Managed Hearts

by MacMillan, Jerica

  He kissed her mound and stroked over it with his hand. She twitched in response, and he climbed up over her, nuzzling her breasts and then the crook of her neck before kissing her again, pausing for a moment to roll on a condom. Settling himself between her open thighs, the length of his cock pressed against the heat of her pussy. She was scalding, and he couldn’t wait until she was wrapped around him.

  Her hips lifted and pressed against him when he slid his cock along her slit, and he broke their kiss. Her eyelids fluttered open, still heavy and blissed out from her orgasm. “Ready?”

  She sighed and licked her lips before nodding. Matt lined himself up and slid inside, fulling seating himself in one slow stroke. He couldn’t hold back the groan at the feel of her around him as he sunk into her wet heat. Holding himself still, he dropped his head to cover her mouth with his again, his tongue sliding against hers. She responded, wrapping her tongue around his, tasting him as much as he tasted her, slow and delicious. She arched against him and wrapped her legs around his hips, hooking her ankles behind his back. He began to move inside her, slow, mimicking their kiss, trying to make it last as long as he could. With each thrust forward, Hannah tightened her legs around him, rising up to meet him. When he picked up the pace, she broke the kiss, turning her head to the side, eyes closed, her breath coming in short, shallow pants. He continued kissing along the line of her jaw, over to the soft spot below her ear, scraping her earlobe with his teeth. She shivered in response.

  “Oh God, Matt. You feel so good.”

  He pulled back, a satisfied grin on his face. “You like that?” He punctuated the question with a thrust, and she gasped in response. “You like the feel of my cock inside you?” She squirmed at his words, and her muscles clamped down on him. “Are you going to come again? Are you going to come for me all over my cock?”

  Her breath hitched at his dirty talk, and she bit her lip with her teeth, stifling a low moan. He bit her ear lightly once more, then braced himself on one arm so he could reach between them and circle his thumb over her clit. She was slick all over from him going down on her and the orgasm he’d already given her. God, he loved the feel of her under him, around him, the way she looked with her eyes closed, lost in the feelings he created for her. She’d always been so responsive to him. He never could get enough of this, and it hadn’t been like this with anyone before or since. She made him feel like a sex god, and he’d do anything to keep this thing with her going. Now that she was back, he’d be damned if he’d let her go again.

  He pressed his thumb into her clit, rubbing firm circles in time with his slow thrusts. Hannah’s breath grew quicker, her legs around him tightened, and he picked up speed, knowing that he’d found the right spot. He held himself back, waiting for what seemed like forever, until with one hard thrust, she tipped over the edge, spasming around him, her legs clenching and shivering. Removing his hand from her clit, he grasped both of her hands, lacing their fingers together and pulling her hands above her head. His hips snapped faster, prolonging her orgasm while he let go of his restraint and chased his own.

  “Look at me, Hannah. Open your eyes.” He barely recognized the sound of his own voice, little more than a growl now.

  Her muscles were still spasming around his cock, but she managed to follow his order, her head lolling to center, her eyelids peeling back enough for her to peer out. Her green eyes were dark, the color of the forest after the rain, hazy and unfocused, the effects of her second orgasm—the effect he had on her—clear for him to see.

  And that was enough to push him over the edge. He held her gaze as he finished, his muscles shaking around her, and her legs tightened around him once more, her fingers clutching his hands as tightly as he gripped hers, holding him close as he came.

  This girl. She was it. He hadn’t realized it until now, but she’d completely ruined him for anyone else.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Matt’s body pressed her into the mattress. She’d let her legs fall away from his hips, but he’d collapsed halfway on top of her when he’d finished, his head resting against her shoulder, eyes closed. His breath came fast, and his heart raced where his chest pressed against hers. He’d let go of her hands before he collapsed, and he had his left arm wrapped around her, holding her to him like he didn’t mean to ever let go. He’d fallen off center enough that she didn’t have trouble breathing, and the feeling of him on top of her made her feel warm and safe.

  After his breathing and heart rate slowed, he squeezed her against him once more before shifting back and up, one hand stroking down her torso, the other grasping himself while he withdrew from her.

  He stood, wrapped the used condom in some tissues, and threw it away. Climbing back into bed, he pulled her around with her head on his chest and her leg across his torso. He exhaled and ran his hand up and down her back, from the nape of her neck to her ass and back again.

  She snuggled in, this level of tenderness unexpected after the way things had started. With their emotions running high, she’d expected angry fucking. But the minute their skin touched, the dam broke on the old flood of emotions they’d had before, calling them forth from the past, bringing them all to the present. Now she lay here in Matt’s arms, his hand stroking up and down her back the same way he used to whenever he held her like this. She found herself caressing the bare skin of his torso like she used to as well, her fingers running over the dips and valleys created by his pale skin stretched taut over compact muscles. As comfortable as this felt, the muscle memory of them together taking over without conscious thought, her mind couldn’t quite catch up to what was happening. She needed to clarify this before they left the room. As far as she knew, they weren’t together. Sure, they’d been hanging out this week, but just at his house. She wasn’t his girlfriend.

