The Heart Series: Complete Boxed Set

by King, C. M

  “Trust me, if you were not taken by the lovely Izzy, I’d be far more forward.” She winked, taking another sip of her drink as her eyes feasted over every inch of him.

  “I’m actually taken, but even I would contemplate kicking him to the curb to end up wrapped around that hot body,” Micha added, grinning.

  “Seriously?” I asked looking slightly annoyed, it was starting to grate a little they had more than made their point.

  “I’m off to the bar, Izzy, ladies, do you all want the same?” he asked, smiling.

  “Please, Joel.” They both purred together as he looked on in amusement. They were taking it too far now.

  I gave them a look.

  “Oh shush, Izzy, let us have our moment. You have him for the rest of your life. We need time to do some serious perving.”

  I stood there feeling completely shocked by their directness. I suppose I should give them that, after all they were only human, and nothing could withstand the mighty force of Joel. He always managed to captivate a room, always remaining oblivious to the attention he was attracting. The fact his eyes were always firmly planted on me was a good reminder, despite all eyes being on him. He came back moments later with a tray of drinks. Everyone grabbed theirs as they stood staring. Oh, now it was just getting ridiculous.

  “So this is Corinne and Micha,” I said, introducing them to Joel as they still continued doing their best goldfish like impressions.

  “Hey ladies.” He gave them that killer smile of his.

  “Hey,” they purred back.

  “Girls, I think you might be actually drooling,” I added sarcastically.

  “What?”

  “Huh?”

  “Yeah, that snapped you out of it,” I snorted.

  “Wow, I didn’t have you down as being mean, Izzy.” Micha stuck her tongue out then immediately got distracted by her phone.

  “So Joel, do you have any brothers that are preferably single?” Corinne asked, grinning.

  “Sorry, just me.” He shrugged, taking a long draw of his beer.

  “What a waste. They need to clone you. Every girl should have a Joel.” She sighed.

  “Okay.” Joel looked away awkwardly.

  I gave Corinne a look, and she almost spluttered on her drink. “Okay, I might need to pee. Hold my drink, will you, Izzy?”

  “Wow, she’s kind of over the top,” Joel muttered once she’d left.

  “Yeah, just a little but I like her. They’ve made me feel welcome since I got here.” I really hated to say anything mean especially as they had all been so nice.

  “Well, that’s good to hear. Now, about tonight, do I get to sleep in your bed?”

  Like he even needed to ask.

  “Where else would you be sleeping?”

  “I didn’t want to presume.” He grinned wickedly.

  “I can quite categorically tell you your body will be pressed up tight against mine.” That was a guarantee.

  “That’s how I like it, so no complaints here,” he breathed, leaning in to kiss me.

  “How long are you staying?” I asked in between kisses.

  He pulled back. “What are you trying to get rid of me already?”

  “As if, I’d have you chained up in the bed if I could.”

  “Well, that’s a little kinky,” he remarked, grinning.

  “You know I like to take control.” I winked making him smile harder.

  “I hope you take the lead tonight, I’ve missed your commanding side.”

  “Oh, trust me, I will be.”

  Joel pulled me close again. It wasn’t hard to see the lust that was beginning to grow inside his eyes. It never did take much to turn him on.

  “Can we not sneak away now? We could have our own little party just you and me.” Joel looked more than ready to leave.

  Did he have to ask twice?

  “We need to be discrete, you leave first and I will then foll—”

  “Hey Iz,” Josh remarked, walking over with a beer in hand. His eyes surveyed Joel for a few moments, almost like he was sizing him up. I could feel Joel stiffen beside me. I wasn’t happy about the peacock brigade that was beginning to play out in front of me.

  “Hey Josh, this is my fiancé Joel.”

  “So you are the guy that put that rock on Izzy’s finger?”

  “Yep, that’s me.” He lifted my hand and kissed the ring as if to drive his point home even further,

  “Aren’t you a little young to be settling down?” Josh scoffed.

