Restrained (Sterling Family #3)

30. Lola

30

LOLA

M y family is hurting. All of them. Again.

I swear it doesn’t matter how healed we seem to be, we’re always broken. My chest aches as I plaster a smile on my face, waving to my mom and Tony as they head out to their car. Asher is still in the pool with Baz, and Vivienne said she knows they’ll know where to find her and heads to her room.

She trusts Asher with Baz completely. And she should. He would die before he let anything happened to that kid.

And they need the time together because when Asher leaves, Baz is going to be devastated.

Lincoln left before everyone else, and dinner was awkward. No one talked much after Asher and Sebastian went out to the pool.

I’m left standing alone with Hayden as he stands behind me, and I lean against the door frame. “My family’s a mess.”

“Look at me.” I turn to look at him, my stress melting away, looking into his eyes. How does he do that? “I know you love them, but you can’t fix everything for them.”

I can try.

He reads my mind. I know he does as his hands land on my hips and he levels with me. “You can’t. They’re all adults. They have to navigate this themselves.”

“Penelope needs to get to know you.”

He smiles and drops his hands from my hips. “Show me your room.”

It’s a command, and I hate being told what to do.

Usually.

I take his hand and lead him to my bedroom, closing and locking it behind me. Baz is young and has no boundaries.

I turn to face him, picking up where we left off. “She needs to know you. She’s being stubborn.”

He smiles, tugging his tie from his neck, tossing it to my floor. Just smiling at me.

Which is infuriating. “I’m serious, Hayden. I need to talk to her about this.”

He walks to me, his hands planted on my hips. “No.”

“What?” I stare at him, trying not to let my jaw drop. “Look, I like you a lot, and the sex is good.” He quirks a playful eyebrow. “Really good.” He nods. “But I’m not a woman who is going to completely change for any man. Ever. And this is my family.”

“Right. You’re a strong, independent woman.”

“You know, I felt bad about the shiner until right now.” I fold my arms. “I kind of want to make the other one match.”

He grins and spins my body away from him, causing me to hold my hands out, catching myself against the wall as his body moves close to mine, his nose dragging along my neck. “I’d probably like it too much.”

I roll my eyes but tilt my head to the side, allowing him access to kiss and bite my neck. “Hayden, they’re important to me.”

“Believe me, I got that from day one.” His hands slide down my bare arms, causing goosebumps to pop up all over my skin. “But you still can’t make them do what you want.”

His hand slides over the silky fabric of my camisole, tugging it from the top of my skirt where it was tucked in, sliding his hand over the bare skin of my stomach. I shudder. “They need me.”

“I need you.” His words are quiet against my ear, causing me to swallow. His deep voice growls against my neck, “I’ll do what you want me to.”

The statement coming from anyone else would seem desperate, but coming from his mouth, it still sounds confident and in control.

His hands easily lift my blouse off, letting it fall to the floor, leaving my top half bare.

“You drive me insane.”

I swear I can feel him smiling against the naked skin of my back, his hand slowly lowering the zipper at the back of my skirt, allowing it to fall to the ground. “Believe me, the feeling is mutual.”

I want to relax. Let myself escape as his hand drifts over my stomach once again and down to cup the silky fabric between my legs. “Baz is going to be heartbroken when Asher leaves.”

I feel him nod against me. “I can’t talk about your nephew right now when all I want to know is how fucking wet you are for me.”

My eyes flutter closed, feeling the slickness between my thighs. “I’m worried.”

“Let me help you with that because you can’t fix them, Lola. Let them feel.”

I turn around, facing him and looking into his eyes. “You don’t think they’ve felt enough?”

He removes his jacket, tossing it behind him and rolling up his white sleeves to the elbow. And although I would rather he would just remove it and the vest over it, I'm looking at the veins in his forearms and the scar on his hand as he drops down to his knees in front of me. The sight is beautiful because Hayden is a man that kneels to no one.

