These Reckless Hearts

by E. M. Moore

  He swoops forward, capturing me in a blistering kiss. “Done,” he mumbles against my mouth, then continues to erase every thought that pops into my head with his skilled tongue. My brain haywires until he melds it back together so that bitch isn’t even a blip on my radar.

  Picking me up, he wraps my legs around his waist. The ultra-thin barrier of his joggers has me rocking into his stiffening cock.

  He stops my movements, digging his fingers into my ass until I cry out against his lips. He walks toward the couch and sits me on the cushions, untangling my limbs from him before getting to his knees in front of me. Closing his eyes, he bows his head, throat working.

  “Don’t you do it,” I warn, worried he’s going to apologize again. I thought that’s what I wanted, but it only reinforces the image of him almost marrying someone else, and right now, I want nothing to do with it. I just want this. “I already forgave you.”

  Pressing his palms into my thighs, he runs them up my legs until he curls his fingers around the waistband of my pants. He gives them a tug, and I lift my hips to allow him easy access to pull them down. He traces his fingers up the inside of my leg, over the soft spot of my knee, and to my inner thighs where he pushes to widen my legs.

  My breath hitches at the mere idea of him going down on me. Juices trickle out, and I moan. “I’m going to ruin the couch.”

  “Then I’ll buy a new couch. Right now, I want to taste you. I’ve been watching the video we made in the car. Fuck, Dakota, I think I’ve jacked myself raw.”

  I sit up, reaching for his tented sweats. “Maybe you need a kiss.”

  He catches my hand before I can touch him. “This is about you.”

  “This is about us.” I pull my shirt over my head, then unclasp my bra until I’m bare. I lie on the couch, lifting a brow at him. “Undress and straddle my face, Stone Jacobs.”

  His chest expands.

  “Now,” I demand.

  He pulls his shirt off hesitantly. I salivate over his hard muscles and the V leading into his sweats. When he stands, I get an even better view as he teases his waistband with his thumbs hooked under the elastic. He drops his pants, his erection rigid and waiting. “Let me lie down, so I don’t choke you.”

  He pulls me into a kiss that bruises my lips, suffocating me in the best way. After he pulls away, he lies on the sofa, his body a masterpiece of hard lines and taut muscle. “Now, straddle my face, Dakota Wilder.”

  I don’t hesitate. I position my knees on either side of his head and lean forward to close my mouth around the head of his cock. He jerks before cupping my ass and moving me down to trace his tongue over my pussy. Both of us moan at the same time.

  Moving my lips down his cock, I relish his moans. “Yes, Dakota,” he whispers, his hot breath caressing my swollen flesh.

  His salty precum coats my tongue as I wrap my mouth around him tighter, bobbing in strokes that match his. His fingers delve deep into the tissue of my bottom until he moves one hand around to play with my nipple. I tremble uncontrollably as spikes of pleasure ricochet through me.

  “So good,” he praises, concentrating on my clit. “You’re perfect.” He suctions my tight bud until I’m panting, unable to do anything but flick the tip of my tongue over his slit. When he doesn’t let up, I take him in as far as I can. He stops his onslaught to moan, and I continue my attention at a rapid pace while he bucks into me. “Yes, yes....”

  Without warning, he reaches around to grab my hair and gives it a tug. His dick pops out of my mouth, and he keeps pulling until I’m in a sitting position.

  “I’m going to come if you don’t stop,” he explains. “And that’s not happening. Not before you.”

  He doesn’t let me get a word out. He runs his hand over my body to the apex of my thighs and circles my clit with his fingers. His tongue works in unison, and I try to stay upright as he drives me higher and higher. My body is a shaking mess. My thighs clench, and I worry I might suffocate him, but then I break apart unexpectedly. I call out Stone’s name, and he presses his palm into my skin, holding me in place, milking every last ounce of pleasure.

  Still enjoying the aftershocks, I lean forward, sucking him into my eager mouth, wanting to give him the same thing he gave me—a physical reminder that he’s forgiven, that it’s done. Over with. Our past.

  Not everything is going to be roses, but we can strive to put each other first. All of us. We can work hard toward making the past our worst memories and our future filled with love.

