Damaged Hart: Hart Pursuit Trilogy Book One

by Paige, Violet

  I ducked as he shuttled me into his car. I rubbed the palms of my gloves together and waited for him to turn on the heat.

  AJ started the ignition and turned the heat to highest setting. “What was Becca talking about back there?”

  “That townhouse on the end by Becca and Travis is for rent now. They want us to move in next door and be neighbors. A Four’s Company scenario or something.” I tried to laugh it off. My stomach was in knots. It wasn’t the way I pictured we’d talk about this.

  “Really? That place I broke in to the night after their party?”

  He backed out of the parking lot and soon we were on the roads, slowly being covered by snow. The windshield wipers struggled to keep up with the monster flakes.

  “From what Becca said, someone bought it as an investment, did some renovations, and now it’s a rental.”

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  It was the moment my heart fell into my stomach. “Th-think?”

  “Yeah. About the place. We were in there once. Seemed nice. Did it need a lot of renovations? I thought it looked pretty good. Want to do it?” He reached for his water bottle.

  My head whipped in his direction. I followed a bead of sweat from his brow down the angular line of his jaw. If I focused on how irresistibly sexy he was instead of how he casually suggested we should move in together, I might be able to keep breathing.

  “You think we should rent that townhouse? You’re serious?”

  We pulled into the parking garage in the back of AJ’s building. He turned the ignition off and faced me.

  “Not if you’re not. But yeah, I want to do it.”

  I wasn’t cold anymore. Or scared. All of the reservations and fears dissolved.

  I leaned across the seat as AJ moved toward me. His hands tangled in my hair, drawing me toward him.

  “Is that a yes?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Let’s do it.”

  Nineteen

  A few weeks later, it happened.

  “I think that’s it.” I spun around to face the room. I had successfully unpacked every item on my side of the closet. It was strange that on the left was a stack of jeans, men’s suits, and a collection of sports team T-shirts. They smelled faintly of AJ. I wondered when he walked in if he looked at my array of pinks and yellows and wondered what he had gotten into.

  Did I have too many pairs of high heels? Too many handbags and sets of earrings? Did my belt collection take up too much space? There was no way to hide how much I shopped and how much I loved it. I could conceal my purchases in my own apartment, but now my dirty little secret would be exposed.

  AJ kicked a cardboard box into the hall. “Last one of mine. I’m finished unpacking in this room at least.”

  The expression on his face said everything. I was worried about nothing. He didn’t give a shit about my accessories or mini-skirts. He wanted this. He wanted me. He wanted us to live together under the same roof. Share the same bed. Split the groceries. Fight over the covers. All of the mundane stuff I was afraid would suffocate us, he was ready to dive into head first.

  “How’s it going in there?” He tipped his head toward the walk-in closet.

  I hopped on a step stool to stuff a cashmere sweater on the top shelf.

  “Ok, now I’m finally done with all my clothes. I think we have used every square inch of this closet. Maybe this townhouse isn’t big enough for us,” I teased.

  “We need more space?”

  I looked down at him. I had finally found a way to scare him.

  “No. I donated a lot over the last few weeks. I really thinned out my wardrobe. I can do another round if you think I need to.”

  “So what you’re saying is that you need less clothes?” He waggled his eyebrows. “I can help with that Sydney Miller.”

  “No. No. No,” I protested, squirming but cornered on my small platform.

  I squealed when AJ’s hands wrapped on my waist and plucked me off the stool. My legs folded around him as he carried me out of the closet.

  He threw me on the bed and pounced with a growl. “Do you know how much I fucking love that we’re doing this?”

  I bit my lip, staring into the dark pools of his eyes. “Tell me,” I taunted.

  His hand wrapped around my thigh. “I’d rather show you.”

  I smiled. “Like the first night we broke in here? Drunk and out of our minds.”

  He laughed. “Do you know how many times I think about that night? You on your knees,” he groaned. “Those big blue eyes looking up at me.”

  My breath hitched in the back of my throat. I thought about that night all the time too.

