This particular spot was one she loved to visit, especially in the summer when the water was warm enough to get in. That was what she considered being the perfect night – skinny dipping under the stars, nothing to hinder her body or her mind.

When Cooper moved, propping himself on his side, and his warm hand cupped her face gently, Tessa wondered if tears would spring up to her eyes. Her emotions were running rampant, and the only thing she wanted right then was to be as close to this man as she possibly could. Only she couldn’t get the words out.

“Tessa.” The way he said her name sent a shiver across her skin, made her heart skip a beat or two as she waited anxiously to see what he was going to do or say next.

She hoped he could read her mind, could sense what she needed because she was sure if she had to ask him then she was going to lose a piece of herself that she so desperately wanted to keep securely in place.

When his mouth brushed over hers, Tessa slid her fingers into his hair, letting the warmth of him ground her. Whatever was happening between them right at that moment felt like something different. Something she wasn’t sure she wanted, but knew down deep that she needed.

It was a connection.

As his tongue caressed hers gently, easing into her mouth and tentatively exploring, she sighed. Keeping her touch gentle, she allowed the soft strands of his hair to tease her fingers while the heat of his chest seared her breast. The farther he leaned over her, the safer she felt, and she didn’t want his touch to disappear.

“God, Tessa,” he whispered against her mouth. “Darlin’, I –”

She had no idea what he was going to say, but she was grateful that he locked the words up tight. Right now, she just wanted to feel. Words weren’t needed. The moment was just right, his body was more than perfect against hers, and the lost look in his eyes told her that he was feeling the same thing she was.

When he managed to prop himself over her, one knee pressing between her thighs, she eased his t-shirt up and over his head, leaving her hands free to roam the taut, smooth skin of his chest. Her fingertips traced down his neck, over his collarbone, then over the muscled planes of his chest.

They were staring into one another’s eyes, neither of them saying anything, their mouths not searching for the other because their eyes were saying more than anything else possibly could. Tessa knew she wasn’t going to survive this experience with her heart intact. This man was quickly getting to her, embedding himself in her soul, which terrified her.

She reveled in the gentle scrape of his fingers as they deftly unhooked the buttons down the center of her blouse, moving ever so slowly. As each button escaped its mooring, his fingertips raised goose bumps on her sensitive flesh and her breath lodged in her throat.

“So pretty,” he whispered as his head tilted downward, the heat of his breath brushing over the skin his hands had just warmed. “Baby…”

Another sentence left unsaid, causing Tessa to wrap her arms around him, her hands trailing over the rigid muscles of his back.

While Cooper worked to remove her shirt and bra without forcing her to let go of him, Tessa closed her eyes and inhaled his musky scent. The smell was like a drug, entering her bloodstream and instantly making her light headed, yearning for more. The frenzy that ignited in her veins caused her to let go of him, wanting nothing more than to get him naked and feel him skin to skin. She maneuvered her hands between them, working to release the button on his jeans, letting him know how eager she was to get a move on. She needed him. Needed to feel his skin against hers, to take him inside of her where she could get closer to him.

“Cooper.” His name came out as a broken sob and Tessa feared she was going to lose it. He was so tender, so sweet. There wasn’t an ounce of the desperate passion she’d seen in his eyes the last time they’d been together. This time there was more. A connection that he was trying to make, and despite her resistance, her heart was answering the call.

“I want to make love to you, Tessa.” The words were spoken against her neck, his breath a warm tickle over her skin.

“Please,” she pleaded. What was she asking for? She didn’t want to make love, didn’t want to let this man get that close to her, but his emotional hold on her was unbreakable.

Finally, they both had to move in order to rid themselves of their clothes, but once they were naked, and Cooper donned a condom, he was on top of her again. The weight of his body reestablished the safety and security she managed to find in his arms.

Their eyes met briefly before their lips touched. Tessa was tempted to deepen the kiss, to push this faster, but she couldn’t. Her heart was controlling her body, and the slight tremble in her limbs was more than a desperate need for his touch. As he shifted her legs farther apart, Tessa made room for him until his thick, hard erection was pressing against her entrance.

