Until I Found You: A Second Chance Standalone Romance (Heart's Compass Book 3)

by Brooke O'Brien

  “It’s so good to have you here,” he whispers, pressing a kiss against my shoulder.

  My breath gets caught in my throat at the tingles that spread across my skin feeling his mouth on me again. I tilt my head to the side, giving him better access and the moan that emanates from his chest tells me he appreciates it.

  My head rolls across his chest as my fingers dig into his forearms, holding him closer to me. He moves, pressing his body closer, and I can’t help but let a moan escape me, too, when I feel his hard length press against the curve of my ass.

  His tongue traces a line from the base of my neck up the column just below my ear. His warm breath against the trail of wetness he left in his wake.

  My body quivers beneath his touch, as Graham’s hands slip under the cotton of my tank top, pressing against my stomach.

  “You look so fucking beautiful,” he groans, tilting his head up. “Look at you, Halle.”

  Opening my eyes, it takes a moment for them to adjust to the light. The light from the kitchen shining behind us makes the darkness that’s now fallen outside the perfect backdrop highlighting our reflection.

  His hand slides down, as his fingers brush across the button of my denim jeans. I’m not sure if he’s thinking what I’m thinking, but I want to beg him to keep going.

  His fingers dip just below my waistband, touching the lace edge of my panties.

  “Lace,” he mutters, as he bites down against the curve of my neck to stifle his moan. He doesn’t do it hard, but feeling his moan vibrate against my skin has me pressing my ass against him wanting to drive him wilder.

  His hand, however, doesn’t stop its exploration. Pushing the button through, he lowers the zipper of my pants and with little effort, the denim falls to the floor at my feet.

  “Mm,” he hums his appreciation, as he stares hungrily at me in the window.

  “Graham,” I say, my words coming out breathy with each heavy rise and fall of my chest.

  “Yes, baby,” he says, trailing kisses down my neck to where the strap of my tank top sits. He uses his free hand to pull the strap down, giving him better access to my skin as he continues his path.

  He stops, grabbing the hem of my shirt as he pulls the material over my head. When he sees the lace of my strapless bra, I know this is it.

  “Dear God,” he mutters, as he drops to his knees behind me. He kisses, licks, and nips the skin from the back of my knee up my thigh to the curve of my ass.

  My hand reaches blindly behind me, grabbing his hair, holding him to me. He growls back, loving my nails against his scalp, as he gently bites my backside.

  His hands grab my hips, turning me to face him as he presses his forehead against my stomach just before he continues the same path he had made before from my knee, up my inner thigh, stopping as he presses his lips against my lace covered pussy.

  His warm breath over my heated skin is nearly my undoing. My fingers grab his hair roughly, holding him closer to me. His tongue darts out, wetting the material and I feel his body shake against me.

  We’re both sitting on the edge, need consuming every inch of our bodies, but we hold back not wanting to give into it just yet.

  Graham tilts his head back. Seeing his eyes bright, glossed over with how turned on he is makes me want to beg him to keep going.

  “Stay with me,” he says. My brows furrow in confusion. Of all the things I expected for him to say in this moment, that isn’t the one I thought I’d hear.

  “You mean tonight?” I say, confused for a second if I understood him correctly.

  “Yes, tonight. Or this weekend, why not keep these good times going?” He winks. I want to laugh at his smirk, as my fingers dig into his hair again.

  “Can’t we talk about this after?”

  “Oh, so you want me to keep going?”

  My eyes bug out of my head at the audacity of him. He’s playing it cool, like he’s oblivious to the way my body is practically shaking with need.

  He sits back on his haunches. He’s waiting for me to scold him, beg him, anything to stop this conversation and go back to the sweet torture he was inflicting upon me just a few moments ago.

  “I’m hungry,” he says, clapping his hands together as he looks back up at me. “How about you? Are you hungry?”

