“I’m clean, and I have an IUD. We’re good.”
And with that, I let go.
Instinct taking over, I straightened and grabbed her hips. Aligned the tip of my cock with her entrance. And thrust deep inside.
I held there for a moment, just feeling the sweetness of her pussy wrapped around me. The heat. The wetness. She pressed her ass back into my groin and moved her hips in a slow circle.
“Fuck, Hannah,” I growled.
She felt so good, I couldn’t think. Could hardly breathe. All I could do was feel. I pulled out slowly, letting the sensations sink into me. Thrust back in.
“Oh my god, Leo.”
Gripping her hips, I pulled her toward me while I drove into her. Once. Twice. Again. Harder. My muscles flexed and I grunted as I pounded her from behind.
“Yes. Harder.”
This woman. Letting me touch her. Taste her. Fuck her. I’d wanted this—been desperate for it—from the first time I saw her. And now, in this moment, she was mine.
Pushing her down so she was flat on her belly, I draped myself over her. Kissed her shoulder and the back of her neck. She arched against my groin and gripped the sheets.
“Leo.”
Hearing my name on her lips in that breathy whimper set fire to my blood. I brushed her hair to the side, baring more of her neck, and licked her delicate skin. I wanted to consume her. Taste every inch.
“You like that?” I asked, low in her ear. “You like my cock inside you?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
I drove in and out of her wet pussy, licking and kissing her. Nibbling on her neck. Pressure built, deep inside, hot tension coiling like a spring.
“This pussy,” I growled. “So fucking good.”
She moaned in reply, her eyes closed, cheeks flushed pink.
Thrusting harder, I lost myself in the feel of her. Groaned into her ear as my steel-hard cock pushed in and out, gliding through her wetness. Her pussy clenched around me, her heat building.
I threaded my fingers into her hair and pulled her head back. Slid my other hand to her throat and held her there. Her pulse raced and her breath came fast.
She was entirely in my control. Pinned down beneath me.
Mine.
“This pussy is mine, now,” I growled into her ear, still driving my cock in and out.
“Yes,” she said.
Hard thrust. “Mine.”
“Yours.”
With my hand still covering her throat, I bit down on her shoulder. Her body shuddered and she cried out.
I pounded her faster, feeling the satisfaction of her back arching, her breath gasping. Her soft moans turning to frenzied cries of pleasure. My cock pulsed with the need for release, the tension in my groin building to a breaking point.
I was lust incarnate. A hot thrusting beast unleashing my fury on her silky-smooth body. I grunted and growled while I fucked her senseless. While I held her tight, feeling her surrender to me.
Her pussy tightened—hard—and she cried out again. I felt her start to come, her muscles spasming in waves around my dick. And I lost my fucking mind.
My eyes rolled back, my balls drew up hard, and my back stiffened. Pulses rippled through me as my cock unleashed. I slammed into her, as deep as I could go, while my cock throbbed, coating her pussy with my come. I could feel the heat of it. The wetness soaking us both.
I kept coming, so I thrust again. And again. The pleasure was so intense, it almost hurt. Hannah panted beneath me, clutching the sheets, as I groaned with the aching intensity.
When I finally finished, I braced myself on top of her, trying to catch my breath. I let my cock slip out, but Hannah barely moved. She just lay under me, sprawled out on the bedsheets, her eyes closed.
“Holy shit, Leo,” she said, finally. She didn’t open her eyes. “What did you just do to me?”
I slowly came back to myself—regained the ability to think. Blinking a few times, I put my dick back in my pants and tugged the waistband up. Holy shit was right. What had she just done to me?
Her hair fanned out over the sheet—I had no idea where the pillows had gone—and her cheeks were flushed. I gently touched her face with my fingertips, feeling a heady mix of awe and contentment. It had been so long. So fucking long since I’d felt this. Not just sex. A physical connection.
I rolled onto my side next to her.
