Rebels and Roses (Winslow Heights #2)

Chapter 17

17

C ooper glanced at Jane who was standing next to him in the elevator of a swanky hotel in Chicago. He wanted to impress her. Period. He’d admitted it to himself when he’d made the reservation. They couldn’t talk to Cassie, Tom’s other girlfriend, until tomorrow.

Tonight, he was going to romance the delicate pink panties off of Jane.

She had no idea of his plan. He wanted it to be a surprise, although he wasn’t great at putting things like that together.

He’d been feeling absolutely shitty about Fiona being in Winslow Heights and taking his time and attention away from Jane. She deserved better than this, and he was determined to give it to her. Her ex-husband had been a real piece of shit, and Cooper never wanted her to categorize him the same.

They were a couple now. They’d said the words, they’d made the commitment - albeit a bit wishy-washy. He had to take most of the blame there. He hadn’t been ready to verbalize his feelings at that moment. There had been fear churning in his stomach, telling him not to go all in. He needed to move more slowly; there wasn’t any hurry.

He’d been taking it slow, however, for months with this woman. And frankly, he wasn’t a man who let fear run his life.

He was falling in love with her.

There. He’d admitted it.

Jane was the kind of woman that a man could depend on. If she loved someone, she’d do whatever was in her power to make them happy. She’d go out of her way to do nice things. She’d make them a priority in her life.

Cooper wanted to do the same. His marriage hadn’t exactly been a model of a good relationship, and his parents’ marriage hadn’t been any better. But…he’d seen people in a healthy, loving dynamic. He wanted it, and he had a feeling she did, too. But she’d been burned along the way, so she wasn’t going to throw caution to the wind and go all in with him unless he showed her that he was worth taking that chance.

He’d hold her hand when they both walked off that cliff together. Partners. That’s what he’d been looking for, and he’d never found it until her. There’d been women - lots of them - but no one had ever been his match. Jane didn’t give him any quarter. She demanded his best, and damn, if that didn’t make him want to give it to her. She challenged him to be a better person, a better writer, a better brother, and a better loving partner. He didn’t want to disappoint her.

Tonight was all about champagne, roses, and romance.

If they ended up ripping each other’s clothes off like wild animals? All the better. He could do soft seduction and freaky-deaky sex play, too.

I’m flexible like that.

Cooper had stayed in this hotel a few years ago when he was doing some research for a book. It had a luxurious feel to it without being cold and sterile. The service was top notch, the mattresses comfortable, and the views first-rate. Hell, even the water pressure was good.

He unlocked the door and then stepped back so she could enter. He watched her reaction closely as she stepped inside, her smile widening when she saw the table covered in roses and chocolates along with a champagne bucket next to it.

“Cooper Winslow, you dog,” Jane drawled. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

“Yes, is it working?”

He wasn’t going to lie. She’d figure it out anyway. She was way smarter than him.

“Yes, I’m a sucker for traditional romance. Dammit, sometimes I hate you.”

Her eyes were glistening with tears, and for a moment he was scared that he’d fucked up badly, but then it hit him that she wasn’t crying sad tears. She was happy.

Women were a mystery.

“You hate me for doing something nice? I’ll make a note of that.”

Launching herself into his arms, she pulled his head down for a quick kiss.

“It’s not like that. You know what I mean,” she chided. “Now kiss me again.”

He complied, taking his own sweet time. They had all night, and he wasn’t in a hurry.

“First things first,” he said when he lifted his head. “A long, hot bath and then dinner. Play your cards right, and there’s a back massage just for you.”

“Yes,” she hissed, a grin on her beautiful face as she did a triumphant fist pump in the air. “I’m in, baby.”

She wandered over to the table with the two dozen roses and leaned down to breathe in their heady scent.

“These smell amazing. I love flowers. Thank you.”

“I’m glad you like them. I had to check with Lucy as to what your favorite flower was.”

“And they’re not red,” she said, taking another whiff, her eyes closed. “Red is so cliche.”

“I had a feeling you were more adventurous. You’d want something different.”

“You were right. They’re perfect. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

It had taken four phone calls, but he’d found a florist that had rare “lavender” roses. They were multi-colored with purple and pink swirled through the petals. They were even more spectacular than he’d hoped.

They were beautiful, sexy, and exotic, just like Jane.

He set Jane up to watch some television while he disappeared into the large marble bathroom, running her a bath in the giant tub - perfect for two.

“Your bath is ready. Go ahead and climb in. I’ll be right after you.”

