Breaking the Ice by Esme Taylor
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Reid
Hettie told me that she needed to write her story about the ball for the paper before tomorrow, so I left her on the sofa with a blanket and a notebook, so she could get her work done. I figured it would be the perfect time for me to try and get some work finished since I’d done very since meeting her.
It was hard to believe that it had been less than a week since I’d met her. And in that short time, someone had not only tried to hurt her, but she’d also done the impossible––she’d climbed inside my heart.
Is that really what’s happening? Is it too soon?
Regardless of what it was, there was no question that she had done something to me. She’d changed me. Hettie helped to calm my anxiety and allowed me to relax the control I’d embraced in my life. For the first time in as long as I could remember, I could sleep. And on the nights when she was around, I found myself waking up happy, just knowing that she was there with me. I couldn’t explain it, but in some strange way, it felt as though she was meant to be mine.
What the actual fuck is happening to me? I must be going soft in my old age.
Instead of working on the changes my editor had given me, I found myself staring at my computer screen as what I wrote appeared to morph into something else entirely. One thing was clear, my editor was going to flip.
I had a deadline looming, and a plan of action, and this certainly was't it. Still, I decided to see what would happen if I allowed the words to take me where they wanted to go. I have time. I don’t need to tell him anything until I’m sure of where I want to go, I tried to convince myself.
As I read over the words I’d written, my conversation from my boxing session with the boys this morning replayed in my mind.
◆◆◆
“What do you mean you fucked her and spent the night with her?” Thomas asked, shaking his head in disbelief. Billy laughed and winked at me while holding the bag steady.
Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I leaned in and let the punches fly as I talked. “She stayed over before I slept with her. She was hurt. I helped her. I couldn’t just leave her with nowhere to go, could I?” I asked, not really wanting to hear their reply.
“Reid, you’re loaded. You could have gotten her a hotel or banged on one of her friend’s doors and beaten them up for leaving her to get mugged. You didn’t have to bring her here,” Thomas spat out as he laid down on the weight bench.
I couldn’t decide if the veins bulging on the side of his head were from him bench pressing the ridiculously heavy weights he’d chosen or because he was raging at me for bringing Hettie to the house and letting her into my life.
“Someone mugged her, gave her a black eye, grabbed her so hard they left finger-sized bruises on her wrists and made her bleed. What sort of shitbag would I be if I’d just left her at a hotel? What the hell is wrong with you, Thomas? Honestly, I like her. She’s different. She does something to me that makes me want more,” I explained, trying to focus my anger on the bag, so he didn’t hear it in my voice.
Thomas was my best friend and I knew he was trying to protect me, but I wanted him to be happy for me and see what I’d found with Hettie was real.
“Don’t you think it’s a bit strange that she just appeared out of nowhere and is so ‘perfect’ for you? I mean, she works for the paper, for fuck’s sake. I know how hard you’ve tried to hide your life from the world. What if she walks in here and blows everything up?” he asked as he dropped the bar onto its stand. He sat up and stared at me, waiting for an answer.
“You’re my friend, Thomas, and I know you mean well, but I really like her. Can’t you just be happy for me? I’ve never had, or even considered having, what I believe is possible with her. I don’t want you and your paranoia fucking it up before I’ve even had a chance to see where it could go.”
I contemplated telling them about the pool and the bits of my dream that I’d remembered, but then I thought better of it. I knew I wasn’t in a good place to be fielding questions or accusations. So instead, I took out my frustrations in other ways, punching the bag harder.
“Well, I like that you’ve found someone you want to fuck more than once and can cuddle up with. All those one-night stands must have been exhausting.” Billy threw his head back and laughed. “Plus, it leaves some women for the rest of us.”
I shook my head as I thought about just how different the two men were. Thomas was private school educated, tall, stand-offish, hard as nails, but loyal to a fault. He’d been my friend for nearly seventeen years and had seen me at my best and at my worst. He stood by me and helped me rebuild my life and navigate the world as this new version of myself.
Billy, on the other hand, was boyishly charming and laughed at everything, which was probably because he’d had such a shitty upbringing. He was ex-championship boxer and everyone loved him. I trusted them both with my life, and I just hoped that they could step back and allow someone else into our tight-knit circle.