  His hips jerk into me, and I quicken my movements until he explodes down my throat, my name a strangled cry on his lips. He shudders as I lick him from base to tip, reveling in his pleasure. With a satisfied sigh, he lifts me from him, and pulls me back down. Lying side-by-side, our hearts beat a war cry of freedom.

  He presses a kiss to my temple, then runs his fingers through my hair. We don’t move from this position until we hear the key in the lock, and even then, it’s hard to drag myself away from Stone Jacobs.

  12

  Wyatt storms into the room. I sit up, attempting to put my clothes on, and he covers me, slamming me back into Stone. “Wyatt, what the fuck?” Stone growls.

  Lucas marches past us, jumps onto a shelf in the corner, and rips the camera off the wall. He throws it on the floor and stomps on it, the plastic splintering into pieces.

  “Dude.” Stone’s mouth drops in horror.

  “Shh,” Wyatt demands.

  Lucas runs into the garage, his face a mask of fury.

  I tremble for completely different reasons than the orgasm ripping through me. Wyatt grips my leg, running his thumb up and down the curve of my knee. “Just wait a second.”

  “Done!” Lucas shouts.

  Wyatt lifts off the couch and turns slowly, taking his hat off briefly to run his hands through his hair before putting it back on. Lucas joins him, tossing a blanket to the two of us, and I pull it over my shoulders—not that I care about being naked in front of them, but with the expressions on their faces, there’s clearly something else going on.

  Stone flicks his stare between the two of them. “What is it?”

  Lucas frowns, sympathy teeming in his eyes. My gut clenches, and I’m almost afraid to ask what this is about. “Wyatt and I both got emails from Saint Clary’s about fifteen minutes ago. We thought maybe you sent in the withdrawal forms, so we opened them.” He pauses. “It wasn’t that at all. It was a live stream…of you two.”

  I glance to where the camera used to be which had a perfect view of the couch we were lying on. The perfect view of us 69ing. I shake my head, denial lapping at my beating chest. “No.”

  “I’m sorry, Dakota.” Wyatt yanks his hat off and throws it across the room. “We tried calling.”

  Stone untangles himself from me and stands, yanking his sweats on. “How in the fuck did this happen?” He starts for the garage.

  “I turned the whole thing off,” Lucas calls after him. “When we couldn’t get ahold of you, we called Cole. He’s on his way.”

  Stone spins. “The security company....”

  “They either got hacked or—”

  “Or my dad bought them out. Motherfuckers!”—his eyes widen—“If they were watching the video, then they know where the safe is.”

  “No, no, no….” I stand, yanking the blanket around my body. Stone’s already sprinting toward the safe. The rest of us run behind him. Fingers shaking, he has to put in the code several times before it opens.

  It’s bare.

  There’s absolutely nothing inside.

  I fall back, stepping on Lucas’ toes. He places his arm around my waist, holding me tightly to keep me upright. Stone hangs his head. “I cann…. What? This…This is....”

  Wyatt places his arm on Stone’s shoulder as a heavy shroud covers us all. “This isn’t your fault.”

  Stone shrugs him off. He peeks at me for a fraction of a second before looking away. He brings his hands up, turning them into white-knuckle claws. “I’m going to
kill him. I’m going to wrap my hands around his neck and squeeze so fucking hard.” He’s still growling threats as he leaves the room, and Lucas kisses my temple.

  “I’m so sorry, baby,” he whispers.

  I’m in such a state of shock I can barely think. I keep staring at the safe, seeing how empty it is, and wondering who put an invisibility spell over my family’s legacy? There’s no way Lance got it, right? This is a terrible dream.

  Wyatt, who followed Stone out of the room, calls out, “Where are you going?” When no other sound comes, he shouts, “Dude.”

  The front door slams, and Lucas’ arm tightens around me, squeezing me once before running out into the main room. I sway on my feet, internally freaking out. Several other voices fill my ears, and it takes me longer than normal to recognize them, but when I do, I make my feet move. First one foot, then the other. I pull the blanket tighter and find Wyatt caging Stone in near the front doorway. He’s plastered his body against his friend’s, palms outstretched on the wall. Both of their faces share a furious shade of red as they struggle.

