SWNOVELS Break My Heart: Chapter 24
I’m tucked beneath Hayes’s muscular arm as we step through the back door of the club. The bouncer takes one look at the guys and waves us in. Blue Vibe is like an assault on the senses. The techno beat pulses off the black walls as strobe lights cut through the darkness. The interior can only be described as sumptuous. There’s a long stretch of glass bar at the far end of the room with booths and tables scattered around the perimeter. The dance floor is located on the opposite side of the space. Even on a Wednesday night, the place is jam-packed. There’s a surprising range of people inside, from students in college to adults in their mid-to-late twenties. A DJ sits perched high above the crowd in a booth, mixing music.
This isn’t the first time I’ve been here, but it’s different walking in with Hayes. Usually, I feel more like a fifth wheel. I keep catching glances from my friends. I haven’t said a word to them about Hayes. As soon as they got me alone in my room, I was bombarded with questions. Ones I didn’t have answers for.
My attention is drawn back to Hayes when his warm breath ghosts over my ear, and a shiver dances down my spine.
“Have I mentioned how amazing you look?”
My fingers flutter over the short black dress that barely skims my thighs. Britt found it in the back of my closet when she was rifling around for something I could wear. Apparently, a sweater and leggings weren’t going to cut it. She threatened to make a pit stop at her apartment to grab something for me.
Before I can respond, he adds, “Or how much I love when you wear your hair down?”
The thick mass has been left long and loose around my shoulders. I’m used to wearing it up so it’s out of the way when I skate. Most days, I forget to style it differently.
“Thank you.”
“Are you cool with your friends knowing we’re together?”
“Is that what we are?” Air gets trapped in my lungs as I blurt out the question. “Together?”
“I certainly hope so.”
The tension filling my muscles dissipates as happiness bubbles up inside me. I couldn’t tamp it down even if I tried. I have no idea how everything will play out in the future, but for tonight, I’m going to go with it and just enjoy myself.
“Who wants a shot?” Colby asks.
Willow shakes her head. “Nothing for me.”
She recently confided that she was diagnosed with childhood leukemia in high school. So she does what she can to keep her immune system as healthy as possible without missing out on the things she wants to do.
Maverick also shakes his head.
Until this year, alcohol was only something I indulged in when celebrating my birthday or winning a competition. When you’re in training, there’s no place for it.
But tonight, I’m going to make an exception.
“I’ll have one,” I say.
Hayes jerks his head in a nod. “One for me as well.”
Colby returns with four shots, two in each hand, before passing them out. We all clink our glasses before belting back the smooth liquor. The cinnamon flavor burns as it slides down the back of my throat.
Colby raises a brow. “One more?”
“Probably not—” Hayes begins.
“Yes,” I cut in.
“You sure that’s a good idea, Tink? My guess is that you’re a lightweight when it comes to shots.”
“Oh my God, did you just call her Tink?”
I break eye contact with him to glance at Willow.
A wide grin lights up her face. “That’s so cute.”
Slow smiles spread across Maverick’s and Colby’s faces.
“Yeah, super cute,” Maverick adds with a laugh.
Hayes groans from beside me. “Shut the hell up, McKinnon.”
Colby chuckles as he returns to the bar for a second round.
Already I feel the effects of the alcohol warming me from the inside out. Some of the constant worry that’s been gnawing at me ever since the messages from Nathan began popping up with more frequency melts away, and there’s something freeing about that.
When Colby returns with another round, we all take them.
“Guess there’s no chance we’ll end up married for a second time, is there?” Britt jokes.
Colby winks at her. “Interested in hopping a flight to Vegas and having a do over?”
Her shoulders shake with laughter. “It’ll certainly be one hell of a story to share with our kids one day.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Firecracker,” he says before they clink their glasses.
Colby McNichols was one of the biggest players on campus.
Until Britt came along.
Now he couldn’t be more domesticated.
They both seem happy.
Content.