  “It would have been a crime to let someone else move in here, especially after what we did in the sunroom.”

  I reached between us, sliding my hand along his zipper and feeling just how hard he was. “Maybe we should re-enact that,” I teased. I rubbed his cock through the jeans, aching for him to be inside me. To fill me with a powerful force. “Let’s pretend it’s the first night,” I whispered.

  Even though we didn’t have sex that first night, it had twisted our sexual energy together like some kind of erotic binding. Neither of us could have predicted the way our bodies singed and quenched each other at the same time.

  AJ jumped up from the bed before I could protest. He pulled me toward him and then tossed me over his shoulder. I giggled.

  “What are you doing?”

  He slapped my ass as he jogged down the stairs, balancing me with a strong grip. “Taking you to the sunroom. Reenactment christening of the new place sounds like the way we should start tonight. Maybe how we should start every night.”

  “Do you always return to the scene of the crime?” I almost tried to kick myself free, but with the stairs and the railing, I was reminded to stay still or else we would crash and fall. “And champagne. Don’t forget I bought champagne to celebrate.”

  He detoured through the kitchen, knocking my feet into the side of the freezer when he spun to collect the champagne.

  “Ouch.”

  “Sorry, babe.” He reached for the bottle.

  “And glasses. I think there are some up there.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t need one. I think I’ll be drinking my share off you.”

  “Oh shit,” I whispered as he took confident strides to the open sunroom. “You’re serious about this.”

  “I’m so fucking hungry for you right now. It’s serious, Syd.” He turned off the lights as he carried me to the adjoining room. It was almost like it was the night he jimmied the lock and snuck us inside the empty house.

  Everything was upside down, but the zing bouncing around my body was unmistakable. I wanted him. My core was already twitching. My breath erratic. My nipples tingling with anticipation. That was the thing about AJ. His promises turned me on. His kisses made me melt in his hands. His body made me commit every sin in the book. I was his. Trapped under a spell I wasn’t interested in escaping.

  He dragged his lips across mine. “I did want you that night. You know that, right?”

  I nodded. “Your stupid gentleman rules,” I teased.

  His hand coasted over my hips and ran between the elastic band on my pants and my skin.

  “I think this is where we started,” he taunted as his strummed over my clit possessively.

  I bit my lip, trying to stay on my feet. “No shirt,” I whispered. “Remember?”

  AJ’s white teeth gleamed through his smile. “That’s right.”

  He reached for the edge of my sweater. My arms instinctively reached overhead. I smiled at him. Was reenacting our first night together sexier than the first time? Was it hotter because we were more connected? We were at the beginning of another chapter and it took things to a level I’d never experienced with another man. I quivered, waiting to see what AJ had planned.

  He kissed my stomach, running his tongue to my breasts.

  “Knock. Knock.” Becca tapped on the backdoor while walking in at the
same time.

  “Fuck,” AJ groaned, scrambling to tuck my clothes in place and trying to straighten out his pants. I hid behind him, mortified and furious we had been interrupted.

  “Oh hey.” Becca grinned. Travis was next to her. “I brought a bottle of red to welcome you to the neighborhood.” Travis held up the bottle. “Just a little house warming. Of course we’ll bring something else later.”

  We didn’t need any gifts. We actually didn’t need any visitors.

  I skirted out from behind AJ. “Thank you.” I gritted my teeth, trying to form a smile. Was this how it was going to be? Drop by visits? We hadn’t spent our first night in the townhouse and they were already here.

  “Hey man.” Travis and AJ shook hands.

  “Thanks for the wine.” AJ took the bottle and hurried to the kitchen.

  “Oh, it looks like you were getting ready to have a toast.” Becca saw the champagne on the table. She swished her hair over her shoulder. “Should we all toast together?”

  I wanted to groan, but I had better manners than that. “That would be great,” I lied.

  “I think I know where some glasses are,” AJ offered. We had no intention of using glasses when it was only the two of us. I had a promise from him about licking champagne off my body. We didn’t need glassware or cups. Damn it.

