Page 61 of Hearts on the Mend

Honey?

“You’re sweet, Hellcat, just as you are fierce. I like your bite.” His hand wraps around my neck and gently squeezes. “Be a good girl and take what you need. Come on my cock, Cassie. Use me.”

His mouth seals over mine, drinking in my moans as I lift myself and sink down on him, the sweet pressure of him enough to drive me mad. This—all I want is more. I’ve never been so greedy and selfish in my life. My orgasm races up my spine before white light explodes behind my eyes. I’m still quivering when Nolan groans, thrusting his hips against me.

He pulls out enough for me to feel his cum flood my entrance. He flips us, laying me down and pushing my thighs wider before he takes his cock, runs it through his cum, and drives it back inside me.

“Do you feel that?” His voice rumbles over me as I’m still floating back into myself. It’s been an entire year, and this… it was even more perfect than last time. This man knows exactly how to undo me.

“Every fucking day,” he grunts, thrusting one more time. “That’s how much I’ve thought of you. That night, you were something forbidden, something I couldn’t fucking keep. But you’ve stayed with me, and I didn’t forget. I wanted more, went crazy with needing it, Cass.” He bends down, bracketing his arms on either side of my shoulders, and dips down to kiss me, slow. “Tell me it’s you and me. That we’ll make it work.”

Chapter 19

Nolan

Cassie’s room faces the east. Bright light pours in early through lace curtains.

I lay in bed beside her, afraid that if I move, everything will change. Or worse, this is a dream. After months of nightmares, it’s more than likely.

Here in her bed is the only place I want to be right now. Hell, the only bed I want to sleep in from now on. Slept the whole night. Or what was left of it anyway.

She’s curled up beside me on the old queen mattress, wearing my flannel shirt. Her face pressed against the pillow, her dark-red hair spilling across the floral sheets. Her eye makeup is smudged, and I can make out the faint bite mark I left behind by her collarbone.

Mine.

There’s not a chance I’m waking her.

Sunlight hits the crystal moon hanging from the window, refracting into a hundred tiny rainbows that stretch across the heart pine floors and cast soft color across her face and room.

I don’t regret last night. Or even the last few weeks, though I should have told her earlier, and at the same time, I understand why she’s so scared. With Ruby, it’s not as simple as if it were just her and me. There’re other people involved, and it’s messy and complicated.

Her toes press against my legs as she stretches awake, and her hand pulls at my waist, scratching the thin trail of hair under my belly button until her fingers slip underneath the waistband of my boxers. Her eyes flutter open.

That small smile at her mouth is enough to melt me.

“Hey,” I say softly.

I love a lot of things about her smile. It’s full of warmth, of sunshine, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a cold February day outside. Here, right now, I’m content and warm.

February days in New England are endless. They’re unforgiving, short, dark, and cold. There’s no illusion anymore like there is with Christmas. The lights are down, and it’s dark, and you’re left waiting, hoping for spring, and some days, it seems like that’s never going to come.

“Hey yourself,” she whispers.

The light hits her face just right that I…

“No way.” A soft chuckle escapes me.

“What?”

I trace my thumb over the corner of her bottom lip. “Can’t believe I didn’t see this until now. You had a lip ring.”

“Game recognizes game.” Her voice is all rough from sleep, and for someone who’s almost always running around, I soften toward this quieter, more vulnerable version of her.

Cassie rolls over, grabs her phone, checking the time. “Shit. Matt needs me to pick up Ruby early. I better go.”

Well, that doesn’t last long. I reach out and rub her thigh before rolling out of my side of the bed.

She’s frantically typing out a message on her phone, not even looking up as I head downstairs, make us two cups of coffee, then come back up.