It’s nice to see, and it gives me hope for the future.
My gaze unconsciously settles on Hayes, and a zip of electricity sizzles through my veins when I find him watching me.
We tap the tiny glasses together before throwing back the shots. Our gazes stay locked the entire time. Much like the first one, the liquor sends a fiery trail down the back of my throat before settling at the bottom of my belly.
Just as Hayes plucks the glass from me, Britt locks her fingers around my wrist and drags me to the dance floor, Willow leading the way. It doesn’t take long before I lose sight of Hayes.
The three of us shove our way through the crush of bodies before carving out a small space. With the alcohol rushing through my system, I forget about everything else and lose myself in the heavy beat of the music. My eyelids feather closed as I tip my face upward, enjoying the sensation of letting go and allowing my mind to wander.
How long has it been since I was able to cut loose and feel free?
My mind tumbles back over the years.
Maybe never.
It’s a jarring realization.
Ever since I was twelve years old, and started working with Nathan, skating has been my entire world. There was never time for fun or fooling around. There were always competitions to train for.
I glance at the two girls I’m with. I’m so grateful for their friendship. Without it, I probably wouldn’t be experiencing any of this, and that would be a real shame.
Plus, now there’s Hayes.
I have no idea if we’ll actually fit into each other’s lives, but for the first time ever, I can have fun trying to figure it out.
I let those thoughts go as one song bleeds into the next. Laughter falls from my lips as Britt grabs my hand and twirls me around before doing the same with Willow. Smiles light up our faces as we shake our asses. It feels good to do nothing more than live in the moment as the mass of writhing bodies presses in on us from all sides.
The club is a sprawling space, but there are so many people on the dance floor, it’s impossible to tell whose limbs belong to who. The music echoes off the walls before gradually seeping into my bones as alcohol rushes through my veins, making me feel alive and free.
If only this feeling could last forever.
My eyelids fly open when strong hands wrap around my hips and drag me against a steely body. I don’t have to twist around to know who’s snuck up on me. Already I’ve come to recognize the beachy scent of Hayes’s cologne as it invades my senses, reminding me of sunshine and lazy summer days.
I just want to inhale a big breath of him and keep it trapped in my lungs forever.
His arms tighten around me as my spine presses against his front. Everything about this guy is hard and sculpted. There’s nothing soft about him. He’s a wall of muscle.
I never thought I’d find myself attracted to a guy like him, but that’s exactly what I am.
Even though it’s scary and I’m unsure of myself, I love it.
Love these new feelings that rush through me when he’s near.
All I have to do is think about the hot hockey player, and my belly swoops.
And when he lays his hands on me?
I forget about the past and all the pain tied to it.
“You’re so damn sexy, know that?”
I shake my head. I’ve never felt sexy before, and it boggles my mind that Hayes Van Doren thinks that about me.
“With all these guys checking you out, I knew I’d better stake my claim before anyone worked up the courage to shoot their shot. No way I could let that happen, Tink.”
I twist my head enough to meet his gaze. Even in the darkness of the club, possessiveness shines brightly from his eyes.
My pulse thrums an unsteady beat as his face looms closer until his lips can brush across mine. We stay locked together as the music pulses around us. With his arms wrapped protectively around me, I feel safe and insulated. His grip tightens as he pulls me close enough to feel the hard length of his erection pressing against my lower back.
When his tongue sweeps across the seam of my lips, I open, allowing him entrance. Everything that happened earlier this evening tumbles through my head. As much fun as I’m having at Blue Vibe, part of me wishes my friends hadn’t dropped by and invited us out.
Thoughts of how he touched and kissed me earlier have heat exploding in my core before throbbing a harsh beat in perfect rhythm to the music. His hands glide along my ribcage before settling beneath the swells of my breasts. When I whimper, an answering groan works its way up from deep within his chest.
Arousal dampens my panties as his mouth roves over mine until our tongues can tangle. Hayes nips at my lower lip, tugging it between sharp teeth before releasing it.
