Page 72 of Heartstrings & Horseshoes

“I’m so fucking sorry. Did that piece of shit hurt you? Did he force you?” His temper’s rising, he’s about to lose it. Connor’s protectiveness has always been one of my favorite things about him.

I squeeze his knee in reassurance. “No, he didn’t force me, and he didn’t hurt me—well, beyond the pain that’s unavoidable your first time…”

His jaw’s clenched so tightly he could crack a molar.

“You’d already lost your virginity, and after what happened to Izzy, I wanted to control the situation. I know that’s a terrible reason to have sex for the first time, but it felt like the only way…” I’ve never been ashamed of my sexual choices until now.

“He was nice, it was safe enough, we didn’t kiss⁠—”

“Stop. Please. I can’t hear about another man touching you,” he growls, tortured.

“I want you to know I was okay…even if it wasn’t really what I wanted. I can’t take it back any more than you can take back any of the women you’ve been with.”

His molten chocolate eyes shine with shame and sorrow.

“I’m so fucking sorry. I wish I could take it all back, but I can’t.” He looks away from me, trying to compose himself.

His coarse beard tickles my fingers as I pull his face to me. When he resists, I climb onto his lap, straddling his legs. I hold both sides of his face, forcing him to look at me.

“I take it back,” I say softly. Connor jerks back in panic.

“No! I mean, I take back saying we wasted so much time being apart. We’ve had the most beautiful friendship, and every choice we made led us here.”

I pause, because I can’t take back what I’m about to say.

He loves me. He wants me. He’s mine.

And I leap.

“I’m in love with you Connor, I always have been. I’m yours, forever and ever.”

And with my deepest secret hanging between us, he closes the distance once and for all, wrapping his arms around me and irrevocably binding our souls together with an earth-shattering kiss.

34

She’s everywhere. Her hands are on my face, in my hair, gripping my shoulders, nails scratching down my bare chest. If it weren’t for the bite of pain, I’d think I was dreaming.

Delilah’s lips move in tandem with mine, punishing kisses that border on desperation.

Her hips move against mine, my aching dick thickening between us. My hands are as anxious as hers, taking in as much of her body as I can—roaming from her ass, up the slope of her hips and back making her shiver, and into her hair, controlling our kiss.

“Baby, I love you so much. I can’t believe this is happening,” I say into her mouth, unwilling to stop kissing her. I fist her hair and tip her head back, leaving her delicate neck vulnerable.

I lick and kiss and suck down the lithe column, across her collar bones and up to that tender spot behind her ear. She gasps and rolls her hips into me when I take her earlobe between my teeth and bite gently, licking the sting away.

She whimpers with pleasure from my attention. “Is this real? I’ve wanted you for so long, this doesn’t seem real.”

I hold her to me tightly as I stand and flip her to her back on the couch, my hips cradled between her legs.

“Dollface, nothing’s more real than you and me. We were always meant to end up here, it just took us longer than we wanted.” Her arms wrap around my neck and brings my mouth down to hers.

I haven’t been with so many women to be an expert by any means, but I can tell she’s inexperienced from the way she kisses me. It turns me on to be the one to teach her, play with her, and learn with her.

I pull back, not wanting to go too far too fast. She huffs adorably in annoyance and tries to drag me back down.

I sit on my knees between her spread thighs, massaging up her thighs to the crease of her hips, my thumbs teasing beneath the frayed hem of her jean shorts. Her hips tilt upwards seeking more, but I deny her.

“We don’t have to do anything, doll. There’s no rush. Today’s been a lot.” Goddamn it, I hate being the good guy.