Heart's Desire (Game of Hearts Series Book 2)

by Sarah Alabaster

  Thankfully he has me firmly under him so I can’t go anywhere. I want him inside of me now, and my channel aches for him to possess me. I push at his shoulders, trying to move him to where I most want him, but he won’t budge. Seems like he has his own plans that won’t be rushed.

  “Devin. Please,” I beg as he licks between my breasts. My head twists as it becomes more difficult to breathe. When his teeth graze the peaks, I moan from the sensation.

  “My baby likes it when I bite on her nipples.”

  Taking my other breast into his hand, he squeezes harder than he ever has before, then bites my nipple.

  This time I scream as I come from the assault. I didn’t realize I could come from having my breasts played with, but with Devin, nothing is like it ever was before, so why should this be any different?

  “Fuck, you’re beautiful. I can’t wait to be inside you. I’m so hard I can barely wait any longer.”

  “Don’t wait. Stop waiting.”

  He chuckles as he nudges himself between my legs.

  “Baby, I was going to make this day up to you, but I can’t seem to hold off any longer.”

  Resting his forehead against mine, I feel the tip of his penis as it begins to enter my wet pussy. My flesh is on fire after that climax, and I don’t want him to go slow, so I grab his ass, fondling the area until my finger probes into his asshole.

  Surprised by the assault, Devin drives into me in one thrust.

  “Jesus, Clara!” he moans.

  I wince. He’s rather large, and most of the time we go slow so I can accommodate for his size.

  “You okay?”

  He’s about to pull out when my legs wrap around him, stopping him from escaping.

  “Fuck me, Devin. Just like this. Fuck me.”

  I’ve never talked like this before. Hell, I didn’t know I could, but right now I can’t bring myself to say anything else.

  Kissing me hard as I squeeze his ass again, Devin begins to pull out before he thrusts back in again, making my head go back and my eyes roll. It feels so good. His pace increases until he’s about ready to explode, and then he slows his strokes. Over and over he continues to pound into me, and I love every minute of it, but the buildup is becoming too much, and it won’t allow me to explode as I want.

  I realize I need to take some control and break his concentration so we can both come right now. My hand lowers between our bodies and I find my clit. Without cluing him into my intentions, I make my finger wet with my juices. Then I grab his ass as he continues to thrust into me—fast at first, then slow, fast again, then slow again. He’s driving me so crazy my body is shaking as the buildup goes on for what seems like hours.

  I watch his face, knowing he’s not thinking about anything of what I’m about to do. He’s only concentrating on pleasing me, pleasing us. When I squeeze his ass this time, my legs wrap around his thighs, holding him in place.

  His eyes fly open as my finger penetrates past the tight ring of muscle. Unable to resist the urge to move us along, I fuck his ass as he continues to thrust into me—only this time, he can’t slow down.

  “Fuck! Jesus, Clara! Stop… Don’t stop… Fuck!”

  “Oh God!” I say when he goes so deep I can feel him hit my uterus. I want to feel him pulsate inside me, and fill me with his warmth.

  “Please, Devin, don’t hold off.”

  Saying the words releases his control. Then his head goes back and his finger presses against my clit until I scream my release, triggering his as well.

  Collapsing on top of me, both of us sweaty and out of breath, he chuckles, kissing my lips.

  “You can remove your finger now, sweetheart.”

  Not realizing it was still inside his ass, I smile as I pull it out with a pop.

  “Fuck,” he says, as I feel his cock harden again. “I think we need to explore each other more.”

  His mischievous grin makes me laugh as I wrap my legs around him, holding him in place. Feeling him harden once again.

  “I would enjoy that.”

  His eyes widen as he flips us over.

  “You ride me, honey.”

  Taking his cock into his hand, my legs on either side of him, he pushes my hips down as he enters me. He watches my reaction as I slowly lower myself onto him until I’m flush with his body.

  His jaw clenches with the effort it takes to hold back, but he waits for me. After a few minutes, he grabs my breasts with both hands and pulls me gently toward his face.

  I think he wants a kiss, but instead his face lands between my breasts, kissing my chest as his hips thrust upward. Taking the hint, I rock as he glides us back and forth. Then I can’t take it anymore and pull up before lowering back down onto his cock. Over and over until we find a rhythm. His hands hold my hips as I rise and lower myself until he flips us again and takes control.

  I love it when he takes control of my body. It makes me feel sexy and cherished and loved.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning, I wake up refreshed, with a renewed confidence I couldn’t imagine before. Looks like Mr. Man is going to be a fantastic protector, since he’s already been able to protect me from myself.

  Who knew? Oh yes, he did. Bastard.

  Laughing to myself, I notice that he’s not in bed next to me. Wandering through the apartment, I find him behind the counter making breakfast.

  “Morning, beautiful.”

  “Morning yourself, handsome.”

  I kiss him on the cheek as he regards the contents of the fridge.

  “What would you like for breakfast today?”

  “Whatever you’re in the mood to make sounds great to me.”

