Reckless Hearts Series, Book 1

by Heather Van Fleet

  Yeah. I liked Addison. A lot. But what my best friend said rang truer than anything else: Addison was a forever girl. I could tell already. She was real. Funny and sweet. Perfectly imperfect. And exactly the type of woman who scared me and intrigued me at the same time.

  Chapter 25

  Addison

  I felt like the whore my mother had called me after finding my first thong in my bedroom drawer at seventeen. Only this time, Lia assured me my clothing was acceptable, since I was dressing to impress—whatever that meant.

  The thing of it was, normally I didn’t dress to impress anyone but myself. But there was no denying that I was eager to see Collin’s reaction when he saw me all done up. Just the thought of his blue eyes raking over my body was motivation enough not to throw away the outfit I had on.

  Still, the second I stepped out of Lia’s car and the cold air blew against my naked thighs, I realized how much of a mistake I was making.

  “This is a mistake.” I froze by the closed car door, rubbing my hands up and down my arms. The thin shirt I wore barely covered my skin, leaving little to no warmth—and even less to the imagination when it came to my gigantic boobs.

  The stars were out in abundance, and the moon lit the way. But the bonfire lighting up the backyard of the monster-sized farmhouse was what really drew me in.

  “There is no way I’m going to let you leave after all the work I put into your ensemble.”

  “But this isn’t me.” I motioned down to my naked legs and the minuscule, barely there leather skirt that sat less than a half inch below the curve of my butt cheeks. Around my waist was a black belt that attached to the hunter-green, button-down shirt I wore. But the worst part of all was that the buttons kept popping open, and my boobs were damn near falling out of the top. To top it off, I had on a pair of heels, which made walking on the grass nearly impossible.

  But I guess if I was going to look like an unsophisticated slut bag, then I was going to be the badass version.

  “Who cares? You look hot, and my brother is going to lose it once he gets a look at how good your boobs look.”

  I eyed her punk-rock outfit from the feet up. She wore pointy-heeled, leather boots, a leather skirt like me, and a red leather corset that said goth girl meets punk princess. How is she not freezing? Unlike me though, she was completely at ease in her clothing, while I took uncomfortable to a whole other level.

  She winked, as if knowing what I was thinking, then turned around and pulled me with her by my wrist. “Let’s go find our boys.”

  “And possibly a hole to crawl into,” I mumbled.

  “This is a public party, Addie. You’re off-duty and looking to have a good time. No crime in that.”

  Groaning, I followed her through the fence, wondering who owned this house. It was gorgeous, like something out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. The giant porch on the second floor ran the entire back width of the house. Below it was a patio filled with gorgeous wicker furniture. Kegs and partygoers littered the area, the guests laughing loudly and obnoxiously. Even a few kids were running around, tossing a rugby ball back and forth.

  Leaves crunched under my heels and my ankles wobbled, making the art of staying upright near impossible. To my left sat a field of wheat, the stalks blowing in the night air. I shivered just as Lia linked her arm through mine, saving me from humiliating myself by face-planting into the dirt.

  “Haven’t been to a house party in ages. Not since my freshman year of college.” Her voice was wistful, but there was also an edge to it. On the outside, with all her tats and piercings and funky hair, the lady exhibited confidence, but beyond that, I could almost bet she hid as much garbage from her past as I did from mine. Maybe that’s why I was so drawn to her. She didn’t ask me things, and I, in turn, kept my questions about her to myself.

  At the edge of the patio, she froze, taking in a pair of twin sisters who looked fresh out of college. “Dumbass.”

  I scrunched my nose up, trying to see who warranted the name. When I finally found her victim, I realized she wasn’t looking at the girls. Instead she was shooting daggers from her eyes at the man holding the sisters in his lap.

  “Is that—”

  “Max? Surrrrre is.”

  My eyes flicked back and forth between her and him, confusion pulling my brows together. “Uh, are you two together?”

