In My Heart

by E. L. Todd

He wrapped his arms around me then gave me a soft kiss. “I want to take you right now but I don’t want to mess up your hair or make up. And you know I will.”

  “Mess it up when I get home.”

  He smiled. “Then I’ll wait up for you.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Have fun tonight. Call me if you need anything.”

  “I will.”

  He rubbed his nose against mine. “Love you.”

  When he said those words I melted. “Love you too.”

  ***

  I recognized a lot of friendly faces and chitchatting became easy. When waiters walked around with trays they offered me a glass of wine but I politely refused.

  People started to realize I was pregnant. They noticed the subtle bump of my stomach, and everyone seemed excited, even if they hardly knew me. Hopefully, word would spread and people would just think about me and not my husband.

  Maximum must have told people we were working together because everyone already knew about it.

  And that put me on the map.

  Instead of me going up to people and trying to integrate, they were coming up to me. No one mentioned Slade, which was a relief. If they kept talking about his good looks and ink I would scream.

  I didn’t think Maximum would make an appearance here. While it was a big event, he was above that at this point. And if he we were here he probably wouldn’t make an appearance on the floor because everyone would flock to him.

  I ordered a ginger ale from the bar then made my way over to the seating area. I was a few rows back, just in front of the photographers. It wasn’t the best place to sit because of all the flashes from the cameras.

  “Trinity.” A man I’d never seen before came right up to my chair and looked down at me.

  “Hello.” I tried to be polite but I had no idea who he was.

  “Mr. Shot has requested your presence in his box.”

  He was here? And he knew I was here? Last time we spoke he made a few more advances, which I shot down. At the end, he agreed to a friendly meeting at his office. Maybe this was friendly as well. “I’m really okay sitting here.” It wasn’t the best seat but that didn’t matter. I could still see.

  He couldn’t process that at all. “Excuse me?”

  “I’m fine where I am.”

  Now he looked more confused. “Mr. Shot asked me to retrieve you so please come with me.”

  “Well, I don’t want to go so that’s too bad.” Telling off Maximum’s employee probably wasn’t smart but I couldn’t contain my temper.

  He held his ground, the irritation coming onto his face. “Miss Trinity, I’ve been working for Mr. Shot for a long time. If I return without you, he’ll just come get you himself.”

  I didn’t bother hiding my annoyance.

  “He has the best seat in the place,” he said. “You won’t be disappointed.”

  I couldn’t wait until I had power like that, where I could command someone to sit beside me just because I felt like it. “Fine.” I stood up with my ginger ale and allowed the man to escort me to Maximum’s box on the second story balcony.

  His box was front and center, and it contained black walls that kept him separated from everyone else. Designers and models probably came up to him constantly and he needed a barrier to stay sane.

  The man allowed me to enter the box before he shut the door behind me.

  Maximum was sitting at the edge of the balcony, looking over the crowd and at the stage. One foot rested on the opposite knee, and a glass of red wine was on the table beside him. His posture was always so rigid and stern. The muscles of his back could be noted even through his crisp suit.

  I made my way to the seat beside him and set my glass down.

  He didn’t look directly at me. He faced forward, almost indifferent to my presence. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  “Yes. A lot of talented people are in this room.”

  “I can guarantee you’re the most talented one of them all.”

  A flattering comment coming from him was practically gold. My heart fluttered at the compliment and soared.

  “I was hoping you would be here tonight.”

  I faced straight ahead because I didn’t know what to say.

  “I didn’t want to wait until our meeting to see you again.”

  So, he was hitting on me? I wish I knew for sure.

  He turned his head my way, and his blue eyes were startling. They shined like beacons to lost ships at sea. “You look beautiful tonight.”

  I held his gaze and felt flushed. “Thank you…” My hand went to my stomach, where my bump lay.

  His eyes followed my hand. “You can hardly tell.”

  “I can tell enough.”

  “How far along are you?”

