Chasing Dreams
Page 39

“You’re Cooper Krenshaw!” she screamed as he slid down from the truck.
Good grief. The man looked freaking hot. Those damn tattered jeans encased his powerful legs, drawing Tessa’s eyes right down his body. Then back up. The white t-shirt he was wearing formed perfectly to the hard chest and sculpted abs beneath. She vividly remembered what the man looked like naked and heat suffused her face as she tried to force back the naughty image.
As though Cooper knew Izzy, or at least women like her, he put his brawny hands on her shoulders and practically held her so she’d stop hopping up and down. When he grinned knowingly up at Tessa, a shiver ran down her spine.
“Nice to meet you. Let me guess. You must be Isabelle.”
“Izzy. Yes. I’m… Oh my God! You’re Cooper Krenshaw,” Izzy squealed and then turned toward Tessa. “And he knows my name!”
Tessa laughed, but she didn’t move from her front row seat. She wondered whether this was how Cooper was greeted by women everywhere. It was clear that her very married best friend had a major crush on the country superstar.
Tessa couldn’t necessarily blame her, she thought to herself.
 
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Cooper laughed at Tessa’s friend’s reaction. He attempted to keep the tiny thing from plowing him down, but her excitement made him laugh. The moment he saw Tessa and the other woman sitting on the front porch, he had contemplated turning around, not bothering to stop. Except he wouldn’t be able to do it casually because there was only one way in and one way out, which meant Tessa would obviously know he had changed his mind.
Looking at her now, her pretty blonde hair swept up on top of her head, just a few loose strands blowing around her face, he wasn’t sure he would be able to make himself leave without talking to her.
“Oh, my.” Izzy’s voice pulled Cooper from his trance, and he turned to look down at the fiery red headed woman standing in front of him. She had finally calmed down, thank goodness. “Would you look at the time? I’ve got… a… thing. Yep, I’ve got a thing to go see. Do. Whatever.”
Cooper laughed again, noticing Tessa’s beaming smile as she sat on the front porch railing watching them.
“Yep. Thanks for the chat, Tess. I’ll call you later.”
Cooper was fascinated by the woman’s joy. The way she held her pinky and her thumb up to her head, resembling a telephone. And just like that, she was skipping away like a teenager.
That’s when Cooper realized there weren’t any other vehicles in the driveway. He turned to see which direction Izzy was going, and she had already set out at a run across the field that separated Tessa’s house from her next door neighbor. He grinned again.
“What brings you by, cowboy?” Tessa asked as Cooper turned to face her, his entire body hardening at the sultry sound of her voice.
“Oh, you know. Just out and about. Was in the neighborhood.”
Tessa chuckled, and Cooper moved closer. He found himself trying not to make any sudden movements because the last thing he wanted was for her to panic and run inside, similar to the way she had done just that morning when he was backing out of her driveway.
“In the neighborhood, huh?” Tessa’s voice had a raspy undertone that drove him absolutely mad. Especially last night when she’d been crying out his name as she came.
“Yes, ma’am.” He moved closer until he was up on the porch, his body just inches away from hers. She turned to face him, continuing to sit on the railing that surrounded her narrow front porch, and he was immediately assaulted with memories of the night before.
When he stepped between her jeans clad legs, she was forced to look up at him. He couldn’t think of a single thing to say, but his body was begging him to get even closer. Just another inch.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” he warned her, unable to stop himself. And that’s exactly what he did.
Without waiting for permission, Cooper leaned down until his lips met hers as he cupped her head, holding her still while he slid his tongue in her mouth. When her soft moan made it to his ears, Cooper pulled back slightly, meeting her gaze. “Did you miss me?”
He could’ve sworn a frown turned down the corners of her mouth, but then suddenly she was smiling. “Maybe. Did you miss me?”
“That’s why I’m here,” he explained. “I didn’t think I could go all night without seeing you.”
Cooper had finally had enough of himself and knew he needed to get out of the house. At first he hadn’t had any idea where he was going, but when he ended up driving down Tessa’s street, he didn’t question himself. Since the minute he left her that morning, she’d been the only thing on his mind. He had the bandaged thumb to prove it.
“What happened?” Tessa asked, sounding calmer than he expected a woman to be as she took his hand in hers and held it out.
“The hammer jumped right out of my hand and landed on my thumb.”
“Hmmm, maybe I need to teach you how to use a hammer correctly.” Tessa’s eyes danced with mischief and Cooper leaned in again, stealing another kiss.
“I’m more than happy to be your student. Anytime, anywhere.” Here and now would be good.
“I’d hate to put you to shame,” Tessa joked, her smile actually reaching her eyes that time.
“That right?” Cooper loved Tessa’s flirtatious side. She didn’t show it often though. “So what do you say we go get a bite to eat? I promise not to keep you out too late tonight. Unless of course you’d like me to.”
“What were you thinking?”
Cooper honestly expected her to come up with an excuse as to why she couldn’t go out with him, so he hadn’t actually thought everything through. After that morning, the way she had all but run inside her house when he dropped her off, he knew she wasn’t going to be an easy woman to get close to. Those vulnerable moments like the night before aside. It had taken a considerable amount of effort to get her to relax enough around him, but Cooper wasn’t complaining. The reward was so worth the effort.
“How about we run into town and grab a burger.” He was willing to make this simple if it meant he could spend time with her.
“I could eat,” she said with a shy grin.
“Good.” Pulling her down from the railing, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips before turning her toward the house. “I’ll wait right here while you get ready.”