Daddy's Little Girl

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

She and Coop had gone to the local sandwich shop before returning to her condo together. That's where she learned the serious and studious Coop enjoyed puns. The sheer number of sub-comments he made in the first hour made her head spin and her cheeks redden. Each one drew a small smile and a chuckle from her.

After taking his bags into the small guest room, the two went into the living room to enjoy their lunch and just talk. By the time they had finished their sandwiches, she was wrapped in his arms, her head on his chest just below his chin as he stroked her back.

She was nearly asleep reveling in how safe and secure she felt in his arms when his deep voice cut through the silent room. “You have no idea how many times I have imagined this exact moment, and never once did it feel this natural.” His words were stopped when he kissed the top of her head and squeezed her slightly. “You are quiet, how are you feeling? What has your mind buzzing?”

Jennifer did not meet his eyes as she thought about her response to his questions. “I have imagined this just as often. It seems surreal to have you here, and yet I am already missing you. I do not know why I agreed to have you come. From the first text I have been enthralled by you, and now it is going to be even worse. I do not mean that to sound like a complaint. It’s not. I had convinced myself that as soon as we met in person these…feelings would dissipate”. Her words were cut off as he lightly wrapped his hand around her neck, pulling her face up to meet his eyes before wordlessly taking her mouth in a claiming kiss.

His other hand moved to her hip, pushing her so that she was straddling his legs as he refused to allow her to pull away. When he did release her mouth, she was panting desperately trying to fill her lungs while staring deeply into his eyes. Her heart fluttered as she saw the small half smile across his face as he looked down at her.

“Baby Girl, you need to stop overthinking things and just take a deep breath. Are you okay with what is happening here.”

Unable to form coherent words, Jennifer squirmed on his lap, nodding her head while biting her lower lip.

“Words please. Remember, you are not mine, yet. That means I need you to tell me what you are thinking and stop me before I go too far. You are in charge.”

Leaning forward, she reclaimed his lips, her arms wrapping around his neck, holding on for deal life. “I want this, but we are moving way too fast.” Her words were clear, but her tone of voice was missing a decisive tone, causing Coop to pull back and see her eyes. When he saw the lust shining back at him, he instantly knew that he could convince her to go further, but that would not be what either of them wanted. Leaning his head forward, so their foreheads touched once again he took a moment to allow both of them to catch their breaths before shifting her off of his lap and onto the couch beside him, keeping his arm wrapped around her in a comforting embrace.

“I promised myself that I would not bring this up, Baby Girl. I was not going to even think about it on this visit, but it seems like things might have changed.” His words drew Jennifer's eyes to his.

Rubbing her shoulder with the arm still wrapped around her, he continued. “You will not be surprised to know that I have developed feelings for you, strong ones that I do not entirely know how to handle. I know you have your doubts about how we could possibly work, but we do. I know that you have many concerns, and I will admit they are valid. There is an age difference between us, but Baby Girl I do not think that it matters. Next is the difference in our personalities, something I think you will admit makes us work better, not worse. Finally, there are the distance issues. That is something that I am unable to solve at this moment, but I am not willing to allow it to convince me that this cannot work. From the first moment we spoke, there was something about you that drew me to you and I desperately wish to explore it.” His impassioned speech left Jennifer unable to respond. He had just voiced everything that she was feeling.

Pulling away from him, Jennifer did not miss the quick look of pain that crossed his features at her action. She smiled, trying to delay the moment until she thought of what she could say in response.

“Distance is an issue, there is no doubt about that. If you lived in the same town, or heck, even the same state, I do not think that I would be able to resist the draw you have for me. But you don't. Added to that, I am just starting to be comfortable with who I am and when I am around you, I fear losing myself in your presence. I am thrilled you came here, but I can’t imagine us working.” Her words were quiet and resigned.

Using his finger to lift her chin, meeting her eyes with his one, Coop spoke again. “We have about twenty-four more hours, and if we decide, I can extend my stay a few more days. Please do not make any judgments, just know that I am here for you and would love to explore our time together.”

Unsure of how else to respond, she nodded her head, allowing herself to slide down on the couch, and once again lean on his shoulder. “Will the farm be okay without you for that long? I have no idea what goes into farming, but I assumed that you would have to be there to take care of the land and your puppies.”

Coop smiled, remembering the first picture he had sent her. “They are being well taken care of in my absence. My brother comes over to watch the crops and hang out with the pack. In exchange, I will watch his kids for a few nights and let him and his wife go away alone. It’s a fair trade.”

Jennifer immediately began to ask about his family and his work, not even realizing that she was falling harder and harder for him every moment. He made her feel appreciated. He never acted as if her questions were a bother, but seemed to enjoy that she was asking them.

They stayed in that position, just sitting together and talking for hours until the alarm on Jennifer's phone went off reminding them that they had dinner plans. Even though she was curious to see how the meal would proceed with Coop and Gary together, she was concerned that something was going to happen to destroy the balance that they had found today.

Jennifer took a deep breath and took one last look at herself in the tall mirror mounted on her bedroom door. Smoothing her hands down the sides of the little black dress that she had pulled from the back of her closet before her shower. Turning from side to side, she smiled slightly, pleased at what she saw. Her heart stuttered as she thought of Coop getting ready in the other room. She had not been sure what to expect when he had flown in earlier that day, but their connection was even stronger than she could have imagined.

Grabbing the small purse she had pulled out to hold her phone and wallet, she left the room, ready for the two sides of her world to collide. She felt like she had walked into a wall as she entered the room to see Coop had changed his clothes too. Rather than the travel-worn slacks and button-down shirt he had been wearing, Coop was now dressed in tailored slacks, a snug black tee shirt, and a simple linen blazer. The outfit seemed to magnify the size of his arms and chest, making Jennifer struggle to maintain her composure.

With a small smile, they left the relative safety of her apartment and headed to the restaurant to meet Kirk and Gary. She only hoped that she would not regret agreeing to this meal. She knew that Gary was going to take one look at them together and make assumptions that could never happen. No matter how much she felt for him, they were just not in the same place in their lives or locations. It would never work.