The Heart Series: Complete Boxed Set (32 page)

The hours flew by, and the drinks kept flowing. I lost count of the number of times a refilled glass was placed in my hand courtesy of Elijah. My head spun when the alcohol took hold. Before I knew what was happening, I was standing stage front with a microphone in my hand.

Fuck.

I knew vodka and Elijah were to blame.

I shot him an evil look silently plotting my revenge. He stood grinning, but my eyes left his to fully concentrate on Joel. The alcohol was enough to numb my nerves as I blocked out everyone else in the room. My sole concentration was singing for the man I loved.

When my ears filled with the first few chords of the song, I nearly lost the entire contents of my stomach. I quickly pushed back the nausea and concentrated on the music as my voice began to fill the room.

Joel’s head whipped around to look at me grinning, he walked over so he was standing opposite. His eyes still held mine as I serenaded him with Lady Gaga’s ‘You and I.’

Even through my half cut vision I could see the lust building in his eyes. His chest heaved, becoming more visibly turned on by my performance.

His eyes never left mine for a moment and my breath quickened, belting out the words. I knew the significance they held. When I winked at him referring to the six years chasing part, he threw his head back laughing, and I smiled.

He was more than worth the wait.

I could tell he was itching to touch me. His hands were curled into fists, and I knew he was just barely holding on from giving into to his urge to storm the stage. When I worked his name into the song, he nearly lost it. His eyes widened, and I saw the desire coursing through his body.

The electricity between us became so intense. I didn’t hear the applause or whistles. I just heard my heart beating more rapidly, and the blood pumping in my ears. I dropped the microphone and leapt off the stage, straight into his arms.

He caught me and spun us around, pulling me in tight against him. “I can’t believe you sang for me, baby. You were amazing.” He kissed me hard, and my legs instantly curled tight around him. We ignored all the jeers and hollers, disappearing through the back.

He carried me straight upstairs to the flat, our mouths never losing their connection once. My fingers instantly weaved into his hair. We barely drew breath as Joel cursed in between kisses with his several attempts at opening the door.

I giggled into his mouth, not leaving it for a moment. He somehow managed to unlock the door while still holding me. Our kisses became more urgent by the second, and our fingers frantically ripped off each other’s clothes.

The cold air touched my skin when Joel quickly divested me of nearly every scrap of clothing. He unsnapped my bra, dropping it down the floor and placed me down on the dining table, leaving me there in just my knickers.

The wood was cold and hard against my skin, but I lost all train of thought the moment I felt the last piece of material glide down my legs. I propped myself up on my elbows to see Joel stood gloriously naked. He grinned at my expression as my eyes took in every single naked inch of him. I watched as his eyes grew wider the moment they locked on my chest.

He finally broke the stare to look back into my eyes. “Lie back, baby, I want you to enjoy this.”

I managed to moan some kind of reply, I was barely able to string together any words. My head was spinning from all the alcohol, and my body burned for Joel’s touch.

My head rested against the cold, unforgiving surface, and I closed my eyes, feeling his naked skin brush up against mine. He slowly began to place soft kisses down my body. I groaned with pleasure at his slow torture. His fingers weaved their usual magic, dipping inside, slowly stroking me to an orgasm. I arched my back, overwhelmed by the pleasure. He worked me closer, but I needed more, so much more.

I wanted him inside me now.

I pushed him back upright and caught the look of alarm on his face, mixed with confusion in his eyes, surprised by my actions. I grabbed his hair and pulled him into me, so we were barely inches apart. “I need you now, Joel, I need to feel you inside me.”

His look was so intense, I knew he felt the same. He grabbed me, locking his body against mine. My legs encircled him, and my mouth captured his.

I let out a loud moan when he sunk deep inside me. My head flew back, and I groaned loudly with the welcoming intrusion. His rhythm was slow and his lips brushed against my neck, but this wasn’t what I wanted.

My hands gripped his bottom, and my eyes stared deep into his pleading my need for him. “Please, Joel, I need it hard and fast.” The words had barely left my lips when he pounded deep inside me.

I arched my back, yelling out at each thrust. I clung onto him, my fingers biting into his skin as the table banged loudly against the wall.

