These Reckless Hearts

by E. M. Moore

  He squeezes me one last time before backing away, letting me dive even though I know he wants what I want in this moment.

  I do as he says, letting myself fall into the pool. My knees splash in, so there’s no way I went vertically, but I keep trying until I can evenly push off the edge and glide through the water. On my last dive, Wyatt’s waiting for me in the shallower end, hands stretched over his head in victory. “Smartest student I’ve ever had.”

  I swim to his position on the ramp, his chest half submerged in the water. “I bet you could teach me a lot of things, cowboy.”

  “I can,” Wyatt grinds out. “I can’t get one image out of my head.” He backs me against the pool edge then turns me around to face the mountains. They’re only a big, black shadow in the distance, but I know they’re there. The stars shine down on them from high in the sky, and I take a moment to gawk until Wyatt’s hand sneaks around my midsection. He presses me back, the heel of his palm skimming over my skin while his fingers seek the area between my legs.

  I let out a gasp of surprise and widen my stance. The water laps at us in caressing waves while he finds my clit and swirls. He drapes his chest along my back, his heavy breaths flirting with my ear. “I want to fuck you like this, Tits. I’ve been staring at your gleaming pussy all night, and I need it.”

  He sinks his finger inside my core in one sure thrust, and I cry out, my hands gripping the cement lip in front of me. “Yes,” I breathe, pushing my ass back and butting against his hard cock. He works his finger in and out before retreating only to re-enter with two. My knuckles turn white as I revel in the plethora of sensations—Wyatt’s touch, his hard body, the water adding yet another pleasureful caress. “Is this part of my pool lesson?”

  “You know it, babe.” He leans over and bites my neck. Pain lances my skin, but his lashing tongue smooths it over until I’m working my hips in time with his movements, making sure I rub against his cock.

  With his palm on my stomach, he uses his free hand to skirt up my spine and lean me over. The water teases my nipples until I’m aching so badly for him I can’t stand it. Extricating himself from my pussy, he then rubs my clit in frantic motions as he lines us up. I push back, searching for the head of his dick, eager for him. “Wyatt,” I gasp, pleasure building in delicious waves. He thrusts inside, the pad of his thumb pressing down on my clit until I come, my core clenching around his cock repeatedly.

  “Yes,” he grunts. He retreats and then fills me in one solid movement, working my orgasm higher until I’m panting at the crescendo. Holding my hips in place, he hammers sure strokes into my core. I bend at the waist to change the angle and both of us groan. “Jesus, Dakota. You undo me.” He wraps my wet hair in his fist and pulls until I lock eyes with him. The adoring, passionate stare gracing his features makes me work back against him until our movements slow to steady exclamation points of powerful thrusts. “You’re the strongest woman I know. Smart. Beautiful. The sexiest part about you is that you know who you are, what you want, and how you’re going to get it.”

  I bite my lip as his words sink into me. Damn, this boy. Of course he would find a way to build me up while he threatens to make me crumble at his feet. He doesn’t let me glance away; he keeps my face turned toward him as he wrings pleasure out of both of us. My arcing back demands gratification while he gives it freely and openly. The water around us shifts to tumultuous waves crashing the edge of the pool as our movements become more frenzied. This is exactly what I needed. He’s turned this position of vulnerability into one of utmost strength.

  “Take it, Dakota,” he moans. I push back against him, and his mouth falls open. “Fuck, fuck.” He lets go of my hair and grips my hips, slamming into me until he comes, the noises passing his lips a secret between us that I’ll lock inside my heart. He breathes out, shudders once, then spins me around. His lips find my mouth, kissing me desperately, plunging his tongue inside as he kneads my breasts in his hands. He hoists me in the air, breaking the kiss. My ass finds the edge of the warm cement while he pries my knees open and settles his face between my legs. His hot breaths hit my soaked core, and I lean back on my hands, widening my stance to give him as much access as he needs.

  He doesn’t use words anymore to mold me into someone new. He uses quick flicks and long licks of his skilled tongue. His fingers dig into my hips as I prop my heels up on the poolside—completely exposed under the light from the stars—letting him caress me from back to front.