She smiled and her eyes fluttered open. “I don’t know if I can move yet.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Who was that guy who just fucked the life out of me, and where was Leo that whole time?”
I laughed softly.
She propped herself up and nibbled on her lower lip, her expression worried. But she didn’t say anything.
Instead of asking what was wrong, I slid my arm around her waist and hauled her against me. Put my face in her hair and took a deep breath.
She buried her face in my chest and when she spoke, her voice was muffled by my shirt. “Oh thank god.”
“What?”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t let me cuddle. After that, I really need to cuddle.”
I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. Rested my cheek against the top of her head. “Hannah?”
“Yeah?”
I hesitated, unsure of how to put into words what I needed to say. “I meant what I said.”
“About what?”
“I want you to be mine.”
She pulled away just enough to look up at me. “What?”
“I want you to be mine,” I said again. “But the thing is, I’m probably going to be bad at this. I’m too fucked up, and I know it. It’s not fair to you, but…”
“But?”
“I’m a terrible person and I want you anyway.”
She laughed, tucking herself against me. “You’re not a terrible person.”
“Does that mean…” I trailed off and she looked up at me again. I didn’t know why I needed to do it this way. To ask her and hear her say yes. It was probably going to sound stupid. But I did. I needed this. “Will you be my girlfriend?”
Her lips parted in a smile. “Oh, Leo. Yes. I want to be your girlfriend so much.”
“Yeah?”
“More than anything.”
I pulled her in close again, casting aside the voice that tried to remind me how near she was to my scars. That didn’t matter right now. All that mattered was her. Us. She was mine.
I just hoped I wouldn’t fuck it up.
Twenty-Three
Leo
Happiness was such a foreign feeling, I wasn’t sure how to handle it at first.
Instead of waking up alone, wondering if it was worth dragging myself out of bed, I woke up every day with Hannah next to me. She sat beside me as we worked. Came to dinner at my mom’s. We went out together. Stayed in together. Walked through the vineyards as the weather turned colder, threatening snow.
Was it really that easy?
Granted, it wasn’t like it had fixed me. I still had a hard time leaving Salishan. I still obsessively tracked the security footage—although the bullshit with my dad had given me a real reason.
But as the weeks went by, I realized I felt different. I smiled more. Even laughed once in a while. Hell, the fact that I smiled and laughed at all was an improvement. Even my therapist was impressed.
And my family? They were basically ridiculous. It was like they’d never seen me with a girlfriend before.
Which, to be fair, they hadn’t. Not since before.
Mom hugged Hannah—a lot. Brynn and Amelia took her shopping. Cooper kept trying to give her nicknames, only to decide none of them worked. Even Ben got in on it, asking me for info on Hannah’s ex so he could be on the lookout in case the douchebag decided to cause trouble for her.
The only ones being reasonably chill about my new relationship were Roland and Zoe. And that was partly because they were busy with Hudson, and partly because they tended to keep their crazy to themselves.
But I had to admit, it felt good to see my family accept Hannah. She and Zoe got along particularly well. They’d started having lunch together regularly, and they even went out for a girl’s night while Roland and I stayed home with the baby.
What a difference a few months had made. For both of us.
Hannah came out of the bedroom, dressed in an off-the-shoulder sweater that gave a peek at her tattoo, with jeans and ankle boots. With her hair in a loose up-do, it made me want to suck on the skin at the base of her throat.
“How do I look?”
I gazed at her. She was so beautiful. So perfect. I still couldn’t believe she was with me.
“Well?” she asked.
“Sorry. You look wonderful.”
“Are you sure? Should I wear a dress? I can change.”
I stood and took her hands. “You look perfect. Why are you so nervous?”
Cooper had made it his mission in life to take Amelia on a double date with me and Hannah. When Chase had discovered Coop’s plan, he’d acted ridiculously jealous—those two were such girls—until Cooper had invited him and Brynn along. Zoe had overheard, and the next thing I knew, we’d been roped into a night out with all six of them.
