Boxed Set: Traitorous Heart Volumes 1-6 (The Traitorous Heart Series) (5 page)

Katie’s eyes grew wide. She was surprised. It was easy to see this wasn’t something she normally did. That turned me on. Well, that and the way I could read her expressions like she was speaking aloud. She was an open book. I guessed Reid and his treachery were the first real romantic heartache she’d experienced.

That knowledge brought out my strange need to protect her, as well as a strong urge to fuck her until the sadness was gone.

Her eyes were still on me. I lifted her leg and placed her foot on the tile seat.

“Don’t stop rubbing your clit,” I ordered softly.

Her glorious tongue appeared, ready to lick her lips, but I caught it in my mouth. She mewed, grabbed hold of my shoulders and tilted her head back.

I slid a finger along her parted slit, then pushed inside. She was wet. Creamy. I moved in and out a few times but I wanted my cock there. I didn’t have a condom. She seemed too into the moment to care. I asked anyway. “Condom?”

She searched my eyes. It was obvious she wanted to say no, but her good sense wouldn’t let her. “Yes.”

I understood and a part of me was relieved. She wasn’t like the other girls: anxious to entrap, force my hand. I lifted her into my arms and carried her out of the shower. I had condoms in a bathroom drawer. I set her down and turned her so she faced the mirror. God, she was beautiful.

I grabbed a package, opened it, and pressed the condom onto my cock, then grabbed her hips. Her pussy slid onto my cock with ease. “You’re so fucking wet.” She watched me in the mirror, her mouth slightly parted, her expression lusty and needy.

I wouldn’t last long. She was so fucking tight, so willing, and so perfect. “Fuck,” I whispered, pushing deeper and deeper, rolling my hips and spreading her ass cheeks so I could see all of her, watch my cock drive into her pussy.

After a few strokes I needed her body close. I wanted to touch all of her at once. I pulled out and took her over to the bed, laid her on her back.

“Griffin,”she pleaded and I obliged, driving deep inside, fucking her hard and fast.

The next several minutes were spent breathing and moaning, fucking like I’d never experienced. When I felt her orgasm, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I pressed inside several more times.

We stilled. My hands were on her face, stroking the edges of her hair. Her eyes were dark with emotion. Satisfaction.

I couldn’t say anything. Words had left me. I was drowning and I’d never wanted that more in my life.

Finally I rolled off her and closed my eyes. Tried to focus, but I felt too good.

She shifted and sat up. I looked at her.

“I’m going to go,” she said.

My heart lurched. It surprised me how much I didn’t want that to happen. “Okay.” The clock on the nightstand said it was just after four in the morning.

She found her clothes, pulled them on. I took off the used condom and walked to the bathroom, where I threw it in the trash.

She was on the phone ordering a cab when I came back into the bedroom.

“What’s your address again?” she asked, licking her lips.

I wanted to claim her tongue, wanted to suckle it as I pressed my cock deep into her pussy again.

“Here,” I said, reaching out for her phone. She handed it to me.

I gave the cab driver my address. When the call ended, I stared. For the first time ever I wanted to give her my number. I wanted to see her again.

“How long?” she asked, interrupting my thoughts.

“Ten minutes.” I handed her the phone.

“Mind if I use your bathroom?”

“Go ahead.” We were back to awkward.

She set her purse down, went to the bathroom, and closed the door.

And I did something totally fucked up. I pulled her phone out of her purse and programmed my number in it. Then I used her phone to text myself so I’d have hers. Totally stalkery.

“Fuck.” I was about to delete everything when I heard the toilet flush and the water turn on. I quickly threw her phone back in her purse and moved to pick up my pants.

She came out as I was buttoning them. She looked embarrassed. Shy.

“I know what just happened is normal for you, but I’ve never done this before.” She picked up her purse. “Did you want me to wait outside?”

“Nah.” I took her hand. “Let’s go to the kitchen. I’ll get you some water. They’ll buzz me when the cab is here.”

She smiled, grateful. I flipped on a light, took a glass from the cupboard, and filled it with filtered water. She took it from me and chugged. “Thank you,” she said when she’d drunk the last of it. Those simple words were laced with meaning. I knew she meant more than just the water.

“I—” The buzzer erupted. I pressed my end. “Yes?”

“The cab is here, Mr. Maxwell.”

“Thank you.”

She was already at the door.

“I can ride down with you.” I stuffed my hands in my pants pockets.

She shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

I watched from the doorway as she pushed the elevator button and waited for the doors to slide open. When they did she stepped inside, but not before she glanced back.

Even with damp hair and a makeup free face, she was beautiful. “See you round,” she said.

I waved.

She was gone.

CHAPTER 10

Katie

The ca
b
ride back to my place was somber. Part of me was exhilarated. It’d been more than two years since the last time I’d fucked, and it’d never been like it was with Griffin. My only regret was that I didn’t get to spend any real time finding out about his tattoos.

After I paid the cab driver I walked up the stairs to my apartment. My legs were shaky and a little sore, but in a good way. I opened the door, walked down the hall, and peeked in on Birdy. She was asleep. There was a guy asleep in there with her. I continued on to my room and quietly closed the door.

Thank God it was Saturday. No interviews. No place to be. I kicked off my shoes, got out of my clothes, and put on my pajamas. I didn’t bother to brush my teeth. I needed sleep.

I closed my eyes. Exhausted. Images of Griffin and I fucking, the way he looked at me. His stormy gray-blue eyes as he watched. His perfect lips on my mouth, on my pussy. I shuddered, my body aching for more.

I rolled onto my side and punched my pillow. Reid’s smirking face appeared next, which brought on tears. I loved him. I thought he was a good man. Up until last night he’d treated me a little dismissively maybe, but always with respect. Hadn’t he?

