by Bo Reid
“I never want to be without you either. God Kasen, I was so fucking worried that I was going to lose you” she says and finally the tears start to fall, I wipe them away.
“Hartley, I love you. I think I’ve known that for a while, but I was too scared to say it. Afraid you wouldn’t feel the same way. But maybe if I had told you sooner, you wouldn’t have been so worried about this. Maybe we haven’t known each other long, and we’ve officially been together for even less time. But Hartley, I fucking love you with everything I have in me. You are mine. You are My Hart.”
Hartley moves back on the bed and pulls me closer to her. I plant a soft kiss on her lips and settle between her legs. She glides her hands down my chest and hooks her fingers in the waistband of my boxers, pulling them down while I kiss down her neck. She wraps her legs around my waist and pulls me closer.
“I love you, Kasen,” she whispers against my lips, as I enter her.
She lets out a soft moan, and I nip at her bottom lip as she runs her fingernails down my back, pulling me closer. I reach for the hem of my shirt she’s wearing and take it off. I move my hips in a circle while still deep inside her, and she moans again. Grabbing her hips, I pull her up while I pull out, and push deep inside her.
“I love you, Hartley,” I whisper.
I reach my hand between us, and rub her clit in circles, causing her to moan and wiggle her hips, silently asking for more.
“Tell me what you want My Hart,” I tell her as she grips my forearms.
“I want you to fuck me, Kasen,” she says.
I smile, such a foul mouth. I love it. I lean down and kiss her before saying,
“Yes, ma’am.”
Quickly, I pull out of her, flip her onto her stomach, wrap my arm around her waist, and bring her onto her knees with her ass in the air. I slide back into her, and we both moan. With one arm around her waist, I start rubbing circles around her clit, placing my other hand on her shoulder to keep her still while I fuck her just the way she likes.
I feel her legs start to shake and I know she’s close, she pushes her ass back, asking for more. I speed up the pace of my thrusts and add more pressure to her clit. She comes, screaming my name, loudly. I chase my own release, moaning when I come and we collapse on the bed. Rolling onto my side, I pull her close to me.
“Don’t keep anything else from me. You’re My Hart. Mine,” I tell her. She nods and wiggles closer to me.
We stare out at the view around us, soaking in the scene and all that has happened in the last few months. I’m not sure where I would be today if not for her crashing into my life the moment she did. And I never want to find out what would become of me if I ever lost her.
Chapter 36: Black Roses
Hartley
It’s been a long, wonderful week; I can’t believe I let myself get so worked up over this pregnancy. I should have known that Kasen wouldn’t walk away, that he feels the same way about me that I feel about him. I should have seen the way he looks at Brooks, the way he claims him as his own. How fiercely he protects both of us.
I should have realized that Kasen is meant to be a father. I can’t go back and take away the time we lost from the moment I found out I was pregnant, but from here on out, I can do better. And I will.
We had Brooks first birthday over the weekend, and it was perfect. Just a small dinner with Sol, Kasen, Ace and his wife Ava, and Martha. It couldn’t have been more perfect. We decided to wait a few more weeks before we tell anyone I’m pregnant, but I’m not worried in the least. Not as long as I have Kasen.
“My Hart, it's late, we should head out. Little man is waiting for us,” Kasen says from the doorway.
I look around at all the work I have left to do. I’ve been packing donation bags all day. These bags hold everything someone might need to survive in an emergency. We give them to people who live in areas that are in danger of suffering from a natural disaster, as well as families in third world countries. Just one of the many charities we run through Wild Hart.
“I really want to finish these tonight. The truck will be here early in the morning, and I’d rather not have to get up an hour early to come in and finish,” I tell Kasen.
“Then let me help.”
“No, you’re right, we should get Brooks. Why don’t you go get him from Martha’s and take him home? I’ll be done in an hour or so, and I can just meet you back at the house.”
“Are you sure? I can help you get these done quicker.”
“I’m sure, I’ve got a system going here. And it’s getting late, I’d rather Brooks be home,” I tell him.
“I would rather you be home; I can stay and get these done and you can get Brooks. Or we can go together, and I’ll get up early to finish these?”
