Bitter Hearts (A Southern Loving Book 3) (17 page)

Hank
got up and sat on the bed next to Kari, he took her hand into his. “You were lost.”

“I
was lost in the world that I built and what I thought was love…my way out was
catching him in a compromising position with someone dear to me, I rid myself
of that toxic relationship.”

“We
are supposed to take something from that experience and learn from it.”

“For
two years I allow myself to be sad and lonely for a long time. I always told
myself it was my fault because I’m a failure... In my last relationship I
wasn’t strong enough to stand up to my fears or to demand respect.”

Hank
always knew that Kari was strong and independent. He was seeing determination
in her eyes that was telling him that she wasn’t going to go through the same
bullshit as before.

Kari
dropped his hand, she moved away to put some much needed distance between them.
“The strangest thing started to happen; I started to feel these feeling that I
never felt before. Hank, you are unlike anyone before in my life, I love you.”

“I
love you too.”

“I
just don’t love the idea of you, after it’s all said in done.” Kari kneeled
down between his legs, staring up into his grey eyes. “Hank, I adore you. When
I’m with you I feel at ease, safe, belonging and passion every time I’m with
you-there is no fear.”

“Why
are you telling me this now?”

“I
don’t know what tomorrow holds and I’d rather bare my soul than regret that I
never told you how I felt.” She stood up and claimed his lips in a soul
searching kiss that left them both breathless.

Hank
held her in place, his eyes transfixed on hers. “When I said that I would
protect you, I meant those words. I will protect your happiness, your life.
Kari, I will protect everything.”

“Same
here,” she said softly. “I fell in love with you, Hank Jackson, not because of
who I want you to be, but because of who you are as a person.”

For
the first time in his life, this was the deepest he’d ever fallen in love with
someone. How could love make you feel incredibly happy and loved? He felt like
he made the greatest accomplishment when you found the right person, who you
wanted to spend your life with.

“I
know everything is complicated,” he breathed.

“It
will always be complicated,” she said, before kissing him.

With
their little spat earlier he missed her; she wrapped her arms around his neck
as they eagerly exchanged kisses.  The mounting need to be inside of her grew
just like his cock.  Her lips were warm and sweet against his. Kari was taking
the lead, kissing him slowly, as if this was their last time together. He
closed his eyes as she took her time unbuttoning his shirt.

His
mind was on fire as her hands unsnapped the button on his jeans. She pushed him
down on the bed and straddled him, only wearing a red 49ers t-shirt.  The shirt
was enough to give the weakest man strength like Hercules. Hank ran his hand
over her plump ass, up and under the shirt to caress her naked back. Her skin
felt so soft and good to the touch.

“I
think I’m the luckiest woman to found a man like you,” Kari said, taking his
face in her hands. When he smiled at her, revealing his pearly white teeth, she
inhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Hank was the most beautiful person
she’d ever laid eyes on.

“I’m
the luckiest man because I have you.”

Kari
let out a yelp of surprise when Hank flipped her onto her back. He was on top,
kissing her breathless, she wrapped her legs around him.

“I
want all of you.”

“I’m
you genie, Kari. I’ll give you anything your heart desires and more.”

“Just
you. That’s it,” she replied.

Hank
took off the shirt and tossed it to the floor; he stared at her magnificent
body. She had a bewitching body, smooth to the touch and ambrosial to the senses.
He loved her breasts; he licked and sucked her nipple hungrily while she moaned
in satisfaction.

Tonight
he wanted them to taste and indulge each other until they both fell over from
exhaustion.

Kari
stroked her hands up and down his back as his kisses were hot and passionate
while his hands touched everywhere he could reach.

“I
love you,” she moaned, arching her back into his grinding against her.

I
love you too,” he said, as Kari used her body weight to roll him onto his back.

Straddling
him, she ran her fingers up and down his lean muscular body. Her hands touched
him all over from his shoulders to his washboard abs.  Her mouth replaced her
hands, her lips and mouth traveled down his neck. Hank groaned as she nipped
and sucked his skin. He closed his eyes as she moved down his chest, over his
nipples, biting and sucking as he groaned louder as that pretty mouth of hers
landed on his stomach and groin.

“Kari…mmm,”
he said, when her tongue landed on his shaft.

