Sweet, Sexy Heart – the Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)

by Melissa Foster

  She smiled, lowering her eyes, reeling him in deeper with her sweet innocence. He set their drinks on the ground and drew her into his arms for their dance. Moonlight glittered in her eyes as he twirled her by the rippling creek, singing about wanting to make her feel wanted and the world making sense when she was in it. The words were as true as the deeper emotions blooming inside him.

  They danced to several songs, kissing and talking and laughing more than Dash had ever laughed on a date. As the night wore on, they sat on the blanket sharing funny stories about football, her bookstore, and their families, and they walked along the creek hand in hand. Amber grew quiet, her expression thoughtful.

  “What’re you thinking about?”

  “Life.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “This may sound silly, because you have this big life, full of travel and meeting new people. But I never thought I’d have a day like this or feel this way about anyone. I sort of thought it might be just me and Reno forever.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Because I run a bookstore in a tiny town, and other than college, visiting my cousins, or an occasional wedding, I almost never leave Oak Falls. I don’t do online dating or even enjoy going to bars. Or at least I never did, until we went together last night. That was unforgettable.”

  “I’m glad to hear that because it’s exactly how I feel.”

  “You’ve probably had a million unforgettable nights, and I’m glad that you have, but for me, it was one in a million. This whole day, and all of the time we’ve spent together, even our phone calls have been off-the-charts wonderful. I love peeling back your layers and discovering all your hidden parts, and my own, which is really unexpected. You’re so much more than I thought you were. You make me feel things I was afraid to feel and want things I never imagined myself wanting. With you I’m not afraid to be curious. I can’t believe I ever thought you were just an attention hog who was only interested in fast women and one-night stands.”

  He cocked a brow. “An attention hog?”

  She shrugged with a little laugh. “Sorry.”

  “I do love your attention.” He kissed her. “I know you think I’ve had a big life, and in many ways I have. But as far as meeting people or getting close to them goes…” He shook his head. “There’s a downside to having a big life. You know how I told you that I’ve had a hard time trusting women?”

  “Yes,” she said curiously.

  “There’s a reason. I’ve never told anyone this except for Hawk. My mother doesn’t even know, but as I said before, I want you to know all of me. The good and the bad.”

  “Should I worry about what you’re about to reveal?”

  “It’s definitely not one of my best moments, but I want you to know. I was never the kind of guy who slept with every woman who offered, but I had more than my fair share of hookups. About three years into my career, a girl I’d hooked up with claimed to be pregnant with my child and threatened to go to the press. I knew in my gut that it wasn’t my kid. Don’t ask me how. It was just one of those feelings I would have bet my life on. I’d never had sex without a condom and never had one break. But things happen, and after what my father did, I wouldn’t have left a child behind, regardless of how it came to be. If the kid was mine, I would have done the right thing. Anyway, she refused to take a paternity test until the baby was born, which was enough of a red flag for me to know I was right. But right or wrong didn’t matter because the decision I was facing had little to do with the truth. If I let her go to the press, my reputation would be scrutinized and my family would have to deal with that. From then on, I would either be the guy who had knocked up a one-night stand, or the guy who was falsely accused of knocking her up. My mother had been through enough hell with my father. I didn’t want to add to it.”

  “I didn’t read anything about that online.”

  “That’s because I paid the woman off and got a gag order. As I thought, the baby wasn’t mine. All she wanted was the money, and she didn’t care if she ruined my reputation or hurt my family in order to get it.”

  “That’s awful. What kind of person would do that?”

  “I can’t answer that without using foul language. Needless to say, I’ve been much more careful and much less trusting. I didn’t have anything to do with women for a long time, but…” He shrugged. “Eventually that changed, but it was different, few and far between. The women I got together with were mostly friends of my buddies or friends of their girlfriends, people they trusted, which made it easier for me to trust them enough to scratch that itch, so to speak. But it wasn’t real, unconditional trust. Not like I trust you, or Sin, or my other buddies. It was just enough trust to feed an urge, which I’m sure sounds horrible to someone as careful as you, but I want to be honest with you.”

