Protecting My Hart (Protectors Series Book 1) (18 page)

The piece of paper she handed me is a birth certificate for Ethan Scott Cardoane. The father’s information is blank, but clear as day it lists his mother as Hartley Cardoane.

“You took my last name?” I ask in total shock.

“Yes.”

“You took my last name and gave it to Ethan as well.” The statement is made not really expecting an answer, more just me trying to wrap my head around it.

“Yes.”

“Hart… Can I ask why?”

“When I woke up in the hospital they wanted my name. I was too afraid to give them my real name, and I figured that JD would try to find me and it would be easy if Hartley Jackson left a paper trail. So I used your last name. I also knew that JD would never look for me as Hartley Cardoane.”

“Hart—” She cuts me off; her voice is almost desperate with a hint of panic laced in as she continues to explain. To say I am surprised is an understatement. Shocked is more like it. It never occurred to me to search for her under my name.

“It made me feel safer. You always made me feel safe, and I left all of that, never to have it again. When Ethan was born, he needed the same last name as me so I gave it to him as well. Taking your last name made me feel like you were still there, and as crazy as that sounds, I did feel a little safer. Kinda like you were protecting us a little. I’m sorry, I never expected to see you again, and I didn’t think it would be a problem. Please don’t be mad,” she pleads.

Pride flows through me. She felt safe with my name and comfortable enough to use it. I wasn’t imagining her feelings before, and I know that I’m not now. I like that she is Hartley Cardoane; my sense of possession over her becomes stronger. I know that she is not something to be owned, and I would never want her to feel that way, nor would I ever treat her like that, but the caveman in me can’t help but smile and chant softly,
mine, mine, mine!

“Tesoro, I’m not mad. Shocked, yes. Mad, no. It certainly explains why I never could find you. I never once considered you going by my name. I’m glad you took my name Hartley, if it made you feel safe, helped keep you and Ethan safe, I’m glad you did it. I’m proud that you and Ethan carry my name. So very proud.”

“Really?”

“Oh yes, really.”

I place the birth certificate back in the box. I have to find out later what I need to do get my information filled in under the father part. Reaching over, I place the box on the nightstand. Then I cup her face and fuse my lips to hers, kissing her with as much pride and passion and love as I can fit. I know she’s surprised with the kiss, and I know this because she lets out a small gasp, and I take full advantage and slip my tongue between her lips.
Fuck, it feels amazing to kiss her like this again.
The divine taste of her mouth has me craving more. Hartley’s arms slip around my neck; she sits up on her knees and then moves to straddle my lap before sitting down. My hands move, one to the back of her head the other to her back, keeping her pressed against me, while our lips stay fused and our tongues thrash and explore. I want to touch her; I
need
to touch her. My hand slips up her shirt, caressing her skin, and fuck does it feel good. She presses closer, but pulls her lips away inhaling deeply. Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes filled with desire and need, yet there is an obvious vulnerability in them, and I can see that she’s nervous. As much as I want her, and fuck do I ever, I won’t force this on her. My body has craved hers since the second I saw her, and has been at war with my head since the first night I held her again. My hand slides from the back of her head to her cheeks and my thumb strokes her softly.

“We can stop, Hart. It’s OK,” I whisper. She responds by sealing her lips back to mine and sliding her hands down my back to my shirt. Pulling it up, she breaks the kiss to take it the rest of the way off. Taking the opportunity, I lift hers up and off as well, her arms instantly cross over her stomach to cover it back up and hide her scars.

“No, Tesoro, don’t cover yourself up. You are gorgeous. Perfect.” My hands move down to her arms and gently pull them away, before slipping them back between us and caress her skin and scars. “These show your strength and how amazing you are; don’t ever be ashamed of them.” I kiss her again softly. My hands undo the clasp to her bra and slide it off her shoulders. Her breasts press against my chest, and I groan as the contact burns my skin with desire. My dick grows harder, becoming almost painful. She’s pressed firmly against me, and I know she can feel me and the heat radiating from her makes me throb. Fuck, this is torture. Blissful torture, but torture nonetheless. Her hands reach between us for the button of my jeans and she scoots back just a bit to get them undone. I lay her down, and her legs quickly wrap around my waist. I thrust against her, and she cries out softly. Again, I thrust against her, the friction both Heaven and Hell and it’s fucking addicting. My lips attach to her neck, suckling her skin. My hand moves between her breasts, massaging them and rolling her nipples between my fingers. Her skin is silky smooth beneath my fingers. It’s sweet and soft beneath my tongue. It’s on fire beneath my body. Soft cries and whimpers fall from her lips while I continue my passionate assault on her body. Her hands have burrowed in my hair, gripping tightly, showing me her fight for control and she’s losing, which spurs me on. Kneeling, I undo the button of her jeans. Her eyes stay locked on my face the entire time as I move back so that I can pull them off, her panties as well.

“Fuck, Hart, you’re so fucking sexy,” I groan. The sight of her has me on the edge of control. My cock is throbbing, begging to be released and buried in her. Standing from the bed while unzipping my jeans, I drop them and my boxers to the floor. Hart’s eyes trail down my body, she licks her lips, and I hear a soft whimper escape which makes my cock jump. Her eyes continue to trail the length of me, and as her cheeks get red I know where her gaze has landed. Her eyes get huge and shoot back to mine.

“You’re pierced,” she whispers, sitting up further and moving to the edge of the bed.

“Yeah, it’s called an Apadravya.” It’s a single barbell piercing that goes through the head of my cock, top to bottom. “The stimulation is amazing.”

“Can I?”

“Yeah, Hart.”

