by Jackie D.
“That guitar isn’t going anywhere. It belonged to Grandpa, and he gave it to me.” Harlow almost jumped out of her skin when Audrey took her hand but was grateful for the support.
“This guitar is worth half a million dollars.” Casper didn’t move from his position, but he’d taken his hands off the instrument.
“It stays here. I’d rather donate the money than part with it.” She felt Audrey squeeze her hand, and she allowed herself to take a deep breath. “Why do you need it this minute anyway? Why didn’t you just call me and ask me to bring it back?”
Casper flashed his smile that normally coerced her into anything. “Would you have brought it?”
“No.”
“That’s why I didn’t ask, and they need it for the auction tomorrow.”
Audrey stepped up next to her. “What charity is this for?”
Casper rolled his eyes. He seemed annoyed that Audrey involved herself in their conversation. “Foster care.”
Harlow felt a pang of guilt at hearing his answer but focused on keeping her resolve.
“Which charity? There are several that focus on foster care.” Audrey tilted her head, looking interested.
Casper sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I bothered you. I’ll just cut them a check.”
“Wait.” Harlow looked around the room for another offer. She hated the idea of not providing something that had apparently been promised. “Take the Stratocaster.”
Casper looked shocked. “You want to donate the Stratocaster? It’s worth twice as much as Grandpa’s.”
Harlow shrugged. “Not to me.”
Casper turned and stared at the guitar. “It’s a piece of music history.”
“I’d rather donate a piece of music history than our history. We’re already in short supply of our own,” Harlow said. She turned to Audrey, who looked understandably confused. “Bob Dylan played that Stratocaster at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. It was the first time he’d ever performed with an electric guitar.”
“And you think it’s worth a million dollars?” Audrey looked as if she couldn’t quite wrap her head around it.
Casper pulled it from the wall. “Maybe more.” He pulled one of the guitar cases from the small closet and placed the instrument delicately inside. “You’re doing a good thing, Harlow.”
“You should stay the night. It’s way too late to head back to LA.” Harlow was still irritated by the intrusion and being effectively blindsided, but she didn’t want her brother driving several hours this late at night.
Casper picked up the case. “Thanks for the offer, but I have an early day tomorrow. I’ll stop and get coffee. Don’t worry about me.” He pointed between them. “If this is going to be a thing, we’ll need to talk about what that means.”
Harlow followed him to the door. “I’ll walk you out.”
She didn’t want to spend her time arguing or fighting with Casper. She had a much more important task at hand—being with Audrey. Casper had always been prone to somewhat strange behavior, but this was odd, even for him.
“You sure everything is okay?” She touched his arm.
“Yup, all good.”
“Casper, if you need to talk—”
“Everything is fine. Stop worrying so much.” He looked up at the house. “You seem to have your hands full here.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She crossed her arms, irritated by his inference as well as his intrusion.
He rolled his shoulders. “Nothing. I want you to be happy.”
She watched his eyes. He looked as if he was going to elaborate but changed his mind. She wanted to push him further, but she didn’t want to ruin her night by fighting with her brother.
She nodded to the car. “You better get going. I don’t like the idea of you being tired when you drive.”
He gave her a half-smile and kissed her cheek. “I really do want you to be happy. I slip into being a manager before being your brother sometimes. I’m sorry about that.”
She ran her thumb along the scruff on his face. “I’m fine. My career will be fine.”
He nodded and moved to the driver’s side of the car. “I’m sure you’re right. See you when you get home.”
She watched his car pull out of the long driveway. Something still didn’t seem right, but she could deal with that when she got back to LA. Right now, Audrey was waiting for her in her bedroom. The thought made her heart race. She took the stairs two at a time and thought how this was the first time she was running toward something instead of away.
* * *
Audrey watched from Harlow’s balcony as she said good-bye to Casper. It had been a weird interaction, and she was trying to understand their dynamics. The last thing Audrey wanted to do was pass judgment on the most important person in Harlow’s life, but she’d spent enough time studying people to know when someone was lying. His defensive posture and the way he wouldn’t make eye contact were sure tells. She was instinctively protective over Harlow, but from what? Casper? She shook her head. That didn’t make any sense. Casper and Harlow had depended on each other when there wasn’t anyone else. Who was she to insert herself or question him?
Audrey inhaled deeply. She loved the way the pavement smelled after a rainstorm. It was the smell of earth, the coming fall, and the promise of cozy nights cuddled up on a couch. Casper’s car pulled away, and Harlow turned, looking up at the balcony. Her heart caught in her chest at the way Harlow rocked back on her heels, smiling. Damn it. She’s so sexy. Every movement seemed so effortless and cool. Audrey decided to focus on their time together instead of getting wrapped up in the strange interaction with her brother. Her time with Harlow was limited, and she resigned herself to make the most of every single second.
Audrey continued to stare into the blackness of the night. She could hear the ocean, and she let her senses take it all in. She was listening to the waves when arms came around her waist, and Harlow placed her chin on Audrey’s shoulder. She leaned into Harlow, wanting to be as close as possible. It was such a simple exchange—one that a couple would share. Her heart rate picked up again at the thought.
“I’m sorry about that,” Harlow whispered against her ear.
Audrey turned in Harlow’s embrace and wrapped her arms around her neck. “No need to apologize. He’s your brother.”
“He could’ve called first.”
Audrey kissed her jaw and smiled at the way Harlow shivered. “Now I have you all to myself again.”
Harlow slid her hands under Audrey’s sweater. “Are you tired?”
