Falling to Pieces

by Leddy Harper

  I eased another finger inside her, stretching her slowly while pressing my thumb against her backside. That made her jump slightly and drop her head to hang between her arms. I wrapped my other hand around to her front and teased her clit while picking up the pace of my fingers. “Pinch your nipple for me, Bree. Twist it, squeeze it. Pretend it’s my teeth.”

  She pulled one arm back from the top of the desk and did as I instructed. Even though I couldn’t see it, I knew what she was doing. I knew it by the moans that came from her throat and the way she rode my fingers, picking up speed as she slammed herself against my hand. Her core began to tighten, and I knew her first orgasm hovered on the horizon.

  “That’s right, baby…fuck my fingers. Come for me.”

  “I can’t, Axel. I can’t. I’m too scared someone will catch us,” she whispered, her voice shaking.

  I immediately pulled away from her, twisting her around until she faced me with the desk at her back. I leaned into her, causing her to take a seat on the edge as I pressed my lips to her hot mouth. I leaned in more, forcing her further onto the top of the desk before pulling back again.

  “What…?”

  “Shhh…” I pressed my index finger over her parted lips and sat in my chair, rolling it closer to her. I wrapped my arms around her legs, pulling her feet off the floor and placing them on the armrests of the chair. “Don’t tell me you can’t come, Bree. Because I’ll make sure you do.”

  “We’re going to get caught.”

  “No we won’t. But you have to hurry.” I pushed her skirt up and slid her underwear to the side, catching the scent of her arousal immediately. Without hesitation or warning, I buried my tongue inside her before licking up her slit to the hard nub at the top. I would never get enough of her. She jumped, pressing herself into my face more, and grabbed a hold of my hair with one hand. I’d grown my hair out for her and she loved it.

  Within seconds, I had her panting and coming on my tongue, completely letting go as she yanked on my hair, which she now had tangled in her tightly closed fists. I didn’t even give her time to come down from the high before standing up, thrusting the chair back so hard it toppled over, and then flipping her around again. I made quick work of my pants, only dropping them to my thighs, and then teased her dripping entrance with the tip of my dick.

  “You want this, Bree?” I asked in a heady voice.

  “Yes, Axel. I want it. Please,” she begged, nearly out of breath.

  “Then move in with me.”

  Her body stilled, no longer trying to spear herself on my erection. “What?”

  “You heard me. Move in with me. You and Ayla…under my roof. Say yes and I’ll fuck you. I’ll fuck you right here, right now, and again in our bed tonight. Anytime you want it. Say yes, and I’ll fuck you. Hard.”

  Her back heaved with her heavy breaths before she cried out, “Yes! Okay…yes. I’ll move in with you. Just fuck me already, Axel.”

  I worried someone might’ve heard her, so I quickly thrust inside her, burying myself to the hilt. “Holy shit, Bree.” I panted, thrusting in and out of her at a rapid pace.

  Her body gave in, her arms no longer holding her up. She fell to the top of the desk and pressed her cheek against the cool metal. Her soft moans and the slapping of skin filled the room. Had I not been so consumed by her, I would’ve worried about someone hearing, but I’d become too lost to care.

  “I need you to hurry, baby. Fucking come for me so I can fill you up. We’re running out of time.” I reached around her and frantically circled her clit with my fingers, pressing against her hard as I thrust deep within her.

  She began to whimper and I could feel her walls closing in. I couldn’t hold on any longer. My balls tightened with every push, burned with every pull. The moment the airy squeal left her lips, I spilled myself into her, pushing against her as hard as I could, emptying every drop into her hot core.

  We spent a second catching our breaths before I leaned over her and removed a tissue from the box on the corner of my desk. I watched as I slowly pulled myself from her, my dick glistening with the mixture of our excitement. After carefully wiping her off, I stepped back and refastened my pants.

  “Oh my God, Axel,” she whispered as she slowly spun around to face me, her chest heaving up and down. “What in the hell got into you?” The glint in her eye told me she wasn’t chastising me.

