Five
FIVE
Reagan
When the unexpected knock came at my door, I jumped out of my seat and all but ran to answer that call.
I wasn’t anticipating any visitors, which gave me a clue as to who I’d find on the other side of the door.
It was Thursday now, two days since I’d come home from Grant’s Deli for lunch and found Hart waiting for me in my driveway. While it was true that neither of us was interested in having any sort of real romantic relationship, I couldn’t say I wasn’t the least bit distracted over the last couple of days.
I hadn’t stopped thinking about Hart since he left my place on Tuesday. Sure, I’d had work I’d needed to get done—a handful of showings as well—but visions of Hart had popped into my mind throughout my workdays.
And those thoughts had me needing to pause as I recalled the way things had gone down between us. I could still hear his voice in my head, and if I stayed in those moments long enough, I swore I could still feel his touch lingering on my skin.
To say I was eager to see him again would have been an understatement. It had been a long time since I’d experienced any physical intimacy, but now that Hart had scratched that itch, it was like he’d unleashed some untamed beast inside me. I desperately wanted more of it, more of him. And I was thrilled he felt the same in return.
I made it to the door, flung it open, and took one look at the man staring back at me before I felt a wave of desire wash over my body.
He was back.
“Hi.” I didn’t trust myself to say too much, keeping my voice a whisper.
The corner of Hart’s mouth quirked in a smile, and as I stepped back to allow him to come inside, he walked forward into the house. “Hey.”
Hart didn’t seem to have any issues with speaking. His voice was strong, confident. That confidence flowed into the movements he made as he shut the door behind him without even looking. His focus remained on me, that determination in his eyes leaving my belly trembling with anticipation.
No man had ever affected me like Hart. Not once. Not ever. There was something about him that just did it for me. Maybe it was that mysterious element to him. Not knowing too much about him felt like I was living on the edge a bit. And for someone who’d reined in the adventure as a means of self-preservation in recent years, perhaps this felt just a touch dangerous in a good way.
Hart closed the distance between us, leaving mere inches separating our bodies. And it was in that moment that things took a turn for the better. Despite already feeling such focus on the man in front of me, when Hart’s scent invaded my space, much like his body already had, it consumed me entirely.
“Are you busy this afternoon?”
I was. I had so much work I needed to get done.
“A bit.”
His brows shot up, silently questioning me. “Too busy for a break?”
“Do you really want the truth?”
Hart’s lips twitched. “Always.”
I licked my lips, my eyes roaming over his handsome face. “It might not be so much about me being busy. A break might be necessary if I’m going to find any way to focus on the work I’ve got to get done.”
That wasn’t entirely true. Even if I’d been distracted by thoughts of Hart ever since he left my place two days ago, I’d succeeded in staying on top of my work.
I guess there was just a part of me that wanted him to know how much I had enjoyed my time with him then. Surely, that would make him want to outdo himself, wouldn’t it?
“In that case…” Hart slipped his arm around my waist and hauled me up against his body. “I better not waste any time.”
He brushed his lips lightly against mine, forcing the hair on my arms to stand up. I gripped the material of his shirt at his waist and held on tight. “We shouldn’t waste time, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take the time we need. I’m in no rush.”
I had work to do, but I didn’t mind taking this time with him now. I’d finish work I’d intended to do now later this evening.
Hart captured my mouth fully and groaned, lifting me clean off the ground and forcing my legs to wrap around his waist. The hem of my skirt bit into my thighs, but I didn’t care. I was too caught up in kissing Hart as he carried me through my house.
He’d only been in my house once, and somehow, he was able to kiss me, carry me, and make it to the couch in the living room without needing to see where he was going. Evidently, this man acquired skills that I could only dream about possessing.
With flawless execution, he lowered us to the couch without needing to separate our mouths or bodies. And for a long while, we stayed like that—my legs wrapped around Hart as his tongue plundered my mouth, tasting and exploring.
Eventually, he tore his mouth from mine and allowed his eyes to roam over my face. “Did you purposely intend to torment me with a thousand buttons on your shirt today?”
“If I had known you were coming, I could have planned better,” I argued. “Besides, the extra work posed by the shirt is eased by the skirt. Access couldn’t be much easier.”
One of his hands flew to my thigh and slipped beneath my skirt until he was cupping my ass. He squeezed me there before his fingers drifted beneath my thigh and between my legs, where he ran the back of his finger against me.
“Oh, Hart,” I moaned, my fingernails digging into his shoulders.
He smiled against my lips, offering up another swipe of his finger. “I like how you compromise, shortcake.”
I wanted him to continue what he was doing, but I couldn’t hold back the curiosity. “What does that mean?”
Another stroke of his finger. “What?”
My hips moved, seeking more. “That name. Shortcake. Why do you call me that?”
Surprise mixed with a look of interest. “It’s not obvious?”
Brows shooting up, I shook my head. “No.”
“You’re not very tall.”
I let out a labored breath. “Okay. That much was obvious.”