  Cole shifts his gaze to me. “I’ve got my guys surrounding the house, and a new security company coming in.”

  Ninja peers over at me but immediately glances away.

  “What are you going to do, Jacobs? March over to that huge mansion and demand answers?” Cole sneers.

  Stone roars, fighting against Wyatt.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I lament, voice breaking. I drop onto the couch facing away from them. “It’s gone. It’s all gone.”

  “Jesus Christ, would one of you take care of baby girl? She’s pale as fuck.”

  When Wyatt turns his attention to me, Stone slips out of his grip, elbows him in the ribs, and runs off. It’s as if I’m watching a movie. We’re in another reality. One where Lance Jacobs got the best of us. I want to jump back into the right reality because this shit is fucked up.

  Lucas squeezes my shoulder. “Dakota.” His eyes are round, frightened. “You’ve got to stop Stone. He’ll only listen to you.”

  He tightens his grip again, and I shake my head as if fighting off cobwebs.

  “Stone,” I whisper. “Where is he?”

  “He’s leaving to track his father down.”

  I get to my feet. He can’t do that. He’ll put himself at risk, and he’s worth more to me than my family’s legacy. “Stone, stop!” I scream, but he’s already down the walkway.

  I run to the door, and Cole stops me. “Let him go.”

  I glare at Cole, then turn back. “Stop, please!” I yell.

  Stone hesitates with his hand on the car door of the Audi before ripping it open.

  “I can’t lose you and my family’s things,” I call out, hoping that will get through to him. I turn pleading eyes to Cole. “Stop him. He can’t do this.” Nothing good will come of him going to see Lance.

  Cole nods at Ninja, and Ninja strides toward the driveway. “Don’t hurt him,” I squeak.

  With Ninja off to gather Stone, Cole sighs. “Now, will someone take Dakota to get some clothes on, please?”

  Wyatt grabs my shoulders, turning me away as Ninja approaches Stone. The cowboy holds me close, rubbing his hands up and down my arms as he walks me to my room. He takes me directly into the bathroom and turns on the shower. My body trembles of its own accord while Wyatt strips down with me and moves us under the hot spray.

  “What could you see?” I croak. “In the video.”

  “It was clear enough. If people didn’t know it was you guys at first, they would’ve figured it out if they watched the video long enough. We heard you call out each other’s names.”

  “They?” I freeze, my body turning to ice despite the hot water pelting me.

  “It was a college-wide email,” Wyatt murmurs. “They made it appear as if Stone sent it.”

  Wyatt hauls me up when my legs fail me. It’s one thing making a video when you’re aware. It’s another thing altogether to be recorded in secret and have something so intimate be shared with others without your consent.

  “It’s down now. We called the school’s tech department, and they shut it down.”

  “That doesn’t mean people still don’t have it.”

  “Cole and Stone are going to take care of this,” Wyatt promises. “And Lucas and I will do anything to help.”

  “We need to move,” I cringe, thinking about Saint Clary’s. I can’t go back there now. Right? Everyone’s seen.... Oh my God, and we had to be experimenting, too. We couldn’t have been having boring missionary-style sex, we had to be 69ing.

  “No way. If anything, you made every girl in that school so damn jealous. When we go back, you’re going to walk into Saint Clary’s with your head held high.”

  “It’s different for guys,” I explain to Wyatt. “Everyone’s going to look at Stone like he’s the man for getting his dick sucked, but everyone’s going to stare at me like I’m a whore.”

  Wyatt makes me peer up at him. A bead of water clings to his nose before dripping to the shower floor. “You can’t let other people make you feel that way. Besides,” he starts, running a hand down my soaking wet hair, “I’ll kick anyone’s ass who says that. I’ll protect you for life, Tits.”

  We stay under the water until it turns lukewarm. Turning the knob off, he hands me a towel. While I dry off, he dresses in the same clothes he came in with, then offers me a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from my dresser.

