Bitter Hearts (A Southern Loving Book 3)

by Thorn, Ava

  “Is everything okay?” she asked softly, as they stood in the jungle room that was decorated in Polynesian and Asian influences. The floor and walls covered in green shag pile and wooden furniture carved into animals.

  “Yeah,” he replied. Taking her hand into his.

  After their thirty minute tour of Graceland and taking pictures in front of the famed iron gates, the headed off. Going back to Beale Street was different in the afternoon. They allowed music to carry to different restaurants to sample food by the time they made it to BB King Restaurant, Corrine was already waiting for their arrival with a steamy catfish bites and fried green tomatoes.

  “I timed you guys just right.” Corrine pointed to a table near the stage.

  Hank pulled out Kari’s chair before sitting down. “You’re quiet this morning.”

  “I’m sorry… I have a lot of things on my mind,” he replied.

  “Remember what you said, ‘This weekend together there will be no talk about regrets or family problems. We will be silly, playful, spontaneous, generous, thoughtful and affectionate’” she mimicked in a southern accent that caused him to smile.

  “I did, sugar.”

  Kari stood up. “I’m going to the restroom,” she said, kissing him on the lips before she disappeared to the back.

  “She is a good girl,” Corrine said, sitting down in the seat that Kari vacated seconds ago. “I like her and apparently you do too.”

  Hank picked up his glass of iced tea. “I’m falling in love with her,” he admitted.

  “Is that why you looking a mess?” Corrine folded her arms, narrow those big hazel eyes on him.

  “No.” He ran his fingers through his brown locks and shook his head. “The problem is that one of the security guys from the ranch told me that Natalie’s back home.”

  “And?”

  “I’m still in love with my wife even though she left me for another man,” he admitted. “I would have done anything to get her to come back home…”

  “Now that she did you want to give her a second chance?” Corrine was seething as she unfolded her arms. “That child don’t love you and I told you that the day you said you was going to marry her.”

  “It’s my life,” Hank spat.

  “What about Kari and her feelings?” Corrine was the only one besides his family who knew that the break up with Natalie did to him.

  “I don’t know,” he said truthfully.

  “All Natalie did was take from you and never gave you shit in return,” Corrine said, slamming her hand on the table. “Now you going to toss something that can be good for you.”

  “I’m going to figure things out,” Hank said, he raised his hand up for Corrine not to say anything when he saw Kari coming from the back. He saw the smile on her face that was only for him.

  “Now, I know you from Beverly Hills-Ms. Kari, but don’t be afraid to show your face in this establishment because I will always open to you with open arms,” Corrine said standing up, giving Kari a hug.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Kari said.

  Hank stood up and put a few bills on the table before hugging Corrine. “Now stay out of trouble.”

  “Whatever, take your own advice, Hank Jackson,” Corrine singsonged as she walked to the bar to chat with patrons.

  Chapter Eight

  Hank cursed aloud as the snow started to fall down on I-40 as they were coming up the rocky mountain. He wished he’d paid attention to the forecast before leaving Memphis. The October cold front was bring snow to the mountains earlier than expected. He turned up the heat with hopes of getting rid of the chill in the air. His eyes focus on the snow covered road.

  “What’s the matter?” Kari yawned, looking at him.

  “It looks like there is a snow storm coming our way.” Hank pointed out.

  Kari gazed out the window; the clouds were looking fierce as the snow started to fall rapidly. “What are we going to do? Keep driving until we find a hotel?”

  “The wind is picking up and I don’t want to chance us get stranded in the middle of nowhere,” he said.

  “What’s the plan?”

  “We have a cabin not far from here, we will stop at a store and grab the bare necessities,” Hank said, pulling the truck off the nearest exit. The snow blanketed the streets, Hank knew it would be hard to navigate on the road without snow tires.

