Shattered by Love

by C. A. Harms

  Continuing my trail down her stomach, I gently undid the string on her sweats. Finding that she wore nothing beneath them, I smiled. My naughty girl had a way of setting me on fire.

  Sliding her pants down over her hips, I made sure to trace along her inner thigh with my thumbs. Her breathing sped up with anticipation.

  Tossing her pants to the side, I lowered myself between her thighs. Kissing upward, I placed her leg up over my shoulder. Opening her up fully, I skimmed my tongue along the crease of her thigh. “Please,” she whimpered, thrusting her hips upward.

  This caused me to chuckle. I blew across her clit lightly and she moaned. “Please what?”

  “You know.” Bree was lost and so damn needy. She was so crazed and dripping wet, I could smell her arousal. “I want to feel your tongue.”

  “Where?” I asked, teasing her a little more as I continued to allow my breath to skim over her clit.

  “Please, Max, stop teasing me.” I loved it when she begged. It was the dominant part of me that needed to hear how much she wanted me, needed me.

  “Do you want me to lick your pussy, baby?” I smiled against her leg.

  “Yes, oh god, yes, please.” She begged.

  I slowly ran the tip of my tongue over her clit. Her hips bucked, and I gripped her thighs more tightly. I sucked lightly, teasing her opening. She was so wet and it drove me forward. When I slid my tongue inside of her, Bree began riding me.

  I slid my finger inside of her as I sucked and teased her clit. I could sense that she was close to release, as she was panting and rocking against me. I slid a second finger inside of her, and she moaned a muffled yes. Curling my fingers with each thrust, I drove her closer to her release.

  Her insides clamping down around my fingers, she screamed out my name and I sucked harder, thrusting my fingers deeper. When she had settled, her eyes focused on mine and she smiled.

  “That was really hot,” I grinned.

  Her cheeks reddened and I crawled back up her body, kissing along the way. Gathering my shirt, I pulled it up and over my head. Immediately I did the same with her shirt and bra. Leaning across the bed, I grabbed a condom from the nightstand. I handed it to her and she bit her lower lip.

  “I want you to ride me.” I got beside her and pulled her across my body. Crashing my lips against hers, I thrust my tongue into her mouth.

  “I need to watch you fuck me.” I whispered against her lips and bit down, tugging on her lower lip.

  She lowered my pants and gripped my erection in her tiny fist. Watching her hand slide over my cock was almost too much. When she lowered her mouth over me, I had to grip the sheets tightly. I watched as her sweet lips rolled over me and her tongue flipped against the head. I was on the verge of coming, but I fought it.

  I reached down, cupping her cheek and forcing her to look at me. “That feels incredible, baby. But I wanna be inside your sweet pussy when I come.”

  With that confession, she released me from her mouth with a pop, and I curled my toes to fight the tingling in my balls.

  Bree carefully rolled the condom over my hardness and then straddled my hips. I watched as she slowly lowered herself over me, and I began sinking inside of her wet, silky, heat.

  Reaching the depths of her body, she began to rock her hips and I gripped them tightly. I was so worked up and ready to blow.

  She placed her hands back against my thighs and tilted her hips. This position gave me the perfect view of my cock sliding inside of her. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the place where we were joined. She had me mesmerized by her movements. She was rocking my world, and I think she knew it.

  I had never been a moaner, until that moment. I didn’t give a shit who heard me. My girl was driving me wild, and I was not going to hide my pleasure. My groans seemed to only drive her more, as she rotated her hips and began moving faster.

  I gripped her thighs and my legs tensed. “I’m gonna come, I’m so close.”

  “Me too,” she moaned back at me. I used my thumb to roll her clit in a circular motion. Bree panted and pumped her hips harder. “Yes, like that. Don’t stop, Max.”

  At the moment I felt her insides squeeze my cock and start to twitch, I let go. I came hard as I arched my back and growled.