  “Josh—”

  “It’s okay, Iz, I don’t need to stand here and explain myself, but when you meet the right person, the one who is your soulmate, who completes you in every way then you never have to question it, and that’s how I feel about Iz.”

  I think I might have swooned a little.

  “Joel,” I breathed. Overcome by his words.

  “Iz, you’re my world, and I will tell anyone that doubts our love.”

  “Sorry, mate, I was being rude,” Josh replied, looking slightly embarrassed.

  “Yeah, you were, but we’ll forgive you this time.”

  “I won’t doubt you again. I haven’t known Izzy long, but she is a top catch, hang on to her.” He grinned.

  “Top catch is that supposed to be a compliment?” I exclaimed.

  “Well, you know me.” Josh winked.

  “That’s fine.” Joel waved his hand. “Now can we go?” he asked, giving me a look that almost turned my legs to jelly.

  “It’s rude to just leave.” My eyes scanned the room, but I could already see the girls were being entertained elsewhere. I guess it couldn’t hurt to slip away, no one would notice.

  Josh gave Joel a grin. “Have a great night, you two,” he said before walking over to a sexy redhead that had been giving him the eye for the last ten minutes. She was soon giggling away, and I rolled my eyes at his ability to flirt within seconds.

  “So …” Joel asked, his eyes boring deep into mine, waiting for an answer.

  “Yeah, let’s go.” He barely gave me time to finish the sentence before he was half dragging me out the door.

  “Joel,” I squealed, shocked by our swift exit.

  “The sooner we leave the sooner I get you into bed.” He groaned.

  “Err, so that’s all you’re after, my body?” I teased.

  “Yep, you got a problem with that?”

  “Hell no, I’ve missed your mouth and your …”

  “Oh, trust me, I will be more than making it up to you, in fact.”

  Tonight was going to be one I’d remember over the next few months alone.

  Chapter Twenty

  I woke up stiff and sore, last night’s performance had one hell of an effect on my body, but the work out I got afterwards had pushed me to the limit. I ached all over. I think we had christened every inch of the bed, but I couldn’t help but smile at the fact I had woken to Joel wrapped around me. His head nestled in the crook of my neck as his arms embraced me from behind.

  I let out a soft yawn, wanting to just snuggle back down and enjoy a few more hours sleep, but time was precious. My eyes flicked to the clock by the bed, it was just after eight. Joel’s train would be early afternoon so I wanted to make sure we didn’t waste a minute. I inched my way around, slowly turning to face him. His face was so peaceful, so beautiful, and I couldn’t help but smile as my eyes dropped down to those lips that had been my total undoing. I smiled as the night’s events slowly played out in my head.

  “Are you watching me sleep?” he croaked and my eyes shot up to meet his.

  “Might be, it’s something I don’t get to do now, so I have to make good of these situations while I can.”

  “I miss seeing your face in the morning.” He snuggled closer, his stubble grazing against my cheek. I had missed that.

  “I know, I don’t want you to leave,” I groaned. I wanted him to stay with me for the next three months, it was selfish of me but I couldn’t help it.

  “I don’
t want to leave either. The only way I could let you go the other day was knowing I would see you so soon. This time, it will kill me to leave you.” His eyes closed to try to hide the sadness I knew was buried inside.

  “We have some breaks in the schedule, we can squeeze time in to see each other,” I added, hoping my words would offer him some comfort, but he didn’t look at all appeased.

  “I know but it’s not the same.” He sighed and he was right, but at this moment it was the only solution.

  “I’m sorry, Joel.”

  “Hey, don’t apologise. This is your dream. I’m just being selfish. I just love you too much, that’s all. I’ll get used to it.”

  “Three months is not long, it will fly by.”

  “Right now, three months feels like forever.”

  He was not wrong there.

  “Do you need me to take your mind off it?” I asked, biting my lip waiting for his response.

