“Let’s get you into the house,” I whisper. Stepping back, she hands me the key, but I snake my arm around her waist and hold her close to me. This might be my last chance to hold her, and you can bet your ass I’m taking it. Quickly, I unlock the door and usher her inside. I drop the keys on the hall table and kick the door shut with my foot. Stepping in front of her, I cup her face in my hands. “You okay?”
She shakes her head. “I will be,” she says.
“You kept my name,” I whisper, leaning in a little closer.
“Yeah, I just—” She looks down for three heartbeats. I know because I counted them before she gives me her sad eyes. “I wanted to keep a piece of you, a piece of us.”
“Winnie,” I whisper as my lips collide with hers. She’s hesitant at first, but eventually throws caution to the wind and kisses me back. Placing my hands on the back of her thighs, I lift her, and she immediately wraps her legs around my waist. We’ve done this song and dance so many times. We move in sync with one another, something that comes from years of intimacy. My tongue slides against hers, exploring her, tasting her again after all these months. When she grinds her hips against my hard cock, I moan, resting my forehead against hers.
“Winnie,” I pant.
“Just this once,” she murmurs.
That’s all I need to hear and my feet are moving. She places her mouth over mine and we barely make it down the hall and to our room—
—her room, before we’re ripping each other’s clothes off.
Chapter 2
Winnie
Familiarity wraps around me like a warm blanket as my husband’s hands grip my ass, the hard muscles of his arms pressing into my body and caging me in.
No, not my husband.
My ex-husband.
Just the thought steals my breath.
Ignoring the pain that shoots through my body, ricocheting off my bruised and battered heart, I give in to the comfort of his lips, his tongue, his taste. For so long he was my everything. But now… now he’s here. With his arms wrapped around me and the hard length of his erection pressed firmly between my legs, I can’t stop the groan that slips through my lips.
“Winnie,” he whispers, gently tracing his lips along my jaw until he finds my ear. I instantly shudder. He knows that one little touch drives me absolutely wild.
“Just tonight,” I say aloud, more as a reminder to myself than to him. If there’s one thing I need to keep in mind, it’s that this is just temporary.
To be honest, this won’t help any. Not one bit. Falling into bed with my now ex-husband ranks right up there with bungee jumping over a pool of sharks as one of the worst things I could possibly do. But as he draws my earlobe into his warm mouth, I give up the ability to care.
Because it’s him.
Harrison.
It’s always been him. From the first moment I saw him in the library our sophomore year at State, we were inseparable. We weren’t in the same study group—not even in the same part of the library—but the moment my green eyes connected with his chocolate brown ones, I knew I was forever gone. I felt it immediately and started to fall even faster. He was headed to the restroom and bumped into my chair, knocking my notebook onto the floor. He bent to pick it up, our eyes and hands connecting at the same time. It was in that exact moment that I knew my life would never be the same. He was there with a small group, a few guys and one girl who kept throwing daggers at me, but I paid her no attention. Not when Harrison was there. He has this way of commanding a room wherever he goes. It’s what makes him the most sought-after trainer in town.
We both worked hard through school—me in early education and him in kinesiology. Our classes were completely different, but that didn’t matter. We always found time to be together, even if it was for a late-night study session. There was always plenty of kissing, too. He learned quickly that the fastest way to get my motor running was to gently trace his lips along my jaw and to nibble on my earlobes.
Just. Like. Now.
“Harrison,” I gasp, blood swooshing through my veins and igniting my body.
“Fuck, I’ve missed the way you say my name.”
I don’t bring up the fact that this is just temporary. A one-time thing. Two old flames doing something wild and crazy, something they definitely shouldn’t be doing. But when have I ever listened when it comes to Harrison Drake? I’ve always been the woman at his side, the one who would follow him to the end of the earth and not bat an eye at it.
But then it changed.
Everything changed.
