Bound to Hope: A Forbidden Romance (The Hope Series Book 2) Read online

  Bound to Hope

  The Hope Series Book 2

  K.B. Andrews

  Copyright © 2018 by K.B. Andrews

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Always, for you.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by K.B. Andrews

  Chapter 1

  Hope

  “Yes,” I whisper the word, unable to find my voice.

  With a wide smile, he slides the ring onto my finger and stands, picking me up and twirling me around with his hot lips on mine. The crowd around us erupts in loud cheers. My heart pounds with nerves and happiness. My face is red and heated from being the center of attention. But for the first time in a long time, I’m truly happy. It’s as if I am at the top of the highest mountain, looking down on all creation. Nothing can wreck us again.

  He pulls his lips away from mine, but his hands continue to cradle my face. “I love you, Hope.”

  The smile I haven’t been able to contain is still in place. “I love you too.”

  When the words leave my mouth, his lips smack against mine one last time.

  We break apart, and he takes my hand while we look at the large crowd for the first time since his voice came over the loud speaker. I feel as if I should take a bow or something. I wipe the tears from my eyes and pull him through the crowd and into the back room. All the while, everyone we pass congratulates us and pats Holden on the back.

  We step into the back room, and he closes the door behind us. Suddenly everything is still and quiet. I fall onto the sofa Brad and I pushed back from the main floor a few days ago.

  He walks up to me, dropping to his knees in front of me. “Are you okay? You look a little overwhelmed.”

  I smile to reassure him. “I am a little overwhelmed.” I lean forward and take his hand in mine. “I mean, I haven’t seen you in three years. And here you are. And now we’re engaged. It’s just so sudden.”

  He pulls his hand from mine, placing both hands on my thighs as he rubs them up and down. “It doesn’t have to happen right away. We’ll do it whenever you’re ready.” His blue-green eyes find mine, and they’re full of passion. “I just wanted you to know I’m not going anywhere. All that running I did in the past, that’s over. I know what I want, and I don’t care who knows it. This is just you and me.”

  I cup his cheek with my hand and bring his lips to mine. Grabbing my hips, he pulls me closer to the edge of the sofa as he wraps his arms around me, taking the kiss deeper. His hand begins sliding up the inside of my thigh, under my skirt. My legs part for him. I can never get enough.

  “Guys, we’re about to close,” Brad says, walking in. “Really?” he asks, motioning toward us with the wave of his hand.

  Holden breaks the kiss, and we both look over at him but don’t pull apart.

  “We’ll be right out,” I tell him. Heat radiates from my face at being caught.

  He rolls his eyes and shakes his head, like we’re unbelievable, but he steps out, leaving us alone.

  We pull away from one another, and I adjust my skirt. As we’re about to walk out, Holden grabs my hand, stopping me.

  “What is it?” I ask, pausing with one hand on the doorknob.

  “Will you come home with me tonight? I haven’t had enough of you yet.” His eyes burn with desire. Just a look from him sets my body ablaze.

  I smile, knowing nothing can keep us apart tonight, but I want to tease him. “What’s in it for me?”

  Suddenly, I’m pressed up against the door I was just about to open. His hand firmly holds my ass while the other rests on my hip. “I promise I won’t stop until you’re fucked into exhaustion.” His hot breath blows across my dry lips, making me wet them. His words mixed with his intense blue-green eyes cause a wave of yearning to wash over me. I swallow down the powerful emotions growing thickly in my throat, putting an end to my breathing and any words I could form.

  “Mmmm, how can I say no to that?” I push him away and spin around to open the door. Before I can pull it open, he lands a firm smack to my ass, making my body burn with excitement.

  As much as I love having my work plastered all over the walls for people to see, I’m more than ready to get them out so we can leave and celebrate our engagement.

  Standing by the door, I bid each guest goodbye as they file out one by one. Holden stands in the far corner of the room, talking to Brad, but our eyes are locked. He has this look on his face that brings goosebumps to my skin. I can tell just from looking at him what he’s thinking. His hand is in his pants pocket and judging by the small movement there, he’s rubbing the fabric of my panties between his fingers. He licks his lips and flexes his jaw like he has to physically restrain himself from taking me right now.

  I’m pulled from my thoughts when one of the guests steps directly in my line of sight. “Excuse me, but I’m Scott Woods. I own the gallery down the street called Down Home Images. I really like your work. You have a good eye for how to compose a picture. If you’d like to talk more about expanding, give me a call.” He hands over his card.

  “Thank you, Mr. Woods,” I say, studying the card.

  “Please, call me Scott. Mr. Woods was my father.” He offers up a wide grin.

  Holden must see the exchange because he walks up, placing his arm protectively around my waist. “Good evening,” he says with a nod toward Scott.