  “Don’t you … aren’t you supposed to abstain just before a performance?”

  “It’s not football.” I laughed and he grinned.

  “So I get to have my wicked way with you again before I leave?” He quirked an eyebrow as his eyes flicked over my naked chest.

  “I am all yours for the next couple of hours.”

  “I’d better make it count,” he added dryly, and my whole body tingled with desire.

  “Joel,” I groaned as his fingers quickly made their way inside. I clenched as they slowly undid me, my mouth locked with his, our tongues caressing, slowly finding the perfect rhythm. I came minutes later, screaming into his mouth. Thank god, it was enough to muffle the sound.

  “Fuck, Iz, watching you come undone is my favourite thing.”

  “Then I need you to do it again.” I shuffled underneath him spreading my legs, and he groaned deep as his lips nuzzled the sweet spot under my ear. I gasped as he pushed his way deep inside. Skin on skin no barriers between us. His rhythm was slow as I gripped his back, slowly moaning as desire filled every inch of me.

  “Oh god, this is what heaven feels like, being inside you. I don’t think I’ll ever get my fill, I’ll always want more.” He groaned, panting hard with each and every thrust.

  “Trust me, I’ll always want more. I’m greedy that way.”

  “I’ll be happy to keep you fulfilled. It will be the best part of my day.”

  “Are you sure you will have the stamina to keep up? I’m going to be very demanding. It could be too much for you,” I goaded.

  “I think I can handle it. I’m doing a great job already.” He chuckled.

  “There could be some improvements made,” I added, knowing the reaction it would evoke. He immediately halted the pleasure and I couldn’t help but think I hadn’t chosen the right moment to make a joke.

  “Excuse me? Do you want to clarify that for me?”

  “Joel, it was a joke.”

  “A poor joke, you know I take my pleasuring you very seriously. If you tell me I’m doing an inadequate job then I need to know to step it up.”

  “Right now all I need is for you to keep moving.”

  “What, like this?” He thrusted deep inside and I groaned in agreement.

  “Yes, like that, don’t stop.”

  “I think you might have to beg more, after all you did insult me.”

  “Please, Joel, it was a joke,” I groaned. “Oh god, I’m sorry.”

  “How sorry?” He flipped me over so I was no longer on my back, now on my knees as he thrusted in me from behind.

  “Joel-oh-my-god.”

  “That’s it tell me, Izzy, how good is it?”

  “Joel,” my cheeks heated at the thought as the noise level increased. These walls were not very thick but as he drove deep inside of me, I lost all ability to keep it down.

  “Fuck, Izzy, I’m close.”

  “I just need—” I didn’t have to ask, his fingers found their way to my clit, and I panted hard as pleasure overcome me. His fingers being the final undoing till I exploded around him, taking him with me moments later.

  We collapsed down onto the sheets, panting hard as we tried to get the air to circulate through our lungs once more. When I mustered up the strength, I slapped Joel on the chest. He quickly grabbed me pulling me into him and pouted.

  “Hey, what was that for? I give you the best orgasm of your life and that’s how I get rewarded.”

  “You know what it was for.” I narrowed my eyes. I’m sure half the hotel had heard.

  “Just letting every guy know that you’re mine.” He grinned.

  “They knew that already.”

  “Yeah, but hearing you scream my name will have it etched in their brains. They won’t even try to compete.” He sure knew how to get his point across, I’d give him that.

  “Stop blowing your own trumpet. I can see your ego growing right in front of me.”

  “I’m not blowing anything, but if you want to blow mine then that can be arranged.” God, he was shameless.

  I slapped him hard again, and he rolled me over so he was pressing me down into the mattress, his breath tickling my face.

  “When are you officially going to be mine?”

  His question caused me to stutter, we were having a playful time and now suddenly he was so serious.

  “Soon.”

  “How soon?” He brushed his nose up against mine, his eyes wide and staring, waiting for an answer.