Pushing those thoughts out of my head, I concentrate on the way he gently lays me down as if I were made of glass on top of our bed. My bed. The one that I had to immediately buy new bedding for because I couldn’t stand the thought of sleeping on those same sheets without him. He swipes at the throw pillows, the ones I added after he left. He always hated them, you know. Didn’t understand why you’d need to make your bed with fancy little pillows just to mess it up again at night. Anyway, those fancy little pillows he despises so much fly across the room and land in a heap on my bedroom floor.
My shirt quickly follows. With the quickness of a jungle cat and the expertise of a professional clothes-remover, my button-down shirt is practically ripped from my body, tiny buttons raining down on the bedspread. He slowly helps me out of the sleeves, never rushing or risking hurting me. No, Harrison would rather cut off his own arm than see anything cause me pain. He’s always been my biggest protector, my biggest supporter, and if there’s ever a tear in my eye, he’d make sure whoever caused it knew true pain.
At least he was. A long time ago.
But even though Harrison is big, muscular, and maybe even a tad intimidating, I’ve only ever known the gentle teddy bear side of him. The side that loves fiercely and protects viciously, and for so long, I was that sole focus. Now, he turns it on once more, but this time I know it’s only temporary. It has to be.
He pulls back and gazes down at my exposed midsection. “You’ve lost weight,” he says in a disapproving tone.
“That’s not for you to worry about,” I remind him, my words coming out in short little pants.
“Angel, I will always worry about you.” He bends down and runs his nose along my neck. “Always.”
A shiver sweeps through my body and my hands dive into his dark hair. Not wanting to think about the tenderness and meaning behind his words, I pull his face back to mine and swipe my tongue along the seam of his lips. It has the exact response it always has. His eyes dilate and his nostrils flare. He’s moments away from losing all control.
And I know just how to push him over the edge.
Wrapping my legs around his hips once more, I gyrate against his incredibly hard, exceptionally large erection. The man is hung, and the moment I grind my pubis against him, he growls, flexing his hips and rubbing in the place I need him most.
I grab at his shirt, anxious to see the incredible physique I’ve missed for nine long months. Harrison grips the back of the neck and pulls it over his head in one swift motion. His pecs flex, his abs dance, and his corded arms twitch as I drink my fill of his impressive body. Young Harrison was amazing, but adult Harrison is unbelievable. His time training and working out shows on every square inch of his body.
My hands immediately move to his chest. They glide effortlessly over the smooth skin and tangle in the light dusting of dark hair. A sense of familiarity comforts me. This is Harrison. My Harrison.
But he’s not anymore.
As if he can sense where my thoughts are leading, he bends down and takes my lips with his once more. The kiss lets me know there’s no room for thought, especially those of the past. He unsnaps my black dress slacks and slowly pulls them over my hips, without breaking the kiss. Cool midafternoon air caresses my bare legs as I shimmy out of the pants, flipping off my no-frills flats as I go. I tense the moment his hands glide down my waist and reach for my panties.
“You okay?” he whispers, concern f
illing those deep brown eyes.
“Yes, I… I’m just different than before.”
His eyes soften. “Different how?”
I close my eyes, fighting the embarrassment that tries to sweep in. “I just… God, why is this so hard?”
“What’s wrong, Winnie?” His eyes hold a pain that I’m not prepared for.
I steel my back and just spit out the words. “I started taking care of myself differently. Down there.”
I follow his eyes as they drop to the tiny scrap of panties I’m wearing. They’re way more risqué than the ones I used to don while married. Back then, I found comfort in low-cut bikinis or boy-cut shorts. They drove Harrison wild. But now? Now, I’m wearing the smallest lace thong I own, and there’s not a hair in sight. After the separation, I had to do something to make me feel like a woman. To make me feel wanted. Desired. No, that was never the problem between my husband and me, but it helped tremendously with my self-confidence.
His large hands slowly start to remove the little scrap of material, revealing smooth, bare skin. He hisses in response, his eyes wild with lust and teetering on the edge of dangerous. “The fuck?” he whispers, almost to himself.
“I just needed a change. For me.”
