Keep My Heart (Top Shelf Romance Book 7)

by Lex Martin

  I drop her hand and sigh. “I give up.”

  She licks her lips, holding in a smirk. “Defeated the King! Finally!”

  “You’ve been waiting twelve years to say that, haven’t you?”

  “Pretty much.” She flashes a smug grin. “In fact, everything in my life has led up to this very moment.”

  “Fuck, you’re a sassy thing today. What happened to the sweet little girl I first met?”

  “You corrupted her,” she says matter-of-factly.

  “Can’t say I’m sorry about that.”

  She looks at me as if she’s in deep thought, and I try to read her. I know I have a lot of proving to do, but I’ll do whatever it takes to gain her trust again.

  “I don’t want anyone else, Viola,” I say genuinely, knowing she needs to hear it. “I never truly did. It’s always been you.”

  “I want to trust you,” she says softly. “But I’m scared.”

  “What are you scared of?” I ask, hoping I can ease some of her fears.

  “I’m scared of getting hurt again. Scared Drew will throw you across the room. Scared I’ll never fully be able to trust you.”

  “Viola, listen to me. I’ll do whatever it takes to take those fears away. Don’t worry about Drew. I’ll talk to him and do whatever it takes to gain his trust, too. But don’t be scared of getting hurt. I can’t promise there won’t be times I fuck up, but I would never intentionally hurt you.” I take her head in mine again. “But I will promise you one thing. I won’t be like those guys you read about in your romance novels. I won’t feather the bed with red rose petals, make love to you under the stars, or write an original song and sing it to you on top of Butternut Hill.”

  She chuckles, tilting her head to look deeper into my eyes.

  “Because I’m not like those guys in your romance novels. I’m the guy who’ll fuck you against the wall, wrap my hand around your throat, and pull your hair as you scream out my name. I’m the guy who’ll have you waking up on a bare mattress because we fucked the sheets off it in the middle of the night. I’m the guy who can’t sing a tune to save my soul, but I’d tell you every single day of my life how much you mean to me. So, before you make your decision, you need to know everything it entails.”

  I watch as her throat moves, her tongue running along her lips as she wets them. Blinking, she looks back up at me with glassy eyes.

  “I don’t want you to be those guys in my romance novels,” she states. “They’re usually flawless with perfect abs and hair, and they always say the right things, and they’re always hung even when they’re soft…”

  I put a hand up, making her stop so I can make sure I’m hearing her correctly. “Wait a minute…”

  She ignores me and continues. “I don’t want perfect, Travis. I don’t expect a relationship where everything is always smooth and happy. I want us to continue challenging one another, testing the limits, and growing as one. I’d get bored being with a perfect guy. I’d feel inadequate, and I’d rather have an imperfect relationship than a perfect one.”

  Her words are music to my ears. My heart beats harder in my chest. “Are you saying you’re all in?” I ask, desperate to hear her say the words.

  She sucks in her lips and nods. “Yes. I am.”

  Her eyes are glassing over again. I press my thumb over her cheek, catching a tear that drops down. “I hope those are tears of happiness.” I smirk, cupping her face.

  “Tears of regret,” she spits out.

  “Dammit, Viola,” I hiss, trying to hold in my annoyed laughter. “Are you always going to be this difficult to seduce?”

  “You have a lot to learn, King.” She winks.

  “Trust me. I know, princess.” I bring our mouths together and push her lips apart with my tongue. “Just know that if I weren't on bed rest, I’d have both your legs above your head right now.”

  “Clearly, it was your charm that won me over.”

  “I thought it was my ability to make you count to ten with your head buried in the pillow?”

  She playfully slaps my arm and scowls. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I’d just agreed to be with a horny fifteen-year-old boy.”

  “Twenty-four-year-old man,” I clarify with a shrug. “Not much has really changed.”

  She laughs and before I can stop her, she leans in, brings both hands around my neck and pulls me in for a deep, greedy-as-fuck kiss. She has my body all kinds of fired up. My ribs may be broken, but my cock sure isn’t.