  “I’ve wanted to do that for six years.”

  She kissed me, unable to wipe the grin from her lips. “Yay for parent-teacher conferences. When’s the next one?”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “Um…only when I’m the teacher and you’re the parent.”

  Bree wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me close. “Ready to go home now? I apparently have to pack up my shit. Some bossy teacher is moving me in.”

  “You’re not going to change your mind, right?”

  She drew back and lifted an eyebrow. “You promised to fuck me like that every night. Hell no, I’m not changing my mind. But if you ever give me the excuse that you’re too tired or you have a headache and can’t perform, I’ll be out like a fat bitch in dodge ball.”

  I laughed and pressed my lips to her forehead. “You don’t have to worry about that, Bree. I’d still fuck you on my deathbed. Let’s go home.”

  I’d followed Bree back to her house and stayed the night. The next morning, we started packing up their belongings. Ayla was beyond excited about coming to live with me and having both parents under the same roof. She’d adjusted to me very early on, but always preferred to be around both of us together. This just made things simpler. And it seemed to make everyone happy.

  We ended up packing all weekend, and finally finished moving everything over by Sunday night. My house became slightly cramped with everything, but we decided to wait a little before choosing what would stay and what we would get rid of. Although, we both agreed that anything we chose to let go of, Aubrey would work her magic on it and sell at the flea market. I’d cleaned out the garage to give her space to work and keep all her furniture.

  The following week was Thanksgiving. Her parents had everyone over to their house, Robin putting on the entire spread. It was the first time I would get to meet her father, and my nerves nearly had me backing out before even leaving the house.

  I finally knew how Bree must have felt when she met Tracii for the first time.

  “Everything will be fine,” Bree coaxed on our way to their house. “He’s fine with it now, I promise. You’ll see. And if he’s still upset about anything, it’s me.”

  “He lectured you for an hour about us moving in together. That was less than a week ago. Do you really expect me to believe he’s over it by now? We could’ve at least met on neutral ground. Instead, I’m walking into the lion’s den. His turf. He’s gonna slaughter me. You’ll become a widow before we ever get married.”

  Bree laughed and covered my hand with hers on the console. “No. He just thinks we should’ve waited. I swear, he’s really coming around to the idea of you.”

  “Oh, gee. That makes it all better. The idea of me?”

  “You know what I mean. Not to mention, you have the rest of us on your side. So even if Dad wants to be stubborn, he’d be completely alone in that. Robin can’t wait to meet you. And Clari and Sarah do nothing but say great things about you. You’ll be fine.”

  I didn’t have much of a chance to argue with her. We pulled into their driveway as soon as she finished talking. Ayla jumped from the back seat, running to the front door in excitement.

  “Please don’t leave me alone,” I begged Bree, pleading with my words and eyes.

  “I won’t.” That turned out to be a false promise. The moment we walked into the house, Robin called her into the kitchen to help with something. She headed back there, but the second I went to follow, Bree’s very large father stopped me.

  “You don’t see anything wrong with what you did?” he asked, standing in front of me, keeping me from going anywhere. S
eriously, I wasn’t a short guy, but her dad made me feel tiny.

  “Yes, sir. As a matter of fact, I do. I should’ve never engaged in a romantic relationship with a student. However, I stand by my feelings for her. I defend how I felt back then, and how I feel about her now.” This was the first time I’d had the opportunity to speak with the man. I’d wanted to before, but Bree always told me to give him more time. She said I shouldn’t press him. But I no longer had time as a luxury, and I refused to back down and say my feelings for her were a lie.

  He straightened his back and arched a red, bushy eyebrow at me. “So you admit that sleeping with a student was wrong?” His voice was so deep, it sounded like a bear. Yes, Bree’s dad reminded me of a very large, very scary, red-haired bear.

