Questing Heart: Fighting Heart Erotic Bad Boy Romance Series Book 2

by Hamilton, Nicole

  “So you tell me, Brandon but you share your bed with Ashley. I heard you, Brandon. I heard you yesterday, the pair of you in that room.”

  Brandon made a small apology of a face, and then shrugged. He rubbed Amanda’s shoulder. “That’s history.”

  Amanda’s face changed. Her eyes started to shine.

  “What’s history?” she said, waiting expectantly.

  “Yesterday is always history,” he said. He pushed into the room and closed the door behind him. Amanda stepped back, enjoying the man’s forcefulness and capitulating inside. She knew this routine. He wanted her and she loved seeing the want in his eyes.

  “Yesterday? Is that it?”

  “Yeah. All I care about is today. You and me. The whole flat is empty, Amanda.”

  “I know,” she said, her body responding to him without her permission. Her stomach fluttered and she felt the same headiness, warmth and weakness in his presence.

  “Aren’t you feeling a little lonely? I know I am?”

  Amanda wanted to say a hundred things in response about all the loneliness he’d made her feel. All the rejection, but instead she melted a little more.

  “Brandon… you don’t have to be lonely. We were lovers…”

  He stepped towards her. “We are lovers,” he replied.

  “Yes… yes…” said Amanda breathily. “But we could be full-time lovers again…” she waited. Brandon didn’t say a word. He stepped towards her, his height filling her presence. Her head tilted back under his, and Brandon scooped an arm around her waist and picked her up.

  “You should be a supermodel, baby. You really could.”

  “I could be your supermodel, Brandon.”

  “You already are, honey.”

  He laid Amanda on her bed. Her eyes glistened with tears of hurt and she blinked them away so he wouldn’t see. He knelt on the bed and towered over her. Her one joy was feeling the heat of lust in his eyes. It gave her some comfort, but not much. He held her slim waist and squeezed her, peeling her leggings down over her slender thighs. She lifted her backside and her legs to help him. He gazed down at her hips and traced the line around the front triangle of her flimsy little panties with his finger. Amanda shivered. His touch, his gaze was amazing. She was growing warm and moist, tingling inside. It was involuntary. It was what Brandon did to her.

  “Do you want to see what you do to me?”

  Amanda smiled. “I love seeing that…”

  Brandon grinned and pointed to her panties “Take these off and then I’ll show you.”

  Brandon dipped his finger into Amanda’s panties and pulled them down slowly exposing the soft mound of her downy brown pubic hair. He tossed the panties aside, and exposed her, all pretence gone, she was hungry for him, forgetting her bitterness. Amanda gave into her own want. She knew what he craved and opened her legs wide to be sure he saw everything she had for him. His eyes fell down to her to gaze upon her naked vagina. “Now you can find out what you do to me,” she whispered, hoping her beauty and the feelings in her body would finally count for something in the world of Brandon Lynes.

  “I love that too…” His eyes were fastened to her slit. Amanda’s hand trailed to Brandon’s crotch, past the pressure of his erection pushing against the denim. She unzipped him, and his thick penis broke free, charging violently past the open zip. The head of his cock was already engorged, the foreskin peeling back from the tip.

  “Do you like?” he said.

  “Yes, baby. Let me show you how much…” She leaned up and kissed the top of his cock, trailing her tongue over its head. And then she lay back and opened her arms.

  “Take me if you want me...”

  Brandon didn’t wait. He dropped his jeans and pushed forward over Amanda’s body. He lifted her legs over his shoulders so they folded and her ankles draped down his back. She felt his fingers find her and sink into to her heat and wetness. Yes, she was ready. He enjoyed parting her lips with his fingers. She helped him, laying her hand over his, and their eyes engaged, locked together in lust. There. The head of his cock pushed through the tightness of her pussy, then forced higher into the fullness of her. Amanda sighed and groaned. Brandon threw his head back. She laid her hands on his manly forearms and ran her fingers up to his biceps and seized hold of them.

