Billionaire Husband Test (Billionaire Online Dating Service) (5 page)

When she thought he’d been down long enough, she moved toward the position where he’d disappeared. Had he gotten stuck in the mud?

She’d only moved two feet when something snagged her ankle and yanked her down.

Emma jerked and kicked free, surfacing to suck in air.

Cooper came up beside her.

“No fair. I wasn’t expecting that.”

Cooper shook his head. “And you have brothers? Come on, Emma, you’re not as tough as you put on.”

Challenge made and accepted. Emma launched herself at his head, and pushed him under.

His arms circled her waist and he threw her into the air.

Emma came down with a huge splash, laughing and sputtering. She pushed him under and he tossed her several more times before she climbed up on a large boulder and stretched out, tired but smiling. She hadn’t laughed or played with such abandon for a long time.

She gasped and her smile slipped from her face. She hadn’t been that happy since Marcus left for the war. Not a day or hour had gone by since he left that Emma hadn’t thought about Marcus.

Until today. She’d gone for hours, thinking about Cooper instead of Marcus. Her chest tightened. That couldn’t be.

Water splashed on her face, bringing her back to the present.

“Thinking of him?” Cooper’s warm, husky tones rumbled beside her.

Emma opened one eye.  “Yeah.”

Cooper lay beside her on his belly, propped on his elbows. At least, one part of him wasn’t dangling in the wind. Unfortunately, his glorious buttocks drew Emma’s gaze like a magnet.

To keep from staring, she closed her eyes and pretended to relax. “You know my sob story now. What about you? Why aren’t you married and herding a half-dozen children?”

For a long time, Cooper didn’t respond.

Emma opened her eyes, wondering if he’d fallen asleep.

No. He stared into the shadows, his blue eyes glazed as if he looked into the past. “I grew up in foster homes. Some of them good, some not so good. I guess I didn’t want to end up in a relationship that wasn’t going to last. Plus, I’ve been too busy with my career to give time to making a relationship work.”

“Sounds like you haven’t met the right woman.” Emma closed her eyes again, wondering who the right woman would be for Cooper. A little jab of envy twisted her gut. Whoever he chose to marry would be a lucky woman. As far as Emma had seen, the man was a gem. Hard-working, sensitive, smart and darned fine looking.

“Maybe,” Cooper said.

“You don’t strike me as a man who’d let a computerized matchmaker find your mate.”

Cooper snorted. “I’m doing a friend a favor.”

Emma turned on her side, fighting not to let her gaze travel below Cooper’s waist. “I don’t get it.”

“Leslie is a friend of a friend. I volunteered for the program to help Leslie test her software and get her business off the ground.” He shrugged. “I have to admit to being skeptical.”

“And look what you got…” Emma sighed. “A woman who only wanted a date to get her brothers off her back.” She pressed her lips together. “Look, don’t let me deter you from trying again. Your girl is out there. And you’ll know it when you find her.”

“How do you know?”

“I knew when I met Marcus that he was the one for me.”

“And you don’t think you could fall in love again?”

“No.” Her throat tightened. “We were like two halves to a whole. That perfection will never happen again.”

“You’re lucky.”

“Lucky?” Emma choked on a sob. “Marcus is dead.”

“Better to have loved and lost…” Cooper shrugged. “You know.”

Emma smiled through a shimmer of tears and studied his profile. “You know, you really aren’t half bad.”

“Thanks.” He tipped his head. “I think.”

“No really. If I was open to loving again, I might be attracted to you.” Man, was that a big fib. Emma lay back, and closed her eyes out of self defense, unable to keep her gaze from straying over Cooper’s magnificent body. “You have a nice ass.”

Cooper laughed out loud, the sound warming the air around Emma. She liked the sound of Cooper’s laugh. It was completely different than Marcus’s. Emma thought back, but at that moment, she couldn’t quite remember how Marcus laughed. All she knew was that Cooper’s laughter made her want to laugh with him.

“I guess I should feed you.” She rolled away, disturbed by the idea that she couldn’t remember Marcus’s laughter. “If you’re anything like my brothers, you could eat a side of beef in a sitting.”

“Not quite that bad.” His stomach gave a hollow growl. “Guess the hay hauling burned a few calories.”