  Then he winks at me again. The mother fucker has the audacity to wink at me when I want nothing more than to grab him by his hair and put his mouth back on me, making him shut up.

  “Graham,” I say, grinding my teeth.

  He’s loving this, and I want to stomp my feet and command him to stop. He pushes to his feet, reaches for the chair at the head of the table, and takes a seat as he looks over at me. He reaches his hand out to me and I place mine in his, just before he yanks me closer to him.

  His hands wrap around my waist as he moves me so I’m standing between his legs, positioning me between him and the edge of the table.

  “Mm, yes. I’m very, very hungry.”

  He looks up at me and my breath is caught in my throat at the hunger I see in his eyes. I realize then he’s not at all talking about serving me a three-course meal.

  No, it’s the furthest thing from his mind and I want to yell hallelujah.

  He picks me up and sets me on the edge of the table, as he commands me to lie back. This is a new side of Graham that I’ve never seen.

  He’s always wanted to take care of me, pleasure me, but the edge of authority in his voice is so fucking hot. I want more of it, so I do as he says and lie back.

  My heels are both positioned at the edge of the table. Peering down, I watch as Graham stands. He’s like a man on a mission, as he wraps his fingers around the lace of my underwear, whispering for me to lift as he pulls them over my hips and down my legs.

  I force my knees together, as if trying to hold onto some sense of modesty, as he sits back down in the seat. When I feel his rough hands on the soft skin of my thighs, all thoughts of modesty go right out the window, wanting to feel whatever he’s willing to give me.

  I hear him moan in appreciation, as I squeeze my eyes closed just before his tongue swipes at my entrance. The sensations cause my body to tremble, as I reach down to run my fingers through his hair, holding him against me.

  Raising my head up, I peer down my body at him as his eyes look up to meet mine. His lips wrap around my clit, sucking as my legs clutch against the side of his face.

  “Oh, God, Graham,” I cry, holding his head to me.

  My body thrashes back and forth, as he wraps his hands around my thighs holding them close to him. He growls, it’s loud and animalistic. The sound vibrates through my body.

  He pulls back, away from me, using his finger to run through my wetness down to my pussy. When it slowly slides inside of me, I want to beg him to give me more, and sensing what I need, he does. He leans forward again, using a combination of his tongue and his finger to bring me closer and closer to the edge.

  He alternates between licking and sucking. Each move is unexpected, and it’s exactly what I love. Tingles break out across my skin as I squeeze my eyes shut. Lights flash before my eyes as I let out a soft moan and shivers rack through my body.

  I should feel embarrassed, the way I’m laid out before Graham. It dawns on me that up until now, it’s always been about me. Him taking care of me and pleasuring me.

  I want to take care of him in the same way.

  He stands up, peering down at me. Somewhere along the way he shed his shirt, which is now laying on the floor behind him. I can’t help but smile thinking about him quickly taking it off and throwing it haphazardly out of the way.

  “My turn,” I say, raising my eyebrows at him suggestively.

  His eyes light up at me, running his hands along my thighs as he reaches forward pressing a kiss there.

  “Is that so?”

  “Mhmm.” I smile, content.

  “Does that mean you’re going to stay with me?”

  The thought of lying in bed with Graham, being
wrapped up in his arms all night after spending the past five years going to bed thinking about him, missing him, sounds more like a dream than reality. As much as I should pump the brakes, hold myself back, and ask him what’s going on, I also don’t want to stop and question things either. I don’t want to make things complicated and I sure as hell don’t want to ruin this moment right now between us.

  “I guess,” I say, smiling at him. He tilts his head back as I lean forward pressing a kiss against his lips. I can taste myself on him. I wrap my hand around the side of his face, feeling the stubble lining his jaw against my hand.

  “You’re mine,” he mutters against my mouth. “All. Night. Long.” Each word is followed by a kiss against my lips.

  The sound of vibration against the hardwood floor distracts us from the happy bubble we have around us. He reaches over, grabbing it, and checks the screen before looking back at me.