  Becca glanced around. “This place is going to look incredible when you have a chance to decorate.”

  Travis shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled into the living room. “Nice TV.”

  “It’s not mine.” I shrugged. “AJ likes sports. I guess you know that.”

  Travis laughed. “What are you going to watch on here?”

  I was currently hooked on a new show, but I doubted Travis had much interest. “I binge a lot,” I admitted.

  “Really? What shows?”

  I looked over my shoulder. AJ and Becca were in the kitchen scrambling cups together and looking for a wine opener.

  “Everything,” I answered. “Game of Thrones. Breaking Bad. House of Cards. Oh, and I just started this new show, The Americans.”

  “I fucking love that show.”

  I was shocked. “You’ve seen it? The girl from Felicity is on there.”

  “Yeah. She’s hot.”

  I laughed. “Is that the real reason you watch it?” I tested.

  “No. I think it’s cool as hell. Russian spies right here in D.C. back in the 80s. I watch all those. You have a dark TV side too.”

  I cocked my hip to the side. “I guess it’s a little dark.” I hadn’t thought it about it that way, but he was right. Nothing was uplifting. Someone always died. People lied. The music was ominous. I hadn’t stockpiled a list of romcoms on my watch list. I didn’t know why. I hadn’t thought about it until Travis pointed it out.

  “I had no idea we liked the same shows, Travis. Maybe we could do a TV night.” I wasn’t sure why I offered. I blurted it out without thinking.

  “Not when there’s a game on.”

  I shook my head. “No. Wouldn’t dare.”

  AJ and Becca walked in, each with an extra glass of wine.

  “To our new neighbors.” Becca raised her glass in the air.

  “New neighbors,” we repeated.

  We drank that bottle as well as finished off the champagne. By the time Becca and Travis stumbled out we were exhausted and a little drunk. We had moved all weekend and it was well past midnight. My hopes of hot wild sex with my sexy rugged boyfriend in the sunroom had been extinguished. My back and arms hurt from lugging boxes even though AJ did most of the heavy lifting.

  I grabbed the banister. “I can’t believe we have to go to work tomorrow,” I whined, forcing my body to climb the stairs.

  “It sucks, but I have a new case. I wish I could call in and work on the house.”

  “What kind of case?”

  I walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. I had to soak in hot water for a few minutes before I fell asleep.

  AJ brushed his teeth and watched me in the mirror. “Recruitment,” he replied. “There’s a specialty agent I need to bring in.”

  The water felt good on my shoulders. I moaned out load.

  “Are you ok in there?” AJ joked.

  “I was fine earlier, but I think sitting and drinking all night just made me start to ache.”

  He spat in the sink and turned off the water running in the sink. “I’m going to need to install extra locks. And maybe a camera system on all the doors.”

  I huffed. “To keep the neighbors out?”

  He peeled the shirt over his sculpted body. “We need a warning if they are going to do that all the time. I’ll talk to Travis.” He stepped out of his jeans and opened the shower door. “He’s got to know he can’t barge in here like that.”

  I stared at awe at the man in front of me. I didn’t care that he hadn’t had a chance to warm up under the water yet. I slid my wet body against his.

  “Please no more barging,” I pleaded. “I wanted tonight to be this. You and me.”

  “Me too, babe. Me too.”

  I was exhausted and sore, but a wicked idea hit me. I licked my lips as the water splashed on my face. I sank to my knees. “I wanted to christen tonight the same way we did our first night in this place. We won’t have another chance to make this night happen again. This is it.”

  “Oh shit.” AJ’s eyes closed. He leaned into the tile behind him as I fisted his cock in my hand. He feathered his fingers in my hair, nudging me to inhale him with one thrust. I groaned as he pushed between my lips, filling my mouth, grunting as he worked his shaft to the back of my throat.

  I opened my eyes to witness the pleasure he felt. To see how I could feed his carnal appetite as I sucked and licked. The water dripped along his heated cheeks. His dark lashes, dipped in shower droplets, glistened. I saw the way his mouth parted as his breathing turned to pants and grunts.