  Smiling and seemingly happy with himself, he looks like the cat who ate the canary. His grin couldn’t get any wider as he turns to start the eggs, toast, and turkey bacon.

  Mmm, my favorite.

  “How’d you sleep?” I ask, fully aware of the answer but wanting to hear him say the words.

  “Fan-tastic,” he answers as he pours orange juice in the glasses I placed on the counter for us.

  “I didn’t wake you last night with any of my nightmares?”

  “No. It was an uneventful night.”

  I’m taken aback by his response, and a little unable to hope for the best.

  “Don’t get used to it,” I mumble, knowing he will hear me but hoping he won’t acknowledge it.

  “Why do you say that?”

  Puzzled and a little bit annoyed, he takes a step back.

  “It’s just… I’ve had them for so long, I don’t think they’re just going to stop.”

  “Let me ask you something.”

  Uh-oh, I think as he watches the eggs cook and places the toast in the toaster.

  “Sure. Go ahead.”

  “I know we talked about this before, but have you spent any time with anyone at night since the attack happened? I mean, other than your friends, of course—and the relationship with Roger.”

  Where’s he going with this? I wonder as I watch him work.

  Up until we moved in together, I hadn’t thought about having anyone near me at night at all, but I don’t say this aloud.

  “No, I haven’t wanted to do that to anyone, so I avoided it at all costs. You know this, though. Why do you ask?”

  “Here’s my thinking. You’ve spent the last decade in a cocoon of internal hell reliving the whole ordeal in your head, over and over. Knowing you the way I do, it’s most likely because you want to know what you could have done differently.”

  He’s right about that.

  “But I think that isolation has done more harm than good.”

  Now he has me curious.

  “What do you mean?” I ask, snapping a little.

  “Relax, let me vocalize my thoughts on this.”

  He places his hands up, palms facing me, as a gesture of surrender.

  “I’m thinking that since you really had no one to look after you, Roger doesn’t count as much since you were re
covering for that relationship. You also spent so long looking over your shoulder that you really never had the time to think about anything else.”

  He watches me as he cooks, contemplating how to best explain his thoughts.

  “At least that would explain the flinching thing, and the high-alert thing.”

  “What high-alert thing?”

  “Honey, don’t you remember thinking I was stalking you?”

  “Oh yeah. That.”

  “Yeah, that.”

  “I think that’s normal given all you’ve been through. I’m not going to upset you and call it paranoid.”

  My eyes snap to his in anger.

  “Not calling it paranoid, remember? We’ll go with vigilant.”

  Okay, can’t really argue with that logic.

  “I think that the more you feel my presence during the night next to you, the more you’ll begin to settle down. Someday, just maybe, we’ll be able get the nightmares to ease to something a lot less drastic than they are now.”

  It would be fantastic if we could do that. Then I wouldn’t feel so guilty about sleeping next to him. The thing is, I could sleep on the couch or in a light sleep, but I just can’t be away from him that long. My body needs him like oxygen, which is scary in itself. Being without him is like not having a limb or not being able to breathe.

  I go around the counter and stand in front of him. As he drinks in the sight of my near nakedness, I realize that nothing is stopping me, and I wrap myself around this man that I love.

  “So, your thoughts are that as long as we maintain a routine of security and solidify our union with love, trust and respect, the nightmares may lessen and eventually go away altogether?”

  “Pretty much, though I think them disappearing completely is a stretch. I don’t think you’ll ever lose them entirely, but I believe we can ease them quite a bit.”

  “You’re a genius, you know that, right?” I say with all the hope in the world. “Though I have my misgivings that this will actually work, I believe you may be on to something.”

  “Wow, you’re really not believing in my observations and ideas? Really? Well, let’s go with what we know already. Since I moved in, the nightmares have been less frequent and even manageable since after that first night. Correct?”

  “So, it seems.”

  “And, if I’m also not mistaken, we have been together every night for weeks now. Correct?”

  “Correct.”

  I’m rolling my eyes at this point of fact.

  “I know this isn’t a cure for anything, but I do know from recent experience that the security you feel is helping your subconscious feel safer. Or at least safe enough to relax while you’re asleep. And since that’s the best we can hope for for now, I’m taking this as a win for us.”

  God, I love watching this man brainstorm.

  “I’m taking it as a win for us, too, then.”

  “Good.”

  “Good.”

  I take the last strip of bacon from his hand and bite off a hunk.

  He smirks and snatches the rest away, shoving the remaining piece into his mouth.

  “What’s on the agenda today?”

  “Well, I have to work for most of the day. It seems my boyfriend kidnapped me and made it a little hard to do an honest day’s living. I’m going to have to make it up today by working a little harder than normal.”

  “Poor baby. Sounds like a real cad of a man, if you ask me.”

  “Nah, he’s alright.”

  He pinches my ass hard as he walks away, making me yelp as I place our dishes in the dishwasher and clean up the breakfast mess. He makes his way toward the bedroom, stripping as he prepares to take a shower.

  I finish cleaning up, watching him as he takes off one article of clothing at a time.

  I decide work can wait a bit longer, and head off to join him.

