What the Heart Needs

by Kelli McCracken

  Did he want her to? She fought back the questions, deciding she wouldn’t be able to handle the answer if he said yes. She had to hold on to that tendril of hope. Had to trust in her heart that Delia hadn’t been wrong. That Dylan couldn’t live without her any more than she could live without him.

  “I’m not here for my stuff. I’m here to talk.” Had he heard her voice shake? He didn’t acknowledge it if he did. But the longer he remained silent, the longer she second-guessed her decision to come. “If this is a bad time—”

  “Mom, can you and Layne come back later?”

  It amazed her how one simple question made her want to burst into tears. Ones of happiness. As she fought with the moisture threatening to fill her eyes, she stepped out of the doorway.

  Delia had already latched onto Layne, pulling him toward the door as she spoke over her shoulder. “Call us when you’re ready. We’ll be at the hotel. The Lewis’s and I owe Layne a history lesson.”

  The door shut before Layne’s complaint could make it to Heaven’s ears. Like she would have heard him. Not with the sound of Dylan’s footsteps resonating toward her. Each one bringing him closer until he stood a foot away.

  “Hi.” For such a small word, he packed it with a lot of emotion. Eagerness to be near her. Relief that she came. Hope that they still had a future. Every single emotion spun in her soul

  “Hi, Dylan.”

  As his eyes fell to her lips, they lingered a moment as he struggled to form words. “I um…do you…I’m not sure if…God, I’m screwing this up.”

  While Dylan fumbled with his words, she fought back the urge to laugh. Not so much at him, but because his awkwardness meant one thing. What she thought mattered to him. Because he still loved her.

  “Relax,” she whispered, curling her fingers around his arm. The familiar jolt that came from his skin coursed through her. He’d felt it, too. The way he closed his eyes the moment their skin made contact, releasing a cinnamon-sweet breath. She inhaled it, holding on to the warmth it provided. “Why don’t we go sit on the couch?”

  “I’d like that,” he whispered, offering her a smile as he opened his eyes. Each step he took she mimicked until they were standing beside the olive colored sectional.

  He waited, like the gentleman she knew him to be, as she eased onto the cushions. Then he joined her. She wished he didn’t put an entire cushion length between them. Did he think she wanted the distance? Because she didn’t. She wanted to be near him. To feel the comfort of his arms around her.

  Another sigh slipped past his lips. He moved his eyes toward the cushion, playing with the seam. Anxiety twisted around him. Why wouldn’t he focus on their bond? He should be able to sense how she felt about seeing him. Or was that the reason behind his distance? Maybe he didn’t want to pick up where they left off. And why should he? After she called off the wedding, he had the right to be cautious.

  “This doesn’t have to be awkward for us. It shouldn’t be. Just speak what’s on your mind. You know I can sense it.”

  His fingers hesitated on the corner of the seam. She waited for him to gaze up. To put an end to the longing building its way through her heart. But he didn’t. Kept his eyes on his hand, speaking in a soft voice.

  “I wish I could say the same about you.”

  “What does that mean?” She hadn’t considered the possibility of him not sensing her. It would explain his range of emotions, yet it didn’t make sense. He’d always felt her.

  “There’s been a fluctuation in our bond. While I can feel your energy, there are times when I can’t feel your emotions.”

  Tucking her feet beneath her bottom, she leaned in closer, willing him to look her in the eye. Not that he did. “How long has this been happening?”

  “I first noticed it a few days before I asked you to marry me. It started out slow. Just a couple of occurrences. Then it started happening every day.”

  Now she understood why he wouldn’t look at her. He’d been hiding a secret of his own. Guilty eyes always hung heavy. “Why haven’t you said anything?”