  But I wouldn’t back down. Bears could sense fear, and I wouldn’t show him any. “Yes, sir. It was never my intention do go that far. It was never hers, either. But I was young as well. I’m sure you’d agree with how easy it is to give in, regardless of right or wrong. But the only thing that should matter here is that I loved her. I still love her. I’ve never stopped and I never will. It wasn’t some perverted love, or even hormonal love. I never sought her out for any of that. When I befriended her, it was simply to help her deal with the crap society and the law couldn’t save her from. I never anticipated falling in love with her. But I can tell you with complete certainty, sir, that I don’t regret it one bit.”

  Honestly, I expected him to come unglued and smack me like a motherfucker, but he didn’t. Instead, he nodded slowly with pursed lips, met my eyes, and shook my hand. “You better take care of her, boy—both of them.”

  “You have nothing to worry about with that. I promise.”

  “Dammit,” he muttered under his breath. “I wasn’t supposed to like you. You were supposed to be some chump kid that I could scare away. You know, I’ve always wanted to do that. Maybe we can do that when Ayla gets older. We can sit on the porch and clean our shotguns when a boy comes to pick her up for a date.”

  I fought hard to control my grin. “That won’t happen, sir.”

  He raised an eyebrow at me in confusion.

  “Ayla won’t date until she’s thirty.”

  He laughed, a deep, rumbling chuckle. “Yeah, boy. That’s what I said once about Aubs. Yet that didn’t stop her from getting more than a history lesson from her teacher.”

  The smile fell from my lips. “That wasn’t funny.”

  “Oh, what? So you wouldn’t like it if some young teacher fell in love with Ayla? I’m sure neither of them will expect it or plan on it.”

  I couldn’t speak. I stood frozen in front of him. But then he slapped me on the back, jarring me from my panic attack.

  “I’m just messin’ with ya. Come on, the boys are in the back. Care for something to drink?”

  I shook my head. “No, thank you.”

  “Don’t worry, boy. Aubs already told us. All we have here today is soda, juice, and water.” He had a gleam in his eye that told me he respected me. And knowing he’d gone out of his way to accommodate me, left me with nothing but respect for him as well.

  The rest of the day went by smoothly. Everyone got along, and the food was superb. I actually got along great with Joel, Clarissa’s husband. Ayla had attached herself to her nana, Bree visited with her sisters, and I got to know the guys better. It was the start of a life I never thought I’d have until I pulled a sad girl from a cold lake. Until she looked inside of me and stole my heart with her wolf eyes.

  She could deny it all she wanted, but Bree was my she wolf.

  She huffed and she puffed, and she blew me away with her love.

  I was never one to believe in fairy tales, until Aubrey Jacobs sat on my couch and told me one.

  Once upon a time in a classroom not far from here, a young teacher met a student. She came to school one day with a bruise on her face and he wanted to kiss her boo-boos all better. He found out about her wicked mother and vowed to save her, but then he fell in love and was forced to walk away. On the night of her seventeenth birthday, she drank a glass of poisoned grape juice and ran through the enchanted forest to find him. Yada yada yada…they made up and all was right in the kingdom again.

  I climbed back into bed, searching for warmth beneath the blankets. Everyone was asleep except me. I had to stay up in order to get everything ready. Even though I’d be dead tired the next day as both of our families gathered together for the first time, I knew I wouldn’t regret the lack of sleep for a single second. Bree rolled over to face me, snuggling up against my chest. Her body heat quickly invaded me, warding off the chill I’d gotten from being outside.

  “Everything under the tree?” she asked with a sleepy voice.

  “Yeah.”

  “You don’t think she heard you, do you?”

  “I doubt it. I took like a million trips to make sure I wouldn’t wake her up. This Santa thing is no joke. I think we should just tell her the truth and avoid this next year. It’s too damn cold outside in the middle of the night to sneak in presents that some fictional man in a red suit will get credit for.”

  “It’s not that cold. Stop being a baby,” she mumbled as she nuzzled into me more.

  “There is snow on the ground. I’d say that’s pretty cold.”

