Page 5 of All My Heart

There was a twinge of guilt when I caught him admiring me, but I couldn't get past the sheer desire.

My dream mountain man didn't think I was heavy or too curvy. He wouldn't think twice about getting in the hot tub with me.

That was all I needed to slide my fingers between my folds, wishing they were Axel’s. His fingers would be larger and rough. He'd cover me with his body, his mouth by my ear where he'd say dirty things.

Like how much he wanted to fuck me with his big cock.

My hips moved in time with my fingers; my core ached. I needed more than some hot water and my fingers. I needed Axel's big, strong body surrounding me, his body heat transferring to mine.

His mouth covering my nipple. And I knew he'd be capable of lifting me against the tile and sliding his cock between my legs.

He'd fill me up so good. I moaned as the orgasm hit me, more powerful than anything I'd ever given myself. The aftershocks made it difficult to stand up straight. I slapped a hand against the wall to steady me, wishing Axel was here to bend me over.

I wasn't nearly satisfied. I felt empty despite the endorphin rush. I wanted more.

I shouldn't be lusting after my neighbor. I was here to regroup after catching my boyfriend, Rex, sleeping with another woman. Even worse, Alexis was petite and pretty and everything I wasn't.

On the island, everyone knew everything about everyone. We'd all grown up together and gone to the same school since kindergarten. There were no secrets. So Alexis knew that Rex was mine. When she saw me, she'd looked pleased. She'd meant to hurt me.

She was one of the popular mean girls, and I'd mostly flown under her radar. But this surpassed the usual pranks she'd pulled in school or the rumors she's spread around town. She'd slept with my boyfriend. When I asked him what he was doing, he'd said leveling up.

That hurt. He'd cheated because I was somehow less than. Not skinny enough or beautiful enough. Surely, not good enough for someone like him. Someone who didn't have a job but worked gigs at local bars. It made him popular with the tourists. I should have known he'd stray.

My brothers barely tolerated Rex. They thought I could do better. I didn't want them to find out because they'd tear into Rex. I didn't need them fighting my battles.

Most guys avoided me because my brothers' company was the main contracting business on the island. All the others came from off-island. If you wanted something done quickly and right, you called Kingston Construction. My brothers were over protective, and if you wanted construction work done, you didn't sleep with their sister. It made my options severely limited unless I wanted vacation flings with tourists. But I wasn't cut out for short-term.

I worked in the office, took calls, and drafted estimates. I yearned to do so much more. I’d love to learn the construction side of the business, but with six older brothers I wasn't needed. I didn't want to be dependent on my family for work. I wanted to do my own thing.

I really wanted to offer design services to the clients, but Dad had already shut me down. He didn't think they were necessary.

I quickly washed my hair, then my body before drying off. I slipped on soft flannel pajamas and cozy socks, knowing it would get cold tonight.

The phone on my nightstand buzzed. I'd thought about turning it off completely, but my brothers would come looking for me. I'd told them I'd come to Maryland to visit one of my friends, Violet. But when I'd gotten here, she was on the outs with her boyfriend. I thought we'd have a good opportunity to catch up, but within days he'd proposed to her, and that was that.

She was deliriously happy, and I had to get out of there. She needed her privacy with Ryder, and I needed to breathe. Her life was expanding in the best of ways. She had a new financé who had a daughter. I couldn't burden her with my issues.

So I'd rented the cabin for some peace and quiet. The rental manager had assured me that the owner wasn't renting the next-door cabin out anymore. Was Axel the owner? If so, owning his own property placed him well above Rex, who preferred to sleep on friends' couches or at my place, where I'd come home from work early to find him in our bed with Alexis.

There would be no way to avoid him.

The phone buzzed again. This time I reached for it. Violet. She was probably worried about me.

“Hi.” I twisted my fingers in the comforter, hoping she wouldn't ask where I was.

“I’m in Florida.”

Oh shit. She was going to know I wasn’t there.

“My mom said you never came home after your trip to Maryland. Where are you?”

I cleared my suddenly very dry throat. “I needed a change of scenery. You know I can work from anywhere.”

“Where are you then?” Violet asked.

“I rented a cabin in the middle of nowhere. It's quiet, and I can hike.” My heart pounded while I waited for her to ask for more details, ones I didn't want to give. I needed this time to myself.

“Are you going to tell me where you are?” The concern in Violet's voice ate at me.

---