Trust

TRUST

J.C. Valentine

Copyright © 2013 by J.C. Valentine

Cover and interior book design by J.C. Valentine

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the above author of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Acknowledgements

This series has truly been a labor of love. It started off as something small and daring, and exploded into a full-on series. I am astounded by its success, and I have all of you, my readers, to thank. THANK YOU! I know it sounds cliché, but I really could not have done it without all of you.

I have to thank my husband. He has been such a driving force throughout this whole process. The times when I had my face pressed to a computer screen, or when he had to order in because I couldn’t pry myself away from a scene, are too many to count, but his support means the world to me. He’s just as much a part of this crazy train as I am, and for that
, I REALLY can’t thank him enough.

With each new book added to the pile, my list of peop
le to thank changes. With Trust, I have to tip my hat to my wonderful and talented editor, Rogena, because she is made of awesome. Thank you for “squeezing” me in, doll! And Kim for helping organize my thoughts and managing the craziness. You’re a true friend. I love ya, girl! You ladies are hands down the most amazing people to work with! XOXOX

“For every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth.”

~Bo Bennett

1

Snuggled up in his arms was the best place she could ever imagine being. Poppy slowly awoke, feeling a little groggy, but not enough to dissuade her from what she was about to do. Gliding her hand down Felix’s hard stomach, she took a moment to dabble in the thin trail of hair just below his navel before she continued on to her final destination.

Felix always sported wood first thing in the morning, and it was rare form if she didn’t take full advantage of it. Sliding her palm over the hard, but smooth ski
n, Poppy closed her fist around his shaft and gave it a couple of long, measured strokes.

Felix’s arm tightened around her shoulders and he let ou
t a small moan of pleasure. Tilting her head back, Poppy watched him through the low light of early morning as he stirred awake. They had been together for more than a year now, and he was still the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. She found him especially attractive at this time of day, when he was fresh from sleep, scruffy, and open to suggestion.

Not that she had to persuade him much. Felix was always ready to go.

“Don’t stop what you’re doing,” Felix groaned. Without opening his eyes, he turned his head, slipped his fingers into her hair, and brought her mouth to his. He kissed her slowly, his lips pressing gently against hers. Hitching her leg over his abdomen, she moved to straddle him. Gliding her tongue inside his mouth, Poppy made languid sweeps with hers, deepening their kiss with each dip, until she felt his body tense.

He was so close. Knowing
she was affecting him this way made her own body clench with need, and she knew she was wet for him. Taking his hand, she guided him between her legs, so he could feel what he did to her.

His fingers sought her opening, and the moment they dipped inside her channel with no resistance, Felix cursed. “Fuck, baby,” he whispered harshly against her mouth. “You’re always so ready for me.” Dragging his fingers through her cleft, he passed over her clit and circled it a few times, causing her legs to twitch and her back to arch, before pulling away.

Poppy didn’t moan in disappointment, nor did she voice her complaint in any other way. Rather, she intensified their kiss because she knew what was coming next. Felix was rarely able to wait long after he found her body ripe with want of him.

Reaching past her leg, Felix
found his throbbing erection and gave it a few pumps before angling toward her. Raising her hips, Poppy’s fingers tightened, gripping the pillow in anticipation. She felt his thick head breach her entrance and they both sighed as she slid her body down to envelop him.

She loved morning sex. Felix was always so hard and thick, his body primed for her
s. It was the one moment of each day when they could truly be together without any outside interference. No thoughts of what lie ahead. No responsibilities to tend to… just enjoying each other.

As Poppy began to move, Felix’s hands found her waist and guided her into a rhythm. With each lift of her hips, Felix retracted his hips, and then he slammed up into her as she came back down on him. Poppy watched his face contort in various stages of pleasure, looking for the one that would tell her he was getting close.

It didn’t take long for him to reach his peak.

Lips peeling back, head pressing back into the pillows, Felix hissed in a breath
as he squeezed his eyes shut tight. “Fuck, yes, baby. Harder,” he panted. “I love being buried in your tight little pussy.”

Leaning forward, Poppy planted her hands on either side of his head and rolled her hips against his. She gazed down at him as she concentrated on the feel of him slipping in and out of her body, the delicious friction against her swollen clit, the way his hands felt as they dug into her flesh
, harder, harder, until it bordered on pain.

When she felt the tingling in the base of her spine, she knew there was no turning back, but since her orgasm always seemed to spur his, she
also knew that she would have to work fast if she planned to finish before Felix did.

Picking up her pace, Poppy rode him hard and fast, grinding her pelvis against his
, until she felt her clit grow sensitive and her channel begin to clench and release. Throwing her head back, she shouted Felix’s name over and over again. Beneath her, Felix bellowed as he captured his own release. His entire body stiffened and she felt his cock thicken inside of her as he came. 

Pure bliss, that’s how she would describe this moment if anyone were to ask. Smiling, Poppy continued to slowly move over him, soaking up the last moments of his hardness
, until he softened and slipped out of her. They lay there catching their breath for several minutes afterward, her head on his chest, his arms banded around her back, holding her close.

“I love you,” Poppy whispered, feeling tired all over again.

“I love you, too, kitten.”

“We should probably get moving before—”
Before Felix could finish his sentence, the alarm went off. “Shit.” With her still on top of him, Felix sat up and grabbed for the clock to shut it off, but it was too late.

They listened. From deeper in the house, they heard the tremendous thud
, and then several more, picking up speed until it caught a rhythm.
Badumbadumbadum.
A gallop is what Felix once described it, like a horse. And it was headed straight for their bedroom.