  He delves deep until short cries part my lips and there’s nothing but pleasure coaxing my body higher. “Wyatt, yes, that feels so good.”

  He moans over my clit, and my toes curl.

  “Fuck me, that feels amazing.”

  He tongues my bundle of nerves until I’m rocking into him, my cries expanding and heightening. When my orgasm crashes into me, a short scream escapes that leaves me moaning in the aftershocks.

  I lay back on the cement, trying to catch my breath. He pulls himself out of the water and hauls me to shaky feet before throwing me over his shoulder. “You’re in my bed tonight, beautiful girl.”

  I shriek as he runs around the pool. We bypass our clothes and head straight for his room as I giggle against his back—his ass cheeks jiggling on our short trek.

  Once we’re in his room, he throws me down on the bed and wags his eyebrows as he climbs over me, pretending to take big biting chunks out of my body as he goes, growling until I’m laughing so hard, I’m crying.

  Yes, Wyatt Longhorn was exactly what I needed tonight.

  5

  I wake up to an empty bed but a full heart. I stretch my hands out, curling my fingers in the sheets. My knuckles brush something foreign, so I open my eyes and find a cowboy hat propped on Wyatt’s pillow with a note on the brim. “For you, Tits.”

  I bite my lip, holding back the maniacal grin surfacing. I pull the covers away and swing my legs over the side of the bed. Utter peacefulness swallows me as I hold the hat in my hands. My feet hit the tiled floor, and I half run to the bathroom to try it on. I situate it on my head, glancing right and left, and I think it looks pretty damn good, actually. I take it off for a moment only to steal a pair of Wyatt’s boxers and a t-shirt before placing it back on my head and heading toward the kitchen. As soon as I open Wyatt’s bedroom door, the familiar smell of delicious bacon hits me.

  Lucas is milking this, but I’m not going to complain. I’ve never had food as good as Wyatt’s.

  I tiptoe out to the kitchen where Lucas is the first to see me. He smirks but pretends to frown. “Oh no, he’s ruining her.”

  I chuckle, but the look on Wyatt’s face when he turns is so well worth it. His mouth drops. He shoves the spatula he’s holding into Lucas’ chest and comes toward me, placing his arms around my waist. “Well, hello there, ma’am.” He dips me backward, and the hat tumbles off my head and onto the floor. He rights me, pulling me toward him to place a tender kiss on my lips.

  “I hate to break this up,” Lucas teases, sounding like he couldn’t give two shits about doing just that, “but I’m still waiting on my pity breakfast.”

  “Fuck off, Govern,” Wyatt says against my lips. “Tits and I are having a moment.” He cups the back of my head and kisses me senseless. When we finally pull away, both of us are breathless, and I sway on my feet as Wyatt returns to the kitchen as if nothing happened.

  Lucas watches me. His bandages are off today, and the reminder of his injuries twists my stomach. I bend to pick up the cowboy hat and walk right to him. “How’d you sleep?”

  “Tossed and turned. Mostly thought about buying a big bed so all of us can sleep with you.” He screws up his face adorably. “Then debated whether or not that would be worth it, considering I’d end up having to sleep next to Wyatt, too.”

  “I’ll have you know, I’m a really good bed companion.”

  “Dude, I’ve slept next to you in a tent. I know exactly what I’d be getting myself into, which is why I said I was weighing the pros and cons.”


  I lift a brow at him. “And did you come up with a decision?”

  “Yeah, I decided anything is worth it as long as I’m next to you.”

  His words filter over me like a bucket of sunshine, and I bask in them. I bring my hand up to trace my fingertips next to Lucas’ wound. It’s going to scar. There’s no way around it. “I’m glad it was me,” he answers, as if he caught on to my line of thinking. He twists his neck so I can get a better view. “I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if it was you.”

  “Don’t say that,” I whisper, my heart skidding to a halt. “What someone else does to us is uncontrollable.”

