He paused, catching my stare. He held out his hand. I took it, and he pulled me under with him. I sucked in a quick breath at the shock of cool water. But then Blake’s lips were on me, melding our mouths in a slow, passionate kiss. I lifted on my toes, giving myself over to it.
He groaned, the vibration tingling my lips. “Let’s go inside.”
I couldn’t miss the suggestion in his tone, or his arousal pressed against me. I tensed, recognizing the hesitation I’d never have wrestled with before becoming a mother. “What about Tricia?”
“She’ll keep him busy out there for a while.”
“A while?” I glanced back toward the beach even though they were out of sight where we stood.
A small touch guided my focus back to him, mischief and lust twinkling in his eyes. “Long enough for me to thoroughly devour you.”
I fought a smile. “Tempting.”
He shot up his eyebrows with pretend shock. “Tempting? That’s all?”
“Quit.” I laughed and pushed his chest.
He didn’t budge an inch, his arm firmly banded around my waist. “Nonsense. We’ve got at least twenty minutes, and nothing’s going to stop me from making you mine.”
“That’s not a lot of time,” I teased.
He traced his tongue over his lower lip. “I can work quickly.”
My breath rushed out as he grabbed the hem of my now drenched white linen cover-up. Lifting it over my head, he exposed the less modest bikini I wore beneath. He tossed it to the ground, the wet fabric slopping against the wood deck with a thud. His hands roamed over my wet skin, down my sides to my hips.
“God, you’re beautiful. Why do you wear that thing anyway?”
“I don’t know,” I lied. I cast my eyes down, trailing my fingertips down the rigid columns of his abs.
Between the scar and the pregnancy, unlike Blake’s, my body wasn’t what it had been years ago. To anyone on the outside, under the thin garment, I was the same girl with the same body. In private, the scars had become reminders of what I’d been through. The trauma that had threatened to take away my dreams, and then, ultimately, the pregnancy—the gift that we’d been given with our daughter. I should have worn those scars with pride, but couldn’t bring myself to.
Being able to have a child was a gift we’d receive only once. We’d tried again, to no avail. She was our miracle. The sunshine that lit up any dark day. A beautiful, perfect reflection of the love that we’d fought so hard for.
Brushing the backs of his fingers across my cheek, he tipped my chin up. “Don’t cover yourself up, baby. I love your body. I don’t want to see you hiding it.”
“I’ll try,” I promised.
He skimmed up and down my arms, down my chest, lingering at the edges of the fabric that covered my breasts.
“Then again, I’m not sure if I’d be able to control myself seeing you this way all summer. I’ve hardly any willpower as it is.”
A second later, he’d pushed one triangle of my bikini top to the side. My breast was heavy and tight in his grasp.
“Blake.” His name left me like a mixed warning. Anxiety mingled with the prickle of desire humming under my skin.
He hushed me, erasing my objection with another deep kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he moved us out of the water and against the wall of the house. I was pinned by his hard body, my thigh hitched high over his hip so I was open to him. His tantalizing touch trailed down the length of my body, over my belly, and farther down. I gasped when he slid into the front of my bikini, cupping me firmly. His mouth left mine and found my breast. Sucking and laving, he teased the tight peak while his fingers coaxed the arousal between my thighs.
I bit my lip, holding back a moan.
“I want to hear you,” he whispered between breaths, sucking me harder, nibbling my tender nipples until I couldn’t hold back any longer.
Arching with a whimper, I sifted my hands through the wet strands of his hair. I held him to me, held on as the waves of pleasure washed over me, growing in intensity by the second, like the steady rising tide. Gradually, my sense of the time slipped. The sounds of the beach fell away, and Blake took over my senses, playing me like a song he knew well, one he’d never forgotten.
“Oh, God.” The stuttering cry left my lips as I shuddered violently against his ministrations.
“Ah, there you are,” he murmured.
My head fell back as I caught my breath, my heart racing in my chest. I relaxed my grip on his shoulders. My nails had left white and then red marks on his tanned skin.
“Wow,” I uttered between jagged breaths.
The warm salty air filled my lungs and settled on my damp skin. Every sensation pulsed through me. The brush of his legs against mine, his palms curving around me from behind, drawing us closer. Our hips rocking together, his lips soft against my neck. When he drew back, his green-eyed gaze was filled with wanting and something else, something deeper that never failed to rob me of breath. A kind of shattering love that he was capable of sharing only with me.
“Blake… I love you so much.” The words spilled out of me, an easy and automatic proclamation, but one that never lost its meaning as time wore on between us. The words meant nothing less than they had when we’d first uttered them. They only ever meant more.
“I love you too.” His gaze flickered over me. “And I’ll never get tired of putting that look on your face. I love seeing you that way, all pink and flushed, with stars in your eyes when you let go. Makes me feel like I’m the center of your world, if only for a minute.”
With a shaky hand I traced the dark wing of his eyebrow, down his beautiful nose and across his full etched lips. The work of art that I shared my life with… one I would never tire of, one I refused take for granted.
