by Lily Harlem
“The heart Ruben has in his chest now.” She paused. “It’s a new one. His lungs too, for that matter. He had a transplant.”
“Yes, he told me.”
She breathed out. “Good, I’m glad.” She touched her pearls. “He doesn’t tell many people, Katie, I don’t know why, maybe it’s a male pride thing.”
“I think that’s exactly it. What bloke wants a girl to feel sorry for him or think he’s not as tough as he looks?”
She leaned forward. “He is, though—tough, that is. What he went through, most people would have begged to be put out of their misery. But not my son, he had this fight for life, this will to live that staggered even the medical staff at times.”
“I can imagine.”
“If you know him at all, then yes, you probably can.” She dropped the pearls she was fiddling with, balled her hands into fists on the table. “Katie, I just want you to understand what you’re getting involved with. My son is just returning to the land of the living. He hasn’t dated for a long time, and I know he hankers after his old life of fast cars and traveling the world. I don’t know if that will ever happen again for him, so he needs something to replace that. He has a future now, thanks to our miracle, but he needs a reason for getting up each morning.”
“Mrs. Strong, with all due respect, I think we’re both just finding our feet after a really crap time. Safety in numbers, doing it together is working out pretty well so far, although he’s scared the living daylights out of me today.”
She sighed. “He’s done this a few times since the transplant, he’ll be okay, though, the drugs just need to be blasted into him for twenty-four hours. But of course, catching it early has helped.”
“Yes.” I stared at my tea, the brown puddle that it was, sitting in the pure white cup. Silence stretched between us. I didn’t like to say that us getting wet and then tumbling into bed still soaking might have something to do with his illness. But it wasn’t, surely.
“I guess what I’m really trying to say is…” Veronica said, snapping me from my self-blame.
“What?”
She touched her hair then placed her hand on her chest. “Please be gentle with him, he’s been through so much.” She paused, seemed to summon up the courage to speak again. “Please, just don’t break his heart, it’s delicate in more ways than one.”
I touched the hand she still had resting on the table, cupped my palm over her knuckles. “Don’t worry, his new heart is very precious to me. I won’t do anything to hurt it, ever.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Oh my goodness, I swear that one is a Marshmallow Man.” I pointed out of the window and laughed. I’d never seen anything like it.
“Where?” Ruben looked, saw the hot-air balloon I was flapping my hand at and chuckled. “It looks like the one from Ghostbusters.”
The sky from Ruben’s flat—he had an amazing view of the park, which meant the festival too—was a multicolored sea of inflated balloons. But few were traditional shapes, the majority were novelty, and I marveled at how some could fly they were so big.
“This is crazy.” I sat back on his sofa that we’d spun to face the window. It was like having our own private box. Down below people milled about; kids eating candyfloss, toddlers in buggies pointing excitedly, couples strolling hand in hand. A carousel and a Big Wheel had been set up. Music and laughter and the whoosh of flames lifting the balloons from the ground breezed through the open window.
“More wine?” Ruben asked.
“No, I’m fine.” I set my glass on the table.
We’d enjoyed our own indoor picnic. Not because Ruben wasn’t well or that we didn’t fancy mooching around the festival, but because we could enjoy it from the comfort of his home and that was a unique experience.
“Last year they had a McLaren balloon, shaped like a Formula One car. It was huge, probably the biggest, and I think it went the fastest too.”
“Why does that not surprise me?”
He reached for my hand, kissed my knuckles. “I would have organized for us to go up in one if you’d wanted to.”
“No, I don’t think I could cope with that. I like my feet firmly on the floor.”
“Of course.” He put his arm around me.
I snuggled in close, loving his body against mine. He’d only spent forty-eight hours in hospital, and then was back at work the next week. His strength had returned quickly, and we’d been spending as much time as possible together. Enjoying our new romance and the closeness that went with it. We’d both had enough of battling on alone.
“Next weekend,” I said, tracing my finger over his belly, rucking his t-shirt as I went. “My friend Felicity is getting married.”
