Keep My Heart (Top Shelf Romance Book 7)

by Lex Martin

  My heart skips a beat, or maybe even two because the way he speaks is so raw and genuine that I almost forget to breathe. My mind flashes back to the other day when I could’ve sworn I heard him say ‘I love you,’ but I figured that was the effects of the pain meds he’s been taking. I don’t know how to react to his words now because I’m not even certain he meant it that way, and now I’m so lost in my thoughts that when my body tightens, and his fingers fuck me into complete oblivion, so much so that I nearly pass out, I don’t see it coming.

  “Princess?” His lips press against my ear, and I know exactly what he’s after.

  “One,” I finally whimper, catching my breath as his thumb continues rubbing over my clit. Once I’m able to control my breathing, I slowly turn around and face him. “You broke the rules,” I say, wrapping an arm around his waist.

  He cups my face and leans down, his lips lingering over mine. “You’re damn right I did.” The smile he flashes makes me want to melt right into him. “There’s no fucking way I’m waiting six weeks. Hell, the doctor should be impressed if I manage to wait six days.”

  I chuckle, hating that his words make me want to smile like a lovestruck teen. But my heart knows exactly who Travis King is, and it hasn’t been able to let him go since the first day we met.

  “Are you ready to get the hell out of here so I can warm you up in my bed?”

  “I have a feeling the doctor’s orders didn’t even stand a chance.” I grin, slicking my ice-cold wet hair back.

  “Not one fucking bit.”

  Chapter 6

  Travis

  I place my hand against the wall and slowly step out of the shower behind Viola, watching water drip down her back and perfect tight ass. Good thing I haven’t experienced any side effects from the meds because I’m definitely distracted enough to slip and bust my face. Fortunately, she turns around and hands me a towel, breaking me out of my trance.

  Grabbing the towel, I close the space between us as Viola looks up at me with hooded eyes, and we both know that was only the beginning. Instead of drying myself off, I take the opportunity to touch her and rub the soft cotton over her face, neck, shoulders, chest, and arms.

  I motion for her to turn around so I can dry the rest of her, and when she does, I take my time as I touch her. I lean forward, kissing then biting each shoulder, as my fingertips trace down her torso, memorizing her body. My chest rests against her back, and she leans against me as I guide my hand over a breast, pinching her hard nipple before moving lower. With each ragged breath, she melts into my touch, and I drop to my knees in front of her. At first, she gives me a worried look, but I shake my head as I rest one of her legs over my shoulder. She doesn’t fully put her weight on me but gives me what I want. I have to fucking taste her.

  Viola closes her eyes, sinking deeper into my tongue as I flick her clit. The way she tastes and the way her skin smells so sweetly make my cock throb. She leans against the door, steadying herself, taking her nipples between her fingers and pinching and pulling them. It’s almost too much for me to watch. I dip my tongue inside, listening to her pants as I tongue fuck her to oblivion. I can taste the edge of her orgasm, and as much as she wants it right then, I slow down my movements, allowing her to enjoy it even more.

  “Please,” she begs, but I don’t listen.

  As her leg shakes in anticipation, I guide a finger in, then another. After a few more swirls on her hard nub, Viola moans my name again, and whispers, “Two,” like it’s a prayer.

  “You’re so goddamn greedy,” I tell her as I place a finger in my mouth, tasting her sweetness again.

  “You’ve created a monster,” she says playfully.

  “Mm. Love the sound of that. My little sex monster.”

  After we’re both dry, she laces her fingers with mine and leads the way, taking full control. She turns and looks at me as we walk down the hallway, and it’s a moment I never want to forget.

  Viola in the raw.

  Viola happy.

  Viola with me.

  Fuck me, maybe all that Mickey Mouse shit is real, and dreams really do come true.

  Once the bedroom door shuts, I can’t keep my hands from her. I grab her face and brush my lips against hers. Light moans escape from her as our tongues tangle together, fighting a war that neither of us will win. She stands on her tiptoes and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling deeper into the kiss.

