Somewhere

Chapter Fifteen

Cooper gripped my hand as I pulled him down the hallway. We were in a flurry and I kept tripping over my feet. We were laughing when I said, "this place makes it look like your parents downsized." Cooper laughed so hard, his whole face turned red and it was a travesty that we weren't already kissing.

I was so caught up in the chase, I didn't even notice that we found a bedroom. With a laugh, Cooper drew me across the threshold, running backward into the room. I flung my arms around his neck, greedily kissing him. I slipped my hands up the back of his head, caressing his wet hair. He ran his hands down my sides, holding my waist.

The room was right out of a period drama with the ugly faded wallpaper that may have once been gold but was now a muddy copper that had peeled from age. There was a fireplace in the corner and more furniture covered in sheets. The bed was massive and high off the ground, surrounded by thick velvet green curtains. And yet, it could have been a cot inside a closet for all I cared.

My hands gripped Cooper's broad shoulders as his expert hands flicked every button off my shirt. He peeled my soaked shirt off my skin and down my arms. The draft trickled across my skin, raising an army of goosebumps. My nipples were stiff, standing at attention and inside me, something ached. His hands traveled towards my belt loop, but he'd take a sharp turn, teasing me and his hands found somewhere else to roam. His fingers glided up the spine of my back and I trembled. I wrestled my shoes off, kicking them behind Cooper and they smacked the far wall. Cooper stiffened.

"Oh, sorry," I grinned, guiltily and out of breath. Heat trickled up my neck, making my whole face hot. He didn't say anything back and I realized his hands hadn't moved from my back. His hands would begin to venture back towards my pants, but it was like my bathing suit zones were surrounded by barbed wire and he'd recoil every time.

My brow pinched together. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he insisted, but I already knew something was wrong. I could tell from his tense muscles and from his eyes squeezing tight. The last time I saw that look was when we were about to go through a haunted house for the first time in middle school. He was petrified then and he was petrified now. I finally leaned back, cupping his head in my hands.

"Coop," I said, "be honest with me. If you're not comfortable, we don't-"

"No!" He shouted and surprised me. His mouth was hanging open as he realized what he'd done and the deepest blush bloomed across his face. I smiled and he looked down with a small laugh. "I mean... I want to. God, I've wanted to for so long but I'm... I'm nervous," his sigh trembled.

"You are?" I tilted my head, fascinated. This was a shade of red I had never seen before on Cooper. It was the color of roses still living and breathing from the ground or the red from valentines sent from sweethearts. I was compelled to kiss his cheek.

"I told you before that I've never done this before," he said quietly. I slipped my hand into his and led him to the bed. We sat down and we sunk a little into the old mattress. "And I know you have experience-" he quickly caught himself. "Not that I'm trying to make you feel guilty! I told you, I really don't care who you've been with."

"Do you think I'm going to compare you?" I asked.

"No," he shook his head and squeezed my hand. "I'm just worried I'm going to suck at it." He took a deep breath, rubbing his face and maybe trying to hide it. It might have been awful, but I was smiling wider and wider. My heart was going wild in my chest.

"That's impossible," I told him. "It's because it's you that it's going to be perfect. Don't think too much, Coop. You've waited a long time and now that we're here, I want to spoil you. So, touch me all you want. Kiss me until my lips are swollen. We have a house to ourselves and all night."