by Sybil Bartel
Score one for Hummingbird.
“Enjoy your wine.” Tabby said politely, then, as if to prove a point, she ran her hand down my arm. “Don’t tell anyone I served you bourbon.” She winked, then walked away.
Hummingbird scowled. “I think I hate her.”
“Didn’t like the way she pawed me?” I felt like a fucking caveman but goddamn, it gave me a rush having her jealous over me.
“How did she know you don’t drink wine?”
I leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You have nothing to worry about, Hummingbird, except maybe if you still have a job offer.”
“I’m not worried about that.”
I picked up on what she wasn’t saying. “What are you worried about?”
She didn’t have a chance to answer. A group of people walked in. One of the men walked up to the bar to order while the others took a table. Before he got the bartender’s attention, he took a long appreciative look at my Hummingbird. Mainly, her crossed legs as she sat on the barstool.
“Hi.” He smiled.
I saw red.
“Hello,” Carly politely replied.
He held his hand out to her. “Josh. And you are?”
Unbelievable. Did he not see me sitting right next to her? I took Hummingbird’s hand and glared at the douchebag. “You’re too late.”
He glanced up as if seeing me for the first time. I turned up the glare and he held his hand up. “My apologies.”
Damn straight. I fumed until he walked off.
Carly grinned ear to ear. “Why, Mr. Allen, are you jealous?”
“Completely.”
She leaned in and whispered in my ear. “I wore this dress for you.” She left a kiss on my neck.
Now all I could think about was getting her out of that dress. “Did you want to leave early? Because if you keep that up, we are.”
She flushed bright scarlet.
I couldn’t stop myself. I left an openmouthed kiss on her neck and whispered, “That is a promise.” I let my hand travel up her thigh a few inches.
She sat straight up in her chair and took a sip of her wine. “The wine’s really good.”
“Spectacular.” I didn’t give a shit about the wine.
“I like the hint of citrus.” She tilted her glass and gave it a swirl.
Feeling brave, I asked, “Are you going to fly away from me tonight, Hummingbird?”
She took another sip.
I waited.
Tilt, swirl, another sip, she stared straight ahead. “No...I don’t think so,” she answered casually.
I almost fell off my stool. “Feeling the wine?”
A sexy gleam hit her eyes. “You do know I’m Cash Sullivan’s daughter, right?”
“Yeah.” I was practically panting.
She brought her wineglass almost to her lips. “He taught me to drink.” Looking me in the eye, she took a sip. “I can hold my liquor.”
Damn, I knew I shouldn’t be turned on by that, but I was. Needing to change the subject, fast, I gulped half the bourbon and glanced around. “So, you like the place?”
She followed my glance. “Steady, but not as busy as I would’ve hoped for. I need tips to make ends meet.” She gazed at the customers.
Shit. Despite my past with Tabby, if Hummingbird had to bartend, I really wanted her here, not the scumbag bar near my house. Damn it. Her eyes traveled back to mine and before I knew what I was doing, I blurted out my thoughts. “Hummingbird, if you need money...” I stopped at the look on her face.
Her eyes had gone wide with shock. “Um, I got it, thanks.”
Fuck it. In for a penny. “If I had a choice between the two places, I pick this one.”
“And why would you have a choice?” Her hand trembled as she set her wineglass down.
“Because I don’t want you working at the dive you’re at now.”
“It’s a dive?” She asked innocently.
“Don’t fuck with me, you know it is.”
“You didn’t have a problem with it before.”
“Damn it, Carly, things are different now.” Couldn’t she see that?
“Different?” She raised her eyebrows.
Was she a parrot? “Yes, different.”
“Different how?”
“Seriously? I have to spell it out?” I stared at her, incredulous, but her deceptively casual expression didn’t falter. If she was going to play this game, I was going to let her have it. “Fine, then I’m not holding back. I don’t want you working in a bar, period. I make more than enough money, you don’t have to work, or you can work for me, come to the shop a few days a week, or just write instead, get published. Just don’t work in a damn bar where guys hit on you five nights a week.”