  She pushed back, her eyes finally open. “Snow? We have snow?”

  I bit back my smile as she jumped from the bed, rushing to the window to look outside. I didn’t want to seem too eager, so I gave her a second, making sure my timing was right. The moment I heard the gasp seep from her lips, and noticed her hands cover her mouth, I knew that was my cue.

  I slipped off the side of the bed, falling down on one knee. I knew what she saw. I’d purposely set it up in the yard where she’d see it from our window. How I’d managed to spread fake snow on the ground, strategically place fake candles that glowed like real flames to spell out my question, and hide the box from her, would forever remain a mystery. Bree became a kid at Christmastime, finally able to live out the holiday cheer. I almost thought she’d never fall asleep and ruin my plans.

  “Axel?” She turned around, her eyes immediately finding me kneeled in front of her with a black box opened, showcasing a diamond ring. It took me forever to find the perfect yellow diamond that didn’t cost me all my savings. It was small, and I worried she wouldn’t like it, but I’d become determined to find a yellow stone that’d remind me of her eyes.

  I knew she’d read the words lit by the candles, but I felt the need to repeat them. “Will you marry me?” Emotion clogged my throat, making the words sound raspy and desperate—which was rather accurate. “Please, Bree. Marry me. Spend the rest of your life with me. I want more kids with you, to grow our family. I want to be by your side every step of the way, loving you, taking—”

  She cut off my words by pressing her lips to mine. I could taste the saltiness of her tears on my tongue as my mouth consumed hers. I pulled her into my lap, falling back against the side of the bed with her wrapped tightly in my arms.

  “Please tell me that means yes…” I whispered into her mouth.

  “Yes. Yes. A million times yes, Axel.”

  “Oh, thank God. I thought you would say it’s too fast, but I couldn’t wait another day,” I confessed into her neck once I finally allowed myself to breathe.

  She pulled back slightly, holding my face in her hands. Her eyes glistened from the soft light shining through the window. “I may have felt that way two months ago, but not anymore. I no longer fear a future with you. The intensity of our love no longer scares me. Almost seven years ago, we planned a life together. It’s about time we finally start living it.”

  “You’re not still asleep are you?”

  She smiled and pressed her forehead to mine with a giggle. “No. I’m wide-awake. I didn’t know how badly I wanted to live with you until you forced me to. And I didn’t realize how desperate I want to marry you until you just asked. But why does it sound like you’re trying to talk m
e out of it?”

  “Trust me, I’m not trying to talk you out of it. I’m just making sure I go through any excuse I can think of so you can’t use it to back out later. Because once this ring is on your finger, you can’t take it off or give it back. There’s a strict, no-refund policy.”

  Bree held out her left hand and spread her fingers wide. “Then put it on, baby.”

  I pulled the ring from the box and slipped it on her fourth finger, setting it in place behind the knuckle. I held her hand for a moment, studying the way my ring looked on her before threading my fingers through her hair and yanking her mouth back to mine.

  “Do you remember the first time we were in this position?” she asked, slowly rocking her hips into mine.

  “How could I forget?”

  “Good…because you’re about to relive it. You became my first that day, and now, you’ll be my last.”

  Coming early 2016…

  Take Your Time

  Prologue

  Sarah

  It was Christmas morning, my favorite day of the year. The house buzzed with excitement as everyone began to show up, filling the rooms with laughter and cheer. The only person missing was Mom. I knew I’d find her in the kitchen, preparing for the big holiday, and I wanted nothing more than to help her like I did every year. I found her leaning against the counter with her head cradled in her hands.

  “Everything all right, Mom?” I asked, walking cautiously toward her.

  She stood up straight, holding herself up at the sink, and plastered a smile on her face. But I could see the pain in her eyes. I knew right away that her migraines were back. They’d plagued her for years, nearly crippling her at times. But she was on a regular Botox injection treatment plan to keep them away.

  “When are you due for more shots?” I asked, grabbing a dishtowel and wetting it with cold water for her forehead.