  ***

  Relaxed is a state of being I’m not accustomed to, but man, I could really get used to it.

  Devin decides to give me some space while I work through the afternoon and well into the evening. I’m unaware of the time passing me by until a plate lands in front of me.

  “What’s this?” I exclaim, barely looking up from my laptop.

  “Dinner. I know you’re busy, but you need to eat something. I don’t think you’ve left this desk since this morning.”

  Looking toward the window, I realize the day has completely gotten away from me.

  “Crap, you’re right. What time is it?”

  I rub my now-burning eyes as I look away from the screen.

  “Nine thirty.”

  “Holy shit! No way!”

  It can’t be that late. Wow, this day just flew by.

  “You almost done for the day?”

  “Yeah, just need to finish these last few sentences for this report, then I’m all yours for the night.”

  Mischief dances in his eyes as his finger grazes his lower lip in contemplation.

  “I’ll have to work for the next few days to really make headway, but this should all be done before the weekend.”

  “Okay, no kidnapping until the weekend at least.”

  “Thank you.”

  Smirking and unable to contain himself, he runs his fingers through my hair, shifting it to one side past my shoulder. As he kisses the now-exposed area, my lids begin to drift closed.

  His hands work on my shoulders as he keeps kissing my neck. I’m so relaxed that I’m about to slide off the chair.

  “Okay, I’m done.”

  I slam the lid closed.

  Turning abruptly, he twists us so that he’s now sitting in the chair, and I’m astride him, nose to nose.

  “Whatcha doing?” I ask, clearly aware of his intentions.

  “Christening your office.”

  I love where his mind is headed as we try not to fall out of my office chair—or break the thing.

  Damn, I should’ve bought the larger chair. I’ll order that on Monday.

  Then all coherent thoughts are lost as his tongue works its way down my neck.

  Oh, that tongue of his, and what he can do with it.

  Definitely need a bigger chair.

  ***

  There’s a feeling you get when you think someone is watching you. A feeling of unease as eyes you don’t see bore into you. The hairs on the back of your neck seem to stand at attention as your heart beats a bit faster. Your mind frantically runs over scenarios that seem unrealistic for other than one in a million—even if you are that one in a million.

  That’s the feeling I’ve had all day today, and yesterday, too, for that matter.

  Someone is watching me.

  Watching me make my way to the Starbucks I frequent around the corner from my condo. Watching me order my sesame bagel with cucumber cream cheese. Watching me as I make my way to our favorite table just outside on the sidewalk.

  Someone is out there, I can just feel it, and it’s starting to make me really uneasy.

  “What’s wrong?” Devin asks, sitting next to me at our usual table. “You’ve been twitchy all day.”

  He doesn’t seem to have the same feeling of being watched that I do. Then again, he’s never been in a situation that warranted these instincts to kick into overdrive.

  “Nothing,” I say nonchalantly, even though I am anything but. I’m actually downright terrified, but I just don’t want to bring it to his attention—yet.

  “Full disclosure, remember?” He says as he regards me.

  He’s giving me this I-know-there’s-a-problem look.

  “Fine,” I snap.

  Crap, I don’t mean to snap at him, especially when he’s trying so hard to take care of me. Taking a breath, I decide I need to tell him sooner or later anyway.

  Here goes nothing.

  “I think someone’s watching me.”

  Devin doesn’t even take a moment to process what I’m saying. He just pulls me into his lap, surrounding me with his warmth, love, and most of all, securi
ty.

  This man has always been possessive of me, and the thought of a threat of any kind—real or imaginary—brings out the protector in him.

  “Wow, okay. I did need this. Thank you.”

  Breathing in his masculine scent, I take a moment to calm my nerves.

  “Why do you think someone is watching you? When did this start exactly?”

  I can’t make out his expression since I’m curled into his chest so snuggly.

  Do I tell him, and risk having him believe I’m just being paranoid again?

  Just tell him. Full disclosure, remember?

  “It started yesterday afternoon. That feeling of eyes following my every move, making the hairs on my neck stand at attention.”

  He pulls me away just enough to see my expression, probably trying to decide if I’m going nuts right now.

  “Then it happened again today, when I went for my morning fixes. That feeling, like someone was behind every corner, waiting in the shadows to pounce on me.”

  “Is this the first time since you lived here that you felt like this?”

  “No, that’s what’s strange. It started yesterday, midafternoon, then stopped for a while. I didn’t feel it again until now. Don’t you believe me?”

  Eyes shining with unshed tears, I can’t believe the despair those words have fostered inside me.

  “Baby, whatever you’re thinking right now is not what I’m thinking at all. Listen to me when I tell you this. You listening?”

  I nod, and we make our way back to the condo to have this conversation in private. Once we’re inside, Devin continues.

  “This person may be targeting you to get to me.”

  “What?”

  “Honey, you just don’t know what’s happening, and I don’t want us using blinders in any way while we figure this out.”

  “Why would someone be out to get you?”

  “Well… The thing is…”

  Brows pressed together, I suddenly take in the seriousness of the situation.