I love him.
I’m in love with him and can’t find it in myself to deny him this. “Okay.” I nod, and his shoulders relax. With my hand in his, he guides me through the house as we shut off the lights and lock the door. Then he leads us upstairs to his room. I send up a silent prayer that I can make it through this night, and this weekend, unscathed.Chapter 19Cooper“I’ll get you something to sleep in,” I tell Reese as I guide her into my room. I wasn’t sure she would stay with me. I know it’s wrong to ask that of her, but I need her. I need my best friend. No way could I sleep knowing she was downstairs on the couch. I need to feel that connection with her. The Combine is a huge deal, and Reese has always known how to calm me down. Hell, just her presence alone has a calming effect on me.
Reaching into my dresser drawer, I grab a pair of sweats and a T-shirt and toss them on the bed. “I’ll… uh, just step out. Give you time to change.”
“Just turn around, Coop. It’s fine,” she says, reaching for the clothes.
“Okay.” I nod and turn my back to her. I hear her rustling around, and I close my eyes just to be safe, giving her the privacy she deserves. However, in my mind, I’m undressing her. I’m staring at her perfect tits and am raking my eyes over every curve. Every single fucking curve that I will never in my life be able to forget.
“Done,” she says softly.
I don’t want to open my eyes. I don’t want the vision in my mind to be swept back into my memory bank. I’m not ready to let it go. I stand here, my eyes tightly closed, fighting my internal battle.
“Coop.” Her soft hand lands on my arm. My eyes fly open and land on hers. “I’m changed.”
“Okay.” I clear my throat. “Good. I’m just going to grab some clothes and change.”
“My turn to focus on the door.” She grins and steps in front of me. Her body is so close I can feel her warmth seep into my skin. Fuck me, this is a hell of a lot harder than I thought it would be.
Forcing myself to step back, I grab what I need and quickly change. “You’re good,” I say, tossing my jeans into a pile in the corner of my room. Reese turns and walks to what I like to refer to as her side of the bed. It’s the side she always sleeps on when she’s here. The side that smells more like her. The side that I admittedly like to sleep on when she’s not here.
I wait for her to climb into bed before turning off the light and climbing in next to her. I’m lying flat on my back, covers pulled up to my chin as I stare up at the ceiling. The shadows are dancing from the moonlight shining in through the blinds.
“Coop.” Her voice is soft, barely a whisper, but I hear her.
“Yeah?”
“C-Can I— Can I lie next to you?” Her voice cracks, and it kills me that she’s worried about us, about being close to me. She’s laid in this bed next to me hundreds of times, and she’s never had to ask.
“Always, Reese. Always.” I hold up my arm, and she moves closer, resting her head on my chest. “You never have to ask me, Reese,” I say into the quiet of my room. We lie in silence for several long minutes that feel more like hours. I run my hands through her hair, relishing the fact that she’s here with me. “I missed you,” I murmur.
“Me too,” she says, and if I didn’t already hear the crack in her voice, the wetness that coats my skin through my shirt would have been all I needed to know she is upset.
“I’m sorry, Reese. I never want anything to come between us. I never want to lose this.” I hold her tighter, and just a little closer, needing to feel connected to her.
“Things can’t always stay the same, Coop.”
I know she’s right, but damn it, I want them to. I wonder if she can feel my heart as it beats heavy in my chest. “We won’t let it change.” It’s more than just words; it’s a vow. I’ll do everything in my power to see it through.
She nods but is otherwise silent. There are no more words spoken as we lie in the quiet of my room, lost in our heads. Her breathing eventually evens out, and I know she’s asleep. Lifting my head from the pillow, I press my lips to the top of her head. “Goodnight, Reese,” I whisper into the night.When my alarm goes off at six, I groan. What I don’t do is move from the warmth of the cocoon I’m wrapped in. The covers are pulled up over us, and Reese is in my arms, her back to my front. My cock is hard and pressing into her ass, and her body is warm bundled up in mine.