  She tilted her head up so she could look at Matt. With his face pointed at the ceiling and his other hand tucked behind his head, she could only see his jawline and the faint stubble growing there. She licked her lips, nervous to ask a question. But she had to ask. Otherwise she’d go crazy wondering. Matt had always been direct with her. That’s part of what made her nervous, though. What if she didn’t like his answer? Only one way to find out.

  “What does this mean, Matt?” She hated the breathless sound of her voice when she asked the question. She wasn’t the uncertain, just-barely-eighteen-year-old she’d been when they were together before. She was older, wiser, more confident. But in the same way their bodies went back to their old patterns, so did her thoughts, and she sounded shy, uncertain, and worried. She didn’t know if she could survive him leaving without an explanation again. That’s why the question had to be asked. If he didn’t want this to go anywhere, she needed to know now, before she got in deeper, before she risked her heart again.

  His head swiveled down, his blue eyes piercing, searching hers. “What does what mean?”

  She pursed her lips at his deliberate obtuseness. “Don’t play dumb, Matt Schwartz. The jealousy, the spanking, the sex, all of it. What does it all mean? What do you want from me? From this?”

  Pulling his arm out from under her head, he propped himself up on his elbow to look down at her. “What do you want it to mean?”

  She poked him in the sternum, getting irritated with his evasiveness, and sat up, pulling the sheets around her, wanting to cover her nakedness. “Fine. Never mind. I guess your unwillingness to answer a basic question about the status of our relationship, or whatever the hell this is, is answer enough.” She started to move off the bed. “I’ll just go. Don’t bother calling. I’ll email you at work if I need anything work related, or you can email me, but don’t come around and check on me anymore. I’d rather not see you more than absolutely necessary if that’s okay.” The sheet tangled around her as she tried to get up, keeping her trapped on the bed. She yanked on it, needing the flimsy shield it provided while scrambling to get away.

  Matt’s hands dropped on her bare shoulders, slipping around her torso and pul
ling her back against him, holding her against his chest until she stopped struggling.

  Lying limp against him, she tried to steel herself against the way his arms around her made her feel. The sheet had slipped in the back so her bare skin pressed against his. But spending more time like this was dangerous to her mental and emotional health. She needed to view this as closure she’d never gotten and move on. “Let me go, Matt.” This time her voice came out steady and in control.

  “Now why would I do that?” He placed a kiss on her neck. “I just found you again. Why would I want to let you go?”

  Her breath caught in her chest, but she stamped down the uncontrollable welling up of hope, holding it at bay until she had a straight answer. “Don’t fuck with me, Matt. Either answer my question, or let me go and leave me alone.”

  He sighed, his chest deflating behind her. His arms withdrew, no longer pinning her against him, and he ran his hands over her arms. “I told you before. I want a chance at us again. I don’t want you dating other guys. I want to spend every spare moment with you. If I got my way, you’d stay here tonight, and tomorrow, and maybe all the nights after that. I don’t want to let you go now that you’re mine again. But I will if you want me to. If you want me to leave you alone and not talk to you anymore, just say the word and I will.”

  Hannah sat up and turned so she could look at him, examining his face to gauge his sincerity. “I don’t do casual flings, Matt. I’m not built that way.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Does this feel casual to you?”

  A small smile came to her face as she shook her head. “No, but I don’t know what’s going on with you. But you and your friends all have a reputation with women. And with the way things ended before, I just need you to be clear.”

  His mouth twisted in a grimace. “I apologized about before.”

  “I know you did. And even though I forgive you, it still means that you’re good at hiding your thoughts, and the possibility exists that you’ll ghost on me again.”

  “I won’t, Hannah. I told you, I learned from my mistakes. I won’t do that to you again.”

  She nodded, feeling somewhat reassured at the sincerity ringing in his voice. “Okay. But if you decide you’re ready to move on, I need you to have the balls to tell me this time, okay?”

  “I don’t see that happening, but okay.” He reached for her, tugging on her hands until they loosened their hold on the sheet and pulled her forward so she sat straddling his lap. “If it makes you feel more secure to hear me say it, I promise that I’ll tell you if I decide to end things between us. And you promise me the same, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  His hand slid up her back to tangle in her hair. “As for my reputation, it’s not entirely deserved. Lance and Chris were the manwhores. I just got lumped in with them because we’re friends.” He brought her mouth down to his for a kiss, but she didn’t let it last long, not quite as done with this conversation as Matt seemed to want to be.

  She pulled back. “Is that so? So no hooking up with random girls at parties or whenever?”

  A crooked smile took over his face. “I didn’t say I was celibate between relationships. But those guys didn’t even date. I’ve at least had girlfriends before. Now, do you really want to talk about other chicks?” He arched an eyebrow at her, the intensity in his eyes contrasting with the smile playing on his lips.

  She shook her head, the movement small since his hand still held the back of her head. “Not really. Do you want to hear about my past relationships?”

  That question provoked a growl, and she fought a smile at the rumble in his chest. “Not fucking likely.”

