Fragile Hearts (Poplar Falls Book 4)

by Amber Kelly

  It’s coming together nicely.

  It’s becoming home.

  Brandt

  “Doc, are you in here?”

  I’m upstairs, pulling up the carpet, when I hear her voice calling from below.

  “Bellamy? I’m up here.”

  The click of her boots on marble echoes in the hall as she climbs the steps.

  She stops when she reaches the landing and watches me as I rip the last piece of carpet loose from the baseboard in the hallway leading to the spare rooms.

  “The floors downstairs are gorgeous,” she says as she assesses the mess around me.

  I stand in nothing but my jeans. I got hot up here and shed the shirt and boots about halfway through.

  Her eyes travel from my shoulders, down my chest, and to my bare feet. Then, she looks around and turns toward the master bedroom.

  I follow as she clicks on the light. A large California king-size bed stands against the far end of the room, and the wall between this room and the one beside it is gone. As is the one to the bath. She walks inside and spins.

  “It feels so much larger in here already. Even with this monster of a bed.”

  “The other furniture is in the bedroom down the hall until they get the closets framed in and the bath extended, but at least now, if I’m working here late and I’m too tired to drive back to the apartment, I have a place to crash.”

  “Good thinking,” she approves.

  “I didn’t know you were coming by,” I say as she sits on the end of the bed and bounces.

  “Momma sent you some leftovers from supper. We thought you might have gotten too caught up on working to stop and eat anything today.”

  She brings her eyes to mine.

  “You look like you’re exhausted,” she observes.

  I wipe the back of my neck with a towel I hung on the banister earlier.

  “Just hot,” I complain. “The AC unit was installed, but they didn’t get the thermostat in, so it was a hundred degrees up here. I installed it myself about thirty minutes ago, but it’s going to take a while for it to catch up and get the house cooled down.”

  She wrinkles her nose, and then her eyes start dancing as she says, “I have an idea.”

  She leads me down to the back door.

  “We can go for a swim to cool off,” she says as she kicks off her boots and starts for the woods.

  I follow her toward the sound of the water.

  Just as we make it into the tree line, the river comes into view. Water rushes down a wall of rocks and into a pool.

  “I knew it. This is the cove we used to swim in all the time when we were kids. I thought it backed up to here,” she says.

  She walks to the edge and toes the water.

  “Perfect,” she breathes.

  “It’s dirty,” is all I manage to choke out as I watch her reach up and remove the band from her hair and shake the long locks free.

  “It’s mountain water. Fed into the stream right off the rocks. There’s nothing dirty about it,” she says.

  She turns to face me and grabs the hem of her tee. She lifts it above her head and drops it at her bare feet.

  “Come on, Doc. Find your wild.”

  It’s a dare.

  She stands there with her back to the river, slowly stripping each piece of clothing off until she is down to nothing but her bra and panties. I watch in rapt fascination as she reaches behind herself and undoes the bra, letting the straps fall from her shoulders. She tosses it to the side, and I get a brief glimpse of her beautiful breasts before she covers them with one arm. I look up, and her face has a mischievous grin. She extends the other arm and curls her finger, beckoning me to her.

  I hesitate only a moment, taking in the gorgeous creature before me—from her red-tipped toes; up her long, sexy, tanned legs; and to those hips covered by a sliver of white lace. I start moving forward without thinking. Undoing the button of my jeans as I give chase. Her eyes brighten in excitement, and she squeals before she turns and takes off running to the water before diving in. I’ve made it to the edge by the time she surfaces, and she smooths her long, wet hair from her face. I grip my jeans and tug them to my ankles. Heat dances in her eyes as she takes in my nakedness.

  She turns and starts to swim out farther, and I race in after her.

  I catch up to her in minutes, and she splashes me in the face as I make it to her and clasp her waist. She struggles to kick past me, but I have a firm grip on her. Finally, she settles and snakes her arms around my shoulders. Her fingers find the hair at the nape of my neck.

