Swerve: Boosted Hearts (Volume 1) (23 page)

But it was none of those things…she wasn’t sick. She was heartbroken. The look on Hugh’s face when she’d asked him to let her go, when she’d walked away. It was seared into her memory, had haunted her the last few nights.

She didn’t know what to think, what to feel anymore. How many times had she listened to her mother’s lies and believed every one? How many times had she allowed the woman back into her life, only to be let down? Travis was a major asshole, a complete jerk…she’d had no clue. Had been so damn gullible. It was only after she’d broken it off, after she’d left her job, that a couple of her co-workers had come forward and said how surprised they were that she’d been seeing him, that he wasn’t a good guy.

She hadn’t seen it.

Not until it was too late.

She wanted to believe Hugh, desperately. But what if she was wrong again? What if it happened all over again? How would she survive another blow like that?

He said he’d been trying to protect her.

That he’d been forced to steal, to break the law, all in an effort to take care of his family. If what he said was true, how could she condemn him for that? He’d shown her repeatedly what a good man he was, hadn’t he? Still, those doubts niggled in that back of her mind. Tormenting her, telling her she’d be stupid to listen to her heart again. Her heart always got it wrong.

Shoving back the covers, she climbed out of bed, dragged on her robe and shuffled out of her room. She couldn’t stay in bed all day. Rocky needed to go out.

Edna was waiting, her door opening before Shay got the chance to knock.

“You look like crap,” Edna said as soon as she laid eyes on Shay. “You still not sleeping?”

Shay took the dog from her neighbor. “I’m fine.” She ignored the question and took Rocky to do his business then picked him up and walked back to Edna.

Her neighbor was still standing at the door, beady eyes locked on Shay, pack of smokes in one frail hand. “You’re pining for your man.”

“I’m not pining.”

“Yeah, you are. Your eyes look as if they’re about to fall out of your head. And I may be old, but I’m not deaf yet.” She reached out and touched Shay’s arm. “I’ve heard you crying, girl. Why’re you punishing yourself like this? Go to him, patch things up.”

“You don’t understand…”

“Bullcrap.” Edna pointed a boney finger at Shay. “Don’t tell me I don’t understand.”

“It’s complicated.”

“Do you love him?”

The pain in Shay’s chest got worse, but it didn’t just stay there; no, it twisted and coiled down low in her belly, knotting like a fist. “Yes,” she whispered. “But I don’t know if I can…I don’t think I can…” She bit her lip.

“What is it, girl?”

“If I can trust my own judgement. If I can believe him, allow myself to
believe in him
… I want to…”

Edna shook her head, pulled a smoke from the pack and lit up. “You’ve been burned by a lot of people in your life; you’re gonna be wary. But trust me on this, Hugh isn’t like your mother, and he sure as hell isn’t like that weasel you used to date. I know a good man when I see one. Reminds me of my Albert, God rest his soul. Strong, protective, hardworking…and so damn randy, a woman never got a full night’s rest.”

Shay choked out a laugh.

Edna carried on before Shay could answer. “I loved your grandmother; you know I did. But she didn’t exactly set you a good example when it came to romantic relationships. Her man up and left, and she never recovered, never trusted enough to let anyone else in. That old coot, Harold, he loved your grandmother, but she never let him get too close. She could have been happy with him; they could have been happy together.” She took a drag of her smoke. “Don’t want you to end up like her. Don’t let what happened in the past dictate your future, or one day, you’ll wake up old and alone, living in this damn trailer park, and realize it’s too late, wishing you’d been brave enough to take a chance.

* * *

Hugh glared at the computer screen. Working on this month’s accounts was not his idea of a good time. But then, all he’d done so far was stare at the stupid thing, hoping it would spontaneously catch on fire or blow the hell up. He hated office work with a passion, but Adam had shoved Hugh in there ten minutes after he showed up for work…after he’d flipped out on one of their customers.

Turned out, he wasn’t handling the situation with Shay all that well. And everyone around him was getting the brunt of it.

He got why she’d walked. Didn’t make it hurt any less, though.

Leaning back in his seat, he rubbed his hands over his face. Every day that passed felt like an eternity without her. Nothing felt right anymore. Nothing. He should be celebrating. They were finally free of Al, but Hugh couldn’t muster the energy. It didn’t matter, not anymore. Not without Shay.

Someone knocked on the office door.

“Go away,” he muttered.

“I’m going to open this door,” Joe said, voice muffled. “Is it safe? Or are you going to hurl the filing cabinet at me or something?”

Hugh grunted.

The door cracked open, and Joe poked his head around the edge. “I’m gonna do a lunch run; you want something?”

“Not hungry.”

“Dude, you need sustenance.”

Hugh opened his mouth to answer.