  “You’re so goddamn beautiful,” I whisper against her lips. All inhibitions roll from her shoulders, and when she looks into my eyes, I know there’s no other woman in the world that can make me feel this way. Fuck, if this is a game, I’ll gladly lose if it means having her exactly like this.

  Grabbing her chin between my fingers, I search her face as her eyes flutter open. “I want to fuck you until you can’t walk.”

  She cracks a smile. “You were worrying me for a second. Didn’t know if that smart mouth was still in there.”

  “I may have left it in your sweet little pussy.”

  “Oh my God, Travis. You’re so vile.”

  “I love riling you up. Makes me hard as fuck.”

  She looks down at my cock, which is at full attention, and smirks. “Obviously.”

  “And you like it, so…”

  She drops down to her knees and licks the precum from the tip, then takes her time licking me. I grab fists of her hair as she manages to put most of me in her mouth. My eyes practically roll in the back of my head when she cups my ass in her hands and shoves me deeper down her throat.

  “Mm,” I say, knowing that if she keeps up this rhythm, I won’t be able to last much longer. It’s been too long since I’ve felt her—since I’ve felt this overwhelming need. And though I’m known for my stamina, right now, it’s complete bullshit. I watch her every movement as she slows her pace, paying attention to every inch. Before she brings me to the edge, she looks up at me and places my balls in her mouth, teasing me while she strokes me. Holy. Fuck.

  “Viola.” I look into her eyes, and she knows. Our gaze isn’t broken as I come, and she swallows it all.

  “King,” she says, smiling.

  I take her hand and lead her to the bed, kissing the fuck out of her before she falls back against my pillows. Taking my time, I sit on the edge and position myself beside her. The pain is a motherfucker, but it’s nothing more than an inconvenience when Viola’s naked body is pressed against me, practically begging me with every blink of her eyes.

  I run my fingers through her hair before our kisses transform into pure greed.

  “Jesus, you’re ready to go again?”

  “Don’t look so surprised, princess.”

  She bends down and grabs my nipple between her teeth and tugs.

  “Keep doing that, and you might not walk for a week.”

  “Challenge accepted.” Viola doesn’t wait another second before she’s straddling me and taking full control. This confident, sexually charged side of her is sexy as fuck. She eases all of me in and closes her eyes, letting out a deep throaty moan as our ends meet.

  Once she begins rolling her hips, taking me from the shaft to the tip then back down again, I feel like a goddamn virgin on prom night. Especially with her greedy little pussy wrapped around me so tightly, taking every inch like she owns it. Maybe she does.

  “Viola,” I say as I dig my fingers in her hips, slowing her down. For once, I want to enjoy it, enjoy her.

  She leans over, concern written on her face. “Are you okay? I’m not hurting you, am I?”

  I laugh and wrap my arms around her back and pull her closer until her face is inches from mine. “The only thing that hurts is knowing we can’t do this whenever we want.”

  She kisses me, and every emotion of hers floods straight through me. It’s want and need mixed with lust. It’s hate and love and every pent-up aggression we’ve shared over the years. All of it trickles away and is replaced with something else, something different. It feels like pure fucking perfection. Once her orga
sm builds, she counts to three, then four, and eventually five. Before I lose myself completely, I realize that we’re no longer fucking. No, for the first time, Viola and I are making love. And the look on her face, before she whispers six, tells me that she feels it, too.

  Seconds turn into minutes as I hold her in my arms.

  “I have to read a chapter for my Strategic Management class before I go,” she whispers, leaning her head against my chest.

  “I’m sure you’ve read it several times already.” I gently trace circles on her arm with my thumb. She perks up and gives me a look confirming my suspicion, but it doesn’t surprise me.

  “Being here is just too comfortable,” she says with her naked body against mine, pouting.