  “Gotcha,” I claim as I pull her tight.

  She brings her eyes to mine, and that mischievous dimple peeks out of her right cheek.

  “So, what are you going to do with me?” she asks.

  Another dare.

  I take a huge step, moving us forward. She instinctively wraps her legs around my waist as we reach a depth that is over her head but not mine.

  The lace of her panties brushes my growing cock, and that’s all it takes to bring it to full attention. I know she feels it when her eyes widen slightly and her lips part. Her tongue darts out nervously, and her breath quickens.

  I bury my nose into her neck, just below her ear, and I inhale deeply. She sighs and relaxes her body into me, bringing her chin to my shoulder. I hold her as the water laps around us.

  I place a kiss on her collarbone, and she throws her head back to give me better access, which causes her breasts to peek out of the water. I cup one with my hand and gently knead it. She closes her eyes and moans, bowing her back and bringing the pink tip closer to my face. I suck it between my teeth and give it a rough tug. She bucks, and I release it and lick and blow across it. It tightens to a hard peak, and I wrap my lips around it once more. Her hips start to rock into mine, and as soon as she finds the contact she is searching for, she quickens her movement. Her heat feels so good, sliding up and down my aching erection.

  I slide my mouth to the other breast and give it attention as she continues to glide against my eager cock. When I can take no more, I bite down on her nipple, and she gasps and raises her head. I slide my hands around her back and to her ass. I hoist her up, bringing her closer.

  “Give me your mouth, Bellamy,” I command.

  She clasps her arms tighter around me and does just that.

  Fuck, she tastes good.

  I take all of her weight as she loses herself to pleasure again. I feel her body begin to tremble and find her clit in the water. I circle it with my thumb, using the lace of her panties to create even more friction as she moves more urgently.

  Her legs tighten around me, and she begins to shudder as she gets closer. I release her mouth so that I can watch as she finally shatters. Her cries float into the air, echoing around us.

  It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.

  Bellamy

  He holds me in the water until my trembling stops.

  He’s breathing heavily, and I’m clinging to him.

  I finally bring my face from his neck and look at him. His expression is soft.

  “Are you cooler now?” I ask.

  He grins. “Not exactly,” he answers.

  I let go, and he releases me. I kick my legs, and I swim a couple of feet away before looking back at him.

  “Come on. The water gets colder, the farther you go in.” I beckon him.

  He stands there, and a painful expression crosses his face. “I’m going to need a minute,” he says.

  I start back toward him, and he puts his hand up to halt me.

  “That’s not going to help. You need to stay over there,” he states firmly.

  He must see my face fall at his demand because he gives me a tight smile and explains, “I need a minute, sweetheart, and you coming back over here at this moment is going to make that minute even longer.”

  It takes me a second, but then I get it.

  “Oh,” I murmur, and a pang of guilt hits me because my limbs are loo
se and sated.

  I swim to him anyway, and he watches me as I approach.

  “I’ve heard a cold shower helps with that,” I tease.

  “Have you now?” he asks with amusement in his voice.

  I nod.

  “In fact, I think we should test that theory,” I suggest before kicking past him and walking up onto the shore.

  I pick up my bra, jeans, and my tee as I walk back toward the house.

  I look over my shoulder, and he is slowly making his way to the edge of the water.

  “I’ll be waiting for you,” I tell him before taking off for the house at a jog.

  I run upstairs, step into the massive glass shower, and turn on the sprays. There are four. A rain showerhead in the center and one spray coming from each of the three walls. I slide my panties down my legs and kick them off, and then I stand in the middle with my back to the glass door.

  I don’t turn around as I hear him enter the bathroom.

  He stands there for a while, just watching me as I take the shampoo and lather it in my hair.

  “Are you coming in?” I ask over my shoulder.

  The shower door opens, but he hesitates.

  I keep my feet planted and stop myself from turning around.

