Two Hearts: Beyond Control (Two Hearts Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to play with your food before you eat it?” He bounced his eyebrow suggestively and wiggled his hips.

  I took a moment to enjoy his amused expression before returning to my work of art. “Nope. Now, where was I?”

  He squirmed, laughing, as I painted a trail of small white hearts down the center of his abdomen and along the length of his erection.

  “So what happens after you finish frosting me?”

  I leaned across the bed to place the bowl on the night table. “You already know the answer to that.” I slid my finger along his lips, depositing one last dollop of cream, then covered his mouth with mine, pushing the whipped cream across his tongue as I kissed him. I pulled back to admire him, devouring him with my eyes. “You look delicious.”

  His smile widened. He tipped his head, exposing his neck and the first heart. “Dig in, babe.”

  I nibbled at his neck, licking and sucking the sweet cream from his fresh, clean body. When the first heart was gone, I continued with the second one and lapped up every drop. Will’s breathing increased with each heart I moved to, following the order in which I’d placed them.

  His occasional gasp or sigh as my lips and tongue explored every inch of him increased my arousal. A tingling energy spread throughout my body. A deep desire to be touched, loved.

  Will shifted his hips when I reached the line of hearts that ran down his abdomen—my own version of a happy trail, paving the way to my prize.

  “Oh damn, babe. This is sweet torture.” His voice was tense, thick with anticipation.

  “Patience, sweetheart.”

  Only one frosted body part remained. He moaned his approval as my mouth glided along the silky surface, my tongue swirling to hit all the right places to take him higher. One last heart to savor. Will hissed as my tongue slid down over it.

  I pressed my thighs together, trying to appease the pulsing that begged for his touch. But there was only one way to satisfy my need to be filled by him. I dragged my lips up his stomach, eager for him to indulge me.

  His eyes opened as he reached for me, sliding his fingers through my hair to grasp it and hold me in place. “Don’t stop.”

  He stretched across the bed, grabbed the bowl from the nightstand, and scooped out the last of the whipped cream. “I think you missed a spot.” A wicked smile spread across his face as he smeared the cream along the length of his erection. He wiped his finger across my mouth before slipping it past my lips, removing the excess. “Aren’t you gonna finish me off?”

  What I really wanted was to have him inside me. To find that connection between us that I’d been missing. I gave him a sweet smile then licked my lips. “Of course. I was just teasing you.”

  I picked up right where I’d left off, and it didn’t take long for Will to find his rhythm again.

  He was getting close, and I swore only one touch from him would put me over the edge too. I clenched my thighs tighter, trying to relieve the throbbing. Each long stroke I drew on him vibrated as I purred with unfulfilled need as much as with the satisfaction of driving him wild.

  “Yeah, right there, babe.” He twisted his fingers in my hair, tightening his grip as he held my head where he wanted it, pulling me harder against him as his pace quickened.

  I pressed his hips to the mattress, pinning him and taking full control of his pleasure with my mouth and hands.

  “Damn, babe, you’re killing me.” A low steady moan echoed in his chest and grew in intensity. “But it. Feels. So. Fucking. Good.”

  His abdomen tensed. His head fell back against the headboard. A feral growl emanated from him, and his body shuddered as he rode out his release.

  I fought against my gag reflex, taking what he gave me until his body relaxed. He eased his fingers from my hair, finally allowing me to disengage. I sat back on his legs, dragging the back of my hand across my mouth as I watched the man I love.

  A satisfied smile covered his peaceful face, and he let out a contented sigh. His eyes opened, meeting mine. He leaned forward to grab my shoulders and pulled me along his chest until our mouths met, rewarding me with a deep, lush kiss. “Now that’s one hell of a welcome home.”

  “I wanted to show you how much I missed you . . .” I settled into his lap, still aching for relief, and rubbed myself along his withering erection. “And how happy I am to have you back home.”

  “And you succeeded. That was amazing.” He pulled me closer, wrapping me in a tight embrace.

  I nuzzled his neck, still grinding against him. “Will?” Desperation laced my voice as I pleaded with him.