  “No,” she scoffed, answering too quickly to be convincing. “Look!” She pointed toward the fire, her voice an octave higher than what I considered calm. “There’s my brother. Let’s go.”

  “I don’t see…”

  Once upon a time, I could contain my emotions like a normal woman who was faced with unbelievable hotness. But that girl no longer existed. Not when all my fantasies were coming to life in the form dressed in all black. Holy cow. I mean, holy. Cow. It was like my sex dreams were real, brought to me by the man I’d forever think of as broody Number Six.

  “Come on.” Lia pulled my hand and I stumbled again, not sure if my heels or the sight of Collin, dressed in a thermal black shirt and sporting a well-loved Chicago Cubs hat, was making me so loopy. Either way, my body was most definitely unstable. “You must have magic, honey, because my brother is looking at you like a spell has been cast over him.”

  My face grew hot, like always. And if I’d had to bet money on it, I’d have said the world shifted a bit when Collin’s eyes met mine—or, again, it could’ve been my heels.

  “I’m gonna go chat with some old friends.” Lia nudged my side and left me—no, no, abandoned me. Only it didn’t last long, because before I could whisper his name, Collin stood in front of me, eyes like liquid fire piercing straight into me.

  He grabbed my hand, pulling it to his mouth. “You’ve been avoiding me.” He kissed my thumb.

  I licked my lips. “Nice weather we’re having, no?”

  “Don’t change the subject. Tell me why you were avoiding me tonight.”

  Not exactly the greeting I was looking for, but… “I wasn’t avoiding you. I was taken hostage by your sister after the game this afternoon.”

  Hunger and appreciation filled his dark-blue eyes as they trailed up and down my body.

  Okay, so maybe this outfit was going to serve its purpose after all.

  “Tried to call you.” He moved in closer, lifting his other hand to trace a line over my collarbone. My breath caught and my belly warmed, betraying the rest of my cold skin.

  “I didn’t have my phone.” Actually, my phone broke, and I couldn’t afford to buy a new one.

  He moved his hands down my arms and laced his fingers with mine. His palms were heated, a comforting sensation I didn’t know I needed. I shivered, regardless, willing him to come closer to me, to wrap his arms around my waist and kiss me until I grew dizzy with need. Crazy couldn’t even begin to describe how this man made me feel.

  To me, Collin was like a sample of chocolate, the most decadent kind—something almost forbidden. Combine that with his abilities recently displayed on the bathroom counter, and I was pretty much a lust-filled lost cause.

  “Come with me.” He motioned his chin toward the side of the house, pulling me along with one of his hands.

  Side by side, we made our way to the edge of the small lake sitting due south of the home. Not once did he let me go, his fingers too busy tickling my palm the entire way. Awe filled my chest and I held my breath, focusing on the silver moon. It lit up the dark sky and reflected off the water like tiny crystals.

  “Used to come fishing out here with my dad when I was a kid. Caught catfish to eat and bluegills for fun.” Collin squeezed my fingers.

  “Sounds nice.” Especially since growing up with my parents consisted of the occasional pedicure with my mom when she wasn’t off playing mah-jongg with her friends, while my father spent his time in front of the TV, drinking beer and watching golf—when he wasn’t wo
rking at the store, of course. “Maybe someday you can do the same with Chloe.”

  “Plan on it.” He held my gaze, a silent vow in his eyes.

  “She’s really lucky to have you, Collin.”

  He searched my face in a way that would normally make my skin itchy. Only lately I’d found myself liking his lingering stares. The sincerity in them made me feel almost cherished, something I’d never felt before.

  “Tell me what goes on behind those pretty eyes. Tell me about you.” He lifted his free hand and gently touched my temple.

  I willed away my nerves and lifted my chin high. “Not much to tell.”

  Moving in closer, he pressed his fingertips against my cheek as he whispered, “Everyone’s got a story, and yours is already written on your face. Just wanna see it on your lips and hear it with my ears this time.” His head tipped to the side, and it took all of me not to lean into his touch. Besides Kenna, nobody ever cared enough to ask me about my personal life.

