by Staci Hart
23
FAITH
West
THE MORNING SUN HAD BARELY broken the horizon when I woke. The room was still mostly dark, but I could see every detail of Lily’s face — the tiny freckles on her nose, her dark lashes against her cheek, hair spilled around her, across her pillow and bare shoulder. The sheets were just low enough that I could see a sliver of the darker skin around her nipple, and my eyes followed the curve of her breast that disappeared into the shadows.
It might have been one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.
I lay there for a long time watching her, trying to sort through my feelings. Never in all my life had I felt this before. Not with Chris, not even Shannon, who I had been with for all of those years. What I felt for Lily left them all in the dust.
I’d never believed in soul mates — the idea that there’s only one person for you, and if you can find them, the power of that love would be unstoppable. The laws of compatibility would say there are thousands of people you could find happiness with. But now that I had Lily, I realized that there are people who, when they find one another, have no choice in the matter, no say. They need to be together just as much as they need to breathe.
Nothing in life is certain. But as long as my heart was beating, it would beat for her. I didn’t exist solely for myself anymore because I was hers, and she was mine.
She breathed deep and shifted, lids fluttering as she scooted close, burrowing into my chest.
“You smell good,” she said sleepily.
My arms wound around her, pulling her close. “Morning.” I kissed her hair.
She hummed. “Can I stay here all day? I don’t want to go to the theater.”
I chuckled. “That’s a first.”
Her arms snaked around my waist, one leg finding its way between mine as we wrapped ourselves around each other. “I’m afraid if I leave, I’ll find out that it was all a dream. Like the magic will disappear.”
My fingers twisted in her silky hair. “I don’t think we could stop this if we wanted to.”
She kissed my chest. “I don’t want it to stop. I want to freeze time. Stay right here with you. Only get up to eat. Can we make that happen?”
I laughed again. “How about I take off next Monday and we’ll do just that. Sunday night to Tuesday morning. Me. You. Chinese takeout. Clothing banned.”
“That’s so far away,” she whined.
I smiled. “Stay with me again tonight.”
“I will.” Her fingers trailed lazy circles on my back. “I have a show, but can I see you before?”
“Anything you want.” The words were a promise far beyond today.
She sighed. “We’re going to have to face our friends at some point.”
“Well, we’re no secret. They might even have a surprise party planned.”
She chuckled and shifted, bringing her hips closer to mine when my hand skimmed down to cup her ass. She sighed again.
“What time is it?” she asked lazily.
I glanced at my clock. “Six-thirty.”
“Everybody makes fun of me for getting up early, but it means I have more day to my day. It’s my favorite time, when everyone is still asleep and the day is full of potential.”
I leaned back to look at her. “You have to be at work at ten-thirty?”
Her lips stretched into a mischievous smile, her blue eyes on my lips. “Mmhmm.” She dragged a hand down my chest, down my stomach, then lower. “I have hours.”
Her fingers grazed my length, and I pulled in a breath, gripping her thigh. “God, Lily,” I breathed. I’d never wanted anyone so badly, so deeply.
“I know,” she whispered against my lips before she locked them to mine. I pulled her closer as the kiss deepened, the want — the need — for her overwhelming.
She laid a hand on my chest and pushed gently, urging me to lean back, and she moved with me, hovering to kiss me once more before pulling away. She made her way down my body, breath hot on the skin low on my stomach. Every few seconds as she moved, something would brush against my shaft — her breast, her hair, her fingers — and every nerve was at attention, anticipating her.
I propped up my head so I could watch her — eyes closed, lips parted, tongue extended as she ran the flat up the length of me, pausing to kiss my crown, a hot, wet kiss that sent a shock through my thighs. My hand was in her hair, eyes on her lips as she closed them around me and dropped down. I disappeared inside her mouth.
My fingers tightened in her hair as she pulled back and dropped down, again, then again. It took every bit of my willpower not to slam into her mouth, and I breathed deep, jaw clenched, eyes squeezed shut as her hand worked what she couldn’t take with her mouth.
I found her neck and cupped it, urging her to come to me. She sucked hard enough to make me moan as she let me go, kissing my abs as she climbed up my body too slowly. I couldn’t be patient, and I sat to meet her halfway, slipping my hand into her hair again, lips hungry, breath heaving. She straddled me, angled her body against my crown, shifted her hips to ease me in agonizingly slow. She was so wet, so warm, and I flexed my hips, my hands on hers, pulling her down until our bodies were flush.
She gasped.
Her lids were heavy, lips swollen, golden hair hanging down her back as she laid her palms on my chest, rocking her body in a wave. Her eyes were nearly shut, her long lashes covering the irises as she looked down, and I trailed my hand up her body, tracing the curve of her waist, cupping her breast, thumb brushing her nipple. She let out a breath, eyes closed and face soft with satisfaction as her hips rolled faster.