  I’m sick to my stomach to go back out there and face this, but I have to. I have to make sure Stone is okay, that he doesn’t blame himself for what happened. I also have to make sure Cole’s taking care of security because if they got into the house once without us knowing, they can do it again.

  Wyatt places a finger under my chin as soon as I’m dressed. “Head up. Nothing gets to you. Okay?”

  I wish that were the case. I worry about the loss of my family’s legacy; about the loss of my reputation. But Wyatt’s words remind me that I have control over some things. People can say whatever they want but that doesn’t mean I have to listen to them.

  We walk out, and the first thing I notice is Stone sitting on the couch with an ice pack over his eye. “What the hell?” I race toward him and drop to my knees. He glances away, and I glare at Ninja.

  The guard pulls a face. “He fought me.”

  Cole chuckles, and I scowl at him. “I said not to hurt him.”

  “Rather he has a black eye than a bullet in his brain,” Cole snarks.

  Well, when he says it like that.... I turn back to Stone. “Are you okay?”

  He swallows, emotions clogging his features. He can’t even look at me.

  “Hey,” I try again, attempting to not get in his face but failing. He needs to see that I don’t blame him for this.

  He gently moves around me and stands, still holding the ice pack to his eye. “Where do we stand?” he inquires.

  Lucas takes my hand and pulls me to the couch beside him. “Don’t worry,” he whispers. “He’s just mad at himself.”

  “My tech guys should be here in fifteen minutes. They’ll take a look at your cameras and replace or rewire, whatever they have to do. They might be able to recall the footage to see who it was that took Dakota’s treasure stuff.” He turns to me. “I’m sorry we weren’t here.” He shakes his head, hands balling to fists. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

  I rub my temples.

  “Even if they do get the footage, I’m sure we won’t be able to see who it was,” Lucas states. “They always wear masks.”

  “I’ll put my feelers out. People who do illegal shit sometimes band together. I’ll see who took Lance’s contract if I can. In the meantime, me and my men are staying here. I don’t want Lance’s assholes that close to Dakota ever again.”

  Wyatt sits on the coffee table. “We were going to head into the mountains soon.”

  Cole glances toward Ninja, and the Dragon guard shrugs. “Never been much of a hiker, but I’ll do my best. You can co
unt on us,” he says, locking gazes with the four of us.

  Ninja’s not so bad. I actually kind of like him, as weird as that sounds.

  “I’ll stay here and hold down the fort.” Cole turns toward me. “I can’t disappear for a few days. Shit would fall apart.”

  “It’s good that we’ll be split up,” Wyatt remarks, backing up Cole’s decision. “In case they try anything while we’re gone.”

  I can’t imagine Cole up in the Superstitions anyway. That shit would be funny.

  “I hear one of you assholes can cook,” Cole states. “We haven’t had a good meal since we’ve been here.”

  Wyatt takes in a huge breath before shifting his gaze to me. I see the gleam in his eye that he wants to tell Cole off, but when he sees me, he relents. “Yeah, sure. I can make something.”

  “I’ll help,” I tell him, getting to my feet. Ninja and the other guard—and Cole, too—have done a lot for us, and the least I owe them is a good meal.

  Cole reclines on the sofa, asking where the remote is. Lucas throws it to him before joining Wyatt and me in the kitchen. The three badasses with dragon fire tattoos licking up their necks sit on the sofa as Cole flicks through the channels, settling on Forged in Fire, a cable show about bladesmiths who make accurate representations of historical knives and swords. Watching them act as if this is their home makes me grin.

  Cole peers into the kitchen, catching me staring. He smiles, and I nod back. Stone, however, leaves the room entirely after throwing the ice pack in the kitchen sink.

  “I should talk to him,” I tell Lucas.

  He shakes his head. “Give him a couple hours. He needs to calm the fuck down first. Then, he’ll come to you.”

  I worry my bottom lip. We’d just, and I mean just, gotten over the hurdle of him not needing to apologize to me, and now something else has popped up. Stone can’t catch a break. “It’s not his fault.”

  “No, but he’s not going to get that,” Wyatt remarks, taking out a frying pan. “He’ll hate himself for this.”