Feathers: A Novel

by Kylie Stewart

  I’d ripped, torn, and taken off plenty of women’s clothing, but I’d never unwrapped a gift of the magnitude Charlotte laid at my feet. Tension seeped into the air as the lust between us began its familiar pushing and pulling.

  “Hawk.” Her whisper pulled me back to the present.

  A gorgeous young woman sat before me, waiting for me to make the first move. The stakes were high and set higher still because of her past. Yet Charlotte wanted to move forward with me as her guide.

  So I took a deep breath, wrapped a hand around the back of her head, and very slowly and very carefully tested the waters. Once I was sure she could swim alongside me, I’d take her to depths unknown, and we’d drown in each other.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Charlotte

  My heart thundered so loudly I could hear it in my ears. The rushing of blood and the heaviness of my thoughts blocked all other sounds out until Hawk kissed me, and suddenly, we were the only two people on the face of the earth who mattered.

  His lips moved against mine so tenderly it made me moan. The way he held me in his large hands, hands that could break and shatter, I felt like the most precious thing in his life. Every swipe of his tongue or caress of his mouth was intentional. He left no doubt in my mind that he wanted me.

  Tentatively, I slid my hands up his chest, marveling at how solid and warm he felt until I clasped them on the back of his neck. Hawk gave me the courage to be bold and explore. I opened my mouth to allow him entry, and he took it with a feral growl. The vibrations from his chest sent a shiver down my spine, and heat pooled low in my belly.

  Wetness between my legs brought harsh awareness to how badly Hawk made me ache. All my sexual desires made him the star of my fantasies, both awake and dreaming. When he deepened the kiss, taking more control over me, I submitted to his will. He would lead, and I’d follow him anywhere. This version of anywhere appeared to be farther on the bed. He broke us apart, and I gasped at the fierce heat in his gaze as he laid back on the stack of pillows.

  I’d never seen this version of Hawk before, and my nipples pebbled, brushing painfully against my bra. With one curl of his index finger, he beckoned me closer, and I did so, crawling on all fours until I straddled his lap. My cheeks flamed hotter than ever before as I seated myself over the steely length of his cock.

  Every inch of my womanhood wanted to know what it would feel like to have that length inside me. I caught my lower lip in my teeth as his hands rested firmly on my hips. He held me still on top of him, his nostrils flaring like a wild stallion. Hawk might have said he wanted to go slow, but I had a feeling that going too slow would torture us both.

  “Can I touch you?” His question caught me off guard.

  “You are touching me.” I arched an eyebrow at him until I understood more clearly. “Oh.”

  “Here.” Hawk sat up, pulling his long tee over his head, exposing his sculpted body to me. “You can touch me first.” He lay back down, resting his hands behind his head, leaving himself at my mercy.

  I’d seen Hawk without his shirt before, but that’d been years ago while he still lived here. He’d always been fit and had lean muscle carved flawlessly into his golden skin, but he’d grown since then and filled out like an Adonis.

  He wanted me to touch him.

  Our gazes met, and he all but begged me.

  Reaching down, I pressed my fingertips against his collarbone, and from there, I began to trace over the dips and valleys his body had to offer. His muscles rippled and tensed as I curiously explored, and his eyes slipped shut. The lower I went, the heavier his breathing became. I found power in that. So when I traced the delicious muscles that ran along his hips, beckoning for me to go beyond the stopping point of his pants, a low moan escaped his lips.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, half in honest curiosity and half teasing.

  “I’m fucking perfect, but you’re killing me.” His gray-blue eyes opened partially, lust evident, and my core clenched. “The best kind of death if you ask me.” He cracked a half-smile.

  Smirking back, I trailed my fingers back up along his left side but stopped when black ink came into focus.

  “What are you looking at?” He sat up on his elbows, causing his abs to flex.

  My vision blurred as I traced the delicate ink, placed carefully on the side of his chest, right next to his heart.

  “Oh, that.” His voice softened in understanding.

  I blinked and met his waiting stare. “Is that for me?”

