Every Beat Of My Heart: The Sullivans (Wedding Novella) (2 page)

“Never say I don’t have at least one worthwhile skill.”

“One
really
worthwhile skill.” She reached for his shirt and pulled it up over his head, then put her hands flat on his bare chest and stared at him with unabashed hunger. “You really are nice to look at too.”

Sliding one hand up her torso so that he could cup one breast, he looked into her brown eyes that were flecked with gold and at her rosy mouth that always tempted him beyond reason. “Ditto.”

“And so romantic,” she added, but she was smiling as she said it.

“I knew I should have given you the bouquet of flowers I bought for you before taking your clothes off.”

Though she lit up knowing that he’d gotten her flowers, she shook her head. “No way. Clothes off first, flowers second is just right.”

Just right.
That’s what Zach and Heather were for each other. Both in—and out—of bed. Or, as the case currently was, in the back of a very expensive race car.

He lowered his mouth to her breast just as she reached for his belt. But as he laved her sensitive flesh in just the way he knew made her crazy, instead of undoing his belt, she gripped it for dear life.

“How do you always do that? Touch me so perfectly every single time?”

He licked over her again, then bit down lightly on the taut peak with the edge of his teeth, making her shiver with need before he replied, “Because I love you.”

“I love you t—
ohhhh
.”

Desperation spun her words out into unintelligible sounds as he traced his fingertips lightly between her thighs. She was already so wet. So damned hot. So
ready.

“I can’t wait another second, Heather. I need to feel you, need to taste you.” Even as he slid his fingers over her drenched sex, he was kissing his way down her body, using his tongue and lips and teeth to drive her higher and higher. So high that the very second he found the center of her arousal with the tip of his tongue, she blasted off into ecstasy.

God, he loved the way she tasted. Loved the way she held nothing back as she trembled and moaned and begged him for more, her long hair a silky tangle on the leather backseat. She was still floating in pleasure when he came back up over her, his clothes off now too.

“How the hell did I ever get this lucky?” He’d asked her this question a million times during the past three years—and he knew he’d be asking it forever.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “I’m pretty sure you owe it all to Summer, Gabe, and Megan.”

Zach’s brother Gabe, his wife, and their daughter had brought Cuddles to Zach as a puppy. Summer had said she knew the minute she met the tiny little dog that she was meant to be Zach’s. They’d needed a dog trainer, and Heather was the best in the city. When Cuddles and Heather’s dog, Atlas, fell in love at first sight, the dogs had wanted to spend every second together—which meant Heather and Zach had become really close, really fast.

He’d never thought he would meet a woman like her. A woman who was not only his match—but who bested him in every single category. Looks. Swagger. Humor.

It was only when it came to
love
that they were equals.

“I love you, Heather.”

He moved to take her, but she was already there, meeting him halfway. Right from the start, Heather’s body had fit his like no other. But now that they knew each other’s rhythms and pleasures so intimately, he could barely rein himself in to make sure she peaked again before he lost it completely.

As if she could read his mind, she put her hands on his face and kissed him. “I love you, too.” She wriggled out from under him and began to turn over. “Especially when you lose control.” His brain nearly stuttered to a halt as she went on her hands and knees on the supple leather of the backseat. “When you
take
control.”

He was inside of her again before either of them could take their next breath, hauling her up against him, one hand between her legs, the other on her breasts. Their lovemaking was always beyond hot, but the way they were taking each other today was animal.
Feral
.

“Now.” He urged her with his hands over her breasts, which seemed even fuller than usual. They were definitely more sensitive as he rolled the gorgeous peaks between his thumbs and middle fingers until her hips were bucking even harder against his. “Come apart for me, Heather. I want to feel you. I
need
to feel you.”

The words had barely fallen from his lips before she exploded in a climax so powerful that it took Zach closer to paradise than he’d ever been before. Having the strongest, most incredible woman in the world come apart in his arms was a gift he’d never, ever take for granted.

