Hard Limit

by Meredith Wild

  I dropped some clothes into my suitcase on the floor and let my mind return to the less than pleasant run-in with Marie. “I met with Marie for lunch.”

  “How did that go?”

  “She admitted that she let it slip about Daniel to Richard, but she doesn’t believe he is the one who leaked the information.”

  “That’s bullshit.”

  “I know. I’m pretty sure she’s in love with him and can’t fathom that he’d do this to her.” I sighed. “I walked out on our lunch. I feel terrible about it, but I couldn’t listen to her defending him anymore.”

  I ran the conversation over in my mind, no less frustrated by her defense of Richard. I changed into a tank top and joined Blake in bed, switching the lamp off beside me. He drew me up against him.

  “I’m sorry you had to deal with that. But at least now you know.”

  I nodded and rested my head against his chest, skimming my hands down the smooth ridges of his body. “Hopefully she’ll come around and realize he’s not the man she thinks he is.”

  I was upset with Marie, but I felt for her too. I knew what it was like to fall hopelessly in love with a man and have that cloud nearly everything else. Without a second thought, I’d defended Blake against every person who’d hurled accusations against his character. Men from his past—Max, Trevor, and even Isaac—had warned me about Blake, trying in vain to sully my vision of the only man I’d ever truly loved. But in the end, no one could shake my belief that he was a good man.

  Troubled, maybe, and certainly not always innocent. His history as a hacker wasn’t yet safely in the past, and I wasn’t sure it ever would be. The man had a way of securing information by any means necessary, a talent I’d never quite been able to wrap my head around.

  I searched for his eyes in the near darkness, my heart twisting with the knowledge that so much more lay beyond his words and the experiences we’d shared together. I hadn’t mustered up the courage to ask him about the club again, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to. Maybe he was right. Maybe I should let it go, but a little voice in my head simply wouldn’t.

  His brow wrinkled. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I’m just a little worried about the business,” I said quickly, avoiding what was troubling me more. “I’m worried for Daniel a little bit too I guess. When all this goes public, it’s going to affect his campaign. A reporter called me this morning, fishing for information.”

  He brushed a strand of hair off my forehead. “We knew it would get out eventually.”

  “I know. I just wish all this was behind us. As long as this investigation is open about Mark’s death, I have to live with this lie. I’m scared to death that the police will find out the truth.”

  “You should have told them the truth when you had the chance, Erica.”

  I closed my eyes, sensing where this was going. “You know why I couldn’t.”

  “You want to believe that he’s someone he’s not. That somehow this one act, even though he did it to save his own campaign, redeems him for everything he didn’t do for you, all the things he never gave you.”

  A wave of emotion rushed over me, sending tears prickling behind my eyes. Refusing to give in to the feelings I didn’t want to face, I pushed away and tried to face the wall. He turned me back to him quickly.

  I opened my mouth to protest but he slanted his lips over mine, silencing me with a slow, commanding kiss. He cupped my cheek while his arm circled me tighter.

  I struggled for a breath when he broke the kiss, his eyes dark and intent on me. He traced my lower lip with his thumb. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure that I’ll ever be able to forgive Daniel for threatening you and breaking us apart. He and I might always be at odds.”

  I relented. His resentment sourced from his love for me. “I understand you have your reasons.”

  “For what it’s worth, I hope he doesn’t disappoint you again.” He caressed my cheek and he lowered, pressing another less demanding kiss to my lips. “I love you, Erica. I only want the best for you.”

  I closed my eyes. “I know.”

  “Enough about Daniel.”

  I nodded with a sigh.

  “Don’t you want to know what I’ve cooked up for your birthday?” He cocked an eyebrow.

  A small smile curved my lips. “Maybe.”

  His hands went to my sides, his fingertips wiggling against me. I started laughing, pushing him away to escape.

  “You don’t seem that excited,” he teased.

  “I am. Stop!” I couldn’t stop laughing as he continued to tickle me. I squirmed until, realizing he was too strong to get away from, I resorted to pinching him.

