Runaway Heart (A Game of Hearts #2) (10 page)

I met her with just as much force, falling harder than a kiss ever made me fall before. My hand greedily worked its way up the curves of her side until it was under her shirt. Her skin was like silken fire burning against my hand as she moved against me, urging me on.

Patience was lost between us the instant we connected. There was just lust, desire, and all the images her swollen lips crushing against mine put into my head.

With a soft moan, her fingers twisted into my hair as she moved her hips until they were flush with mine, practically begging for me to give her what we both wanted.

And, God, did I want to give it to her. Hard.

Pushing her bra out of the way, I flicked my fingers against the tip of her peaked nipple, smiling against her lips when she gave me the moan I was looking for. She arched into my hand as she grabbed the bottom of my shirt, pulling it up with a haste I could relate to.

When she got it over my head, I shucked it from my arms and made quick work of hers, wanting to be closer. To feel the heat of her skin against mine.

The lace of her bra brushed against my chest as I rubbed my body against hers, kissing a path from the delicate slope of her neck down to the sensitive skin of her collarbone, taking my time to run my lips over her skin.

She lifted her breasts up, showing me exactly where she wanted my mouth. “Please.”

“Please, what?” I teased the crease of her lips with my tongue, wanting to hear it. To hear her say my name.

Her eyes filled with more hunger than I could tolerate. “Please, Ed.”

Fuck, she was so hot. I lowered her bra strap and slid my hand around her back, popping open the clasp. The second my lips made their way across the slope of her breast, her hands went to my joggers, massaging me through the material.

I groaned against her skin.

“Ed…” She sighed my name as I took her nipple into my mouth and swiped it with my tongue before gently biting down.

She went crazy in my arms, her fingers threading through my hair as if to hold me in place while I licked and nibbled first one breast, and then the other.

Her cries of pleasure had me teetering on the edge of release before I could even free myself and slide into her warmth. It was all I could do to keep from completely ravishing her. I wanted… no, I needed to have all of her. Needed her like the tide needs the moon in order to keep going. But I also didn’t want to push her into something she didn’t want to do because of my own selfish wants.

I pulled back to look into her eyes. “Ye’ll have to tell me to stop, love, because I can’t do it on my own.”

Her hooded gaze drove something deep into my soul. So deep I had a hard time breathing.

Instead of answering, she trailed her fingers down my chest until they reached the waistband of my joggers, and then, with a coy smile, her hands disappeared under the material.

I let my forehead rest on hers as I fought everything in me not to take what I wanted as her hand wrapped around my dick. “I’m trying to do the right thing here, love. I don’t want either of us walking away with regrets.”

Her eager voice slid over my skin, down into my soul. “I don’t want to do the right thing, Ed. I want you inside me. Filling me. I need that. I need you. Please don’t hold back.” She opened her legs and pulled me down against her as she grinded her ache against my own.

Lust and responsibility warred inside me. “I need my wallet,” I said, rocking my hips against hers, unwilling to move away from the friction we made with our bodies so close to joining.

“For what?” She gasped as I ground against her, our chest shuddering as the heat rose between us.

“Condom,” I answered, sucking at her bottom lip.

She panted against my mouth as we pulled back from a kiss so heated my lips felt swollen. “Don’t need it. Depo shot. Tested every year. I’m safe. Are you?”

“Love, I haven’t had sex with anyone in two years. And even then, I wore protection,” I answered, my mind spinning with need.

Hannah pushed her hand against my chest as her mouth latched on to mine again, moving me until we both sat upright.

When her lips broke from mine, she trailed her hands down my sides, stopping only to grab the waistband of my pants and boxer briefs.

“These need to be off,” she brazenly said, slowly pulling them down my hips until I took over and pulled them low enough for her to push them the rest of the way off with her toes.

Her chest rose and fell in rhythm with mine as she wrapped her hand around me and stroked up and down. Her eyes locked on mine. My dick strained for release in her hot palm. She had me so worked up that I almost gave over to the pleasure from her body, her hands, and her movements. I had to will myself not to burst.

My chest heaved in short, uncontrollable bursts.

I stilled her hand and brought my own to her hips, pulling at the material of the thin cotton pants she wore.