Joel grunted loudly, and I yelled his name over and over, feeling myself sprint towards the orgasm finishing line.

“Iz, I’m not going to last long at this rate,” he panted. I saw the concentration in his face, he was desperately trying to hold on.

“It’s okay,” I breathed. “I’m almost there, keep going, don’t slow down.” I was so close I could feel it. My eyes rolled, and I threw my head back screaming loudly when the orgasm ripped through my body. The look of relief when he instantly came moments later was enough to make me laugh.

“Fuck, Izzy, you’re going to kill me.” He groaned, collapsing on top of me. Our slick bodies were pressed tight together. We both panted, trying to draw some breath back into our lungs.

“And what a sweet death it would be.”

He chuckled as his lips teased my neck, kissing my sweet spot.

I let out a soft moan. “Have you had a good birthday, baby?” I asked softly.

He smiled against my neck, before lifting his head staring into my eyes. “The best. I love you, Iz, but I think we could make it just a little bit better, you know to finish off the last few minutes in style.”

“Round two?” I asked, feeling him twitch inside me.

His smile almost split his face in two. “Exactly.”

I sighed when his lips began teasing my sweet spot again, Joel’s birthday was definitely finishing with a bang.

“Right, that’s it. The party is cancelled!” Joel yelled tossing the phone down hard onto the table. I watched in horror as it bounced along, thankfully not shattering.

I shook my head lightly, continuing to type up my notes from class. I didn’t need to ask what was wrong, I had heard Elijah’s high-pitched voice from the other side of the room. I was just grateful for taking the initiative in staying firmly out of the arrangements for the Halloween party. But I knew I couldn’t leave poor Joel hanging a moment longer.

“What’s wrong now?” I asked, my fingers still working the keys as I finished off the last paragraph before giving him my full attention.

He stopped pacing to stare at me. “Do you really want to know?” he asked frowning. He knew fine well I’d asked to be kept out of all the bickering, but I could see he was almost at breaking point.

“Well, you might as well tell me as you’re only going to huff about it for the next hour,” I replied, closing the laptop lid. I smiled giving him the okay to offload.

“He’s just—so bloody frustrating! He’s screaming at me because the supplier has let him down on some decorations. I couldn’t give a fuck about the decorations, you would think it was the party of the year the way he is carrying on!” He threw his hands up in frustration as he frantically paced the room again.

I frowned at his response, I knew how much hard work went into Elijah’s party planning projects. “It is a big deal to him though,” I whispered, almost scared to speak the words knowing Joel would be instantly offended by my decision to defend Elijah.

His eyes flashed at me full of anger. “I knew you would take his side.”

I sighed, shaking my head. I was trying to remain neutral listening to both sides, but obviously Joel had an issue with that. He had to understand Elijah was my best friend too. “Hey, I’m not taking anyone’s side, just saying that he acts this way because he wants everything to be perfect.” My head was almost dizzy watching Joel move back and forth. He stormed towards me as his eyes bore deep into mine.

“Well, remind me never to ask for his help ever again.”

I dropped back against the cushion in frustration. “He’ll calm down, he’s just taking his frustrations out on you.” I started anxiously biting my nails. Even I didn’t think that was true. When Elijah was in full on panic mode he really did take it to an extreme level. I didn’t even know if I could talk him down.

“Did you hear him screaming though? It’s a wonder I can still hear with that high pitched squeal of his.” Joel grabbed his hair in annoyance, his pacing was frantic as ever.

I tried to stifle my laugh behind my hand. It was true, I’d witnessed that squeal on many occasions. It got to the point where only dogs were capable of hearing him.

Joel’s lips twitched, and we both erupted together, unable to contain the laughter any longer.

“Come here,” I said, patting the sofa beside me. He looked hesitant at first, looking like he had a lot of frustrated energy he still wanted to work off. But gazing into my sympathetic eyes, he relented and smiled sitting down.

I shuffled round to face him. “Does someone need a hug?”

He laughed, shaking his head. He scrubbed his hands over his face trying to rid himself of the last drop of irritation. “No, I’m fine.” He let out a loud sigh.