  “I don’t know, when I don’t have a crazy schedule.”

  He huffed and released my arms, rolling onto his back and closed his eyes.

  “Hey, what’s brought that on?” I asked.

  “I just feel like the wedding will never be high on your list that something will come along and prioritise. Sometimes I wonder if you regretted saying yes, that when people make their remarks about how young we are, that inside you start to believe it.” I could see the pain there in his eyes, and my heart sunk at his words.

  “That’s not true.”

  “But you being here with everyone, you might start to rethink being tied down. The type of job you are in, you might prefer to be single.” His eyes closed like he couldn’t bear to look at me.

  “Well, that’s never going to happen,” I said softly.

  “It could, over time you might decide differently.”

  I grabbed his chin and turned his face to look into his eyes. “I know how I feel, this love that burns deep within me is for you. Only you. Accept what I’m saying is true. You know me. Haven’t I proven my love to you over and over?”

  “But the distance can change—”

  “It changes nothing. This ring I wear means the world to me. It symbolises what we have. My heart will only ever want you, love you. It isn’t possible for me to love anyone else.”

  “I just want you to know that there is a way out.” He tried to pull away, but I wouldn’t let him.

  “I don’t want one, and we will never speak of this again. I know the change is hard, but we will get through it. We will become stronger. Nothing is coming between us.”

  “Promise,” he whispered. His eyes still showing a look of doubt.

  “We can go whenever you want and be married. We can apply for a licence and then it will be legal. I want to marry you, Joel. Just you and me together, that’s all I need.”

  “You would do that? Miss out on a real wedding for a quick ceremony?” he asked surprised.

  “I would do anything for you,” I added without hesitation.

  I truly would.

  “But I want you to have the wedding you deserve,” he replied sadly. I could see the look that was there—torn between getting what he wanted and giving me what he thought I needed.

  “I don’t care about a big wedding. I just want a ceremony with you where we speak our vows, commit to each other and exchange the rings that will rest on my finger till my final breath.”

  “I want our day to be special, for our family to be there to witness our special day. I want to look back on that day wi
th fond memories, not feel like I robbed you of sharing it with the ones you love.” He frowned.

  “But as long as you are there, then there is no one else I need. I don’t need a fancy day to give me fond memories. I just need you by my side, swearing to love each other for eternity.”

  “And we will, but I . . . it doesn’t feel right. I’m being selfish letting my demons win. I know how much you love me and for that I can wait.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked, staring deep into his eyes and he silently nodded. I could see the fear was soon replaced with love.

  “I love you, Iz, and when the day is right I will make you mine, until then you have to do the thing you love. I need to stop being selfish and let you go.” He sighed and I knew how hard it was for him to walk away.

  “I’ll always return to you, Joel, as my heart only belongs to you.”

  He smiled and I knew I had appeased him enough, but there was another way I could help bring that smile back to his face. “We have to get down to breakfast soon, but I’m not quite ready to leave this bed yet.”

  “Whatever do you have in mind?” I asked innocently, like I didn’t even know already.

  “Let me show you …”

  * * *

  After a quick shower we headed down to breakfast, we were both ravenous after this morning’s activities. Joel had worked hard to keep my mind off things, well, until I was reminded as we walked into the dining room and all of the guys from our tour burst into a round of applause. I was nothing short of being mortified. I didn’t need to ask what they were grinning at. Their smiles told me everything.

  “Let’s just go and eat somewhere else,” I muttered to Joel. I wanted my breakfast in peace, away from prying eyes.

  “Oh it will be fine. It smells so good. Please let me start, I’m a growing man, and you really worked me this morning I need some fuel inside me.” He left me and began to pile his plate with eggs, bacon and sausage and a stack of toast. I sighed following suit, starting to add to mine. Joel grinned and winked, probably at the thought of devouring the breakfast. I was almost certain he would be back for seconds. He would soon make short work of the plate in front of him.