“Lay down, love.”

Her hips lifted up from the mattress when I pulled them down her legs, not taking my eyes from hers.

Once they were free, I leaned over her body as her legs drifted apart, leaving her bare but for the scrap of fabric I’d intentionally left there so I could remove it with my teeth.

My fingers dug into her hips as I lifted her to place punishing kisses down the tight plain of her stomach, stopping briefly to nip just below her belly button. She arched into me with a wanton cry when my tongue played with her through the material of her underwear.

When her hips bucked, I lost myself and jerked the material out of my way with such force that the elastic at her hip snapped. Her hands went to my head, urging me to take what I wanted.

My tongue laved against her as I pushed my finger inside of her, working her with first one finger, and then two.

Hot. Wet. Heaven.

She moved against my mouth, hips rocking as she sought release. Her body clenched down on my finger as she teetered on the edge I suspended her on and nearly took me right over with her.

When I pulled my fingers free and placed a chaste kiss to her pelvic bone, she yanked at my arms, pulling me up as she opened her thighs wider.

I nudged her opening, anticipation clawing at me. She gasped when I slid inside her with one hard thrust.

Everything stopped. My heart. Our breaths.

And then, like a strike of lightning, we crackled to life. Her hips bucked against mine. Her legs came up to wrap around my waist, driving me deeper into her heat. Into her. Over and over until she stiffened, crying out my name.

I snapped, unable to keep myself from pounding into her as my thrusts became harder and deeper. With every slam of our bodies joining, I found myself saying things I’d never said before as she tightened against my dick and dug her nails into my back, whimpering as another release squeezed the walls of her wet heat so hard against me I swear I saw stars.

“Hannah, I’m gonna… Oh, fuck… Hannah.”

I think my heart exploded as I collapsed against her chest and then rolled her over to lie in my arms as I tried in vain to catch my breath.

“I THINK I’VE FOUND HEAVEN,” Ed announced through shaky laughter, his words covering me like a cool morning fog.

It took a moment to process. To collect my thoughts that were still five minutes behind when his hands, his tongue, and his movements took me to a place I’d never been. A place where pain was an afterthought. Where pleasure was the subject of every conversation.

A place I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to leave.

“And yourself?” he asked, his voice soft and husky against my skin. “Was it everything ye thought it’d be?”

And more,
I thought to myself, biting my lip as the storm he brewed inside me began to subside.

His head was comfortably tucked in the crook of my neck, his warm breath moving over my skin, sending small waves of goose bumps down my arm as we both tried to catch our breath. As our chests rose and fell in a mismatched pace, connecting us in such an intimate way.

The urge to kick him off me and run for the hills had yet to set in.

Odd.

Our tiny oasis was filled with soft, golden light from the lantern resting beside the bed as the rain pounded against the roof… the storm raging right along with our thundering hearts. I couldn’t pry my eyes away from the pink floral pattern on the sheet above us. It was a design I knew would be etched in my brain forever. A design that, when seen, would take me back to this exact moment when Ed rested on top of me, his weight more comforting than I thought it would be. When, just for a second in time, there wasn’t any fear of what tomorrow would bring, or of what type of shadows he had hidden within, waiting for me to discover.

There were just his lips pressing lightly against my cheek and my fingertips skimming up and down his back. Just his feet playfully moving against mine, and my lips finding the smooth skin of his neck.

The world was practically falling down around us, and I wasn’t sure either of us cared because it was true, what he said. Our little haven was safe… free of danger, risk, and most importantly… expectations.

I blinked. Thought about how good his fingers felt as they lazily played with the ends of my hair in such a natural way. Like they were made for me.

A small wave of heat moved to my most sensitive parts. He didn’t even have to do anything, and I was turned on again.

“I don’t think… no… I know I’ve never felt anything like that before. It was so… so intense,” he said, pulling his head back so he could look down at me. “Do ye agree?”

Smiling, I rested my palm against his chest. Against the steady thrum of his heart.

He smiled back, his hands cupping my face and my name on the edge of his lips. It was then I realized this was one of those moments. The kind you wished you could store inside your jewelry box and pull out every so often to wear when you were feeling ugly, or down, or just invisible.