  “Hey!” He flipped me over, caught my hands behind my back, and slapped my ass hard.

  I yelped but didn’t try to move again now that the tickling torment had stopped. I lay there, letting the burn settle into my skin under his palm. I bit my lip, well aware of how my giddiness was transforming into desire.

  “You haven’t even asked about your presents,” he murmured huskily, sliding his body over mine. Releasing my hands, he caressed up my sides, his erection pressed against my behind.

  “You never asked me what I wanted,” I replied with equally dark meaning lacing the words.

  He exhaled, slipping his hands into the front of my panties. I lifted my hips up to give him space to touch me.

  “I know what you want, Erica. I always know, sometimes better than you do.”

  God, did he ever. I fisted my hands into the pillow above my head, wanting to be taken away by my desire. I wanted to disappear into this darkness, the here and now between us. To hell with the world. I gasped when his fingers slid through the damp folds of my pussy, rubbing gently against my swollen clit.

  “How about I give you one of your presents early? Would you like that?”

  I nodded, unable to speak without moaning loudly.

  “I can’t hear you. Say the words.”

  His fingers slid into me, reminding me of where I wanted him the most. He withdrew, leaving me empty and wanting. I whimpered, lifting my hips back up against him.

  “Erica,” he sang, a dark taunt ringing in my ear.

  “Please, Blake.” I struggled to form the words he wanted to hear. By default, I’d resorted to begging.

  “Please, what?”

  “Please, fuck me. I want my present. Please…”

  I lifted my hips, rubbing my ass against him. He cursed and shoved my panties down to my knees. Not bothering to undress either of us completely, he pushed his boxers down just enough. His cock burned hot against my skin. The soft head trailed over my ass and pressed against the opening of my pussy.

  “Anything for the birthday girl.” The words strained as he drove home with one powerful thrust.

  I clenched my jaw around the wordless cry that wanted to escape from my lips when he was inside me completely. I was tight around him. Relief and the sharp need for more washed over me. His hips pushed me forward and down into the mattress, a cushion as he drove into me. Every stroke of his cock into me caused a delicious tingling, down every limb and pulsing where our bodies met. My clit, deep inside me, those secret places where only he could give me pleasure. My arousal drenched us both, making the journey smooth as his pace increased.

  Reality was slipping. A new reality where we were the only two players formed as the chase for orgasm took over. I turned my head to the side, gasping for breath as his passionate fucking robbed me of air.

  I whimpered as our warm, slick bodies slid over one another. God, this man could do things to me. He pulled out and turned me over, nudging between my legs. He leaned down, catching my lips in his. He sucked them into his mouth, devouring the swollen flesh with lusty swipes of his velvet tongue.

  Then lifting my thigh around his waist, he was inside me again in seconds. Going deeper, thrusting harder and faster, he took me to the edge. I ran out of air, gasping, spasming around him, racked with overwhelming pleasure. He caught my cries with one
last kiss as he finished. His release burst inside me in rhythmic pulsing thrusts. We shared breath, collapsing together into the soft net of our bed.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  His body undulated over mine, finding the deepest part of me one last time, drawing out the last ounce of pleasure from our union. I shuddered, feeling stripped, exhausted, and thoroughly loved.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Less than twenty-four hours later, Blake and I were in a rental car, letting the GPS guide us toward Elliot’s home, a place I’d yet to visit. I looked out the window, noticing all the little ways the outskirts of Chicago were different from Boston, the place I’d called home for years now. I had changed so dramatically since I left. That I’d spent most of my life here seemed suddenly impossible.

  I looked over at Blake, who seemed intently focused on getting us to our destination. He took his gaze away from the road a second, catching my lingering stare. He caught my hand and held it in my lap, giving it a gentle squeeze.

  “You nervous about seeing Elliot?”

  I took a deep breath, hoping to quell the anxious feeling building in my chest.