  She stopped walking and gazed up at him with more compassion than he probably deserved. “I’m sorry you went through that. It must have been stressful.”

  “It was.” He felt the burden of his secret lifting from his shoulders. “While she was pregnant, all I could think about was what if it was my kid? Then I’d get pissed off at myself for being in that position with a woman I didn’t care about, and in the next minute I was angry at her because I was sure she was lying. Part of the reason I never told my buddies was because I knew they’d never pay someone off to keep them quiet. They’d stand proudly in front of the media and deny it. But I just kept thinking about my mom. It’s one thing to know your son is out there doing what single people do, but to have it all over rag magazines and the internet, portrayed in some kind of devious light, was a whole different ball game.”

  “It sounds like you did the right thing. But you said it would sound bad to someone as careful as me. I wonder if I’ve been careful because of circumstances, or if it’s who I am.”

  “Baby, I don’t know how many guys you’ve been with, and it doesn’t matter. I’m sure they meant something to you. That’s what I meant by careful. You don’t strike me as the kind of girl who’s been into meaningless hookups.”

  “I see. I’ve only been intimate with a couple of guys, and while you’re right, I don’t think I’d ever be into meaningless hookups, I do wonder if I would have been with more guys if I didn’t have epilepsy. Those early seizures I told you about didn’t just shape my life. They gave me insecurities. I’m not embarrassed about having epilepsy, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it when I was with a guy. When I first had sex, I was terrified of having a seizure while we were doing it, and that fear never really went away until you came along. You’re the first person I’ve ever been intimate with and not thought about it. But when we’re together like that, I can’t hold on to a single thought.” Her voice softened. “I’ve always been curious about sex, but even in college I was never all that interested in it, which can be a side effect of epilepsy medication. But when I started researching you, every time I saw your picture, my body kicked into overdrive. Then I met you, and I think it’s pretty clear that it wasn’t my medication killing my sex drive. I just hadn’t met the right man.”

  “You really were waiting for me.” He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. “I’m sorry that you missed out on those experiences.”

  “I didn’t tell you so you could feel bad for me. Everyone thinks I’m good—innocent and pure—and I’m really not. I might not flaunt my sexuality like Brindle or Sable, but with you I’m discovering how much I enjoy it.”

  “I love discovering it with you, but you’re wrong about one thing. You are pure and good, because purity and goodness speak to the heart of a person, not their sexual history or their hidden desires.”

  “I have a lot of desires,” she whispered.

  “I suppose for you I can set aside my own prudish values and try to conquer any fantasies you might have.”

  “That’s very gracious of you.”

  “A gracious attention hog.” They laughed, and he slipped his arm around her and kissed her temple as they began walk
ing again. “See, sweetheart? We were meant to be.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder as they wandered along the grass. Dash had never slowed down enough to think about perfect moments or dreams of the future. But there he was, feeling like life was pretty damn perfect and having thoughts of bringing Amber home to meet his family and seeing her beautiful face light up on Christmas morning.

  When they came to the edge of the woods, she pointed to a bunch of acorns scattered along the ground. “Look. It’s a sign.”

  Dash picked one up. “This one is going in our acorn jar as the start of something wonderful.” He pocketed the acorn, gathering her close again.

  “I love that idea.” She wound her arms around him. “We need to write down a memory to keep with it. I know what I’ll write: The best day of my life.”

  “And on the other side, I’m going to write, The night I never wanted to end.”

  He lowered his lips to hers. She tasted like sweet afternoons and sinful nights, and he wanted to share every one of them with her until he had to leave town.

  As their lips parted, she said, “It doesn’t have to end. You could stay at my place again.”

