Restoration Hearts

by Kiera Jayne

  Vaughn pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes and rubbed. Were Perie and Flynn going to abandon him? It would break his heart if they did. He heard movement outside his room and sat up. Pulling on his prosthesis, Vaughn got to his feet before remembering he was naked. It honestly shouldn’t have mattered at that point, after everything that had happened between them. But for some reason, he gathered the doona around his waist and headed out to see what the clattering was. Over in the kitchen, Perie was busying herself with the post-Christmas clean up.

  Now?

  “Perie, what are you doing up?” Vaughn croaked out; his voice still thick with sleep.

  “What does it look like? I’m cleaning up.” Perie set the punch bowl on the drainer.

  “It’s the middle of the night.”

  Perie shrugged. She looked agitated, and Vaughn stepped around the counter towards her. He uttered her name again and she spun on him. “I’m not fitting you into a schedule, Vaughn. If that’s what you think our relationship means to me, then you don’t know me at all.”

  “That’s how it feels, Perie. It feels like I’m a fling, like I’m only a temporary plaything in whatever you’ve got going on with Flynn. Your lives are inexplicably intertwined and I’m the outsider.”

  “You’re not. God, Vaughn, I love you!” She dashed across to him but stopped an inch from him.

  The way she gazed up at him, her eyes wide and hazy, face red with anger, hair unkempt, and her knitted jumper hanging crookedly off one of her shoulders had Vaughn forgetting his anger. His resolve weakened quickly. She was so fucking beautiful.

  “Please believe me, Vaughn.”

  “I do,” he murmured. “But is it enough?”

  “I believe it is. We’ll work something out. We have to.”

  Her whispers of sheer pain stabbed straight into him. Vaughn felt himself bring his face closer to hers. He brushed his fingers up her arms and felt her shiver. His hands settled on her upper arms.

  “I can’t lose you again,” she whispered.

  “I can’t live in Brisbane.”

  “I understand.”

  Vaughn lifted his eyebrows in disbelief. “Do you?”

  She swallowed but didn’t utter another word. He studied her blank gaze. She was trying. He knew she was trying, but she couldn’t seem to get there.

  “You don’t understand at all, Perie. How could you?” He released her, though it pained him to do so.

  “I want to understand,” she assured him.

  “It’s late. Go back to bed.” Vaughn turned and stalked away from her. He didn’t need Perie’s pity. What he did need was to have some peaceful sleep.

  ***

  Perie shook with emotion as she watched Vaughn close his bedroom door. She wished Vaughn would let her in, that he would explain why he couldn’t live in the city. It wasn’t as bad as he thought. There were quiet spaces. Her house was quiet. Vaughn would love her house in Paddington.

  A sob wracked her body as she abandoned the dishes and crept into her close-to-finished bedroom. Biting her lip to stop it from trembling, Perie crawled into the swag beside Flynn. She slipped her arm over his waist and buried her face into his back. The sobs overcame her and she was no longer able to contain them.

  She felt Flynn stir.

  “Per?” Flynn’s groggy voice floated to Perie’s ears.

  Oh God, she had woken him up! She hadn’t meant to.

  Flynn rolled over and Perie covered her face. She felt her tears on the palms of her hands and cried harder.

  “Perie? Hey. What’s the matter, hotness?”

  Perie felt Flynn take a hold of her wrists, but she refused to budge.

  “Perie,” he said again.

  “Oh, Flynn . . ..” She tried to form a coherent sentence. She finally uncovered her face and peered across at him. “I don’t want to lose him.”

  “Who?”

  “Vaughn,” she sobbed.

  Flynn released a long sigh and pulled Perie into his arms. “We’re not going to lose him, Per.”

  “You don’t know that,” she mumbled into his chest.

  He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I will do everything in my power to keep a hold of that man, I promise.”

  Perie sniffled and rested her forehead against Flynn’s. She needed to be as close to him as possible right now, to feel utterly surrounded by him. She pressed her mouth to his and he kissed her tenderly. Flynn drew the covers tighter around them and held her close. She soon felt sleep take a hold of her and she was out like a light before she knew it.

