Beat of the Heart

“You know exactly why.”


She smiled. “And I’m loving every minute of it.”

I rolled my eyes. “Come on. Let’s go before Jake comes back to aggravate the hell out of me.”

“Should I bring my tambourine?” she asked with all seriousness, as we headed out the door.

“Smartass,” I replied, before smacking one globe of her very perfect, round ass.





I woke up to blinding sunlight streaming through the windows. Stretching in the bed, I glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. It was after eleven. AJ and I had slept way too late. Of course, after the bedtime singing performance, I couldn’t wait to get him back to the barn.The first time we’d gone at each other like always—the ripping off clothes, heavy breathing, moaning, and skin slapping echoing through the room kinda screwing.

But then something had switched over in the both of us. The next time was slow and sweet like we had started before we were interrupted by Jake. I felt more connected to him than I ever had before, and it was both exhilarating and scary as hell. After we finished, we lay entangled in each other’s arms talking and laughing until the early morning before we finally fell asleep.

AJ snored softly on his stomach on top of the sheets—his fine, bare ass on display in the morning light. Snuggling closer to him, I ran my fingertips up and down his back. When he still didn’t stir, my mind went back to last night around the bonfire as he and the guys sang to Jude and Melody. I’d been floored when after taking my seat next to Lily, Melody had scrambled out of her mother’s lap and made a beeline for me. “Hold me, Mi,” she’d demanded. I’d quickly picked her up and let her burrow into my arms. She’d once again wrapped her fingers around the strands of my hair.

Then, I watched in absolute amazement as the guys put on quite the cover of Hey Jude. I wondered what their fans would have thought about seeing them jamming around a bonfire in the middle of the sticks—Brayden on guitar and singing the lead, with AJ and Jake harmonizing. They even got us all singing on the “Nah nah nah nah nah nah” part.

Once again I glanced over my shoulder at the clock. I knew it was time we got up and moving. I leaned over and kissed AJ’s cheek before lightly smacking his other one. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

“Mornin,” he said, in a hoarse voice.

“Did I wear you out last night?”

He chuckled as he rubbed his eyes. “I think you did.” Peeking at me through his hands, he added, “But I’m always up for another round.”

I laughed. “Not happening for several reasons.”

“Like what?”

“First of all, we have to be up to the house at noon for lunch, remember?” Last night before we left the bonfire, Abby had invited us to both breakfast and lunch, but then she recanted her breakfast invitation citing how AJ was not a morning person.

“A quickie would remedy that one.”

I shook my head. “Second reason—we ran out of condoms, remember?”

“I bet Jake has a few left in his goodie drawer.”

“What?”

Rolling over, AJ opened the top drawer on the nightstand on his side of the bed. He started rifling through the contents.

“What exactly is in there?” I asked, propping up on my elbows.

AJ continued rummaging around. “Hmm, here’s a cock ring,” he announced, holding it up and spinning it around on his finger.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Don’t even think that I’m letting you use that with me when I don’t know who it’s been on.”

He chuckled. “Party pooper.” He shuffled around some more before producing a set of handcuffs, and warming body oil. He raised his brows questioningly at me.

“The body oil, yes. The handcuffs are marginal.”

“You’re questioning the handcuffs when you tied me up on our first date?”

I laughed. “I remember.”

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