Swerve: Boosted Hearts (Volume 1) (11 page)

He reached down and adjusted his hard-on because it fucking ached. “Awesome.”

She went back to the kitchen and opened the fridge. “Are you hungry? Would you like a drink? I’m going to have a sandwich.”

“Yeah, I could eat. Beer if you have one?”

He watched her move around the small space. He liked watching her, the way she moved, the little noises she made while she worked. Everything about her drew him in a seriously big way.

She brought him a beer, handed him a cheese and ham then took a seat beside him. They ate in silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but he could feel the tension between them, feel it building. Her face was flushed, and every now and then, she’d sneak a glance his way. She was waiting for him to make the first move. He grinned to himself. Shit, she was irresistible. Sexy and so sweet she gave him toothache. He got a kick out of just watching her eat, listening to more of her noises. The little moans she made with each mouthful.

When they finished, she took their plates to the kitchen and headed back to the couch, coming to a stop in front of him. “So, um…do you want to watch this?” The Discovery Channel was playing. “Or…?”

He lifted a foot, resting his boot on the coffee table, blocking the path to her seat. “I’m done watching TV, princess.”

She looked down at him, brows raised in question. “You are?”

“I’m in the mood for something else.”

Her eyes glazed over, and her hands fluttered around at her sides.

“Stand right there,” he told her.

She sucked in a breath.

He took his time looking at her, letting his gaze travel over every soft curve. “Shirt off.”

“My shirt…”

“Now, beautiful.”

Her throat worked for a second, then she lifted her trembling hands and gripped the bottom of her shirt.

“That’s it.”

Slowly, she lifted it, revealing her breasts, beautifully encased in bright-pink lace. Then she pulled it up the rest of the way and off, letting it fall to the floor.

His cock surged behind his jeans painfully. “Bra,” he murmured. “Take it off, let me see ‘em, sweetheart.”

She reached back and did as he asked, freeing her luscious tits, all creamy and smooth and full. Her nipples were stiff and pink, and he wanted that soft flesh in his hands, wanted to take it in his mouth now. But that wasn’t happening, not yet. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were bright. So damn gorgeous. She was getting off on him telling her what to do bigtime, loving every damn minute.

“Turn around. Show me that ass.” His voice was getting rougher every time he opened his mouth, with every pulse of his hard cock.

She gave him her back, and he wanted to grab her waist, yank her back and press his lips to that pretty spot at the small of her back, trail his tongue along the top of her ass, dip it down the crease. “Take off the pants…panties, too.”

She took in a deep breath, kicked off her shoes then, sliding her thumbs in the sides of her underwear, pushed them down. Bending forward, she stepped out of them and gave him a spectacular view of her swollen, pink, juicy little pussy.
Jesus fucking Christ
.

Tugging open the button of his jeans, he dragged down the zipper, shoved the pants down his hips a little to free his cock. Grabbing a condom from his wallet, he quickly rolled it on.

“You turned on now, Shay?”

She shivered, a full-body shiver. “Y-yes.”

Keeping his legs spread, he reached forward, grabbed her by the hips and got her to back up, nice and close. “Sit on my lap, slowly.”

Her hands went to his knees, nails digging into the denim as she lowered herself. He fisted his cock with one hand, guiding her down with the other. When the head of his cock met her hot, slick flesh, she moaned in a way that made his balls draw up tight. How the hell was he going to hold out?

“That’s it, sit down on my hard cock, take all of me inside that hot, little pussy.”

When the head breached her tight opening, she gasped. He controlled her descent, keeping it painfully slow, torturing them both. Her head was tilted to the side, and he watched her face flush darker as she took each inch.

Nothing was hotter than the way she stretched around him, swallowing him in that tight grasp. When he was all the way in, he reached around and lifted each of her thighs over his, so she was wide open, feet dangling off the floor—fully under his control.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and held her down tight. He wasn’t letting her move, no matter how much his balls ached, not until he got the answer he wanted. Sweat started to break out across his skin, the urge to lift her and slam her down on his cock damn near impossible to ignore, especially when she wriggled her lush ass.

