Hard Love

by Meredith Wild

  Energy radiated between us, heightened when he closed his hand tightly over my hip, the other threading possessively with my own. His gaze held me, too intense to break away, except I was unraveling a little more each second. Possessed by his potent stare and the fierce way he claimed me, I clung to him in every way I could. Like a thread growing taut and tense, my body strained toward release.

  “I’ve never wanted anything more than I’ve wanted you. Nothing in my entire life has ever possessed me the way you have,” he said.

  “I’m yours.”

  “Forever,” he rasped, meeting my lips with a bruising kiss. He banded an arm around my hips, leveraging his weight and changing the angle of his thrusts.

  “Blake!” His name was a plea on my lips, a desperate kind of praise for the perfect way he felt inside me.

  His expression weakened. An almost painful vulnerability swept his gorgeous features as he took us closer to that heaven we found in each other.

  “Now, baby. Let go. Come apart, just for me.”

  That quickly, the thread snapped. He was incredibly deep. In my heart. In my body. Lips crashing, skin afire, bodies one, we came together. Together we fell into that perfect place, landing safely in each other’s arms. The sensation rippled over me, vibrating between us until we were both still.

  We lay tangled in each other, the air perfectly warm around us. The low rolling of the waves against the beach was the only sound against our steadying breaths.

  Closing his eyes, Blake exhaled heavily. “God, do I love you.”

  I sighed, surrendering to the warm weightless comfort of being in his arms. I danced my fingers lazily over his skin, over his broad shoulders, replaying what had just happened between us.

  Tonight had been different. Tonight we’d shared something I couldn’t name. Hope, or maybe faith. Grasping for a dream only we could make together, and believing that somehow it might come true.

  A rush of emotion hit me, maybe harder than it normally would have in this vulnerable postcoital state. I closed my eyes to calm the burning behind them. Drawing in a deep breath, I slowed my caresses.

  “I should go clean up,” I said quickly, hoping to buy a few minutes to pull myself together. I didn’t want to ruin this moment with my tears.

  “No,” Blake said, his body still nestled above me, inside me. “We need to let my little guys do their work in there. Stay put for a while.”

  I laughed quietly, trying not to consider the possibility that it could be a lost cause. I pushed the hair back from his face. His gorgeous eyes twinkled in the moonlight.

  I shook my head. “You’re determined, aren’t you?”

  He smiled under a tender kiss and laced our fingers together. “Oh, Erica, you have no idea.”

  “Oh, I think I do.” I arched against him, all too aware of how determined he could be. So determined that ever since I’d met the man, my nights were long, and the mornings always came too soon.

  He hummed, his eyes darkening anew. “You’re making me hard again.”

  I trailed my toes up his calves until my heels met the backs of his strong thighs. I lifted my hips and drew him into me fully again. His erection hadn’t flagged at all since he’d come. He met the motion with a small thrust of his own, solid proof of his lingering desire. I tightened around him and relished the delicious friction that I’d tasted so recently.

  “Then let’s try again,” I murmured.

  CHAPTER THREE

  ERICA

  The honeymoon had been an escape. A beautiful, decadent escape. Then real life called us back home.

  A week later, bronzed from the sun and restored from the last leg of our trip on an island that was beginning to feel like ours, we touched down in Boston.

  Thin gray clouds obscured the sun and the threat of the impending winter greeted us. I shivered when a gust of chilled air whipped across the tarmac. A reminder of the inevitable passing of time.

  As Blake and I disembarked, I spotted a black Escalade parked in the distance. We approached, and a tall thickly built man circled the vehicle. Clad in all black, he was a forbidding figure, but one I knew well.

  “Clay!” I lifted high on my toes to hug the beast of a man who’d made it his job to protect us for the past several months. “We missed you.”

  He cracked a shy smile. “How was your trip?”

  “Incredible, but we’re glad to be home.” Paradise couldn’t last forever, after all.