Kari
continued to pleasure him. She would never forget Hank’s moans and whimpers.
She loved knowing that she was satisfying him.

“Oh
God, Kari, Jesus,” he said on the verge of exploding. He yanked her up to him
and threw her on the bed. He sank into her warm wetness.

“Hank,”
she moaned.

He
opened his eyes and stared into her as he pushed them into oblivion with slow, long
strokes, pelvis to pelvis. Her legs wrapped around him, lifting her ass and
begging him to go deeper.

Kari
felt her whole body tingling, his lips moved across her bare skin. She thought
she’d died and went to heaven. The room became an inferno as they made love.
She shouted her love for him as Hank worked his hips into circular motion.
Their fingers intertwined as they moved together in unison. 

When
the time came for their release it felt like fireworks from above. He showered
her with kisses and told her how much he loved her. She held him tight like she
never wanted to let go of him. They kissed until they both gasped for air.

“I
love you,” he whispered breathlessly into the crook of her neck. “I’m not a
perfect man, when you see my flaws will you still love me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I
love you, flaws and all,” Kari replied.

“Damn.”
He kissed her. “You’re too perfect.”

“Nope,
It’s your love,” she giggled as he tickled her.

“I’m
worried…”

“I
know,” she said quickly.

He
laid behind her as he pulled the sheets and cover on top of them as the night
air became cold even with the fireplace going. “What do we do?” he asked.

“You
show me the way, how good it can be. I believe in things unseen, I believe in
the message of a dream… so I believe in us because we love each other.” She
yawned.

Hank
held her close, he felt when Kari’s body relaxed on his. There were parts of
him that worried it would all crumble beneath their feet. He held onto her
tightly with no plans of letting go. Even with Natalie back in Nashville
waiting for him to return.

Chapter Nine

 For
the past three days Kari worked rigorously to get the nursery done before
Farrah and Austin McBride returned tomorrow. She was starting to stage the room
with the handmade furniture that Hank created for the western style nursery,
the handcrafted antler chandelier dangling from the ceiling was a nice added
touch. 

“Are
you ready for your surprise?”

Kari
turned around to see Hank leaning against the doorjamb with a smirk on his
face. “I just want everything to be perfect when Farrah and Austin return,” she
said, and went back to straightening the pillows on the red sofa by the large
bay window.

 
“The pictures crooked,” Hank said, pointing to the black and white picture of
Austin, kissing Farrah’s stomach.

“Done,”
Kari said, after aligning the picture correctly. 

Hank
walked behind Kari, wrapping his arms around her waist. “You did a good job,
doll.”

“Thanks,”
she said softly. For the past few days Kari had been in heaven with Hank. She
would work on the nursery, and Hank would work with the ranch hands with duties
around the ranch.  Like clockwork he would show up to the main house to pick her
up for their evening horseback ride around the ranch. Then, they would have a
meal he prepared back at the guest house, they fell into a routine where they
would watch movies cuddle up on the sofa or playing a simple board game.  The
days she spent with him were like painting a picture of what their future could
be like.

“Come
on before we are late for your surprise,” he said against her ear.

Kari
turned around his arm to see Hank smiling deviously at her. “What’s the
surprise?”

“We’re
going horseback riding.”

“Okay.”
She excitedly walked over to the lamp, turning it off. Her work at the McBride
Ranch was done.

An
hour later, she was on top of a beautiful white horse named Princess, she was
huge and charming. Princess was the horse she became accustom to since arriving
at McBride Ranch. In the morning before the sun peeked over the hills, Hank
would take her horseback riding.

“Darling,
you have become a natural cowgirl,” Hank winked at her. Kari licked her lips as
she looked over at Hank, who appeared so handsome atop of Onyx, a stallion with
a beautiful shiny black coat. Hank was cowboy in his element, wearing a red
plaid shirt and a pair of worn blue jeans.  His grey eyes sparkled with
excitement and adventure.

“So,
where we headed?” she asked.

“It’s
a surprise,” he chuckled. “If you want to we can race over the hill where your
surprise is at.”

“You
ready to win this time? Because I beat you yesterday and the day before that.”

Hank’s
brows arched up. “Darling, last time I check, I let you win.”

Kari
threw her head backward and laughed. “I beat you by five seconds, but if you
want me to beat you again I will.”