  I worked faster, knowing he would come in my throat at this pace. Both his hands held my head, encouraging me. I purred deeply. I was so turned on. So wrapped up in giving him this.

  “Syd, I’m going to come. I want you.”

  I moaned a no, denying him. I didn’t want to move. This was everything. He had no idea how much I loved the feel of him in my mouth. How I loved watching his athletic body writhe because of me.

  “If I can’t fuck you, touch yourself. Now,” he commanded.

  My eyes flared under his orders as my fingers slipped between my legs, already spread wide for more leverage on the shower floor. I whimpered at the first contact. It was too much. I was too ready. Too eager. Too turned on to deny the sensation that flooded my body as soon as my fingers rubbed against my swollen nub.

  AJ jolted and sputtered under the shower as his release hit him. I howled out, sinking onto my fingers as the orgasm spiraled through me. We both rocked harder and faster, climbing and then falling.

  I sighed as he pulled his cock from my lips. I looked at him and smiled.

  I rose to my feet. The hot water trickled between us.

  “You’re incredible,” AJ whispered.

  “I know.” I giggled.

  He turned me around, planting my hands on the shower wall. His mouth landed on the side of my neck as his hands covered my body. He tugged and twisted my nipple while his fingers pushed inside me. I opened up to him, wanting and needing his friction.

  “I need you to come again,” he growled.

  I nodded, knowing he was serious. He wanted to see the same look of pleasure in my eyes that I saw in his. He wanted to know he gave it to me, no matter how it was delivered. I gasped as his lips moved over my shoulder blades and down my backside.

  “AJ,” I moaned, but he was on a mission. A mission to taste me. To devour me. He wasn’t going to back off or back down until he had what he wanted.

  I jutted my hips backward and he growled with approval. I pressed my palms into the tile, steamed over from the heat inside our new shower. I didn’t care anymore that we hadn’
t christened the sunroom. I didn’t care that Becca and Travis had screwed up our first night plans. I didn’t care about anything other than what AJ planned to do with my body.

  “Oh shit,” I whimpered when his fingers spread my slick folds wide. The water trickled over my back as AJ maneuvered himself under my arm. He kissed me roughly, before taking one of my nipples in his mouth.

  He groaned as he tugged it between his teeth. The release from his mouth was more painful than the pressure. He left my tits with a stinging ache. He slid against the wall until he was positioned between my legs.

  He worked my clit with precision as I rocked back and forth, sending my heated center see-saw’ing until he had me exactly where he wanted me.

  “Don’t move,” he warned.

  My head fell back into the steady stream of water as his tongue plunged inside my entrance.

  He was relentless. Licking. Sucking. Nipping as I began to quiver. I slammed my hands into the wall. The sensations heightened everything around us. The water felt hotter. His fingers digging into my waist felt stronger. The breaths we took sounded louder. I dared to look down. The ravenous look in his eyes was overpowering. He feasted, searing me with stimulation so intense it felt wicked and dirty. The dirtier we were, the more turned on I became, until I was begging for more. Pleading for him to release me.

  It was already an avalanche, but every time I quaked with want, AJ turned up the heat, pushing and pumping until the screams escaped my throat as I came in his mouth. A rush of pain and pleasure consumed me as I tried to contain the spiral the orgasm released.

  My head rolled to the side and I went limp in his arms, collapsing in a heap in AJ’s lap.

  He kissed my neck. “Feel any better?”

  I nodded. “You’re going to have to take me to bed. I can’t walk. My legs are useless after that orgasm.”

  He laughed, standing up and turning off the water. “I guess that last one was too much?”

  “No. No. Never too much when you do that,” I protested. He heard me beg. He knew I loved it. Craved it.

  He wrapped me in a towel and laid me down in our fresh sheets with the new comforter. It was one of the only new things we had in the townhouse. Everything else was a blend of our two apartments. I wanted the highest Egyptian cotton count I could find. I wanted our bed to feel like we were sleeping in a cloud.