  He sighs deeply as he stands looking at me regretfully.

  “I’m sorry. I gotta take this.” He holds the phone up to me, just as he swipes the screen.

  “What’s up?” he asks, pressing the phone against his ear.

  I watch as he disappears into the living room. His words are muffled, so I’m not able to make out the conversation. There’s a part of me that wonders what could be so important it’s worth answering right now. I quickly force that thought out of my mind. He owns his own company now, there could be a hundred more important things going on he has to tend to.

  I feel selfish for letting my mind go there. I just hate that our moment was ruined.

  On shaky legs, I climb off the table and quickly put my clothes back on. We have a whole night ahead of ourselves now and I tell myself I’m going to enjoy this time with him, because I know all too well how quickly it can be taken away from me.

  I’m going to make this night count.

  Twenty

  Graham

  Two hands wrap low around my waist while I’m standing shirtless in the kitchen.

  “You know it’s dangerous to cook without a shirt on,” she mumbles from behind me, pressing her lips against my spine as her fingers trail along the edge of my sweatpants.

  “I’m a master in the kitchen,” I say, as her finger brushes against my cock. Setting the spatula on the counter, I turn in her arms to face her.

  Her hair is wet, piled in a messy thing on her head. Her face is clean, and my God she looks so damn beautiful. I love seeing her making herself at home in my home.

  “I remember how very skilled you are in this kitchen,” she says, hinting at our time together on the oak table just a few feet away.

  “You look like a master,” she presses a kiss to my chest, peering up at me with an arch in her eyebrow, “in the kitchen” as she presses another kiss, “and of this house.”

  “You are trouble,” I mutter, grabbing her so my hands frame her face as I kiss her lips roughly. “You’re more dangerous to me than you realize. I’d do anything for you. Absolutely anything, without care of the consequences or the repercussions. You make me reckless, Halle.”

  Her eyes brighten, with a hint of a sparkle to them. She runs her teeth over her bottom lip and it takes all the focus I have left out of me. I want to wrap her in my arms, kiss her and take over biting that lip.

  “Mm,” she moans, kissing a path over my chest. She drags her nails over my hips, along the waistband of my pants.

  “Have I told you how fucking sexy you look in sweatpants?”

  Raising my brow at her, I fold my arms in front of me. Her eyes trail over my chest, over my abs, to take in my pants. “Is that so?”

  “You’re like sinful eye candy. You’re lucky I’d let you out of the house wearing those, much less the bedroom.”

  She shakes her head, turning to grab two glasses from the cabinet setting them on the counter. She must pick up on my confusion as she turns, closing the distance between us once again.

  She’s no more than a couple inches from me when she stops. I feel the heat radiating off her as she looks down between us, before her eyes meet mine once again. Her small hand reaches out, running over my cock, as I suck in a breath.

  “Halle,” I respond sternly, warning her.

  “I can see the outline of your dick in your pants, Graham,” she replies with the same firm tone. She leans forward, closing the distance between us, but her grip never loosens.

  “I’m thirsty,” she says, smiling as she turns and pads over to the fridge just a few feet away.

  She’s getting me back after how I played with her.

  “Fucking trouble,” I groan.

  The pan sizzles behind me forcing my attention away. I curse, seeing the smoke coming from the pan of eggs I had been cooking up until she came in here distracting me.

  “Sorry, Master,” she jokes, as she opens the fridge door, grabbing the orange juice.

  The eggs are dunzo, so I quickly scrape them off into the garbage and then crack two more in the pan starting over from scratch.

  “We’re never going to eat if you keep that up. How about you stay over there for now?”

  “Where’s the fun in that?” She giggles, pouring a glass of juice as she takes a seat on the counter facing me.