“And no, I’m not talking about alcohol.”

That scratched that idea. The urge to get wasted was at an all-time high. But after last time, Joe and Adam weren’t having any of it. They’d been on him like a pair of festering hemorrhoids. Pains in his fucking ass.

Joe shook his head. “Sandwich, it is.”

“Whatever.” He turned back to the computer. Trying to get the thing to print the damn invoices was more complicated than launching a motherfucking space shuttle.

“You need a hand stuffing envelopes”—Joe piped up from his spot, lurking behind the door—“ask Adam.”

“Fuck off.”

“Well, aren’t you extra charming this morning.”

Hugh smashed his finger down on a few keys and cursed, ignoring his brother still hovering like a bad smell behind him. He hated computers.

“Bro, you wanna talk about it? Hulk-smashing the keyboard isn’t going to make things better.”

“Nope.”

“Let’s make a night of it. We can braid each other’s hair, watch chick flicks, stuff our faces with chocolate…”

“Get lost, Joe.”

Joe was quiet for a few seconds. “Come on, Hugh, talk to me.”

Joe actually sounded serious, which meant he wasn’t playing anymore. Hugh didn’t want to talk about it. He relived the moment Shay pushed him away and walked out of his life twenty times a damn day.

“Not in the mood to talk. Not to you, not to any-damn-one.”

Someone cleared their throat, a feminine someone. “Not even me?”

Nope, not Joe.

Hugh spun in his seat in time to see his brother step back, revealing the woman he wanted beyond reason, a woman he’d thought he’d never see again.

Shay stood there, expression wary, gaze sliding between him and Joe.

Hugh shot to his feet.

She looked pale. Her hair, loose, tumbling down her back. She was wearing one of those dresses she liked, the kind that showed off her small waist and full breasts, flaring at the hips. Her hands were clasped in front of her, so tight her knuckles were white.

She was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.

Joe said something, Hugh had no idea what, and Shay gave his brother a tentative smile before Joe walked away.

Her eyes came back to Hugh and locked on.

He sucked in a sharp breath. Jesus, he’d missed her. He tried desperately to think of what to say but had nothing. Not a damn thing. His reaction to seeing her was a physical blow, his brain turning to freaking mush. Every muscle bunched tight as he fought not to rush to her, heart pounding, cock stirring. His body recognized her as his, even as his mind told him she wasn’t, yelling at him to stand the hell down.

“Do you…do you have time to talk?”

Hugh dipped his chin, swallowing, trying to get moisture back in his mouth. “Yeah, of course.”

She walked into the office and shut the door behind her. She looked unsure, nervous, releasing a shaky breath before she spoke. “It’s good to see you. I’ve…I’ve missed you.”

His heart started smacking against the back of his ribs. “Missed you too, sweetheart.”

She started blinking quickly, eyes getting glassy.

He took a step toward her. “Why’re you here, Shay?” Seeing her again was heaven and hell, all rolled into one.

She moved closer, as well, and now only a few feet separated them. He wanted to close the space, drag her into his arms and never let her go. But he held his ground, waited for her to tell him why she’d come. Afraid to believe it was for him.

She dropped her hands to her sides. They were trembling. “To apologize.”

Shit
. His heart sank. He’d tried not to get his hopes up, but they’d skyrocketed as soon as he’d seen her. “Don’t need to do that,” he rasped. It was a struggle to keep his voice even, to hide how much this fucking hurt. “I get it. You don’t want to be with a thief. Don’t blame you, princess.”

She shook her head and took another step closer. “No…that’s not…that’s not why I’m apologizing.”

“No?”

She closed the gap then, the soft mounds of her breasts pressing against his abs. Reaching up, she cupped his jaw. “No.” She shook her head, soft hair slipping over her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Hugh, for walking away.”

He dragged a breath in through his nose.

She moved a little closer. “I’m sorry for letting my doubts and fears get in the way of us.”

“Shay…”

“I didn’t trust my judgment…when I knew…I knew all along…” She bit her lip, eyes closing tight.

“What did you know?” he choked out.

Her lids fluttered, thick lashes lifting, giving him her beautiful green eyes. They met his and held. “That we belong together…” Her thumb slid over his beard. “That I could trust you, that I believed you. Believed
in you
.”

“Yeah?” His legs almost gave out.

One of her hands smoothed over his back, the other sliding up into the hair at his nape. “I’m sorry,” she said again softly.

His breath seized in his lungs.

“I don’t care about your past, Hugh. You were looking after your family. You did what you had to do.”

Her voice was still soft with a hot, little rasp behind it that sent tingles over his scalp and down his spine.

