Pure Hearts

by Jeannine Allison

  “You didn’t hesitate, did you?”

  Iris reached her hand over and traced my incision. “Maybe for like, half a second.” She grinned and my lips followed. “But that worry was background noise based on other people. In my heart…” She paused, lifting my hand to her chest. “In here, there was never any doubt or hesitation. And it was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

  Falling to my knees in front of her, I dropped kisses along the puckered, pink skin. Her breath hitched and her fingers weaved into my hair. At first there was nothing sexual about it, it was just an acknowledgement of how our story started. Then my kisses changed direction, bringing the atmosphere with them.

  I worked my way toward the top of her jeans.

  “You’re so beautiful,” I murmured into her skin, grinning when I felt her shiver.

  Her hands loosened and began slowly running through my hair. I rested my chin on her stomach and stared up at her soft smile.

  “Today was perfect,” she whispered. “I’ve never had a better time.”

  My fingers flexed against her hips. “Me neither. And that was my goal… to make it perfect.” I moved my hands down and around, gripping the back of her thighs. Her breath hitched as my fingers inched higher before sliding under her jeans and brushing the top of her panties.

  My eyes were still fixed on hers as I removed my hands and slowly started working her jeans down and off. I tossed them somewhere behind me, my gaze now settled on her white panties. They were just like her bra—simple, a soft material that covered her completely except for two strips of lace around her hips. And there in the center was a small pink bow. It was soft, beautiful, and understated, while being the sexiest thing I’d ever seen, just like Iris.

  Unable to stop myself, I leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the bow. I looked up to find her eyes were no longer on me; they were squeezed shut and her head was tipped back. But when I gripped the sides of her panties and slowly began peeling the material down her legs, her eyes shot open and landed on mine.

  My eyes didn’t leave her as I removed her underwear, gently grabbing behind each knee to help her step out of them. She whimpered when she saw me pocket them.

  “I hope those weren’t your favorite,” I said with a grin. Iris swallowed hard before quickly shaking her head. Slowly standing, I dragged my hands along the inside of her thighs, gently brushing my fingers through her wetness when I reached the apex.

  Stepping back, I removed my jeans, standing before her in only my boxers. Iris gulped and bit her bottom lip, looking tortured.

  I returned my hands to her. She moaned as I took my time, smoothing my hands across her stomach, past her still-covered breasts until I reached her shoulders. I gently kissed her lips before turning her to face the wall. Her hands were bunched at her sides. I reached down and pried her fingers loose. Iris’s breath hitched as I ran her fingers between her legs, slowly swirling one around her clit.

  “N-Nick… please…”

  “Do you feel how much you love this?” I asked before pressing my nose against the back of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of strawberry wafting from her hair. Iris moaned in response and wiggled her naked ass against me. My other hand ghosted up her back until I reached the clasp of her bra.

  “I’d rather feel how much you love this,” she whispered, her cheek pressed against the wall and her head turned. Removing our hands from her legs, I gently brought hers back and placed it over my boxer-clad cock.

  She whimpered and I groaned when she wrapped her hand around me and squeezed. My head fell to her shoulder as she continued to rub, trying to torture me like I was torturing her. I shook my head and refocused.

  Take care of her first.

  I lifted my head and removed her right hand from my dick before quickly undoing her bra, shoving it over her shoulders and down her arms before dropping it on the ground beside us. Then I grabbed both her hands, and placed her palms above her head. My hands skimmed down her arms and neck, quickly changing course to her frontside, each grabbing a breast.

  “Nick.” Her voice caught when I pinched her nipples. “I need…”

  “Yes?” I whispered in her ear. “If you want something, all you gotta do is ask.”

  Before she could answer, I dragged one hand down her waist and settled between her legs.

  “I want… yes… t-that,” she murmured as I sank two fingers inside her. Iris timidly rocked her hips into my hand. I increased the pace until she was teetering at the edge, about to fall over and drop. Then I slowed and removed my fingers completely.