  “I don’t know. Talking about it makes it real. I don’t want it to be.” Warm fingers trailed over her leg, though he still wouldn’t look at her. But the fear in his soul made her heart catch. As did the way his voice wavered. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  Those words were the ones she’d wanted to hear. Scooting over the middle cushion, her fingers stroked the line of his jaw before curling around. Just a small nudge had his eyes darting to hers. “You’re not going to lose me, Dylan. We’re soul bound. I don’t know why you’re experiencing this, but I haven’t lost my connection with you.”

  Warm palms surrounded her wrist. Followed by a gentle squeeze. Then Dylan inched forward. “Mom said someone is blocking us. She doesn’t know who it is or if they realize what they’re doing.”

  “Do you think it’s Layne? Because he’s my…” Admitting Layne’s new roll in her life would take some time getting used to. For her as much as it would for him. The pain in his eyes reminded her of how much.

  “I don’t know if he is. I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t crossed my mind.” Lacing his fingers through hers, he scooted another inch, bringing their knees together. “Can I ask you something?” She nodded, losing herself in the thrum of his energy. “After we announced our engagement, you told me you could feel Hope and Faith’s energy. Could you feel Layne’s, too?”

  As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she wanted the secrets to end. They had to end before she lost her mind. Or him. “I’ve always felt strange vibes from Layne. But the day of the party, something changed. His energy changed.”

  “You both decided to be friends that day. Maybe that’s what changed everything.”

  “He also saved me from breaking my neck.” The thought of that day made her stomach flip. Had the same effect on him. His fingers tightened around her hand. A soft tug had her shoulder sliding against the back of the couch. Then his forehead met hers.

  “I want Layne to keep you safe. But it kills me to know that I can’t protect you.”

  “Don’t say that.” She pressed her finger to his lips. A tingle sprung behind her navel when he kissed it. Giving in to her need for him would be simple, but he had to know his words held no merit. “You could have held me in your arms when they came for me and it wouldn’t have made a difference. It happened in less than a second.”

  “It’s not just my screw up in Aruba. Look what happened with Zeke. And Mick.”

  She pulled her head back, pinching his chin between her fingers. “You had no control over what happened with Mick. You didn’t even know me. But you did save me from Zeke.”

  “I would have known you if my dad hadn’t interfered. Then Mick wouldn’t have factored into your life. I keep failing you, Heaven. I don’t know how you can love me.”

  Her bottom left the cushion as she grabbed his face, forcing him back against the arm. “Because you’re my other half. Every breath I take is because of you. Every beat of my heart, your heart beats. How could I not love you?”

  “But I can’t—”

  Her lips brushed against his. “No buts, Dylan. You are the reason I am. The reason I always will be. No Keeper in the world can change that.”

  He didn’t argue. Not just because her lips met his, but the hum of their bond pulsed with relief.

  And want.

  His lips grew hungrier as she pressed her chest against his. She loved the feel of his body. Loved the way hers contoured to it. The heat of his hands wrapped around her waist, sliding around to the small of her back. One flex of his arms and she shifted onto him. Each leg straddled his hips, bringing their bodies closer. So close, she could feel his need pulsing against her.

  As their kiss deepened, his fingers tightened around her bottom, pulling her into him. And when she reciprocated the motion, Dylan made it to his feet, bringing her along for the ride.

  A ride she waited for with bated breath.

  Heaven didn’t
remember the trip up the stairs. Only remembered the way Dylan’s lips glided across hers. How each swirl of his tongue sent a thousand spasms to every nerve in her body. The more she wriggled against him, the more those tiny jolts pulsed with the charge of his energy.

  He fumbled with the knob on the bedroom door until her hand touched his. Then the door smacked against the interior wall. It bounced back in time to face further abuse when he kicked it shut.

  They’d barely made it to the bed when her pants fell to the floor. Followed by the sweater. She helped him discard the rest of her clothes before switching to his. Each movement slow and graceful, like they were dancing. Then her feet left the floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him like it was the last chance she’d ever get.

  The bed cradled her back as he slipped between her thighs. Scorching fingers raked the inside, stopping just a few inches from the origin of her ache. They twirled across the front until they made it to her hips. She wanted him to end the ache, to stoke the flame building between her thighs.