His heart stuttered to a goddamn standstill.
Jesus.
Her words had a boulder-sized lump forming in his throat. Even after all the shit she’d gone through with her mother, losing her father, her gran, that big heart of hers still shone through.

This woman, shit. She blew him away. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, finally touching her. She blinked up at him, gaze locked on his, and in that moment, it was as if she’d reached into his chest and had taken possession of his heart. It wasn’t his anymore. “You telling me you’re mine?”

Shay swallowed the emotion heavy in her throat and stared into his soft brown eyes, relief coursing through her limbs, making them weak. “Yes, I’m yours.”

He pressed his forehead to hers. “Thank God.” He cupped her face in his wide palm, his rough, callused thumb smoothing over her cheek, her jaw. “Christ, I don’t know what I would’ve done if you’d walked away again.”

She shook her head. “How could I do that…when you’re all I’ve ever wanted? I’ve been waiting for you my whole life.”

His entire body jolted against her, then his eyes slid shut. “Fuck, Shay.”

When he looked at her again, his gaze blazed hotter than she’d ever seen. He brought his mouth down on hers, kissing her hot and hard and deep, steeling her breath until they were both shaking.

“I need to take you home,” he said against her lips. “I need you in my bed where you belong. I need to show you how fucking sorry I am for hurting you. I thought I’d lost you for good, princess. I thought I’d lost you forever, and it was tearing me up inside. I need to feel you under me. I need to wake up beside you in the morning.”

Everything he’d just said, she needed to hear, so badly, tremors slid through her. “I want that, too. Please, Hugh, please take me home.”

He took her hand, opened the office door and led her back through the garage. Adam and Joe stopped what they were doing, watching Hugh stride through, Shay beside him, half jogging to keep up.

“When should we expect you back?” Joe said, but there was humor in his voice.

Hugh ignored his brother and kept walking.

Joe chuckled, and she heard Adam join in as they headed out the door and toward his truck.

They both climbed in then they were headed for his house.

The drive was quiet, neither one able to find the right words after what just happened, the air thick, crackling with so much emotion, she struggled to breathe evenly.

A short time later, they pulled to a stop in his driveway. Hugh climbed out, came around and opened her door, then he took her hand again and led her to the front door. His fingers shook when he unlocked it and pulled her inside after him. He still hadn’t said a word when they moved farther into the house and carried on upstairs to his bedroom.

She turned to him when he shut the door behind them, breath seizing in her lungs as he reached back, gripped his T-shirt and pulled it up and off.

“Come here, baby,” he said gruffly.

She went to him, that magnetic pull of his in full force.

He moved around behind her, sliding her hair to the front before he drew the zipper of her dress down slowly. His breath was heavy, choppy. The sound of his need for her increased her own. When the zipper was all the way down he pushed the fabric resting on her shoulders forward, so the sleeves slipped down her arms. The dress dropped, pooling at her feet.

He made a
hmm
sound that sent shivers skittering over her bare skin. His palm smoothed down her spine, from the base of her neck all the way down to the top of her bottom. He made another rough sound then snapped open her bra, pushing that off her shoulders, as well. He moved in closer, so the hair on his chest, the heat of his skin pressed against her back. His mouth came down against the side of her neck, and he slid his hands around her waist.

“So beautiful,” he said roughly, kissing her shoulder. “All mine.”

Her head dropped back against him as he worked the sensitive skin below her ear with firm yet soft lips. His hands roamed over her belly, up over her ribs. Then those beautiful, big hands cupped her breasts, kneading almost roughly, possessively. A contrast to the tender way he rubbed his lips against her, gentle and teasing.

She felt hot, feverish and wet, so very wet. The fingers tormenting one of her breasts released her, moved back over her belly, sliding down the front of her panties.

“Spread your legs for me, princess.”

She did as he asked, knees so weak, she was afraid she might collapse in a heap if he kept touching her like that.

“That’s my girl.”

A thick finger lightly traced her folds, and she gasped.

“Please.”

“Jesus, so wet.” He shoved down her underwear. “Step out.”

He held her hands as she kicked off her shoes, followed by her panties.

“On the bed, hands and knees.”

She crawled onto the bed and looked back over her shoulder. Hugh gaze was locked on the aching heat between her thighs, and when he cursed again she knew he could see how much she wanted him. How desperate she was to have him inside her. He moved up behind her, feet still on the floor, and smoothed his hand over her bottom, down between her legs.

“This pretty pussy, these sexy thighs”—he dipped between her legs, skimming her folds, caressing her inner thighs—“fuck, baby, they’re slick and glistening with how much you want me.”

“Yes,” Shay gasped. “I need you. Only you.”

There was a rustle of clothes, then he was behind her again, the head of his cock, hot and insistent, pressing against her butt cheek.