  “What the….?” she started, sounding like she was in genuine pain, before I spun her around and slammed my mouth against hers, stealing her thoughts, breath, anything I could…

  The kiss was rough and filled with need, and when we parted, her hands were balled into fists once more. I stepped back, my gaze roaming over her, naked and wanting. Her lips and nipples were red from my attention, her pussy so wet I could see it from several feet away, and her heart was beating so fast I could see her pulse hammering in her neck.

  With a growl, I took her hand and led her to the bed. She was about to get what she wanted because I couldn’t hold back much longer.

  She sat on the edge and quickly crawled back, her eyes never leaving mine. I swallowed roughly, grabbing her ankle before she got too far. As much as my dick wanted in, I had to taste her first.

  I dropped to my knees again.

  “You’re on your knees an awful lot,” Iris quipped.

  “All the better to pleasure you, my dear…” I replied with a grin. Then I leaned forward and ran my tongue through her folds. Iris let out a delicious groan and fell back on the bed. This time I was relentless. It didn’t require much, she was still worked up, and when I sealed my mouth over her clit and sucked, she exploded. Her moans echoed off the walls as her hands pulled at my hair. When it became too much she started shoving me away. I slowed but kept my mouth where it was.

  “Nick, I can’t… please.”

  I sat back on my heels and licked my lips, watching Iris lift her head and study me. Her movements were sluggish and her eyes were hooded. Standing up, I slid my boxers down. Iris leaned up on her elbows and appraised me from head to toe, suddenly a lot more alert. She shuffled backward when I put my knee on the bed and crawled toward her.

  I was lying beside her, my elbow propping me up as my lips found hers. She shuddered when I dragged my finger up her inner thigh and between her legs. I continued to kiss her as I made a path up her stomach and across her breasts. Reluctantly I pulled my mouth away.

  “Do you have a condom?” I asked. I had a couple in my wallet in my jeans, but that seemed too far. Thankfully she nodded. Then she turned away from me and reached into her nightstand. I barely held in my groan at the sight of her ass. Palming her hip, I leaned forward and lightly nipped one of her cheeks. Iris yelped before spinning around, slamming her back on the bed with a string of at least six condoms in her hand.

  I plucked them from her grasp. “It’s a lofty goal,” I said, climbing over her and spreading her legs. “But I’m up for the challenge.”

  “You bit my butt,” she whisper-hissed, trying to sound angry, but her stuttered breathing gave away her intense arousal. I chuckled, leaning back as I rolled on a condom. My hands ran up her thighs and around until I was grabbing her ass.

  “It’s an ass worth biting.” I dragged her forward until I was settled against her entrance. When I looked up her eyes were riveted on my dick.

  I’d love nothing more than to watch myself disappear inside her, but I’d have plenty of time for that. Right now all I wanted to do was watch her face. I wanted to see the pleasure race across her as I filled her for the first time.

  Pushing in slowly, I watched Iris bite her lip as her eyebrows furrowed. When I was fully seated, I couldn’t even describe the sheer bliss I felt or what I saw in her expression. Her head dropped back and her eyes met mine. As I began moving, she set her lip free, her mo
uth falling open to allow the sweetest sounds out. Moans. Whimpers. Pleas.

  I nearly lost my mind.

  Reaching for her hands, I intertwined our fingers before pinning them by her head. Our bodies were practically glued together. Her tits rubbed against my chest. Her legs wrapped around my waist. Her heels pressed into my ass, urging me on. But she didn’t need to—nothing could stop me right now.

  I rested my forehead against hers, our eyes opened and locked as I gradually moved faster. Her breath hitched and I saw beads of sweat form across the tops of her breasts.

  “I feel…” she started.

  “I know,” I whispered. It felt amazing. Incredible. Life-changing. And a bunch of other fantastical words that wouldn’t really measure up to what was happening between us.

  Iris leaned up and kissed me. We only lasted a few seconds until our movements forced us away. I lifted my head.

  “Look,” I murmured, making sure her eyes were where I wanted them before shifting my gaze lower. I groaned as I finally watched myself disappear inside her. Iris eagerly took me with each raise of her hips.