Because the way he looked at me, like I was made for him, flipped me inside out, exposing all my crippled, dented armor I’d worn for far too long.

“I’ll take that smile as a yes then, yeah?” he said when I didn’t answer him right away.

I heaved a contented sigh. “Take that as a hell yes.”

His lips kissed my eyelids, my nose, ending with a feather-soft kiss to my mouth before he rolled to the side, propping up on one elbow. “I know ye have a certain hate for clichés, but I just have to say I think ye’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on.” His finger skimmed down my cheek, over my chin, and then down the center of my chest. “Perfection,” he said, his eyes roaming hungrily over my breasts.

My skin felt electric. Felt like I could light the entire house as I grabbed his hand and guided it lower… lower… right there.

“Yes,” I said, my eyes rolling back as his fingers worked their way over the sensitive skin in teasing circles, never touching exactly what my body begged for.

He wouldn’t give me what I wanted. Not right away. Not with that devilish look in his amber eyes.

I pulled his lips down to mine, running my tongue over the outside until he let me all the way in. Energy built within my center, constricting every one of my muscles as his fingers rubbed and teased, moving closer to where I wanted him.

“I want to taste ye again,” he said, his dark eyes drinking in every inch of me.

“I want you to taste me again,” I replied, my mind flying high.

His fingers slowed to a stop, his head resting against mine. “I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me.”

I reached for him, finding his excitement just as heightened as mine. “Absolutely nothing,” I said, softly rubbing him.

He stilled my hand.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just—”

“You just?”

“Don’t get me wrong. Ye’re the hottest lass I’ve ever been with, and your lips… hell, your everything, is more than I think I’ll ever need in this lifetime, but…”

“But what?” I asked, the electric feeling fading.

“But… I don’t know.” He rolled onto his back, letting out a huge sigh. “There are so many things I want to ask ye. Things I want to know about ye and, I never thought I’d say this before, but, here it goes. I don’t want this night to only have been about sex. At least not without knowing who ye really are first.”

Our little world, floating in its happy bubble, came to a screeching halt.

“Ed, I thought we discussed this. I thought you understood. I don’t do relationships.”

A valley formed between his eyes. “Getting to know someone doesn’t mean ye have to sign a marriage contract. I just… you’re interesting to me, Hannah. Probably the most interesting lass I’ve met in quite a while, and it doesn’t feel right not getting to know ye a little better.”

“I find you interesting too,” I admitted, slightly taken aback. No guy had ever been worried about who I was before our lips were locked. Yet, there we lay, naked and ready, and he’d rather spend the time getting to know me more.

My heart jolted a little. “I just want what’s happening between us here to be clear.”

“And what’s that, love?” he asked, sounding like he really wanted to know.

“A good time, and that’s all. No strings. When morning comes, we board our planes and go on with our lives,” I said, rubbing at my nose. Knowing it wasn’t going to be as easy as that, but praying I’d find the strength anyhow.

He chuckled. “And here I was thinking I’d have to pry ye off me come tomorrow. We’re on the same page, Hannah. No need to go working yourself up over something that isn’t going to happen.”

For some odd reason, my stomach bottomed out. Almost as if… as if I was a little disappointed he was so quick to agree. But then again, it was the reassurance I was looking for. Right?

You’re fine, Hannah. Walk it off.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” he repeated.

“Ask me whatever, so long as it isn’t anything serious. No digging up painful parts of our past and dishing out every little detail about each other. Let’s just keep this… simple.” I turned my attention away from whatever my heart and my brain were fighting over.

“Simple,” he said, rubbing his forehead in a cute, frustrated sort of way. Like he was seriously stressing over the fact that he’d rather talk than have another round of amazing sex.

It made me giggle a little.

“I don’t understand why talking has to be so damn hard. Bloody hell. What… what kind of food do ye like?”

“Hamburgers,” I said, my stomach growling at the thought. “Messy, cheesy, yummy hamburgers. Medium rare. Dripping with grease. You?”

His grin was wide. “I could have guessed ye’d be the kind that takes your meat on the raw side.”

I pursed my lips at him, shaking my head. “Really?”