  “My supermodel,” he said, over and over as he thrust into her, shifting his position to please her. Amanda sighed knowing she was utterly undone by the sense of him over her, dominating her from within, totally claiming her as his once again. She bit her lip and sighed loudly as the waves of joy ripped across her body, until she could contain it no more. She groaned as her body threw itself into an intense, unbearably sweet orgasm. Brandon fell down over her body, and with a few final pounding thrusts, then unloaded into her at her deepest so that the orgasm lingered in Amanda and started over, claiming her whole abdomen and beyond. Then they were quiet, gently wrecked, and totally entwined.

  She stroked her head as he lay over her. And a smile of victory crept across her face. His penis and seed were deep inside her. Her ‘supermodel’ beauty had won out. Amanda dared hope for a new beginning, starting now. A moment later, Brandon pushed up, and his softening cock withdrew from her.

  “Amanda?”

  “Yes, honey…?” she said with hope rising in her chest, as she felt his cum inside her.

  “I… I”

  “What is it, Brandon?”

  He looked back across his shoulder. “I miss Ashley.”

  What? Amanda’s world titled painfully on its axis. It was like being struck on the head, reeling and trying to stay conscious. “You what…? How could you even say that to me…? After what we…?”

  “I’m just telling you the truth, Amanda…”

  Amanda sat up, pulled her legs to her chest and turned her face away from him.

  “What? Amanda?!”

  She looked at him, hate mingling with the heat of passion.

  “Penny told me Ashley’s finished with you, Brandon. It’s finished, so get over it.”

  “What?”

  “Penny told me Ashley’s gone to Yorkshire. Professor Cantor told her. She’s gone to Yorkshire to find her new literary star. You might even know him. Cody Barnes. That’s right. Cody won a prize and is going to be published, Brandon. I guess Ashley must be as fickle and selfish as you!”

  “You vicious bitch!”

  “Is that what I am? I thought I was your lover, your supermodel!”

  Brandon stepped away and zipped up. Without a goodbye, he stormed to the door and slammed it behind him, leaving Amanda half naked and weeping on her bed. As soon as Brandon got to his room, he opened his laptop. He went to Google. He typed in

  Cody Barnes Yorkshire Literature Festival.

  Opening up another page, Brandon typed quickly into the search bar.

  Train times London to York

  Ten

  It was a warm morning in Yorkshire and Cody was grateful for a few hours away from readings, stage-fright, over-opinionated literary types, and stale beer-stinking pubs. This morning he was spending his free time with Ashley to convince her that he was the same man he always had been –that there was no relationship with Joanna. Joanna was certainly a looker, she was clever and she was an excellent kisser, but she could never be Cody’s Seismic Girl. He wanted to be with Ashley. This morning he walked in the countryside around York, looking out at the endless green views across the dales towards the higher peaks of the Pennines beyond. It was a tremendous landscape and it felt momentous to share the view with Ashley. It meant something, he was sure of it. Ashley had travelled hundreds of miles away from college and away from Brandon to see him. Now that was a spectacular thought and as he considered the implications of it, Cody was shocked and delighted too.

  He wanted to hold her hand, but there was repair work to be done first. They weren’t a couple. Not yet. He had to prove myself again and mend her hurt. He decided his best strategy was to make her laugh.

  “So, y
ou like what you see?” said Cody.

  Ashley turned around and squinted as the sun lit her eyes and gave her blonde hair an aura.

  “Tell me what I’m seeing…”

  “The countryside panorama. And me of course.”

  Ashley laughed at that, but Cody saw her restraint.

  “Yeah,” she said moderately. “I like what I see. But I also like who you are, Cody. Not for your writing or your publisher or whatever. I’m glad you’re getting success. That’s cool, but I couldn’t give two shits about that in terms of why I like you.”

  Wow, Cody nodded, taking it in.

  “I like you because you tried to help me for no good reason. You didn’t have a vested interest. You helped me because you saw I needed help with my studies. And you’ve always been honest with me, unlike a few other people I know.”

  Cody smiled, wondering where to go with this, but he went with his feelings in spite of his doubts.

  “So, maybe I did have a secret special interest…” He let the words hang.