I lowered my lips to her breast, and she propped her arms on my shoulders, cradling my head in her forearms, fingers twisting through my hair when my lips closed over her nipple. She sucked in a breath with a hiss when I rolled my tongue with my hands splayed against her back, and her hips moved with more intention.
I dragged my teeth gently against her, and she gasped, flexing once more with a cry as she pulsed around me.
The feeling of her body moving under my hands, against me, around me was more than I could take, knowing my touch gave her satisfaction. And when her legs wrapped around me and her arms cradled me against her, I buried my face in her neck for a long moment. We were wound together, and I was surrounded by her, inside of her, as close to her as I could ever be.
I laid her down, her long hair hanging off the foot of my bed, her eyes drunk from emotion and exertion. I watched her face, caging her in my arms, hands in her hair as I slipped inside of her. She dropped her head back, lips parted, and I pulled out again, filling her with a thrust of my hips. Then again as my hand pressed her thigh against my body. Again as my fingers gripped her skin.
Her eyes cracked open, hand finding my cheek, tear spilling down her temple. “I love you,” she whispered.
My forehead dropped to hers as I let go, legs trembling as I hit the end of her and stayed there. My eyes were closed, one hand under the nape of her neck, one resting on the back of her thigh, my heart beating with hers.
And my breath stirred her hair when I whispered in her ear, “Don’t ever stop.”
24
DRINK TO THAT
Lily
THAT NIGHT, I LEANED BACK into West, who sat on a stool at Habits with his arms around my waist. He laughed at something Cooper said, the rumble traveling through my chest, and I smiled. We were all giddy, high, sharing looks that all said the same thing. It was a celebration. A marker in our lives.
“I still can’t believe you two finally figured this out,” Cooper said, shaking his head. “We had a pool going, you know.”
I gaped. “You did not.”
“We totally did,” Rose added, laughing. “I won.”
“You would.” I rolled my eyes.
Cooper snorted. “I’d almost lost hope that you’d figure it out. I was the first to lose. The first time I saw you two together, I figured Shannon’s days were numbered.” He motioned to West with his sc
otch before taking a sip.
I snickered. “That’s horrible, Coop, and completely unsurprising.”
Rose shook her head. “It’s so weird. And awesome. But really weird to see you guys like this.”
Maggie shrugged. “I knew from the first time I ever saw them together that we’d end up here. The two of them together doesn’t seem strange to me at all, aside from the fact that West’s my brother, and thinking of him doing anything remotely sexual makes me queasy.” Everyone laughed. “Sometimes, people just make sense together. Whether or not they see it is irrelevant, if you think about it. Everything ends up working out.”
I caught Cooper staring at her with an odd look on his face. West was ordering another drink from Rose, and Patrick’s eyes were on Rose, too. I was the only one who saw Maggie blush. I made a mental note to ask her about what was going on there.
Rose poured a round of Makers for the group — water in a rocks glass for me — and passed them out before holding up her glass.
“To Lily and West. May your endings be happy and your habits be bad.”
We laughed, chorusing Hear, hear, and I shifted in West’s arms to look up at him, clinking my glass to his. But his lips brushed mine before my glass could.
Epilogue
West
EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WAS still as stone as the music rose higher, our eyes on Lily as she danced, face bent in pain, arms outstretched for Seigfried, who reached for her. She was saying goodbye, taking tiny steps backwards on pointe as the swans closed in around her. The only light in the entire theater was behind her, her face falling into shadows as she reached for him, but the swans enveloped her. The music crescendoed. She disappeared. The lights went black.
I gasped, gripped by the shock of my emotions as my eyes burned. And then, the theater exploded in applause.
We were all on our feet as the lights went back up and the curtains parted once more. The company made their way back onto the stage, bowing gracefully. Lily was in front in that beautiful costume, the gems in the white bodice and her feather headdress twinkling. One leg was extended in front of her, one arm out to the side and other curved around her waist as she bowed low. It was so loud, I couldn’t hear Maggie as she turned to me, smiling and yelling something unintelligible with tears on her cheeks. I turned and looked back to the stage. Back to Lily.
I could see her tears from the front row where we sat, the bend in her brow from emotion as she bowed again and swept an arm across the corps dancers behind her, then bowed to Blane, who returned the gesture. They waved to the crowd, and he led her off stage as the curtain closed, starting my heart again.
I looked down the line of seats. Rose was wiping her eyes, and Patrick and Cooper were awestruck, gaping at the stage with admiration and wonder. Maggie shook her head, fingers to her lips as she watched the stage with gigantic eyes. Lily and Blane came out for the curtain call, and the applause that had quieted to a dull roar erupted again. Lily bowed low and turned to Blane again, smiling and crying. Bowing once more and waving before they made their way off stage for the final time.