“Kasen you’re being ridiculous. I’ll be fine, and the longer you argue, the longer this will take me.” I shoot him a fake glare to which he just smiles.
He comes over to me and gives me a hug, and a kiss, running his hand over my belly. He does that at least a few times every day, and I can see it in his eyes; he can’t wait for this baby to be born.
He’s already moved into my room, and he’s started disassembling the furniture in the guest room to transform it into a nursery for the new baby. We decided we don’t want to find out the gender, and that we’ll just do gender neutral for the room just like Brooks’. Kasen has asked me to paint another mural for the new baby.
After Kasen leaves and I get back to packing everything, the bags go by pretty quickly. When I’m finally done, I triple check everything and move them onto the pallets by the back-warehouse door. The truck driver will be here at six in the morning, but Sol said he’ll come in early to supervise the pickup.
I turn off the lights to the storage room and go to pack up my office for the night. When I walk into the hallway that leads to the shop floor, I hear a loud bang.
“Sol? Is that you? I thought you already went home?” I walk down the hall into the store. “Sol?” I call out but no one responds.
Before I even know what’s happening someone grabs me and slams me face first into the wall. One arm is twisted hard behind my back and I yelp at the pain.
“My Hart.”
I suck in a shocked breath and try to keep from panicking. He wrenches my arm harder behind my back, and I squeeze my eyes shut to try to block out the pain. I can feel my bones and joints straining, trying to keep from breaking. As he presses his body into my back he pushes his dick against me.
This cannot be happening.
Again.
“My Hart, I’ve missed you. Are you done fucking around with that convict? Ready to come back where you belong?” he asks as he pushes against me again and breaths on my neck.
I feel him trail kisses down my neck and I try to keep from shivering in disgust.
“Lucas, don’t do this,” I tell him, forcing my voice not to break.
“Don’t do what Hart?” He pushes his hips against my ass. “This?” he asks and laughs softly.
“I can do anything I want to you, Hartley, we’re all alone here. You should have left when your toy did.”
“Please. Lucas. Don’t,” I say, blinking back my tears.
“Begging gets you nowhere Hartley you should remember that. You’re mine. And I can use you however I want.”
He turns me around and pushes my back against the wall, forcing his knee between my legs. He grabs both my wrists and pulls them above my head. Moving his other hand down over my breasts, he cups it roughly. Then he trails it down my stomach, I feel the bile rising up my throat.
He reaches around and cups my ass, leaning close and pressing his body flush against mine. He runs his nose up my neck, I turn my head and will my tears not to fall, but he moves his hand to the button on my jeans and I panic. This cannot happen, not again.
“I’m pregnant,” I blurt out.
Lucas rears back as if I’ve physically slapped him. I see it when my words register, and anger morphs his calm exterior into
a mask of rage. That was apparently not the right thing to say.
“Fucking Whore!” he yells before the back of his hand smacks me across the face. At the same time, he drops his hold on my hands, and I tumble to the floor.
“It wasn’t bad enough that you spread your fucking legs for him once, but you let him knock you up too!” he yells.
I feel the punch hit the side of my face as a loud crack echoes down the empty hallway and pain explodes over my eye.
I reach my hands up to block my face from another punch but the next one lands in the middle of my gut. My breath is forced out of me, and I gasp trying to pull in more air.
“Lucas please don’t!” I yell and move my hands to cover my stomach.
“I’ll take care of that for you,” he says before he lands a kick to my side.
I curl into myself trying to make myself as small as possible and protect my stomach from his brutal beating. Doing whatever I can manage to protect my baby.
I feel the sting and swelling in my face. The bruises are already starting to form on my sides, stomach, and back. He lands a few more hits to my face, and the hallway starts to spin.
I feel blood running down my face. As I taste the iron pouring down my throat I cough, trying to expel the blood from my lungs.
“You’re mine, Hartley! You were promised to me, and I will have you or I’ll take away everything you love before I ruin you,” Lucas seethes, it’s the last thing I register before everything goes dark.