  “It’s good to have you back.” He looked to Blake. “Home?”

  Blake nodded once. “Home.”

  Clay drove us north, putting the skyline of the city behind us. The highway gave way to the one-lane roads curving along the coast through smaller towns. I took it all in. The steady flow of traffic, the familiar signs, rows of seaside homes overlooking the deep blue sea. Everything was home, yet somehow foreign. Even the destination, a house we’d yet to make a home, would seem strange after such a time away.

  Here and there campaign signs still dotted yards as we passed them, some bearing the Fitzgerald name and slogan. Daniel was maybe the last person I wanted to greet me on my first day back, but he was everywhere. As our new reality set in, memories flooded me in an unwelcome rush.

  After years of not knowing who my real father was, I’d found an old photograph of Daniel with my mother. I could still remember my anxiety about reaching out to him. I’d been a mix of scared and hopeful as I sat across from his desk and told him who my mother was. As intimidating as that experience had been, truly knowing the man behind the expensive suit, the high-rise offices, and the political machine driving his campaign had proven far more frightening. And yet fear wasn’t all I felt when I saw his name and remembered his face.

  There was disappointment, too, and beneath that, anger. After all those years, I had expected more. I’d hoped for so much more. A knot formed in my throat, and I suddenly wanted to rip the signs out of every yard we passed.

  Blake reached across the space between us and caught my hand. “What are you thinking about?”

  I stared blankly ahead. “Nothing.” Nothing that he wanted to talk about. I didn’t hate Daniel, as much as maybe I should have. But I knew that Blake did. He’d understand my anger, but commiserating with Blake about it wouldn’t bring me any closer to peace.

  “He won, you know,” he muttered.

  Daniel had won. I rolled that news around in my mind a few times, imagining all the pomp and glory, streamers and symbols of patriotism, and the false pride. And then I thought about the darkness under the celebration, where all the things he’d done to secure his victory were hiding.

  I wasn’t sure how I felt about any of it. What could I really say? That’s good? That’s too bad?

  Blake and I rode the rest of the way in silence as I contemplated whether to mourn or celebrate Daniel’s news.

  Clay deposited our luggage in the foyer, and a quick exchange with Blake guaranteed he’d be back to collect us for work in the morning. We meandered upstairs to the bedroom, where we quickly collapsed.

  * * *

  I woke to the bright morning sky and an empty bed. According to the note left on Blake’s pillow, he’d left for work early. I groaned and contemplated sleeping more, but the thought of catching up with Alli and the rest of the people at the new office spurred me to action. I took my time getting ready, switching on the news to lure me away from the bed, where I could have easily slept for another eight hours. I poured my coffee, pausing at the mention of Daniel’s name. The newscaster was reporting a recap from the election that had taken place the previous week.

  Even though I hadn’t spoken to Daniel in months, he’d surfaced in my thoughts often enough. We’d parted ways. Well, he’d decided to remove himself from my life. Mercifully? Perhaps. Sometimes I wondered what he would say if I tried to reach him again. Would he insist on keeping his distance?

  Now that he’d won the governor’s race, maybe he wouldn’t say anything at all. Winning the election was everythi
ng he’d been working toward since before he’d loved my mother. I was certain that any importance I’d held in his life had faded well into the background of current events.

  I switched off the television, determined not to devote any more thought to it. Despite my serious jet lag and mourning the end of our blissful honeymoon, I was looking forward to throwing myself into work—something I hadn’t been able to do since selling the company.

  The caffeine hit, and I took that as my cue to head in. Clay drove me into the city and dropped me at Mocha, the cafe that I’d often frequented at the old office. I hadn’t been back since Blake’s ex, Sophia, had fired Alli and I walked out, but I couldn’t stay away forever. I scanned the sidewalks, half expecting to see Sophia, but I didn’t recognize any faces.