  She looked around again and made an indignant face. He saw the smile through it. “Cody Barnes, whatever could you mean?”

  Man, she was good looking when she did the serious face, but with the sparkle of jest in her eyes, she looked stunning. Cody was hooked.

  “Ummm. Maybe you could take a guess.”

  Ashley walked on, picking a stalk of lavender that was pressing though the picket fence of a country garden.

  “Maybe I did take a little guess.”

  “And what did you guess, Ashley?”

  She looked over at Cody, her smile fading. “I guess I was wrong.”

  He took the hit without complaint. “Are you sure you were so wrong Ashley? Look at us. Look where we are. It’s autumn but for us here it’s like we’re walking in golden summer sun in some of the best countryside I’ve ever seen. Doesn’t that tell you anything? I think our surroundings say it all.”

  “Maybe,” she smiled thoughtfully. “Tell me… your book.”

  Cody’s heart rate picked up.

  “How long did it take you to write?”

  “The truth? About ten days. I wrote it like there was no tomorrow. I just couldn’t put my notepad down.”

  “When did you start work on it, Cody?” His heart was going a little faster all the time. She was like a detective pressing on at the moment of truth.

  “Soon after the start of college.”

  She looked at him and flicked her hair back out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. Her sweet face was in profile, looking coy.

  “Do you remember the day you started on it?”

  He nodded and gulped.

  “What prompted you, Cody? What inspired you to write this thing?”

  “You do know what you’re asking me, right Ashley?”

  She tilted her head in a shy little ‘maybe’ gesture. Cody touched her forearm and drew their country walk to a halt. She looked at him.

  “It’s all about you, Ashley. You’re my Seismic Girl.”

  Ashley’s eyes widened. Her lips moved and Cody hoped he saw joy in her eyes, as well as a furrow appear on her brow. She smiled.

  “That’s amazing…” there was a mix of emotions in her voice, and Cody waited, his heart thudding in his ribcage as they started walking again.

  She reached for his hand hand, and her fingers nestled through his, squeezing with gentle pressure. It was as if warm liquid joy was bleeding up his arm from her touch.

  “I’m glad we’re friends, Cody. You don’t know how much it means.”

  Not long after a familiar face pulled up in her black Toyota Aygo. Cody recognised the little black car immediately though he tried to make nothing of it.

  “Oh, look, it’s Joanna, my agent.”

  Ashley’s hand let go of Cody in an instant. They walked up to the car as Joanna got out and locked it. Today, Joanna was dressed in a floral summer dress with a wide white belt in the middle. It narrowed her waist and flattered her immensely.

  “I can’t believe how hot it is today! Not for October!” She smiled. She looked at Cody and Ashley in turn.

  “You must be the muse, I’m guessing. I’m Joanna Laws. It’s good to meet you,” she said, extending a slender hand. Ashley took it and they shook once.

  “Likewise. You’re the agent, Joanna.”

  “Yes, that’s me. Oh, it’s just so warm, isn’t it? You know, I’d really like an ice cream right now, wouldn’t you?”

  The Aygo was parked a hundred yards from a village shop ahead on the lane. Cody and Ashley waited for Joanna to spot it, to head off and buy an ice cream, but she didn’t. “Oh, right,” said Cody, the penny finally dropping and left the ladies behind. He walked slowly wondering about the ladies he was leaving behind and what was going to unfold while he was gone. When he returned a few minutes later, he saw the increased distance between them. They were facing different angles, looking quietly at different views. What the hell could have happened inside two minutes? Cody gave them each a Magnum ice cream and tried to read their faces, but their acting was immaculate. They both smiled. But in the corner of Ashley’s mouth, was the slightest crease of unhappiness. She looked at Cody and did her best to smile and then looked away.

  “What a lovely day,” said Joanna.

