Page 110 of Connected By Stars
“I still love that you married your pen names,” Bell says, smiling. “Beck and Emma Hunter, two bestselling authors in this town, just eating fries at Joe’s on a Friday night.”
“I thought using Emma Hunter was a nice touch. Noah is still under the radar, but I wanted to be able to meet the children who love my books and read to them during story hours at the library and in classrooms,” she adds, smiling at Sophia.
“I think Noah is having too much fun having a whole other identity with you, and he doesn’t want the whole town in on his dirty little secret. I bet he lets Beck Hunter out in the bedroom to recreate his book scenes and to do a little fantasy role-playing.” I laugh when Emma turns red, proving I’m spot on.
“Mr. Hunter does love to come out and play with his librarian.” He laughs when Emma swats his arm, her face turning a deep shade of red.
“I still got it,” I say, laughing as Emma looks at me, trying to give me her best glare before she gives up and joins the laughter at the table.
Chapter Forty-One
Bella
I sinkinto the mountain-high bubbles and sigh. I don’t know how Maverick ended up with the better bathtub at his apartment, but I’ve claimed it as mine now. I sip my wine and close my eyes, sinking down lower.
I feel him before I see him, my body always in tune with his. The energy in the room instantly changes to these electrical currents that can physically be felt throughout my body. I open my eyes to see him standing there, watching me in the doorframe. His green eyes pierce me as they roam over me, their hunger evident. My body instantly reacts with need as a deep throbbing starts to take place between my thighs. Before I can stop myself, my hand glides across my stomach, going further until I touch where I want him the most.
His nostrils flare, and I see his breathing increase like he knows exactly what I’m doing under the bubbles.
“Are you touching what’s mine?” His eyes never leave mine as he remains standing against the doorframe.
“I would rather it be you,” I moan as I enter two fingers and palm myself. Arching back, I bite my lip to stop the moan as I rub harder. His eyes turn a shade darker as they drop to my lipsbefore coming back up to meet mine. He pushes off the door frame and slowly walks over to stand beside the tub. I can see him straining against his pants as he slowly takes off his shirt.
Tanned muscles move against the movement as I take him in with my eyes. I will never get tired of looking at him. I follow the tattoos up one arm before lowering my gaze to his rock-hard abs, where his jeans are hanging low on his waist. He unbuckles his pants and steps out of them, standing completely naked in that glorious body of his.
He’s already glistening with need as he circles his hand around his hardness and slowly strokes himself, never taking his eyes off me. “Put your hands on the side of the tub where I can see them. You’re not cumming unless it’s me touching you.”
I whimper as I release my hand and grip the side of the tub. Watching him touch himself along with his words has me so on the edge that I press my thighs together to try and ease the ache. He continues to stroke himself, and I’m unable to stop myself from sitting on my knees and replacing his hand with mine.
I run my thumb over his tip, catching his arousal, before slowly stroking down and back up. His head goes back, and I see his throat move as he swallows. His muscles are tight and strained in his arms from reacting to my touch. I lick my lips and lean over, wanting his taste on me. Moaning, he grasps my hair tightly while I take him all the way to the back of my throat.
“Fuck,” he rasps out. His hold on me tightens as I start to move up and down on him. I moan against him as the throbbing between my legs increases. He pulls out of my mouth, and in one motion, I’m picked up out of the tub, and my legs wrap around his waist as he slams his lips to mine. He bites my lower lip hard before sucking it, causing me to whimper against his lips. I grind against him, and he breaks the kiss to walk us to the shower.
Cold water hits us first before it quickly turns hot, neitherof us noticing anything other than the need to get closer. His lips find mine again as our tongues seek and tangle together. My back hits the shower wall, and he reaches down to position himself, filling me in one hard thrust. He stills inside me, grasping my ass tightly.
“This is where I belong,” he whispers against my neck. “This,” he slowly moves out and then fills me again, where I feel it deep in my soul. “This is mine. I’m the only one that’s been inside you and the only one that will ever be inside you.” He fills me again, and I moan at how deep and good it feels.
“You’re mine too. No one ever gets to be with you this way again. You belong to me.” I breathe out as he goes harder with each thrust.
“I’m yours,” he whispers, grasping my ass harder and plunging deep and shattering me to pieces as I cry out, convulsing around him. He follows with a yell, pulsing and emptying in me as we cling to each other and ride the waves as one. He continues to move inside me until my body has nothing left to give.
I sag against the shower wall as he slowly lowers me, pulling out before crushing my body to his. His arms come around me, and I can feel his fast heartbeat against my ear as I wrap my arms around him.
“I love you so much,” I whisper against his chest. “So much, it scares me at times,” I softly say, burying my face in his chest.
“I know that feeling, trust me. I love you so fucking much, too. I don’t know if the scary part will ever go away, but that’s how you know it’s real. It’s a connection that doesn’t happen every day. I’ll take that little scary part, though, if it means I get to have you by my side for the rest of my life.”
“Me too.” I snuggle deeper into his chest and place a kiss over his heart, vowing to always keep it safe.
This past week,something has been off. I can tell Maverick is keeping something from me, and he’s been on edge lately. When I ask him about it, he assures me everything is okay and that he’s just busy getting the plans together to open another store up north. I’m in my office at my apartment trying to get work done, but my thoughts keep coming back to him.
Sighing, I shut my laptop, knowing I won’t be able to concentrate on the edits. I hear my phone ding and glance down to see a text message from him.
Maverick
Hey baby, I want to take you out to eat tonight, just the two of us. Could you be ready by six?
I stare at the text message. Surely, if something is wrong, he wouldn’t tell me in the middle of a restaurant, right? I drum my fingers on my desk, feeling the anxious thoughts invade my mind. I type my response.