  She said it cautiously, as if he might actually turn her down, which endeared her to him even more. He loved her quiet strength and the way she was letting herself ask for what she wanted. But he had to tease her, because embarrassed Amber was excruciatingly sexy. “So, you like having a lot of man in your bed.”

  He was sure she’d look away, blushing a red streak, but she didn’t even flinch, didn’t miss a beat, as she said, “And in my shower.”

  Her confession stoked the fire that had been burning inside him all day, and he crushed her to him, kissing her smiling lips. “I’ll need to get clothes from Sin’s place. You know, to avoid the walk of shame and keep my reputation intact. In fact, why don’t I get all of my things? We both know I’m going to end up in your bed every night until I leave town anyway.”

  Now her gaze fell to his chest, and she breathed a little harder, as if she were considering it. But when she lifted her face, she was almost smirking. “I just threw you the ball. I didn’t say you could make a touchdown.”

  “You know that was my job, right? To literally catch the ball in the end zone or run it in for a touchdown.”

  “Well, we’re not doing the end zone. We’re doing the middle zone.”

  She was so damn cute, he had to laugh. “I’ll do whatever zone you want, but I prefer the erogenous zone.” Her cheeks bloomed red. “Sweetheart, one night with you is better than a touchdown. But if you keep spouting football metaphors, I may never leave your side.”

  Relief rose in her eyes. “Do you think Sin will mind?”

  “If I never leave your side? Sin can get his own girlfriend,” he teased, earning a sweet laugh. “I’ll still see him at the community center. I’m helping him out with clinics all week. He’s happy for us.” He kissed her softly. “And there’s no place I’d rather be than lying in your bed with you safe in my arms.”

  Chapter Twelve

  IT WAS OFFICIAL. Amber and Dash sucked at avoiding walks of shame. She’d fallen asleep with his naked body cocooning hers every night since they’d gone to JJ’s and had enjoyed four glorious mornings waking up to his heart beating against her back, his strong arms holding her like he would never let her go, and Good morning, sleepyhead or beautiful or wild thing, whispered in her ear. Dash had woken with the sun the other days, but this morning she’d been up at the break of dawn, unable to stop her mind from racing, and he was still fast asleep. She wondered what that meant. She’d noticed that he never slowed down. Had they worn him out last night? They had gotten a little wilder than usual. That thrilling thought brought a shiver of delight. She could see the headlines in gossip magazines across America—UNASSUMING BOOKSTORE OWNER WEARS OUT HOT JOCK. She giggled to herself but stopped as reality traipsed in. They had only four more mornings together until he had to leave for his book tour.

  She ached at the thought of not seeing him every day. The last few days had been nothing short of amazing. Dash had convinced her to go with him to meet Sin at JJ’s Monday night to watch the Giants play, and they’d had a blast. She’d cheered on his team as loudly as he had, and they’d even squeezed in a few dances. They’d had breakfast with her family yesterday, and she’d watched him coach the clinic yesterday afternoon. Tonight they were having dinner with Morgyn and Graham at their place. Amber knew she should protect her heart, but she couldn’t, no matter how scary it was. Everything Dash did made her fall harder for him. When she’d watched him coaching, he’d known every kid by name. He was a natural motivator, cheering them on and building them up, and the kids adored him. But the most extraordinary moments were when he pulled kids aside to help them individually. It was easy to see his interest in helping them feel good about themselves was genuine. She’d watched with awe as he’d bolstered the shy kids’ confidence and had encouraged the young natural-born leaders to use their skills to help others.

  He was doing the same for her. In fact, he made her feel so safe and confident, she was pretty sure she was turning into a sex maniac. They’d had more sex in the last four nights than she’d had in her entire pre-Dash life. Not just run-of-the-mill sex, but the type of rip-off-your-clothes-can’t-make-it-to-the-bedroom sex she’d thought existed only in movies and novels. All it took was thinking about his mouth on hers, or even better, his mouth on her body or his big, rough hands groping and teasing or tangling in her hair. And Lord have mercy when she thought about his insanely talented trouser snake finding her G-spot like a heat-seeking missile. That turned her into an addict willing to sell her soul for her next hit.