  “Goddammit, Viola,” I growl, needing her to stop. I press my forehead against hers, our pants mixing in the air as we try to catch our breaths. “I think I need to go take that shower now.” A fucking cold one.

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  “Well, it was suggested I either sit in the shower or have someone nearby to help in case I slip or get drowsy from the meds, and since we don’t exactly have a shower chair, you’ll have to be my on-duty nurse.”

  “Should I put the uniform on for you and everything? Give you the full nurse experience?” The corner of her lips tilts up.

  I smile. I fucking love her smart mouth.

  Following Travis to the bathroom, I’m already drooling at the thought of seeing him naked again. I stare at him, admiring the way his jeans hug his ass. He glances over his shoulder and catches me.

  “Eyes up here, nurse.”

  I blink my eyes back up to his and blush as if I’d been caught getting into trouble. A cocky grin forms over his face, and I know he’s enjoying every second of my ogling.

  Once inside the bathroom, I reach into the shower and turn on the water. Travis watches me as he begins unbuttoning his jeans. I watch as he pushes them down, but they get stuck at his knees. I step in and pull them down the rest of the way so he can kick them off. I slide my hand over his waist and grip the end of his shirt. I know he’s in more pain than he’s letting on, so I slowly lift his shirt so he can pull his arms out one by one. He winces slightly, and I cringe at the way raising his arms over his head causes pain.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, fearing that he’s not going to be able to shower alone.

  “A hot nurse undressing me? I’m more than fine.” He grins, and I roll my eyes at his inability to answer a serious question.

  “Don’t get any ideas,” I scold. “This is strictly for medical purposes only.”

  “We’ll see about that.” He nods his head down to his boxers, which is the only clothing left on him.

  I nod, knowing damn well he can take his boxer shorts off. But if that’s how he wants to play it, I’m all in.

  Looping my fingers underneath the waistband, I slowly pull them down his body. I kneel, but I keep my eyes locked on his. As soon as I have them down far enough, his cock bounces frees and is saluting to the ceiling. I swallow, fighting the urge to taste him, but I know I can’t start anything right now—as much as I desperately want to.

  Making eye contact with him, I watch as a smug expression forms over his face, and he stands with both hands on his hips.

  “Are you sure you’re up for this, princess?”

  Blinking, I clear my throat and flash a forced smile. I stand and watch as he finally kicks his shorts to the side. “You really think you’re going to win this game?” I challenge, knowing exactly what he’s trying to do.

  I will not cave. I will not cave.

  “I know I will.”

  “You’ll never learn, will you?” I smirk.

  He shrugs.

  I’m not above needing to prove myself to him when I need to. I bring my fingers down to my jeans and unbutton them. He watches me intently as I remove them, and then I bring my hands to the bottom of my shirt and pull it over my head.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he finally asks.

  “Getting undressed.” I reach behind my back and unclasp my bra.

  He watches as it slides down my arms and falls to the floor.

  “Why?”

  “Well, I don't normally
shower with my clothes on…” I lower my hands to the fabric of my panties and begin pulling them down.

  “Wait,” he rushes out, stopping me. “Don’t you think you being naked is a safety hazard? I mean, you’re supposed to make sure I don’t stumble or some shit.”

  I smile, ignoring his hand and push my panties the rest of the way down. “Good thing you have your very own personal nurse, willing to go the distance.”

  Stepping toward me, he closes the gap between us. I feel his cock throbbing against my skin, and my body shivers. He cups my face and brings his mouth to mine. Slowly, he kisses me and parts my lips with his tongue, giving me a torturous taste of exactly what I want.

  “You forget who you’re playing with, princess?” he asks, breaking the kiss.

  I swallow, keeping my eyes closed as I try to compose myself and not give in to the temptation my body so deeply wants.

  “Viola,” he whispers, his breath vibrating against my lips. “Viola, look at me.”

  I hear the desperation in his voice, the eagerness in his tone, and I fight obeying with every part of my body. “No,” I say, exhaling. “I don’t trust myself with you.”