The End-ish
You just finished Broken Hart, book one of The Hart Duet. If you loved Kasen and Hartley’s story, please take a moment to leave a review. As always stalk me in The Graveyard for the latest updates on your favorite characters. And be the first to get Wild Hart book two of The Hart Duet and see what happens to your favorite Montgomery family.
Fun Fact:
As you might have noticed all of the chapter headings in Broken Hart were plant, flower, or tree names. Did you know that each of those named have a special meaning behind them? And if you look up the meanings you can get a small glimpse of that chapters vibes.
Examples:
Chapter 2: Yellow Rose
Meaning: Warm feelings of friendship.
In chapter 2 we started to see the first real glimpse of the future friendship Hartley and Kasen would develop.
Chapter 10: Queen Ann’s Lace
Meaning: Sanctuary
In chapter 10 we saw Hartley’s first real breakdown, as well as her special place, her cliffs, her sanctuary.
Chapter 36: Black Roses
Meaning: death, mourning, new beginnings
In chapter 36, well I think you can remember what that last chapter brought for us.
Acknowledgments
The Hubs I mean I basically can’t write anything without acknowledging you. You put up with my pain in the ass self, and yes, I do know I’m a pain and yet you still love me just the same. Without you, I wouldn’t have any love stories to write. I love you, and you’re stuck with me so you might as well love me too.
“How do I know you?”
“You don’t, I just thought you were pretty.”
Broski, this one is for you because a past doesn’t define character. And you have good character in spades. When it comes to you and me you have always been the one with a good heart and gentle soul. Don’t ever change that. Every day you remind me that what you do isn’t who you are. And bad choices don’t make you a bad person.
“Don’t worry Mark, next time I’ll throw rocks at them!”
Mom, thank you for always acknowledging and encouraging my ‘overactive imagination’ and telling Mark imagination is okay!
“I am Pocahontas.”
Bestie K, there isn’t enough room here to say everything I could say, so here’s the thing, you are my shining fucking star babe. My Ride or die. Over a decade later and not once have we wavered. And this book wouldn’t be what it is had it not been for your obsessive gushing, and ego fluffing. Much appreciated.
“It was Bo!”
“The fuck it was!”
Further Acknowledgments
Beta Bitches, thank you ladies for reading through this, helping me polish it up and for falling in love with this family as much as I did.
Whip Mistress, Omega Wolf, Bo’s Dirty Girl, Sex on Legs, Smexy Queen of Hybrids, Kelly with the Biscuits & Gravy, The Other British Kelly, Kitty with Claws, Alpha Wifey, The Big D, The Other D, The Other other British One
Alpha Wifey Katie, you my dear are more than just my cork board for pinning random ideas and my sounding board for all my crazy; you’re truly one of my best friends, and I am beyond thankful to have met you.
“RYYYAAAANNN!”
*He totally heard that right?
ARCers, I appreciate you guys being willing to read this story, and for patiently awaiting book two.
There are far too many of you amazing readers to name, just know I appreciate each of you.
YOU, the reader, my Reapers. Without you I wouldn’t be able to do this, so just know that I am beyond thankful to have you here. Recently someone discribed my amazing readers, and I couldn’t pass up the chance to put that description here.
The definition of a Reaper: A Group of Loyal Readers. A Cult like following of The Murder Queen.
And last, but never least, the ladies of The Sexy Author Harem, for I truly do not know where I would be without you ladies.
MayDay, MotherFucking Jezebel, CherryPie, Beautiful Jill, Jo Jo on a Roll, Great Jodie, Lovely Leanne, Queenie, and Hubba Bubba
About The Author
Bo Reid is addicted to coffee, swearing, sarcasm, and true crime. She loves hiking, traveling, books, and pit bulls. A mom to one sarcastic little boy, and wife to the perfect book husband. She lives with her family in the mountains of California.
Where to find Bo:
www.Boreidauthor.com
Also by Bo Reid
The Reapers:
Betrayal, Book One
Deception, Book Two (Coming August 19th, 2019)
The Hart Duet
Broken Hart, Book One
Wild Hart, Book Two (Coming Soon)