He didn’t want to leave as she quickly shed her clothes. He could look at her gorgeous body all night and all day, but duty called. He was trying to make this the perfect evening.

While Jane settled into the tub, he popped the cork on the champagne and filled two flutes with the bubbly liquid. He wasn’t a huge fan of champagne, but an evening like this demanded it. With one hand he carried the glasses, and with the other, he had the tray of chocolate-covered strawberries.

They’d eat dinner later, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have a small snack to tide them over. Was there anything more romantic than champagne and strawberries? Cooper wanted to spoil Jane a bit.

Setting the champagne flutes and chocolates on the edge of the tub, he leaned down to press a kiss to her pillow-like lips. The bathroom was steamy from the heat of the water, and Jane had put her hair into a loose bun on top of her head. A few stray strands clung to her rosy cheeks, and he couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and tucking one of them behind her ear while caressing her satiny skin with his fingertips.

He couldn’t keep his hands off of this woman. She called to him in some primal and instinctual way that he didn’t quite understand, but all he wanted to do was drag her into his cave and have his wicked way with her.

Shedding his own clothes as quickly as possible, he stepped into the oversized bathtub so that he was positioned at the opposite end. Jane didn’t say a word, seemingly content to enjoy the quiet.

He reached for one of the champagne flutes and handed it to her before picking up his own.

“How about a toast?”

“What should we toast to?” she asked, raising her glass as well. “Fancy hotels? Big bathtubs? Expensive chocolate and roses?”

“All of that.”

Their glasses clinked, and they both took a sip of the bubbling golden liquid.

“The bubbles tickle my nose,” she said with a giggle that had his heart squeezing tightly. “I’m glad I came. I’ve been stressing so much about finals lately. I needed to take a night off.”

“Glad I could be of help,” he replied, plucking the glass out of her fingers, and placing hers and his on the floor next to the tub. “If you turn around, I’ll rub your back.”

“I’m not turning down that offer. It’s better than champagne.”

The water sloshed a bit as she moved, presenting her back to him and wrapping her arms around her knees. He started at her neck, working on the too-tight muscles there before traveling down to her shoulders. The entire time she was making happy noises that encouraged him to keep going.

As much as he wanted to continue forever, his cock was demanding some attention, too. He pressed a kiss to the damp skin of her shoulder, creating a trail up her neck and to the delicate earlobe. Jane’s head had lolled to the side, and her hand underneath the water had stealthily found his aching erection.

The small but talented fingers stroked him up and down while his own hands cupped her breasts, plucking at the pebbled nipples until she gasped and pressed back against him. She sagged against him as he lavished attention on her neck and shoulders, his fingers sliding down to the cleft between her thighs.

Water splashed over the edge of the bathtub as she writhed under his ministrations, breathlessly urging him on. His own arousal ratcheted up with every moan and sigh. There was nothing in the world as sexy as hearing his name on her lips.

He knew she was close, so he was surprised when she twisted around to straddle him, her lush breasts pressed to his chest.

“Cooper,” she whispered, brushing her lips against his. “Cooper.”

He didn’t need any more encouragement. Positioning her above him, she settled onto him, her body as ready as he was. This wasn’t their first time together. They already knew the rhythm that would send them over. He knew where to touch and kiss, the sensitive spots that would send her spiraling higher and higher.

She did as well, and it didn’t take long before they were teetering on the edge of that cliff. Her hands were anchored to his shoulders, her head thrown back as she moved, swiveling her hips with every delicious thrust.

The pressure had built in his lower back, and he was losing the battle to hold back for much longer. Desperate for her to reach her climax, he reached between them, finding that delicate spot that would send her over.

When she called his name, he fell along with her. Her channel had clamped down on him, her body shuddering with each wave of pleasure. He groaned out loud as his own release hit him hard, sending him sideways and the room whirling around him.

They clung together, surrendering to the pleasure as each wave shook them to their very core. When it was over, they clung together. Cooper rested back on the edge of the tub while Jane’s head was on his shoulder. They didn’t speak or move until the water began to cool. He reached down to caress her cheek, his fingers rough against the softness of her skin.

“The water is cold. I think we have to move.”

“How far?” she asked sleepily. “To the bed or out to dinner? I don’t think I have the energy to get dressed again.”

“This hotel has great room service.”

“That sounds perfect.”

It was only perfect because Jane was there.

He should be shaking in his boots, wanting to run away from any sort of commitment. Yet here he was.

Falling in love. And damn happy about it.