They stared at the door—knowing what was coming next. T
hey braced themselves. The door exploded open a moment later, and Bo, their big brown Doberman, charged into the room, his scarred face grinning as he bound toward the bed.

Holding her tight, Felix acted fast, rolling away. He flipped Poppy onto her back and caged her in with his body to p
rotect her against the near one-hundred pound beast. Tucking his head into the crook of her neck, they both started laughing.

Jumping up on the bed, Bo pounced on Felix’s back.
Felix let out an “Ooof!” at the sudden weight. As usual, Bo was wild with energy, his paws everywhere, and his stub tail wagging hard enough to shake his entire body.

Dipping his head, Bo le
d with his wet nose as he burrowed into Felix’s shoulder and began licking the side of his face with his big, slobbery tongue. Felix’s head turned into her neck, trying his best to escape. Poppy grinned like a lunatic, feeling Felix’s smile against her skin.

“Bo, stop!” he shouted, laughing. He pushed with one arm, trying to get Bo’s big head away from him, but Bo had pinned
him right where he wanted him.

Taking pity on her man, Poppy shouted at Bo to get down, but that only made it worse. As though just realizing she was there, Bo’s head shot up. His big brown eyes shined with excitement as he looked down at her. Panting, his tongue lolling from his maw, Bo’s intentions were clear. She was next.

With her reach restricted, Poppy raised her hands away from Felix’s back. “No, Bo. Down,” she commanded, but the damn dog just tilted his head to the side. “Down,” she repeated, then screeched as Bo started bathing her face in doggy drool.

When he was finished giving them both their morning bath, Poppy and Felix rolled out of bed and started getting ready for work. As per usual, they showered together, brushed their teeth together, and ate a nutritious meal together, but what Poppy soon found out was they would not be driving to work together.

“Seriously? That’s the third time this week.” Poppy couldn’t help herself. Her annoyance with the situation was bleeding into her voice. Even her head had developed a wobble. It was all lost on Felix, though.

Dropping his dishes off in the sink, Felix walked back to the table and bent down to give a chaste peck
to Poppy’s lips. “Sorry, kitten. Work has been crazy lately, you know that.” Slipping his arms into his suit jacket, Felix straightened his tie and flashed her one of his panty-melting smiles. “See you soon.” He was opening the door, ready to walk out, when he stopped and turned toward her. “Wear the red lace today.”

A pleasurable g
rin spread across Poppy’s face—the only thing he needed to see to know that she would do exactly that. Then he was gone, leaving her alone. “Welp,” she said, looking down at Bo, who sat at her feet, tail wagging furiously. “It looks like it’s just you and me again. What do you say we go for a walk?”

Bo answered with a sharp bark and followed Poppy upstairs to begin getting dressed.

***

Juggling a stack of files heavy enough to break her arm, Poppy leaned down and fluttered her fingertips over the polished brass knob, looking for purchase. When she finally managed to give it enough of a twist, she booted the door with the pointed toe of her red patent leather pump.

Felix jumped as she barged in. “Poppy,” he said, looking flustered.

Her female intuition spiked at the unusually high pitch in his voice. “Felix,” she
returned her eyes wide and mocking.

“I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
Grabbing the edge of his computer monitor, he twisted the screen away from her line of sight.

Lugging her burden across the room, Poppy made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat as she slammed the stack on the edge of his sprawling desk. “No, no. Don’t get up. I wouldn’t want you to strain yourself.”

As if only just realizing she had carried anything at all, Felix popped out of his chair. “I’m sorry, honey. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Poppy eyes narrowed a fraction. “Seems I got it all.”

Giving her a pensive look, Felix reluctantly sat back down. “Are you mad at me?”

She busied
herself with organizing the massive amount of paperwork Jonathon, her dickwad, sweet as pie, brand new father, friend, and boss, had gifted her moments before bolting from the office and the building because his fiancée had texted him a photo of their two week old son’s first, non-gas related smile, and he had missed it.

Breathe, Poppy
.

She supposed it was sweet…
Okay, it was tooth-achingly adorable. Even though it meant more work for her, she was happy to step in and give the happy couple a hand, so they could share this special moment together…as a family.

Her stomach ached with an emptiness she didn’t quite understand.

“Are you feeling okay?” Felix asked her.

Glancing up at him, she was prepared to
find Felix’s concerned frown—something any good, long-time boyfriend would do—aimed at her. So, it was a huge letdown when she saw that he hadn’t even graced her with a cursory look. Instead, Felix was glued to his computer screen, one hand on the mouse, the other on the keyboard.

“Fine,” she
managed through the tightness in her throat, burying the hurt somewhere down deep. “Just a little tummy ache.”

Nodding absently, Felix continued to type away. “Maybe you should make a cup of tea or something.”

Taking that as her cue to get the hell out of there, Poppy stood and headed for the door. “I think I’ll do that.” She waited a beat to see if he would say anything else. Maybe a “Love you, kitten,” or “How about I take you out for lunch?” but he just sat there with his back to her, as though she were invisible.

Sighing, Poppy opened the door to walk out when Felix called her name.

“Hey, hun, could you bring me back a coffee?”

Wow, okay.
Definitely
not
what she was expecting. With a tight smile, Poppy said, “Sure, sweetie. Anything else?”

Leaning back in his chair, Felix turned to look at her, his soft gaze holding hers. “Just coffee. Thank
s, kitten.”

Damn her heart. Why did it always jump to forgive him even the slightest grievance? With her stomach giving a little flutter, Poppy promised to return shortly and ducked out before she did something stupid, like kiss him. With her emotions in turmoil, that just wouldn’t do.