Free The Posse by Tawdra Kandle Page A

gently tug it loose, he
gripped it tighter.
    “Jude,” he whispered,
pulling her closer.
    She swallowed hard and
licked her lips. Her heart was pounding, but not in the same way it
did when Logan had danced with her. Before she could say anything
or step back, Cooper’s arm gripped around her back, and he lowered
his mouth to cover hers.
    At first, all Jude could
think was, Cooper’s kissing me! Panic coursed through her
veins, but she wasn’t certain if it was because Cooper’s lips were
over hers...or if it were simply because his lips were not
Daniel’s.
    She managed a single
coherent thought— well, why NOT Cooper?— before his mouth
opened, and she felt his tongue against her closed lips. She made
the decision and opened to his persuasion.
    It only took a moment for
Jude to realize that her heart had slowed to its normal rate. She
became aware of Cooper’s fingers against her back, but only because
he was pressing against her bra strap, and the hooks were digging
into her spine. She mused that Cooper was a decent kisser, which
wasn’t surprising, but what did it say that she was only enjoying
it, not being swept away?
    She took advantage of him
pulling away slightly for a breath and spoke against his mouth.
    “Cooper--”
    He would have gone back for
seconds, but Jude ducked her head. “No—Cooper. Listen. Wait.”
    He stepped back, still
holding her. “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing’s wrong, but
Cooper—you kissed me.”
    He rubbed his jaw, but his
eyes didn’t leave Jude’s face. “I’m aware of that. I was standing
right here.”
    “But Cooper. Me . You
kissed me . What are you thinking?”
    He dropped her hand and
turned away a little. “I don’t know. I guess I was thinking that I
wanted to kiss you, so I did. I mean, Jude, you know, I always
liked you. We get along. We’re both, um...you know, not with anyone
right now. So why not?”
    Jude choked back all the why
nots that flooded her mind and chose the least hurtful explanation.
“I’m not ready, Cooper. We were just standing here talking about
Daniel.”
    “I know that. But Jude,
Daniel is gone. I’m sorry. I know that sounds harsh. I miss him
every day. I was sanding that table, thinking of the day we were
planning it. I still keep expecting him to walk into the shop and
tell me about some new job he and Logan are setting up.  I
drive past a property that comes up for sale, I still reach for my
phone to call him.
    “But he’s not here. And if
you and I both miss him, what if we missed him together?”
    Jude closed her eyes,
feeling the weight of the day closing in on her. “Cooper, when you
kissed me, how was it? How did it feel?”
    He raised one eyebrow. “Are
you fishing, Jude? You’re a great kisser. I’ve always thought you
were attractive.”
    “But did you feel anything?
Like...sparks? You know?”
    Cooper looked around the
room, up at the ceiling, anywhere but Jude’s eyes. Finally, he
shook his head.
    “Not sparks. But that could
come. And my God, Jude, we’re not kids. Maybe that’s the kind of
thing you only get when you’re young.”
    “That’s the most depressing
thing I’ve ever heard. So now we’re old and washed up?”
    “No! Or—I don’t know.
Dammit, Jude, I’m trying to do a good thing here. You and me
together makes sense, right?”
    Jude took his hand again,
squeezing it between both of hers. “Of course it makes sense,
sweetie. I love you, and I will always love you. But you’re my
friend. We can remember Daniel, and miss him together, without
this.” She pointed to his lips and then to her own. “And Cooper,
I’m greedy. If I were ever to want...more someday, again, I want it
all. I don’t want to settle. I want sparks. I want--” She closed
her eyes and smiled. “I want the magic, like when you’re dancing
with someone and you look up at him...and the world stands still.”
She shivered, as remembering, the feeling washed over her
again.
    Cooper heaved a sigh.
“So...nothing?