He licked his lips and slipped one finger beneath the edge of my underwear. With a gleam in his eye, he added, “And you look sweet enough to eat.” Hart shifted his body, so I had no choice but to unhook my legs. “In fact, I think it’s imperative I confirm I’m not wrong about how good you’re going to taste, and I intend to do that without a moment of delay.
While giving a slight tug on my underwear with his single finger, Hart’s opposite hand came up to grab the material at my hip to ease them off. He tossed them aside, pinned his eyes on mine, and ordered, “Hike that skirt up a bit higher. I don’t want anything in my way.”
The mere thought of having this man’s mouth on me was enough for me to obey the simple command. Once I’d done as he’d asked, his eyes dropped between my legs and darkened.
His fingertips trailed lightly along my inner thigh. “Get to work on those buttons, Reagan.”
My hands flew to my chest and worked to unbutton my shirt as fast as I could. When I separated the front halves of it, Hart’s opposite hand came up and tugged the cup of my bra down, my breast spilling out. He massaged the flesh, the pad of his thumb caressing my nipple. The hand on my inner thigh stopped just before it got to the spot that I desperately needed it to be, and my hips squirmed in a frantic plea for Hart to give me what I wanted.
“Hart,” I panted, my eyes finding his and pleading with him.
“Lay back, shortcake. I need to eat now.”
I hesitated for just a few seconds before I dropped my head back. Hart positioned himself between my legs and didn’t hesitate at all.
At the first slow swirl of his tongue, I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven.
No way.
No way it was possible that this man had this kind of talent with his mouth. Of course, I’d experienced his kissing, but I didn’t anticipate that translating into anything close to what he was doing now.
Hart licked and sucked and teased. He did things I didn’t even know were possible. And though he’d urged me to lay back, I couldn’t do that.
It was too good. He was spectacular. I had to watch.
I propped myself up on one elbow, looked down at him, and drove my fingers into his hair. Hart kept at me, his dark eyes occasionally meeting mine.
The last thing I wanted was for this to end quickly, but I didn’t think it’d be possible for me to hold back. My breathing grew ragged, and Hart’s hands tilted my hips higher to give himself even better access to me.
There was no question he knew precisely how close I was, and he seemed intent on devouring every last bit of me until the very end. I didn’t stand a chance.
With my hand wrapped firmly around the back of his head, I held Hart right where he was. Hearing him groan in response was all it took to send me over the edge.
“Oh, God. Oh, Hart.”
The next thing I knew, my legs were trembling on either side of his head as sparks of pleasure splintered throughout my body. Hart worked me through to the end, but once I’d made it to the other side, he was up and stripping out of his clothes.
Where I found the strength, I didn’t know, but I sprang up, pulled off my shirt, tossed my bra aside, and unzipped my skirt just as Hart was rolling on a condom.
His eyes swept over my body while he gripped himself firmly. Hart’s body was beyond breathtaking, and the way he was looking at me held me captive. I was convinced I could have easily come apart all over again just watching as he stroked himself to the sight of me.
But it seemed Hart was eager for something more than simply pleasuring himself. Because he reached for me, pulled me close, and brought his mouth to mine. “I’m pleased to report you live up to that nickname, Reagan.” He kissed me, allowing me to taste myself on him. “I’d choose you over a cake any day of the week.”
“Mmm. Do I get to taste you?”
He kissed me again. “Not yet. Not now. Maybe the next time I visit you.”
The next time.
I liked knowing he was still interested in coming back, that he was giving the both of us something to look forward to.
Reaching between us, I curled my fingers around him and stroked. “So, what happens this time?”
Hart held back for a fraction of a second before he drove one hand into my hair and held my head in place as he kissed me. At the same time, his other arm wrapped around my waist and lifted me clean off the floor.
As my legs wrapped around his waist, Hart moved. He strode to the side of the room until my back was against the wall. Tearing his mouth from mine, he spoke with a deep rumble. “Put me inside.”
I’d do anything he wanted as long as he talked to me with that voice and smelled as good as he did. Without waiting, I positioned him.
Hart drove inside—hard and deep.
At the groan that escaped him, my head dropped back against the wall, and I moaned. Hart’s lips touched my neck, sending shivers along my spine, just before he began to thrust.
It had only been two days since he was last here, but it was two days too many. I couldn’t get enough of this, of him.
My hands gripped his shoulders as I relished the feel of him moving inside me. Over and over, he drove into me at the perfect pace, building me up with unbelievable ease. And just when I was about to go over that edge, he stopped.
He stopped, spun around, and walked me over to the table. After lowering me to my back, Hart separated his torso from mine, his palms planted on the table on either side of me, but he kept us connected at the most intimate part of our bodies while he ruthlessly rocked his hips forward.
“Do you want to come, shortcake?”
How was it possible for him to sound like that? It was like this had become a game to him, like he’d gone from being completely caught up and lost in us to suddenly wanting to play and tease.