Silence.
“I don’t want you working in a bar, okay?”
Unbelievably, she broke into a huge grin. Teeth flashing, eyes sparkling, Christmas-morning grin. “No, not okay, but thank you. I think I’ll work here.”
Christ. “Did you listen to a single word I said?”
“Oh, I listened. And it was wonderful. But how would I pay my rent? Writing isn’t exactly a well-paying gig.”
It came out before I even knew what I was saying. “Move in with me.” Fuck. Fuck! What the fuck was I doing?
This time she didn’t blush. She went dead white. “With you and Gunnar?”
Shit. Had I just completely fucked up or made the best decision of my life? I hadn’t even had sex with this girl and I asked her to move in with me? And my brother? What the fuck was wrong with me? My heart pounded harder than it ever had and I suddenly realized something. I wanted this. I really wanted this. I forced my voice to be calm, controlled. “Yes.”
Silence.
Our eyes locked, the seconds ticked by.
And each second that passed, the idea grew. It grew so big, I couldn’t think of anything else. I started seeing her everywhere in my house. I saw her in my living room, looking at my music. I saw her in my bed the morning I woke up with her. I saw her in my garage looking wide-eyed at my tools. I saw her in my kitchen throwing plates on the ground, and I knew. She was already there. For me, Hummingbird was there, in my home and in my heart.
“Move in with me.” I held my hand out to her.
“What are you saying?” She barely breathed, taking my hand.
Right or wrong, I wanted her to be mine. “I’m saying I want to be with you.” And so there was no confusion, I clarified. “Every day.”
“I’ve never done anything like this.”
“I can’t say I’ve never lived with anyone because I have. I told you that but it wasn’t this, it wasn’t what we have, not even close. No one has ever had my heart.” I brought our clasped hands to my chest. “You, Carly Sullivan, have my heart.” And that was the God’s honest truth.
She stared at me for two heartbeats, then whispered, “I’m ready to leave now.”
I couldn’t help it, I smiled. She was so damn innocent and sweet. I kissed her fingers and stood. “You got it.” I threw some bills on the bar, tucked her under my arm and made a quick exit.
She didn’t talk until I was holding the car door open for her.
“I’m thinking about it, you know.” She looked up and smiled shyly.
I refrained from pulling her into my arms and kissing her until there was no space between us. Instead, I kept my voice even. “I figured.” I’d already decided that if she said no, I was going to wage a campaign.
I helped her get in the car and made my way to the driver’s side. I was walking on air. I was nervous as hell and I wondered if Gunnar would be okay with this and what I’d do if he wasn’t. But the rest of me was so fucking happy I didn’t know where to put it all.
“I want to go to my place,” Carly said cautiously as I started the car.
Her place? Shit. Why? I’d just asked her to move in with me. Shit. “All right,” I said casually, turning the Barracuda around. Wanting to calm myself, I instinctually reached for her hand an
d her small fingers entangled with mine.
We didn’t speak. I parked and followed her thigh-scraping dress up three flights of stairs. She didn’t know it but she was in trouble before she even unlocked the door. My patience tapped out, adrenaline and raw desire pumping through my veins, I took her in my arms the second she stepped over the threshold and kicked the door shut.
Her surprised laughter was music to my ears.
I kissed her everywhere I could reach and fell against the door with her. “Do you know what it’s like to walk up three flights of stairs behind you in that dress?”
“Torture?”
“Exactly,” I breathed out.
Her smile dropped. “Then kiss me.”
Desperate, hungry, demanding, I kissed her. Wanting an answer, I read into every stroke of her tongue against mine, every brush of her fingers. Turning us around, I gently pushed her against the wall, bent my knees and slid up, torturously slow. The soft heat of her, the sweet flutter of her tongue, she made every muscle in my body tighten with need.
Groaning, I cupped her face and pulled back from her lips. “I want to feel every inch of you. I want it so bad, I can barely breathe.” I took her mouth again and caught her sexy moan.