  Her body fell over across my chest, and we both heaved for air. It took a few minutes for either of us to speak. I felt like I was floating, and my entire body tingled.

  “That was so fucking sexy.” I rolled over and tucked her body underneath mine. I brushed her hair from her face, and she looked exhausted. “I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”

  I hurried to the bathroom and threw the condom in the garbage. Grabbing a warm washcloth, I went back into the bedroom and cleaned her gently. Her arousal coating her thighs made my dick twitch.

  Bree watched me with a sweet smile on her face. Tossing the washrag into the hamper, I slipped into bed next to her and pulled the covers over us, tucking her against me tightly and surrounding her body with mine

  “I love you, Max,” she whispered.

  My chest tightened and I smiled. I never thought hearing those words would ever make me feel the way they did. Hearing them spill from Bree’s lips made my heart race with excitement. I could imagine hearing those words from her for the rest of my life. The thought of that no longer freaked me out.

  “I love you too, baby. You and I are so good together. It just took me awhile to figure that out.” I kissed her temple. “This time, there is no way I’m letting you go.”

  “I hope you mean that.” She curled in against me and kissed my neck. Her head was tucked into the crease of my neck, and I could feel her breath skim across my chest.

  “I promise you, I meant every word. I want this to work more than anything.” Stroking her back with my fingertips, I breathed in her scent. “I’ve hurt you a lot in the past. I can’t ever take that back. I can just say that I’ll never put you through that again. I’m not gonna hide my feelings anymore. Not to you or anyone else. This will work this time.”

  “Okay,” she sighed.

  “Get some sleep.” I slipped my leg over hers and pinned hers with mine. “Sweet dreams, Angel.”

  Having Bree in my arms felt so good. I knew she was safe. I wanted to keep her safe. She might not like it, but she wasn’t going to be going back home for a while. I wasn’t even sure that, after all this was under control, I’d be able to let her go back home. I was enjoying holding her in my arms too much. I could get used to this feeling.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Bree

  I woke up to soft kisses trailing along my spine. Chills covering my back and arms brought a smile to my face. I could feel his breath fanning out over my shoulders.

  I heard a gentle whisper against my ear. “Morning, baby.” Max pushed my hair back from my face, grinning at me, as I peeked with one open eyelid.

  He was dressed in workout clothes and his hair was matted and damp. “Where have you been?”

  “Tanner and I hit the gym early. We let you girls sleep in.” I lifted my head and took him in fully. He looked yummy, and I bit down on my lower lip. “You keep looking at me like that, you’ll be late for class.”

  At the mention of class, I sat up quickly. Looking at the clock on the nightstand, I groaned and jumped from the bed. “Why did you let me sleep so long? I’m gonna be late now.” I grabbed my bag and hurried for the bathroom. I had thirty minutes to shower and get ready.

  I began scrubbing at my body and quickly washing my hair. Max slid in behind me, moving in close as he ran his hand over my hip. “We can’t, I’m already gonna be late as it is.” I tried to move away, and he pulled me back against him.

  “As much as I want to pin you against this wall and sink myself deep inside you, I know we can’t.” His hands began massaging my hair, and I let mine fall to my sides. This action was so intimate, and I wanted to take in every moment. Never had I ever imagined Max washing my hair. He was too bull-headed and cocky to do something so swee
t. But here we stood, and my throat ached from his actions. At that moment, I fell in love with him just a little more.

  “I go on shift this afternoon for twenty-four hours. I’m not gonna see you until tomorrow afternoon. I want to spend as much time as I can with you before you leave.” I opened my eyes and looked up at him. “I want you to promise that you’ll stay here tonight, sleep in my bed. You and Lily are here until they get this all handled.” I nodded my head in agreement. “I might even keep you after that point, too. I haven’t decided if I want to remember what it was like to sleep without you.”