  For a second, I stop everything and listen. And the fear on Viola’s face tells all.

  “Up, out, hurry,” I say, as Viola frantically rushes out of my room. I pull the blankets up over my body and close my eyes.

  My door cracks open. “Dude, you awake?” Drew asks.

  My heart is racing as I pretend to be groggy.

  “What’s up?” I ask.

  “Is Viola here?”

  The memory of what we had done still lingers in the room.

  “Not sure,” I answer, hating to lie, but hoping she was able to make it back to the bathroom where our clothes were.

  “What do you want, Drew? And what are you doing here?” I hear Viola question him from behind. “Making sure I’m doing what I’m told?”

  He turns and looks at her. “I live here, remember? Yeah, I’m making sure you’re not slacking.”

  Viola is burning holes through his head by the way she’s looking at him.

  “Actually, I forgot my wallet, and it’s my turn to buy lunch today. Why are you being so weird?”

  “I’m not being weird.” She storms into the kitchen with a groan. I hear the refrigerator door open, then slam closed.

  “Yeah, she’s been weird for days,” I tell Drew just loud enough for Viola to hear, knowing it will aggravate the shit out of her, but we have to keep this up.

  “She’s about to start her period,” Drew says with a laugh.

  “Oh, that’s what it is? Makes sense. Thanks for the warning.” I chuckle, making sure to keep the blanket over my naked body.

  “You’re an asshole. Actually, you’re both assholes,” she yells from the kitchen.

  “Dude. Told you. Aunt Flo.” He looks at his phone, then back at me. “Is everything going okay so far?”

  I think back to the shower, and then to the moment when Viola melted in my hands, the taste of her, and how my name fell from her lips as if she was claiming me as her own.

  “Yeah, perfect,” I add a hint of sarcasm, which isn’t lost on him.

  “I was hoping she’d warm up to you. I guess it’s going to take a few more days.”

  I laugh. “Yeah, looks like it.”

  “Might take the rest of time, though.”

  If he only knew.

  “So, Mia texted me.”

  I can’t tell if he’s excited about it or not, so I stay neutral, but it makes me uneasy when I think about her.

  “She’s been released from the hospital,” he adds.

  “Well, that’s good news.” I focus on him, trying to read him.

  “She wants to come over and talk about what happened after she finishes up some school projects.”

  I’m not sure what my reaction should be at this moment. He doesn’t know the circumstances and hasn’t asked me one question, but I put on a fake smile because I know he loves her even though she doesn’t deserve him.

  “That’s great.” But I know her being here is not a good idea. She’s playing my best friend, and I don’t like that one fucking bit.

  “Shit. I’ve gotta go. I left Logan in the car. You two play nice, okay?”

  I give him a nod, and he leaves me to my thoughts.

  Mia is acting out, begging for attention, and she knows Drew will give it to her. I thought she’d learned a lesson, but clearly, I was mistaken.

  Once Drew leaves, I make my way back to Travis’s room, where he’s getting dressed.

  “I’m not being weird,” I say matter-of-factly.

  Travis smiles at me. “It’s okay. It’s all of the dirty sex you’ve been having.”

  “What just happened cannot happen again. One moment longer and Drew could’ve caught us. He will kill you and me both.”

  I lean against the doorway, and Travis walks toward me.

  “I’d happily die for you,” he says, kissing me sweetly.

  “Seriously. We have to be smarter about this.” Knowing that Drew could barge in at any minute and find us together makes me jittery and nervous.

  He waits a long time before he responds. “I agree, but don’t be so paranoid around him. I’ll tell him right now if you want me to.” He turns and looks at me with an arched eyebrow and a cheesy grin as he picks up his phone and pretends to call Drew.

  “Travis!” Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I’m two seconds from tackling him, but I know that would lead to round two. So, I reel it back, regardless of what my body wants.