  When she thought he’d deliver that sweet pleasure to the deepest part of her, he flipped onto his back, pulling her along with him.

  And the pleasure did come. The second her knees hit the mattress. She broke away from the kiss, gasping as he slid into her. Every inch of him pulsed. Slow. Hard. Deep.

  She couldn’t stop the cries slipping past her lips. No more than she could stop her body from reacting to his. Each rock of her hips took him away, teasing ever so slowly before bringing him back.

  He exaggerated the movement with her, gripping her ass to pull her in. Pressing her hips to push her away. They fell in rhythm, her rocks meeting each one of his thrusts. The next building on the one before.

  A groan rippled inside Dylan’s chest. The heat in his eyes burned bright as he gazed up at her, his fingers traveling the valley of her breasts. They didn’t stop. Bypassed her navel with one quick circle then met the base of her body, pressing against her swollen flesh.

  She shuddered from the first pulse.

  Dylan smiled up at her, working his thumb in tiny circles. Each one made her hips rock faster, building the pressure within.

  Then the momentum slowed. His arms wrapped around her as he sat up. No words passed over his lips. Because none were needed. The spark in his eyes said more than words ever could. Promises of hope. Of devotion. Of the deepest and purest love.

  The tickle from within increased her need. The same need that pooled around him, gliding him in and out. And as he gripped her shoulders, the pressure within began to spill over.

  * * *

  The more Heaven rolled her hips, the harder Dylan grew. He wouldn’t make it much longer. Not after needing her for so long. Every sweet moan leaving her mouth made him want to taste her tongue.

  And he did. Enjoyed every minty swirl of it. He couldn’t lie below her, watching her body come to life without his doing the same. And those sweet lips definitely made him go into overdrive.

  The warmth of her body shifted, bringing about tiny beads of sweat at his neck. Then her breath grew labored. She clenched the length of him, drawing out a low growl from his chest. She’d be the one groaning in a moment. And he would enjoy every single second.

  As if she knew what he was about to do, she gazed at him, half a smile crooking her lips. He returned it with one of his own. Then he shifted beneath her, rolling her onto her back.

  He didn’t miss the deep laugh coming from her throat, or the way it changed to a moan when he sent the next thrust further than the previous. She cried out. The sound of his name on her lips made his heart take an extra beat. Made him pulse harder the more she tightened around him. But the look of love in her eyes heightened his senses, making every nerve thump under his skin.

  As her orgasm peaked, a rush of wet warmth closed around him, squeezing him until he couldn’t take the pressure begging for release. Pressure that reached the highest point as it exploded inside her.

  Each pulse closing around him fell in rhythm with Heaven’s cries. Continued pulsing long after those cries faded. And when the last of him spilled into her, he pressed his lips to hers, whispering one question.

  “Will you marry me?”

  CHAPTER 29

  It wasn’t the feel of the chiffon fabric brushing Heaven’s legs when she made the walk at her father’s side. Nor was it the cheerful eyes of a few witnesses standing about the backyard. Their smiles warmed her heart, but they didn’t speak to it the way his did.

  From the moment she stepped under the willow tree, she knew the time had come. Funny to think it had been their original date. Before they started to rush things and take off to Aruba. Now they would share this special day with her maternal grandparents. Because this is the day they’d said similar words.

  While their vows had been special to them, no words could compare to the ones coming from Dylan’s lips. Caught up in the moment, and in the hum of their connection, she tuned out the pastor, focusing only on the man who held her heart.

  He hesitated a moment, clearing his throat as he focused on the ground. The heat of his hands surrounded hers when he pulled her a step closer. Then those dark eyes that made her heart flutter gazed into hers.