“I don’t know why I’m nervous. Maybe I’ll text Zoe and see what she’s wearing. I think Brynn and Amelia are wearing dresses.”
I held her wrists, tugging her back toward me. “You look absolutely beautiful. Don’t worry about what they’re wearing. Just be you.”
She met my eyes. “Okay. Thanks.”
We gathered up our things and left. The restaurant was a short drive away. I wasn’t too bothered by leaving the winery tonight. Being with Hannah made a difference. She squeezed my hand and smiled as we drove. And it made me feel good that I could do this for her—take her to a nice dinner.
We parked and went inside. Cooper had chosen a nice restaurant. Soft lighting, white tablecloths. They served Salishan wine, so that was a point in their favor.
Everyone else was already here, so the host took us back to our table.
“Hey, bro,” Cooper said and turned to Hannah. “Sup, Inky.”
“Inky?” she asked.
“Yeah, you know, because of your tats,” he said. “Nope, doesn’t work. Why can’t I come up with a good nickname for you?”
Amelia leaned close and nudged him with her arm. “Maybe because she already has one. Leo calls her Gigz, right?”
“Holy shit,” Cooper said, like Amelia had just told him a secret of the universe. “That’s true. She doesn’t need me to give her a nickname because Leo already did. I’m so relieved. Thanks, man. I’m glad I don’t have to shoulder all the responsibility around here. Although when you say Gigz, I think of the cat, not the girl, so that’s a little bit confusing. And honestly, I don’t think I can call you Gigz anyway. That’s definitely a Leo thing. I guess I’ll just have to call you Hannah.”
“It is my name, so…” Hannah shrugged.
“Exactly,” Cooper said.
We took our seats and I tried to ignore the discomfort of having people sitting behind me. Usually when Hannah and I went out, we got a table near a wall, so I could put my back to it. Our table had people on both sides, as well as across from us.
As if she could sense my unease, Hannah put her hand on my leg and gently rubbed my thigh. I grabbed her hand and squeezed.
I made it through ordering my meal without any problems, and by the time we started eating, I felt better. Good, even. I listened to my siblings chat—about everything from life after a baby, to things at Salishan, to Cooper’s excited exclamations at how great it was to be on a group date with everyone.
And he was right. It was.
Before I’d started leaving the winery, I’d seen my family regularly. But I’d also known there were things I was missing. Dinners out and movies at the theater. Drinks at the bar with my brothers and hangover breakfasts at Ray’s Diner.
But tonight, I wasn’t missing anything. I was out at a nice restaurant, with a beautiful date. The food was amazing, and I realized I didn’t just spend time with these people because they were related to me. I liked them. Even when they drove me crazy.
I finished my steak and Hannah picked at the potatoes on my plate. Cooper started contemplating dessert and maybe another bottle of wine, when a woman at the table next to us caught my attention.
She looked at me, then leaned across the table to speak to the man she was having dinner with. “Oh my god. Do you see that guy?”
My back tightened.
“Yeah,” the man with her said. “Are those burns or something?”
“Maybe,” the woman said, her voice laced with disgust.
Hannah stiffened next to me. Was she listening to them too? Or was it something else?
“Why would they let him in here?” the man asked. “For what we’re paying for dinner, you’d think they’d keep the ambiance.”
“Should we ask the waiter to move us to a different table? I don’t want to have to look at that all through dinner.”
They seemed to be trying to keep their voices low, but I could fucking hear every word.
Cooper’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth, like he was about to say something. Oh shit, he was hearing this too. I was just about to tell Cooper to keep his mouth shut when Hannah turned in her seat.
“Excuse me,” she said.
The couple looked over. “Yes?” the man asked.
“I was wondering if you might be willing to move tables,” she said, her voice full of mock sweetness. “For what we’re paying for dinner, I don’t want to have to sit so close to such garbage human beings.”
I put my hand on her arm. “Hannah.”
She shrugged me off and stood, all five foot nothing of her, and put her hands on her hips. “No, I’m serious. You’re going to complain about having to look at someone who was injured in service to his country?”