He
grimaced when she laughed again.

“Let’s
make a wager.”

Hank
arched his eye brows again. “I’m listening.”

Kari
put her finger to her chin and thought hard about the wager. “Let’s see. If you
beat me I’ll cook breakfast and if I win you will write me a song.”

Hank
hooted and hollered with laughter.

“What?”
Kari pouted.

“You
don’t cook, I do want us to see another birthday.” He reached over and tugged
her hair. “But the song I can do.”

“If
I win you have to streak into the pool,” he said, extending his hand to hers.
“We must shake on it though.”

“Fine,”
Kari said without hesitation, shaking Hank’s hand.

“On
my mark,” he said. “Ready! Set!-”

“Go!”
Kari yelled, taking off before Hank could say it. “Eat my dust, Jackson!”

Hank
laughed so hard he couldn’t think about beating Kari. 

“Come
on girl,” Kari bellowed to Princess, galloping at top speed on the trail, she
could hear Hank closing in from behind. She rounded the corner and her eyes
open wide as she came to a gazebo in the distance in the middle of a field that
was lit up with candles everywhere. She slowed her horse to a stop; she jumped
off Princess and looked around.

Hank
was galloping over towards her in a slower pace. “Do you like?”

Kari
was speechless as she nodded her head up and down. Candles were arranged
everywhere throughout the gazebo and the ground, for the first time since
arriving she noticed a soft country medley playing over a boom box.    

“I
thought we could have dinner by candlelight and moonlight, ma’am,” Hank said
taking his hat off.

Putting
her hands to her mouth, she blinkingly stared at him. “This wasn’t here
yesterday,” she stuttered, as he guided her up the stairs to a table set for
two.

“I
had it delivered just for you,” he replied.

“I
can’t believe you did this for me,” she said in awe.

“I
love you, honey,” he smiled. “I decided to remind you of our semi-first date.”

Hank
opened the lid covering the dish in the middle of the table revealing Chinese
food. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” she confessed,
sipping her wine.

“Kari,
you deserve to be happy,” he said.

They
ate their food smiling and looking at one another, both of them were
irresistible to the feeling they had for one another. 

“Why
do you love me?” Hank asked, looking up from his plate of plate of shrimp
Lo’mein.

“There
are too many reasons why I love you that are nearly impossible to count.” She
reached across the table and took his hand into hers. “You take my breath away
each morning and night I wake up to you, I love the way you call me ‘darling,’
and ‘honey’ and most of all I like when you sing to me. Your turn.”

Hank
wiped his mouth. “As I got older I realize what my uncle and aunt meant when
they said ‘actions speak louder than words,’ lately people say these words
without showing action. I don’t toss this four letter word carelessly around.
We both had our share of heartbreak and heartaches. When I say ‘I love you Kari
Daveney Hayes’ I’m accepting you in the strongest way possible, I’m supporting
you in anything and everything even when I disagree with you.”

Kari
took a deep breath and continued to listen to Hank as he spoke to her heart.

“When
I met you I wasn’t trying to find something better than I had or seeing what
was out there. We were just two heartbroken people fumbling our way in the
dark. Somehow you completed me in every way possible, that I didn’t know a
person could.  We are two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together.”

She
felt as if his words put her under a love spell, the breeze picked up and the
lights flickered from the candles that surrounded them.

The
lights from the candles gave Kari a sensual glow. It made her eyes shine, her
lips glisten, and it took all of Hank’s will not to take her right there and
then. His day dreaming spell was broken by Kari snapping her fingers in front
of his face.

“Hank…are
you okay?”

“Yeah…my
mind was somewhere else.” He couldn’t wipe the smirk off his face as he gazed
across the table dreamily at Kari.

“Was
it good?” she asked.

“Very.”

Kari
blushed as Hank winked at her. Wherever Hank mind was at, Kari knew it was
about her, especially the way he was looking at her like she was on the dinner
menu. 

“Thank
you for this amazing date, especially since today is our last night in Dallas,”
she said.

“You’re
welcome.”

They
smiled at each other, caressing each other’s fingers as they spoke. The
intimate dinner heightening their feelings for one another as they seemed to
glow in each other’s company. There nights were filled with passion and
promise.