  He pressed his lips to the top of my head. “But I think I need another shower now.” Grabbing my hips, he shifted me off his lap then slipped from the bed and crossed the room.

  What the hell? That’s it? Is he freakin’ serious? “Um, Will? Are you coming back?”

  “Of course.” He turned in the doorway to face me, leaning into the trim. “You don’t think I’m going to spend the whole night in here, do you?” He chuckled and shook his head, but he strolled back to me.

  It was a mean joke, making me think we were finished, but I probably deserved it after torturing him. I knew he wouldn’t really leave me hanging.

  He brushed back my hair and lifted my face toward his. “Why don’t you go get dinner set up while I shower.” His words were soft and sweet, like the kiss that followed. “Then we can come back upstairs.”

  He returned to the bathroom and closed the door.

  I let out a deep sigh and tried to adjust to the hollow spot where my heart used to be. “Well that didn’t go as planned, did it?” I slid off the bed, grumbling under my breath as I crossed the room to collect my robe from the closet. “Well, Danni, you can give up, or you can keep on trying. What’s it gonna be?”

  The bathroom door opened just enough for Will to pop his head out, a huge smile on his face. “Oh, and don’t get dressed. You look incredibly sexy like that.”

  Chapter Twenty

  More Lies

  The pop of the champagne bottle greeted me when I entered the dining room carrying the last of the serving platters. Will watched me with an amused smile as I placed the food on the table, barely able to pull my eyes away from him. Loose-fitting lounge pants hung low on his lean hips, tempting me. One tug would have him completely naked again.

  His muscles flexed with each casual movement as he filled our glasses then sat at the end of the table and slid my place setting close to his.

  He barely managed to eat as he rambled on, unusually animated, sharing every minute detail of his trip. The whole time he spoke, he touched my arms or let his hand drop to brush along my legs. After a few minutes, he shifted in his seat, moving closer, and progressed to sliding his fingers along the straps of my garter belt and stroking my thighs above my stockings. His constant attention distracted me and made it difficult to focus on his words or perform even the simplest tasks, like cutting my food or chewing.

  I uncrossed my legs and allowed them to ease apart, gasping when his teasing touch rose higher, sending shockwaves through my already aroused body. His occasional chuckle told me he knew exactly what he was doing and the effect it was having on me.

  I didn’t know how much more I could take before I cleared the dining room table and threw myself across it, begging Will to take me there. All I could think about was our next round of dessert.

  We stood at the same time when we finally finished . . . sort of eating. He grabbed my wrist, stopping me as I reached for his plate, and pulled me to him. The kiss began slow and gentle, his hands framing my face, then grew deeper and more intense, taking my breath away.

  He leaned back, looking at me. “You’re so beautiful. You know that?” He rolled his hips, demonstrating the effect I had on him, before claiming my mouth for another kiss.

  My only response was a soft moan as my body collapsed into his.

  He brushed his cheek along mine. “Why don’t you clean up here while I go unpack?�
�

  I nodded as he peeled me away from him. The moment he left the room, I rushed to complete my task in record time, shoving covered plates of uneaten food into the fridge. I couldn’t wait to join him upstairs.

  Will was already in bed when I entered the room. He greeted me with a smile and patted the empty spot next to him. “Been waiting for you, babe. What took you so long?”

  He laughed when I narrowed my eyes at him before sliding under the covers. Will was on me immediately—kissing me, fondling me, overloading my senses. It had been weeks since he’d touched me like this.

  By the time he moved his hand between my legs, I could barely contain the explosion building inside me. It took only a few strokes for him to push me over the edge, crying out with relief as my body trembled. He held me, continuing to kiss me, as waves of my amazing orgasm washed over me.

  “Wow! That was just . . . wow.” I closed my eyes and sighed, still enjoying the aftershocks.

  “I aim to please.” Will kissed me then rolled to his back and swung an arm above his head—his normal sleeping position.

  “Hey. That’s it?” I leaned over him, poking at his chest.

  He didn’t open his eyes. “Christ, Danielle. What more could you want?”