“The girl whose hen night you went to?”
“Yes, that’s right. Well, I told her about you and…” I paused. “I don’t know if you’re up for it, but she wants you to come to the wedding. With me, as my guest.”
“And that makes you nervous.”
I looked up at him, stilled my finger. “A little.”
“Because they’ve only ever seen you with Matt?”
How did he just get that? I didn’t know, but I was grateful that he did and I didn’t need to spell it out for him. “Yes.”
“Well, you could always make up some excuse for me, say I’m off bungee jumping that weekend or something.”
“No, I want you there. I don’t want to spend the weekend without you, and besides, Matt’s gone, it’s us now, Katie and Ruben.”
“Yes.” He stroked my cheek. “It’s us now.”
“I want everyone to know it.”
“Me too.” He smiled.
“So you’ll come?”
“Absolutely. And I’ll be on my best behavior.”
I rolled my eyes. “Right, because the girls are always so well behaved.”
“What I mean is, I won’t do any of this.”
Suddenly I was on my back and he was over me. I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck, my legs around his thighs. “I should think not, Mr. Strong, and certainly not in church.”
“Mmm, but maybe later, at the reception.” He pressed a kiss to my lips. He tasted of wine and the salty crisps we’d been eating. “In our hotel room, maybe then I’ll have my wicked way with you and do all the things I’ve been dreaming of doing.”
“I’ve unleashed a monster,” I said with a smile and then groaned when the hardness of his cock, through our jeans, pressed against my mound.
“You really want to see my monster?”
“I think I’d better. See if it can ever be tamed.”
He kissed me again, slanting his head and probing deep. He swept his hand up the inside of my t-shirt, squeezed my breast and then tweaked my nipple through my thin bra.
I became lost in him. Every sense was focused on Ruben; a hungry need settled between my legs.
“I want you now,” he whispered hotly. “Here.”
We’d made love several times since he’d left hospital, but in bed, at mine, quiet, slow, intense, the same as the first time. I wasn’t complaining, it was wonderful, but this was new, this was middle-of-the-day sex, and damn, I wanted some.
“Yes,” I said, “fuck me.”
He raised his head, stared down at me. A devilish smile curled his lips. “Say that again.”
“What?” I pushed his flopping hair back from his forehead.
“What you just asked me to do.”
Ah, he liked dirty talk. I could do that. “Fuck me, Ruben, fuck me now, make me come, make me scream your name.”
“Oh, Jesus.” His mouth went slack. “Get naked.” He reached for his top, yanked it off, his face now a picture of urgency.
I did the same with my t-shirt, wriggling on the sofa and then tossing the material aside.
He dipped his head to my chest, tugging at my bra.
“Oi! Get a room!” shouted a deep, bellowing but distanced voice through the window.
We both froze.
“Shit,” Ruben said, screening my body with his. “What the…?”
I looked outside. Not thirty feet from the flat was a huge basket with two men in it. A massive flame burned bright behind them, sending an orange glow over their bodies. They wore flat caps but didn’t look particularly old—one had a black moustache, the other was holding a rope.
“I have got a bloody room,” Ruben shouted. “Bugger off!”
The men laughed, the flame burned brighter, and they started to lift upward.
“Have fun,” the one with the moustache called with a wave.
“We will,” I shouted, managing to wave back as they went from view.
Ruben looked down at me. “I’m really sorry about that, I had no idea they’d come so close.”
I swatted his shoulder and grinned. “It was funny, they couldn’t believe their eyes. They thought they were going to see some action.”
“Pervs.” Ruben grinned. “Now, where were we?”
“You were just about to fuck me.”
“Damn, you have such a filthy mouth.”
“And don’t you know it.”
“Not as much as I’d like to.” He unclipped my bra, sat up and squeezed my breasts together, his thumbs toying with my nipples.
I arched into him, loving the sensation of him touching me and gazing so adoringly at me. “So how about I tell you to get your cock out,” I said, reaching for his waistband. “Get it out and show me what you can do with it.”
