Breaking Clear (Full Hearts Series Book 3)

by MJ Summers

  They stared at each other, breathing heavily, as they allowed themselves their first look at each other this way in the faded light of the moon.

  “Consider me ruined,” Harper blurted out as her eyes locked onto his incredible body. All those years of playing sports and working construction had sculpted every muscle to perfection.

  “You’ll just have to forget you saw it.” He let out an appreciative puff of air as he looked her up and down again. “So will I.”

  Their eyes met and their mouths followed quickly. In an instant, Evan lowered himself over her, his lips sucking on the nape of her neck and planting kisses up to her ear. He moved his face back in line with hers and they kissed, tongues exploring each other endlessly, losing all track of where they were. Her stomach muscles tensed as his hand finally moved down between her parted legs, finding its way to her core, now plump and wet with desire for him. He covered her with his palm and carefully pushed two fingers into her sex, rubbing and circling inside her with the most deliciously slow movements, which served only to make her wild with passion.

  Harper’s fingers grazed his body, starting at his shoulders, squeezing his massive biceps as they moved down to his hands, then onto his chest and finally his back. She craved every bit of him—on her, in her, all over her. She needed to take it all in, to memorize him with her body, he for whom she had longed for so many years.

  And then he was moving down, pushing her skirt out of the way, his tongue gliding along her sex, tasting her slowly, carefully. Harper let out a loud moan as her legs fell away from each other of their own accord. Her eyelids lowered as she felt his lips on her sensitive core, now pulsing with electricity. Replacing his fingers with his mouth, he ran his thumbs along her sex as he sucked and licked and thrust his tongue in as deep as he could. The sensations he was giving her were exquisite. A gentle, warm breeze caressed her skin, blending with the incredible pleasure he was giving her. Gripping the fabric of her skirt with her fingers, she arched her back, bringing him in further. She was writhing under him now, her body wild, her breath ragged. She felt herself jolt as he thrust his tongue deeper. “Oh, right there, Evan, yes!” she called out as she tensed for him again and again.

  When it was over, he leaned back, gazing at her as she recovered. The smile on his face was one of complete satisfaction at how she’d responded to him. Harper locked eyes with him and gave him a little nod, reaching for him. She needed to feel him inside her now.

  Wasting no time, he tugged at his belt, pulling it off and yanking down his pants along with his boxer briefs, freeing himself. Harper ran her fingers over his thick length, taking in the smoothness of the skin covering his rock-hard erection. A groan escaped his chest as her hand glided over him.

  Taking both of her hands, he pinned them over her head, lowering himself over her. Her full breasts rounded out of the bodice of her dress and he paused there for a long moment, kissing her satiny skin. In one slow, long thrust, he found his way inside her tight warmth, both of them moaning at the intense pleasure of it. He stopped for a brief second to look at her, making sure she was okay. The desire in her eyes was the answer he had been hoping for. She wanted him. Wanted this. Now.

  Rocking his hips, he filled her completely before pulling back and almost all the way out, then thrusting forward again. Her muscles squeezed around him as he moved over her and their tongues found each other. Evan’s powerful arms lifted and lowered his body over hers, the motion working them both into a frenzy that would not end until they’d satisfied their need for each other. Driving his tongue into her mouth, he worked it in sync with what he was doing inside her sex. Swirls, circles, thrusts—over and over, each time more forcefully, harder. His pace slowed, as though he were intent on savouring every second with her, before gaining momentum again, maintaining that connection where she needed him most. The hard ground below had no give, making it possible for him to go deeper than either of them had imagined. Her sex throbbed in response to what he was doing. She could feel another climax building to that perfect crescendo, every part of her tensing with an unbelievable force as she let go. Waves of pleasure rippled through her as he held her hands over her head.

  She gripped him with her legs, giving herself to him completely. Slamming himself into her, he gave in to his own orgasm. After a long minute of pulsing and tensing, he pressed his forehead to hers. Their panting slowed. Cheeks flushed, body glistening, Harper wore a lazy smile of utter gratification. The frustration of two decades of waiting was now over. It was everything she had thought it would be and so much more. They stayed like that, wrapped up in each other, in this perfect moment, as time stood still. Time could wait. Life could wait.

  Kissing her tenderly on the mouth, Evan murmured, “Harper, you’re just so unbelievably sexy.”

  “So are you . . . You have ruined me. There is no way I’m going to be able to forget what just happened,” she said, kissing him back.

  “In that case, you should come home with me and stay the night.”

  Eleven

  “You weren’t lying,” she stated, digging into her third bite of breakfast.

  “Oh, I know. I’ve figured out the secret to the perfect waffle,” Evan answered, gratified by her obvious enjoyment.

  “Are you going to tell me?”

  “Sorry, but I can’t do that.” He gave her a sideways glance to see her reaction.

  “After everything we did last night and this morning, you don’t think you can trust me with your waffle recipe?” Harper looked at him from under her eyebrows but her mouth curved up.

  “I wish I could, but it really wouldn’t serve my purpose,” he replied with a phony apologetic look.

  “Your purpose?”