  The front door opens, and I peer over Lucas’ shoulder. Stone comes striding in, a huge bouquet of red roses in his hand. He stops when he sees me, cheeks turning pink. “Damn it. I was hoping you wouldn’t be up yet.”

  I tease my lip, staring at the bright crimson petals. I’ve never gotten flowers before. In high school, the student council sold carnations that you could send to your crush on Valentine’s Day. Each year I’d yearn for one, but one never came. Something Meghan was all too quick to point out. “Those…are for me?”

  “Well, they’re certainly not for Wyatt.” Stone stands there staring at me, and I do the same. Neither of us makes the first move. Butterflies dance in my stomach, wings teasing my nerve endings. Finally, he steps forward, loafers skimming over the tile. His dark sunglasses are propped on top of his head, a rich boy exclamation point on the rest of his attire—a pair of gray khaki shorts and a lime green polo. He looks like he’s walking off the cover of a magazine—complete with the backdrop of fine furniture and everything. I don’t understand how I ended up here considering where I began, but I’m going to hold onto this with everything I have.

  Lucas turns away to give us a private moment, and I meet Stone halfway. He tosses his car keys onto the kitchen island and reaches for my hand. “I know I have a lot of groveling to do, and this in no way makes up for any of it, but it’s a start. I’m hoping, anyway. That’s for you to decide.” His fingers entwine with mine, like roots digging through the earth on a sunny day.

  He hands the flowers to me, their beauty punctuated by an ornate, black vase. I let go of his hand to take them, leaning in to breathe in their absolutely divine and intoxicating aroma.

  “I wasn’t sure what your favorite flower was.” He hesitates, peeking at me. Seeing this unsure side of him only endears him to me more.

  “I don’t know, actually,” I admit, biting the inside of my cheek to keep my emotions from shining through.

  “Then I’ll keep buying you different kinds until you decide.”

  I lift onto my tiptoes to kiss Stone’s cheek, the stubble gracing his jaw scraping over my lips. I settle back to inspect him. Sunken, dark eyes meet mine, definitely not normal. His pallor is a little off, too, and I make a mental note to watch him. Lucas’ injuries took a lot out of Stone, but he’s home now, so something else must be bothering him.

  I move to the coffee table and set the flowers down before I notice the card in them. I pluck the envelope off the plastic stick and open it. Stone hovers nearby, watching me intensely. My fingers shake a little, my nerves getting the best of me as I read the note.

  I’m sorry I did that to you, Dakota. If you’ll let me, I’ll keep making it up to you. All my love,

  Stone

  My heart pings painfully, thudding against my ribcage. I didn’t imagine I would get my first flower while I was dressed in another man’s clothes, but that’s what the four of us signed up for, and now that we have it, I wouldn’t change it for the world.

  Memories of Stone and I blip by like flipping through a photo album. The first time he touched me on the half-moon bed. The love in his eyes when he said we were going to have treasure hunting babies one day. Letting Stone back in, if he was ever out, seems like an inevitability—fate’s true progression at work, something that’s useless to fight against. And trust me, fighting against it is something I won’t be doing.

  I return the note inside the envelope and slip it back in the bouquet. Stone’s watching me when I lift my gaze, so I walk up to him, tangle my fingers with his, and bring him back to the kitchen island where Wyatt is whistling happily and placing our breakfast on plates.

  “Let’s eat on the patio,” Lucas suggests. “I’m sick of being stuck inside.”

  We carry our food out, Stone in the lead. He steps over mine and Wyatt’s discarded clothes from last night and heads toward the cement table. Lucas chuckles. “Looks like a couple of you had way too much fun last night.”

  “It turns out, I like skinny-dipping,” I tell him. “Who knew?”

  We sit at the table, serving ourselves eggs, bacon, and toast from platters. Here at Jacobs Manor, I’m in a cocoon of safety. I’m so enveloped by love that it makes it easy to forget about everything else that’s going on.

  Stone changes that though. “I had an idea,” he starts. The three of us look at him expectantly. “We know my dad’s on the run because he’s scared shitless of Cole, but I think we can flush him out by going to his associates. My dad feeds off money. Wealth is everything to him. It’s his most prized possession.”