I didn’t mind.
Of course, I didn’t.
But I didn’t understand how he could just make the switch so effortlessly.
Worse, I was terrified I wouldn’t be able to stand the torture of being continuously built up, only to have him allow it to fade away.
“Please,” I begged.
His lips twitched. “Touch yourself, Reagan. Touch your tits for me.”
My hands flew to my chest. I would do anything, absolutely anything, to get him to take me where I wanted to go.
As I massaged my breasts and swept my thumbs over my nipples, Hart continued to thrust inside with powerful, measured strokes. “Looks like you want to come.”
I continued to touch myself, continued to watch as his eyes darkened. My body was buzzing, tingles and throbs of pleasure pulsing between my legs. And it seemed Hart knew precisely what he was doing, because he would change things up just as soon as I was a stroke or two away from tumbling over that edge.
Thinking I could help myself out, I allowed one of my hands to drift down my abdomen. If Hart enjoyed watching me play with my breasts, he’d surely love watching me play between my legs.
His eyes watched my hand go down, down, down, until… “Stop.”
My limbs froze, just as Hart’s body did, and my fingers halted. “What?”
Shaking his head slowly, a mischievous smile spread across his face. “I’m the only one who gets to touch you there today. Just me.”
My jaw fell open.
Hart buried himself deep, lifted one hand from the table, and lightly trailed it across my torso. He started at my shoulder, skimmed my collarbone, drifted over my breasts, and journeyed down my abdomen to meet my hand. He shifted it out of the way, returned his hand to where mine had been, and continued his descent, slowly thrusting his hips.
“If you want me to continue to give you what I’m giving you, I’m the only one who touches you here…” His thumb pressed firmly against my clit, my hips bucking in response. “Whenever I’m here, only my hands can touch you like this.”
His thumb circled as he pulled his hips back and thrust forward again. I let out a moan, my back arching off the table.
“Do you like that?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
He brushed his thumb back and forth. “Do you understand the rules?”
Licking my lips, my eyes met his. I just needed a little bit more. “Please,” I begged again.
“Answer me.” He had such restraint; it was completely unnerving. “Tell me you understand, and I’ll let you come.”
“I understand. Only you can touch me there.”
His lips curved into a slow smile. He waited one, two, three beats before he relented and gave me what I needed.
Within mere minutes, the orgasm that I’d felt building and fading away was back, and Hart now seemed unrelenting in his pursuit to deliver what he’d just promised.
It was wild between us.
A frenzied mess of labored breathing, pounding hearts, and determined stares.
“Hart,” I panted.
His eyes were locked on mine. “Reagan.”
“I’m going to?—”
“Come with me,” he demanded.
I called out his name as my release barreled through me, my hands seeking to grab hold of anything I could reach. I didn’t know if it was because I was aware that he was coming apart at the same time, but this orgasm felt far more powerful than the first he’d given me.
It was constant and overwhelming, but I loved it.
This was just what I’d needed. Our arrangement couldn’t have worked out any better than this.
Neither of us wanted something lasting, and we seemed to be compatible in this area of our relationship. It was perfect.
For several long moments after it hit, Hart and I remained just like we were—his big body draped over mine, my legs and arms wrapped around him—both of us struggling to regain control over our breathing.
Eventually, Hart lifted his torso, looked down at me, and asked, “Are you okay?”
My brow furrowed. “What?”
“It got a little wild there. I just wanted to be sure I didn’t hurt you.”
I shook my head. “Not at all. It was… You were great.”
He chuckled, stepped back, and reached out a hand to help me up.
After we’d gotten ourselves cleaned up and were getting our clothes back on, Hart’s phone rang.
I was busy buttoning up my shirt as he shoved his hand into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his phone.
“Yeah?” he muttered as he turned and walked in the opposite direction.
Though I was doing my best to focus my effort on my shirt and not eavesdrop, I couldn’t say I wasn’t curious. Despite my best attempts to listen in, Hart had moved too far away for me to hear anything he had to say.
No sooner had he walked away, he mumbled a few words. “I’m on my way.”
He disconnected the call and shoved his phone back into his pocket as he returned his attention to me.
“Everything okay?”
As soon as the words were out, I regretted them. What Hart and I had between us was just sex. Just a physical relationship. Whatever his call was about had nothing to do with me.
Shaking his head, Hart returned, “Fine. I just… I’ve got to go.”
“Oh. Right. Yeah, sure. No worries at all.”
He snatched his shirt up off the floor, pulled it over his head, and moved toward me. “This was nice.”
I nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, it was great.”
We moved to the front door, where he allowed his eyes to roam over my face. Like he did just two days ago, he stroked his thumb along my jaw. “Make sure you lock up after me.”
“I will.”
“See you soon, Reagan.”
“Later, Hart.”
Before I knew it, my mystery man was gone. Off to places unknown to do things he’d never share with me.
I locked the door and walked away from it, assuring myself it was best for things to be this way.