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Chapter Three
Cooper’s body quivered with desire. He throbbed so hard it hurt. He wanted Jo Ellen Rawlings as he’d never wanted any girl before. Yeah, he’d always wanted her, secretly admiring her since before puberty had hit. But all those vague feelings of appreciation felt stale and lifeless compared to this vivid awareness surging through him now. He felt connected to her. Mated.
Clinging to her hand with a death grip, he hauled her through her dark house, determined to tuck her into bed so she could get to sleep as fast as possible. If he had any less decency than he did, even just a shred, he’d say screw his morals and he’d take Jo Ellen. Right there. Right then. He wanted to make them one in the most physical way possible.
He twitched, on the edge of doing just that. But taking advantage would be wrong. So very, very wrong. And Cooper Gerhardt never did the wrong thing.
He had to repeat that sentiment to himself every half a second or so, on cue with each time she came up behind him and brushed her breasts against his arm.
Holy shit.
“Where’s your room?” he croaked.
She giggled. “Don’t you know?”
“Shh. You’re going to wake up the whole house. And, no, I don’t know where your room is.” Why would he know where her room was? Like he’d ever stepped foot inside the sacred Rawlings mansion before. He’d stopped by numerous times to hang out with Em and try to catch a glimpse of Jo Ellen, but he’d never been invited past the front porch, much less inside.
Brushing against him again and driving him even closer to the brink of lust-induced insanity, Jo Ellen moved ahead to lead the way. He let her. She seemed to know where to go as she took them through a kitchen, then down a hallway to the bottom of a wide, winding staircase. When she started up, Coop released her hand to let her continue by herself. But she tripped on the third step, and a ghastly image of her breaking her neck as she fell down the entire staircase had him reaching out to steady her.
She purred in response and swayed toward him.
“More,” she demanded.
All onboard to deliver and give her whatever she wanted, he groaned. But that single tendril of decency kept snaring him, making him back off.
Frustrated he couldn’t do what he’d always wanted to do, he turned his head aside. “Come on, Jo Ellen. Cut it out. Please. I’m trying to get you home safe and sound here. You’re not helping me out any.”
“But I am home.” She tittered and began to play with his hair, causing currents of heat to trickle down the back of his spine.
He clenched his teeth, wavered toward her, and then tore himself back. “Fine. Do you want me to leave you passed out on the stairs? Or do you me to get you to your bed?”
“Bed,” she slurred. “Only if you crawl in with me.”
Sweat popped out on his face. He cursed under his breath, trying to help her up each step, one at a time, while ignoring the tantalizing trail her fingers made down his chest. Dear God, if she snuck down his pants again, he’d probably—
“Up,” he ordered. He respected this girl. So why did he want to be so very disrespectful right now?
Probably because she tried kissing his neck after she took another step up. He loved it as much as he hated quelling her attempts.
He moved his face aside. “Stop it. I can’t—”
“Need some help?” a low voice at the top of the stairs asked, making Coop about mess his pants. He jerked his head up.
Jo Ellen looked up too. Grinning, she pointed and called, “Grady! Look, it’s Grady.”
“Shh.” Coop slapped a hand over her mouth, though he wasn’t sure why he bothered; her brother had already caught them. Silencing her now seemed pointless.
Two years Cooper’s senior, Grady Rawlings had always intimidated the hell out of him. The oldest Rawlings child had a quiet, intense way about him that made Cooper think he would seriously kick ass if anyone harmed one of his loved ones, say, like one of his eighteen-year sisters.
“I’m home, Grady,” Jo Ellen informed her big brother with a sloppy cheer.
&nbs
p; “So I see.” His voice was dry as he moved down the stairs to intercept them.
Coop froze, not sure what to do. “She’s drunk,” he confessed.
Grady treated him to a short glare. “Yeah, I gathered as much. Where’s the other one?”
