TWELVE
COOPER
Cooper blinked his eyes open, aware that he was not in his own bed. The body curled into him was warm and supple. His hand lay on a curvy hip. Not just any lush hip.
It was his wife’s hip.
That’s right, his dragon chuckled.You spent the night with Alice. Youmatedher.
Cooper smiled to himself, his heart completely and perfectly full. He gently turned his head to watch his new wife and mate sleep. Her brown hair was spread over her pillow, her long lashes curling up from her high cheekbones. Her soft pink lips were gently parted on her breath.
He could look at her all day long and well into the night again until it was time to lay her down and make love to her all over again.
You don’t have to wait for the nighttime, you big idiot! You can do that right away.
The dragon wasn’t wrong, but Cooper knew there was a whole long list of activities they had to do that day.Had to do. Portia had signed them up for a day of activities for couples, but Cooper wasn’t exactly angry about it. It would give him more time with Alice. He could get to know her a little bit more and maybe even continue to seduce her.
Other men came to Hellscape Holiday Resort for a fling. Cooper came here to get married and make his wife fall in love with him.
“Cooper?” Alice rubbed at her eyes, slowly waking from her slumber. Her voice was heavy with sleep, but she was no less adorable.
“Hey, love, morning. Did you sleep well?”
She yawned and stretched out beside him. Her nude body brushed against his, and his morning erection began to weep for attention.
“I slept well, considering you take up so much room. Who knew a man could be so hot!”
He chuckled and kissed her bare shoulder. “Glad you find your husband hot.”
“I meant the temperature, and you know it.”
“Ah, come on, wife, don’t break my heart.”
She giggled and pressed a kiss to his chin. “I doubt I would ever be able to break your heart. We’re mates now, right? Doesn’t that mean that we can’t hurt each other?”
“Not quite. We can still hurt each other, but maybe we should promise to avoidthat.”
She turned to face him, tucking her legs next to his. “I would like that, but don’t you think that’s a promise we won’t be able to keep?”
“Not a chance.” He rolled on top of her and captured her mouth with a heated kiss. “I know, down to my very soul, that I could never hurt you, Alice Dawson. You’re mine…” he quickly added, “Mine to protect, and I always fulfill my duty.”
Alice grabbed his cock, pumping her hand up and down the length of him. “Then you better fulfill your duty this morning, husband.”
“I won’t be asked twice.”
The day’s activities were momentarily forgotten while Cooper made love to his wife as if he could change their reality. As if he could make her love him for real.
* * *
The afternoon sunwas shining brightly over Hellscape Holiday Resort. There was not a single cloud in the blue heavens, and the warm breeze was basically an open invitation for people to jump into one of the many pools or directly into the ocean.
Cooper and Alice had taken all morning to get out of their suite, much too busy exploring each other to want to explore Hell’s resort. But when the phone rang, interrupting one of their more amorous moments, they knew they had to make an appearance. Portia had threatened to knock down their door if they didn’t show up to some of their scheduled activities.
Neither of them was too pleased that they had to leave the protective cocoon of their suite, but Portia was right. They needed to be seen out in the resort to sell the lie.
Portia didn’t know that it wasn’t a lie anymore, and Cooper wondered if the sex demon would know the moment she saw them. Would she guess they mated?
Short of telling Portia, Cooper only argued that honeymooning couples rarely leave their rooms, much too busy making babies…or practicing anyway.