  Finally, I feel his heat at my back … and then his lips at my ear.

  “This isn’t a cold shower,” he growls.

  Under the waterfall, I lean my head back onto his chest. I blink up at him as the soap rinses out of my hair and glides down our bodies.

  “It can be. If that’s what you want.”

  He reaches around me for the knob, and disappointment washes over me as I watch him slowly begin to turn it.

  I close my eyes and start to pull away when the spray gradually gets warmer.

  “Where are you going?” he asks as he moves my hair and touches his lips to my shoulder.

  I open my eyes to a cloud of steam licking its way up the tiles.

  His hands rest on my hips as he pulls me back into him. He slips them around my stomach as he starts to gently suck at my throat.

  A whimper escapes me as he continues to explore my bare skin.

  He strokes the underside of my breasts before taking their weight into his palms. My knees grow weak as the pads of his thumbs find my taut nipples.

  “Brandt,” I moan his name as I sink further back into him.

  “Does that feel good, baby?” he asks as he rolls the tender peaks between his fingers.

  “Yes … ah,” I groan.

  He feeds one of his knees between my legs to steady me, and the contact sends a shudder through me.

  I reach out to the tiles for support and bear down on him to get better pressure where I want it. It feels so damn good. A needy sound rises in my throat, and then all of a sudden, Brandt picks me up and spins me around. My back hits the shower wall, and his mouth covers mine.

  His control finally snaps, and his kiss grows wild. His teeth sink into my bottom lip, and I gasp. He takes the opportunity to hungrily suck my tongue into his mouth. I wrap my arms around his neck and tug at his wet hair. I can’t get him close enough.

  He tears his mouth from mine, and the heat in his eyes sears me as they move down my body like a physical touch. His hands begin kneading my swollen breasts again, and I lean my head back. His mouth finds the curve of my neck and kisses a trail down my collarbone. I close my eyes and just feel as his teeth graze one of my nipples. I throw my arms out wide and brace myself on the wall. He sucks it into his mouth and begins to pull at the other. Heat pools in my belly as one of his hands moves up the inside of my thigh.

  I cry out at his touch when his fingertips find my swollen entrance.

  His mouth releases my nipple, and his head comes up to look at my face as I tremble. His forehead comes to mine as he sticks a finger inside of me.

  “Fuck, Bellamy, you’re so ready for me.”

  I grab his shoulders as he adds a second finger.

  “So wet,” he murmurs as he buries his head in my neck. His breathing erratic.

  “Please,” I beg as I sink my nails into his skin. I’m not even sure what I’m pleading for. I just need more. More of him.

  “I need to taste you,” he says as he pulls away and then goes to a knee.

  He kisses a path from my breast and down my stomach as he continues to slowly pump his fingers in and out of me.

  When his mouth reaches his fingers, he spreads me open, and his tongue darts out and licks me. A jolt of electricity climbs up my spine as he sucks my clit deep.

  He tugs one of my legs over his shoulder to give himself better access. He presses my stomach against the wall and holds me steady before he buries his face in my heat and starts to lap at me like a starving man. I grab his hair and hold him where I want him. Where I need him.

  His tongue finds my opening, and he starts to thrust in and out while his thumb runs circles over my clit. I bring my hips up and down, moving to meet him. My hands in his hair hold him in place as I ride his tongue. I’m so close. He pinches my clit and I fall over the cliff.

  One minute, I’m screaming his name as I come, and the next, I’m being lifted and hoisted up and out of the shower. He drops me on the counter beside the sink, and he grasps my legs and brings them up on the edge. My knees fall to the sides, opening me wide to him.

  “So damn beautiful,” he says before he takes his cock in his hand and brings the tip to my entrance. He slides it through my folds, coating it in my wetness. Then, he releases it and grabs the ledge of the counter before pushing into me fully.

  I groan and then whisper, “You feel so good inside of me.”