She reaches out, her hand trembling slightly as she wraps it around my dick. My whole body shivers at the contact.
Fucking blissful torture, I tell you.
Her fingers trail over the piercing, causing sensation to shoot through me and a groan to escape my throat.

“Did it hurt?”

“Like fucking hell.”

“Why’d you do it?”

“Needed the distraction.” Her hand convulses slightly, and that’s enough for me—I can’t handle much more. My lips fuse back to hers while I lay her back down and cover her skin to skin. “You sure, Hart? We can stop.”

“Yes, just go slow, please. It’s been a long time.” Her quiet voice takes me a bit by surprise.

“How long?”

“Um…” her eyes avoid mine and she turns her head away.

Gently, I move her face back to mine and kiss her softly. “You can tell me Hart.”

I watch as her eyes fill with tears. “I haven’t…Nobody has…Not since they…I just couldn’t let…” she trails off not being able to complete the sentence, but I know what she’s trying to say.

“No man has been inside you since the fucking bastards raped you?” I ask softly, but I feel the anger building at the reminder of what the motherfucking assholes did.

“No,” she croaks, trying to hold back her tears, but a few manage to escape.

“Mi precioso Tesoro. Te prometo que todo va estar bien. Te amo, mi amor precioso. I’m so sorry for what they did, Hart, they can’t hurt you anymore. I promise.” She nods softly and there is nothing more that I want in this moment than to take away the pain in her eyes.

“Slyde, please don’t stop. I need this, I need you. You are the only one who can make this better. The only person who can make me forget what happened, who can make this beautiful again. Please.” Her tone, the words, the look in her eyes, they all dig deep and grab hold. I want to protect her from everything, I want to take away all the bad in her life, and I want to keep her safe, to love her.

“Together, Tesoro. Together we will erase the nightmares, the bad memories. Together we will build your happiness and dreams.” Kissing her softly, I bring one of her legs up to rest around my hip opening her perfectly for me. I tease at her entrance, and I feel her stiffen slightly but arch into me. Raising my head my eyes lock with hers, I rest on my forearm. My fingers lace with hers at the side of her head, her arm around my neck, my other at her hip, and slowly, I roll my hips, gently pressing into her slow, steady, and deeply. Her eyes widen, and she gasps as the air leaves her lungs. Her fingers tighten around mine as I press deeper until I’m buried as far as I can get.
Fuck. Me.

I literally can’t breathe. Everything feels so overwhelming. I’m filled completely by him. He wasn’t kidding when he said his piercing created amazing stimulation. The ball of his piercing is pressed against a spot deep inside that I didn’t know existed but is now pulsating an intense pleasure through my body. I clamp down around him, increasing the full feeling and forcing a moan from his chest. Our eyes remain locked, silently speaking to each other, me telling him I’m OK, while his reassure me that I’m safe with him, that he’s here for me, that I can trust him. He pulls his hips back, his piercing dragging across my nerves and muscles. It feels fantastic. He pushes back in, and I arch into him. I love being possessed by him; it’s every bit as amazing as I remember. His pace stays slow and steady for a while until I beg him for more, and he complies, increasing his pace and the strength of his thrusts. It doesn’t take long to have me on edge. My arms encircle his neck and back, my nails dig into his skin as he continues to move bringing me higher and higher. My body is shaking. I’m trying to hold on. I don’t want this to end, but I’m rapidly losing control.

“Slyde,” I whimper. Moans fall from my lips. My head rolls from side to side. I feel helpless and scared; it’s been so long since I’ve felt any of this, I’m not sure I can cope. “Slyde, please,” I cry out.

“Fall, Tesoro, I’m right here to catch you,” he whispers in my ear while he continues to move two, three more thrusts, and I fall, crying out his name, my body losing control beneath him. He continues to move harder, his hand moving between us, finding my clit. He presses against it, and I jump. It’s sensitive and his touch is overwhelming. He continues to move faster and harder, while rubbing me back and forth. Cries fall continuously from my lips, and I feel myself building rapidly again.

“Come on, Hart, one more.”

“No. I can’t, please no.”

“You can, Tesoro, I’ve got you.” He rotates his hips so he is thrusting at a different angle, just as deep and stroking that spot harder. The air leaves my body, and I arch into him, clinging tightly as I shatter completely, my mind blanking as I shake and convulse through the waves of pleasure consuming my entire being.

Fuck!
Her muscles clamp down hard around my dick—my control is about gone. She’s come twice now, and I know I can’t hold much longer. I want to stay buried in her forever, but right now my body is screaming for release. She’s tight, warm, and slick, and it’s fucking heaven being connected to her like this again, but seriously, with the grip she has on my cock, her cries of ecstasy, and the way she presses to me as she comes, I can’t take much more. I continue thrusting, the friction is fucking amazing, her hot release flooding around me, and the pulse of her muscles, and I’m there. Four, five, six more thrusts. I bury my face in her neck, my cock as deep as I can get. The pressure at the base of my spine spreads out and explodes, shooting through my dick. I growl her name loudly against her skin, my dick jumping and spurting inside her. “Fuck, Hartley,” I groan as hot waves of pleasure roll through my body, causing me to shake on top of her. She has me completely wrapped up in her arms and legs refusing to let me go as I collapse on top of her. That was fucking fantastic and is way better than the fantasy I’ve been having for the last five years. Regaining some air and control, I try to lift off her, but she won’t let me so I roll to my back taking her with me. I slip from inside her, and I instantly hate the broken connection. She whimpers so I’m guessing she feels the same. Hart keeps her body pressed close to mine, her arms wrapping around my stomach, her head pressed firmly to my chest as I cover us both with the blankets.