I knew he was itching to hold me. I was his one source of comfort during one of his rages. “No, I think you definitely do. I’ve been in the firing line of one of his rants, and it’s not pretty. Here, let me make it better.” I jumped onto his knee and straddled him, pulling him into a hug.

He sighed nestling his face into my neck as my fingers gently played with his hair. “Better?” I asked after a few moments, kissing his forehead.

He let out a deep sigh. “Yeah . . . you always make it better though.” He pressed his lips against my neck like he was drawing some comfort from me. We slowly rocked together in each other’s arms, and I sighed, pulling him in closer, both losing ourselves in the moment.

I smiled at his words. “I have the gift.” I brushed my lips against his as my fingers softly grazed against his cheek.

His eyes remained closed, but I could see his face was slowly becoming calmer. “You certainly do,” he breathed, continuing to hold me. He wasn’t quite ready to let go just yet.

“Do you want me to have a word?” I sat staring at his beautiful face, watching the frown lines appear as he contemplated my words. I knew deep down he’d want to handle the situation himself.

“No, it’s fine. I can suck it up for the next few days, but I’ll be glad when it’s all over.” He let out another large sigh like he was already regretting his words.

“Aww, don’t say that, you haven’t seen my costume yet, and I think you’re going to really like it.”

His eyes instantly snapped open, my words having the desired effect. I smiled inwardly at his reaction as his eyes locked on mine. “Really? Are you going to give me a hint what it is?”

I hesitated trying to think of a subtle reply. I wanted it to be a surprise, but I knew dropping tiny hints would be enough to drive him crazy. His hands squeezed my hips in irritation by my silence, but I was not about to give in that easily.

“Well, let’s just say it’s going to blow your mind.” I winked at him grinning. His smile grew wider, and his eyes searched mine for more answers. I knew the way his mind worked, the thought alone of me wearing anything remotely sexy would be a big enough boost to get him through the next few days.

“Now you have to tell me, you can’t keep me hanging.” He pouted and gave me his best puppy dog eyes, hoping his sad face would appeal to my sympathetic side.

He knew what that look did to me. I had given in on far too many occasions, but the need to see his face on Halloween was far greater.

I shook my head in defiance. “Nope, I want to see your reaction when I walk out on Halloween.” I widened my eyes for the full effect.

He was in for a treat.

I could see the suspense was killing him, but I had to stay strong.

No matter how hard he begged.

His hungry eyes stared deep into mine. “Well now you’ve got me thinking all kinds.” He sat back in a huff looking completely frustrated. The smile was replaced by a scowl, finally realising my lips would remain sealed.

I nudged his shoulder playfully. “It’s got your mind off Elijah, hasn’t it?” I leaned forward pecking him lightly on the lips to appease him for staying tight-lipped.

“Yeah, but now all I’m imagining is you in some kind of sexy little number.” He pulled a face looking deep in thought as a small smile played on his lips.

I rolled my eyes, only imagining the images going through his head.

I sat back up, grinning down at him. “So my plan worked then, my work here is done,” I retorted in an overly bright voice, finishing off with a pretend evil laugh.

“Ooh, you little tease, you know this is going to drive me mad.”

He was right, and to prove my point further, I ground down hard on him. His pupils began to dilate as he let out a soft moan. I loved how badly I turned him on, how his body responded to mine.

“Well good, that’s what I have planned for Halloween night.” I could see the desire building in his eyes, and felt him twitch underneath me.

“You do realise I have to go back to work and actually concentrate now.”

I dropped down kissing him, laughing against his mouth. I brushed up against him once more before pushing myself off. Joel gave me an agonised look. I knew I wasn’t playing fair, but it was too funny for me to feel bad.

“Sorry, couldn’t help myself.”

He stood up awkwardly, and my eyes automatically dropped down to the bulge. He tried his best to arrange himself so it was less obvious. I giggled looking up into his frustrated face, his eyes narrowed and he pretended to look mad.

“Thanks for that, I’m sure I’ll get you back later.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” I grabbed my laptop and resumed typing. He stood staring for a few moments longer. I felt his eyes burning into me, and I bit my lip pretending to ignore him.

He shook his head in amusement, walking away. “Yeah, I’ll have you screaming later,” he threw over his shoulder, and I smiled.