  ***

  They spent most of Boxing Day in silence, listening to the cricket over Flynn’s new Bluetooth speaker while they polished the verandah and timber floors inside the house. The West Indies were winning the Boxing Day match against Australia, and Flynn was spitting chips.

  “Those bloody mongrels!” Flynn exclaimed as another Aussie batsman was bowled out

  Perie giggled and Flynn glared at her. She gulped. “I’m not laughing because they got out, I’m laughing at your reaction.”

  Flynn narrowed his blue eyes at her. “My reaction is warranted. Vaughn gets it.”

  Vaughn looked up from the deck. “Hm?”

  “That’s it?” Flynn demanded.

  “I’m not getting involved,” the ex-soldier responded.

  Perie and Flynn narrowed their eyes at him. Perie glanced at Flynn, a suspicious glint in her eyes.

  “What do you mean by that, mate?”

  Vaughn sighed. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Oh, I think it does,” Flynn answered.

  Vaughn pinned the other man with a glare. “It really doesn’t.”

  Perie cut Flynn off before he could reply again. “Just leave it, okay? Leave it. I’m going to . . ..” She turned to go inside but realised the polish on the floor was still drying, so thought better of it. Instead, she turned and made her way down the stairs.

  “I think you should go after her, Vaughn.”

  “Flynn!” Perie snapped.

  Flynn leaned back against the railing with a huff. Perie made her way down the steps and across the yard. She stood in front of her beautiful garden shed, hugged herself, and simply stared at it. This thing meant so much to her. It may have been nothing to most people—just a building to store random stuff in.

  Not to Perie.

  To Perie, it stored her heart. Her men designed it exactly as she dreamed, they finished it for her as a gift for their first Christmas as a triad. It was beautiful; they were beautiful.

  Now she felt that was all going away. Perie didn’t know how to help Vaughn. She wished she could, but how could she if he didn’t open up to her?

  VAUGHN WAS NOTHING IF not loyal. Just because Perie and Flynn were throwing this relationship away, didn’t mean he would shirk his duties. Even if he had to work under this oppressive tension that had fallen between the three of them over the last couple of weeks, he would never leave Perie in the lurch.

  He should have trusted his instincts. He would never compare to what those two shared. He could never be a part of their lives, and that fact killed him inside. His body ached with a dull pain. It was a new pain that had nothing to do with anything other than the people who meant the most to him.

  The house was finished. All that was left to do now was to bring in the décor.

  That was where Perie came in and she was like a force to be reckoned with. As promised, Perie created each room to contain its own distinct character but kept a run-through rustic theme by incorporating older looking pieces. Like the French blue restored dresser that had found its home in bedroom two, and the solid timber shelves above the loo in the toilet room, and the round timber table with white legs and a natural-coloured top that matched the kitchen, or the old oak table that had been repurposed into Perie’s vanity in her oversized ensuite.

  Speaking of that bathroom of hers, that space was incredible. From the claw-foot bathtub that looked out that huge window, to the s
tone fireplace, and freestanding shower in the corner of the room.

  It was no wonder Perie’s business was booming. It was no wonder she didn’t want to give it up. This was her calling.

  Vaughn hung his head. How could he ask her to give up the business she had worked so hard to build, just because of him? Maybe he could live with them in Brisbane . . .? He wasn’t sure if he could do it, but he had to try. He would try for the people he loved. He had to talk to Perie and Flynn.

  Vaughn went in search of them and found them in the master bedroom. Flynn had his suitcase on the new king-sized bed and was stuffing his clothes inside while Perie had the phone pressed to her ear and was looking perturbed.

  “Can I talk to you guys for a minute?”

  Flynn pressed his finger to his mouth. With a frown, Vaughn folded his arms and leaned back against the doorjamb. He stared up at the dark timber ceiling, focusing his frustration on the tiny fairy lights that had been installed there.

  “What do you mean? How could you make a mistake like that?” Perie shouted down the phone. “That’s unacceptable! I’ll be there in a few hours. Don’t do anything without me. I mean it!” She hung up the phone and tossed it onto the bed with a growl.