  I shrugged. “Not sure where to start.”

  “How ’bout a game then?”

  I bit my lip to hold back a smile. “You and your games.” He laughed, and so did I. “Just as long as you play fair this time.”

  He pressed a hand against his chest and mock-gasped. “You’re killing me here.”

  “And you, sir, are the most dramatic man I know.”

  Pieces of his dark hair curled out over his ears and forehead as he pulled off his baseball hat and stuck it in the back pocket of his jeans. “Then it’s obvious you don’t know Max all too well.”

  True. “Fine. You ask, I’ll tell.”

  His eyebrows arched. “That’s dangerous.”

  “Don’t care.” With Collin, the idea of playing it safe wasn’t an option anymore.

  “Fine. Tell me what you were like as a kid.”

  “I was quiet. Loved to read.”

  He pulled me even closer, wrapping his arm around my waist. “So, not real different than you are now, huh?”

  “Nope.” I popped the p, regretting how uninteresting I really was. “Bet you were a tree climber. Girl kisser and”—I tapped my finger against my lip—“a troublemaker. Am I right?”

  “Close.” He winked. “I was also an athlete. Loved playing football, baseball…wrestled too.”

  “So you were one of those tight-singlet-wearing boys?”

  He lowered his lips to my ear, bringing his body flush against mine. His denim jeans brushed against my sensitized thighs, and I gritted my teeth, praying I didn’t moan at the contact. “Wore the thing better than any other guy on the team. And that was with my underwear on.”

  I laughed. Hard. Only Collin could make me hot and bothered one second, then make me laugh out loud the next. “And I bet you had a lot of fans of the cheerleading variety.”

  He pulled back, only to bring his fingers to the ends of my hair. Like it was made of the most delicate silk, he rubbed the strands between his thumb and forefinger. “Didn’t have time for girls. Too busy with sports and the like.”

  Dedicated and delicious. Two perfect d-words when it came to a man.

  “How about you? Did you play any sports?” He didn’t move back. Instead, he kept playing with my hair, looking down into my eyes, and occasionally letting his gaze linger lower.

  “I played golf.”

  “Golf.” He frowned. Not necessarily an annoyed frown, more a curious one.

  I held back my grimace and looked the other way. It was a sport I loved once upon a time. “Kind of had to. It was ingrained in my head since I was first able to wrap my chubby baby fingers around a club. It’s also the only thing my dad and I had in common.”

  “You still play?”

  I stared out at the pond. “Not anymore.”

  “Wanna tell me why you stopped?”

  “My dad and I don’t speak anymore and he was the only reason I played.”

  “Why don’t you talk now?”

  I bumped his hip with mine, trying to smile. “And this is the part of the conversation where I plead the fifth.”

  A heavy sigh filled the air, but I didn’t turn to face him. If I did, then I’d have to talk about things I didn’t want to talk about yet. No need to bring the newness of our friendship—or whatever this was—into a slump.

  After a while, the warmth of his arm around me wasn’t enough, and the cold wind proved to be too much for even Collin’s massive body. My teeth chattered, but I didn’t want to suggest going back to the house. For one, there were too many people there. And another? I liked being with Collin like this, regardless of the sudden conversation lag.

  “Cold?” His voice cracked.

  I nodded down at my heels.

  “Let’s get you back to the fire. Warm ya up.”

  Disappointment washed over me, even though I knew we couldn’t be out here all night. But then we began to move, and as we walked, his fingers found mine again, connecting with them in a way that gave my goose bumps purpose.

  “Where’d my sister find this getup you got on?”

  “She didn’t really find it.” Other than the fact that she’d mentioned my boobs would look better in it than hers. “Guess it was too big or something on her and she decided I’d look better in it.”

  “Yeah?” He stared ahead. But the lines by his eyes had me questioning his sister’s once-logical answer. “My sister is conniving.” He looked down on me, his eyes alight with humor. “Don’t get me wrong. She usually means well.”