I knew he’d keep his promise.

* * *

Halloween finally arrived, and Joel was on his last nerve. He was one step away from killing Elijah, but my constant reminder of the surprise was enough to calm him. Even though it riled him up in other ways.

He had me screaming a lot that week, I think it was payback for not revealing my surprise sooner.

But hey, I wasn’t complaining.

He was more than welcome to keep up with his delicious torture.

I smiled slipping on the costume, my decision to wear the Carrie school uniform was going to drive him wild. He wasn’t going to be able to keep his hands off me.

I styled my hair into two long plaits to get the schoolgirl look and finished pulling on the knee socks, laughing at my reflection. It was a little risqué, the skirt was shorter than I liked, but it was Halloween. As some women virtually walked around in their underwear, it was more sexy cute than sluttish.

I jumped a little hearing Joel call out my name. I bit my lip in anticipation, waiting for him to find me. A rush of excitement ran through me, I hoped I was going to blow his socks off, especially after all the big build up.

He pushed open the door, and I didn’t have to wait long, his eyes grew wider taking in the sight of me. “Fuck.” He groaned loudly, slowly licking his lips.

A large smile of delight spread across my face. “Do you like?” I asked, spinning around, happy I’d got the reaction I wanted.

“How the hell am I supposed to concentrate tonight with you wearing this?” He walked over and lifted up my tie, running it through his fingers.

“I’m sure you’ll get by.” I smirked, pulling away.

His eyes stayed fixed on me before roaming up and down my body, taking in the full effect of the costume. He let out a loud sigh. “Yeah, with a permanent hard-on.”

I laughed, and my eyes automatically fell to the noticeable bulge in his trousers. I looked back up into his pleading eyes and felt my insides tighten. I wanted him too, but I knew we shouldn’t.

“Joel, we haven’t got time. We still have to finish setting up.” I backed off, trying to put as much space between us.

“I know, but fuck me, I’m in hell right now.” He ran his hand through his hair, clearly agonised by it all. He closed his eyes as if he was willing himself to calm down.

“I’ll make it up to you later.” I grinned, turning to finish off the last of my makeup.

He stared at me in the reflection of the mirror. “You’d better, I’m going to keep you up all night.”

Shivers ran down my spine at the very thought. I couldn’t help imagining all kinds of delicious things. I could feel myself getting turned on before he’d even touched me. 

My eyes met with his. “I’m counting on it,” I retorted before pouting, applying the last of my lipstick.

His hands scrubbed over his face. “I’d better go take a long cold shower.” He sighed, walking off.

“Can you squirt me first?” I shouted over my shoulder.

He turned back to me. “Excuse me?” He looked confused until I handed him the strawberry syrup. “My pleasure.” He grinned popping the cap open, taking great delight in making me squeal, when the cold syrup hit my skin.

I was pretty sure he was enjoying the payback of the teasing for the last few days.

“Joel, it’s cold!” I squealed.

He chuckled continuing his ruthless spraying till I was fully covered. I shivered with the cool, sticky sensation, wishing I’d thought of an alternative way of blood. I really hadn’t thought this through, I was literally going to stick to everything tonight.

He licked his fingers, now covered in the sweet, sticky sauce. “Mmm, tastes good, looking forward to licking it off you later.”

I shook my head in amusement, grabbing him and pushed him out the door. He pulled a sad face, but I knew any longer and things would indeed become very sticky.

* * *

Walking into the bar my eyes instantly widened in surprise at Elijah in all his costume glory. My eyes dropped down to the fishnet stockings clinging to his muscular thighs and the patent leather high-heeled boots laced up to the knee.

My jaw was on the floor.

Holy shit!

Elijah had totally blown my sexy little outfit out of the water.

He looked so hot as a girl.

Why was I not surprised?

“Do you like my costume, sweetie?” he asked, grinning wildly. He spun around excitedly to let me take in the full impact of the black leather laced bodice currently crushed against his tanned toned chest.

I gasped, giggling at the sequined knickers emblazoned with his name across his bum cheeks.

He really didn’t do things by half.

“Errr, who are you meant to be?” I asked, trying to hide my amusement.