  Up until that moment, it had been a lovely day. But now Cody saw his hope for turning up the heat with Ashley had hit a serious road block…

  Eleven

  Ashley wouldn’t talk about it and she didn’t hold Cody’s hand like that again for the rest of the day. He was confused and perturbed, and wanted to reset their relationship back to the morning when they started on their country walk. And he wanted to speak to Joanna to find out what had happened. For that he needed to be alone with Joanna too. Why did everything have to be so awkward? Cody didn’t know the answer to that, but he needed to get some clarity. He saw the conflict in Ashley’s eyes. Before they returned to York for another book reading, Cody found a moment when Joanna had left them to call the tour organiser. She left them overlooking a sweeping vista of green dales, farm land with sheep and grazing cattle and the sounds of the country. The shadows of the day were stretching longer now. Cody wanted Ashley to speak, but she didn’t, so he broke the silence.

  “Hey. We had a nice morning together you and me, am I right?”

  Ashley smiled and glowed for a few seconds. Then she sighed. “Yeah, it was lovely, Cody. Thanks for walking with me today.”

  “Thank me for walking with you? I should thank you. My muse returned to inspire me for my readings. Heck, Joanna should be paying you to be here.”

  She laughed and looked across the fields. “Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to happen, Cody.”

  “Ashley?” He said. There was a bittersweet look in her eyes. “Ashley, you’re still my muse, right. Whatever is going on in our crazy messed up, lives, that’s just how it is.”

  “I know how the land lies, Cody, you’ve been sweet to me, and I realise me turning up like this has been difficult for you, but I really need your help. I’m homeless because of Brandon and you remember how he threatened to ruin my course if I left him. I just don’t know what he’s going to do… and most of the time I’m in control of my destiny, but right now I’m worried and it feels like you’re the only friend I’ve got. The only one I can trust. So don’t worry, Cody. I’m not upset, but please just promise me you’ll help me.”

  Cody tried to read between the lines rapid-fire. He felt a new distance between them. She hadn’t accepted the feelings he’d declared for her. It was as if she hadn’t heard any of it. All Cody heard was that Ashley believed she wasn’t welcome in York and that they were nothing more than friends. Cody shook his head. He wanted much more than that.

  “I promise I’ll help you with all of that stuff. I care about you, Ash.”

  Ashley nodded. “My timing sucks, huh?” and gave Cody a friendly yet still distant squeeze on the arm. Cody was at a loss, and getting irritated with the situat
ion. What had actually happened? But then he couldn’t ask her because here was Joanna, her smile as broad as the view and as bright as the late afternoon sun.

  “Okay, are we all done here? It’s time to get back to the city and prepare for your next reading, Cody. Ashley, can I offer you a lift?”

  Ashley was about to refuse when Cody intervened. “Yes, that’d be great. Fifteen miles is a long way to walk.”

  They crammed into the little black Aygo and made their way back to York. Joanna seemed on top of the world. In the back seat, Ashley was silent for almost the entire journey.

  At the evening performance Cody was glad to see Ashley in the audience, but when he stepped down from the makeshift stage, she was gone. As he looked around he felt a hand on his shoulder and when he turned around Joanna pressed close to him, her soft pretty face full of happiness with a glimmer of something else in her eyes. She left her arms on his elbows in a small embrace. “That was superb, Cody. I really felt your emotion, and the quality of your writing shone through tonight. I honestly think you could be a star.”

  “Thanks, Joanna. Do you know where Ashley is?”

  “She said she was tired and would see you in the morning. She wants to discuss some practical matters with you, I think. Something about her studies and her lodgings in London.”

  “Yeah. I’ll need to spend some time with her tomorrow to help her fix things. She’s in a dilemma right now.”

  “Fair enough, but don’t dwell on that now. But she’s not here now is she? You can start on that tomorrow. Tonight we dine and plan your rise to the top.”

  Her good humour made Cody laugh. Good looks and charisma made Joanna very persuasive, but the way she attempted to dismiss Ashley from proceedings stung him. Nonetheless, she took Cody and they went into the evening.

  ***

  The booze was lightening Cody’s mood, but he still had questions on his mind. Joanna paid for a light three course dinner at Prezzo and had seemed chirpy all through the meal. While Cody tried to be positive the change in Ashley kept coming to his mind.