcome gift.

A young woman sat perched in the chair in front of my sleek glass-and-chrome desk, her hands neatly folded in her lap. Honey-blond hair fell to just below her shoulders. Her breasts were full and round, and she was dressed in a black pencil skirt and a pale pink silk blouse.

I might still be bitter about how the last several months had played out, but I wasn’t too far gone not to take a bite of this apple. I was still a man, after all.

I cleared my throat, causing her head to snap in my direction.

“Hello, Mr. Kingsley.”

She had wide blue eyes and a full, pouty mouth, and she was staring at me, waiting for a response.

“It’s Cooper. And you are?”

A distraction.

My new little fuck-toy.

She rose to her feet, standing before me in a pair of four-inch heels that did nothing to even out our massive height difference. “I’m Corinne O’Neil. Your brothers hired me. They thought—”

“I know what they thought. They thought I needed a good, hard fuck, and they sent you in to do the job. Is that it?”

I ran my thumb along the side of her cheek as Corinne shuddered and let out a gasp. She staggered back a step, bracing her hands against the desk behind her.

“Sir?”

I cocked my head, studying her in amusement. “You are the new girl, correct? The one they hired just for me?”

“Yes, but . . .”

“But what?” I closed the distance between us, stroking her cheek again, appreciating how soft it felt, and how warm and pink it grew under my appraisal. “Instead of dropping to your knees to take my cock in your mouth, you’re going to act all shy and embarrassed? Save it. There’s no need for games. Not with the amount we’re paying you.”

Twin blotches of color appeared high in her cheeks.

“Get on with it,” I barked, tugging open my belt.

Corinne burst into tears and fled from my office.

What the fuck?

After quickly latching my belt, I gave chase. But when she disappeared into the ladies’ room, I stopped, breathing hard and with my fists clenched at my sides.

I waited a few moments but Corinne didn’t emerge, so I stalked over toward Alyssa’s desk. She was Gavin’s executive assistant, and was someone who could be relied upon. Even for something delicate like this.

“Did you need something?” she asked when I stopped in front of her desk.

“Actually, yeah.” I paused, rubbing the back of my neck. “I think I fucked up. The new girl, Corinne? I’m pretty sure she’s in the bathroom crying because of me right now.”

Alyssa frowned.

“Don’t let her leave, okay? Not until I apologize.”

“Okay.” She rose from her chair, grabbing a box of tissues from the edge of her desk, and headed toward the restroom.

As thankful as I was that she hadn’t asked what I’d done to make Corinne cry, I knew I needed to out myself to at least one person.

“Hey, what’s up?” Quinn asked as I stopped in front of his desk.

I dropped into the seat in front of him, feeling like my workday had gone on a lot longer than fifteen minutes. Jesus, was that all it had been since I’d arrived in the lobby, feeling so hopeful about my future?

I was a hot fucking mess.

“So . . . about the gift you left in my office?”

He stopped typing and looked up at me. “Yes?”

I swallowed a heavy lump in my throat. “She was for?”

His heavy brows drew together. “She’s meant to be your new assistant. She’s more than qualified. And if she does well, my hope is that she can take over the office manager position. She’s been training for this week with Alyssa, and has caught on very quickly.”

“Fuck.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling the stirrings of a headache.

“What does that mean? Did something happen?”

Blowing out a frustrated sigh, I lifted my gaze to his. “Yeah. Sort of.”

And by sort of, I mean I nearly pulled out my cock and forced it into her pretty mouth. Jesus.

“Talk, man. I’ve got a conference call starting in three minutes.”

“When you said gift . . .” I waggled my eyebrows. “And I saw a pretty young thing sitting in my office . . .”

He wasn’t catching on. I was going to have to spell it out for him.

“I thought she was there for sex—to help me blow off some steam.”

“Jesus, Cooper,” Quinn growled. “Tell me you didn’t proposition her?”

I looked down at my newly shined shoes.

“Fuck,” he roared.

“It was a mistake. But honestly, dude, you never said you’d hired me an assistant. You said you’d gotten me a gift. Think about it.” I raised my eyebrows again.

But Quinn was shaking his head. “You’re here to work, not to blow off steam or whatever you call it. I assume that’s what you spent the last six months doing on the beach.”

“Again, my mistake.”

“So, what happened?”

“Well . . .”

“Don’t fuck with me, Cooper. What happened exactly.” He annunciated each word as though it was its own sentence.

“I propositioned her for sex, and she ran from my office crying.”

“Goddamn it.” Quinn rose to his feet and stalked toward the windows where he gazed down on the traffic below, his hands in his hair.