  Hawk took my hand and placed it over his chest so I could feel his heart pounding beneath blood and bone. “Only you.”

  The beautiful tattoo was of a feather, simple but so realistic it seemed to come alive on his skin. And it was for me.

  “When did you get this?”

  He swallowed, working his jaw a few times. “After the first time we kissed, and I got back to Florida.”

  “Why?”

  His gaze cleared a bit, and he tilted his head, reverence in his eyes. “Because I never wanted to be without you ever again.”

  This man never ceased to amaze me with his kindness beneath a standoffish exterior. And it made me fall in love with him even more. Without thinking, I ripped my sweater over my head and threw it onto the floor. There I sat in just my bra, staring down at Hawk. His eyes widened, and his dark brows lifted high, taking me in.

  I could feel his eyes as though they were fingers, touching every curve and line, until I burned for him to actually touch me. But he didn’t. He simply stared at me.

  “Please, Hawk.” I whimpered, closing my eyes against the heat building between us.

  Not wasting another moment, Hawk gently wrapped an arm around my waist and we smoothly switched positions. Now I laid on the mattress while he loomed above me.

  Helpless.

  Exposed.

  Wanting.

  He mimicked the path I’d drawn on him, starting at my collarbone and taking his time traveling over the swells of my breast and the valley between. I clenched my thighs together as his touch incinerated me to my core.

  Hawk focused on my body, and that allowed me to study his face. So concentrated, so serious, he drafted me to his memory. Not once did he threaten to trespass where my bra covered, but my gosh, I wanted him to. My nipples begged to be touched, teased, and even … dare I say … sucked?

  Oh, what would his mouth feel like on me?

  A groan vibrated through my body as his palms splayed the length of my stomach and teased around my hips.

  “How does that feel?” he whispered, the dark desire evident in his dangerous tone.

  “Amazing.”

  I could barely speak as he teased little circles into my sides. He burned where he touched, and I wanted to go up in flames.

  “Can I take off your bra?”

  My panties were already ruined, and his question added to the mess.

  He wanted to see me.

  My heart sang for pleasure, but my uncertainty still held a foothold in my mind.

  Hawk leaned over me, propped on his elbows, and allowed our bodies to come together.

  Flesh to flesh.

  Heat to heat.

  I spread my legs naturally to allow him to settle against me, and the feeling sent sparks through my core. He kissed me then, tangling his hands in my hair, licking and nipping. My hips rolled upward on their own accord, and he responded. His cock strained in his pants, and my imagination went into a tailspin.

  Hawk and I as one.

  Hawk settling deep inside me.

  Hawk making love to me.

  Hawk claiming me as his.

  “Charlotte,” he whispered kisses along my jaw, then down my neck, and I allowed him.

  I drowned in the thrusting of our hips, and the chills his lips sent scattering over my body. When his tongue teased between my breasts, his hands gently fondling them with lace fabric between, I gave in.

  “Take it off.”

  With my eyes closed, I lifted my arms so he
could pull it off with ease. Using only one hand, he expertly unclipped my bra and carefully slid it off. I heard him moan at the sight of my breasts, and the warm heat of his breath teased my tightly furled nipple. My chest rose and fell heavily, the motion teasing his lips against my sensitive skin.

  “God, I just want to devour you.” Hawk growled, taking both of my wrists in one of his larger hands while the other cupped my exposed breast.

  “Then do it.” I arched my back so that his teasing lick over my nipple met with flesh. I saw stars as he continued to give kittenish licks to my nipple, first one then the other.

  “Fuck, Charlotte.” He dropped my wrists, but I knew to keep them above my head. Until he took my nipple in his mouth and sent me spinning to new heights.

  I writhed and squirmed beneath Hawk as he sucked, licked, nipped, and kissed my nipples like a madman. Each tug sent pleasure to my core, and my walls rippled, wanting something, anything to fill the void growing more desperate by the second. My fingers dived into the thick locks of his hair, whispering for him never to stop, and he was all too happy to oblige.