“Hugh…please. I need…I need to move.”

He slid a hand over her soft belly, her ribs, up to cup one full breast and squeezed, working and tugging her nipple. “No moving, not until I say so.” He was goddamn thrilled when his voice came out more than a rough growl.

“But I…” She wriggled again. “I need you to…ahhh.”

She moaned helplessly when he tugged harder on her nipple, his arm tightening around her hips to keep her immobile.

“Please, Hugh,” she gasped.

He nearly gave in when she said his name in that needy voice. “You gonna take the car?”

“What? I-I…no.”

She was flat-out panting now, every second he was inside her, she got hotter, tighter—shit, wetter.

“Then, no, I’m not moving. And neither are you.”

“Y-you can’t be serious.”

“I get what I want, and what I want is for you to take the car.”

She shook her head, red hair sliding over her bare back, making him want to fist it and pound into her until they both blew up.

“Stubborn.”

Her hand moved down between her legs, and he felt her pussy tighten, which should be impossible. Jesus, it felt so good, his goddamn eyes rolled back in his head. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her fingers away from her slick, stiff, little clit.

“No you don’t. You don’t come ‘til I say you can.”

He felt her spasm around him, and he groaned. He gripped both her wrists in one of his hands, the other still massaging her breast. If she didn’t give in soon, he was gonna blow; no way could he hold out much longer. He kissed and sucked lightly on her shoulder.

“You gonna take the car?”

“I…I…ahh, oh,
God.
” She moaned then jerked in his arms.

And fuck him, she started coming, pussy gripping his cock, milking him without either one of them moving, clamping down on him so damn hard he struggled to drag in his next breath.

“Yes!” she cried out, rocking against him as best she could with the way he held her.

Jesus Christ.

“That’s it, that’s my girl.” He hissed out a breath. “Pussy so greedy I don’t even have to move, and you come for me.” Then he snapped. Moving his hold to her hips, he yanked her down hard, slammed up into her, once, twice, a third time, and he came with a shout. So hard his fucking ears were ringing, and his limbs felt like Jell-O.

Shay slumped back, his cock still buried deep, all soft and sweet and sexy as hell.

“That’s my girl,” he rasped again, the words out of his mouth before he knew what he was saying. Words he shouldn’t be saying but that felt right, more than right.

But she wasn’t his girl; that option wasn’t open to him, not until they found a way to get free and clear of the shit hanging around their necks. The way things were going, that might never happen. And even if they did? He was kidding himself if he thought he was good enough for Shay. He’d only let her down like he had his whole damn family.

“You’re a sadist,” she murmured.

He buried his nose in her hair, breathed her in, shut down his thoughts. He didn’t want to think about any of that, not now. “You said yes.”

She stilled. “No, I didn’t.”

“Yeah, you did. Shit, you screamed it, babe. If you don’t use it now, you’ll hurt my feelings.” He’d also be royally pissed. He wanted her safe. “I’m doing it for purely selfish reasons,” he said. “If I can’t get to you, you’ve got a way to come to me when we wanna hook up.”

She turned to him, skin pink, eyes glowing and gorgeous. “I don’t know…it doesn’t feel right…”

“It’s really just a time-efficiency thing.”

“You’re very pushy.”

“I am when I know I’m right.”

“Hmm. Arrogant, too.”

“Bend to my will already, woman. You can’t win.” He grinned. “Tell me you’ll use it.”

“Well.” She screwed up her face, looking fucking adorable. “I suppose you make some sense.”

“Of course I do.”

“With my mom here, I thought we’d have to end this…what we’re doing, but if I borrow your car…”

He gave her a squeeze. Like hell this was ending, not yet. No way. “Use the car.”

She smiled. Bright. Beautiful. “Okay, just until we…until…” She stopped mid-sentence.