My hands brushed down her neck, over her breasts, past her tiny waist and settled on her hips. Pulling her in close, knowing she would feel what I wanted, I ached to show her what I could do to her, what I could make her feel. God, I wanted to make love to her. But I forced myself to ease back. She said she wasn’t going to fly away tonight but I didn’t have protection with me. I ran my thumb across her bottom lip.
“This isn’t going any further tonight, Hummingbird,” I whispered, my voice hoarse.
“What?”
I almost groaned at the sexy sound of her breathless voice. “I don’t have any condoms.” And I was pretty damn sure she didn’t either.
Her body stiffened, her face dropped and her whole demeanor changed.
I immediately went on the defensive. “It’s okay. I wasn’t expecting to.” Hoped, but wasn’t expecting.
“I have to tell you something.” She looked away and dropped her arms.
“Okay.” My mind stretched in a thousand different directions, none of them good.
She exhaled. “I can’t get pregnant, because of what happened.”
Stunned, the rage was instant. I took a breath. Then another. “I’m sorry,” I finally managed.
She wouldn’t look at me.
With a shaking hand, I turned her chin toward me. “Did you want children?”
“Does it matter?”
To me, yeah, it did. Everything she wanted mattered to me. “At the risk of sounding insensitive, I never thought I’d have kids. And now I have Gunnar. I know that’s a separate issue from you being able to have your own children, but can we save this discussion for a rainy day?” When I could concentrate on it and when I’d had time to process it? I couldn’t see past my rage right now to be helpful to her but I did want her to understand one very important thing. “For the record, everything about you matters to me.”
She nodded and I pulled her into my arms.
“I had to tell you because you—you said we couldn’t and well, I just—” She shook her head slightly.
“Shh, it’s okay. I got it. I understand.” I ran my hands up and down her back because I didn’t know what else to do.
“You said we couldn’t because you don’t have protection. I had to tell you because...”
Then I understood what she was saying. I pulled back and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. Speechless, I said nothing.
Her voice was barely a whisper. “Have you ever not used a condom?”
I shook my head. I religiously used condoms. Besides my acute fear of commitment until I met Carly, I wasn’t gonna lie, some of the women I’d been with were suspect at best.
“You’re not upset I asked?”
I inhaled and let it out slow. “I’d be upset if you didn’t.” I brushed her hair off her shoulder. “I want you to understand I’m in no hurry. I’m waiting for you, Hummingbird. I’m not going anywhere.”
Holding my gaze, she said four beautiful words. “I’m tired of waiting.”
No holding back, just her and me, I kissed her. My Hummingbird in my arms, everything else fell away and I stopped thinking. Every move, every breath, every touch became instinctual, all at once familiar yet different than anything I ever could’ve imagined.
I unzipped the back of her dress and slowly slipped the fabric off one shoulder.
“Don’t hurt me,” she whispered.
For a second, my eyes closed and I breathed in her raw honesty. My fingers skimmed her collarbone. “I don’t want to hurt you.” I touched my lips to her shoulder. “I want to make you feel good.” God, I wanted to make her feel good.
Her breath hitched.
I looked into her eyes. “It’s just me.”
“Kiss me,” she pleaded.
Gently, I kissed her then I pulled back so I could see her expression. Everything about her was so beautifully fragile. I traced her jaw with my fingers. “I want you to remember this.” My fingers slid down her throat. “Right now, me.” Between her breasts, across her stomach. “Just me.” I slipped my hand inside the open back of her dress.
She made a faint sound.
Fingers splayed against her warm skin, I pulled her in and leaned to her ear. “You and me,” I whispered.
Her hands skimmed down my chest and snaked up under my shirt. Her touch was fire and ice. I’d been touched a million times but never like this. All I could think about was making her mine. I trailed openmouthed kisses along her jaw, her neck. Everything about tonight was different than anything I’d ever felt.
When she pushed my shirt up and kissed my chest, I didn’t hesitate. I pulled it off one-handed and groaned when her teeth grazed me. I cupped her face and my lips found hers again.