  As long as it had been, this place still held a lot of memories for me. Memories I wasn’t sure I was ready to dive into right now. I’d tried to think of the trip mostly as a getaway for us, but for some reason I couldn’t quite grasp, I was apprehensive about showing Blake my old world. Maybe because my life in Chicago, with my mother gone, was a shell of what it had been and a far cry from the boisterous and supportive network that he had with his own family.

  I’d come a long way from that time. I was all grown up. Vulnerable at times, but able to navigate my way through the world with more confidence than I had been before. I’d graduated and built a business that was finally stable and prospering. Now Blake and I were getting married and starting our lives together. How could I think about the past when all those days paled in comparison to the days I shared with Blake now? Somehow, with everything we’d been through, he had become my home. I belonged to our life together, and the thought of stepping into my past shook the ground under my feet.

  “I’m about to look my past in the face. I’m a little scared, I guess.” I looked up, hoping for reassurance. What I found in the depth of his dark eyes was a flash of recognition.

  “You’ll be fine, baby,” he said quietly, squeezing my hand gently.

  Suddenly we were the same, two people running from who we were, head first into a new life and a chance to be more together.

  The GPS announced we’d found our destination as we pulled up to Elliot’s house. I wrapped my cardigan around me tighter, though Blake’s hand in mine gave me infinitely more comfort.

  Elliot and Beth lived in a charming two-story home a short ride outside of the city. Blue shutters framed the front windows of the house. A few of the windows were lit up. The rooms were brightly colored, and I caught a glimpse of children running inside.

  We walked up the wooden steps to the doorway and opened the screen door, which squeaked a little. I pressed the doorbell and stepped back.

  Standing on the whitewashed wrap-around porch, I waited, twisting my fingers anxiously. Blake caught my hand again and pulled me against his side. The murmuring of voices inside grew louder, and the door flew open.

  “Erica!” Elliot’s smile could not have been any wider as he stepped through the doorway and pulled me away from Blake and into a tight hug.

  I held him back, and in an instant, I was a little girl all over again, so happy to see him. He looked the same. Aside from a few gray hairs in his dark brown sideburns, he was the same handsome man he’d always been. Of medium height, he stood a little shorter than Blake, but he was fit and lean in the same way. His dark blue eyes brightened. Beside us, Blake cleared his throat.

  “Blake.” Elliot grinned and pulled back enough to slap Blake’s hand in a handshake, keeping his arm around my shoulder. “Great to finally meet you.”

  “Good to meet you too.”

  Blake’s smile was different. I couldn’t place it.

  “Come on in,” Elliot said quickly.

  He led us into the foyer where Beth appeared. She was dressed in casual clothes, and her eyes brightened when we entered. We’d met before a couple times, once at their wedding and for a brief summer visit. She’d always been sweet to me, and I had no reason to resent or dislike her. Elliot had loved my mother, but I wanted him to be happy. Seeing him smile again after my mother had passed away was all I needed to know that Beth was good for him.

  Beth had light brown eyes and dark hair swept up into a messy bun. She brushed her hands off on her pants, leaving behind a white residue that only added to her disheveled look. “Sorry! You caught us in the middle of a major cooking project, so I’m a mess.” She leaned in to kiss me on the cheek, careful not to touch me otherwise. “It’s wonderful to see you, Erica. I’m so glad you could come out.” Her gaze went to Blake who stood beside me. “You must be Blake?”

  I warmed. I tried to hide a small smile as I watched them make introductions with the man who would be my husband in a few short weeks. I wanted them to see how happy he made me. I wanted them to like him and see the amazing person he was to me.

  As they chatted briefly, I wished even more that Blake could be meeting my mother. I pushed the thought away, shifting my focus to the two brown-haired little girls who were now huddled by their parents’ legs, surveying Blake and me with their big brown eyes.

  I crouched down, comparing their cherubic little features with the memory I had formed of them through photos I’d seen over the years.

  I made eye contact with the younger one. “You must be Clara. Is that right?”