Walking across the gym, Thomas spoke, his voice heavy with his warning. “Look, Reid, fuck her, spoon her all night, eat bacon sandwiches with her––just be careful what you tell her. At least until you know you can totally trust her. You’ve spent nearly two decades building this life, don’t let one woman tear it all back down, please. I can’t protect you if you aren’t willing to protect yourself.” I nodded as he slapped me on the back before pulling on his boxing gloves.
But I can trust Hettie, right? Her being here is just a coincidence. Isn’t it? I shook my head at the ridiculousness of my thoughts. No one who makes me feel the way she does could possibly be out to hurt me. Right?
◆◆◆
And just like that, my thoughts summoned her like a magic wish as she appeared in front of me, leaning on the door frame of my office, smiling. Her eyes full of lust as she licked her lips.
“Hey, Viking,” she muttered softly. “Can I drag you away from your work for a minute? There’s something I can’t stop thinking about doing to you…”
My eyes swept over her body, admiring her natural beauty. Despite the bruises on her face, she was still the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She looked so innocent standing there, but the glint in her eyes told me that whatever she wanted to do to me was anything but.
“What did you have in mind?” I asked as I moved to stand.
“Umm, no, Viking, why don’t you stay where you are?”, she instructed, placing her hands on my chest and pushing me back into my chair. Her movements were confident and her smile wicked. A far cry from the Hettie Saunders I had met just a week ago. And I loved it.
She straddled my lap and slowly lowered herself onto me, my cock rising in response. “I’ve been thinking about doing this all morning,” she mouthed softly into my ear as she gently rocked her hips over me, pulling me into a passionate kiss.
“I’m yours for the taking, Etta. Do your worst, or do your best, just please do it soon,” I winked at her, cupping her breasts in my hands while her hips continued to grind against me.
My eyes never left hers as she stepped away, leaving me desperate to pull her back to me. Normally the one in control, I found it hard to resist taking her in my hands and having my way with her. However, I was curious about what she had planned for me.
My erection was straining painfully against my joggers as she slowly pulled her tank top up and over her head. Unable to revert back to my defalt behavior and take control, a low growl emanated from deep in my chest. She as she removed her shorts and tossed them to the side, leaving her standing in front of me in the sexiest set of black underwear I think I’d ever seen.
“You’re beautiful. Have I told you that today, Etta?”
“You tell me every time you look at me, Viking. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt as beautiful as you make you feel.”
She took a step towards me and wrapped her fingers in the hem of my t-shirt, tugging it up and over my head. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it to the floor into the growing pile of clothes down there.
My skin prickled as Hettie softly trailed her fingers down my chest, tracing each rivet of my abs before skimming down to the waistband of my bottoms. “Have I told you you’re beautiful today, Reid?” she asked, her voice filled with lust. I smile. “Have I shown you how beautiful I think you are Viking?”
Hands still wrapped around the waistband of my joggers, she tugged, pulling them down over my hips. Freed from its confines, my rock-hard erection hung heavy between my legs, the head glistening with my arousal.
I closed my eyes, moaning in approval, as she took my full length in her petite hands, rubbing her thumb over the top of my smooth, swollen head. I was so lost in the sensations flooding my body that I hadn’t even seen her approach until her lips were pressed against mine.
Wrapping my arms around her hips, I tugged her into me, deepening our kiss as my hands expertly freed her breasts from her bra. Hettie moaned as I began circling her nipples with my thumbs, feeling them harden under my touch.
“I want to be inside you, Etta,” I growled as I scattered kisses along the sensitive flesh of her neck. “I want to feel how wet you are for me.”
“Not yet, Viking. First, I need to taste you. I’ve not been able to stop thinking about how you’d taste all day. I've never wanted to do that before. You bring out my naughty side, Reid.”
“I love your naughty side, Etta.” Her hand felt so good as it moved painfully slowly up and down the length of my throbbing erection, that I struggled to string a coherent sentence together.
I felt my body prickle with pleasure as she slipped from my lap and dropped to the floor between my thighs. Leaning forward, she looked up at me from beneath her long, dark lashes and her beauty took my breath away. Without any hesitation, she sank her swollen lips over my cock and my head fell back against the chair as a wave of pleasure washed over me. With slow, agonizing movements, Hettie bobbed up and down my length, taking as much of me as she could. Her tongue swirled and danced over my head while her hand continued to pump the base.