“Then come on.” She stood. “On second thought, you can get dressed while I lay out our picnic. The least you should get out of our day together is a meal.” And she’d be a lot better off once Cooper had his clothes on.

Once again, Emma turned her back to the man to allow him the privacy to dress. Ignoring him wasn’t an option as Cooper passed Emma, walking tall and proud and completely naked, to fetch his jeans from the branch beside her.

And based on how straight and stiff his member was, he wasn’t immune to her wearing just her bra and panties.

Holy hell, she’d stirred up a hornet’s nest of desire in him. And if she was honest with herself, she was just as turned on.

She forced herself to think of Marcus and how he looked in his uniform as he’d kissed her goodbye at the airport.

Emma refused to acknowledge one glaring truth: memories of Marcus seemed much more faded than they had before the day began—before she’d met Cooper.

Chapter Four

Tired and strangely content, Cooper rode into the barnyard beside Emma. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on a picnic or swam nude in a creek, but the activities seemed so natural, giving him a feeling of home. Not a good thing, considering he’d agreed to date and then dump her. No use getting attached to Emma or her family if he wasn’t to be a part of it.

Having grown up in the foster care system, he’d been careful not to let his heart get involved with his host family. If he hadn’t been forced into a group project with a team of guys during his second year on campus at Texas A&M, he might still be scratching out a living. As part of their class assignment, they’d researched the stock market, pooled their pathetic financial resources and invested. By the end of the semester, they’d doubled their money and pulled an A in the class. Most importantly, they’d bonded and formed a club of four guys with the optimistic name of Billionaires Anonymous. Now these guys were the family he never had, the brothers he could count on if he was in a bind or just needed someone to talk to.

Until he’d passed through the gates of the Rockin’ J Ranch, Cooper hadn’t thought to expand his circle of friends. Now, he found himself wishing things had been different. He liked Emma’s brothers. He liked Emma even more.

He tied Diablo to his stall door, removed the saddle and blanket and set them on a saddletree. “When did you want to go on our next date?”

Emma tugged the leather strap through the girth. “I don’t know. In a couple days, maybe?”

Cooper reached over her and slid the saddle off the mare’s back.

Emma frowned. “I can do that.”

“I know.” With a smile, Cooper settled the saddle on the rack next to his. He handed her a brush and touched the side of her cheek with his finger. “It’s one of the things I like best about you.”

“That I can lift a saddle?”

“That and your independent spirit.”

“I thought most men liked women who need to be protected.”

“I’m not most men.”

“You can say that again,” she muttered, sliding the brush over the palomino’s coat.

“What was that?” Cooper asked.

“Nothing,” she replied as she stroked harder.

Cooper smiled. He’d heard her comment and his ego swelled just a little. The woman may not want a relationship, but she was aware of him. A step in the right direction, if he hoped to change her mind about giving him a chance.

His hand stopped in mid-stroke.

Did he want a chance with Emma?

She’d been up front about not wanting a relationship. He glanced over the stallion’s back. Her long thick braid was still damp from their swim in the creek and her face was pink from the sun.  Her hands moved over the horse with strong, sure strokes. She wasn’t a girly girl and she wasn’t afraid to break a nail or get dirty. An image of her in her white, lacy panties and bra had his groin tightening all over again. Beneath her tough exterior was a soft, warm and beautiful woman.

She straightened and leaned over the top of her horse. “Thanks for playing along with the boys today.”

“Sorry the date didn’t quite work out the way you wanted.”

“That’s okay. You didn’t know. And we’ll make the plan work.”

Cooper finished off the stallion and led him to his stall.

Emma held out her hand for his brush.

Their fingers collided. Cooper felt that spark again and forced himself to drop his hands at his sides. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her.

She stepped away and practically ran to the tack room to deposit the brushes. “I suppose you’d better say your goodbyes to my brothers.” Emma led the way out of the barn and up to the house.

All four brothers sat on the back porch, feet up on the railing, sipping longneck bottles of beer.

Brand grinned. “How was the swim?”

“Great. Nice place y’all have here.” Cooper pressed a hand to the small of Emma’s back as they walked up the steps.