Until this is over.
Jesus, he couldn’t think about that, not now. “Good.” He gave her ass a pat. “Now we’ve got that sorted, let me get rid of this rubber.” He lifted her to her feet.

She turned to him, and her smile slipped slightly. “Are you going?”

He should, he should keep this thing sex only—sleepovers shouldn’t come into it—but he’d enjoyed sleeping in her bed, having her pressed against him all night. “Climb into bed. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Then he strode to the bathroom before he pulled her in close, before he kissed her just for the hell of it, because he wanted to taste her. For no other reason than he couldn’t think of doing anything else.

Shit.

Shay woke to the sound of voices coming from the tiny living room beyond her bedroom door.

She grabbed her phone, checking the time.
8:30 a.m.

Crap.

Shoving back the covers, she jolted into a sitting positon then scrambled out of bed. She groggily pulled on her robe, stumbled to the door, and yanked it open…

And ground to a screeching halt. All remnants of sleep vanished in an instant.

Hugh stood by the door. It was open, so he was either coming back inside the trailer or going out. Her guess? Making a hasty retreat if the expression on his face was any indication. He was staring at her mother, who was back and lounging on the couch, a cigarette in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. He did not look happy.

Her mother looked rough, hair out to
there
, mascara smudged, still wearing her outfit from the night before. The ragged-edged, cutoff denim skirt she wore was heading into micro-mini territory, and the bright-pink tank she had on had the words
Daddy’s Girl
stretched across her enhanced breasts. One of her boyfriends had paid for her boobs a few years ago, and not a day passed that she didn’t have those things out on display.

Shay stepped farther into the room, dread swirling in her belly. “Mom, I ah…I wasn’t expecting you home so early.”

Her mom took a drag of her smoke and stubbed it out in one of the antique saucers left to Shay by her gran. It was from a tea set that had once belonged to her great grandmother. Her mom knew this, knew how precious it was to Shay.

“So I see.” Her mother’s gaze narrowed, slid back to Hugh. “She doesn’t have any money; you know that, right?” She climbed to her feet, planting a hand on her hip.

Oh, God.

Pain shot through Shay’s chest.

Hugh gave her body a sweep, but it wasn’t in appreciation. Her mother was an attractive woman, and though her face showed signs of the hard life she’d chosen for herself, there was nothing wrong with her body, and she knew it. But the way Hugh was looking at her, you’d think she’d sprouted a third arm…from her forehead. “What the fuck did you just say?”

His voice was low, rough, and Shay shivered. He sounded angry. No, he sounded
pissed off
.

“Um…Hugh, maybe…”

“You’re here, with her.” Her mother cut her off, pointing a pink tipped finger at her only daughter, and Shay braced for what was coming. “You want something, why else would you be here? She doesn’t have any money, she doesn’t have jack shit if you want to know the truth. I love her to bits, but she’s no supermodel. So why are you here?”

Oh, my God.

Her mom was a mean drunk, but hungover she hit a whole new level of ugly. Usually, though, she waited until company left before throwing the insults at Shay. “Mom…”

“No, Shay, someone’s got to look out for you.”

Since when?
“Mom, please…”

“Guy like that has no reason to be with the likes of you. Jesus, look at yourself, girl.” She shook her head. “He’s after something.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Hugh growled.

Shay quickly moved to him, put a hand to Hugh’s stomach and pushed, trying to get him to take a step outside. The muscles clenched under her palm, but he didn’t move, didn’t budge. It was like trying to move a…mountain. A mountain man.

His hard gaze was fixed on her mother. She gave him another shove. Again, he didn’t budge.

“Please,” she whispered.

His brown-eyed gaze dropped to her, searching her features. A second later, jaw tight, he gave her a subtle nod and stepped back.

“Thank you,” she whispered and pulled the door shut behind her. “I-I’m sorry about that, she’s…she’s…” She had no words to describe what her mother was.

“A bitch?” Hugh finished for her.

Obviously, he didn’t have the same trouble. “She’s hungover. She’s not herself when she’s been drinking.”