  “A little over three months.”

  “Congratulations,” he said quietly.

  “Thank you. My husband and I are very excited.” I was going to be a mother soon, and I was happily married. How could Maximum possibly be interested in me? There was simply no way. I was reading his intentions incorrectly.

  “I’ve heard of your husband,” he said. “Some inked tattoo artist.”

  “Yeah.”

  “You guys sound extremely different from one another.”

  “We are,” I said. “But that doesn’t matter to us.” All that mattered was that we loved each other.

  “I assume you would be with someone more like yourself, someone in the fashion world. Someone who understands your passion.”

  “You can’t choose who you love, right?”

  He stared at me without blinking.

  The moment was becoming tenser with every passing second. When he stared at me like that I had no idea what he was thinking. Sometimes I felt like prey about to be devoured. I could work with him at the office in the presence of others but I couldn’t sit alone with him in this box. It felt wrong, like I was doing something I shouldn’t. “Have a good evening, Maximum. I’ll see you next week.” I rose and turned to leave.

  His hand grabbed mine. When his large fingers moved around my wrist it didn’t feel possessive, like I had a choice whether to turn away or not. “Please.” He loosened his touch. “Stay with me.”

  I turned back around and saw the intensity in his eyes.

  I knew I was the luckiest person in the room that night. Everyone wished they could be in that box instead of me, whether professionally or romantically. Maximum Shot was a remarkable artist. His gift was unparalleled by anyone else.

  But there was a warning in my heart. I constantly felt on edge, like something was wrong. Maximum looked at me in a way he didn’t look at anybody else. His eyes were glued to mine, like he owned a piece of me.

  If I ever told anyone about this moment they would think I was the dumbest person in the world. “I’m sorry, Maximum. I have to go.” I pulled away and walked out of the box without looking back.

  Whatever Maximum felt toward me wasn’t friendly.

  Now I was sure of it.

  ***

  Slade was sitting on the couch with his guitar across his thighs. “How’d it go?”

  “Great,” I said. “I had a good time.” Not really. I wasn’t stupid enough to tell Slade what happened with Maximum. I didn’t have anything to hide but I didn’t want to get Slade worked up over nothing. Knowing him, he would grab a knife from the kitchen and hunt Maximum down.

  “I’m glad to hear it.” He set his guitar aside then came to me.

  I wanted to wash Maximum’s scent off of me. I didn’t like the way he looked at me, like I was his property or something. His eyes searched me like an x-ray. The fact I was pregnant and married didn’t seem to matter to him. Maximum Shot was a guy that always got what he wanted, and there was no such thing as no.

  It disgusted me.

  Slade rested his hands on my hips. “So, what did you—”

  I pressed my mouth to his and gave him an affectionate kiss. All I wanted was him right now, to feel my husband and all the love we had for
each other. The baby we made was inside me, growing larger with every passing day. Our love was the most beautiful thing in the world, and I wanted that to wash over me in waves. Slade could remove Maximum’s taint.

  Slade responded immediately, kissing me with the same intensity. Instantly, he was hard and excited. His hands glided all over my body and squeezed me. He possessed me, removing everything else that had ever come into contact with me.

  He lifted my dress then sat me on the dining room table. His pants were off in a flash and his dick was ready to go. He yanked my underwear off then prepared to enter me.

  “Hurry.” My nails dug into the skin of his forearms.

  He shoved himself inside me aggressively, making a loud moan as he moved. He pulled my legs against his chest and thrust inside me.

  I gripped his hips and felt him pound into me. Everything else faded away and all I thought about was my husband.

  The man I loved.

  ***

  “How’d the fashion show go?” Skye asked at lunch.

  “It was okay.” There wasn’t anything in particular that I cared about. The clothing was mediocre and the food was bland. And the entire night was overshadowed by one intense man.

  “Just okay?” Skye asked. “I thought you would tell me it was one of the greatest nights of your life.”

