Hearts at Play (Love in Bloom: The Bradens, Book 6) Contemporary Romance (12 page)

“Are you taking me to do dirty things in the bushes?” she teased.

“Now, that’s something I hadn’t thought of.” He raised his eyebrows in quick succession.

They rounded another group of thick trees and Hugh said, “Close your eyes.”

“Okay.” Brianna closed her eyes, feeling a little silly. “It’s already dark. Do I really need to do this?”

“Yes. Do you trust me?” Hugh’s rich voice warmed her.

“One hundred percent.”

“Good. I’m going to trust you not to open your eyes.” He held her hand and put his other hand on her back as he guided her forward.

Soft music filtered through the air. “What is that?”

“You’ll see.” He stopped walking, and she felt him move in front of her. He held both her hands, and her pulse kicked up again.

“Okay. Open your eyes, but look at me.”

She looked up into his dark, serious eyes.

“Brianna, I’m blown away by what I feel for you and how fast it’s happened.”

Oh God. Me too
. She could barely think past her hammering heart and the blood rushing through her ears. He took her face in his hands and leaned his forehead on hers.
I love when you do that
. She held on to his waist to keep her rubbery legs from sending her to the ground. She knew if she opened her mouth she’d have no choice but for her lips to find his.

“I want to wipe away your unhappy memories and replace them with happier ones.”

“Me too,” was all she could manage.

Behind him, colorful lights flicked on, and the music that had been playing softly came to life. Brianna recognized the carnival-like tune. She clutched her fingers around his waist and peered around him. Her eyes filled with tears.

“Hugh.” Trembling began in her chest and quickly took over her limbs as memories filtered in.
Her father holding her hand as she stepped onto the carousel
.
Flashes of him as she flew by riding the pink carousel horse
.

“I’m right here.” He put his arm securely around her and pressed her body into his side as they walked toward the carousel. “I wanted you to have your memories of your father, but hopefully the next day’s memories can be replaced with better ones.”

Her throat swelled, and as she pressed into his chest, her tears sprang free. He didn’t say a word. He held her tight and kissed the top of her head as she cried over the magnitude of what he’d done. She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes before looking up at him.

“I’m sorry. I—”

“Shh. I didn’t mean to make you sad. I was hoping this would be a good thing. I’m so sorry.”

She reached up and touched his cheek. “This is a great thing. They’re happy tears, not sad. You’re the most thoughtful man I’ve ever met, and I’m sorry I'm bawling like a baby.”

He wiped her tears with the pad of his thumb. “You carry so much responsibility on your shoulders, Bree. I’m in awe of the courage and strength you have, and the thought of you being sad about the morning after such a wonderful day with your father kills me.”

“I’m not courageous.” She lowered her eyes.

He lifted her chin. “You’re the bravest woman I know. You've given your life to make Layla’s as good as it can be. That’s brave, Bree. Brave is shouldering the responsibility and putting yourself last. Brave is carrying on every day against the odds. Brave is pushing past the morning your father left and making sure your daughter never has to experience that pain.”

His words brought more tears. No one had ever called her brave before. How could he see those things in her in only a few short days? How could anyone?

She pressed her cheek to his chest and closed her eyes, listening to the rhythm of his heart and feeling the walls around hers crumble, piece after fragile piece.

THEY CLIMBED ONTO the carousel, and Brianna chose a pink horse, just as she’d told Hugh she had that afternoon so many moons ago. When she’d first teared up, he feared he’d ruined their night, but when she drew back from his chest and he saw the tenderness in her eyes, he knew he’d done the right thing. Now he sat behind her on the pink horse, her back pressed against his chest, her hair whipping with the wind. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his cheek to hers.

They rode the carousel three times before climbing off.

“That was so fun. Layla would love this.” Brianna’s tears were gone, replaced by glistening sparkles from the lights of the carousel.

“I thought about bringing her, but this was for you. Maybe one day I can take you both on a date. She can get dressed up and feel like a big girl and we’ll get a little extra time together. There’s a light show at the Ginter Gardens that I think she’d enjoy, or we could go to Maymont. There’s a petting zoo there and nice trails and things. Or we could see a play since she loves them.”

“Hugh.”

He felt his shoulders sink a little lower. “It’s okay.”

“No, that wasn’t a
no
. That was a ‘Hugh!’” She put her arms around his neck and said, “I’ve never taken her to the light show, and I think she’d really enjoy that.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his chin. “She’ll love it, and I can’t keep you hidden forever.”

Forever
. Hugh hadn’t been thinking in those terms, but now the word lingered in his mind in a way that would have made him bolt the other way a few months ago.

“Great, well, when you decide it’s appropriate, we’ll do it. And we don’t have to do any of those things. If she’d rather go to McDonald’s and throw a Frisbee or go to a movie, I’m all for it. I’d just like to take you both out so she doesn’t feel left out.”

Hugh couldn’t pin down why he was feeling the need to push forward and meet Layla, but after talking with Treat and spending years not allowing his heart to be heard, it felt like the right thing to do. He couldn’t help but think that maybe fate had stepped in after all. He’d been happier over the last two days than he'd been in years.