“For you?” he asks, his words laced with jealousy. He couldn’t possibly be thinking I’d do this for someone else, could he?
“Yes, for me. I needed to feel alive.”
His eyes turn molten. “Baby, I’m going to show you just how alive you are.”
My panties slide down my legs and are tossed somewhere in the room. Before I can even take a breath, his mouth descends on my core. My entire body sparks to life with the first swipe of his tongue. He devours my flesh, licking and sucking, and bringing me right to the edge of an orgasm. I’m a livewire, energy and desire coursing through me recklessly. He slides his tongue into my wetness and gently rolls my clit, causing me to detonate immediately. My thighs clamp around his head as I ride wave after wave of pleasure.
Barely given any time to recoup from my orgasm, Harrison stands up and removes the rest of his clothes. He never takes his eyes off me as I lie boneless and panting from my first release. Anticipation slides through me because if there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that more will follow. Harrison never gives them out in anything less than multiples. He’s crazy talented in the orgasm-giving department.
The moment he’s completely naked, he slides back in bed, climbing on top of me. His touch is gentle as he caresses my jaw, running his hand down my neck. When he gets to my heart, he pauses. I know what he’s looking at. Pain ricochets through my body as the memories come flooding back. The simple H tattoo that I had inked over my heart on our honeymoon. It matches the one he had put on his hand. While I wanted to keep mine private, something just for him or me to see, he chose to put his right in the soft skin between his thumb and first finger. Somewhere he could always see it.
His eyes flash to mine, a mixture of angst and fury. Not at me, I know. He has never directed any of his anger my way. At the situation. Our situation. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Those dark eyes soften and hold mine as he slowly bends down and places his lips on my chest. Right over my heart. Right over the letter that stands for him. I have to fight the tears that burn my eyes. I will not cry. Not anymore.
It’s over.
As if to gently remind me that it’s anything but, his chiseled features take on a determination I haven’t seen in a while. His hands move to my thighs as he repositions himself between them. Something’s different, but I don’t know what. I can’t figure it out. My mind won’t even begin to wrap around this weird sense of purpose that settles in. It’s as if this isn’t just sex, as if something greater is about to happen.
I should stop this. I should. But I don’t.
I can’t.
I need him too much.
Want him more than I ever have.
We’re about to do something we can never go back from, but I can’t seem to find an ounce of care. I’ll deal with the consequences later, and something tells me there’ll be plenty of those. Right now, I just need him. I need the old Harrison. I need to forget the hurt and the nights alone. I just want to… remember.
“Please,” I beg, my voice husky and needy.
Harrison reaches down and positions himself between my legs. I can feel the tip of his cock slide against my clit, jolts of pleasure rippling through my body. “You’re sure?” he asks, his eyes burning with intensity and desire.
“Yes.”
When that one word falls from my lips, he thrusts, filling me so completely that it steals the very air I breathe. I gasp his name, my body tight with the need to come once more. He’s so big, bigger than I remember, but it feels like something else, something more. Home. I fight the tears, willing them away. I refuse to be the weak woman, the one who caves and takes him back. We didn’t work. We proved that. But this? Sex, intimacy, it always worked.
“Fuck,” he mumbles, holding completely still and letting me adjust to his size. “I gotta move, baby.” It comes out a pant, a plea.
“Yes, move. Move, Harrison.”
And he does. He pulls almost completely out and pivots his hips once more. From the beginning, he sets a hard pace. The bed slams into the wall, the painting above our heads shakes, but I don’t care. This. This is all I care about, at least for now. The feel of his body pressing me into the mattress, the feel of his skin sliding against mine.
His hand goes to my jaw, cradling me as he so often would. His eyes burn into me with an honesty I don’t want to see, don’t want to feel. But I do. I feel everything. His hips slam into my inner thighs and my muscles start to burn, a subtle reminder that I haven’t used them in quite a while. Harrison pounds into me with force, a man already past the point of losing control. I’ve always loved the way he lets go, orchestrating my body perfectly and taking me places no one before him ever could. He knows me, knows my needs, my desires.