  I knew exactly what days constituted as the greatest periods of my life, and Slade was in all of them. “I’m honored to be invited and the fact I’m a designer. But no, it wasn’t that amazing.”

  Skye stabbed some lettuce and a tomato with her fork. “Something wrong? You seem particularly drab.”

  “Eh…I’ve been better.”

  “What’s wrong? Morning sickness? Dizziness?” Skye stopped eating and gave me all her focus. “I’ve had everything in the book so just let me know. I can talk you through it.”

  “No…it’s not that. Maximum Shot was there last night.”

  Skye froze. “Oh…”

  “He invited me to his private room from the balcony. It was just he and I.”

  Skye sat at the edge of her seat, her mouth gaping open. “What happened?”

  “When I turned to leave he grabbed my hand.”

  “Then what?” she pressed.

  “I left anyway.” I couldn’t make any more excuses for Maximum. “I think his intentions toward me aren’t friendly or professional.”

  “Did he say something?”

  “No.” Actually, he hardly said anything at all. “But I can just tell…it’s hard to explain.”

  “Go with your gut.”

  “Now I feel guilty whenever I’m around him. In the back of my mind, I know I shouldn’t be there. I can just feel it. So, I’m not going to see him anymore. It’s a situation I shouldn’t be in.” If Slade had any inclination some woman was into him he wouldn’t go anywhere near her. I knew he wouldn’t. Even if I really wanted to work with Maximum because he would put my career in the fast lane it wasn’t worth jeopardizing my marriage. It wasn’t that important to me.

  “Wow,” Skye said. “That sucks. I know how excited you were.”

  “Yeah…” It was a bummer. Maximum and I could have done a lot of amazing things together.

  “You think that was the only reason why he approached you?”

  “I really don’t know.”

  “Does he think you aren’t happy in your marriage?” Skye asked.

  “I don’t see why. I’ve never complained about Slade. Actually, Slade came to the office one time and Maximum was there. I was all over Slade because I wanted Maximum to understand I was happily married.”

  “But it didn’t make a difference?”

  I shook my head. “I wish I knew what Maximum was thinking. He’s so hard to read. He’s just…really intense.”

  “He’s a good looking guy,” Skye said. “Why is he trying so hard to get you when he can have anyone he wants?”

  “I don’t have a clue.” None of it was making sense.

  “Did you tell him you wouldn’t be working together anymore?”

  “No…”

  “Are you going to cancel that meeting?”

  “Yeah.” But I was dreading it. “I’ll have my assistant do it.” Even though I had a feeling Maximum would just come by the office and confront me anyway.

  “Then you can move on and forget the whole thing,” Skye said. “It’ll be like it never happened.”

  “Yeah, hopefully,” I said. “I’ve been jumping Slade’s bones like crazy ever since.”

  Skye chuckled. “I’m sure he’s loving it.”

  “I doubt he minds. I guess I just feel guilty for ever getting involved with Maximum to begin with. And I’m just trying to wash him off, you know?”

  “I understand,” Skye said. “But don’t beat yourself up over it. You didn’t know what Maximum’s intentions were in the beginning, and when it became clear you did the right thing. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Yeah…I guess you’re right.”

  Chapter Three

  Slade

  I sat behind the desk at the shop and tried not to fall asleep. Trinity wanted sex all night long. When we were finished I rolled over and closed my eyes. But then an hour later her kisses woke me up again. We repeated that cycle until the sun rose the next morning.

  It was awesome.

  “Babe?” Trinity’s voice came to my ears.

  My eyes were closed so I assumed I was dreaming. I pictured her beautiful tits in my face and her tight pussy around my dick.

  “Slade?” Her voice echoed again.

  “Just like that,” I whispered.

  “Slade.” Trinity shook my arm until I woke up.

  My eyes opened and then winced when I took in the light. She stood on the other side of the counter, her hair in a braid over one shoulder. I ran my fingers through my hair as I tried to come back to reality. “Baby?”