  “Good evening.” Scott nods back. “I was just giving Hope here my business card. I’d love to bring her on as a photographer. It’s not often I see someone with as much talent and passion as she has.” His grin is still in place, and I notice when his eyes look me up and down.

  Holden notices too. I see his mouth open to say something, but I cut him off by saying, “Thank you for your offer. It’s definitely something I’ll consider.”

  “I hope you do. I’d love adding you to the team. Give me a call, and we can talk specifics.” With that, he walks out.

  “Douche bag,” Holden mumbles under his breath.

  With my elbow, I jab him in the ribs.

  “What?” he asks, feigning innocence.

  “This is exactly what I hoped would happen here tonight.”

  “What, that you’d get a douche bag’s phone number?”

  I laugh as I move to close and lock the door. “No, that someone would see my work and want to hire me.”

  “You mean, you’re seriously going to consider working for that jackass?”

  “Yeah, maybe. I need a job, Holden
. And doing something I love is important. You should know that. You made a career out of a hobby.”

  “I understand completely. It just seems to me he’s more interested in you than your work.”

  We’re walking over to the refreshments table, but I stop. “How could you possibly know that?”

  He turns and pulls me into his arms. “Did you see the way he was looking at you? Because I did.”

  I wrap my arms around his neck. “It doesn’t matter how he was looking at me because he will never get me. I belong to you. I always have.” I lean in and kiss him as passionately as I can, wanting to reassure him.

  “Okay, you two. Get out,” Brad says.

  We pull away, and I turn to face him. “But we need to clean up.”

  He shoos us toward the door. “You two haven’t been able to keep your hands off each other since you walked in here. I’ll clean up, just go get it out of your system.” He unlocks the door and opens it wide.

  “Are you sure?” I ask, holding on to his lapels.

  He takes my wrists in his hand. “I’m sure. Be careful.” He leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead. “Now go!”

  I laugh and release him before reaching over and taking Holden’s hand. “Good night and thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Love you.”

  “Love you too,” I call back as we’re walking out.

  The ride back to his apartment is a long one, but we don’t let go of one another the whole way. When we walk in the door, I find myself pressed against it. His hands find my ass, and he lifts me up. When I wrap my legs around his waist, my pencil skirt rips at the seam. The sound makes us both freeze.

  “It’s too late to save it now,” he says, using both hands to rip the skirt off of me. Since my panties are still in his pocket, I’m completely bare from the waist down.

  “Mmm, I almost forgot.” He slides his finger between my folds, spreading my wetness before dipping inside.

  I let out a breath of relief the moment he’s inside me.

  “I’m going to spend the rest of the night deep inside this pretty, pink pussy.” He applies pressure to my sensitive nub, causing a gasp to leave my parted lips.

  “God, I’ve missed you so much,” I whisper as a flood of passion and love wash over me. “Promise you won’t ever leave me again.”

  His Adam’s apple bobs in this throat. “There’s nothing that could ever pull me away from you again. I’ll spend the rest of my fucking life proving myself to you.” His lips crash with mine, and my fingers tangle into the silky strands of his jet-black hair.

  With a handful of his hair in my fist, I pull until our kiss is broken. “Take me to bed, Holden.”

  With a growl, he pushes us away from the door and carries me to his room. I pull my shirt and bra off on the way. When we fall into bed, I’m completely naked and waiting for him.

  He gets up on his knees and pulls his shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor beside the bed as his eyes greedily take me in. He’s like a wild animal stalking his prey. He seems dark and serious — dangerous. And it only makes the fire burning inside me grow hotter.

  “I want to watch you, Hope. Show me what do you when you’re alone and thinking of me.” He loosens his belt, causing the buckle to clank. Hearing that sound makes my heart pound while goosebumps prickle my skin.

  I close my eyes and let my hand skim over my breast, causing my nipple to harden with the soft touch.

  “Open your eyes. I want you to watch me watching you,” he demands in a deep voice that lights my body on fire.

  I’ve never been one to openly submit to anyone or anything, but with Holden, it’s all I want. I want him dominating me. I love feeling owned by him.

  So, I do as I’m told, opening my eyes and locking them on his as my hand makes its decent. My fingers glide between my wet folds until they find the hard nub that’s tingling with anticipation. I gently rub firm circles around it. My lips part with my heavy breathing, as do Holden’s. He’s stripped completely naked as he sits watching me. His thick cock stands at attention, and his chest rises and falls quickly. The hungry look in his eyes tells me he’s hanging on by a thread. To add insult to injury, I let his name slip from my lips in a hushed moan.

  His throat bobs as he swallows down whatever urges bubble up when I call out for him.