  Taking another bite, he made her wait while he chewed. “If I tell you, you’ll be able to make them yourself and that would give you one less reason to stay over again.”

  He watched as a satisfied smile spread over her face. He hadn’t been sure how either of them would feel when the light of morning came. As Harper had fallen asleep, naked in his arms the night before, Evan had had a temporary feeling of panic and guilt. His feelings for her as they lay together were far stronger than just desire, and those feelings would do nothing but complicate his life if he let them. The fact that she wasn’t here permanently wasn’t the biggest issue. In fact, it could serve to keep things from getting too serious, which was how he needed it. But she was still his best friend’s sister, which meant that unless this was going to become permanent, he shouldn’t be doing it. He had pulled her to him, forcing those thoughts aside, telling himself that they were grown adults and what they did was their own business. He wanted this, needed it. Needed her. And he was going to let himself relish every delicious moment of having her in his bed. Maybe it was actually the perfect situation. He could finally be with a woman who wasn’t going to develop any unrealistic expectations of him. Maybe this could be simple.

  Evan had woken her that morning, kissing her neck and gliding his fingers along the curve of her body, needing to have her again. They had let time stand still as they made love in the shower, slowly washing each other, exploring each other’s bodies until the water ran cold. And now, as they sat at the table, so close together that their knees were touching, they were still keeping the world at bay. He was surprised at how pleasing he found the sight of her in his tuxedo shirt, her hair pinned up in messy waves on top of her head. She was so sexy.

  “What’s going on in that mind of yours?” Evan asked, pouring more syrup onto his waffles.

  “Nothing coherent. You’ve rendered my brain useless this morning.” She dabbed the side of her mouth carefully with a napkin.

  “Really? I didn’t know that was possible with that big brain you’ve got there,” he replied, leaning over to kiss her lips.

  “Mmm, maple syrup has never been so delicious,” she said, opening her eyes as he pulled away. “What was that you were saying about my big brain? I know I have dinner plans, but right now
I can’t remember who with,” she went on, her voice dreamy.

  “Good, then maybe whoever he is will drop off the face of the planet.”

  “Oh, wait—I’m going to Megan’s for dinner with her family.”

  “Well, then, I take that back. How is Megan? I heard she’s got another baby and she’s living with some guy from France.”

  “Yes, he’s an old friend of mine, Luc. They’re tired but wonderful. It’s so great to see her happy again,” Harper answered.

  “I bet. She had a rough go for a long time. That’s one of the things I could be grateful for when Avery and I split. No kids to get caught in the middle.”

  “It definitely makes things worse. No clean break if you’ve got kids,” she agreed. She looked down at her coffee for a moment before taking a sip.

  Evan could feel a tightening in his chest as he thought of his ex-wife. That was always the case when he thought of Avery. First, the initial pang that accompanied the memory of what had happened, then the humiliation, then the hurt. He had promised himself that he would never let that happen to him again. Now, as he looked over at the woman sitting next to him, he realized that she was capable of causing him that kind of pain. The kind that would last. After only one night together, he had feelings that he would never name, and they were so much stronger than lust.

  His eyes were set on hers, his expression serious. “I feel like I should be honest with you, Harper. I’ve been down the whole marriage road before and it’s not one I intend to go down again anytime soon. Maybe ever.”

  “Good, then we’re on the same page,” Harper answered. She stood to clear her plate. “I was just looking for a little fun last night.”

  Turning to him, she gave him a sultry smile. “Nicely done, by the way. All that rock climbing has definitely taught you some moves I’ve never seen before.”

  Winking at him, she made her way to the bedroom and closed the door, only to re-emerge a few minutes later, dressed in her gown. Striding down the hall, she smiled at him again. “I should go see my dad. I haven’t been since yesterday morning, and by now he’s probably wondering if I skipped town.”

  Evan leaned against the wall as she stopped in front of him. “Okay. I should get going anyway. I’m meeting some friends to go climbing.” He ran a finger down her arm. “Too bad you have plans tonight. I wouldn’t mind a replay of this morning.”

  “Well, we’ll just have to do this again soon.” Harper said, kissing him seductively before pulling away.

  “Hey, where are you going?” Evan asked. “You can’t just kiss a guy like that and walk away.”

  “Sure I can.” Harper continued to the front door with a glance back over her shoulder. “That’s all you get for now, Donovan.”

  She slid on her flip-flops while Evan watched. He tugged her in for a long, deep kiss. Just when her body started to sink into it, he pulled back with a wicked grin. “That’s all you get.”

  “Maybe that’s all I wanted,” Harper replied.

  “Oh, you want more. You want it so bad, you can taste it,” Evan murmured, moving his mouth in closer but refusing to kiss her again.

  “This was the perfect diversion. We should do it again—if you think you can handle it without getting too attached to me.” Harper teased him with her mouth now, hovering it just an inch from his to see what he’d do.

  “Oh, I can handle it. You call me if you decide you can.” His expression was one of complete confidence, but inside he was hiding the wariness he felt.

  “No. Next move’s yours. Or not. See you around, sailor.”