  His mouth moved lower, down my stomach until his tongue teased where his fingers once rested at my hips. I gasped, and Hawk’s fingers curled into the top of my skinny jeans. Glancing down, I could see the veins in his forearms clearly, his muscles coiled and tight, struggling not to rip my pants from my body.

  He was all man.

  All over me.

  And I longed for him inside me.

  “Hawk.”

  He flicked his gaze up to my face, his lips wonderfully swollen from his assault on my skin. Wordlessly, I brought my hands to the front of my pants and popped the button loose, watching his eager expression. Like a puppy about to get the treat offered, his teeth chewed his lower lip in earnest.

  Feeling bold and brave under his attention, I slowly unzipped and pulled my hands away, arching my rear off the bed.

  “Are you sure?” His fingers poised themselves, ready to slip the jeans down, but he still waited for me.

  I nodded, giving him a sincere smile. “I trust you.”

  The fact I trusted him was something he would never take for granted or advantage of. I knew that in my soul. So when he pulled my pants down in one sweeping motion, leaving only my navy lace panties on, we both knew we were past the point of no return. Hawk pulled my socks off with the pants and tossed them away, sitting up and undoing his own and adding them to the pile.

  “It’s only fair.” He smirked, adjusting his rock-hard length in the black briefs. The solid muscles of his thighs flexed every time he moved. I’d only ever seen his calves in shorts, but this new angle gave me an entirely new appreciation.

  He lifted my foot from the bed and kissed the inside of my ankle—thank God I shaved last night. We didn’t lose eye contact as Hawk kissed up my leg, higher and higher until his teeth grazed the sensitive skin on my thigh. I moaned, knowing he was so close to where I needed him.

  “Charlotte, we aren’t having sex tonight.”

  His warm breath teased my wet entrance, and I was positive he could see how soaked he’d gotten me.

  “Why not?” I didn’t mean for it to come out as a whine, but it did. Hawk’s chuckle warmed me, and I glanced down at him, arching a brow. “You’ll get me all hot and bothered and just want to stop?”

  “Oh, no.” He flashed a devilish smirk. “I fully plan to satisfy us both, but I just need to know if I can touch you here.” His dark gaze flicked to my panties. “I don’t want to hurt you or bring up bad memories.”

  That caused me to sit up, and I leaned down, not caring my breasts swayed heavily as I did so, and Hawk watched like, well … a hawk.

  “Don’t you understand?” I took his face in my hands and made him look at me. “You can do whatever you want to me because I trust you, Hawk.”

  “And what else?” He leaned into my touch. “Why do you trust me so much?”

  We’d already crossed the line, and there was no going back. So why not add fuel to the already blazing fire?

  “Because I love you.”

  His mouth parted slightly at my admission, only to snap shut. He pulled himself up so that he sat straight in front of me. Hawk smoothly removed my hands from his face but pulled me in for another deep kiss. He forced me to understand at that moment just how much he loved me back, pouring everything he had down my throat, begging me to accept the good and bad of who he had been and was now. I trembled and took everything he gave me.

  Hawk whispered against my lips, “You are everything to me, Charlotte.”

  My hands were level with his hips, and I couldn’t help myself. Tentatively reaching out, I ran my palm along his shaft and felt him stiffen both in his body and cock.

  “Show me what pleasure should feel like, Hawk.” I laid back on the bed, opening myself to him. “Please?”

  He didn’t hesitate, moving swiftly back between my legs, and his fingers brushed against my protected entrance. My hips jerked as sparks flew behind my eyes. Hawk continued to stroke me through my panties, giving a throaty laugh.

  “You are so wet for me, Charlotte.”

  I couldn’t say anything smart in reply. My hands gripped the bedspread beneath me, waiting for more. Finally, he pulled the last scrap of clothing from my body and stared at my most private part. His finger teased along my seam. A shuddering sigh escaped me.

  “Can I?”

  “Yes.”

  My response came immediately without hesitation or second thoughts. With every stroke, kiss, and touch, Hawk erased my past and drew the perfect future. When his finger slipped inside my wet heat, my back arched, and I stifled a scream.