My eyelids crack open just enough to meet his heated gaze. The need I find swirling there sets my pulse racing. I can only imagine the same intensity is echoed within my own.
This man makes me feel alive in a way I’ve never experienced before, and the rush of sensation through my veins has already become addictive.
“Fuck, baby.”
I whimper when he takes a step in retreat and cool air slides across my bare flesh.
Before I can say anything, he slips my hand into his larger one and then we’re on the move, cutting a path through the thick crowd. Hayes is so tall and broad—a force to be reckoned with—that people scurry out of his way rather than get run over.
Even if you didn’t know he was a hockey player bound for the NHL, his size and demeanor would be intimidating.
We take the stairs to the second floor, where the VIP lounge and a glass bar are located along with a circular balcony that overlooks the dance floor. The lighting up here is muted, making the vibe sexier. It’s difficult to see what’s taking place in the shadows.
I gravitate to the railing and stare down at the mass of writhing bodies below that’s illuminated by the flashing strobe lights.
Hayes slides directly behind me, his bigger body overshadowing my own.
“Wrap your fingers around the railing.” His heated breath against my sweat-slicked skin causes a shiver to dance down my spine as I follow the directive.
“Good girl.”
My panties dampen at the praise as my teeth sink into my lower lip. He hasn’t even touched me yet, and already my body is vibrating with excitement.
His hands settle on my shoulders before massaging the muscles until they’re malleable. Only then do his fingers drift along my bare arms, goose bumps erupting in their wake.
His fingertips sweep across my wrists before his larger hands wrap around mine. When he presses closer, I feel the insistent length of his erection nudging my backside.
A groan escapes me as I tilt my hips, greedy for the slightest contact.
“Do you feel how hard you make me?”
It would be impossible not to. His cock is so long and thick.
“Yes.” There’s little point in lying. Not when I’ve revealed all my secrets to him. The ones I keep buried deep down inside.
He retraces his path along my arms before grazing my sides with a featherlight touch. His knuckles drag against the curve of my breasts and then ribcage, igniting a firestorm of need within me. After his hands settle on my hips, he pulls me close enough to feel the grind of his thick length. There’s no escaping it. And I wouldn’t want to. My eyes roll back in my head with each languid movement.
One hand glides down my hip before settling on the V between my thighs. Only then does he stroke my center through the thin layers of clothing that separate us. I can’t help but flex, pressing into his hand.
“Do you like having your pussy played with?”
“Yes. It feels so good.”
“Oh, Tink. This is just the beginning. I’m going to give this little pussy all the love she deserves.”
I believe him. Beneath his touch, my body comes alive, and a moan works its way past my lips.
That’s all the encouragement he needs to continue the delicious torment. His fingers spread wide as he squeezes before flexing and repeating the caress.
His other hand drifts upward until his palm can cover one breast, and his lips devour my neck, licking and sucking. Nipping at the flesh. All the sensations he’s roused whip around inside me, creating an inferno of need.
What I experienced at Nathan’s hands was nothing like this, and I can’t help but glory in every single difference. My former coach tried to tell me no one would ever turn me on the way he did, and for a long time, I was terrified he was right, but Hayes is proving him wrong.
And I’m so grateful for that.
He kneads me with both hands until my knees weaken, and I’m in danger of sliding to the floor. It doesn’t take long before my body is tightly strung and dancing on the precipice.
“I want you to tell me exactly what my touch does to you.”
I can’t help but squirm against his hold, craving more of the riotous sensations that scratch and claw dangerously beneath the surface. Almost as if he’s awoken something inside me, and it’s now fighting to break loose.
If I’m completely honest, I’ve always secretly felt that way.
Wanting more.
Needing it.
But unsure how to ask for it.
Or find someone I could trust enough to give it to me.
As much as I hate Nathan for what he did, he created a longing inside me that refuses to be suppressed or denied. A craving that is now a part of me. Only now am I trying to make peace with that knowledge.