  They stopped at a small, country, back wood, grocery store. Kari shivered as she felt a blast of cold wind hit her as she walked into the store with Hank right behind her. With quick work they managed to grab everything they needed for an overnight stay at the cabin. “Stay here. I’ll be right back for you.”

  Kari nodded her head and looked up timidly and examined the two story log cabin. The roof blanketed in glistering white snow. She watched as Hank walked to towards what appear to be a flower bed, using his phone as a flash light, he looked underneath rock before walking up the stairs and opening the door.

  The cabin reminded her of a perfect romantic getaway, but that wasn’t the case for them. Kari opened her iPad case to make sure that all items for the nursery in Dallas was delivered on time. She was about to send an email, to a contractor when out of nowhere she hear howls piercing the quiet night air.

  Kari screamed as she open the truck door and ran up the stairs and into the house.

  “What the hell,” Hank said, running around the corner and into a panic stricken Kari. “What’s wrong?”

  Kari gasped and looked behind her. “Wolves!” She pointed behind her.

  Hank wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. “I’m sorry Kari; I went to start the fire and to check the house out before you came in.”

  “Please don’t leave me again,” she cried into his chest.

  He cradled her face in his hands. “I could never leave you,” he whispered, thumbing away her warm tears.

  “Okay.” She moved away from him, surveying the spacious living room. The only source of light was coming from the fireplace. “This isn’t a freaking cabin it’s more like a log-mansion.”

  “Says the rich girl from Beverly Hills,” Hank mocked. “I’m going to go get the luggage.” He walked towards the open door.

  “What about the wolves?”

  “Aww, you care about my well-being,” he said, before disappearing out the door.

  While Hank was busy getting the luggage, Kari decided to give herself a tour around the spacious cabin. The house was divided into levels, main level featuring a gourmet kitchen with granite counter tops and stainless. There were pictures on the wall of Austin and Hank as teenagers, she came upon one of Hank and red haired woman. She stood there for a second studying how happy the couple appeared. When she heard Hank coming through the front door, she moved away from the pictures. Kari ventured out two French doors that lead to a wraparound deck with a gourmet gas grill, outdoor brick fireplace, four log rocking chairs and two porch swings. The snow was coming down harder; she could see trees in the distance thickly coated with snow.

  “You shouldn’t be out here,” Hank said from behind her, he wrapped his arms around Kari’s waist. “You don’t have the appropriate clothes on.”

  Kari turned around in his arms. She stared into his grey eyes, she brushed snowflakes out of his brown hair. His cheeks and nose were red and rosy from the cold, and the smile on his face melted her heart. Kari thought about how handsome he looked before moving closer to him. She cupped her hands around his cold cheek. Hank big hands covered hers and pulled her lips up to meet his halfway.

  “Kari,” he groaned against her lips. “We need to get inside before we catch a cold.”

  ‘Okay,” she said, pulling away from him.

  “I’ll show you around,” he said, taking her by the hand.

  They walked back to the living room where a leather sofa was strategically arranged and a stacked, stone, gas fireplace and a huge flat screen TV on the wall. Hank opened a door that lead to the master suite, king size bed draped in lovely fabrics, sit
ting area, fireplace and French doors that opened to the spacious deck.

  “This is nice Hank; I would never want to leave here.”

  “Yeah,” he mumbled, and walked out of the room.

  Kari sat on the bed and sighed. She felt like he was tossing her aside or keeping something from her. Never one to back down, she got up from the bed and she followed the sound of cabinets opening and closing from the kitchen.

  “What is your problem? You woke up with a bad attitude.”

  Hank continued lighting a few candles around the kitchen. “There is nothing wrong with me.”

  “I think I’m in love with you,” she said softly.

  Hank appeared as if he’d been sucker punched. “Out of all things, I didn’t expect you to say that.”

  “Why not? Because of the picture hanging on the wall?” Kari promised herself she would never know what another broken heart felt like.

  “Natalie doesn’t have anything to do with us,” he said, leaning against the refrigerator. “You don’t love me.”