The couple gaped at her. In fact, our entire section of the restaurant was gaping at her. Our waiter was hurrying over but apparently Hannah wasn’t finished.
“How dare you. He’s the most wonderful, loving, kind, loyal man I’ve ever known, and you have the audacity to sit there and judge him for what he looks like? What’s wrong with you?”
“Excuse me, ma’am,” the waiter said, trying to cut in.
“No,” Hannah said. “I refuse to sit here and take this.”
I stared at her. At this feisty ball of fire, so riled up her cheeks were flushed. Watching her stand up for me like this, I couldn’t even be upset.
In fact, the whole thing was kind of funny.
But I probably shouldn’t let her keep lecturing these people. The other customers wanted to go back to their dinners.
I stood and put my hands on her arms. “Okay, Gigz. Let’s go.”
The rest of our table stood. Our meals were almost finished anyway.
“They have no right to talk about you that way,” she said.
“I know,” I said, gently guiding her toward the front. “It’s okay.”
“I’ll take care of the check up front,” Roland said.
“Thanks.”
Hannah let me lead her out the front door and Zoe handed me her coat.
“I cannot believe the nerve of those people.” Hannah stomped her foot. “Pieces of shit. For the record, I was holding back in there.”
“That was one of the awesomest things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Cooper said. “Well done, sister.”
“Hashtag girl crush,” Zoe said, looking at Hannah in awe.
“I don’t think you actually say hashtag,” Brynn said.
Zoe shrugged. “I do. Besides, look at her. I’d totally hit that.”
“Huh,” Cooper said. “That’s so weird.”
“What?” Zoe asked.
“That reference to two hot women getting it on did nothing for me.”
Amelia laughed and smacked his arm. “Cooper.”
He grabbed her around the waist and planted a
kiss on her mouth. “I’m so mature now.”
“Keep telling yourself that, Coop,” Zoe said.
Roland came out and slipped his arm around Zoe. “They didn’t charge for the meal. The manager apologized. They’re asking the couple to leave.”
“Good,” Hannah said, her voice still full of fire. “Let’s wait until they come out and—”
“Okay, tiger,” I said, taking her hand. “Maybe we just call it a night.”
“Oh, dude,” Cooper said.
“What now?” I asked.
Cooper nodded slowly. “I knew it.”
“Knew what?”
He nudged Chase with his elbow. “I had a feeling. I was right. It’s time.”
Chase looked between me and Hannah, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Oh, yeah. It’s totally time.”
“Time for what?” I asked. “Seriously, what the fuck are you guys talking about?”
“Um, guys?” Brynn said. She looked worried.
“I’ll tell you at home,” Cooper said, grinning at me. “Don’t worry. We’re about to fix this date night.”
We drove back to Salishan and everyone parked in front of my place.
“What are you guys doing?” I asked as I got out of the car. Cooper and Chase were heading for my front door.
“Bonfire night,” Cooper said, his voice cheerful.
“Wait, bonfire?” Oh shit. “Hold on, Coop. We don’t have to do that.”
“Do what?” Hannah asked.
“Trust me, bro,” Cooper said. “We definitely do.”
“He’s right,” Chase said.
“Oh my god, my first mattress bonfire,” Amelia said.
Brynn stood off to the side, an amused smile on her face. No help there. Zoe met my eyes and shrugged. Roland was on the phone with Mom, checking on Hudson. No help there, either.
“Hold on,” I said, following Cooper and Chase into my house. “How do you know the key code?”
“I’ve always known,” Cooper said. He went straight back to the bedroom.
“Coop, we don’t have to burn my mattress.”
“Yeah, we do.” He stood in the doorway with his hands on his hips. “This’ll be a tight fit, but you got it in here somehow, so I’m sure we can get it out.”
“We’ll need to angle it right, but it’ll come out,” Chase said.
Hidden Miles: The Miles Family Book 4 Page 17