  “Everything alright?” Vaughn asked with a frown.

  “That was my solicitor. Something fucked up with some business he’s been taking care of for me,” Perie grumped.

  Vaughn itched to go to her, to put his arms around her and shoulder her problems for her. But he wasn’t sure if he should. She looked over at him longingly, and he felt like he’d broken in two. He couldn’t handle it any longer. He couldn’t let their relationship be tossed aside.

  “I’m coming with you,” Vaughn choked out.

  Flynn and Perie both froze.

  “You’re what?” Flynn asked.

  “I get it. There’s no work for either of you here. Not like there is down the coast. I’ve had time to have a good, long think about everything, and I want to come with you.”

  Concern covered Perie’s beautiful features. “Vaughn, we don’t want to put you in a difficult situation. If Brisbane isn’t the place for you, you shouldn’t force it.”

  “Here’s the thing . . . the place for me is wherever you two are. I’ll adjust to Brisbane just like I’ve adjusted to everywhere else I’ve lived in the world. Perie. Flynn. You two are my home.”

  Flynn dashed across the room and pulled Vaughn into a kiss. Vaughn responded passionately. Flynn’s crystal blue eyes danced with happiness when he broke away. “I’m so fucking happy to hear you say that, hot stuff.”

  Vaughn slid his hand around to cup Flynn’s shapely arse. “Don’t mention it, sexy.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Vaughn heard the unmistakable quiver in Perie’s voice. He left Flynn’s arms and wrapped his own around Perie, drawing her against him. “I’ll be alright, Perie-Berry.” He rested his lips against her forehead and closed his eyes. “I’ll be alright.”

  Flynn ran his hand down Vaughn’s back. “Do you need to get anything at your place?”

  “No, I’m good, mate. I already have everything I need here.”

  “Righto. Let’s go, then.” Flynn kissed the back of Vaughn’s neck before he went and zipped up his suitcase.

  ***

  Perie’s house in Brisbane was stunning. The sprawling, double-storey, ultramodern home on a hill in a suburb whose name escaped Vaughn’s mind was as far away from the Granite Ridge house as you could get.

  After she and Vaughn had ditched their things in her bedroom, Perie had gone to make a call to her lawyer while Vaughn took himself on the grand tour. From the open-plan kitchen, living room, and deck, to the dining area that faced out onto a grassed courtyard and led to the swimming pool, and then there was Perie’s large master suite.

  Eventually, Vaughn found his way downstairs, bypassing the front door to some rooms that had been converted into office spaces. This was where Perie was sitting behind a frosted glass desk in the largest office. She looked right at home with her hair hanging loose around her shoulders, her bare feet tucked up underneath her on the office chair. Vaughn had seen business attire in her wardrobe, so he figured she dressed to impress whenever she was open for business during the week. Vaughn spotted a front sliding door with a combined open/closed/trading hours sign hanging from it. The public entrance. It was a clever setup.

  Perie glanced up from her laptop and smiled at him. “Hi.”

  “Hey,” Vaughn replied.

  “Did you find everything okay? I’m sorry I had to ditch you.” She grimaced sheepishly and set her stylus down.

  “You didn’t ditch me. It’s fine. What about you? What was going on with your solicitor?”

  Perie waved it away. “Oh, it was something to do with property stuff.”

  “Denise’s?”

  “No. Another place.” She quickly changed the subject. Closing her laptop, she got to her feet. “So, this is where I run P. Miller Designs. It’s where all the . . . stuff happens.”

  “The Perie magic?”

  Perie bit back a smile. “I guess you could call it that.”

  “Impressive.”

  “You think?”

  Vaughn noted the nervousness in her voice. “It’s a bloody amazing house, Perie. A lot of house for one person. Don’t you ever get lonely in here all by yourself?”

  Perie shrugged. “Not really. I’m used to being alone.”

  Vaughn understood being alone, but he still sent her a concerned frown. “You shouldn’t be alone, Perie.”