“So sweet yet so dirty.” He grinned. “But hang on.” He stood, went to the window and drew the curtains. “Just in case we have any more voyeurs. I don’t want them seeing what I’m about to do with my cock.”
“I like the sound of that.” I licked my lips.
“Do you now?”
He looked tall and hot standing over me and slowly undoing the buttons on his jeans. Long arms and legs, strong fingers, the perfect spread of body hair and an air of absolute determination about him.
“You’d best take your trousers off, or they might get ripped,” he said, nodding at my jeans.
“Yes, sir. Whatever you say, sir.”
He rolled his eyes, groaned. “Now you’re just messing with my head, woman.”
I giggled, sat and shoved off my jeans. “I can mess with any bit of you that needs dirtying up.”
“Will this do for starters?” He fisted his cock, moved toward me and slotted one hand in my hair.
Sat on the sofa, I was the perfect height to take him into my mouth.
“As long as I still get the main course,” I said.
“You can count on that.”
I eyed the slit at the end of his dick—dark and deep. My mouth watered for the flavor of him. He held me tight, and I opened up to take what he offered.
“Ah, yeah, that’s so hot to watch.” He groaned as he sank in.
My heart was tripping. This was a new side to Ruben, more dominant, more assertive. I liked it, a lot. I could be his to do whatever he desired with; it would suit me very much. I just wanted to make him happy, and I knew full well he’d make me happy.
He set up a steady rhythm, fucking my mouth. I held his root with one hand, applying firm pressure, and slid the other round to clutch at his tight bum.
His cock bloated; a drip of pre-cum coated my tongue. His breaths grew faster, several moans released on exhales.
“Stop,” he said, pulling out. “Or it will be over too early.”
My mouth felt empty. I looked up and pouted.
“Don’t give me that look,” he said.
“I was having fun.”
“Me too, too much fun.” He wrapped his hand around his cock. “Besides, I thought you wanted me to fuck you.”
“I do. I want you to fuck me hard and fast and don’t stop until your balls feel like they’re coming out of the end of your cock.”
His mouth dropped open, his eyes widened, and he shook his head. “And here was my parents saying what a lovely, charming girl you are.”
“Sod charming.” I knew he was loving my filthy words; his eyes were bright, his cock looked ready to explode. I sat back, pushed off my knickers and spread my legs. “Give it to me, big boy.”
He grinned and stared at my pussy. “Fuck, I’m the luckiest man on Earth.”
“You’d better believe it.”
He was over me again, and we were flat on the sofa. In one sharp thrust he pounded into me.
I cried out. The speed of him, he was so hard, it was a stitch of pain but also wonderful.
“Sorry, are you all right?”
I thumped his shoulder with my fist. “Yes, oh, don’t stop, give it to me like that, Ruben. That’s it.”
It was as though I’d flicked a switch in him. He withdrew, powered back in, shunting me up the cushions. I clung to him and canted my pelvis to get maximum connection against my clit.
“Ah, yeah, I’m fucking you now, is that how you want it?” he said into my ear.
His deliciously sinful words nearly pushed me over the edge. “Yes, oh, yes, take me, I’m yours.”
If I thought we’d been wild before, now we cranked up a level. Ruben was no longer the mild, gentle lover he had been. He was throwing solid male muscle into blasting his dick into me.
I couldn’t control my breaths as our chests banged together; I didn’t try to, I just let the air huff and groan from me. It felt so good, the pressure mounting so fast. I shut my eyes, absorbed everything about him; his scent, the feel of his skin and body hair against my chest and belly, the way his breaths were also erratic and thundering into my ear and down my neck.
“Ah, ah, I’m coming…” he gasped.
“Me too, oh, don’t stop.” I dragged my nails down his back, gripped his legs with my ankles and pushed up to meet his thrusts.
“Fuck…ah, yes.” He tightened his grip around my shoulders, held me so tight my ribs could hardly expand. “Come, baby, come with me.”