Once his heart was beating at a halfway normal speed again, he shifted them on the backseat so that she was lying on her back looking up at him and he was levered up on one arm. He reached out to slide a lock of damp hair away from her forehead. “Want to know the other reason I asked you to come by today?”

“You really had another reason?”

He would have smiled, but he needed her to know how serious he was as he said, “I want you to be mine, Heather.”

A small frown line formed between her brows. “I already am.”

“You’re my fiancée. But I want you to be my wife. And I want to be your husband. Not in another year from now. Not in six months. As soon as possible.”

“I want that too.” Her voice was soft but sure. As sure as he felt about spending forever together. “If I know you—which I think I do, better than anyone else, by now—you’ve not only got a date in mind, you’ve already booked the details.”

It was true. No one had ever known him as well as Heather. She’d broken through all his walls, shown him that love was more important than anything else. “November fifteenth.”

He’d expected her to look surprised, stunned even. But she simply raised one eyebrow and said, “You really think we can get everything and everyone together for a wedding in two weeks?”

“Worst case, we’ll hop a flight to Vegas and get Elvis to marry us.”

“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” she said with a laugh.

“You, me, and Elvis with Huge and Tiny as our witnesses?” He grinned. “Sounds like a pretty damn epic wedding to me.”

“Yes. Not to Elvis,” she clarified before he could get carried away with his grand Vegas plans, “but to getting married in two weeks.”

The first time she’d said
yes
had been when she’d agreed to a sex-only fling with him three years ago. When they’d both tumbled head over heels in love with each other, her next
yes
had been after his marriage proposal. This
yes
, to their wedding date, felt just as big.

Just like every other time, he sealed her
yes
with a kiss, but this time he also took her hands and threaded his fingers through hers. “Every time your fingers slide between mine, I remember lying with you at the park in San Francisco, holding your hand, and never wanting to let go.”

“I didn’t want you to let go either. Not then. Not now. Not ever.” But instead of smiling as she said it, he could see tears forming in her eyes. “I know I was teasing you about being romantic before, but you really are.”

“Heather? What’s wrong?” Whatever it was, he would fix it.

“Nothing.” She wrapped her arms and legs even tighter around him. “Absolutely nothing’s wrong.”

His heart pounding, he forced himself to simply stroke her hair and then her back, rather than keep pushing her to tell him what was going on. Heather was the strongest woman he’d ever met. He’d broken all his rules for her. Had fallen in love hard and fast even when he’d sworn he never would. And she’d broken her rules about love for him too. There was nothing they wouldn’t do for each other, no fear they wouldn’t share, no joy they wouldn’t celebrate. She’d tell him more when she was ready.

Finally, she settled back and gazed up at him. “When you asked me to come by the garage, I was actually already planning to.” She tried to take a deep breath, but it shuddered in her chest. “I took a test this morning at work.” She looked into his eyes. “I’m pregnant.”

Everything inside Zach’s brain went blank, and he swore his heart actually stopped beating for a split second before blood came rushing in like a flash flood. All he could do was echo her words. “You’re pregnant?”

“Yes.” The word shook slightly in her throat. “We’re going to have a baby.”

He could hardly breathe. Could hardly think a coherent thought. All he could do was kiss Heather and pull her tight against him.

“A baby.” His eyes were wet now too. “We’re going to have a kid. A little bruiser like me or a beauty like you.” He had to put his mouth on hers again, had to say to her with his kisses all the things he couldn’t yet form into words. “You hear that Atlas? Cuddles?” he said as he tugged her naked from the car a few moments later. “You’re going to have a brother or sister to play with and protect soon.”

As if the dogs could actually understand what he was saying—and were as thrilled about it as he was—they ran up to Heather and Zach with tails wagging.

She was laughing as she patted the dogs on the head, then reached for her clothes. “You tore my shirt again.” She shook her head while she slipped back into her bra and panties. “Good thing I love you. All three of you,” she said as the dogs started to roll into a spot of axle grease on the concrete floor. “Nice Ferrari, by the way.”