  I hear a soft chuckle release from his lips, and it brings me comfort. “I don’t blame you.”

  His words make me laugh, and I shake my head in protest. “Arrogance isn’t a flattering trait, you know.”

  “Your body seems to disagree.” He pinches my nipple between his fingers and releases a deep, satisfied hum. “In fact, every part of you disagrees.”

  I can feel myself getting wet as the ache intensifies between my legs. It’s as if he has pussy radar or something. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me.

  “My body needs a cold shower,” I admit, needing to diminish the tension in the air. I need the shock of the cold water on my skin to wake me from this spell Travis has cast on me.

  “You’re the boss, nurse.”

  I peel my eyes back open and see the amused grin on his face. “Sometimes I really want to smack you.” I put my hand under the stream of water to test the temperature.

  “You wouldn’t be the first to say that.”

  “Not surprising.” I roll my eyes with a grin and step inside the shower. “Ready?”

  “Ready if you are,” he says, taking a step in. “Just don’t forget the real reason you’re in here, princess,” he warns with fake authority.

  “Yes,” I say, closing the shower curtain. “To make sure you don’t slip and break that big head of yours.”

  “Oh.” He turns to face me, handing me a bar of soap. “I'm not supposed to move my arms behind my back, so it looks like you’ll have to soap me up, too.”

  “And who helped you when you were in the hospital?” I ask, grabbing it from him.

  “Nancy. She had grabby hands, so watch yourself. I had to remind her to keep her eyes up quite often. I think she enjoyed the show.” He lowers his eyes to his still-hard cock.

  I shake my head and hold back a smile. “You’re ridiculous.”

  He chuckles. “She was also old enough to be my grandmother, and I’m pretty sure she was blind in one eye.”

  Rolling my eyes, I lather the soap in my palms and wait as it foams between my hands. I begin rubbing circles over his chest and massaging the soap into his chest hair and then carefully over his ribs and stomach. He’s watching me intently, studying my every move. A comfortable silence hangs between us as I continue lathering and washing him. My hand slides around his waist and down to his hips. I’m tempted to wrap my hands around his cock and torture him the same way he does to me, but then I decide not touching him would bring him more agony.

  “Turn around.”

  He obeys, and I repeat the process. I rub my palms over his shoulders, neck, and down his back. Although the water is hot, I can feel goose bumps prick his skin when I touch him. Feeling bold, I slide my hand lower and rub the soap down his spine, all the way down to his ass. I feel his body tighten and decide to keep going.

  Once I’ve thoroughly cleaned down the back of his legs and his perfect, tight ass, I make my way back up and wash his shoulders and arms.

  “You’re very thorough,” he says in amusement, turning back around to face me.

  “I take pride in my work,” I say, weaving my fingers through his and making sure every finger gets clean.

  He watches me for a few more moments and then grabs my hand and wraps it around his cock. “You missed a spot.”

  I swallow, taken off guard by his boldness. “Well, I figured it was an area you could reach yourself.”

  “Doctor’s orders,” he says with a lazy shrug. “I can’t risk getting dizzy and slipping to my death with my dick in my hand.”

  I resist the urge to roll my eyes again. God, he’s too much sometimes. “I bet the nurses had a party the day you were discharged.”

  “Nah, they enjoyed my antics. Kept them on their toes.”

  “I bet,” I say dryly. I lathered more soap between my hands and wrapped my fingers around his erection that never seems to go down, rubbing the suds up and down his length. With my other hand, I massage his balls, making sure to be as gentle as I can. I’ll give him the satisfaction that he won this round, but I won’t finish him off, as much as I’d love to.

  As soon as his head falls back and his body begins to tighten, I release my hands and rinse them underneath the water. “All done, Mr. King,” I say in a professional tone. “Can I help you with anything else?”

  His throat moves, and his chest rises and falls quickly. “Yes, as a matter of fact.” His tone is sharp. “Put your hands back on me right now.” He lowers his face and locks eyes with me. “You’re going to give me blue balls.”

