What the Heart Knows (15 page)

A few hours later he’d skimmed through all the albums, chosen a few more pictures and sentimental items Hannah had once been attached to. Now it was just a waiting game.
All contact from Hannah
had ceased. His dreams had been peaceful,
and Juni was well rested.
Hannah was either exhausted from her appearance a few days prior, or she was ramping up for something huge
.
He hear
d
movement in the other room, and turned to see Juni stir beneath the blanket that covered her. Oliver tensed as he waited for her to surface.

“Are you awake
,
Juni
?
” He held his breath as her head appeared from beneath the
blanket
.

“
Y
eah.
H
ow long was I asleep?”

“A couple of hours.”

“I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

He relaxed. It was Juniper.

“We’ve been burning the wick at both ends with work and research.”

“Very true.” 

“How about we order in tonight, and relax?” Oliver asked.

He pushed himself to his feet, and walked over to sit on the couch beside her. He wanted to wrap an arm around her shoulders, but things between them had been strained to say the least.

“Sounds good to me, how about you order while I go to the bathroom to freshen up. All I can smell is coffee.”

He laughed, and nodded his agreement as she rose and made a beeline for the guest room.

The minute she exited the living room
,
Hannah twisted Juni’s face into a sneer. It was exhausting pretending to be Juniper Bloom. Her upbeat, perky attitude was like kryptonite to
S
uperman a
s far as she was concerned.  Juni’s
life might have been amazin
g since the transplant, while her
s had been a dismissal wasteland.  Still, she’d learned her lesson the last time she’d jumped the gun and taken over.  If she wanted to hang around she had to act the role to a
T
.  Hannah walked into the bedroom and scowled at the clothing selection. Was
Olive
r
really into this whole bohemian hippie
chic
thing the girl had going?

She chose the least offending outfit
,
a
pair of faded blue
jeans
and
a pla
i
n white t-shirt, and entered the bathroom.
These clothes would be the first thing to go when she was in control permanently
. She sat the clothing on the top of the counter, stripped down and stepped into the shower. Right now Juni thought she was asleep. It was how she’d managed to slip in under the radar. She’d woken to see Oliver going through their things, and her heart soared. He wasn’t as over her as he pretended to be. It would make the transition period so much easier.
Sure, he’d feel guilty for a bit
, but really
,
this was out his hands. Hannah leaned her head back and sighed as the steamy water hit her skin.  It was heaven, experiencing sensations and emotions again.

She hadn’t realized all she
’
d be giving up when she re
fused to go into the light to stay behind
with Oliver. At first things were fine. There were plenty of other ghosts around to talk to, and her presence seemed to bring him comfort.  Over
time she started forget things.  Her time spent as a human began to seem like a distant memory. She remained with Oliver, but their relationship began to shift into something different when she realized his life force made her more powerful. It wasn’t much at first. She was careful not to take enough for him to notice.

Problem was, it was like a drug.
The longer she used, the more she needed to take.  It made her feel bad at first, seeing him drained and weakened.
Then
her ability to feel began to wane
and the guilt stopped. Finally
all that remained were anger and love, or rather some twisted blend of the two. She had never possessed anyone until Juni, and once she’d gotten a taste of real emotions and sensations she knew she was lost. It was all or nothing because she couldn’t go back.

She did her best not to stare at Oliver as the night wore on
,
but it was a losing battle. It’d been too long since she’d been in his presence in a physical body. She moved closer to him on the couch and inhaled the all too familiar scent that made her heart accelerate.  Disagreement be damned
,
she wouldn’t wait another moment to be with him. Hannah ran a gentle finger down his angular jaw. He shivered and turned to pin her with jade green eyes that darkened with desire.

“I thought you were mad at me, and wanted to wait until—”

“Shh.” 

Hannah placed a finger on his lips and shook her head.  She leaned in to kiss his lips and moaned in the back of her throat. He tasted just as delicious as she remembered. Her arms crept up to wrap around his neck as she rose to her knees, hungry for more. 
She
was a starved person
and he was
buffet
placed in front of her
.  She nipped at his bottom lip and raked her nails over his scalp. A growl vibrated through his chest, a
nd she climbed onto his lap. Hannah
rolled her hips and purred when his cock stiffened against her. They pulled apart for air and she leaned her head back and reveled in the wetness that coated her walls, and th
e throb in her swollen
clitoris. 
Just like riding a bike.

“Fuck!” 

He hissed as his large hands came up to grip her hips hard enough to leave bruises. She swiveled her hips
again
and gazed down to meet his eyes.

“I need you now
,
Oliver.”

“Tell me what you want.”

“I want you to fuck me.”

His eyebrows rose, disappearing
beneath the fringe of hair he had swept to one side.

“I need you
to
take me hard and fast.”