And he never disappoints.
At least when it comes to sex.
The flex of his hips causes his cock to rub against my G-spot. Stars burst behind my eyes. Everything else just floats away until I’m left teetering on the edge, so very close to ultimate euphoria. He knows I’m close and chooses that moment to slow down. I don’t even realize I’m groaning in protest until his chuckle fills the room. “Patience, love. I’ll get you there.”
He will.
He always does.
Harrison adjusts our position, spinning us around until I’m straddling him. He knows. He remembers. This has always been my favorite position. He thrusts his hips upward, robbing me of any ability to think or speak. “Work with me, Winnie. Take control,” he whispers, gripping my hips in his big hands and hanging on tight.
I start to move, up and down, rocking my body and taking all of him. He’s so deep, so big, so… yeah. My movements become more frantic. He holds on firmly, no doubt going to leave fingermarks on my pasty skin. I’ll wear them as a badge of honor, though. I always have.
Before too long, my desire takes complete control. I’m there, ready to detonate like a bomb, and I can tell by the tightness around his mouth and the way his Adam’s apple bobs that he’s there too. The need to come is too great, and I’m not strong enough to deny it anymore. My hips gyrate as I slam back down on his cock, my body jolting as the release starts.
“Winnie,” he grunts, watching as I implode around him. I think I say his name, but I can’t be sure. I’m not sure of anything right now except the way he makes me feel.
Familiar.
Harrison’s fingers grip and dig into my flesh as he holds on, thrusting his hips upward and finding his own release. Our gazes never falter as we both come, the sounds of our orgasms filling the room in song. I memorize everything about this moment because when it’s all said and done, and he leaves as planned, I want to think back and recall just how explosive, how magical we were.
When I’m boneless and gaspi
ng for air, my body falls forward. His arms instantly wrap around me, holding me firmly against his broad chest. The afternoon sunlight filters through the open blinds, and I’m not really sure what to say. Maybe there’s no need for words. What more could possibly be said that hasn’t been hashed out over recent months?
I instantly relax, listening to his heartbeat and his breathing evening out. Something that feels like regret creeps in. This was definitely a bad idea. The waters have been muddy between Harrison and me for a while—months, even, before the separation—but the one thing that has always been right has been this.
This.
So, for now, I ignore the tinge of regret that’s waiting in the wings and allow myself to find refuge in his arms. As I lie here, it’s that comfort that lulls me to sleep.
Chapter 3
Harrison
It's been two weeks since I made the biggest mistake of my life. Two weeks of wishing things were different. Two weeks of wondering how to change it, how to go back. As I sit here at my desk staring at the piles of paperwork I need to sift through, I can't seem to find it in me to do it. I love this gym. All Fit is my passion. I never dreamed when I started working here right after college, that I would someday be the owner. I've busted my ass to make it a success, and I've done that. I'm in the process of opening two more new locations, and all my hard work has paid off. Except for one small detail.
I lost my wife.
Biggest mistake of my life.
Some might say the mistake is sleeping with said ex-wife on the day of your divorce, but any amount of time with Winnie is never a regret. Before that day, it had been months since I'd touched her soft skin, tasted her sweet lips. Sadly, it had been even longer since I'd been inside her. It's not something a man ever forgets, but the memory of making love to her is nothing like the real thing.
We're still explosive together. I guess you have that with years of familiarity under your belt. Although not everything was familiar, such as her bare pussy. Rage had hit me when I thought she’d done that for someone else. It's the same exact rage racing through me just from the thought that another man gets to touch her. Could be touching her. "Fuck," I mumble, shifting in my chair to adjust my hard cock. That's something else that will never change, not when it comes to Winnie. Just thinking of her has me hard as steel. It's been that way since the day I first laid eyes on her, and I imagine it will be that way until the day I die. She is my Winnie, after all.
Fair Lakes Series Box Set Page 2