The deep rumble from his chest as he pushed inside of her sent another bolt of electricity racing over her skin, her entire being lighting up from where their bodies joined.

Cooper adjusted their positions until he was resting on one forearm, his hand cupping her head while he held himself up with his other hand. His hips were moving ever so slowly as the heat built inside of her, their bodies melding together in a dance as old as time and as moving as the dawn of a new day. The thick, hard length of his cock teased every sensitive nerve ending inside of her. Slowly. Ever so slowly until Tessa’s entire body was strung tight.

“Cooper, please,” she begged.

“Please what?” he asked, his lips coming down to brush against hers. “Tell me, darlin’. Tell me what you need.”

“I need you. I need you just like this,” she admitted, scared of what that really meant.

Another deep rumble in his chest made Tessa’s pussy clench tightly around him. The sensual way he loved her body, cradling her in his arms while he pressed inside of her was too much. More than she thought possible. This was supposed to be sex, and without even wanting more, Tessa realized she was quickly getting attached to this man.

“Look at me, Tessa. Open your eyes.”

She hadn’t even realized she had closed them, but Tessa managed to lift her eyelids, staring up into Cooper’s handsome face, the soft, golden glow of his eyes captivating her, drawing her closer to him.

“Tessa… Baby… You’re so hot. So sweet.”

She barely heard his words as they were whispered against her mouth, and she wondered for a second if Cooper had even said them.

And then his body shifted, his cock burying deeper inside of her as she wrapped her legs around him, holding him as close as she could.

“I can’t hold out much longer,” he admitted softly, his eyes fierce with the same need Tessa felt growing inside of her.

“Then don’t,” she offered with a smile. Meeting his thrusts with her own, their bodies finally took over, seeking, searching, driving for that release that they both had been holding back.

“God, yes, Tessa. Baby, you feel so good.” The dark, rich sound of his voice made the words all the more erotic.

Tessa’s nails dug into his back as her brain went on the fritz, her body taking over completely. She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out, but there was no way to stop the way her internal muscles locked down on him.

“That’s it, baby. Come for me, Tessa,” Cooper whispered.

Her head dug into the pillow beneath her, her neck straining as she gave into the orgasm that threatened to tear her in two. Heat, light, waves and waves of pleasure consumed her. Just when she thought she was safely crashing back to earth, Cooper’s mouth crushed down on hers, his tongue thrusting inside as his body stiffened, his hips locking as he buried himself deeper. This time, the rumble in his chest reverberated through her and another orgasm crested, the tremors felt all the way to her toes.

Tessa knew without a doubt, no matter how hard she fought and pleaded with her heart, Cooper was going to be the next man to break her. It was inevitable.

* * *

Cooper had never been as content as he was right in that moment. Lying beside Tessa, her soft body pressed up against him while she slept, he was sure he would never actually find another place he’d rather be.

He wasn’t sure what happened between them a little while ago, but he knew she felt it too. While they made love, he had noticed something in her eyes. And it filled a hollow void deep inside him. In fact, she had filled it to overflowing, and he wondered whether she understood what that meant to him.

Not in as long as he could remember had Cooper felt such a powerful hunger for any one woman. And his need for her had nothing to do with sex either. This was deeper. Stronger.

However much Cooper wanted to tell her how he felt, he knew he needed to keep a lid on his emotions. He was smarter than that. He didn’t doubt for one second that Tessa was going to fight him every step of the way. At least once they had to make their way back to reality. But right now, he just wanted to hold her and never let her go.

The moon had risen high in the sky, the soft glow sliding over Tessa’s smooth, golden skin. Pressing a kiss to her shoulder, he pulled her closer as he inhaled deeply. This woman was getting to him.

Not that he deserved her.

He knew his time was running out. His reality was going to descend on him and this sleepy little town before long. There would probably be reporters crawling out of the woodwork. He didn’t particularly care if they found him, but he knew once they did, they’d start digging around. They would want to know more about the people he was spending his time with. Namely Tessa.