  “You sleep on the job?”

  “So what?” I said. “No one was in line.” I wiped the sleep from my eyes then stood up. “What brings you here? Some ink? You missed me?” I gave her a wide smile.

  “Actually…is your apartment upstairs open?”

  My cock inflated like a balloon. “Yes, it is.”

  “Can we use it?”

  My heart rate picked up at the implication. “Hell yeah, we can.”

  Trinity immediately headed for the stairs and avoided the looks from the guys. Unashamed, I followed her upstairs then locked the door behind us.

  Trinity removed all of her clothes then stood naked next to the bed. Her hourglass figure was perfect, and her long legs were dangerously sexy. My dick was hard and desperate to be inside her.

  She crawled on the bed and gave me her ass, tilting her hips and arching her back in a sexy way. She looked over her shoulder and stared at me.

  My mouth was slightly open as I stared at her. I quickly stripped my clothes off and kicked my shoes aside before I came behind her on the bed. I rubbed my dick between her ass cheeks then leaned over her and kissed her back. “You’re the sexiest thing in the world.”

  She looked at me over her shoulder. “No. You are.”

  I sucked her bottom lip then gave her some of my tongue. Then I slowly inserted myself inside her, loving how wet and tight she was. Somehow, I fell more in love with my wife every time I had her.

  She moaned when I was completely inside her, her hair trailing down her toned back. Trinity had wanted me nonstop for days. I didn’t know what had changed but I wasn’t going to complain.

  “You feel so good…” She breathed into my mouth.

  I wanted to come then and there but I managed not to. “We feel good together.”

  ***

  “I’m telling you, she’s jumping my bones, like, six times a day.”

  Cayson wore his black suit because he just got off work. He had a dark beer in front of him, and his clean-shaven look was perfect for his position. “That’s a good thing, right?”

  “It’s aweso
me,” I said. “We’ve always had a lot of sex, at least three times a day. But out of nowhere she’s wanted me like crazy.”

  “Maybe it’s the hormones,” he said. “Skye went through that…but it was much later in her pregnancy.”

  “I don’t care what it is. It’s fucking awesome. She even came down to the shop so I would fuck her.” I smiled at the memory, loving how dirty we were together. “Her pussy is like—”

  Cayson raised his hand. “I don’t care if you talk about your sex life but keep it tame. Trinity is like a sister to me and it makes me want to gag when you say things like that.”

  “Whatever,” I said as I rolled my eyes. “I’ve loved every second of it.”

  “Do you think it’s because of the rock star thing?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Now that you’re a rock star your sex appeal has gone up,” Cayson said. “Maybe that’s why she’s so into you.”

  That didn’t seem likely. “I doubt it. Nothing has really happened. I haven’t even started recording the tracks yet.”

  “Well, did you guys have a fight recently?”

  “No. Why?”

  “It could be make up sex. But if you haven’t had a fight that can’t be it.”

  “Let’s face it,” I said. “She’s fucking my brains out because I’m a fine piece of ass. That’s the only explanation.”

  “Or she feels guilty about something.”

  “Guilty?” I asked.

  “You know, when you do something wrong so you try to compensate by going the extra mile.”

  That would imply Trinity did something wrong. “No. Trinity would never do anything remotely wrong behind my back. She wouldn’t cheat, lie, or anything else. That isn’t it.” It simply wasn’t possible.

  Cayson didn’t press the theory. “Then it’s probably a hormone imbalance of some kind.”

  “Or she’s just happy.”

  “That too.” He drank his beer and looked out the window.

  “How’s it going with Skye?”

  “Good,” he said. “But I admit I’m a little jealous of your sex life.”

  “Not getting enough?”

  “Not as much as I used to. In our old routine, we’d have sex right when I got home then have dinner. After dinner, we’d have sex again. Then we would watch TV for a few hours. Then we would do it again before bed. But now I just get laid once.”