They came upon the cotton candy vendor that Hugh had hired, and he handed them an enormous paper cone of pink sugary deliciousness.

Hugh grabbed a hunk with his fingers and raised his eyebrows. “Open up.”

She opened her mouth, and he placed the fluff of whipped sugar on her tongue. Brianna closed her lips around his fingers, sending a flare of heat to his loins and a groan he had to work hard to stifle to his lungs. The seductive look in her eyes drew his mouth to hers. Sugar covered their tongues and melted in their mouths. The combination of his growing feelings toward Brianna and the hope for a future together made the kiss even sweeter than their first. They kissed long after the cotton candy had melted. The music faded. The lights on the carousel went out, and the cotton candy vendor discreetly pushed his cart away. Brianna smelled so fresh, and she tasted of sugary wine. Beyond that, she tasted of Brianna. The captivating taste he’d experienced earlier that morning, when she’d fallen into his arms and he thought he’d dreamed up his perfect match.

“I have to take you home,” Hugh said between kisses.

“Home? No.”

Hugh pried his lips from hers. “No?”

She shook her head vehemently. “No. I want to be with you, Hugh. More than anything, I want to be with you tonight.”

“Yes…my home.” He put his hands on her gorgeous cheeks and took her in another hungry kiss.

They hurried to the car, kissing along the way, and jogging hand in hand. Once in the car, Brianna lifted serious eyes to Hugh. “Don’t we have to clean up dinner or let someone know we’re leaving?”

“God, I like you.” Hugh kissed her again. “They know.” He drove toward his house with a million thoughts of Brianna—and what he wanted to do with her—storming through his head.

At the house, Brianna was quiet. Hugh knew she was nervous by the way she bit her lower lip and the way her eyes darted from him to the floor and back again. Seeing her so nervous made him even more so. He didn’t turn on the overhead lights; instead he went to the living room and used the remote to turn on the fireplace and the stereo, which played soft rock through the wall-mounted speakers.

Brianna set her purse on the table by the door and looked so damned seductive as she crossed the floor in the body-hugging dress that Hugh couldn’t wait to strip it off of her and love every inch of her.

He took her in his arms. “I’ve been trying to figure out what it was about your eyes that make them so beautiful,” he whispered.

Flush covered her cheeks. Feeling her body against his brought rise to his desires and a throbbing in his heart that was new and different from anything he’d experienced before.

“There’s so much more to you than what anyone sees. Behind those beautiful eyes is a well of emotions.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “And thoughts.” He kissed her cheek. “And fears.” He kissed her lips again, feeling her body tremble against him.

She licked her lower lip, and his hand slid to the curve of her hip.

“Not fears,” she whispered, but worry hung in her voice.

“It’s just you and me, Bree.” For the first time in his life, he wasn’t trying to rush a woman into bed, and it struck him that everything about the way his mind reacted to Brianna was different than it had been with anyone else.

She put her hands flat on his stomach, spreading warmth beneath her palms. “Nerves. It’s been a long time, and I want to be with you more than anything. I just don’t want to disappoint you.”

“You’re here with me. Nothing could make me happier. We don’t have to do anything, Bree. I’ll wait until you’re ready. There’s no rush.”

“No. No,” she whispered. “I don’t want to wait.”

She took his hand and led him toward the hallway.

“Wait.” He grabbed her purse. “You promised Layla you’d keep your phone on.”

She took his hand again and led him down the hallway to the bedroom. Every step kicked up Hugh’s anticipation, and when she closed the bedroom door behind them and began to unbutton his shirt, he could barely breathe. He set her purse on the dresser and stilled her hands beneath his.

Music filtered in through the speakers, and moonlight streamed through the sheer curtains. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, moving his body to the rhythm of the music. Her hips moved in tune to the sensual beat, and their tongues stroked a lustful dance of their own. She gazed into his eyes and fiddled with his buttons again. Hugh took her in another desperate kiss before taking off his shirt. Brianna’s fingers found the sprinkling of fur on his chest, and her tentative touch magnified his desires. She pressed her lips to his chest, flicking a warm, wet path with her tongue. If he let her continue, he’d never last. Tonight he wanted to love her like she’d never been loved. He took her hands in his and kissed her palms.

“Let me,” he whispered. He gathered her hair in one hand, exposing the flawless skin on her neck. He dragged his tongue along the base of her neck before settling his mouth over the gentle curve at the back of her neck and sucking, stroking her with his tongue. She breathed harder. Her hands pressed against his chest and he drew back again and gently turned her around. He nibbled his way down the back of her neck and slowly unzipped her dress to just below her shoulder blades. Her body stiffened, and when he caught a glimpse of the black lacy bra, his body did, too. He slid her dress off her shoulders and kissed a line down her spine to the zipper, then ran his tongue up the center again. His hands trembled as he ran them along her bare shoulders—so small and feminine they made him ache. Hugh licked the arc of her shoulder, then widened his mouth and loved the gentle curve of her arm.