Once on the deck, she turned. “Thanks for the help hauling hay and for a nice picnic, Cooper.” She leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “See ya in a few days?”

He bent his head and smiled, caught her around the waist and pulled her against him. “You can count on it.” Then he lowered his lips to claim hers in a deep, soul-satisfying kiss.

Beside them, her brothers whooped.

At first stiff beneath his hands, Emma’s muscles eventually slackened and she melted against him, her mouth opening to let his tongue slide in.

A rush of warmth filled Cooper’s body and he forgot for a moment where he was.

“Eh-hem. Still here,” Colton said.

“Yeah, could you keep it G-rated?” Ace chuckled. “You might offend Dillon.”

“Seein’ as he’s still a virgin,” Brand added.

Cooper broke off the kiss, heat rushing into his cheeks and places farther south.

“I’m headed in for a shower.” Emma spun and ducked into the house. “Thanks again.” The screen door slammed behind her.

Her boot heels clicked across the wooden floor, fading as she turned a corner.

“Well, Coop.” Ace pushed to his feet. “Let me get you a beer.” He ducked into the house.

“I really shouldn’t,” Cooper called out after him, thinking he needed to leave before the brothers noticed the bulge in his jeans.

Ace didn’t respond, disappearing into the shadows of the interior.

“I probably should be headed back.” Cooper glanced at his watch.”Takes a good thirty minutes to get home.”

“What’s your hurry?” Brand stood and draped an arm over Cooper’s shoulder. “The Aggies game is on in ten minutes. You watch much football?”

“On occasion.” His football scholarship with Texas A&M had been his ticket to a higher education and Cooper had made it count. He’d planned on watching the game after his date. If he left now, he’d only miss the first quarter.

“Then it’s settled, you’re staying for the game.” Ace reappeared and shoved an ice-cold bottle into his hand.

Brand held open the door. “Come on. We can catch the tail-end of the commentaries.”

Cooper stepped into the Jacobs’ home, glancing at the hallway he was sure Emma had disappeared down, wondering what she’d say when she found him watching the game with her brothers. He shrugged. Since the guys had invited him, he guessed her opinion wouldn’t matter. Not as if they were broken up or anything. Hell, they weren’t officially together.

“I’ll get the nachos.” Colton turned toward what looked like the kitchen.

Cooper settled onto one end of a bomber-jacket brown leather couch.

The Jacobs brothers spread out around the room, all drinking bear, eating peanuts and nachos and commenting on the commentators until kickoff. Then the shouting began.

Before long, Cooper was shouting right along with them.

Emma stood under the shower spray for longer than normal, letting the cool water chill the heat simmering low in her belly since Cooper had first taken off his shirt hauling hay and later, when he strode past her naked, flaunting his stiff…

She turned the handle to a cooler setting, trying to wash away the memory of Cooper’s…tight abs and even tighter butt.

No matter how cold the water, she couldn’t shake the burning in her belly. Thank goodness, she wouldn’t have to see him for a few days. Maybe she’d tell him she couldn’t see him at all. So what if her brothers kept setting her up with prospective husbands? At least, none of their attempts had made her feel as uncomfortable and sexually aware as Cooper Johnson had.

By the time her skin had pruned, Emma felt in reasonable control of her libido and she stepped from the shower, towel-dried her hair then wrapped it turban style.

Shouts from the living room made her smile. The Aggies must be playing. She hoped she hadn’t missed anything. While most women she knew would rather spend a football afternoon out shopping, Emma enjoyed watching the game with her brothers. Marcus used to watch with them, although he preferred University of Texas over the Aggies. Emma hadn’t held that against him.

She tossed her towel into the hamper, slipped into a baggy Aggies T-shirt that hung halfway down her thighs, grabbed a brush and padded barefoot into the living room. “Who’s winning?” The words had barely left her lips when she spotted Cooper, and the heat she’d fought to cool flamed all over again.

The Aggies defense snagged an interception and ran for a goal.

All five men shouted at once, pumping fists in the air and high-fiving each other.

Cooper glanced over his shoulder. “Aggies are up fourteen to ten.”

Ace patted the seat beside him. “Sit. You’re missing a great game.” No sooner had he said the words, his attention returned to the game.