“I’m going to fix it. I just wanted you to know.”

“Good. Then what are you still doing in my office?” he asked, turning to face me again.

I nodded and rose to my feet, heading to the door and wondering if Alyssa had coaxed Corinne from the bathroom yet. And if she had, exactly what I was going to say.

The deep rumble of Quinn’s voice made me pause at the doorway.

“And, Cooper? You can find women to fuck on your own time.”

“Understood.”

He nodded. “Now, go make this right.”

I would. I had to. I couldn’t live with myself if Corinne quit because of my disgustingly chauvinistic behavior.

That wasn’t me. It wasn’t who I was. I’d always been the nice guy women could trust, the one who made them feel safe and comfortable, and even cherished. I certainly wasn’t some creeper only interested in sex.

When I approached Alyssa’s desk, Corinne was there—looking incredibly delectable in her fitted skirt that accentuated her curves and made my knees go weak. She had a body built for sin, and the caveman in me wanted to drag her back into my office and show her how amazing those God-given curves could be used, devoured, worshipped.

My brain might have thought that I was still nursing a heartbreak over losing Emma, but my body? My body had moved on, quickly cataloging the differences between the two women and deciding which was superior.

First, there was Emma, who was slender and delicate—and my brother’s fucking wife, my subconscious reminded me. She was graceful, beautiful even, but she sure as hell had never gotten my blood pumping like Corinne had managed to do in the few minutes we’d spent together.

Corinne was . . . well, in a league of her own. Her body was thicker, healthy in a way that was biologically pleasing on the most basic level to me as a man. She had ripe, heavy breasts and a slim waist, but luscious hips and a juicy ass that I was already in love with.

Fuck. The things that I would do to that ass . . .

She looked as though she was meant to birth children, to nurse them, to care for them. At the most primitive level, I wanted her, wanted to fill her with come and . . .

My thoughts slammed to a halt.

Shit.

Pull yourself together, Coop.

I wasn’t supposed to be fantasizing about her—I was supposed to be plotting a way to reassure her and keep her on my team. For work. Nothing more.

Jesus. I needed to get a hold of myself.

I drew a sharp inhale, noticing the way the skin on her face and neck was pink and blotchy. She was upset and had only just stopped crying, by the looks of it.

“I messed up. Can I speak with you for a moment?” I asked, my voice soft.

Alyssa gave her an encouraging smile as if to say, Don’t worry. Despite his aggressive behavior, he’s not a rapist. Promise.

Corinne nodded and headed into my office. I followed a safe distance behind her and left the door open.

“I am sorry. So fucking sorry. That was a misunderstanding.” My words came out in a rush. “My brother said he’d gotten me a gift, and I read into it. It was a massive mistake on my part.”

Corinne looked me over, her expression suspicious. “Do your brothers often give you women as gifts?”

I shook my head. “No. Never. I’m just a little fucked up right now, after some past . . . relationship stuff. And when I saw you, I thought maybe they were trying to cheer me up.”

She sniffed again, eyeing me warily. “I see. I’m sorry I freaked out like that.”

I shook my head. “Don’t apologize. You had every right to.”

Corinne looked down at the chair in front of my desk, and I gestured for her to sit. When she did, I took the chair next to her, rather than the one behind my desk. I thought it might seem less threatening to sit beside her, rather than across from her, but I hadn’t counted on the close proximity this would force us into.

“You’re not going to quit, are you?” I asked.

Corinne shook her head. “I need this job. The pay is great and the health benefits are amazing. And so far, well, I really enjoyed it.”

So far—as in, before I’d gotten into town.

“That’s good. I just want to make sure you’ll be comfortable working with me.”

She nodded. “I’m not going to break from one pickup line. I’m actually pretty embarrassed at how I reacted.”

That was interesting. It was the last thing I expected her to say. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

She gave me a shy smile. “Thanks.” Then she let out a shaky breath, and her gaze drifted from mine. “Should we get to work, or . . .”

“First—and tell me to fuck off if I’m out of line here—but I’d like to know why when I came on to you, you looked scared. But you also looked curious.”

She mumbled something I couldn’t hear, and her gaze drifted to the floor.

“I saw it, Corinne, and I’m just curious. Care to tell me why?”

Her lips parted in surprise, but she didn’t respond. Several tense moments ticked past.

“Tell me to fuck off, Corinne. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Any more uncomfortable than I already have, anyway.

She raised one hand, holding her palm toward me. “No. It’s just, I’m . . . it’s a fair question.”

Reading the situation as one that may call for a little more privacy, I rose and crossed the room, closing the door most of the way, but not completely. “Please enlighten me then.” I returned to the seat beside her.