My heart was so full of pride and reverence in that moment, I didn’t know if my ribs could contain it all. The house lights came up, and we made our way to the side entrance to backstage as the rest of the crowd funneled toward the exit.
Lily poked her head out from behind the curtain and waved us up, and I charged up the steps, scooping her into my arms, spinning her around as I pressed my lips to hers. She broke away and laughed, arms around my neck and lips at my ear. The sound was absolute joy.
“I’ve never seen anything so amazing in all my life, Lil.”
She tightened her arms, closing any small gap that existed between us. “I feel like I could fly.”
I closed my eyes. “You can. I saw you do it tonight.”
I set her on the ground, and she reached up on her tippy toes to kiss me before making her way around the group, laughing and hugging them as I watched on from a few feet away.
I didn’t see Blane until he had almost reached Lily.
Everyone froze when he approached, the tension hanging between all of us. My fists clenched by my side, smile fading. If he even thought about ruining this night for Lily, I’d bring him a world of pain.
But he only smiled at Lily, a smile tinged with regret. “Congratulations, Lily. You were perfect. I’m honored.” He bowed to her.
Her cheeks flushed, eyes darting to me to share in her surprise. “Thank you, Blane.”
“It’s the truth.”
I took a step forward, eyes narrowed, and Blane turned to walk away, eyeing me.
”West,” he said as he passed.
I folded my arms across my chest. “Blane.”
Maggie was the only one unfazed. She grabbed Lily’s hand, beaming. “That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
Lily grabbed Maggie’s free hand with hers. “I’m so glad you were here.” She looked around the lot of us. “All of you. Thank you so much. I’ve waited for this night since I was a little girl, and to have all of you here to share it with me just means everything.”
“We’d never miss it,” Cooper said and pulled her into a side hug.
Patrick nudged me and handed me the bouquet I’d forgotten I’d brought her.
I made my way to her side and extended the bouquet of pink, white, and peach peonies. She took a step closer as she took them. “I am so proud of you.”
She touched my cheek with tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”
“Now, let’s drink!” Cooper crowed, and everyone laughed.
Lily grinned, leaning into my side as she wiped a tear away. “Not for me. I’ve got to get some rest. But you guys have fun.”
“I’ll get you home safe.” I squeezed her, and she threaded an arm around my waist, smiling up at me.
“I know you will. Let me run and change, and we can head home.”
I kissed her forehead before I let her go. She headed to the dressing room, returning a half an hour later with her face scrubbed clean and her feathered tutu replaced with leggings, flats, and a sweater. We left the theater in a group and headed for the subway to make our way home with Lily under my arm, both of us quiet, content as we watched over our friends. We parted ways with everyone at Habits, saying our goodbyes and thank you’s before walking the blocks to our building, up the stairs and to my apartment.
It was quiet inside as she set down her bag and I took off my jacket.
“How are you feeling?” I finally asked.
Her eyes were lively, smile still full of wonder. “Amazing. High. My legs are aching, and my feet are cramping, and I don’t care.” She slipped her arms around my waist and tipped her face up to mine.
“Foot massage? Hot shower?”
She hummed, still smiling. “Yes, please.”
“But first … ” I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the letter.
She took it curiously, face stretching in surprise when she saw Columbia’s watermark on the envelope. “Oh, my God, West.”
I just smiled.
Lily took out the letter in a flurry, wide eyes darting across it before looking up at me with pink cheeks. “You got in,” she breathed.
“I got in.”
She screamed and jumped into my arms. “I knew you would do it. I just knew it.”
I held her against me, picked her up and took a moment to appreciate how she felt in my arms, the joy on her face. “And now I have everything I could possibly want.”
The kiss I gave her told her it was true.
Copyright © 2015 Staci Hart
All rights reserved.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncom
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Cover design by Quirky Bird
Photography by Perrywinkle Photography
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You’re welcome.
1
CHARMING BASTARD
Maggie
COOPER GRABBED ME BY THE hips and dragged me to the end of the bed where he knelt. I gasped — somehow, I was completely naked, but he was fully clothed, smiling up the line of my body, that crooked smile of his that made my insides turn into mush. My thighs rested against his shoulders, and his eyes were smoldering hot, locked onto mine as he closed his lips over me and sucked. Hard.
“Whoamygod.”
That’s what I tried to say, at least, but I think it sounded more like Humuguh. Not that Cooper needed clarification. His eyes closed, dark lashes against his cheeks, fingers digging into my hips as he licked and sucked, sending tremors up my thighs when he moaned softly against me.
My eyes slammed shut, and my chin pointed at the ceiling as my fingers twisted in his dark hair. Within seconds, I was rocking against him with my heart doing its best to escape my ribs and the rest of my body begging him to keep going.
He broke away. I cracked my lids, which weighed about seven pounds each, and glanced down at him. His face was turned toward the closed bedroom door, with alarm written in every angle.
And then I heard the front door close.