Moaning into my mouth, she pushed up on tiptoe and met my kiss.
Joy pounded my heart and I slipped her dress off the other shoulder, dropping it to the floor.
“Stop.” Her breath, her voice, feathered across my chest in panic.
I went perfectly still.
Her hair fell across her naked shoulders and breasts as she dropped her head but I quickly caught her face in my hands. “Look at me, Hummingbird.”
Frightened eyes met mine.
“Don’t fly away,” I whispered.
“You have my heart, please don’t hurt me.”
I would rather die than hurt her. “I’m not going to hurt you.” I needed her to understand. She needed to know what she meant to me. For the first time in my life, I spoke the words that had never crossed my lips. “I love you.”
Her smile spread across her face.
And I was flying.
I picked her up in my arms and carried her into the bedroom. Laying my angel down, I didn’t take my eyes off her as I undressed. Nothing could’ve prepared me for this moment. Nerves and desire stronger than I ever felt possible, I leaned over her and kissed her sweet face. Trailing kisses down her neck, across her breasts, I kissed her flat stomach and then each of her hip bones. Slowly, I pulled her lace thong down her thighs and dropped it to the floor.
Brushing my lips back up her body, I pushed her legs apart with my knee and she shivered. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I promised, settling my body over hers. The feel of her skin against mine stole my breath and I rocked my hips forward. Just barely touching her, my whole body shuddered. “Hummingbird.”
Small hands gripped my arms, her eyes fluttered shut for a second then she focused her incredible blue gaze and whispered the words no one had ever spoken to me. “I love you.”
A tremor shook me to my soul. Threading my fingers through her hair, I brought my lips down and kissed her with the one part of my body I’d never given to another woman, my heart. Moving to her ear, I pulled at the tender flesh with my teeth while my hand skimmed down her stomach. Ev
erything I knew about sex, everything I knew made a woman feel good, I was going to give to her. Grazing her breast, I reached between her legs and almost became unhinged.
“Jesus,” I groaned, feeling the slick heat of her desire. Moving my lips across her neck, sliding my tongue between her breasts, I caught one of her nipples and sucked.
“Graham!” Her back arched off the bed and her legs fell open.
Oh fuck yeah. “Right here baby, right here.” I moved to other nipple and slid my fingers through the wet velvet. When her nails dug into my back, I moved my mouth lower.
Kissing across her stomach, one hand on her breasts, one hand between her legs, I ran my tongue just above her soft curls and nipped her hip bone. When I pushed against her thigh, she froze.
“Wait,” she cried out.
I stilled but I didn’t retreat. Looking into her eyes, my heart pounded. Slow, so slowly, I made a deliberate circle with my thumb. “Let me touch you.”
Panting, anxious, she stared at me. “I’ve never... I don’t know if I can...”
“Trust me.” I needed her trust.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“Close your eyes,” I commanded, my thumb circling again. “Don’t think, just let go and feel.”
When her eyes fluttered shut, I kissed the soft skin of her thigh and dropped my voice. “This is me.” I gently pushed her thighs wider. “Showing you how much I want you.”
She sucked in a breath and I ran my tongue through her slickness. Her nails dug into my biceps but I didn’t stop. I swirled my tongue and tasted pure heaven.
“Graham.” She arched away from me and I wrapped an arm over her thigh. Her sexy little moans filled my ears and I pushed one finger inside her. Tight, hot, her taste in my mouth, her scent everywhere—I almost lost it.
Stroking her, kissing her, I felt her begin to shake.
And I couldn’t take it anymore. She was going to come and I needed to be buried deep when she fell apart. Crawling up her body, I slammed my lips down on hers, taking what was mine. Her shocked gasp as I thrust my tongue into her mouth and sank two fingers inside her sent a shock wave of tight need up my spine, making my dick pulse so hard it hurt.
Ripping my lips from hers, I pushed her thighs apart with my knees and dragged my teeth across her ear. “I want to be inside you when you come, baby.”