  “Well, I thought Little Will might want to come out to play.” I tugged at the sheet, exposing his chest, but he grabbed my wrist to stop me.

  His eyes opened and locked on mine, pleading. “Babe, I had a really busy weekend. This was a nice welcome home, but I’m exhausted. Let’s get some sleep.”

  I fell to my back and stared at the ceiling, feeling suddenly empty. Okay, so tonight didn’t go exactly as I’d planned. Why couldn’t I be satisfied with the incredible orgasm I just had? I breathed out a heavy sigh, unable to relax enough to fall asleep. We didn’t actually have sex, but at least he didn’t turn me down. Didn’t blow me off . . . tonight.

  “Will?” I shifted, propping myself on my elbow to look at him.

  “Hmm?”

  “Why didn’t you call or text me all weekend? Were you so mad at me for wanting to spend time with you that you needed to cut me off? I was worried about you, you know. I didn’t know where you were staying. And I couldn’t even reach you on your phone.”

  He turned his head to look at me with a confused expression. “Didn’t Kim call you? She felt bad about not getting the information to me before Friday and said she’d take care of calling you with my arrangements. I’ll have to talk to her about it when I get to the office tomorrow. Find out what happened.” He returned to his relaxed pose, staring at the ceiling.

  “You could have called me yourself, you know?”

  “I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to upset you. I was having trouble getting a signal for some reason.”

  “Really? That seems a little hard to believe. Two whole days and no signal? Not one tiny opportunity to send a text?” I shook my head, amazed. Did he actually think I was stupid? “Even so, I’m sure there was a phone in your room. You could have called from there. But I’m sure you had another good excuse not to. Why don’t you just admit you were avoiding me?” My voice faded. Saying the words out loud was more painful than I’d imagined it would be.

  He turned on his side to face me. “Because I wasn’t. It was late when I got back to my room both nights. I didn’t want to take a chance of waking you.” He brushed my hair from my face, wrapping a curl around his finger. “But you’re right—I should have, and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” He leaned forward, placing a kiss to my forehead. “Why don’t you tell me about your weekend—what did you and Jen do?”

  His question caught me off guard, and I struggled to remember what Jen told me to say. “Um . . . nothing exciting. You know. Just the usual. Boring sister stuff.” I stretched, forcing a yawn and rolling to my back. “You’re right. It’s late. We should probably get some rest.”

  He leaned over me, a deep furrow between his brows. “You okay?”

  “Yeah.” My voice squeaked. I cleared my throat. “Yeah. I’m . . . I just don’t feel so good all of a sudden.” I lifted my head and gave him a quick kiss before turning to lay with my back to him. “I think I just need some sleep.”

  The mattress shifted as Will settled back into his pillow and heaved a heavy sigh.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Set Up Again

  “A note. Can you believe it? A goddamned freakin’ sticky note on the bathroom mirror telling me he couldn’t sleep and went into work early.” Keeping my voice down as I finished recapping my unsuccessful attempt to seduce my husband was nearly impossible but necessary if I wanted to avoid becoming the latest bit of office gossip.

  A few overachievers had already wandered in and continued to conveniently pass by my desk for no apparent reason. Yeah, I looked a wreck. So what? They needed to get a life of their own and stop eavesdropping on mine. My grip on the receiver tightened as I hunched over my desk and braced for Kendra’s reaction.

  Applause drifted through the phone line. “Well, it’s about damn time you get angry at him for treating you like shit.”

  “I hate feeling this way. Jen called on my drive in, tried to calm me down, but even she said something’s off.” I picked up the picture of Will and me, a daily reminder of how happy we’d once been . . . and could be again if he would only cooperate. “I don’t get it. He was really into it, having fun, you know?” I plunked the frame facedown on the desktop with a little more force than intended, but I’d worry about the possibility of cracked glass later. Maybe.