  This side of Max was still so new to me. He didn’t say things like this. I was always left feeling unneeded and undesired. I wanted so badly for him to give a damn, but it was always the same. He got what he needed from me and then walked away, leaving me desperate for more.

  ***

  My day went by in a hurry. With classes and then work, I barely had time to miss Max. Now, sitting here in his bed, surrounded by the smell of him, made me ache for his touch. How did I ever survive all those days without him close?

  A light tap on the door grabbed my attention. “Come in.”

  Lily poked her head inside and smiled. “Hi, are you busy?” I shook my head, and she took a step into the room, closing the door behind her.

  “How are you?” I asked.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Okay, I guess. It’s really weird being here. Tanner’s acting strange. He’s so back and forth all the time. It’s really confusing.”

  “Yeah, I kinda noticed that. What’s going on with you two?” I folded my legs in front of me and sat up straighter.

  “I have no idea. We rarely talked before. There was that one time at Carson’s house when he kissed me, but after that, nothing. We were both pretty buzzed that night, so I’m sure that was the reason. We just share the occasional ‘hey’ when we end up at the same place.” She fidgeted with her hands. “I’m not sure why I’m even here. It really makes no sense”

  “He cares, I see it. He might not know how to show it, but he cares.” I tried to reassure her.

  “I’m not falling for his act.” She turned to face me. “I know I’m not like the girls he’s interested in. I’m not fooling myself in order to believe that he ever would be. Tanner is the guy that could only break my heart. Nothing else could come from being with him.”

  Lily was such a cute girl. She had that innocent look about her, but she was so much fun. No, she didn’t party or go wild, but she was a great person. Her self- esteem was shot; that was obvious to anyone that knew her. She had blonde hair that fell just past her shoulders. Her eyes were a gorgeous shade of green. A few freckles spread out over the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Her frame was thin, and her legs went on for miles. If only she felt better about herself.

  “Lil, you know that you’re gorgeous, right? Tanner only goes after those other girls because they’re easy. He doesn’t know it yet, but one day someone is going to rock his world. Maybe that’ll be you, maybe it won’t. I can promise, though, that any guy would be lucky to have you.”

  “Thanks” Her eyes wandered. I could tell she didn’t believe any of what I had just said. I felt bad for her. I knew Lily had a side of herself she kept safe and hidden. I knew that things have happened in her past that have created who she is today.

  I remember what it was like to be withdrawn and sad. I used to hide behind myself and pretend that I needed no one for support. I always thought no one could love me, no one would want me. I could see myself in Lily. I could tell she felt like she had no worth, and that broke my heart.

  I vowed to myself that I would do everything I could to help her find her beauty, both inner and outer. She was a diamond in the rough.

  Lily and I decided to watch a movie and curled up on Max’s bed. With a large bowl of popcorn in the center of us, we had our own little slumber party.

  My phone vibrated on the nightstand with a text message.

  I miss you.

  Yes, his text made me smile, and my stomach even fluttered with excitement.

  I miss you, too. Lily and I are having a slumber party in your bed.

  His text came back quickly.

  Months ago that vision would have excited me. Now all it does is make me jealous. I wish I were there with you instead.

  Swoon, yes I did just a little. The guy had an amazing effect on me, and this new side of him made it that much worse.

  We shared a few more text messages before he had to go. A call came in, and I could only sit and worry. Lily had fallen asleep, but I had no hope of doing the same. Now that I knew Max was out on a rescue call, I felt sick with worry.

  I wandered down to the kitchen and found Tanner sitting on the couch drinking a beer. “Hey.”

  “Can’t sleep?” he asked.

  I shook my head and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Turning back to face him, I tried to smile but my nerves were going crazy. “Max is out on a call. I’m just worried.”

  He nodded his head in understanding. He knew exactly where my worry came from. “He’s a smart guy, Bree. It’s what he does. Max is an adrenaline junkie; he lives for the rush. It’s hard on everyone around him; we all worry. He wouldn’t be happy doing anything else, though.”