  “Sorry, Mr. King, but that’s not in the paperwork. Any pleasuring will have to be done on your own time.” I flash a witty smile, and I can tell he’s brewing inside.

  “I should’ve known your smart mouth would come out to play.” The corner of his lips tilts up, and I know he’s up to something. He grabs the soap and smirks at me. “My turn.”

  I furrow my brows, but he stays silent as he circles a finger in the air, motioning for me to turn around. After a few moments, I feel his hands on my shoulders, and it’s the most amazing feeling in the world. His hands are so big and strong, and even though they’re covered in soap, I want his hands on me—everywhere.

  A moan releases from my throat as he makes his way down my back and ass, thoroughly covering every inch of me. I miss his body on mine, touching me, kissing me, pushing my every limit. I want everything this man has to offer, and I’m not sure how much longer I can wait.

  “Put your hands up on the wall,” he says over my ear, pressing his body into mine and feeling his erection against the small of my back. “Spread your legs apart.”

  I do as he says and am just about to ask what he’s doing when he wraps both arms around my waist, holding onto me. His legs are spread behind mine, keeping his balance, and before I can make a comment about how I’m supposed to be the one keeping an eye on him, he lowers his hand down my stomach and palms my pussy. Every thought vanishes and the only thing I need in this world is for his hands never to stop touching me.

  His other hand slides up and covers my breast, massaging it in rhythm as he rubs his thumb over my clit. A soft moan releases, and I’m no longer in control.

  “I’ve missed you,” he says, his words vibrating over my ear. My entire body shivers. The water cascades down his back, leaving me naked and cold. “You have goose bumps.”

  I swallow as his fingers slide along my slit, building up the ache that I was already fighting. I can’t concentrate on anything beyond his hand on my breast and his fingers sliding inside me, building up the pressure I so desperately want to release.

  My head falls back against his chest and rests on his shoulder. “I think this is a safety hazard, Mr. King. I can’t be liable for any injuries due to your wandering hands.”

  His teeth scrape along the lobe of my ear, and he groa
ns. “Any injuries would be worth it.” I can feel his lips forming into a smirk. “And I’m not really in that much pain anymore.”

  Although his words take me off guard, I don’t believe him. After hearing about his injuries, I looked them up, and know for a fact that fractured ribs can take up to six weeks to recover or sometimes even longer. I know Travis takes good care of his body and health, but I can’t imagine he wouldn’t still be in pain after less than two weeks.

  “You’re supposed to be resting and taking it easy,” I manage to say between his thumb rubbing circles on me and his fingers sliding deeper inside me.

  “Trust me, princess, this is me taking it easy,” he growls and flashbacks of our first time surface. “You’d be holding your ankles as I bent you over and gave you every-fucking-thing you’re begging for right now, so trust me when I say that this is as easy as I’ll be taking it.”

  God. Why does he do this to me? How, after all these years, can my body crave him this much?

  He speeds up his fingers, making me unable to respond to him, and even if I could, I don’t know that I’d be able to say anything that made any sense right now.

  “Are you ready to count, princess?” He kisses under my ear and sends more shivers down my spine.

  I begin shaking my head, because I know I can’t control myself around him, especially with his body pressed up against mine and his magic fingers driving me wild.

  “I’m so fucking hard for you, Viola. God, it’s driving me insane.”

  I begin panting, losing the strength to deny him, so I give in and practically beg him for it. “I need more,” I say between heavy breaths. “Harder.”

  One hand slides up my body and fists my hair as his other hand pushes two fingers deep inside me and finds a rhythm that nearly has my knees buckling. If he keeps this up, we’ll both be on the shower floor with broken ribs.

  “You’re going to make me fall,” I say, pushing my hips harder into his palm, desperately needing a release. My hands on the shower wall are barely holding me up anymore.

  He speeds up his fingers, giving me no room for protests, as his other hand slides back down my body and presses into my stomach, fusing our bodies together even tighter. “I’ve already fallen, princess, but trust me when I tell you that I’d never let you get hurt.”