 
She ceased her movement on his lap, and slid down to balance on his knees as she unbuttoned his pants and slid down his zipper. Her hand dove into the slit in his boxer briefs and she took his stiff member into her hands and stroked. His gasp of pleasure urged her on and she gripped him harder and increased her speed. Her eyes slid shut and for a moment she was transported two year
s back when he was her husband.
When her hand was moistened by his pre-cum she stopped.

“I
want you to come inside me,
not on my hand.”

“You’ve started birth control?”

This was too perfect! They could pick right up where they left off.

“Yes.”

“I’ve wanted to spill my seed inside your body for a long time
,
Juni.”

The name was like slap to her face, and she struggled not to wince at the reverence in his tone.

Just bide your time
,
Hannah. Soon it’ll be you who he’s committed to
once more.

“Then what are we still sitting here for?”
she asked.

Hannah laughed when he got up
with her in his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She’d always loved his spontaneity.  He tossed her onto the bed
a few moments later, and she giggled
as she bounced on the soft surface.
God
,
it felt good to laugh!
She sat up and shed her clothes as he did the same. When they were both nude she felt her heart turn over at the sight of him. Pale skin was stretched over a lithe form. He’d lost weight since she’d been with him last, but the transformation looked good on him. She leaned back on the bed, propped up by her elbows and grinned. 

“You’re beautiful,
”
he said.
            
“I could say the same thing.”

He smiled as he walked over to the bed, and pulled her body down to the edge.
“Are you ready for me?” he asked.

“Look and see for yourself.” She let her hands trail over the trim hair of her pussy before she spread the lips wide.

Her heated liquid soaked her fingers and pride filled her when he moaned, and eased a finger inside her.

“You’re soaking wet
.
”

“This is what you do to me.”

Her muscles flexed and tightened around him.  He added two more fingers and she cried out when he scissored
them
inside her. Her hips moved of their own accord and she rode his digits
,
desperate for more friction.
It’d been so long since she felt a man’s touch
.
His thumb crept up to
flick
her swollen bud, and she star saws as she came.

“Yes, Oliver!”  She convulsed and he continued to caress her from the inside out.
Once she caught her breath he spoke.

“Are you ready for me now?” he asked. His voice was husky with desire as he spread her legs wide and lined his cock up to her core.

“God, yes.”

She arched her back as he drove inside her to the hilt. His hands clutched her waist as he pulled out and pushed back in hard and fast. Hannah gripped the sheets beneath her as her body, her mind, and her heart came back to life.

“
I’m close
,
baby, so close.” Oliver said.

He rubbed her clit harder as he slammed inside her. His body quivered and he cried out as he filled her with a hot jet of c
u
m.

“Fuck, Oli!”

Oliver’s release triggered hers and she cried out in pleasure and pain as memories flooded her brain like a tidal wave. His warm weight collapsed onto her and she buried her face in his neck. The familiar scent grounded her.

“Are you okay?” he whispered.

“More than okay.”

He pulled away to look down on her and grinned.

“I think we both need a shower.”  He stroked her hair away from her face and she leaned into his touch.

“That’s bec
ause
someone got me very sticky.”

He eased out of her and stood, delivering a wink.

“It won’t be the last time.”

“Promise?” she asked.

 
She accept
ed the hand he offered and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She
followed him to the bathroom in a daze. The information that flooded her brain made it hard to remember she was an imposter in another woman’s body.

Oliver glanced down at the woman who lay asleep beside him and fought down the urge to get in the shower and scrub his skin raw. He knew the moment she’d called him Oli
,
just after he’d come,
that
she was Hannah.  It made him feel dirty and betrayed. He wanted to pull away and demand she tell him what she did with Juni, but that would tip his hand and drag things out. Madeline said she had to remain ignorant to their plans. This might be the only chance he had to get rid of her. It was a gamble he needed to take, even if Juni would hate him for it later.

She’d grown damn good at acting like Juniper. He couldn’t risk the havoc she had the potential
to wreak
on her life. Even now he worried that she’d set events into motion he and Juniper were nowhere near ready for. He slipped out of bed, and walked over to his closet. What did one wear to put on the performance of
a lifetime
?

He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt when Juni surfaced.

“What smells so good
,
Oli?”

He tensed as he forced a smile.

“Since I was up early I thought I’d make some French toast
.
I
t’s always been my specialty.”

He saw recognition flash in her eyes
.
Careful, don’t lay it on t
o
o thick. You want to seem like you still long for her, not like a lovesick puppy.

“It’s been some time since I made it.”  Oliver glanced away with what he hoped was a pensive look on his face.

“Now you’re making me feel special.”

“Good, that was my intention.” 

French toast and fresh fruit had always been her favorite. The
ir
playful banter continued througho
ut
breakfa
st, and he continued to drop bits and pieces of information he knew would remind her of their past
. It was like navigating through a damned mine field. He was grateful when ten o’clock came around and she left the house to go to work. The moment she was gone he called his client to reschedule their appointment, claiming a family emergency
,
and left to head to Madeline’s.