“You have to know the effect you have on women.” She waved a hand in my direction. “You’re . . .”

“I’m what?” I couldn’t help the smile playing on the edges of my lips. This felt a lot like flirting, and as out of practice as I was, she had all my attention.

She straightened her shoulders. “Attractive. And I guess I was the tiniest bit flattered by your offer. I haven’t . . . haven’t been with a man in that way in a very long time. Haven’t felt desired.”

“I see.” Her words made my pulse spike, and my desire to claim her raged even brighter. “Why haven’t you been with a man? Because, excuse me for being so blunt, but you’re fucking stunning. Surely, you don’t lack for offers.”

Her cheeks flushed and she looked down at her hands briefly before meeting my eyes again. “I have some hang-ups when it comes to sex. God, I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”

“Don’t be embarrassed. I just had my heart forced through a shredder, and I admitted that to you within the first few minutes of us talking.”

She picked at the polished edge of her thumbnail. “I’m not sure what it is about you—talking to you—that makes me feel like I can open up.”

“You can,” I assured her. It was crazy, but I knew just what she meant. We weren’t shy or timid around each other like two people who’d just met ought to be. Instead, our eye contact was direct, and our words were honest and bare. It was exhilarating.

I decided to press her. Leaning closer, I asked, “What kind of hang-ups, Corinne?”

She swallowed, her delicate throat working. “Just nerves more than anything. Not only am I out of practice, but the experiences I had early on weren’t . . . healthy.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” She shook her head, obviously not wanting my pity. I knew that feeling.

I rose to my feet, offering her my hand to draw her up with me. “I’m sorry that you were ever treated as anything other than a goddess. And I’m very sorry that you haven’t found someone special to make you feel good, to bring you pleasure, to erase those sour memories.”

She nodded, her gaze locked on mine. And, Christ, if I didn’t know better, I would have thought she wanted me to kiss her. Her lips parted and her tongue darted out to wet her full bottom lip.

Clearly, my ability to read a woman’s signals were off. Like, way fucking off. I shoved my hands in my pockets and forced myself to take a step back.

This was insane. Totally fucking insane. But the longer that Corinne stood here, watching me with those sad eyes, and knowing that she’d been treated poorly, hearing her admit she hadn’t been properly taken care of—it did something to me.

Since I’d already managed to make an ass of myself once this morning, the logical side of me knew the last thing I should do was latch onto this moment and push for more. I knew that deep in my soul. But I also knew that I was a Kingsley, a man of action, not words. I could help Corinne, and in turn, she could help me.

“Cooper?” she asked, still standing in the center of my office, watching me closely.

“What if I could help you?”

Corinne’s eyes widened.

“Don’t freak out. Just listen.”

I placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her back to her seat. It was probably better that she was sitting down for this conversation, because I was pretty sure I’d lost my mind.

“I’m a fucking mess. Obviously.” I flashed her a smile. “Despite your first impression of me, I promise I know how to make sure a woman is comfortable, how to bring her pleasure. I know how to read a woman’s signals, which positions are the most enjoyable, how to make her come, when to press her for more, when to ease up. I might not have a fancy business degree, but that shit I know. Better than any man out there, I’d wager. And despite reading the situation wrong before, that’s a promise.”

She swallowed again, her throat bobbing and her eyes not daring to stray from mine. I had her complete attention.

“Just hear me out.” I wandered from my spot near her chair toward the windows that looked out on the bustling city below. The hum of traffic, the hustle as people and cars and buses all jockeyed for position, all the chaos below seemed to illustrate my situation even more.

It was crazy, but it made a mad sort of sense for us both to explore the simple pleasures life had to offer, to take a step back from it all and just give in. It was a long shot, but something about Corinne—her brokenness that I recognized all too well, her vague interest in me—made me certain I should offer her this. I had to. I couldn’t live with myself if I let her walk away, so sad and lonely and curious.

“This could be good for both of us,” I said, turning to face her again.

“What are you proposing?” Her arched brows rose even more in wonder.

“I’ll make you feel good. No strings. No messy entanglements. Just sex.”

God, I sounded so cliché. If this moment had a theme song, it would be “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye.

“But you’re my boss,” she blurted after several long seconds.

“During the workday, yes. But outside of work hours—nights, weekends—I’m just a man and you’re just a woman.”

Her pulse thumped steadily in her throat, but she shook her head. “I can’t . . . That’s . . .”

“I can see how timid you are, little dove. Just promise me you’ll think it through.”

Corinne’s eyes strayed from mine, leaving me to wonder what in the actual fuck I’d just done.