He just stared at her, not commenting, which said it all, really. She wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all Hugh.

“Look, I gotta go.” He didn’t look overly happy, but then he lifted a hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

She probably had serious bed-head going on.

“Okay.” That feeling, the one that hit whenever he was leaving, bunched tight in her belly. She ignored it and forced a smile.

He shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out the car keys he’d tried to give her last night and held them out. “Come to my place tonight. I’ll text you the address.”

The happiness that lit her up inside just because he asked her to go to his house was way off the charts. Enough that it freaked her the heck out. Made her pause before jumping. Made her want to take a step back. “I don’t know.” She bit her lip. “Maybe we should slow things down.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know…”

He tilted his chin toward the trailer. “Don’t let her get in your head.”

But her mother’s words had gotten to her. No, she didn’t think he had some nefarious plan to steal her minimal possessions out from under her, but her mother was right about one thing. Hugh could have anyone he chose. Why he chose to spend time with her, she had no clue. What they were doing would come to an end, and soon. It was what she wanted. What they both wanted. She had to remember that.

“It’s not about my mother,” she lied. “I just thought…”

“Don’t think. I want you. You want me. It’s as simple and as complicated as that.”

Was it? He obviously wasn’t concerned about messy emotions. Of course he wasn’t. That’s not the way he saw her. She wasn’t a threat to his heart. She just had to make sure Hugh didn’t become a threat to hers. “Okay.”

His hands slid into her hair either side of her face. “Don’t overanalyze this, Shay. Don’t over think it. You like what we do together?”

“Yes,” she rasped, throat suddenly dry.

“Me, too. Let’s enjoy it while it lasts, yeah?”

While it lasts.
The knot in her stomach became impossibly tight.
This is what you want. No strings. No commitment.
“Yes,” she forced out.

What on earth is wrong with me?

“Good.” His voice dropped lower. “Now press those curves up against me, and give me a goodbye kiss.”

She did what he asked, and he kissed her in a way he never had before, slow and sweet. It was intoxicating. He touched his mouth against hers one last time then ran his nose along hers before lifting his head. She felt a little wobbly on her feet when he finally pulled away.

“We good?” he asked.

She smiled. “Yes.”

Edna’s door squeaked open behind her, and Shay jumped.

“Rocky!
Shoot
. I completely forgot.”

Hugh gave her a squeeze. “I took care of it.”

Shay’s mouth dropped open. “You what?”

“I turned off your alarm. Looked like you needed the sleep.”

“You took Rocky for his walkies?”

Lines crinkled the corners of his eyes. “Yeah.”

Wow. That was a really nice thing to do. Really nice. “You didn’t need to do that.”

He shrugged.

“Catch ya on the flipside, Hugh,” Edna called from her door.

Hugh’s smile got bigger. “Bye, Edna.” Then he leaned in and kissed her one last time. “Later.”

She watched him walk away. So caught up ogling him, the way that large body moved, the way his jeans hugged his butt just right, that she only remembered he didn’t have his truck when a taxi pulled up outside the trailer park, and Hugh climbed inside.

He’d given her a car to use. So they could spend more time together…

She turned away quickly before she stood there and watched him go like some pining idiot.

Her mother coughed from Shay’s now-open trailer door, the kind of smoker’s cough that cracked like a whip, making her wince.

“You’re playing with fire, girl. He’s using you.”

She didn’t know why she let her mother’s words get to her, why they stung so damn much. She wasn’t sure if it was because her mom thought so little of her, or if it was because she was kind of right. Shay was playing with fire. And she couldn’t help but wonder…if Hugh was the type of guy who had committed relationships, would she be the girl he would have chosen?

Shay turned to her mother, who was watching Shay closely, expression hard.

“I’m not talking about this with you,” Shay said.