  I knew he was right. Max lived for the thrill. It was scary, though, after what had happened the last time. Every day that he walks into a burning building, he risks his life. That is one of the scariest things I have ever had to imagine.

  It is a fear that eats at me. I couldn’t imagine what I would do if he was hurt worse than before, or what his family would feel. The closeness he shares with his family is amazing. They share such a bond--one that I am completely envious of.

  I just wanted to hear his voice. I wanted to know he was safely back at the station. That was the only way I would be able to sleep. Until that moment, I would be a nervous wreck.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Max

  By the time we made it back to the station, I was exhausted. I was covered in soot and in desperate need of a shower. It was just after midnight, and I knew Bree would be worried. Grabbing my phone, I sent her a quick message.

  I’m back, safe and sound. Now go to sleep. I love you.

  I put my phone down on the counter and jumped in the shower. Quickly I washed away the grime from my night.

  When I stepped out, I wrapped a towel around my waist. I turned around to find Martin and Wallis grinning at me like a couple of damn fools.

  “What the hell is wrong with you two dumbasses?” I pushed past them and went to grab my phone. The problem was, it was no longer on the counter where I had left it. Turning back to face them, I saw that they were both still grinning and watching me.

  “You missing something, lover boy?” Wallis chuckled as he held my phone, wiggling it from side to side. The two of them were like me, or like I once was. Single, and loving the freedom of it.

  “Who might Bree be?” Wallis grinned.

  “Give me my phone, dickweed.” When I took a step toward him, he only stepped back further.

  “Don’t tell me you decided to settle on just one pussy. You, the king of the single life,” Martin taunted. “Ya know, I talked to Megan last night, and she is just dying to get a hold of you. You aren’t going to let that one slide by without snagging a piece, are you?”

  “My phone, now.” I growled. The assholes were starting to piss me off. I wasn’t going to stand here and deal with this shit.

  “You remember Megan, the girl you said gave great head?” Wallis chuckled. “If you aren’t going nail her, I will. She’s a hot little number.”

  I darted toward him when he least expected it and yanked my phone from his hand.

  He ran for the door, hollering over his shoulder. “Tell Bree we said good night.”

  His comment startled me, and as I looked down at my phone, my heart instantly sank. The connection had been made twelve minutes ago and it was still open.

  Putting
the phone to my ear quickly, my stomach tightened. “Bree?” Silence. “Baby, are you there?”

  “Yeah,” she whispered, and I hung my head. I felt sick to my stomach. “I thought you told me you were only ever friends with Megan? Since when do friends give each other oral? You lied.”

  I wanted to punch Wallis; the fucker had to open his mouth. “It was just that one time, I was drunk and we weren’t talking. It never happened again.” She was once again silent and my heart raced. “Bree?”

  “When?” My jaw began to tick with anger. What the fuck was I supposed to say? No matter how I went about this, she was going to be pissed off. “When, Max?”

  “The first night you went out with Cody.” This entire conversation was making me want to fuckin’ punch something. “We ended up at the same party. It happened, and then I left. I never had sex with her, it was just…”

  “I know, a really great blow job.” The hurt was so evident in her voice. I felt like a huge asshole. She asked me if I had ever done anything with Megan, and I had flat out lied. I should have just told her, but we were already rocky, and I didn’t want to push her away further.

  “That shit isn’t me anymore. I told you that I want you, only you. Things are going really well between us. Don’t let this fuck it up, please.” I wanted to leave and go to her. I wanted to hold her and tell her that Megan meant nothing.

  “I’m gonna go to bed now. I have to get up early and, now that I know you’re safe, I can go to sleep.” I knew what she was doing. She would put it off like it was no big deal, but inside she was falling apart. I had spent years putting her through hell. I had pretended over and over again that I didn’t notice when she was hurting. The sad part about it was I knew, I could see it all over her face. I pushed it aside, because I was too big of an asshole to show I cared.