Tessa was torn between yelling at him for hurting her the way he did and pulling him closer, trying to wrap herself around him like a blanket. The hallway echoed with their combined groans and moans, the sound of their harsh breaths reverberating in the limited space.

“I need you, Tessa. Right here,” Cooper groaned when his lips released hers, their breaths mingling as they sucked in oxygen.

Was he asking for permission? Would she give it?

“You don’t deserve me,” she countered, her irritation with the situation resurfacing, a vivid reminder of how he had brushed her off like she didn’t mean a thing to him.

“You’re right, I don’t. I won’t argue. It doesn’t change how I feel,” he said, his finger curling beneath her chin and forcing her head back so she couldn’t look away. His eyes were hidden by the shadow from the brim of his hat and Tessa wished she had her hat on. At least she could hide some part of what she was feeling. Even in the dim light of the hallway, she felt entirely too exposed.

“You blew me off,” she bit out. “You acted like I didn’t matter.”

Cooper let go of her chin, planting his hands against the wall on each side of her head, his unyielding thigh still lodged between hers, making her painfully aware of the arousal slowly gaining momentum.

“You heard the way Marcus talks to me, Tessa. He treats me like a dog that’s supposed to heel at his feet, and I’m the one who makes him the fucking money. How do you think he treats people who don’t mean a damn thing to him? I wasn’t about to let him talk to you like that.”

Well, when he put it that way... It did kind of make sense.

“You could’ve told me. I deserved that much.”

“Yes. You did. He just makes me so fucking mad.” The heat emanating off of Cooper wasn’t all from his animosity toward Marcus. He was still fuming, his anger bubbling out of control, but there was an underlying hunger.

Tessa wanted to be his release. Letting her own outrage at the way Marcus treated Cooper consume her, she gripped his head, dislodging his hat as she pulled his face down to hers. Crushing her mouth to his, she pushed him, his body slamming into the opposite wall. They didn’t come up for air as the passion ignited like a firestorm in that narrow hallway as they all but devoured one another.

The next thing Tessa knew, she was ripping open his belt buckle and yanking the button free on Cooper’s jeans. Pulling his cock free, she stroked him firmly with her hands as she pushed against him, trying to get closer. Cooper had different plans because Tessa found herself back against the opposite wall, his cock slipping from her hands when he grabbed her wrists, lifting them high above her head.

“Don’t move,” he warned, the gleam in his eyes barely visible in the shadows. The grip he had on her wrist wasn’t painful, but the position he put her in made her body burn that much hotter. She was helpless beneath his strength, and although she knew he wouldn’t hurt her, – she didn’t know how she knew, but she did – Tessa wanted him to continue.

Cooper’s rough palm slid beneath her sweater, scraping against her bare belly as he moved upward, shoving her bra out of the way until her right breast was freed. Only a second passed as the cool air brushed over her skin before the fiery heat of his mouth was on her. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, making her cry out as a bolt of pleasure/pain shot through her. When he nipped her with his teeth, her pussy clenched painfully tight, her clit pulsing with a need so fierce, she thought her legs might give out on her.

Then his hand was gone from her breast, but before she could inhale he was shoving her skirt up higher on her hips, his fingers eagerly shifting her panties to the side before she felt the sinful rasp of his finger through her slickness.

“Fuck me,” he breathed against her ear. “You’re wet, darlin’.”

Just a little bit.

“Don’t tease me, cowboy.” Tessa was hanging by a thread, and if he wasn’t careful, she was going to explode on impact.

“Or what?” he growled.

Cooper’s finger thrust inside of her, and Tessa gasped, her pussy clamping onto the intrusion, her body instinctively working to increase the friction.

“That’s it, baby. Fuck my finger. Just like you’re going to fuck my cock.”

Tessa knew she shouldn’t like the vulgar words, but she did. She wanted him to tell her all of the lewd things he was going to do to her while he did them. But she couldn’t think clearly with his finger penetrating her, curling inside of her at the perfect angle…

“Oh, God!” she screamed when his thumb pressed against her clit, forcefully grinding the swollen bundle of nerves.

Just when she was riding the high of the release that was building, Cooper’s hand disappeared.

“You –” She was just about to call him a bastard when his grip on her wrists tightened.