  “God, you’re so tight.” He hooked that finger and found a secret place unknown to me. “So beautiful.”

  My eyes fell shut, and I let my body move on its own accord. I didn’t care how wanton I appeared; Hawk not only wanted me, but he also treated me with respect, like I had value. He continued to move his finger in and out, eventually adding another, filling me until I panted. His motions grew rougher, and I reached above my head to grasp the headboard. My breasts bounced as Hawk forced me to grind against his hand.

  “Come for me, baby.”

  The term of endearment rolled off his tongue and into my heart. And on command, I did exactly as he asked. I covered my mouth with my hand and saw stars. The violence of my body mixed with the beauty of Hawk’s intentions, pushing me over the precipice of ecstasy.

  “Fuck, Charlotte.” Hawk’s voice rasped with animalistic abandon as he watched me shatter from his touch.

  What he didn’t know was that by breaking me into a million pieces, he remade me in the image he saw me in. I became stronger and more confident. I felt beautiful for the first time in my life. Tears streamed out of my eyes as I gasped for breath, trying to regain some semblance of control. But I never touched the ground.

  He made me soar.

  All along, I’d been searching for feathers when I’d had my wings the entire time.

  And his name was Hawk.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Hawk

  My God, she was beautiful, but now, Charlotte drove me to the edge of sanity. Shamelessly, she’d stripped herself bare and allowed me to touch her where no one else had permission before. Boldly, she told me not to stop and begged for more. And now, Charlotte writhed in her pleasure, unabashed and wanton.

  It drove me insane.

  She’d single-handedly reached inside my chest and unlocked a dark part of my soul that reveled in my corruption of her and preyed on her ecstasy. I made sure her orgasm went on for as long as I could encourage her to go, but when her legs began to shake and her pussy stopped clenching, I withdrew. Glancing up, I saw her blue eyes shimmering with tears and fear struck my heart. “Did I hurt you?”

  Charlotte shook her head back and forth, her pale hair spread out on my pillow like a halo. “No, that was amazing.”

  Relief washed over me, but concern had me leaning over her n
aked body, brushing our skin together. The tips of her nipples grazed my chest, and I fought the urge to slip inside her.

  “Then why are you crying, baby?” I stroked my thumbs over her cheeks, catching the stray tears.

  Her lower lip trembled as she replied. “Because I love you so much it hurts.”

  My stomach clenched, and my heart stuttered in my chest. The fact that she spoke those three wonderfully dangerous words first brought my world to a breathless stop.

  Propping herself up on her elbows, Charlotte’s emerald gaze bore into mine. “I’ve always loved you, Hawk.”

  Before I had a chance to react, she cupped my face and kissed me deeply, passionately, forcing me to understand. I groaned and allowed her to push me up to my knees while her hands lowered over my chest, stomach, and lower. Her fingers teased along the inside of my briefs, and my cock strained. I wanted her to touch me, stroke me, bring me relief, but I couldn’t push her.

  She continued to tease, and when she rubbed her palm over my shaft, I growled.

  “Let me return the favor.” Charlotte kissed long my jaw, nipping along the shell of my ear. “I want you, Hawk.”

  Fuck, she was going to be the end of me.

  “Only if you want to.” My voice came out thick and heavy. “I don’t want you to do anything you don’t feel comfortable with.”

  Her eyes hooded in heat and lust. Licking her lips in a slow, devious manner, she whispered, “I want to.”

  “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want you too.” My throat felt scratchy, my voice laced with desire.

  A coy smirk spread across her lips, and that made my blood race through my veins. I allowed her to take control then and followed her lead. She needed this—needed to feel powerful. And I’d let her do whatever she wanted to me.

  Never losing eye contact, Charlotte slipped my briefs down my thighs, and my erection bobbed heavily. Her small hands, delicate and slender, gripped me with a level of confidence I’d greatly underestimated. She could play any breadth of scale on a piano, but I would be her instrument tonight.