“We can’t stop feeling, Lola.”

My hands rest on his broad shoulders as he slides the thong down my legs, letting me step out of it, but he doesn't touch me. “When all you feel is pain, you just want it to stop.”

“But then you shut out all of the good.”

I close my eyes, letting my head loll back and lean against the wall, waiting for his touch. I stand there, my body ready for him, the wetness pooling between my legs as I clench my thighs together.

But still, no touch comes. “Hayden?” I breathe.

“I was angry for a long time.” I don’t open my eyes. I only listen to his words. “I hated everyone. I didn’t trust anyone. I shut down.” Warm air comes from his mouth across the intimate spot of my body, and my eyes fly open as I look down at him, my body trembling for his touch. “And then you came along. And pissed me off.”

I wonder where he’s going with this as he blows across the wetness between my clenched thighs.

“And made me feel again. Now all I want to do is feel.” His tongue slides down my wet slit and I groan, leaning my head back, my hands threading through his hair. “I want to feel everything with you.”

I moan his name as his tongue flicks over my clit and then slides down again. He hardens his tongue and pushes it inside me, making my fingers dig into his scalp. “I want to feel everything with you too.”

His tongue slides up, swirling over my clit before moving up my stomach and my chest, standing tall before me as I unbutton his vest and the white shirt, pushing them both over his wide shoulders to the floor.

“Don’t ever try to deprive the ones you love from feeling anything close to this.”

“And if we end up only hurting each other?”

He unfastens his belt and slides the button of his slacks through the loop. “As long as the good outweighs the bad.”

“It wasn’t with Asher and Viv.”

He smiles, sliding his zipper down and pushing his pants and briefs down in one quick motion, freeing his hardened cock and taking my mind as far away from my family as possible. “Only ones that knows that is them, Lola.”

He kicks away the rest of his clothes and pulls me to him, guiding us back to my bed as he sits down, pulling me on his lap. I cup his face in my hands. “I don’t care right now.”

He chuckles, reaching between us and bringing the head of his cock to my entrance, but not pushing in. “You take control.” His hand slides down my back. “Make me feel something good, Lola.”

His words set me on fire as I move my hips, guiding him inside of me, only the tip at first, and then inch by inch my body accepts him. I set the pace, moving slowly, almost too slow as we both feel every movement. Every inch. Every shudder.

It’s euphoric as my forehead rests against his, my hands now gripping his shoulders as his hands rest on my hips. He gives me all the control. My head dips down, and I find his lips, craving every ounce of him. He starts to thrust with each roll of my hips, meeting my pace, our bodies working as one, hitting deep inside me and making my pussy clench around him, wanting to squeeze every last bit of pleasure from him.

“I’ve never wanted anything this badly.”

He smiles against my lips. “What do you want, Lola?”

He’s fully seated inside of me as I freeze, allowing him to fill me completely, stretching me. “Right now?” He nods, his lips pressing against mine and then sliding down over my throat. “I want to come.”

He smiles against my neck, and I feel his cock twitch inside me, making me bite my lower lip and groan. “What else?”

I lean my head back, enjoying the feel of his stubble on my skin. “I want you to come inside me.”

One of his hands palms my breast as his thumb swirls around my hardened nipple. “I’m definitely close to that.”

He pinches my nipple, causing my pussy to tense tightly around him, making us both moan and sending a shiver through my body, warning me that I’m nearing the edge myself. “Anything else?”

I shake my head because in this moment, that’s all I want. Him.

“Feel every single second of it, Lola.”

The command steals my breath as our lips crash into each other, and we move together, one of his hands teasing my nipple the other gripping my hip as we fall over the cliff simultaneously, taking in every thrilling second.

I don’t want any more pain for my family, but maybe Hayden’s right. By trying to protect them, I’ve stolen this away.

And this, this feeling right now with him, safe in my bed with pleasure soaring through every part of my body, it’s worth every bit of pain I've endured to get here.