  “Of course he was into it. He’s a guy. You really think he’d turn down a blow job? Personally, I think you were too generous, finishing him off when it wasn’t what you wanted.” She gave a bitter laugh. “Seriously though, what kind of selfless ass thanks his wife by throwing her a quickie O just to shut her up so he can sleep? And don’t even get me started on his pathetic excuses for not contacting you all weekend. Like he can’t get a signal in Chicago . . . give me a break. You have every right to be pissed.”

  I hated that I actually agreed with her assessment of Will for a change and kept my mouth shut.

  “Next time, instead of greeting him in sexy lingerie, you should show up at the door with a meat cleaver, a fist full of sausage links, and a crazed look in your eyes. Tell him you’ve been thinking about him. That’ll get his attention.”

  “Or get me arrested.”

  “You’re no fun.” The laughter in her voice eased some of my tension.

  “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

  “No, I’m . . . pretty sure it’s him.” A strange dismal tone crept into her voice, but the sudden bout of melancholy didn’t last. She cleared her throat and carried on, her usual brazen attitude back in place. “What is his fucking problem anyway? I mean, he must have a problem to keep turning you down, right? Maybe he just needs a little trip to the pharmacy.” Kendra chuckled. “I bet Nico wouldn’t—”

  “Stop. You promised not to push anymore.”

  “Okay, fine. Sorry. You’re right.” She gave a wicked laugh. “But you’re curious now, aren’t you?”

  “Kendra!” Great. With that thought planted in my mind, I’d be fantasizing about him most of the day again. I should probably be angry with her.

  “Alright. Stopping. But seriously, you do need to sit Will’s ass down and find out what the problem is. Trust me, it’s the only way to make it work. No more games. You gotta let him know what you want from your marriage and find out if he’s on the same page. Tonight.”

  “Can’t. His eloquent sticky note ended with a reminder that he would be working late tonight. It’s probably best to give it a few days to settle anyway. And I may even turn in early tonight. Get some rest, you know?” Avoid him.

  A long pause preceded Kendra’s quiet reply. “So, you believe him?”

  “Yes. Maybe . . . hell, I don’t know.” I blew out a heavy sigh. “I have to.”

  Kendra didn’t respond, which created possibly the first ever awkw
ard moment of silence between us.

  “Hey, my boss just walked in. I gotta run. Talk to you later?” He’d be here any minute, so it wasn’t a total lie.

  “Sure. Um, later. Love you, sweetie.”

  The line went dead a few seconds before Peter entered the office, Alexia lagging far behind.

  I pushed the past three days aside and slipped into professional mode. “Good morning, Mr. Jamison.”

  “Danni, good morning to ya.” He paused at my desk. “You feeling okay?”

  I raised my chin and gave a confident nod. “Bit of a rough night, but I’m good to go. Briefing at eight?”

  “Long as you’re up to it. Sure. I just need a few minutes to settle in.” He studied me a moment longer then moved on to his office.

  I turned my attention to his agenda for the day, making sure I had everything organized.

  “Good morning, Danielle. Isn’t it a beautiful day?”

  Alexia’s syrupy greeting made me want to barf or hurl something, but I did the right thing and painted on my best fake smile. “Good morning. You’re in an awfully good mood for a Monday morning.” It should be illegal, or at least kept to herself. “Did you have a good weekend?”

  “Amazing!” Her smile threatened to take over her entire face. She clasped her hands, pulling them to her chest as she floated to the side of my desk. “Would you like to hear about it?”

  Nope. Not at all. I presumed I didn’t have a choice though. A quick glance at the time on my computer confirmed that I still had five minutes to kill. “Um, sure. I have a few minutes.”

  She pulled her long chestnut hair to one side, tugging on it as she talked. “My boyfriend took to me to New York City for a romantic weekend. I’d never been there before. We took a limo and stayed in this beautiful hotel on Fifth Avenue.” She paused, biting at her lip. Her cheeks turned a rosy shade. After peeking at our surroundings, she continued in a whisper. “We barely left our room the whole time.”

  Her shy innocence was endearing and uncommon for a twenty-eight-year-old. I almost felt guilty about tuning out half of what she said, but an odd sense of déjà vu distracted me—the same sense of familiarity I'd had when we met on her first day.