Cooper tipped her head back with a hand under her chin and met her gaze. “May I kiss you?”
She nodded. At least he wasn’t being an ass anymore. His expression told her how truly sorry he was for his part in this charade.
When he lowered his face, angling it to one side, she thought her knees would buckle. And then his lips were on hers, and the world melted away. His kiss started out gentle, languid swipes of his lips across hers and then his tongue. He moaned into her mouth as she opened to him.
She needed more. He smelled fantastic. His warm naked chest rose and fell under her palms while he reached into her mouth with his tongue to devour her. He tasted of mint. She could smell his aftershave, his soap, his shampoo. And she memorized every bit of this information.
Time stopped while she explored him with her hands, learning the contours of his firm body while she stroked his tongue with her own in a suggestive tease that made him moan louder into her mouth.
She pressed her smaller frame against his, the thickness of his cock thrusting against her belly.
When her hands wandered down his chest toward the opening of his jeans, they did so of their own accord.
Suddenly, just as she was about to wrap her palm around his length, Cooper broke the kiss and groaned.
She blinked, lifting her face to see his expression.
His eyes were focused on something behind her, and she twisted her neck around to see what he was looking at, half expecting to find Jackson standing in the doorway. Maybe he already realized the futility of his escape and returned.
But that wasn’t what met her gaze.
It was another spirit. It was agitated and shimmering in the same spot as before, waving back and forth as though pacing.
“We aren’t meant to have sex without him,” Cooper muttered. “It won’t let me claim you alone.”
She nodded. That much was obvious. And then she started giggling, her nerves so frayed she couldn’t stop the uninvited emotion from surfacing. “How many bases do you think Fate allows between two out of three mates before the claiming?”
He chuckled, his chest vibrating against hers. “I don’t know, but I can’t concentrate on finding out, either, with that thing hovering over us. It’s daunting.”
“Yeah.” She sucked in a deep breath, regretting it instantly when her head filled with the strong luring scent of Cooper. Finally, she released him and backed away, putting a few feet between them and glancing around the room. The spirit disappeared. What now?
“Did you eat?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“You like lasagna?”
“Love it.” He grinned sheepishly.
She stepped around him toward the kitchen. The dinner dishes from the meal she’d shared with Jackson were still all over the table. She gathered a handful and carried them to the sink. And then she filled a clean plate for Cooper and popped it in the microwave.
She could feel him at her back, his breath heavy across her shoulders. “Is this what you always wear on a first date?” he teased, his fingers landing on her bare biceps and stroking up and down her arms as he inched closer.
“No. Only when I intend to end up between the sheets.”
He chuckled. “That didn’t work out so well for you.” He gripped her biceps firmly and pulled her back against his still-bare chest. “I’m sorry.”
“You mentioned that.”
The microwave pinged, making her flinch, and she squirmed out of his embrace to open the small door and remove his plate.
He followed her to the table and sat.
“Wine?” she asked.
He shook his head, chuckling softly again. “That’s where I met him, you know.”
“Where?” She sat in the chair next to him as he took his first bite.
He moaned around the flavor. “God, you’re a good cook.”
“Thanks, where did you meet Jackson? When?” she redirected.
“The liquor store. This evening. I stopped to buy a bottle of wine for my sister Laurie, and he was there buying a bottle for you. I knew it instantly.”
“You could tell he was your mate?”
Cooper nodded. “Yes. And I almost collapsed. I’d been wallowing in a pity party for one since Tuesday when Laurie told me you’d found your mate.”
Ah, that explained why Laurie didn’t bother to tell Sharon that Cooper was in town. Everyone assumed the subject was moot. She’d met Jackson. “That distressed you?” She couldn’t keep from grinning at the thought.
“Very much so. Though I hated to admit it. I wanted to kick myself, thinking I’d fucked things up by denying Fate until finally She turned Her back on me and selected another for you.”
“You think you have that much power, Cooper?” Sharon fiddled with a napkin on the table, staring at the thin paper.