If this were any of my past encounters, I would have simply buried my fingers in her hair and ruthlessly fucked her mouth. But, Hettie was different. When I was with her, I wasn’t looking for that kind of release. I wanted more. I wanted everything she was willing to give me.
Sensing my impending climax, Hettie’s hand and mouth quickened their pace. I knew I wouldn’t last much longer and I was desperate to feel how wet she was.
“Fuck, Etta. I need to be inside of you. Now,” I growled, pulling her up into my lap and pushing her underwear to one side, driving myself inside her.
“Oh my God,” she gasped breathlessly.
“You good, Etta?”
“Yes. So good. So, so good. I want you to make me come, Viking. Hard.” Her words rolled over me and I could no longer think straight as our hips rocked in unison and I felt every inch of her open up to me.
I had never anything so intense. And that’s when it hit me.
“Fuck, Etta… I forgot the condom. I wasn’t thinking. I was just so desperate to be inside of you that it slipped my mind. Fuck.” I growled in frustration. “I need to go upstairs and get one. I don’t have any down here.”
“Bit late now, Viking,” she giggled. “I’m on the pill because of my stupid periods. I’ve also only ever been with my ex.” She studied me for a moment, waiting for my reply.
“I’m clean. I’ve never had sex without a condom.” Satisfied, she nodded for me to continue.
“Are you sure, Etta? I don’t want to push you into anything you might regret.”
“I’m sure, Viking. I want you like this. Just like this.”
“I’m not going to lie, being able to feel you like this might be the hottest thing in the fucking world. Now, where were we?” I half joked, slipping my fingers into her hair and pulling her in for a long, slow kiss before things heated up again.
We fucked and we fucked hard, our hips moving together as I thrust into her over and over again. Suddenly, Hettie threw her head back, her fingers digging into my chest as she tightened around me, her body convulsing.
“Reid,” she shouted breathlessly.
With one final thrust, my cock jerked as my cum filled her to near bursting. It was probably the most amazing feeling I had ever experienced.
And it fucking terrified me.
As our breathing slowed, she ran her hand over my tattoo, tracing the outline with her fingers. Not wanting to ruin the moment, I took her hand in mine and pressed it firmly over it while trying not to let Thomas’ warnings creep into the back of my mind.
“Hey, Viking, where did you go?” Hettie asked, studying my expression.
I shook my head and kissed her lightly on the temple. “Nowhere, Etta. I’m right here and right here is the only place I want to be.”
◆◆◆
We had sex again later that evening, and after another nightmare-free night’s sleep, I woke with the sun, running my tongue over Hettie’s clit while pushing two fingers inside of her.
◆◆◆
“Is it possible to die from too many orgasms?” she laughed later while stretching her body across my bed. “I think it might happen if we continue to carry on like this.”
“What a way to go,” I mumbled into her hip as I kissed my way up her body. I couldn’t get enough of touching her, and I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to.
“I need to get up and get ready for work,” she reminded me, her voice low.
I hated that she was leaving me today and that she wanted to head back to her house tonight, but I also understood what she meant when she said she refused to be forced out of her home by everything that had happened. Still, it didn’t make me happy.
Concerned for her safety, I'd ensured that the lights on her street had been fixed and I’d also had Thomas’ staff fit security cameras on the front and back of the house. And, in an effort to put my own mind at ease, I set up the app on both of our phones so that we both got the alerts in the event the alarm was triggered. After everything she had been through, I wanted her to feel safe. But a big part of me also wanted to be greedy and keep her here with me.
“What are you doing after work?” I asked.
“I’m meeting Heather, Lou, and Max for dinner and cocktails. Aren’t you meeting Billy and Thomas?” she questioned, reminding me that I had told the boys we would meet up. “Why don’t you text me later and maybe we can all meet up?”
“Sounds like an excellent plan,” I replied. “Now, how long do we have before you have to leave for work?” I asked as I rubbed my hard cock at her warm, wet entrance, feeling just how much she wanted me too.