  She nodded shyly, and the toe of her bare foot tapped restlessly on the floor.

  “How old are you? Oh, wait. Let me guess.” I pretended to be thinking. “You seem pretty big. Are you three?”

  She smiled and nodded.

  “And what is your name?” The girl, who was only a couple years older than her sister, stood still by Elliot, her eyes intent on me.

  “Marissa,” she said quietly.

  “That’s a beautiful name. I’m Erica. I’ve heard so much about you. It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”

  She stepped away from Elliot after a moment and stood in front of me, her hands covered in flour and dangling at her sides. She cocked her head slightly. “Are you my sister?”

  I opened my mouth to speak as I searched for the right answer.

  “That’s right,” Beth chimed in. “You and Erica have the same daddy.”

  Marissa’s brow wrinkled, as if she’d been trying to but couldn’t quite make sense of this. “Where is your mommy?”

  “Oh,” I said quietly. “She’s in heaven.”

  “My fish went to heaven too. Mommy said she would be happy there.”

  I smiled, charmed by the two beautiful little girls. “I bet she is.”

  Clara emerged from her spot by Beth and grabbed my hand in her chubby one. “Come...play.”

  I looked up to see the others smiling.

  Beth quickly spoke. “Oh, let’s give Erica a chance to get settled before we make her play. She’s had a long trip.”

  I laughed. “It’s okay. What are we playing?”

  “We make sister cookies,” Clara explained, her bright eyes seeming to expect that I knew what that meant.

  “Oh?”

  She tugged at my arm, and I followed her and Beth into the kitchen.

  “Sorry this place is a mess. We started out wanting to make cookies, and then they had to be heart shaped, and then they had to be pink, so…” Beth threw her hands up as we surveyed the counter covered in sugar cookie debris. “This is what we have.”

  Clara lifted to her tippy toes and grabbed a pink slightly misshapen heart cookie and pressed into my hand.

  “Clara calls them sister cookies, since she knew we were making them special for you.”

  “Oh, thank you.” I took a bite and moa
ned in exaggerated delight. “So good. You made these?”

  Both the girls nodded, their eyes bright with pride.

  “Oh my God, what is that?”

  My eyes widened as Beth caught my hand, bringing my diamond studded ring closer to her face.

  “Oh, um.” I struggled to come up with the right words, let alone with pink sugar cookie in my mouth. I hadn’t thought much about how to break the news to Elliot, but Beth might beat me to it. “We’re engaged.”

  She let out a small squeal. “Elliot, come in here!”

  A few seconds later, Elliot and Blake joined us in the kitchen.

  “Erica and Blake are engaged!”

  “What? When did this happen?” Elliot looked between Blake and me.

  “Have you set a date?” Beth interjected before either of us could answer.

  “We’re just doing a small beachside ceremony in a few weeks,” Blake said.

  “You’re kidding?” Elliot looked to Beth. They both shook their heads. “Well, shoot, you should have told me, Erica.”

  I shrugged. “I know you’re busy. I didn’t want to put any extra pressure on you. Plus everything came together really fast. I can barely keep up with it.”

  “Well, we’ll figure something out. I want to be there,” Elliot said without hesitation.

  “Seriously, it’s going to be really small. I know you guys are swamped.” I didn’t want him to come because he felt guilty. He had a whole life here and a family who really needed him. That much was obvious as the two little girls padded around the kitchen between us.

  “Don’t be crazy, Erica. We’ll figure it out, one way or the other.” Beth came in for a hug.

  “Okay, but no pressure. I understand you both have a full plate.”

  Beth hushed me and we proceeded to work together to get dinner together. Blake and Elliot had retreated to the other room while Beth dove into questions about how Blake and I met. Clara and Marissa took turns feeding me sister cookies and eventually succeeded in tugging me away from their mother and toward another room. Despite Beth’s attempts to distract them, I ended up spending the next hour on the floor of their shared room, while the “grownups” prepared dinner and talked downstairs.