  Inside though, I immediately spotted Simone. While she served a nearby table, I found my usual spot empty and sat down. My phone buzzed as I waited and I read a text from Marie welcoming me home. I wrote her back, making tentative plans to catch up in the next week. I knew she’d want to hear all about the honeymoon and I couldn’t wait to tell her. I’d missed her more than she knew.

  Simone came up to me, her eyes wide. “Holy shit, who are you and what are you doing in my cafe?”

  I laughed. “I came for my caffeine fix. And to see you, of course.”

  “Damn right.” She joined me, sidling up on the opposite stool. “So what’s up? I haven’t seen you since the wedding.”

  “Nothing yet, really. Just catching up at work today, probably. How about you?”

  “Same old scene here,” she said, gesturing to the bustling cafe.

  “How are the new neighbors?” I couldn’t help but ask, since Mocha was steps away from the Clozpin office, but I braced myself for an answer that would hurt. Good or bad, any news would be salt on the wound.

  Simone shrugged. “From what I can tell, the big boss, Perry, is in only a couple times a month. I haven’t seen the girl at all. They hired some new programmers. Can’t complain about that, though. They’ve turned into excellent caffeine-dependent customers.”

  “I guess they’re still up and running, then.” I wanted to be unaffected, but I couldn’t hide the listlessness in my tone.

  “Seems that way. I’m glad James didn’t stick around. He’s a lot happier working with the old crew.”

  James had been the last to jump ship after the change in ownership. The last news I’d heard was that Clozpin had been hacked and damaging information had been leaked about Isaac and Sophia that could spell the end of the venture. Apparently they had recovered and moved on. Maybe it was time I did the same.

  “What’s this?” I asked, pointing to the artfully designed heart drawn in fresh black ink down Simone’s inner forearm.

  “Oh, just some new ink.” She touched one of the ornate details that curved around a black keyhole in the heart’s center.

  “It’s beautiful. The detail is incredible.”

  Her cheeks suffused with pink. “James designed it. He’s an amazing artist. He got one too. A key.”

  I dropped my jaw, blown away by the unmistakable meaning behind the two symbols. “Wow. That’s permanent, you know.”

  She laughed. “Well, it’s supposed to be. That’s kind of the point.”

  “I’m so happy for you both.” After everything I’d been through with James, I was incredibly grateful that he and Simone had found something real that I hoped made them as deeply happy as Blake made me.

  Her eyes went soft as she traced the design back and forth. “I honestly had no idea if we could have a future when we first started hanging out, but that man has worked his way into my heart so deep that if something ever broke us apart, I’d want this memory anyway.”

  “He’s lucky to have you, Simone.”

  She released a sigh, sounding as hopelessly in love as I often felt.

  “He’s been through a lot. So much that he probably never told you, Erica. But I’ve never met a man in my life who opened his whole heart up the way he has. It’s like, when we stopped dancing around the friendship thing and just committed to giving the relationship a chance, nothing could come between us. No games, no bullshit. It’s just us.”

  I swallowed over the emotion thick in my throat. “Jesus, you’re making me cry. Knock it off.”

  She smiled, blinking away what seemed to be the beginnings of happy tears too. Stepping off the stool, she came around to hug me.

  “I missed you,” I said. The words threatened to set off the waterworks for real. I’d loved my great escape with Blake, but I’d missed my friends too, more than I realized until this moment.

  She gave me a squeeze. “I missed you too. You and all your fucking drama.”

  I laughed when she pulled away. “Sorry about that.”

  “No worries. Keeps things interesting in my otherwise tedious life of coffee and croissants. No more getting shot and all that, though, okay? I kind of need you alive. Business suffers when you’re not around feeding your habit.”

  I rubbed my fingertips under my eyes, catching any remnant moisture from my mini breakdown. “I’ll do what I can.”

  She brushed her hand down my arm. “You’d better. All right. I have to get back to work.”

  “Me too. I have a ton to catch up on.”

  “No doubt. Hey, do me a favor. Slap James on the ass while you’re there. Tell him it’s from me.”