  It’s like my words flip a switch. He lets out a growl and grabs my hips. Then, he pulls out and buries himself back inside me. I rise to meet his thrusts as his rhythm quickens. I know my body is climbing again, and I want more. More of his mouth on mine, more of his skin against mine, just more everything.

  My legs start to shake uncontrollably as I come undone again. I can tell he’s holding on by a thread, and as my body ignites, I start to spasm around him. He closes his eyes, and his head flies back as he pumps his release inside of me.

  Once we both come down, he brings his eyes to mine. Still inside of me, he leans in and tenderly kisses my lips before he slides out. He grabs a hand towel from the hook beside us. Turns on the water in the sink and then gently cleans me up.

  He lifts me in his arms without saying a word. He walks me into the bedroom and lays me down. He covers me with the down comforter and tucks me in, and then he turns to walk away. I reach for his hand, and he looks back at me and smiles.

  “I have to turn the water off in the shower. I’ll be right back.”

  I let him go, and he walks back to the bathroom.

  I snuggle deep into the soft covers and close my eyes.

  Seconds later, I feel the rustle of the blanket and then his heat at my back. He snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me back into him. His face buries in my hair, and his warm breath against my neck lulls me to sleep.

  Brandt

  The sound of a bird chirping rouses me. I open one eye and am blinded by light pouring in from the window. Confused, I feel for my phone, but there is no nightstand. I try to open my eyes again and realize I’m in the new house. The offending window is one I haven’t had a chance to cover yet.

  Jeez, what time is it?

  I move to get up, but my progress is halted by the arm wrapped around my waist. I look down, and a mess of blonde hair is snuggled up under the crook of my arm. Bellamy’s face is in my side, puffs of her even, warm breath bathing my pec.

  Last night returns to me in a flash as my gaze runs up the length of her bare legs, which are twisted in the sheets, to the roundness of her hips and up to the swell of her breasts pressed against me.

  My cock reacts to the memory of being buried inside her as her body milked my orgasm.

  I try to slide out from under her without disturbing her sleep, but her arm tightens on me, a
nd she murmurs something unintelligible into my side.

  “Good morning,” I say as I run my fingers through her tangled locks.

  “Mmm.”

  All of a sudden, it hits me. The bright sunshine.

  Shit.

  I jolt up, and it startles her.

  She comes up on an elbow and blinks. “What’s wrong?”

  I race to the bathroom in search of my jeans. I nab them off the floor and pull them on. Then, I glance back out at her. Her messy, confused look is adorable, and I’d love to go back and kiss her fully awake, but I can’t.

  “It’s Monday morning. I have no idea what time it is, but it’s late morning,” I tell her.

  She sits there for a moment, and then it hits her.

  “Oh no,” she shrieks as she kicks the sheets away and bolts up.

  “Do you remember who our first appointment is?” I ask as I try to remember where I removed my shirt.

  The spare room. Pulling carpet. Right.

  Her eyes fly to mine. “Cowboy!”

  Great. Her fucking brother. What are the odds? How the hell am I supposed to explain this to Myer?

  She runs into the bathroom and comes out in her cutoff shorts and tank.

  “I can’t go to work in this,” she says in a panic.

  I leave her to her meltdown and jog to the other room to retrieve my tee. It smells like a gym bag from the dried sweat as I pull it over my head.

  We collide in the hallway as we both race to the stairs.

  I grab her shoulders to steady her.

  Then, I look down at the two of us, and I burst into roaring laughter. She watches me like I’ve lost my mind, and that makes me laugh harder.

  “Pull it together, Doc,” she demands.

  I bend over, shaking with laughter till I can’t breathe.

  She steps back and plants a hand on her hip. “This isn’t funny,” she bites.

  I bring my tear-filled eyes to her annoyed ones. She waits for me to finally catch my breath.

  “I feel like a teenager, getting caught by his parents. I haven’t felt that way in a long time.”