Hart of the Matter (A Love of the Game Novella) by Shayne McClendon

between us.  I don’t expect anything from you.”
    “You’re right, Bailey.  You don’t expect a damn thing from me and it’s pissing me off.  If you think I want to use you like I’ve used every other woman I’ve ever been with, you better think again.  What you are not getting ,” he emphasized his statement with a firm thrust, “is that you are nothing like every other woman and you are going to talk to me if I have to fuck you into submission.”
    She went limp and exhaled slowly.  “Fine.  What do you want to ask me, Hart?”
    “Am I one of your weaknesses, Bailey?”
     

Chapter Fourteen
     
    “Obviously, you’re a weakness, Hart.  Next question.”
    “Why am I a weakness?”
    He watched her face in profile and watched her eyes close.  “I’ve been in love with you since I was fourteen.  Next question.” 
    Pulling himself from her warm body, he rolled her to her back, and settled between her thighs.  She turned her head and closed her eyes.  “Don’t do it, Hart.”
    “Don’t do what?  Look at me.  Damn it, look at me , Bailey.”  She turned her face to him.  “Don’t do what?”  She put her hands over her face.  “No, Bailey…please don’t cry.” 
    He slipped inside her and gathered her in his arms.  “I’m not trying to make you cry.  I’m trying to make you see that this wasn’t just sex, baby.  I’ve done so many things I’m not proud of and you can’t know how many regrets I have right now.”
    Smoothing his fingers over her face, moving her hands, he planted small kisses over her skin.  “Not the least of which is knowing you…and my sister …were subjected to play-by-plays of our sexual escapades.  I’m sorry.  I can’t imagine how much that hurt both of you.”
    He stroked into her with total intensity and watched her body catch flame underneath him.  Her nipples hardened on her swollen breasts and she wrapped her arms around his neck. 
    Hart saw the tracks of her tears kissed them away.  For several minutes, he focused on taking her up again and taking away her sadness.  Giving herself over to the physical pleasure, he watched her relax and fall into it.  With a light pant, her pulse pounding, her body tightened around him and he was captivated. 
    As she came, he said, “I love you, Bailey.”
    Unable to stop the climax that had already begun, she arched into him.  Hart went up on his knees, lifted her thighs over his, and locked one of her knees in the crook of his elbow.  The other hand stroked over her clit as he rocked his hips into her hard.
    He fucked her, loved her, and gave her all of himself. 
    “Feel me, Bailey.  You’re the only woman in my life I’ve been with without a condom.  The only woman to ever to feel my bare cock.  I’ve wanted you so long, Bailey.  Since you were too young for me and I had no right to the images of you in my head.  Denying myself became a habit.”
    Her eyes met his and he could see her disbelief. 
    Hart shook his head with a self-mocking smile.  “I know.  I’ve been with too many women…but not one of them came to my bed.  I wasn’t interested in a relationship.  I used them for a purpose and got the fuck out.  I can’t take it back, I’m not proud of it, but I can’t take it back, Bailey.”
    Long lashes drifted over her eyes.
    “Look at me…I need you to look at me.  I went out on that dance floor tonight knowing I couldn’t take it anymore.  I knew it would change everything because you’re the keeping kind, Bailey.  I love you and I’m going to stroke my cock into this beautiful body until you believe me or we pass out from dehydration.  Tell me you love me, Bailey.”
    She shook her head.  “I can’t, Hart.  You don’t know what you’re saying .” 
    “I know exactly what I’m saying, Bailey.  I don’t want anyone else and I don’t want anyone else to have you.  I want you for myself.  You are mine .  Tell me, Bailey.” 
    Hart’s strokes went