Unable to be apart from her for more than a few seconds, especially today when she’d just made him the happiest guy alive all over again, he had to pull her back into his arms as soon as they both had their clothes on. He had been planning to sell the sports car, but that was before Heather had given him the greatest news in the world in its backseat.

“I’m going to keep it.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” She took his hand and drew him back toward the car. “Turns out it’s true what they say about pregnant women’s libidos.”

She always took him from zero to a hundred in a matter of seconds. But knowing he had nine months ahead of him with Heather wanting to jump him in—and out—of this backseat? And that at the end of that, they’d have a new baby to love?

Once upon a time, he hadn’t believed it was possible for him to ever be this lucky. But he was.

All because of Heather.

I need you. Come quick.

Ryan Sullivan was standing in the Hawks locker room with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist post-shower when Vicki Bennett’s text came. Once upon a time, seeing this text from her would have sent terror into his heart. But today he grinned like a fool instead.

He’d just finished pitching practice, followed by a workout in the weight room—and had been called out by both his coach and his trainer for his inattention. The first World Series game was in only a handful of days, and Ryan’s face was currently on the cover of
Sports Illustrated
, along with the headline: “Can the Greatest Pitcher in Major League Baseball History Do It Again?” He understood why his team wanted him one hundred percent focused on the game—but he wouldn’t apologize for missing his fiancée, damn it. Vicki had been working in France for the past two weeks, and it irritated him beyond measure that instead of being there to welcome her home this morning after her overnight flight, he’d had to be at the stadium.

He couldn’t have been happier about her growing notoriety as a sculptor, and he would never begrudge her the time she wanted to spend in her studio creating beautiful art. Just as she would never want him to feel guilty for the hours he spent with his team for practices and games. But it was still frustrating as hell that between their two busy schedules, the only moments they could grab together lately were stolen ones.

Ryan had fallen for Vicki after she moved to Palo Alto when they were fifteen years old and they’d instantly become friends. But before he could get up the nerve to tell her that his feelings went way past friendship, her father had been transferred to the East Coast. Ryan never forgot her, though, not even after she married another guy after graduating from college, and moved to Europe. He never stopped loving her either. So the day three years ago when she’d texted asking him to come quick and help her deal with a creepy “mentor” who was hitting on her in a bar, he’d dropped everything and raced there as fast as he could. They’d ended up having to fake not only a relationship, but an engagement as well. Thankfully, before long there was nothing fake at all about their relationship. Not only were they still best friends, but the passion between them burned hotter than anything Ryan had ever imagined possible.

Thank God pretend engagements—and unrequited love where the two of them circled each other while secretly wishing for so much more—were old news now. This morning, he’d arranged to have three dozen flowers sent over to her studio to celebrate the three years they’d been together.

Figuring she must be texting because she’d received the flowers, he put on his clothes in record time and was heading out when the new pitching coach, Stuart, walked in.

“You’re looking happier now. Let me guess—you’re going home to see the wife?”

Ryan’s grin faltered. He and Vicki kept meaning to figure out a date for their wedding, but whenever they were able to find time to be together, opening up calendars and scanning through schedules was the last thing either of them wanted to do. He was
this close
to hauling her over his shoulder into City Hall and just getting the deed done.

Everyone always thought things came so easily to Ryan. But right now he missed Vicki so much he couldn’t see straight—let alone throw a ball worth a damn.

It was true that he hadn’t had to fight for much in his life, but he’d had to fight for her three years ago when she’d told him that she thought going from best friends to lovers was a mistake. Even now that they were deeply in love and committed to each other, he’d never stop fighting for her.

“Good guess,” he said, deciding not to correct his coach over the difference between
fiancée
and
wife
, even if it felt like a mile-wide chasm to Ryan right now. “I’m heading over to Vicki’s studio now.”