  “There’s no fun,” I joke, looking at her legs in her yoga pants. They fit her like a fucking glove, leaving little to the imagination. I remember how great she looked just a few hours ago when she was sitting on the edge of the table. She must realize where my mind has drifted, as I mutter a quiet “fuck” turning my focus back on the eggs.

  After a couple minutes go by, I attempt to change the subject. “I was thinking, I need to stop by my mom’s house today to get some yard work done. If you don’t have any plans, I’d love for you to join me. I know she’d be happy to see you too.”

  “I thought I was yours all weekend. Tell me where you want me and I’m there.”

  Turning to glance over my shoulder, I watch as she bites her lip again as she raises the glass of juice to her mouth. Pausing, I watch the way her throat swallows it down before my eyes find hers again.

  When she sets the glass down on the counter, she does little to hide the smirk on her face.

  Narrowing my eyes at her, I shake my head as I turn my attention back on the food.

  “You’re damn right you are,” I respond, as I mutter “trouble” under my breath. I can hear her muffled laugh behind me, as I smile a grin of my own.

  * * *

  Later that morning, Halle and I stop by her place to feed her cat before we head over to my mom’s. She’s been feeling better over the past week, so she is up doing some things around the house when we get there.

  “Well, isn’t this a wonderful surprise. I wasn’t expecting both of you today,” my mom exclaims, turning around from where she stands doing the dishes in the kitchen.

  “We thought we’d come over and help you. I was thinking I could make you lunch while Graham gets all dirty outside,” Halle says, pulling my mom in for a hug.

  “You are too sweet. You don’t have to do that,” she replies, hugging her back.

  “Of course, I don’t have to.” Halle smiles, winking at me. “I want to though. You hungry for anything in particular?”

  I smile watching how Halle makes herself at home, sliding up next to my mom as she takes a clean towel off the counter and begins drying off the dishes. I watch them both together as Halle talks to her about some TV show they both are into watching. I’ve heard of it but have no idea what they are talking about as they get into naming all these women at something called a rose ceremony.

  I excuse myself as I head out to the shed behind the house and unload the mower. Popping in my ear-buds, I get to work on mowing the yard. The summer sun is blazing, leaving sweat dripping down my forehead. It’s been a while since we’ve had any rain, but I sense a storm will be rolling through soon. The humidity is so thick, the moment you walk out the door it feels like a brick wall of hot air nearly taking your breath away.

  �
�I thought you could use a glass of water,” Halle says a little while later.

  Wiping the sweat dripping off my brow, I cut the engine on the weedwhacker. Setting it down in the grass, I turn and take a step closer to her. Chugging the water, I appreciate the bite from the cool liquid as I swallow it down.

  “Ahh, that was great. Thank you.” I lean forward to give Halle a kiss.

  She tilts her head back, away from me, eyeing the sweat that’s dripping down from my hair onto my chest.

  “You’re a little sweaty.” She giggles.

  “A little sweat never bothered you before,” I retort, raising my brow. “In fact, just last night you seemed almost enthusiastic over how hard I was working.”

  Setting the plastic cup on the railing of the wood deck, I turn toward Halle raising my eyebrows suggestively to her. She knows what’s coming, as she hurries backward in an attempt to flee.

  “Oh, now she runs away. Just this morning you were rubbing that sexy body all over me, egging me on, but now a little sweat has you running.”

  “Graham, you look like you just jumped in a pool,” she begs, holding her hand up between us as if that’s going to stop me.

  Stalking toward her, a grin breaks out across her face as she bolts away from me around the tree.

  “Don’t you dare do it, or I swear,” she warns, peeking at me from behind the tree. She has a seriousness in her eye, but I’m not falling for it.

  “Or what, Halle? What are you going to do?” I jest.

  “No sex,” she spits out frantically.

  I laugh because the moment she says it, her face looks like she wishes she could take it back.

  “No sex, huh? You think you’ll be able to hold out long enough to punish me? How long you think you’d be able to make it? A day, maybe two?”