Like That

Chapter 23 - Let the Courtship Begin

Warning: This chapter contains sexual content. Cooper's view on events from the last chapter.

This chapter is repetitive since it contains Cooper's POV of the incident that led to Emily leaving.

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Passion momentary; love enduring - John Wooden

Chapter 23 - Let the Courtship Begin

Cooper's POV:

Emily springs up and bolts out the door before I can get off the bed. 'What the hell just happened?'

She rests her head on the center of my chest, and I wonder if she knows how comforting this feeling is. My hand runs through her hair, and I am content to just bathe in her warmth. Peace...I found peace. As much as my body wants her I am happy with just this.

Her lips plant soft, warm kisses over my heart, and begins to travel up my body. 'Hmmmm.' It takes less than a moment for my body to react to her.

Her leg moves over me, and from where she sits she should have no doubt about what her body does to mine.

She feels so good, and looks..."My beautiful, beautiful Emily," I say as I hold her face in my hands. I pull her to my lips and kiss her slowly and deeply, unrushed because we can have forever.

I touch her skin, running my fingers under her tank top...no bra. I smile. Caressing her hips, her back, her ribs...she is small. I place my hands around her rib cage. My thumbs are just under her breasts and my fingers meet on her spine. She makes me feel very protective and bit possessive...she is mine and I want to be hers. Her lips collide with mine and an explosion of heat consumes us. I try to restrain my demanding kiss to something more soft, more sensual, more loving...like her.

And in quick movement I change our positions. I place her on the bed resting, with my body tense and hovering hers. I breathe her in, her love, her beauty, her smell...her. I feel her small hands on my body exploring my back, my ribs, and my hair.

Her precious touch consumes me, and I insist on showing my passion for her with my mouth. My lips travel down her neck, across her chest and I reveal her breast. Beautiful, oh god she's beautiful. Her body responds to my every touch, and she makes soft subtle sounds in the back of her throat. I feel the vibrations with my lips, as I travel down her body to pay homage to her breast. I love this woman.

"Yes," escapes her mouths.

I kiss her breast and trace my tongue around her pebbled nipple. I gather the hem of her shirt in my hand and help move it over her head. My body moves up her body and we are breast to chest, and heat radiates from her.

My mouth continues to explore her chest up to her neck and take her mouth with mine. My hands begin to travel down her back to her shorts, and my fingers slip below the waistband. I feel my hips dig into her. My body is screaming for her.

...Stop, I don't want this. For the first time ever, I'm going to do this right.

I tear out of the room to find Emily at the door of her bedroom, head against the door crying. No sobbing. She stiffens as I touch her shoulder. "Are you in pain?" I ask hoping that that is the problem.

She doesn't turn around, so I gently touch her back with my hand. She spins around and glares at me with tears in her eyes and her forehead drawn in an extremely angry scowl.

"Emily, what's wrong?" I reach out for her and she pulls away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" I jump back at her words, but mostly at her anger. Her face contorts as her jaw clenches and her lips thin. I did this to her. My brain travels back, what happened? Did I push her too fast? Is she thinking of her late husband?