  She whimpered, her heels digging in harder and her fingers trembling around mine. “Faster,” she begged. “Please…”

  I looked up; her head was tipped back and her eyes were shut. I dropped kisses across her jaw until I reached her ear.

  “Is this what you want?” I asked as I picked up the pace.

  “Yes… God yes,” she moaned.

  “I could spend hours between your legs… fucking you, tasting you, teasing you.” She clenched around my dick and I smiled into her neck. “You like that, huh? You like hearing what I’ll do next?”

  I slowed my pace when she didn’t respond. “Hmm… Iris?” I looked down into her eyes and saw desperation.

  “Y-yes, I like it,” she said. She let out a breath of relief as I moved faster than before. “Yesssss…”

  “You like my cock?” I teased. Her head thrashed against the pillow as she whimpered another yes. “You like my tongue flicking against your clit and my fingers pinching your tits?”

  We were both so close, and I could feel how much my words were affecting her. “You know what I’d like?” I licked a path up her neck, feeling her quake beneath me as my lips met her ear again. “I can’t wait for you to ride me, Iris. To dig my fingers into your ass until I leave marks, to watch your tits bounce in front of my face until I have no choice but to lean forward and draw one into my mouth, to watch you grind your clit against me, so desperate to make yourself come…”

  “Nick!” she shouted, coming so forcefully she jerked beneath me. “Oh God… don’t stop…”

  I didn’t; I slammed into her over and over until she insisted she couldn’t take anymore. Only then did I come, with my dick buried deep inside her, sparks of pleasure radiating down my spine.

  “Iris,” I groaned into her neck. “Fuck, you feel so good.”

  Our breaths were loud as we struggled to come down from our high. I knew it was pointless, though. Because just like our first kiss, I knew I’d never recover from this.

  We’d laid in bed until almost eleven o’clock before I—regretfully—had to leave. After stopping by the pharmacy to pick up some more of my medication, I went home and started cooking. Kevin and Lindsay were coming over to my apartment to watch football, and I’d agreed to make my special wings for Kevin, as well as Lindsay’s favorite dip.

  It seemed insane, but even after spending all day with Iris yesterday, I couldn’t wait to see her again. Not that I would have to wait long, because even though she knew nothing about football, she eagerly accepted my invitation to watch the games with us.

  I hadn’t been this happy in a long time. Not because I’d been sad or angry. Truthfully, I hadn’t been much of anything. My mother and I had been in the same place up until recently, so content in our lives that we didn’t even notice things were missing.

  It was strange, because one would think that nearly dying was what would have turned it all around for me. That might have been the case for my mother. I knew many had profound epiphanies after a near-death experience, they saw the light and realized how precious life was and how we had to make the most of every day… yada yada yada. But that wasn’t me. I was fairly certain I would have been an insufferable prick until the day I died, near-death accident or not.

  It wasn’t the possibility of death that woke me up. It was her.

  Her presence, her radiance and positivity, it existed outside of life and death, happy and sad; she was remarkable. And she didn’t even know it.

  Now, Iris was sitting next to me on my couch, my arm around her shoulders, while Kevin and Lindsay sat on the recliner by the door—Lindsay on his lap. The halftime performance was on, but none of us were paying attention. As the wedding got closer it seemed all we did was talk about it. Even with almost everything picked out and done, somehow there was something to obsess over or some magazine she had to read. And now that Iris was here, someone who knew none of the details, Lindsay was more than happy to share.

  I was zoning out, the conversation about color scheme not holding a bit of my attention, when Lindsay asked Iris a question.

  “You’re coming to the wedding, right?” She was practically bouncing on Kevin’s lap with excitement.

  My eyes jumped to Iris’s as a slight panic moved through me. “I didn’t—” I started, only to be interrupted by Lindsay.

  “You didn’t invite her?” she asked, her wide eyes going back and forth between us.

  “Not because I didn’t want to,” I rushed to say, my gaze on Lindsay. “I just… you sent invitations out months ago and I didn’t want to ask. I didn’t want to mess with the bride, you know?”