  Kari stared at him in disbelief. “I didn’t know what it meant until now…to trust someone wholeheartedly. I know now.”

  “Love don’t happen overnight.”

  “Are you telling me that or are you telling yourself that?” Kari ran her hand down her face; she was getting impatient with Hank. “You know what, just stay the hell away from me during the remainder of our trip to Dallas and I’ll do the same.” She turned around and stormed back into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

  She should’ve seen this coming. Well, technically she saw it coming but decided to throw chance into the wind and follow her damn heart. There were so many preventative measures she had taken to keep her heart safe, but she allowed a man’s loving, comforting words to knock down the walls she put up. Going to the bathroom, she ran herself a hot bubble bath in the two person tub. Kari cursed herself, for allowing her heart to override her mind.

  ***

  He was always told that falling in love is one of the most mysterious and amazing things one can experience in life. For the longest time, Hank thought he was lusting after Kari. But the signs of loving her were always there, from the first day she passed him on the highway. Hank finish adding the steamy water to the coffee mugs, stirring the hot chocolate mix he walked into towards the bedroom that’d been locked for the past hour. He kicked it with his feet and waited for an answer.

  “What do you want?”

  “You can’t go to bed hungry,” he replied, standing carefully making sure he didn’t splash any hot chocolate on himself.

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “You haven’t ate anything since lunch and its way passed dinner.” Hank could hear a plastic bag rumbling behind the closed door.

  “I’m eating right now, you left beef jerky and Slim Jims in here.” She chewed and smacked her mouth for great measure. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

  Hank growled from the responses he was getting from Kari. “I bet its cold in there, you should let me to light the fireplace and I’ll leave.” When the door unlocked and opened, he smiled.

  Walking through the threshold, it was freezing and the cold reception he was getting from Kari wasn’t making things any better. He put the tray down on the nightstand and went to work getting the fire going.

  “You can leave,” she said tightly, avoiding any eye contact with him.

  “Can we talk?” he asked.

  Silence

  “Well, I’ll talk and you listen.” He sat on the leather sofa next to the bay window. “Falling in love is beyond our control, and it comes at a wrong time.”

  Kari chewed slowly on the tough beef jerky. “You opened my eyes to a part of the world…a part of my life that I didn’t know existed.” She smiled slowly as her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I’ve been in love a few times, but this between me and you is totally different. I can feel it in the atmosphere when we’re together; it’s like this intensity like I’ve never felt in my twenty-eight years.”

  “I felt it the first day in front of you, teasing you about driving fast.”

  “I doubted him and myself the whole engagement. Somewhere in that relationship I lost myself honestly, I became my own worst enemy. Sam knew all my weakness and my fear and used that against me.”

  “Kari you are the most beautiful, opinionated, and fearless woman I’ve ever met. I’m not saying those things to boost your ego.”

  “I was made to believe that I was impossible to love.” She sat the cup of hot cocoa down and clasp her fingers together. “The best thing Sam could have done was cheat on me…that was my way out of a terrible, no good relationship.”

  Hank got up and sat on the bed next to Kari, he took her hand into his. “You were lost.”

  “I was lost in the world that I built and what I thought was love…my way out was catching him in a compromising position with someone dear to me, I rid myself of that toxic relationship.”

  “We are supposed to take something from that experience and learn from it.”

  “For two years I allow myself to be sad and lonely for a long time. I always told myself it was my fault because I’m a failure... In my last relationship I wasn’t strong enough to stand up to my fears or to demand respect.”

  Hank always knew that Kari was strong and independent. He was seeing determination in her eyes that was telling him that she wasn’t going to go through the same bullshit as before.

  Kari dropped his hand, she moved away to put some much needed distance between them. “The strangest thing started to happen; I started to feel these feeling that I never felt before. Hank, you are unlike anyone before in my life, I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “I just don’t love the idea of you, after it’s all said in done.” Kari kneeled down between his legs, staring up into his grey eyes. “Hank, I adore you. When I’m with you I feel at ease, safe, belonging and passion every time I’m with you-there is no fear.”

