The Girl With Hearts (Midtown Brotherhood #1) Read Free Page B

She’d never felt this alive in her life. She tucked a piece of his blond hair behind his ear. She’d hate him for it tomorrow, but right now, she just wanted to pretend the Henrik in her dreams was real.
    He shifted beneath her, and she winced. She hadn’t thought this through at all. Next thing she knew, his lips smiled against her. “Sorry,” he barely said aloud. “Trying to take it slow. Not easy.”
    She nodded, wondering if he could see how much effort she took not to move. Every part of her screamed. It was embarrassing.
    Suddenly, his hand steadied on her hip. Her fingers instantly embedded in his shoulders again. He kissed her neck, willing her to relax, and her body followed his direction flawlessly. Definitely embarrassing.
    “I’ve got you,” he assured her.
    She couldn’t help but smile. His accent was more prevalent. Maybe that meant he was nervous too. She really hoped he was nervous too.
    He moved again, and again. Conscious thought was an impossibility. She’d never felt this way, completely consumed by the present. It was ridiculous how one simple move of his hips could erase her thoughts and numb her heart. It had to be the end, but as the sensation continued to roar throughout her body, there was more. Much more.
    She was lost in him. Henrik’s lips, his painted and sculpted body, engulfing her from every angle. He guided her, washing away the nerves and the pain, replacing it with something much more powerful. Something she’d never forget.
    She wasn’t sure how it happened, but he still held her limp body firmly around him. Her legs shook with weakness as his weight pinned her against the wall. Her breath was ragged and sharp, her mind fuzzy. He set her feet gently on the floor, but her legs collapsed beneath her. He followed her down, kneeling between her thighs, and she could feel his gaze on her. Roaming her body, taking her in.
    Slowly, the fog of lust drifted from her eyes, her body floating down from the high. He reached up and pushed her scarlet curls away from her eyes, his own clouded with questions. “You dated Derek for two years,” he managed to stutter out.
    Her head fell against the wall, her chest still heaving as she rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t remind me.”             
    She didn’t want to talk about it. Admitting she wasted two years of her life on a piece of lying scum wasn’t exactly on her to do list, especially with Henrik.
    “Leila.” His voice was suddenly firm and serious. “I just took—”
    She jerked up straight, a flash of the former anger she felt lashing through her. “What do you want me to say? I wanted to wait until I was married to have sex. Having standards doesn’t give him the right to cheat on me.”
    His brows drew together. “Of course not. That’s not what I meant. I just wish I would have…known.”
    Having finally caught her breath, she attempted to stand, only to find her legs still too weak, so she sat back down. “You would have said no?”
    He leaned away from her, studying her tight features. “No, but maybe the bathroom at the Regency wouldn’t have been my first choice of venue.”
    She snorted at the absurdity of his suggestion. “Because where you take some girl’s virginity is that important to you.”
    It was cruel, but it was Henrik. He deserved cruel. However, it didn’t stop his jaw from gaping. “I thought we determined that you weren’t ‘some girl,’ and even if you were, I do have standards.”
    She gave him a ‘yeah, right’ look.
    “They may be a little lower than yours,” he spat back at her, “but I’m not a total asshole.”
    Leila finally gained enough strength to stand. “You had sex with ninety percent of the girls in my dorm my freshman year of college. You remember that? In fact, if I recall correctly, you visited two different girls on my hall in one night.”
    He stood too, folding his arms over his chest. “They weren’t virgins,” he growled down at her. “And