Nothing made sense anymore. It was as though everything I’d known was a lie. I needed to talk to him.

I’d call him right after I got a few hours sleep.

***

I heard someone pounding on a door. My eyes pushed open. The sun shone through the window. The clock next to my bed revealed in was eight in the morning. Not nearly enough sleep. I covered my head with my blankets, hoping whoever was knocking would go away.

More banging.

“Damn it.” Why did Birdy have to be such a heavy sleeper? I rolled out of bed, stepped into my slippers, and went to the door. I checked through the peephole and gasped. It was Reid.

“Go away, Reid. I have nothing to say to you.” My voice sounded gravelly, like I’d swallowed rocks.

“I’m not leaving until we talk.” He looked angry and sounded even angrier. He could go fuck himself.

“I guess you’ll be standing out there a while.” I leaned my head against the door and fought back tears. After a few minutes I didn’t hear anything and hoped he was gone. I checked the peephole. He paced back and forth in front of my door. I noticed he looked rumpled, his tan pants and black button up shirt slightly wrinkled. His cropped blond hair wasn’t combed to perfection the way he normally wore it.

“I’m coming in,” he said and pulled a set of keys from his pocket.

I’d forgotten about his key, the one I’d given him eight months ago but he’d never once used. “Don’t,” I said, stepping away from the door.

Reid pushed it opened and walked in.

“Get out,” I shouted.

“Katie. Please.” Tears filled his eyes. “Let me speak.”

I sat on the couch, picked up a throw pillow, and hugged it. “What? Tell me. What’s your excuse for the way you acted last night?” I wanted an answer, even though I was sure I wouldn’t like what Reid had to say.

He slumped into a chair across from the couch. His hands were in his lap and his head hung low, ashamed. “You know all the pressure I’m under.” His jaw clenched. “I’ve told you some of it, but you don’t even know half.” He looked up. Tears streamed down his face. “Sometimes.” He paused and clenched his fists together. “I can barely breathe.”

Reid looked over. I knew he wanted me to understand. He wasn’t a man of many words, but that excuse wasn’t going to cut it. My life wasn’t exactly easy either. Sure all the pressure I felt I put on myself, but that didn’t change the fact that it was hard, that sometimes I wanted to throw in the towel, give up on all my hard work. I didn’t though. I kept fighting.

“Come on, Kate. It was just some harmless fun.” He shrugged.

I leaned forward. “It wasn’t harmless, Reid. You hurt me.” I patted my chest for emphasis. “In here.” Tears collected on my lashes. I fought to keep them from spilling over.

“That wasn’t my intention,” he said, his face hardening. “I can’t control what makes you sad and what doesn’t. That’s on you.”

I felt my mouth fall open. Was he for real? I clamped my mouth shut and swallowed. “So if I’m hearing you correctly, if I slept with someone last night, I should assume that won’t hurt you because there was no physical pain involved on your end?”

Reid stood. Ferocious wrath contorted his pretty-boy features. “You better not have.”

I swallowed again, fighting to regulate my racing heart. “Why? We aren’t together anymore. I gave you back your ring.” My eyes went to the small cut on his cheek.

“So you did? You fucked someone just to get back at me?” He ran his fingers over his short hair.

“I didn’t do anything that had anything to do with you, you narcissistic son-of-a-bitch.” I stood. My legs were wobbly, which made me think of Griffin, which made me blush.

“Unbelievable. Un-fucking-believable!” He went to the door, clasping the handle in his fist. “Who is he? What’s his name?”

I didn’t respond. It was none of his damn business.

Reid rushed over and slapped me across the face. “Tell me who the fucker is.”

The blow knocked me back against the couch. The tears I’d been fighting trickled down my face. My cheek burned and I put a hand to it. I knew I was shocked. I couldn’t believe the man I’d believed to be so kind, so sweet, so caring was nothing more than a raving asshole. I’d planned my life out with him. I’d imagined our children.

Reid was breathing heavily. “I’ll kill him.”

“Get the fuck out of this apartment before I call the cops.” The voice behind me was deep.

Recognition spread across Reid’s face. “Is this the guy? Some filthy drummer from some wannabe rock band who was just using you?” Reid leaned over, his face so close that when he spoke spittle hit my cheek.

“She didn’t fuck him. I did, Reid.” I knew that was Birdy. “And I’ve already called the cops, so unless you want to deal with more pressure from your father, you’d better leave now.”

“I don’t believe you’d do that, Birdy. Not with our history together. We go way back, further than you and this bitch. She’s nothing. A nobody. Surely you understand that.”

What the fuck? I was no longer sad. No longer scared. I was too fucking pissed. I stood and shoved Reid with all the adrenaline I could muster. He stepped back, shocked. “Get out!” I pounded my fists against his check. “Get the fuck out now!”

Reid laughed. “You’re pathetic.” He slapped me again.

The drummer stepped forward. I saw he held a tennis racket in his hands. It was raised as though he intended to strike Reid. The guy didn’t look very threatening, but it must’ve been enough.

Reid opened the door and took off down the hall.

Birdy was looking at the drummer, a smile on her face. “You’re an awesome lay, an amazing drummer, and a scarer of bad guys.”

He dropped the racket and rubbed the back of his neck as though embarrassed.

“You’re my hero,” Birdy continued, throwing herself into his arms.

He caught her and they kissed obnoxiously for what seemed like forever. Finally they stopped. Birdy untangled herself from the drummer. She came over. “Are you all right?”

I snorted. “Not by a long shot.” I looked over her shoulder at the drummer. “What’s your name? I keep calling you
the drummer
in my head. At this point you deserve a name.”

“I’m Brian.” He patted my shoulder awkwardly.

I threw my arms around his waist and tucked my head in his chest. “Thanks, Brian.”