“I’m not sure if there’s such a thing, but if there is, the center of my world is our love, Blake. Every joy… everything beautiful in my life I have is because of our love.”
He closed his eyes, drawing me closer until our foreheads touched. He slowly lifted his, capturing me in a deep, soulful gaze. “You’ll always have it.”
BONUS SCENE
Go back to where it all started… Now we get a special chance to see exactly what Blake was thinking when Erica first walked into the Angelcom boardroom.
BLAKE
I leaned against the wall of the elevator and watched the numbers change as I approached the top floor of the Angelcom offices. I closed my eyes, wishing I had a few extra hours to keep them closed.
The doors opened with a ding, and, a few steps beyond, Greta sat behind the large reception desk that bore the Angelcom name and logo. A home away from home, this office was where some of my best ventures began.
Greta smiled warmly as I approached. “Good morning, Mr. Landon. The other investors are meeting in conference room B this morning.”
I nodded and checked my watch. I was already five minutes late. I enjoyed the smallest satisfaction knowing we were meeting with one of Max’s recruits today and my tardiness was no doubt pissing him off right now.
“You look tired. Can I get you anything?” Greta’s brows knit together.
“Thanks, I’m good.”
I shoved a hand through my hair. I’d been up half the night thwarting a cyber attack on a platform we’d launched only a few days ago. Whoever was targeting this one was goddamn persistent but ultimately unsuccessful in taking us offline. I took another sip of my jumbo iced coffee and made my way toward the conference room down the hall.
The other investors were in place already, seated around a large conference table that faced Boston’s skyline. I dropped into the empty seat next to Max and locked in on the beautiful blonde sitting across from me.
“This is Blake Landon,” Max said to her. “Blake, Erica Hathaway. She’s here to present on her fashion social network, Clozpin.”
“Clever name. You brought her in?” I asked without breaking my focus on her.
“Yes, we have a mutual friend
at Harvard,” he replied.
I nodded slowly. Prior to this meeting, I’d had the pleasure of a much more physical introduction to the girl, who looked all woman now in her suit and a soft teal blouse that played off her mesmerizing blue eyes. Eyes that I couldn’t tear my attention from now. Something in that moment of recognition made the long night and the rough morning fade into the background.
Erica Hathaway.
I licked my lips and watched her follow the movement with her eyes. A small flush worked its way across her chest and up to her cheeks. This was the second time in a row I delighted in her visible physical response to me.
The spark went both ways, and I almost cursed myself for not following through on my attraction to her. By the hazy look in her eyes when she’d stumbled and I’d caught her against me at the restaurant the other night, I could have asked her out for a drink, which could have turned into more. But Michael had been in town, and I couldn’t blow off dinner with him for a quick fuck.
At least now I had a second chance.
She fidgeted with her jacket, avoiding my stare, and stuttered into her presentation.
Meanwhile, I let myself dwell on all the ways the night could have ended. Then I redirected my wandering thoughts to the present and all the ways I could make good on those missed opportunities by spreading her out on the rather sturdy table separating us now. I ran my tongue along my lower lip, wondering what she might taste like. The memory of her body, warm under my palms, pressed tightly against me, just got a little more potent now.
I couldn’t help smirking every time we made eye contact and she hesitated over her words. She looked uncomfortable, definitely nervous. Not unusual for a first pitch, or any pitch for that matter. I should have wanted to make her feel more at ease, but all I could think about was how she’d respond under pressure. I interrupted her mid-sentence and hammered her with rapid-fire questions about her business model, which she answered with more grace than I’d expected.
So Erica wasn’t just a pretty girl. She was smart, and the fact that she’d made it to my boardroom meant she was determined too.
Satisfied, I waved her on to continue.
As Erica spoke, I debated which I wanted more—a slice of her business or the memory of her under me, screaming my name.
Too bad I preferred simple. Uncomplicated. Otherwise I could have had both. I wasn’t in the market for breaking hearts, and mixing business with pleasure was a fast track to that end.
My phone lit up with a text, interrupting my laser focus on Erica and her presentation. My ex Sophia was coming into town in a few days. The emoticons appending the text made it clear she wanted to do more than see me. I smiled inwardly at her persistence. I should have wanted everything she offered, but I couldn’t bring myself to take her to bed again. After everything we’d been through, we were better as friends.
And not when I had a tasty morsel like Erica Hathaway right in front of me.
I shot a text off to Sophia, letting her know I’d be in Vegas and would miss her visit. I dropped my phone back to the table as Erica wrapped up. I couldn’t miss the mix of relief and fear that flashed behind her eyes. Vulnerability, with a little flash of fire.
When she concluded, I asked, “Are you seeing anyone?”
I knew I was going to hell as soon as I uttered the words. The shock of pink that hit Erica’s cheeks confirmed it.
“Excuse me?” Her voice was unsteady.
“Relationships can be distracting. If you were to get the funds you need from this group, it could be a factor that affects your ability to grow.”