  “It’s suited me in the past. Having the freedom to do my own thing has worked well for me. Now, though, I think I would get lonely being alone.” With a playful smile, she gently tugged on Vaughn’s T-shirt. Vaughn’s lips twitched, eventually turning upwards ever so slightly as Perie’s arse hit the cool glass of her desk. “Help me make it less lonely, Vaughn.”

  Vaughn pushed his way between her thighs and bent over her, lips hovering above hers. “Here?”

  “Why not?”

  He loved it when she was brazen like this, not ashamed to tell him what she wanted. Vaughn captured Perie’s sweet mouth in a searing kiss. Her tiny moan had his cock straining against his jeans. He hadn’t had her in weeks and now, with just a kiss, his body was desperate for her. They tore their clothes from each other, their hands grasping at one another’s bodies. The skin-on-skin contact was like a fireball that burned at a thousand degrees at their core.

  Vaughn grazed Perie’s neck with his teeth, making her shudder.

  “Oh, yes, Vaughn. Please,” Perie breathed when she felt his tip nudge against her opening.

  “Do you want me to fuck you, baby?” he growled.

  “Please,” Perie begged.

  “Tell me.”

  “Fuck me, Vaughn. Fuck me hard.”

  He growled again and slid into her, unleashing his control. He spread her wide, then curled his arms around her languid body. His large hands cupped the cheeks of her arse and he pulled himself in deeper. He was going to fuck her until she couldn’t walk. “I’ve missed your body, baby. I’ve missed it so much.”

  He pounded into her, hard and unforgiving, and her body tried to match his pace. Perie looped her legs around his waist and the heels of her feet dug into his lower back, but he wouldn’t have that. He wanted to see her in all her glory, so he opened her legs wide and watched himself disappear inside her over and over again. Perie cried out as she reached orgasm. He rode her through it, driving her body crazy, setting her completely on fire, and then she was crying out his name uncontrollably.

  When he felt himself begin to come undone, he pulled out and came all over her belly. He gazed down at the beautiful sight of his seed on her fair skin.

  Perie sighed. “God, I could go again.”

  Vaughn flashed her a devious smile and slowly knelt down in front of her. He loved the way she bit her lip in anticipation. How she gasped when he breathed against her pussy. How her body arched into hi
m when he clamped his lips over her clit, and he sunk his tongue into her.

  “Yes. Make me come again, Vaughn,” she whispered, her voice still rough from the previous orgasm.

  He moaned into her and worked his tongue in her viciously. Just as she began to moan and writhe again, the front door opened and in walked Flynn with his arms full of stuff. And was that tiny footsteps Vaughn heard?

  Vaughn lifted his mouth off Perie and turned his head towards the sound.

  “Don’t stop!” Perie begged.

  Flynn stood there, dumbfounded. “Well, shit. The pups are scarred for life, now,” he quipped.

  Vaughn’s gaze fell upon three small dogs attached to leads that were linked around Flynn’s arms.

  Perie groaned. “Vaughn!”

  “I’ll let you get back to it.” Flynn looked down at the dogs at his feet. “Come on, pups. We’ll leave your mum to her business.”

  “You can always join us if you want!” Vaughn shouted.

  “Nope. One-on-one time’s important!” Flynn shouted back.

  Vaughn and Perie giggled together.

  He turned back to her. “Where was I, baby?”

  “You were about to make me come again,” Perie purred.

  Vaughn winked at her. “That’s right, I was. You still into it?”

  “Yes, please!” she begged.

  With a chuckle, he bent down and got back to business.

  ***

  After two more orgasms, Perie snuck up the steps to the living room. Vaughn’s T-shirt barely clung to her body, falling off one shoulder as her three beloved pups bounded over to greet her. Rocket the Italian Greyhound, Jojo the Jack Russell Pug cross (or jug) and Ziggy the miniature Fox Terrier could barely contain themselves.

  “Hi, my babies, hi! Oh gosh, I’m surprised they even remember me,” Perie gushed as she sunk to the floor beside Flynn’s spot on the couch and tried in vain to gather the small dogs into her arms.