  * * *

  Harper could feel Evan watching her as she crossed the lawn to her dad’s house. Once safely inside, she closed her eyes, feeling a pang in her chest. She was suddenly gripped by fear. She had just spent the night and the better part of the morning in bed with the man of her dreams, and she only now realized how dangerous that had been.

  Being with Evan had left her torn between wanting him and knowing she would very likely get crushed if she let things go any further. If this continued, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from giving him her heart. And that was something she had long ago promised herself she would never to do. When her mother had left them, Harper came to understand that the only person she could truly rely on was herself. Not even her own mom could be trusted. She had witnessed the pain her dad had gone through as he sank into a dark fog that had never fully lifted. Harper vowed that she would never allow that to happen to her.

  Twelve

  “So, that’s how you left things?” Megan asked, pushing the stroller as she and Harper walked Amelie around the neighbourhood. The baby had been very fussy after dinner, so the pair had taken her up for a bath and now had her snuggled under a cozy blanket as the fresh air, along with the rhythm of the wheels on the sidewalk, lulled her to sleep. Luc and Elliott had elected to stay home to play video games, Luc seeming to sense that Harper needed some time for girl talk. “You just told him you’ll see him around?”

  “Correction. I said, ‘See you around, sailor.’”

  “That makes it so much worse, somehow.” Megan winced. “But wait, I’m confused. You had this amazing fantasy night together so why, exactly, don’t you want to do it again?”

  “I don’t know,” Harper groaned, running her hands down her neck. “No, that’s not true. I sort of do. I think it’s because it was all just too intense, you know? It wasn’t just sex, it was different. It was like there was all this passion and emotion to it. And the way he looked at me . . . I’ve never been looked at like that before. It was like he was peering into my soul or something.”

  “So it scared you a little,” Megan said.

  “No, it scared me a lot,” Harper answered, chewing on her top lip. “It’s like playing with fire. You’re pretty much guaranteed to end up in intensive care.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe it would be the best thing that ever happened to you?” Megan inquired hopefully. “Let me ask you this: If he called you right now, would you want to rush back over there?”

  “Yes. No. I don’t know. Maybe. What would be the point? I’m going back to New York as soon as I can. The safest thing would be to just leave it alone. It was just sex. Mind-blowing, earth-moving sex with the man of my dreams. But that’s all it was.”

  * * *

  By the time Evan got home from work, the sun had already disappeared from the sky—like Harper, leaving only the faintest sign it had been there. He could see that there were no lights on at her house and he knew where she was. He sighed as he parked his truck, thinking about how things had been just twenty-four hours ago. They had been sitting together on a blanket, eating dinner and watching the sunset. He knew he shouldn’t be going down that road but he just couldn’t stop himself. She drew him to her with everything she did, every little comment, every move of her body, every look. She drew him to her with her sadness. He thought back to her sitting in the yard in her ball gown. He’d noticed her from the kitchen window first and had taken a few minutes to just watch her, fascinated. It didn’t take him long to see by the slump of her shoulders that she was hurting. The need to make her feel better was instant and overwhelming. He’d come out, pretending he hadn’t seen her so as not to embarrass her. If she knew that he suspected she was sad or vulnerable in any way, she would hate it.

  But now that he’d been with her, touched her, felt her naked body wrapped around him, he realized exactly how right he had been when he told her it was a horrible idea. He was certain that if he let things go on, he’d be making the biggest mistake of his life. He couldn’t let himself be drawn in like this. Those walls around his heart were there for a reason. Harper was a love ’em and leave ’em kind of girl; she was itching to get back to her life in New York. He’d be nothing more than a pit stop for her before she disappeared again, only this time, she’d take his heart with her if he let her.

  He trudged into the house and relieved his tired feet from the heavy confines of his steel-toed boots, swearin
g under his breath at the mess he had made of things. Everything seemed wrong at this moment, and he was hungry and tired and sore. If it weren’t for the massive quantity of regret he felt, he’d be completely empty.

  Showering did nothing to enliven his spirits and now, as he sat on his deck alone, eating reheated leftovers, the solitude of his life started to reveal itself to him. Hadn’t he been better off the night before, sharing a meal with Harper?

  * * *

  A couple of hours later, he heard Roy’s truck pull up. In spite of his better judgment, Evan found himself jogging down the front steps to meet Harper as she walked up the sidewalk to her dad’s house. His heart pounded at the sight of her.

  “Hi,” he said.

  Harper stopped, then gave him a breezy look. “Hi yourself.”

  “I wanted to talk to you about how we left things this morning.” His eyes searched hers for answers.

  Harper sighed heavily, rubbing her hand down her cheek. “Yes. As much as I hate to admit it, I think you may have been right about this whole thing.”

  Evan nodded. “You mean about it being a terrible idea.”

  “Mmhmm. I think we’d be fooling ourselves if we thought we could let this go on without any consequences, right?”

  “Because it would be complicated?”

  “Exactly. And neither of us can do complicated,” she stated.

  “I don’t know. I bet we could find a way to keep it simple.”

  Harper shook her head. “I’m not so confident about that.”