  “Why are you telling me this now?”

  “I don’t know what tomorrow holds and I’d rather bare my soul than regret that I never told you how I felt.” She stood up and claimed his lips in a soul searching kiss that left them both breathless.

  Hank held her in place, his eyes transfixed on hers. “When I said that I would protect you, I meant those words. I will protect your happiness, your life. Kari, I will protect everything.”

  “Same here,” she said softly. “I fell in love with you, Hank Jackson, not because of who I want you to be, but because of who you are as a person.”

  For the first time in his life, this was the deepest he’d ever fallen in love with someone. How could love make you feel incredibly happy and loved? He felt like he made the greatest accomplishment when you found the right person, who you wanted to spend your life with.

  “I know everything is complicated,” he breathed.

  “It will always be complicated,” she said, before kissing him.

  With their little spat earlier he missed her; she wrapped her arms around his neck as they eagerly exchanged kisses. The mounting need to be inside of her grew just like his cock. Her lips were warm and sweet against his. Kari was taking the lead, kissing him slowly, as if this was their last time together. He closed his eyes as she took her time unbuttoning his shirt.

  His mind was on fire as her hands unsnapped the button on his jeans. She pushed him down on the bed and straddled him, only wearing a red 49ers t-shirt. The shirt was enough to give the weakest man strength like Hercules. Hank ran his hand over her plump ass, up and under the shirt to caress her naked back. Her skin felt so soft and good to the touch.

  “I think I’m the luckiest woman to found a man like you,” Kari said, taking his face in her hands. When he smiled at her, revealing his pearly white teeth, she inhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Hank was the most beautiful person she’d ever laid eyes on.

  “I’m the luckiest man because I have you.”

  K
ari let out a yelp of surprise when Hank flipped her onto her back. He was on top, kissing her breathless, she wrapped her legs around him.

  “I want all of you.”

  “I’m you genie, Kari. I’ll give you anything your heart desires and more.”

  “Just you. That’s it,” she replied.

  Hank took off the shirt and tossed it to the floor; he stared at her magnificent body. She had a bewitching body, smooth to the touch and ambrosial to the senses. He loved her breasts; he licked and sucked her nipple hungrily while she moaned in satisfaction.

  Tonight he wanted them to taste and indulge each other until they both fell over from exhaustion.

  Kari stroked her hands up and down his back as his kisses were hot and passionate while his hands touched everywhere he could reach.

  “I love you,” she moaned, arching her back into his grinding against her.

  I love you too,” he said, as Kari used her body weight to roll him onto his back.

  Straddling him, she ran her fingers up and down his lean muscular body. Her hands touched him all over from his shoulders to his washboard abs. Her mouth replaced her hands, her lips and mouth traveled down his neck. Hank groaned as she nipped and sucked his skin. He closed his eyes as she moved down his chest, over his nipples, biting and sucking as he groaned louder as that pretty mouth of hers landed on his stomach and groin.

  “Kari…mmm,” he said, when her tongue landed on his shaft.

  Kari continued to pleasure him. She would never forget Hank’s moans and whimpers. She loved knowing that she was satisfying him.

  “Oh God, Kari, Jesus,” he said on the verge of exploding. He yanked her up to him and threw her on the bed. He sank into her warm wetness.

  “Hank,” she moaned.

  He opened his eyes and stared into her as he pushed them into oblivion with slow, long strokes, pelvis to pelvis. Her legs wrapped around him, lifting her ass and begging him to go deeper.

  Kari felt her whole body tingling, his lips moved across her bare skin. She thought she’d died and went to heaven. The room became an inferno as they made love. She shouted her love for him as Hank worked his hips into circular motion. Their fingers intertwined as they moved together in unison.