  “Except for you,” I state.

  “I don’t think he has use for me anymore,” he says, running his fingers over his jaw. “I went against him.” I shrug because I’m not entirely convinced but Stone continues. “I thought Dakota and I could set up some meetings with his treasure investors and tell them we’re no longer associated and that they should move their investments to us.”

  Wyatt squints in the sun. “This could ruin him financially. If you got people to jump ship, anyway.”

  “I think Dakota and I would be quite convincing, especially since we can prove that my father was only the pencil pusher. It’s our team that knows about the treasure. They’ll pull their funding, and when they do, my father won’t have the means to pay anyone to take us down. Cole can retaliate, and then….”

  “Then what?” Lucas inquires. “How far are you willing to take this?”

  Stone clamps his jaw, muscles popping out of his neck. “He tried to kill you. All of you. I no longer have ties to him.”

  Part of me wants to fist bump him, but the other part of me knows how this feels. To be let down by someone you loved is gut-wrenching. His words come out smooth and easy, but I think I’ve found the reason for the dark circles under his eyes. I just hadn’t been paying attention before.

  “What do you guys think?”

  His question catches me off guard. Stone’s not one to make sure everyone’s on board before he runs right into something. “I love the idea,” I confirm.

  “Me too,” Lucas answers. “At the very least, it’ll put the money where it should go, and that’s with us.”

  Stone swallows. “Good because I’ve already set up a couple of meetings for today.”

  Of course he did. That’s the Stone I know.

  He checks his watch. “And if we want to make it to the first one on time, we’ll have to hurry.”

  I scarf down my plate and then run toward my bathroom, picking up the clothes from last night as I go. I shower and primp, then open my closet to search for something appropriate to wear to a business meeting. I should’ve guessed Stone would’ve already planned for this. Several different dresses and skirts await me.

  I pull out a modest black dress and slip it on. It hugs my ass, but not in a scandalous way. I pull the top half of my hair up and place it in an elastic because the barrette I tried first broke. A pair of slip-on flats later and I’m ready.

  When I walk out, Lucas and Wyatt have moved the coffee table against the couch and are hovering over several topography maps on the floor. Wyatt whistles, making me blush. I glance over to find Stone waiting for me in a suit and tie, and I nearly trip over my feet. Jesus. He’s so damn pretty.

  He holds the door open for me, and I wave to Wyatt and Lucas as we exit. “Are we on time?”

  He c
hecks his watch again. “We’re good.”

  Ninja and the other security guard get out of their car as we approach the Audi that’s pulled around the front of the house. “We’re heading into Phoenix,” Stone informs them.

  “We’ll follow,” Ninja reports. At those words, Stone gazes worriedly behind him. “Our orders are to stay with Miss Dakota.”

  Cole wasn’t kidding when he said he was going to treat me like his sister. After I pulled myself away from the bathroom last night, he told me he would be there for me every step of the way until I found the treasure—and after. We’ve all agreed that Lance won’t stop looking for it, and despite the fact that I’m not technically a Wilder, I feel the treasure’s call deep in my bones. I can’t get away from it, and I’ll still die if a Jacobs finds it before I do. Well, one Jacobs. I guess I would be satisfied if Stone does—as long as I’m at his side.

  I pull my phone out of the little clutch I also found in the closet and send Cole a text letting him know where Stone and I are going. Now that I know he’s here for me and not against me, it feels natural to keep him updated with what we’re doing. Also, when someone rubs your back while you puke, that person suddenly isn’t so scary. He’s turned into a giant teddy bear in my eyes.

  BE CAREFUL OR I WILL CASTRATE JACOBS.

  Hmm. Maybe not a teddy bear. A stuffed lion? Your guys are with us. I’m good.

  Take care, baby girl. Keep me updated.

  I put the phone away and slide into the Audi. Stone closes the door and strides around the other side. The car starts with a low hum, and then we’re off. Stone pulls out onto the main road and runs his hands through his hair, checking his reflection in the rearview mirror. “I think all of us should put in requests to place our matriculation on hold.”