  I rolled my eyes with a smirk. “I’ll save that one for you, Simone.”

  She laughed and waved me off.

  I walked the few blocks to the new office in the building that Blake and I now shared. I climbed the stairs to the second floor and paused a few seconds in front of the frosted door that read E. Landon, Inc. I smiled inwardly.

  Mrs. Erica Landon. I was enjoying the ring of it. I’d taken Blake’s name with no objections, but professionally he hadn’t made an effort to bring my projects under the umbrella of his company. And in a time when I was fast losing hope, he’d arranged for the office space that would allow me to work on new projects to fill the void.

  Determined to keep the past in the past and embrace this next chapter in my life, I opened the door to it. Inside, the team—a mix of old and new—worked at their desks.

  Alli squealed loudly when she saw me. “You’re back!” She rushed to me and hugged me tightly. “And so tan!”

  I laughed as we separated. “A week on an island will do that.”

  “I’m insanely jealous. But what are you doing here? I thought you’d take a couple days to settle in first.”

  I shrugged. “I couldn’t wait.”

  Geoff and Sid caught my attention from their workstations nearby.

  “How is everything going? What did I miss?” I asked.

  Geoff’s eyes lit up. “Tons. Where do you want to start?”

  “Wherever you want. Bring me up to speed.” A giddy feeling bubbled through me—a familiar eagerness to speak the language of business and technology, and being thrown into the flurry of details surrounding a cutting-edge project.

  Sid rose and leaned against his desk. “We’ve got two new apps you can test out.”

  “Awesome.”

  “Hey, stranger.” A deep voice rang out from behind me. James appeared through the door. His nearly black wavy hair was disheveled and matched his long black T-shirt and jeans. He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “Glad you decided to come back.”

  “Well, I couldn’t stay away forever. Anyway, I’m not sure I’d know what to do with myself without you guys keeping me busy.”

  “Happy looks good on you,” he said, playfully tapping the tip of my nose.

  His deep blue eyes seemed to see right into my soul, the way they always had. My friendship with James had morphed into something far more meaningful than anything I might have expected when I hired him to join the original Clozpin team. Our brush with romance had been brief and misguided, but I was grateful we hadn’t lost the connection that had brought us there to begin with.

 
“Thanks,” I said, giving him a little shove. “You too.”

  He brushed his hand through his hair, revealing the underside of his forearm and the fresh ink that matched Simone’s so perfectly—an ornate vintage key, designed in black and white.

  “Nice ink.” I winked.

  “Thanks.” His slanted smirk broke into a wide grin. He nodded toward the back of the office. “Come on, let’s meet in your swanky office. We’ve been dying to break it in.”

  “Sure.”

  The five of us spent the rest of the morning going over the progress that had been made. Geoff, the brainchild behind the wearable technology venture that I had decided to fund months ago, led me through the latest builds. True enough, the team had covered a lot of ground in my absence, but gaps needed to be addressed and improvements had to be made before we could bring the apps to market. Hours passed, and I lost myself in the details.

  When we broke for lunch, I tinkered around my office, the space that I hadn’t had a chance to settle into yet. But for the first time since I’d come back, I felt like this was truly what I was meant to do. Despite everything that had happened to throw me off course, I was as ready as ever to dive back into work and try again.

  “Happy to be back?”

  I swiveled in my chair to find Alli leaning against the doorframe.

  “I am,” I admitted.

  “We’re happy to have you back. The family too, of course. Catherine and Greg are having a welcome-home dinner for you guys tonight.”

  “That’s sweet of them.”

  Alli’s lips quirked up as she twisted a strand of her straight brown hair.

  “What’s up? You look like you want to tell me something.”

  “Well, there will be an extra seat at the table tonight.”

  “Oh? Who’s that?”

  She dropped down into the chair across from my desk and lowered her voice. “Do you remember that hot bartender from the club, the one who you sent back to Sophia with those awful drinks?”