  He pulled her mouth down to his with more force this time, not letting her get away, nipping at her lower lip so she would open for him. Soon he maneuvered them so he had her pinned beneath him again, his cock lengthening and hardening against her leg. “You’re mine, Hannah. As far as I’m concerned you’ve always been mine, and you’ll always be mine. Got it?”

  He pulled back enough for her to nod, then he lowered his mouth to her skin once more. He was rougher than before, nipping at her neck and over her collarbone, soothing the sting of his teeth with his tongue and wet, open-mouth kisses until he reached her breasts. Using his fingers to stir her arousal, he ratcheted it up almost to the breaking point before donning a condom and sinking inside her once more.

  The feeling of him stretching her sore tissues so soon after the last time made her gasp. The edge of pain served to heighten the pleasure even more.

  He bracketed her face with his hands, his eyes boring into hers. “Mine,” he said as he thrust into her. He thrust again. “Say it. Say you’re mine, Hannah.” He withdrew, waiting for her to comply with his command.

  She squirmed under him, searching for contact. “Yours.” One word was all she could muster. He thrust into her again, hard, each stroke a claiming. He covered her mouth with his, swallowing her moans and cries, driving her toward another orgasm, and when it came, her spasms set off his own, a series of fireworks exploding one after another.

  Afterward, she lay under him, limp and exhausted, her body so sated that her brain finally shut off, letting her drift in the pleasure of skin on skin. Not feeling the need to wonder about what this would mean for tomorrow. Not worried about anything beyond the perfect microcosm of their shared universe.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Hannah sat at the table in the student center, bored out of her mind. Derek and Chelsea had gone to get some lunch, so she was alone with no one to chastise her for sitting. She had the clipboards neatly arranged in front of her instead of standing and holding one to try to attract the attention of the three other people who wandered in. They were still trying to get enough signatures for their petition. And no one bothered listening to her that instead of wasting time on the weekend to do this, they should be here during the week, and they should get their representatives in the Student’s Association involved. With the SA’s backing, they’d get more people to staff the table, better placement, and more people willing to sign.

  Instead they were shoved off into a corner without even basic signage to attract attention. Huge marketing fail. But since she’d stepped out of her leadership role, no one wanted to listen to her anymore. Well, some of them did, but Derek had managed to become club president, and he vetoed every suggestion she made, still pissed at her for breaking up with him. She’d been tempted to quit altogether, but Chelsea and Allison and a few others who’d been with her for the last couple of years had begged her to at least stay in the club. So here she sat, bored on a Saturday, guilted into helping with something that wouldn’t work, even if the goal was worthy. They were trying to get more recycling options in the dorms, not just around the cafeteria and other food service places, as well as start a recycling program for glass. On principle, Hannah approved. In practice, they could go about it all so much better.

  She sighed, knowing that voicing any objections or alternative suggestions would be summarily dismissed and ignored. Even Chelsea and Allison, because they were friends with her, couldn’t get Derek to consider anything they suggested. The jackass just assumed their ideas all came from her, like they couldn’t come up with valid ideas on their own. So even if she wanted to put them up to making better suggestions, it wouldn’t work.

  She put her head down on the table, tired from how late she’d stayed up the night before with Matt. Every time she shifted, she felt the delicious tenderness between her thighs, and she’d found more than one love bite when she’d taken a shower this morning. He’d protested when she’d left early, needing time to get back to her apartment to shower and change before coming to campus for this exercise in futility.

  Matt’s low voice had her head snapping up. “Looks like things are going really well for you here.” He smirked when she rolled her eyes, leaning forward to give her a light kiss. Pulling up a chair next to her, he set a bag on the table.

  Hannah sat up straighter. “What are you doin
g here? Aren’t we doing dinner later?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t want to wait to see you until dinner time, so I brought you lunch. Is that okay?” A tentative note entered his voice, and Hannah melted.

  She leaned over to kiss him, letting it linger more than the last one. “Of course it’s okay. Thank you. I’m starving and wasn’t going to get a break until the other two came back.” She rubbed her hands together and smiled. “What’d you bring me?”

  Matt chuckled, pulling a couple of burritos out of the bag. “I went to my favorite burrito place. I got you chorizo con huevos. Do you still like that?”

  She snatched the burrito out of his hand. “Yes! But it’s so hard to find good chorizo around here. Have you had it?” She ripped the foil back from the burrito, but hesitated, her eyes finding Matt’s.

  He chuckled. “Yes. I think it’s good, but I don’t have a best friend whose family is from Mexico. This is a pretty authentic place, though, and the rest of their food is delicious. Let me know.”

  She stared at him a moment longer before taking a bite, letting out a groan when the spicy flavors hit her tongue. “Oh my God, Matt. This is so good. You’ll have to tell me where this place is so I can get my fix whenever I need it. Elena’s so busy that she only cooks like this when she has a craving. It’s not often enough for my liking. I’d do it myself, but I’ve never managed to get it right.” She closed her eyes as she took another bite, Matt’s pleased chuckle washing over her. He’d just made this day so much better than it had been five minutes ago.