Her mom eyed Shay over the rim of her coffee cup, taking her in from head to toe, and Shay knew nothing would stop her from spewing her poison. “No man’s going to stick with a chunky girl. I’ve told you that a hundred times. Men want a woman who looks good on their arm. He doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the fancy education your grandmother shelled out for. Or the stuck-up way you talk because of it. You’ve got a pretty face, baby, but you’re never going to find the right kind of guy unless you take care of yourself. No man’s going to keep you around, let alone show you off when you look like a slob. Remember that.”

Shay stood there, rooted to the spot, her mother’s words hitting with agonizing accuracy, one after the other. Until they twisted, began to merge with what Travis had said to her the other night outside Woody’s. They were different words than the ones her mother had just cruelly flung at her, but they amounted to the same thing.

“No man’s going to stick around if she’s a raging bitch, either,” Edna said from her doorway, eyes locked on her mother. “I take it you’re still single, Alice?”

Her mother’s eyes narrowed, but she wisely kept her mouth shut and disappeared back inside the trailer, slamming the door shut behind her. Great. Now mean would become out-and-out nasty. Her mother was the queen of backhanded compliments, but when she was like this, she didn’t even try to veil them, she just let the insults fly.

“Don’t listen to her, girl. I know she’s your mother, but she’s got a cruel streak a mile wide. That young man thinks a lot of you. Why else would he come over here and help an old woman out? He didn’t need to do that.” She pointed to the Honda parked outside her place. “Or bring that for you.” She patted Rocky. “Your mother’s just pissed off her life didn’t go the way she wanted. Angry as hell that the men she digs her claw into get sick of her skinny ass as soon as she opens her big mouth. She’s just taking her unhappiness out on you; you remember that.”

God, she loved Edna. A wobbly smile curved Shay’s lips. “What would I do without you?”

Edna waved a hand. “Bah. Don’t go getting all mushy on me.” Then she shuffled back and shut herself inside her trailer.

Shay turned back to her door. Dammit. She wished she’d gotten dressed before she came out. Now a walk to give her mother a chance to cool down was out. There was nothing else for it. She braced and opened the door to her trailer.

Time to face the music.

* * *

Hugh drove the Mercedes like his grandmother would. Making sure not to draw attention to himself as he passed a cop heading in the opposite direction. It didn’t slow or turn to follow him, which meant the car hadn’t been reported missing yet. The owner was probably still holed up in that cheap hotel with his bit on the side. Hugh had spent the last couple of days looking for another Merc to replace the one he’d cost them.

He’d found this one outside a nice residential property, had watched as the guy kissed his wife goodbye then met up with someone else. He deserved to have his car stolen. Served the bastard right. That was what he told himself, anyway. Anything to stop from feeling like the piece of shit he was. He wasn’t a stupid, punk kid anymore; he understood the ramifications of his actions, how they affected the people he took from. He ignored the way his gut knotted.

He was doing this for his family. His mom and his sister. They were all he could allow himself to worry about. Thinking about any of that other stuff was just added guilt he didn’t need. He carried around enough already.

He couldn’t let them down again.

This time, he would protect them. This time, he wouldn’t fail.

His mind drifted to Shay, where it always went lately. Since he’d met her, he’d taken some stupid risks. Risks that could have cost the people he cared about most in this world. He had to keep a lid on it, on what they were doing. The way she made him feel.

He shook his head. How the hell was he going to do that?

He couldn’t keep his hands off her, no matter how hard he tried. That’s how strongly she affected him. But it wasn’t only that…he admired her. She worked her ass off. Had three jobs to keep on top of things, as well as helping out Edna, and fuck knew what else.

This morning, Shay had looked so damn peaceful beside him but also exhausted, dark circles under her eyes even in sleep. That was partly his fault for keeping her up most of the night. So he’d turned off her alarm and had gone to let out Edna’s dog. Her mom had arrived while he was waiting for the dog to take a dump.

She hadn’t introduced herself, but he’d known who she was instantly. Shay had taken nothing from her mother…except her eyes. They were the same shade of green. That’s where the similarities started and ended.