  She didn’t know how news of Dash staying with her had spread so fast, but by Tuesday evening she’d heard from not only her girlfriends and parents but also all six of her siblings. Even a few friends from out of town, who were clued in by Grace and Trixie, had called. Everyone was a bit shocked, but they were mostly happy for her. She hadn’t even known she was capable of wanting someone so badly that she wouldn’t care if the entire town was abuzz with the news of her shacking up with Dash Pennington. But no part of her wanted to pull back the reins.

  It turned out that gossip was good for business. Dash’s books were selling so fast, she had to place a rush order to have more delivered before the signing. She knew people were interested in his book signing, but there was no denying that some customers were coming in to buy books just to get the scoop on the two of them. Their relationship wasn’t just affecting the people in town. Amber had noticed a funny thing happening to her, too. She was no longer embarrassed about people knowing that they were intimate. She was proud to be with Dash, and she didn’t care that most of those gossipers saw him as only a hot ex-professional football player. She knew the real Dash Pennington. The man whose heart was bigger than the moon, who treasured family, and cared about the women and children he was helping in Oak Falls. The man who had already taken root in her heart.

  Dash’s cock twitched, growing harder against her bottom, sending her body into withdrawal. She didn’t know what he was dreaming about, but she sure hoped it was her. She contemplated taking him inside her while he was sleeping. She’d never been a take-charge lover, or even been able to keep eye contact during sex. She’d always thought she was lacking in that department, but Dash had showed her otherwise, proving that she simply hadn’t felt safe enough, or close enough, to any man before him to want to do those things. She loved the journey of self-discovery she was on with him, and as she turned in his arms and kissed her way down his chest, the appreciative noises he made told her he was enjoying it, too.

  He ran his fingers through her hair. “Morning, beautiful.”

  “Morning.” She slicked her tongue over his nipple and sucked it into her mouth.

  He gritted out a curse. “You know what your mouth does to me.” He fisted his hands in her hair, sending stings of pleasure skating down her core.

  “I sure
do.” She grazed her teeth over his nipple, earning a heady groan.

  She’d learned a few things during their sexy nights, like how much it turned him on when they watched each other and how his excitement made her feel wild and sexy, untethering parts of herself only he brought out. She watched him watching her as she trailed kisses down his stomach, the flames in his eyes emboldening her. She lingered on his abs, sliding her tongue along the ridges and lavishing his stomach with openmouthed kisses. She kept her eyes trained on his as she slithered down his body, taunting him with kisses around his erection without touching it. His eager arousal twitched with every press of her lips. She’d never considered that particular body part to be attractive, but everything about Dash was beautiful. She knew she felt that way because of their connection, which was becoming deeper and truer than anything she’d ever known.

  When his breathing became ragged, she dragged her tongue along his length, and a low growl escaped through his clenched teeth. She turned up the heat, holding his gaze as she licked his length until it was slick, moaning with desire as she fisted his cock, giving it a few tight strokes.

  “God, baby. You’re driving me insane.”

  “Who, me?” She licked around the broad head, earning more hungry sounds.

  “If this is what getting up with the sun does to you, I’m setting an alarm.”

  Loving that idea, she continued taunting him, until his entire body flexed with restraint, and he gritted his teeth so tight, she feared he’d crack them. She felt him swell in her grasp and lowered her mouth over his rigid length, working him with her hand and mouth, tight and slow, his greedy sounds heightening her arousal. She hadn’t realized how sensual oral sex could be. She savored the feel of his muscles tensing, the sight of his eyes igniting with passion. Each of his reactions earned one of its own from her, until desire surged through her like a raging river.

  His hips rocked, and she was so lost in him, her hips were rocking, too. The primal look in his eyes had her quickening her efforts.