Desire crashes through me as his fingers stroke my lower lips through the thin fabric of my panties and dress.
He pinches my nipple. “I’m waiting.”
“It turns me on and makes me feel achy,” I say on a gasp.
His mouth drifts across the outer shell of my ear as his voice dips, turning husky. “Where does it make you feel achy?”
Unable to help myself, I shift against him, looking for more contact. “My pussy and my breasts.”
When he tweaks me for a second time, I groan. It’s like a straight shot to my core, and my panties flood with more heat.
“I bet you’re soaked, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Should I take your word for it or find out for myself?”
My breath catches at the back of my throat as excitement crashes over me.
After a beat of silence, he prods, “Well?”
“Find out for yourself.”
“Are you sure? Anyone could look over and see the way I’m playing with you.”
As tempting as it is to keep my eyes shut and sink into his touch, I force them open before glancing around and then at the mass of bodies below.
I hate how much the thrill of someone watching us turns me on.
“Yes.”
A growl vibrates deep within his chest as one hand slips beneath the material of my dress before gliding up my bare thigh to the place that’s desperate for the stroke of his hand.
Right when I think his fingers will slip beneath the fabric of my panties, they drift along the cotton, tracing the seam of my lips.
“You’re right. Completely soaked.”
I whimper as he shoves the fabric to the side, and one finger slides inside me. My body sags against his as he withdraws and circles the entrance before thrusting for a second time.
Each pump of his finger forces me closer to the precipice.
Closer to tumbling over the edge and into oblivion.
I want the orgasm so much; I can practically taste it.
I turn my face toward him. “Please.”
“Mmm, that is such a pretty word falling from those pouty lips. It’ll play on repeat in my dreams tonight.”
Just as my muscles tighten and it feels like I’ll shatter into a million broken pieces, his finger slips free of my body, and a garbled protest escapes my lips.
His dark chuckle tickles my ear. “Just like this morning at the rink, I’m not about to give you an orgasm for the first time in the middle of Blue Vibe. Although, I won’t promise not to do it next time.”
The thought of there being a next time has my belly spasming.
His mouth hovers near my ear as he brings the finger that had been buried deep inside me to my lips before sweeping it across the plump flesh, as if painting them with lipstick.
He taps his finger against my mouth. “Open up so you can taste how creamy I make you.”
It never occurs to me not to follow the directive. As soon as my lips part, the digit slides inside. The taste of my arousal explodes on my tongue along with the slight saltiness of his skin. It’s an addictive combination.
“Good, isn’t it?”
“Mmmm.”
“Now I need a taste.”
The velvety softness of his tongue licks at my mouth before his lips crash onto mine.
Just as I grow dizzy from lack of oxygen, he pulls away enough to ask, “How am I ever going to get enough of you?”
His mouth hovers over mine before nipping at it. It’s only when his fingers squeeze my breast do I realize that his palm is still covering me.
When I’m with Hayes, everything that normally bothers me falls away until it’s just the two of us.
Until anything seems possible.
As I sink back into his touch, unease prickles at the base of my skull, and I get the strangest feeling we’re being watched. As much as I want to ignore the creeping sensation, I can’t. My gaze travels around the space before narrowing. Movement from the shadows catches my attention, and my heart slams against my chest before pounding into overdrive as I sift through the darkness only to find nothing.
It leaves me to wonder if anyone was there in the first place or if it was a figment of my imagination all along.
A shiver skates down my spine, and the mood shatters. As much as I want to make myself believe it was nothing, I can’t.
I’m a little freaked out.
“What’s wrong, Tink?”
It’s tempting to confide my fears about Nathan, but I have no idea if I’m overreacting. I took two shots and am on sensory overload. It’s not difficult in a place like this.
His hand falls away from my breast as I twist in his arms. “Would you mind if we get out of here? I’m ready to head home.”
One side of his mouth hitches. “That works because I’m more than ready to take you there.”