“I’m going to fuck you. Right here in your bar. I’m going to fuck your sweet pussy until you scream for me. If you don’t want me to, Tessa, I need to know right now.”

“Yes.” Her choked plea sounded strangled, but she was hanging on a razor wire of ecstasy so potent, she was going to split right in two if he didn’t fuck her.

“Leave your hands right there,” he instructed and Tessa barely registered the sound of foil tearing.

Condom.

Thank God he was prepared.

She moaned, a garbled plea for him to hurry as she closed her eyes. And then he was on her, her wrists once again secured by his powerful grip, his cock lingering at her entrance long enough to line up and then he was slamming into her.

“Fuck,” Cooper groaned hoarsely, his body doing exactly what he said.

He was fucking her with wild abandon. The two of them the only people in the place, hidden in the darkened hallway while he fucked her into oblivion. Tessa would’ve been appalled at her behavior had this been anyone else, but what she wanted from this man defied logic.

And right now, she wanted every damn thing he could give her.

* * *

Cooper was blinded by lust, his body moving of its own accord, his hips pistoning hard against Tessa’s as his cock went deeper. His thighs were screaming from the position he was holding himself in, but fuck, the pain was so worth it. Her sweet pussy was wet, warm and so damn welcoming, he never wanted to stop.

He watched all of the expressions play across her face as he pinned her to the wall. Each one of them reflecting everything Cooper was feeling. His frustration and anger had built to a crescendo, and he’d sought Tessa’s lovely body for release. He wasn’t mad at her. The opposite actually. But he needed her. She was like a lifeline in the violent storm he’d been battling for the last few hours. And now, he felt a surge of relief, all of the pain and anger dissipating beneath the onslaught of her sweet passion.

“Cooper. Oh, God, Cooper. Make me come.”

The way she begged made him harder, his hips driving against her painfully as his cock buried deeper. His balls were tightening, the electric current of warning starting at the base of his spine and slowly moving upward. She felt so fucking good, her pussy wrapped around his cock, slick, hot. He didn’t want to stop. He could fuck her just like this all night if she would let him.

Cooper watched as Tessa’s eyes opened, locking with his. The rich warmth he’d seen in her sparkling green eyes was replaced with a soul deep desire. One that he wanted to fulfill.

“Fuck. Me.” She didn’t close her eyes as she practically yelled the command.

With one hand, Cooper held her wrists tightly, doing his best to ensure he didn’t bruise her while his other hand gripped her hip. “Come on my cock Tessa,” he growled, slamming into her once, twice, barely holding the leash on his control as he waited for Tessa to let go.

Her head tilted back so erotically, the sleek column of her neck taut as her jaw thrust forward, her eyes closing. “Fuck yes!”

The high pitched scream triggered Cooper’s release, his body stilling as he erupted, his dick jerking as he filled her.

It could’ve been ten minutes, hell, it could’ve been an hour. Who knew how much time had passed after they’d given themselves over to the heat of passion in the dark hallway of Tessa’s bar. But neither of them had moved. Not an inch.

Well, except for him releasing her arms, which she quickly threw around his neck, holding him against her. He rested his forehead against hers, desperately trying to draw air into his lungs.

“I think that was the best sex I’ve ever had,” Tessa murmured.

Chuckling at the breathy way she said those words, Cooper’s cock pulled out of her and he immediately missed the warmth of her body. While she fixed her clothes, Cooper disappeared into the bathroom to clean up, returning with his clothes back in order only to find that Tessa wasn’t in the hallway anymore.

Shit.

Ever since he’d gotten her soft, lush body against the wall, he had lost all common sense, not caring what happened because of the tunnel vision. The only thought was of Tessa, needing her to ease all of the anger and frustration that he’d let consume him since Marcus stepped foot in the building earlier.

Now he feared what he was going to find when he stepped out of the hallway. Wasn’t like he could stay there forever, although the idea had merit. If he didn’t go out there, he could pretend that she wouldn’t have any regrets or wouldn’t be overthinking. After all, she had declared that the best sex she’d ever had and Cooper knew he couldn’t argue with her there.

Did that qualify as makeup sex? The question made him smile, but he wiped the expression from his face as he stepped out of the hallway to face the music.