Page 43 of Hearty

EVAN

Watching August come for me, because of me, is one of the biggest power trips I think I’ve ever been on.

Not only am I fueled by my ego but also by the sheer look of pleasure on her face. I’m driven by the erotic nature of her body as it wraps around me in her orgasm. Getting a glimpse of her in this state is akin to swallowing a lightning bolt, the whole thing making me feel superhuman.

Her fingernails dig into the globes of my ass as she comes down from the high, but that contact only spurs me to start really moving. To unleash my pent-up need into her as I thrust with wild abandon.

“Better than I imagined,” she whispers, looking up at me in half-drugged wonder.

I don’t let myself think of what will happen after this, of what we’ll be after this. I just look into her eyes and feel her soft skin and lithe body around me. I tangle my hands in her hair, and I let myself fall into another person in a way I never have before.

While this may have started as a way for August to gain some semblance of control in her life, it’s ending with me completely giving myself over. Even if she doesn’t know it, even if I have to figure out a way to convince her that I don’t just want this for one fleeting night, I’m losing myself in the connection between us.

My breaths come in sharp inhales, the pressure in my cock building to a fever pitch. My hips slam into August, the way her pussy milks me only adding to the thought that I’m losing my mind.

“Fuck, yes,” I growl, stilling until I come on a long groan.

Burying my head in the soft skin of her neck, I feast on the flesh there, suckling at it as my dick spills, releasing into the condom. Tingles and aftershocks make me twitch, the inability to feel anything but euphoria for a few moments washing over my body. After I come down, I roll us, cradling her in my arms.

A beat of silence passes, and I wonder what August is thinking. Should I ask her to stay in here? I want her to stay.

But part of me knows I need to handle her like a skittish creature who may bolt at any wrong gesture.

“You are incredible.” I breathe, tightening my grip and kissing her temple.

I wait for an answer, a reply back that’s of similar sentiment. When it doesn’t come, I peer down to look at August.

She’s staring off as if lost deep in thought, and I wonder if she’ll come to regret this. Even though it wasn’t how I thought it would happen—honestly, I never thought either of us would cross the line, although I wanted to so many times—I don’t regret this. That was, hands down, the most incredible sex I’ve ever had. But more than that, I felt a connection with August that I’ve never felt with anyone before. It tied emotions into the physical act, and I can still feel the aftershocks of it vibrating in my heart.

Right now might not be the time to discuss what happens next, with all the other things going on in her life, but we will be having that conversation. I was stupid enough once upon a time not to see that she was right in front of my face, and I won’t make that mistake again.

“I can’t believe they lied to me about the scholarship.” Her voice takes on an astonished quality, and my heart drops.

She’s not thinking about me. She isn’t thinking about us. This was nothing more than an outlet to dispose of her frustration, a momentary lapse in judgment where she could forget about the hurt caused by outside forces.

The moment faded, and she’s right back into thinking about what Warren and Alana had done. My gut clenches with rejection, a sick feeling settling in my chest as I realize she doesn’t even care to think about what comes next when it concerns her and me.

Her disenchantment makes me push away, sitting up to lean over the side of the bed to retrieve my clothes. With my back to August, I dress quickly, tying off the condom and chucking it at the trash can. The evidence of our connection makes my body flush hot and cold.

“Is there anything I can get you?” I ask, trying to remain a gentleman even after she confirmed this meant nothing.

Part of me feels irrational for being so hurt, but being with her was more than I thought it could be.

As I turn around, watching August pull her clothes back on in jerky motions, that hurt intensifies.

“No, thanks. I’m going to find Warren.”

No mention of us. No talk about what this could mean. Just a thanks and see you later. My blood boils.

“Glad I could be of service,” I grit out, my emotions getting the better of me.

August pauses, her eyes going wide as she surveys me, but says nothing. She’s about to reach the door, but something in me knows I have to at least say something. Because if she won’t have me, she can’t lose everything. She can’t isolate herself from everyone. Moving around her, I block her exit.

“Move, Evan.” She crosses her arms over her now fully clothed chest, and I can’t help when my eyes flit to the area I was just sucking on.

“I’m not going to trap you in here, but please, just listen. Just for one moment. These people love you, Warren loves you. He wants to make sure you’re taken care of, that you’re okay in this world, unlike he was. If there was any motivation behind the scholarship, that was it. I know you’re angry and hurt, but please remember that Warren only wants the best for you. If I were him, I would have done the same thing. If you were in his position, so would you. Think for a moment.”

Her breathing is heavy, and that glare is enough to melt skin. It’s a good thing I stand in a hot kitchen all day, or I’d have gone up in flames by now.

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