My One and Only(52)

Peals of laughter echoed through the trees as breathing turned to wheezing. When her forehead hit Cooper’s chest, the scent of strawberries filled his senses, and he grasped the chicken wire as she pushed against him.

Being attacked by his chickens didn’t strike Cooper as all that funny, but her snickering, punctuated by the occasional snort, proved contagious. Before he knew it, Cooper was chuckling right along with her.

“You’re insane, you know that?” he said. “She could have taken your eye out.”

Haleigh’s hands flapped in the air. “We just got attacked by a freaking chicken,” she said, before succumbing to the hilarity once more. With dancing eyes, she added in a loud whisper, “I thought I was going to pee myself.”

“That’s attractive,” he replied, enjoying the more carefree doctor smiling up at him. “Mabel probably would have taken that as a challenge.”

She squealed at the comment. “I can see the headline now,” she sputtered. “Woman’s death suspected to be fowl play.”

Cooper groaned. “I can’t believe you went there.”

“Oh, come on,” she said, tugging on the front of his shirt. “That’s funny and you know it.”

Sliding the hair off her face, he said, “I like when you laugh. You should do it more often.”

Her shoulders fell with a deep sigh. “I do feel better. Maybe laughter really is the best medicine.”

“It isn’t a cure-all, but it’s a start.” Cooper straightened to bring his body closer to hers. “I’m really glad you came tonight.”

“I am too. But I don’t think—”

“Shhh . . .” he said, dropping a finger over her glossy lips. “For once in your life, Haleigh Rae, don’t think. Just feel.”

When he leaned down, she brushed her nose against his. “Feeling isn’t my forte.”

As their breaths mingled, the tang of barbeque sauce mixed with hops and sweet tea. “Just follow my lead, darling.”

The moment their lips met, Cooper felt as if he’d come home. He tugged at her bottom lip as she pressed against him, her hands sliding up his chest before shoving into his hair. Gripping her hips, he trailed gentle kisses down the column of her neck.

“How does that feel?” he asked, giving her earlobe a quick bite.

Haleigh nodded her head. “Good. Yeah.” On the verge of panting, she mumbled, “Real good.”

“Then let’s make it even better.” Cooper shifted Haleigh to the right until she stood flat against the shed. She protested at the break in contact, tugging hard on the collar of his flannel. To the unspoken plea, he said, “You’ve got it, doc,” before covering her mouth with his.

She took everything he offered, and gave double in return. Hot, wet, and demanding, Haleigh turned kissing into a combat sport, tasting, scratching, and grinding her way to total domination. But Cooper wasn’t ready to admit defeat just yet.

Dipping his hands under her bottom, he jerked Haleigh’s feet off the ground as he lifted her high enough to meet him nose to nose. Her eyes were molten whiskey in the glow of the floodlight, her lips red and inviting as she traced a thumb over his lower lip.

As if surprised by the revelation, she whispered, “This feels right.”

He nodded as her legs tightened around his hips. “It’s about time you saw the light,” he said, leaning in to taste her again.



Cooper Ridgeway was one hell of a kisser. And damn sturdy, too. Haleigh had never been swept off her feet, literally, and enjoyed the experience immensely. Of course, the man doing the sweeping had something to do with that.

He tasted like a head rush and felt like a Mack truck. She could hold on to his broad shoulders all night, and considered doing just that. To think, she could have been taking this ride long before now.

As if trying to drive her crazy, Cooper kept slowing the tempo. Sliding from full throttle to idle with annoying control, and drawing her body tighter by the second. Desperate for skin, she tugged hard on the ends of his shirt and heard the satisfying ping of buttons popping. With the shirt open, she explored the hard body beneath the material, dragging a gratifying groan from Cooper’s lips. The sound emanated from deep in his chest, sending dizzying vibrations through her fingertips.

“You’re perfect,” she said, tasting the salt at the base of his throat.

With a tattered breath, he said, “That’s my line.”

She dismissed the inference, as Cooper’s perfection echoed inside and out. Haleigh moved through life in a pretty shell, but the ugliness was always there, close to the surface and clawing to get out.