“Wanna taste you so bad, but”—he sucked in a ragged breath, one hand going to her hip, fingers digging in—“gotta fuck you now, princess. Need to feel you wrapped around me.”

Shay whimpered, unable to speak, so desperate for him, she couldn’t form the words to beg him to push inside her. She didn’t have to beg, though, because a second later, the fat head of his cock was slicking up and back, through her folds, then he was where she needed him, against her opening.

Both of his hands moved to her hips, his thick, strong fingers holding her where he wanted her, and he started pushing inside.

“Shit,” he barked out. “So hot, baby. So wet and fucking tight.”

He kept up the pressure, sliding in one slow inch at a time. He felt impossibly big in this position. God, he went so deep, filled her so thoroughly, all she could do was moan and gasp.

He smoothed his hand down her spine, up and back, not moving his hips, letting her adjust.

“So perfect, sweetheart. You feel so good. My girl. My beautiful fairy princess.”

His praise, the tender way he spoke to her, made her heart swell, made tears prickle the backs of her eyes.

Then finally,
finally
he started moving. He kept that firm grip on her hip with one hand, the other caressing her as he thrust in and out of her grasping body, slowly and easily.

Her head dropped, hanging from her shoulders, lips parted, whimpers and moans all she could manage. He felt so good.
So good
. Nothing felt this amazing. No one.

“Watching you stretch around me”—his roaming hand slid up to her shoulder and wrapped around it, then holding her in place, he took her by surprise and slammed up inside her—“can’t go slow. Not watching you take my cock like that. You make me lose control, sweetheart. Only you do that. Can’t get enough. Never get enough.”

He started thrusting into her then, hard and fast. Pleasure pooled low in her belly, sparks of light behind her lids. Fire between her legs. Her inner muscles started convulsing around him. Hugh growled and pulled from her body suddenly, then he flipped her onto her back. But before she could cry out in protest, he lifted her higher on the bed and came down on top of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he jerked his hips forward, filling her hard and fast once more.

She cried out, back arching, mouth dropping open.

“Look at me, princess. Look at your man while he’s fucking you.”

She forced open her eyes. His expression was fierce, gaze intense.

“Wanna watch my girl come. Wanna see her face when I make her scream my name.”

His hips pumped into her, his massive body straining above hers, filling her, surrounding her. Everything inside tightened almost painfully then released, like an explosion. Unbelievable pleasure radiated from her core, light sparking behind her eyelids. She hung on, screaming his name as he continued to thrust in and out of her body, drawing out her orgasm.

He quickened his strokes. “That’s it. My girl feels so fucking good,” he gasped out.

Then he slammed up inside her, and shuddering, came hot inside her, setting off dizzying aftershocks that had her squirming and moaning, clutching him tighter.

She held him in her arms when he collapsed on top of her, until finally, he rolled, taking her with him. He dragged her up over his body, holding her to him as if she was the most precious thing in his possession. Stroking and soothing her, hand moving up and down her back.

He kissed the top of her head. “I want you here with me,” he finally said.

She smiled against his chest. “I am here with you.”

He shook his head. “Look at me, Shay.”

She lifted up, then because she couldn’t help it, she leaned in and kissed his firm lips. One of his hands slid up into her hair, the other tight around her waist. His tongue moved with hers, deep and hungry. She only pulled back when she was desperate for breath. His lids were heavy when she looked down at him, and though it should be impossible, his cock was starting to harden again.

“Sorry.” She grinned. “What were you saying?”

He blinked up at her slowly, an adorable, befuddled expression on his face.

“You want me here?” she prompted him.

The confusion cleared, replaced with intense determination. “I want you to move in.”

She did some blinking of her own. “What?

His arms tightened around her. “I love you, Shay.” He brushed her hair back from her face. “Never felt about anyone the way I feel about you.” His fingers flexed against her side. “Move in with me.”

“You love me?” she whispered.

“More than anything,” he rasped.

Warmth filled her, like a light shining from within, bright and beautiful. The feeling so overwhelming, she knew Hugh could see it, too, could see the affect his words had on her. His soft brown eyes moved over her face, then he swallowed hard, throat working, and his already-tight grip on her got even tighter.

Then he smiled wide. Gorgeous.

She rested her forehead against his. “I love you, too…so much.”

“Yeah?” he rumbled, throat working again.

“Yeah,” she whispered.

His arms flexed around her. “You gonna move in with me?”

She nodded.

“You okay living with an ex thief?”

She smiled down at him, tears stinging the backs of her eyes. She didn’t bother holding them back; they were tears of sheer happiness, and she wanted him to see the way she felt about him.

“You stole my heart, Hugh.” She kissed his lips softly. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Holding her hips, he slid back inside her. “And you stole mine, princess. And I don’t ever want it back.”