Brianna arched back, and he reached around her and cupped her breasts through her lacy bra as he suckled the sensitive, smooth skin on the back of her neck. She moaned in pleasure, and it took all his restraint not to rip her dress off and take her right then. Instead, he teased her nipples into taut peaks. She grabbed his hands and pressed them harder against her. He lowered his hands to her rib cage and drew them down to her thin waist.

“Hugh,” she whispered.

He moved her chin to the side and kissed her hard. When she tried to turn toward him, he held her in place. He wanted her to experience desire like she never had before. He wanted her loins to ache like his did. He drew back once again and she whimpered.

“Let me love you like you deserve to be loved,” he whispered. He lowered her zipper to the curve of her ass and slid his hands down her sides, gripping her hips. Her body trembled harder, and he clutched her tighter, then whispered, “You’re safe. I’d never do anything you don’t want me to.”

“I know.” Her voice was a thready whisper.

He kissed the dimples at the base of her spine, then ran his hands up her delicate back and back down her sides, grazing her breasts with his fingers. Brianna sucked in a breath, and her dress slipped to the ground. Hugh kissed along the edge of her thong, just below her hips. Then his hands found the front of her thighs, gripping them tightly as his tongue ran along the underside of the lacy string, over the arch of her cheeks, to the crest of the crack between. He felt her body stiffen again, and he drew himself up to his full height and came around to her front. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips slightly parted. He ran his tongue along her full lower lip, and she closed her eyes.

“You’re so beautiful, Bree.” He kissed the line of her jaw, down her neck, to the indentation at the center of her collarbone, where he licked her gently. He wanted to taste every inch of her skin. “Are you okay?” he whispered.

“God, yes.” Each word was a long, heated breath.

“If I go too far, just tell me to stop. I promise not to do anything you don’t want to.”
No matter how difficult it is for me
.

She lifted his hand to her breast and put her arm around his neck, pulling him into another rough kiss. Her mouth was hot and wet, her breasts soft, her nipples hard, and the combination of the feminine lace and her insistent, thrusting tongue spurred him forward. He lifted her to the bed and laid her on her back. Jesus, she was even more exquisite lying there in her sexy lingerie than he’d ever imagined. She slipped off her heels as he came down upon her and pulled the strap of her bra down her arm, freeing her beautiful breast. He ran his tongue over the taut peak, teasing her as his other hand groped her trapped breast. Brianna writhed beneath him, and he took her breast in his mouth, loving and sucking as his other hand slid down her belly to between her thighs. She arched against his hand as he slid his fingers beneath the damp fabric and into her silky, wet center.

Brianna moaned as he stroked her slow and deep, his thumb teasing her swollen nub. Her nails dug into his shoulders. His erection throbbed beneath his slacks, and in one swift move he lowered himself to her waist and ripped her thong down.

“Yes,” she panted.

His tongue found her center, and her knees fell open. Hugh licked her sweetness fast and hard. His hands slid beneath her ass and lifted her up, allowing him to taste more of her, to thrust his tongue deeper; then he took her clit between his teeth and teased her with the tip of his tongue. She cried out, and he lowered her back to the bed and slid his finger inside, licking and teasing until he felt her muscles tighten around him and she arched back, slamming her eyes closed and gripping the sheets in fisted hands. He plunged deeper, faster, taking her over the edge. Her hips rocked against him as she filled the room with his name. Every tight pulsation was stronger than the next. Instead of bringing her down slowly, Hugh withdrew his fingers midorgasm. She whimpered again, and he brought his tongue to her once again.

Brianna sucked in a breath. “Oh God, oh God, oh God.”

Within seconds, she was in the throes of another powerful release. Hugh loved watching her come apart. He gripped her hips again and licked her harder, until she was breathless, panting.

“No more…please.”

He honored her wish and slid up her body, unhooking her bra and tossing it to the floor before pushing her breasts together and taking them both in his mouth. She buried her hands in his hair and arched into him again. Hugh couldn’t help but reach down and tease her again. She was so swollen. He couldn’t wait to be inside her, but first he teased her to the edge again, sinking his teeth just below her breast while he rubbed one nipple between his index finger and thumb and thrust his fingers into her center. She cried out, and he captured it in his mouth.

“Come for me, baby.”

She shook her head against the mattress.

He withdrew his fingers, keeping his promise to stop if she asked him to. “No?”

With her eyes closed, she reached down and thrust his hand back where it had been. He smiled and kissed her again, stroking her softly between her legs without entering her. She moaned into his mouth again, and he wanted to bury himself inside her.
Not yet. One more time.
She pushed his hand, urging him inside, but he continued teasing, feeling her swell beneath his touch.

“Come for me now, Bree. You can do it.”

She shook her head. “Need…you,” she panted. “In me.”

“No, you don’t. You can do this.” He moved down her body and licked the inside of her thighs, the sensitive area beside her sex, while he teased her with his fingers; then he brought his tongue to her again in long, slow strokes, lapping against the spot that made her body visibly shudder.

“Hugh,” she whispered.

He licked her again, focusing his attention on that secret spot, until she clenched her teeth and threw her head back. Her knees clasped against his head and every blessed pulse landed on his lips.