“Yes, yes…”
I let the power of my climax grip me, throw me every which way, hanging on to Ruben for support so I didn’t lose myself completely. I was aware of his deep, guttural groan in my ear and let it swirl with my own moan of ecstasy. We were holding nothing back. Our pleasure, physical, vocal and emotional, was all out there to be celebrated. The ride was spectacular, and I pulsed through my orgasm, completely surrendered to Ruben and the exquisite sensations owning my body.
He slowed his frantic pace, lifted his head and stared down at me. His hair was mussed and his eyes sparkled. “My God, that was amazing.”
“Tell me about it,” I said breathlessly, then shivered as my pussy contracted around his cock in another orgasmic tremor. “Ah, yeah.” I let my eyes roll back in their sockets. “So amazing.”
He ground into me one last time, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as our mouths connected. I was hot and tingling, and being held so tightly and kissed so sweetly made me feel like everything would be all right forever.
Eventually he broke the kiss and withdrew his softening cock. “We got a bit wild there,” he said, looking down at my naked body that was red from friction, damp from sweat.
“I think it was the dirty talk that unleashed the beast.” I giggled.
“Damn, I’d forgotten how much I liked a pretty girl with a gutter mouth.”
I drew my legs together but stayed flat on the sofa, my body heavy and suddenly weary. “I don’t usually, only in the bedroom.”
“Or living room.” He smiled and reached for his boxers.
I enjoyed the view of his bum as he bent over. “Oh, bugger,” I said when he straightened. “Your back.” He had several long, red scratches across his shoulder blades.
He pulled up his underwear and twisted his neck. “What?”
“I’m afraid I’ve…” I waved my finger at him. “Left my mark.”
He grinned. “And I’ll wear it with pride.” He touched his lips to mine. “Do you want a drink?”
“Mmm.” I stretched my arms over my head
, squirmed lazily. “A cup of tea would be lovely.”
“Coming right up.”
I shut my eyes and listened to Ruben moving around the kitchen. The breeze seeping beneath the curtains was a lick of cool on my hot, naked body, and I sighed and let contentment weave deeper into my soul than it had in a long time.
The noise of the festival mixed in with my easy thoughts, as did the first rumbles of the kettle. My mind flashed back to Ruben’s face when I’d asked him to fuck me, and a smile balled my cheeks. That was a moment in time I’d come back to over and over.
Soon my contemplations overtook the sounds around me. My body was heavy, slumber had stolen me. I let myself drift into a dreamy world.
Kisses as soft as kitten’s whiskers were tickling up my belly, fluttering, floating, spreading into the dip of my waist and onto the curve of my breast. I sighed and squirmed, just a little, inviting more of the blissful sensations.
A fingertip meandered down my side, from just below my breast into the indent of my navel. So light it was barely a caress, so gentle it was hardly there. It tickled, but in a good way, and I smiled and turned my head on the cushion.
A sudden panic gripped me, like a fist around my heart. Damn, it was happening again. I was alone. There was no one kissing me. I’d wake up any second and that weight would plunge me to the bottom of the cold, dark ocean of grief.
I gasped, clenched my fists.
“Your tea is getting cold, sleepyhead.”
I opened my eyes. Stared at the checked pattern on Ruben’s curtains and then down at his face. He was peppering kisses on my belly, just to the right of my navel.
“I found a bit I hadn’t kissed,” he said with a soft smile. “I felt it important to rectify the situation.”
I touched his face and felt his stubble on my palm. I ran my other hand through his hair, letting it drift through my fingers. Ruben was here. I wasn’t alone. Those kisses were real.
Ruben was real.
I dragged in a deep breath. Fear was a powerful thing, and it took an even stronger emotion to beat it into submission.
Love.
I realized then, in that moment, that I was head-over-heels in love with Ruben. There was no question about it. I wanted him, needed him, he’d become my everything, and I wanted it to stay that way.