  I looked down, hoping Iris could see the truth in my words. This wasn’t me having cold feet about our relationship—no, my feet were nice and toasty. I may have been uneasy about her in the beginning, but now that we were together, I was one hundred percent in.

  Iris smiled before leaning over and placing a kiss on my cheek. “It’s okay,” she whispered, with nothing but sincerity in her eyes.

  “Oh please,” Lindsay began. “I’m as chill as they come, you know that. I appreciate the thought, but you can ask me things about the wedding. I’m not running around like a chicken with my head cut off.”

  “Yeah, but you’re always talking about it and—”

  “Because I’m excited.” She smiled down at Kevin, cupping his face in her hands. “I’m beyond ready to marry the love of my life.”

  They kissed. It was brief and full of nothing but love. When Lindsay pulled away and faced us, she said, “Do I want things to be perfect? Of course. Everyone does. But will I have a meltdown if things go a little differently? No, because the most important thing is staying the same.”

  “She’s not lying. I haven’t seen her cry over a wedding detail once,” Kevin said, his eyes stuck on his soon-to-be wife. “Lindsay’s the perfect woman.” He placed a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

  Lindsay beamed and sat up straighter. “That’s right, I am. So yes, of course she can come.”

  “Really?” My arm tightened around Iris’s shoulders. I didn’t even wait for Lindsay’s response before twisting toward my girlfriend and grabbing one of her hands.

  “Iris, will you go to their wedding with me?”

  She laughed. “Of course.”

  I quickly leaned forward and captured her lips with mine, my tongue effortlessly sliding in and tangling with hers. It was the kind of kiss that made you forget other people were in the room. Hell, it made me forget other people were on the planet.

  It wasn’t until her fingers were pulling at my hair and my hand had fallen to her ass, ready to lift her into my lap, that I registered the very loud coughing in the background. Iris ripped her mouth away, and her cheeks turned pink when she heard how loud our breathing was.

  “Dude,” Kevin said, his eyes on me. “I know I said I was bummed about Linds not letting me get any triple-X c
hannels, but you didn’t need to give me a show.”

  Lindsay chuckled as she backhanded him in the chest. He easily caught her hand and brought it up to his lips for a kiss.

  It was funny; when I was single, their inability to go a minute without touching or kissing something on the other drove me insane. But now it wasn’t as annoying.

  “Ohmygod,” Iris muttered as she tried to sink into the couch.

  “Hey, you know what would be awesome?” Lindsay asked, clearly trying to draw attention off my girlfriend’s raging red cheeks. I must admit, I liked a blushing Iris quite a bit.

  “What?” I asked.

  “If Iris was a bridesmaid! That way you can walk down the aisle together.”

  “Oh.” Iris scooted up on the couch. “That’s really sweet, but you don’t have to—”

  Lindsay started waving her hands, cutting Iris off. “I don’t do anything I don’t want to.”

  “So you’re okay with it being uneven?”

  “Uneven?” She tilted her head, confused, before recognition hit her. “Oh no no. You wouldn’t be an add on, just walking by yourself. You’d take someone’s place. The girl walking with Nick. You guys look about the same size. Don’t you think, Nick?”

  Iris’s eyes widened, and I knew she was thinking about how she couldn’t take someone else’s spot. Lindsay must have understood the look too, because she quickly assuaged her worries.

  “The girl Nick’s walking with is my cousin, Anne. She loathes any kind of attention and has been dreading this. But since Kevin had three groomsmen, and apparently I only have two friends, I needed an extra person. So really, this is perfect. I felt awful about asking Anne, but I really didn’t have anyone else.”

  “You swear?” Iris looked to Kevin and me for confirmation.

  “Really.” I looked down at her and squeezed her hand. “Anne is going to be over the moon when she finds out. And I’m not just saying that because I want you on my arm.”

  “Well okay, if you’re really sure—”

  “She is.” They all chuckled as I cut her off before quickly kissing her on the lips. I wasn’t giving her any reason to doubt how much I wanted her there. My kisses traveled across her cheek until I reached her ear. “I’m insanely happy right now.”