  “Do you want to touch me, Holden?” My voice doesn’t even sound like mine. It’s hushed and breathy.

  He begins crawling up the bed slowly. “Oh, angel, I want to do so much more than just touch you.”

  I double my efforts and feel my release rising even higher. “If you don’t touch me soon, I’m going to explode.”

  He moves up between my parted legs and presses a kiss to the inside of my knee. “We wouldn’t want that, now would we?” His hands wrap around my thighs as his lips kiss higher and higher. I let out a moan, ready to let my climax wash over me.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking about,” he says as he litters my thighs with soft kisses.

  “I’m thinking about you sinking deep inside me. About the way I stretch around you. About how I love watching your muscles harden and quiver as you give me exactly what I need,” I begin listing off my thoughts. “The way you make me feel when you can’t get enough of me.”

  “I’ll never get enough of you, angel.” His hand catches mine, and he tugs it away from my body, ending whatever release I was building. But the second his lips wrap around my nub, and he sucks it into his mouth, I shatter. The waves of my orgasm wash over me like never before. His tongue flicks against me as his fingers sink deeply inside. My hips rock against him on their own, needing more.

  When the sounds of my pleasure have quieted, he pulls away. His dark beard and lips are glistening with my arousal.

  Even with my recent release, I want more of him. “Holden, please?”

  He takes himself in his big hand and pumps. “Please what, Hope?”

  “I need you.”

  He smirks. “It looks like my little angel is being greedy. I’m going to have to teach you a lesson.” He takes hold of my ankles and tugs me down the bed. With him still on his knees, he grabs my hips and lifts, until he’s pressed against my entrance.

  “Is this what you want, Hope? You want me inside you? You want me to fuck you until you can’t stand it anymore?”

  “Yes,” I moan out as he rubs himself against me. Already, I’m seeing stars, and he hasn’t even slid inside yet.

  Without warning, he dips deeply inside of me. The moment we connect, he lets out this sound that makes my stomach muscles clench. His eyes roll back as he holds my hips. The pounding rhythm he sets, thrusts him into me so deeply, I begin sliding up the bed. My hands fist in the sheets in an attempt to hold myself in place while he pumps into me hard.

  My back arches off the bed as my orgasm crashes over me. Without breaking pace, he leans over and catches my nipple in his hot mouth. He sucks and flicks his tongue against it until I relax into the bed.

  He pulls back. “I hope you don’t think I’m done with you yet.” He pulls out of me and flips me over. His hands roughly grab my hips, and he jerks them up off the bed. I pull my knees up under me, and he slides into me from behind.

  He rolls his hips, hitting the spot that drives me wild before his thumb presses between my cheeks. “Has anyone else been here since me?”

  “No, I still belong to you completely.”

  An erotic growl leaves him as he thrusts deeper and his thumb slides in. I call out for him, wanting everything he’s willing to give me. His other hand wraps around my hips and dips low to find my drenching sex. He knows I love it when he takes me this way. It’s so overwhelming having every spot touched at once.

  “Tell me, Hope. Tell me who you belong to.”

  “You. I belong to you!” I yell out around my heavy breathing.

  As my release erupts inside of me, he lets out a loud moan and fills me with a jerk. He pumps inside of me until my muscles stop twitching around him. The
second he pulls out, I collapse on the bed, and he takes his place beside me. But our night isn’t over yet. He doesn’t say anything as his hands roam around my body. His fingers trail over my back and ass. They follow along every curve until they slide inside of me, causing me to inhale deeply.

  “Do you need to rest already, angel?” He offers up his cocky grin as he crawls back on top of me.

  “Not yet. Let’s see what you’ve got,” I tease.

  Chapter 2

  Hope

  Neither of us falls asleep until almost sunrise. It feels like I’ve only been sleeping a few minutes when I wake to the most delicious feeling: Holden’s face between my legs.

  “What are you doing down there?” I whimper out.

  His head pops up from beneath the blanket. “I have to go to work, and I knew I’d be going into withdraws by the end of the day if I didn’t taste you again.” He goes back to his work. My hands fist his hair and don’t let go until I’m quivering beneath him.

  He stands from the bed, wiping my wetness from his face. With a wink, he combs his hair back into place. Then he leans over and kisses me. “Stay as long as you’d like.”

  I wrap my arms around his neck, not wanting to let go. “How crazy would you go knowing I’m in your bed and waiting for you all day?”

  He lets out a deep laugh. “I wouldn’t be able to focus on my work. Please don’t do that to me.” He smiles as he dips in for one more kiss before standing. “I love you, angel.”

  I smile at his words. “I love you too.”

  After Holden leaves, I fall back into a deep sleep from being fucked into exhaustion all night long.