Throb (Life on Stage 1)

A shiver runs through me even though the water is warm and the sun beating down on my exposed body is even warmer. I barely have time to set my grip when Cooper drives deep inside of me. He was right, I need to hold on, the weightlessness of my body in the water makes it easy for him to maneuver me, but the tile is still hard along the walls of the pool.

“Kate,” he groans, pulling out and then slamming back into me. A whimper escapes me and he lifts me up slightly, giving him an angle that allows him to pull me down on him even deeper. He lifts me and pulls me back down onto him to meet each thrust. The way he uses my body to feed his makes me feel empowered, even though he’s clearly the one in physical control. I love that I bring such raw, unrestrained desire from a man who seems to keep everything else in his life so meticulously organized.

His fingers move to my swollen clit as the speed of his thrusts intensifies. I can tell he’s close, racing to bring me to climax with him, as he relentlessly drives into me over and over. He groans my name again and his teeth sink into my shoulder. A wail of a moan shakes the air, leading my climax as it rushes from my body. I cry out as it takes me under, my moans echoing even though there are no walls to catch them.

Hours later, even after a much-needed nap, I’m still withered and unable to move. Cooper, on the other hand, walks around like he just started the day fresh, rather than having traveled six hours on the plane, and twice led our bodies to energy-draining climaxes after heavy cardio-induced sexual escapes.

I pull the sheet over my head when he walks to where I’m sleeping on the big comfy couch.

“You know I saw you were awake already, right?” I know he’s smiling even though I can’t see his face.

“I’m still sleeping,” I groan.

“You haven’t eaten anything today.” He pulls down the sheet. “You’re probably tired from lack of vitamin B and zero calorie consumption.”

My stomach growls on cue.

“See, I told you. You need to eat to get your energy up. I have lots of plans, so you need to put some fuel in the tank.” He pulls the sheet the rest of the way off of me and smacks my bare ass.

“What plans? I thought we didn’t have plans to go anywhere.”

“We don’t. But I told you I plan to have you in a few dozen places around the property.”

“Fiend.”

Cooper’s lip twitches in response. Then he scoops me up in his arms and heads toward the bathroom. “Shower. Then I’ll take you out for something to eat.”

He sets me down on the bathroom vanity so he can regulate the shower water temperature. “Although I do love the just-fucked look on you. You wear it so well.” He kisses my lips and runs his fingers through my hair. “But I am looking forward to taking you out in public tonight. Showing the world you belong to me. Even if none of the people here know who we are.”

Bay Street at night is a world away from the quiet seclusion of Sugar Rose. I’m quickly distracted as we weave our way through throngs of people inside and cross over to the beach extravaganza going on outside. Although I love to dance, clubbing was never my thing. When I lived at home, most of my free time was spent helping out with Kyle or studying. I occasionally went to clubs with Sadie after we first moved in together, but I wasn’t a regular anywhere by any means.

We approach a bar on the back deck, the level before the sand, which is crammed with people. “What do you want to drink?”

I shrug. Not being a big drinker, wine is usually my thing, it’s simple to order and it avoids a concoction whose taste is subjective based upon the mood of the bartender. But this isn’t the kind of place that you order wine. “I’ll have something with an umbrella in it.”

Cooper smiles and yells our orders to the bartender. He hands me a large red drink with not one, but two colorful umbrellas and holds up his small glass filled with amber liquid.

“To showing off my woman in public,” he says, clinking his drink to mine then tipping his head back.

Watching his throat work as he swallows, for a minute I wish we had stayed in. My fruity drink goes down smoothly, the effects heightening the blissful state I’m already in. “I love that smile.” Cooper runs his finger along my bottom lip. “Your smile is always beautiful, but when you let yourself go and really relax, it’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.”

I didn’t realize there was a difference on the outside, but he’s right on how I feel inside. The last five years have been tough, the past two even more so. I’m happy, although it’s always tempered with something else—a weight that keeps me grounded. The happy that Cooper makes me feel is like floating. I don’t know how he does it, but when I’m with him, it’s okay to let it all go.

“Do you dance?” I ask, wrapping my hands around his neck. The music changes from island steel drum to something slow and sultry with a heavy rhythm that pulses through the crowd.

He pulls me flush against him, sliding a knee between mine, and begins to sway to the music. Of course the man can dance, I should have known from the way he moves his body in bed.

We dance close, his arms wrapped possessively around me, holding me tight for three or four songs. Eventually he pulls back to meet my eyes. “I want this all the time. Dance with you, have you on my arm at events, that carefree smile on your face. I didn’t even realize it was what I was missing, until I found you. I want this. I need this.”

“Me too.” Our eyes meet. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life. “Soon. I promise.”