He chuckled, content with himself, and then got serious. “Fish and chips. But only from this pub in London called The Hound and Stag. They have the best beer batter. Vices?”

I sought the outline of his shadow along the wall as I thought about all the many things I did that I shouldn’t. “Whiskey, anger, kissing…”

His head flinched back, interest etched along his eyebrows. “Kissing? How’s that a vice?”

Looking up at the floral pattern on the sheet, a sort of whimsical feeling breezed through my chest. It felt like I was cocooned in a field of cotton flowers. One I never wanted to leave, because it was the first time I ever really let a guy in, and it wasn’t so bad.

It was somewhat… liberating.

“Because… I enjoy it more than I should, and I’ve kissed more than my fair share of boys,” I admitted, unashamed of my past. Slightly exhilarated to have shared that admittance with him.

He cleared his throat. “So ye’ve uh… slept around?” He seemed unsure if that was a question he should be asking or not.

I looked him straight in the eyes. “I might come off that way but, no, I don’t sleep around… well, despite this circumstance.” I glanced at his naked body.

Holy hell, he was hot. Like scorching hot.

I bit my lip, trying to calm my racing hormones and finished, “I’ve only been all the way with two guys. Scout’s honor.”

“Now three,” he tried to correct with a sly smile.

“No,” I said, my face turning serious. “You make two.”

“Really?” He seemed somewhat impressed.

I nodded. “Like I said, I enjoy kissing and an occasional fondle but, other than that, the rest is prized goods.”

His fingers traced circles around my breasts. “What did I ever do to be so lucky?”

The answer came out before I could stop it. “Because I like you,” I admitted, my skin feeling so hot I feared it might melt right off.

He looked down at me, his eyes meeting mine.

Shit.

“Umm…” I said quickly, trying to avoid that look I knew all too well. The one where heavy discussions erased the fun we were having. Where promises were made that I knew I’d never be able to keep. “What were we talking about?”

“Ye liking me…”

“Vices,” I said over him. “Yes, I have many, but my biggest is Little Debbie snacks. I don’t care which kind, I’ll eat them all. One time, I ate an entire box of Oatmeal Creme pies. And don’t judge. I was going through a rough patch.”

“Little Debbie?”

“Yes. Oh, and the Zebra Cakes are to die for.”

His face scrunched. “Zebra Cakes?”

I laughed at the puzzled expression on his face. “Don’t knock ‘em till you try ‘em. So, how about you?”

He gave up figuring how zebras and cakes went together, and jumped right into his answer. “Definitely drinking. Umm… Not keeping a tidy room.” He touched his chin, tapping it in thought, and then added with a wry smirk, “Oh, and most definitely kissing.”

“Oh yeah?” I giggled. “You get around too then?”

“A couple of times.” He grinned at me. “But this, by far, is definitely the most memorable.”

I had to admit, his confession did me in just a little bit. He was hot. Passionate. Sweet.

What the hell had I gotten myself into?

“About kissing… who was your first kiss?” he asked, playing with a strand of my hair.

“Calvin Jacobsen.” I smiled, thinking back to the most pathetic moment of my pubescent life. “I was in the sixth grade and found myself hanging with a group of highly immature friends. The norm. And there was this girl named Stacey Friedman. Ugh.” I rolled my eyes remembering how annoying she was. “She was the popular girl, and a bitch to boot. She dared me to kiss the next boy who walked through the library and, of course, me being the idiot I am, I couldn’t back down. Unfortunately, the next boy was Calvin, who I had a huge crush on. Needless to say, I kissed him and he shoved me down, giving me an earful about how ugly and flat-chested I was.”

“Flat-chested?” Ed’s eyes roamed my breasts. “If he could see ye in all your glory now.”

I pushed at him, laughing as he smirked. “Come on. It’s your turn. Please tell me you had just as awful of an experience,” I begged, feeling myself slip into a state of calm I hadn’t felt in maybe forever.

“Becca McCready,” he said with an air of smugness. “She too was a lass I had a crush on. One day, when I was around twelve, I asked her to the dance. She went, we danced, and then I stole a kiss under a perfectly lit moon.”