Kari
heart flutter as she smiled at Hank, recalling the feel of his lips against
hers, his hands on her body, the sound of his deep voice. She held Hank’s hand,
rubbing her thumb over his hard knuckles, capturing his gaze and holding it.
They spoke in soft, seductive whispers.

“Are
you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,”
she smiled weakly at him.

“What’s
on your mind?”

Kari
stood up and took of hold of his hand. “We should dance,” she said, leading him
away from the table.

He
rested his hands on her hips, holding her close as she wrapped her arms around
his neck. They swayed to the music.

“I
could stay here forever with you,” she said before she could stop herself.

Hank
smiled, looking right into her eyes. “Yeah.”

Kari
bit down on her bottom lip as she felt her face become warmer. Here she was
slow dancing with her handsome cowboy, and she had a feeling that finding
someone like Hank was too good to be true. Or maybe she was waiting for
something terrible to happen.

They
stared into each other’s eyes as they slowed swayed in circle in time to the
country ballad. She’d already lost herself to Hank. She never realized how
pretty his eyes were now or the fact they had gold flecks in them. She reached
up to brush his shaggy brown hair out his face.

Her
heart felt like it was about to burst through her chest. A slow dance between
lover as Hank pulled her closer,  his head lowered and he rested his cheek
against hers, nuzzling her neck. She sighed when he held her tighter. Closing
her eyes, she enjoyed their moment together, his strong arms wrapped around her
waist and his warm breath tickling her skin.

They
continued to sway together.  Kari was unaware of the sounds of crickets, owls
hooting around her- all that matted was Hank. He rested his forehead against
her, gently touching her cheek with the back of his hand. There weren’t dancing
anymore, only holding each other in the middle of the gazebo. Their lips
touched in a slow, soft and sensual kiss.

“We
should get back to the house,” he said when the temperature started to drop.

“Okay.”

The
ride back to the stables was quiet, Hank looked over at Kari. “You’re very
quiet.” His deep voice brought Kari out of her thoughts. “What are you thinking
about?”

She
was so entranced with looking up at the stars. Completely enchanted by how
bright the moon and stars shined on a night she would never forget. “Their
beautiful.”

“Just
like you,” Hanks said, smiling up at the dark sky.

 “Thanks,
but seriously you see how dark it is out here, you know this path like the back
of your hand.”

Hank
nodded his head in agreement. “I should.”

 
“
I
wish I could put a few stars in a mason jar so it could light your way to
me in the darkness when you’re lost.”

“I
can never get lost,” he replied. “If I ever got lost Kari, I will always find
my way back to you.”

“Okay.”
she said,

Once
back at the stables, she got off Princess.  She followed Hank’s lead with
putting the saddle away and brushing the horses before leading them to the stable
for the evening treat of a shiny red apple.

“Are
you ready for dessert darling?” Hank leaned down, kissing her lips slowly.

“What
do you think?” she said, answering his question with a question.

“I
think you’re starving,” he said.

“I
wouldn’t say-” died on Kari’s lips as Hank threw her over his shoulders. “I
hope it’s chocolate.”

“I
don’t know what you’re having, but I’m definitely having chocolate.” He howled
with laughter as he laid her on a bale of hale.

Kari
squealed. “Hey, I really wanted dessert,” she laughed.  

Hank’s
delicious mouth descended on hers causing Kari to moan. She slid her hands down
to his crotch, sliding her fingers to his package. He groaned and his body
tensed from her touch.

“I
think I wanted this dessert more,” she seductively smiled up at him, catching
him off guard she pushed him on the bale beside her and stood up.

Kari
unzipped Hank’s jeans and slid them down as far as she could and moved on to
his briefs. She licked her lips, when she saw his thick cock standing at
attention. She traced her finger across his long and thick flesh and along the
mushroom shaped head. She wrapped her hands around him. Kari started stroking
his shaft as it continued to grow in her hands.

Hank
groaned when she did that and his body stiffened even more.

Stepping
back, she undressed herself quickly. Hoisting herself up on him and slowly
lowering herself on his member, holding eye-contact with each other the entire
time, until Hank was buried deeply inside of her, moving slowly up and down.

Hank
leaned forward, capturing her breast, he sucked on her nipple eagerly.

“Yes,”
she moaned, rolling her hips against his cock.