  “You think she dressed me like this on purpose?”

  His lips twitched as we approached the fire. “Not going to put it past her.”

  Lia was also going to be seeing the bottom of my shoe. Still, a small thrill managed to course through me every time Collin took the time to appreciate my…assets.

  “Sit right here.” He plopped down in one of those extended lawn chairs, patting the space in between his thighs.

  “Please does exist in your vocabulary, correct?”

  He frowned. “Sorry. Please sit right here.”

  I grinned at my small success and did as he asked, never once regretting it. A blanket was tucked over the back of the chair, and he reached for it, settling it over the top of my legs once I lowered myself against his chest. The fire crackled before us, illuminating the quiet area around us. There weren’t many people hanging around outside anymore, my guess was from the sprinkles of rain steadily falling now, so the privacy was near perfect.

  “Whose house is this anyway?”

  He encircled his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Club’s owner.”

  “And who is the club owner?”

  “Jonathon St. Marks is his name. He’s close to forty. Has a couple of kids and a wife. Needs the club to make him feel young again.”

  I settled my ear against his chest, taking in the thump of his heart. “Probably a way to blow off steam too.”

  He lowered a kiss to my forehead. “Yeah, kind of why Gav, Max, and I all play.”

  At the mention of his friends, a thought plagued me. One I’d wanted to ask for a while now, but didn’t feel like it was my place…until that moment.

  “Why come back to Carinthia and not move to where Gavin or Max are from?”

  Fingers danced over my arm beneath the blanket, and I snuggled in deeper against his chest. “Because Max was running from his past, and Gavin was trying to find his future.”

  “And you?” I turned completely on my side, reaching down to wrap his arm tighter around my waist. His fingers caressed my stomach, slipping between the gaps of my buttons. When the tips found my bare skin, I held my breath, consumed by his touch.

  “Guess I was just trying to find purpose again.”

  “You’ll always have a purpose in life. You’re a father.”

  A button on my outfit popped
open, and then another, until his hand slipped fully inside and flat against my belly. I did nothing to stop him.

  “Purpose is a word with many meanings, Addie.” His voice crackled. “Just one of those has to do with my daughter.”

  The tips of his fingers found the top of my panties, and I whimpered as he slipped his fingers just under the edge. Insanity and need had me arching backward, allowing his hand to slide lower. Other than a couple sitting across from us, everyone had filtered inside.

  The cold drizzle had increased to a steady rain that coated our faces, but neither of us cared, both panting hard as his hand slipped even lower.

  “Christ, you’re wet.”

  Desire surged between my hips, and I rocked against his palm. Yet he held his fingers too high, teasing me—torturing me.

  “Don’t wanna share you with anyone else. Too many people around.”

  Needing more, needing to assure him this wasn’t sharing, that this was completely him and me, alone in our own world, I tipped my head back and met his stare. “Please…” I pleaded with a whisper and was rewarded with a growl buried low in his throat. Lifting his other hand, he cupped my cheek and kissed me moments before his fingers obliged my begging and dipped even lower.

  Against his mouth, I moaned, kissing him harder than I’d ever kissed a man before. Our lips, slick from rain, collided in a battle of give and take, making me forget who I was and where I was, but never who I was with.

  Faster and faster, his fingers rubbed over my clit, a skillful move he mastered with little effort. It took little work for him to bring me close to the edge, but whenever I got too close, he’d slow down, kissing me softly once more.

  So worked into a frenzy, I barely noticed him lowering his free hand under the blanket, but the second I felt more buttons come apart against my breasts, I came alive, burning for him, for his touch.

  “So damn sexy. Can’t wait ’til I taste you here.” He cupped my breast, rubbing his thumb over my nipple at the same time. The fingers below my panties moving so fast I barely had time to think.

  With my head tipped back even more, he nibbled on the base of my throat, not hard, but enough to sting in the most delicious of ways.