  “Only those standing here with us today know the journey we’ve taken. They’ve been here every step of the way. But even they don’t know the depth of my love for you. They don’t know how much you complete me.” The power of his words had her forgetting to breathe. She fought back the sting in her eyes as she listened to him. Each word swelled her heart with love. Especially when he stroked her palm. “Over the last three months, I’ve come to learn one important thing.” The beat of his heart pulsed against her hand as he placed it on his chest. She counted the rhythm, noting the way it matched hers to a tee. Then Dylan cupped her cheek, brought her face closer to his, and whispered words she’d never forget. “The more we give in to what the heart wants, the more we get what the heart needs. My heart wanted you from the first time I saw you. My heart needed you from the moment we were born.”

  She stared at him in awe, mesmerized by the way their connection thrummed to life. No one had ever loved her this much. And no one else ever would.

  “You’ve always loved me,” she whispered, taking another step closer to him. “From your very first breath. You waited on me for years. Even when it seemed like I was only a dream.” The corner of his mouth lifted at her words, sending a flutter through her belly. No matter how much his father tried to keep them apart, he never succeeded. He knew that just as much as she did. “Since the moment I met you, you’ve protected me. Nothing will change that. I’ll always be by your side, holding your heart like you hold mine.”

  He didn’t say anything else. Didn’t have to. What emotion didn’t moisten his eyes, pulsed through their bond. It warmed her cheek as he stroked it with his thumb. And that’s how they remained, until the moment he slipped the golden band over her finger. She didn’t hesitate doing the same for him.

  Both stared at their rings before glancing at each other. Then the rest of the world ceased to exist. If the pastor hadn’t come to this part, he’d have to get over it, because she refused to wait another second to kiss him. The push of his energy said he felt the same.

  When their lips met, Heaven swore she died. She’d never feel this good again. This warmth that radiated from head-to-toe. The bubbling behind her navel. Or the incessant need to squeal like a little girl who’d arrived at Disney World.

  What happened past this day didn’t matter. Because she’d lived her dream. She’d found the one person who made her whole. The person who’d claimed her heart from the moment God created them.

  * * *

  Heaven gave Chelsea one last hug before she went out the door toward the taxi. She hated to see her friend leave so soon, though she understood completely. If Dylan were on tour, she’d be with him, too. At least her friend came back a second time for her wedding.

  One final wave before the taillights disap
peared down the driveway. Then Heaven stepped back inside, pushing the door to a close. She turned to see her parents and sister walking inside the den with Scott. Delia stood under the archway, waiting for Layne who still had his eyes on her. He’d taken to his duty of being her Keeper. Had spent most of the reception walking the grounds, making sure no one could trespass on their day. Or come to harm her.

  Sneaky camera lenses weren’t their only concern anymore. Men who could defy the laws of time and space could take her in less than a heartbeat and move her to another location. It was up to him and Dylan both to prevent that. Especially Layne.

  Unfolding his arms from his chest, Layne stepped away from the wall. His eyes moved to Dylan before he gave him a nod, then turned to enter the den.

  Heaven didn’t stop until she reached Dylan. She didn’t bother lacing her fingers through his. She went straight into his arms, pressing her cheek to his heart. Her chest deflated as the breath she released rippled his shirt. It was the longest they’d been alone today. Even now, with their family in the den, waiting. So she made the most of the moment.

  Pushing up on her toes, she brushed her lips against Dylan’s, fighting back a smile when his groan vibrated against her lips. “You’re in trouble the first second that everyone leaves.”

  She had just enough time to see his eyes widen. To see the smile forming on his lips. Then she pressed hers into his, losing herself in the tiny jolts spreading over her skin.

  When she finally pulled away, Dylan’s eyes were still closed. But the second they opened, the push of his energy danced around her, teasing her to the core. “Challenge accepted, Mrs. McBride.”

  Replaying his words in her mind, they walked into the den, high on the love that surrounded them. At least until they saw the weary gaze in Delia’s eyes. Dylan’s energy quaked with concern, mimicking the way hers flickered in her belly.