  A ding rings out, and I pull my phone from my pocket. Immediately, I start smiling and laughing. It dings again and again. Travis studies me, watching me bite my lip as I respond. I can tell he wants to ask me who I’m talking to, but it’s not his business as much as he wants to make it his business. I glance up at him, and he drops the smile, which only causes me to laugh again.

  “Don’t worry,” I say, watching him tense, almost as if he’s jealous. I turn the phone around and flash him a picture of a flaccid dick on the screen. “Courtney sends me dick pics randomly, but they’re all weird and have issues.”

  “That’s the most fucked-up thing I’ve seen in a long time. Is it wrapped around his balls?”

  I laugh again. “I don’t know what it’s doing, but it shouldn’t bend that way. I’m so glad you don’t have a messed-up one.”

  “You mean you wouldn’t give me a chance if I had a weird dick?”

  “No. Weird dicks are a hard limit for me,” I say with a smile.

  The dick pics flood in, and I go back to my phone. Tears stream down my face because I’m laughing so hard. I swear she has a folder of these gross pictures reserved just to torture me.

  Courtney: SO PLEASE COME OVER AFTER CLASS!

  Viola: Okay! Geez.

  Courtney: I promise to make it worth your while ;)

  I roll my eyes because I don’t think I want to know what she’s talking about. With her, there’s really no telling.

  “Courtney has too much time on her hands. And shouldn’t you be reading that chapter?” Travis reminds me, dropping down on the couch and turning on the television. He stops on some old Western where the gunshots sound like ricochets and everything on the screen looks brown—the horses, the hats, the shirts, and even the mesa in the background are the same color. I sit down next to him and begin speed-reading.

  An alarm on my phone goes off, and I know it’s time to go. “Shit. Class. I’ll be back later.”

  “There’s no way I could tempt you into staying, is there?” Travis lifts his shirt, and his abs beg me to stay. But I shake my head and stand, throwing my bag over my shoulder. I force myself to take a few steps forward.

  As I walk past him, he grabs my hand and pulls me to him, causing me to stumble. My body lands next to him on the edge of the couch, and our faces are so close that the warmth of his breath brushes against my cheek. Tucking loose strands of hair behind my ear, Travis leans in and kisses me so sweetly that he practically steals my breath away. I feel like I’m floating, suspended above reality as I experience him in a different way. Over the years, he’s whittled away at my heart and has finally carved a path straight through the middle. I hope to God this never ends. My hands thread through his hair and our movements become wilder, daring, almost animalistic in all aspects. It takes everything I have not to give into him again.

  �
�The things I’d do to you right now,” Travis says in a low rasp with his eyes closed before he pulls away.

  “The things you’ve already done to me.”

  “You’re never enough, princess.”

  “And sometimes you’re too much.” I smile against his lips. My heart is fluttering, and I’m practically gasping for air. The intensity of that single kiss lights my body on fire, and it’s so hard to leave, but I muster the strength to stand.

  “You almost cast a spell on me, King,” I say, before leaning down and giving him another smack on the lips.

  I walk to my car and sit in the driveway for a few moments, trying to process it all. Being with Travis felt different today. It felt real and meaningful, as if our souls touched for the first time since we were kids. For the first time in years, I saw the boy I fell in love with. And I hope he never leaves again.

  Once I start the car, I realize how late I am. Shit!

  Hurriedly, I park at my dorm and run across campus, arriving to class late. I sit down, hair a mess, with swollen lips. I try to listen to my professor speak about managing projects with a focus on long-term strategies instead of day-to-day issues, but my mind goes to Travis.

  After class, I text him.

  Viola: Courtney is begging me to come over. Do you need anything?

  His response is immediate, and I instantly smile.

  Travis: Just you.

  Viola: You should be resting.

  Travis: You should be sitting on my face.

  Viola: OMG! Now your phone is evidence. It must be destroyed.

  I’m half tempted to send him some of those crazy dick pics, but I refrain—for once.