I could have majored in bullshit, if I’d found college worth the effort. Except she wasn’t buying it. All her vulnerability had vanished. Now she was all fire, a reality that sent a rush of blood south. Unfortunately for her, or perhaps fortunately, the promise of taking her to bed was winning out in my internal battle.
“I can assure you, Mr. Landon, that I am one hundred percent committed to this project.” Her eyes narrowed as she gazed steadily at me. She tilted her head a fraction. “Do you have any other questions pertaining to my personal life that will influence your decision today?”
I had all kinds of questions pertaining to her personal life that I intended to get to the bottom of as soon as this meeting was over.
“No, I don’t think so. Max?”
I turned to Max, who quickly prompted the rest of the investors to voice their interest either way. Erica drew an unsteady breath and clasped her hands in front her, so tightly her knuckles went bloodless.
Then, one by one, the others passed.
She swallowed hard, and I could sense her preparing for the very real possibility that she’d leave this room unilaterally rejected. What Erica didn’t know was that Max had stacked the room with men who rarely invested in web-based startups. This alone told me he wanted her for himself.
Then all eyes were on me and the room fell silent. I leveled a steady stare in Erica’s direction.
In that moment, I decided I wanted her for myself too.
“I’ll pass,” I said.
CHECK OUT THESE OTHER TITLES BY MEREDITH WILD
Hardwired
Hardpressed
Hardline
Hard Limit
Hard Love
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Over the course of the series, Blake and Erica’s love has evolved, grown, and strengthened. How would you describe how their relationship has changed? What is it about them and their journey that makes their love unforgettable?
2. Hard Love is the only book in the series told in dual perspective throughout. What was it like to get into Blake’s head? Did spending time with his thoughts change how you saw him or understood his character?
3. Early in the story, you’re given the chance to read a moment of passion and punishment from Blake’s point of view. Did your understanding of his desire for control and trust change after reading it from his perspective?
4. What was it like to see Blake at his most vulnerable or when he willingly gave up the control and fight that he’d always had? What did those moments illuminate about his character?
5. Hard Love brings about a major change for Erica and Blake when they find out they’re expecting a baby. What was it like to experience this news with them, from each of their perspectives?
6. When Erica forgives Risa and gives her a second chance, they share an emotional moment together. What does this conversation illuminate about both of their characters? Why do you think Erica chooses to forgive Risa?
7. The Hacker series has introduced many supporting characters, along with Blake and Erica’s love story: Alli and Heath, James and Simone, and Geoff and Sid. What do you think the future holds for these characters?
8. As this series came to an end, what did you think of how it concluded for Blake and Erica? Thinking back on all that they have been through together, was all of that worth it to get Blake and Erica to the ending they have in Hard Love?
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is for my little rug rats, S., A., and E., who, even though I refuse to accept it, will not always be so little. Though it may not be obvious to you now, I promise that every single day that goes by in our crazy hectic lives, I find myself overwhelmed with pride, awe, and more love for you than I’m able to truly express with words. Thank you for sharing your mommy with her characters and readers and for accepting the sacrifices that we’ve had to make. Thank you for being excited about every little step of our journey, for being the first ones to hug me when I need it the most, and for reminding me every day of what’s truly important.
I would like to thank my readers, street team, and beta readers for the incredible support! Your love for this story has inspired Blake and Erica’s journey more than you can possibly know. I am forever indebted to you for being such an enormous part of making this dream of mine come true.
I am excited for the opportunity to finally and formally credit my literary agent, Kimberly Brower, an
d the support of the Rebecca Friedman Literary Agency. Kimberly, thank you for finding me, for reading and loving my books, and for agreeing to hop on this crazy roller coaster ride of a writing career with me.
My gratitude goes out to the many people at Hachette Book Group, Grand Central Publishing, and Forever Romance who have helped bring the Hacker Series books to my readers with great dedication and efficiency. Thank you, Leah Hultenschmidt and Jamie Raab, for seeing the series’ potential and for bringing new energy to the publishing and distribution effort. Thank you also to the many foreign publishers and the ladies at Bookcase Literary Agency who have shared that enthusiasm by bringing Blake and Erica’s story to the rest of the world.
As always, big props go out to my talented editor, Helen Hardt. It’s crazy to think that it’s been two years since I sent you the first draft for Hardwired, and here we are six books later! I know I always promise every crazy deadline will be the last, but I think you know me better by now. Thank you again for your flexibility and your always thoughtful red pen.
I could not have confidently navigated the judicial system of my fictional world without the legal expertise of Anthony Canata, Esq. and my long-time business counsel, Michael Gove. Michael, I’m grateful to have had you by my side through some of the most challenging times of my life. Thank you for your continued friendship and always sound advice.
Much of Blake’s natural genius and technical expertise has been inspired by Luc Vachon, my “real-life” Sid, brilliant friend and former colleague, who only uses his powers for good. Thank you, Luc, for your amazing brain, which never fails to inspire the people around you to imagine what’s possible. And after years of harassing you about it, please accept this acknowledgment as my final acceptance of your inability to come to work before the noon hour.
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