Audrey stepped backward out of Harlow’s embrace. She pulled the sweater over her head and dropped it on the lounge chair. She let Harlow’s eyes travel up and down her body. She loved the way Harlow looked at her. The hunger in Harlow’s gaze sent a shiver up her spine. Audrey was sure she’d never felt more beautiful than when Harlow looked at her.
Audrey took her hand and led her through the moonlight filled room. Their last time had been rushed—a fury of need and pent-up desire. She wanted something different this time.
Audrey pulled Harlow’s shirt over her head and ran her finger from her chest to her stomach. Harlow took her hand and pulled her against her. She stroked her back slowly, leaving a wake of need with each gentle pass. Harlow’s breath on her neck was like a slow-burning fuse—the longer it lingered on her skin, the more explosive it began to feel.
Harlow moved her lips up Audrey’s neck and finally found her mouth. Every kiss seemed better than the last. As they got to know each other better, and their exploration became more focused, the kissing seemed more intimate. Audrey loved the way Harlow would bite her lip. She loved the way Harlow’s mouth devoured her own, and she loved the small noises that would escape from Harlow’s throat as their intimacy intensified.
She let Harlow pull her onto the bed. Harlow ran her fingers through her hair, bringing their faces closer together. She loved the way Harlow’s body moved under her own. Audrey reveled in the feel of Harl
ow’s mouth traveling down her neck and shoulders. She used her thigh to increase the pressure between Harlow’s legs. As Harlow’s hips moved with need, Audrey slipped her hand between them. Harlow’s fingers dug into Audrey’s back as she entered her, and she watched the expression on Harlow’s face grow more desperate.
Harlow adjusted to match her movements as she moved inside Audrey. The immediate heat that rippled through Audrey was overwhelming. They moved against each other, each growing closer to climax with every stroke.
“Look at me,” Harlow whispered against her ear.
Audrey struggled to focus. It was proving more difficult as Harlow continued to increase the pressure between her legs. She was moving quickly toward release, and as much as she wanted to stay in the moment with Harlow, she couldn’t stop the pleasure from claiming her. She bit down on Harlow’s shoulder as her body completely took over, dragging Harlow over the edge with her.
She collapsed on top of Harlow and smiled against her neck. She loved the subtle taste of salt on Harlow’s skin. She loved listening to Harlow try to catch her breath, and she loved the way her body slightly trembled with aftershocks of what they’d just shared.
Harlow kissed her forehead. “Come on tour with me.”
Audrey tried not to smile by pressing her face into Harlow’s shoulder. “I love that you want me there, but I can’t. I’m in the middle of shooting, remember?”
Harlow traced circles on Audrey’s back. “Fair enough. But can I talk you into coming to one of my shows?”
Audrey grabbed her chin, forcing Harlow to look at her. “I’ll make it to as many as possible. I promise.” She kissed her lips and rubbed her nose against Harlow’s. “I want to be there.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
Audrey climbed on top of her and wrapped her arms around her neck. “You can hold me to anything you want.” She kissed her again. “In fact, I have a few ideas.”
Harlow’s left eyebrow lifted. “Oh, really?” She rolled over, pinning Audrey to the bed. “Tell me more about that.”
Audrey kissed her and let herself get lost in Harlow all over again. She didn’t know what all of this meant, but that didn’t seem as important as the time they had together right now.
Chapter Eighteen
Harlow listened to the voice on the other end of the phone as she watched the sweat start to bead on Audrey’s back. They’d started their day with a run along the shoreline and had been thirty minutes into lifting weights when she’d gotten a call from her booking manager. Typically, she’d be taking copious notes, but that would require her to drag her eyes and attention from Audrey in a sports bra.
“Yes, we can add a second night in Dallas, but I’m not adding a third to Phoenix. That would mean only having twelve hours off before the show in San Jose, and I don’t like cutting it that close,” Harlow said, hoping this would be the end of the questions.
Audrey turned her head. “When is San Jose?”
“November second,” Harlow whispered.
Audrey straddled the bench Harlow was sitting on to face her. “I’ll be coming to that one.” She leaned forward and kissed Harlow’s neck.
“Don’t do any VIP promotions for San Jose. I need the whole section.” Harlow was trying to focus on her booking manager, but Audrey seemed determined. “Save Los Angeles and New York too.”
Audrey made her way to Harlow’s ear. “Hang up the phone,” she whispered.
“If you have any other questions, email them to me. I’ll be back in town tomorrow, and we can finish going over any details. Thanks, Mac.” Harlow clicked the end button and tossed the phone down onto her towel next to the bench.
She grabbed Audrey’s face and kissed her hard. She loved how Audrey responded to her with equal need and desire. It seemed they were always on the same wavelength when it came to their arousal.
“Who are you saving Los Angeles and New York for?” Audrey asked while pulling Harlow’s shirt up over her head.
“You. Who else?”
“I don’t know who else you have stashed around the country waiting for you.” Audrey’s tone was joking, but Harlow knew there was some truth to it.
Harlow didn’t want there to be any speculation or concern before she left for the tour. If there were, they’d never survive the months apart. Harlow didn’t know how this would all pan out, but she knew she wanted to give them the best shot possible. Audrey was different. Her feelings for Audrey were different. Insecurities and past experiences be damned; she wanted this to work.
Harlow took Audrey’s hands. “I want you, Audrey. I know that’s easy to say while we’re locked away here in our private bubble. I’d really like to make this work between us and see where it goes. But you need to understand how difficult that will be. Even the best relationships struggle under the distance and weight of a tour, and we have your filming schedule on top of that, too. We’re very new, so it will probably be even more difficult, but—”
Audrey kissed her, effectively cutting her off her thought. “Harlow Thorne, are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”
Harlow chuckled and shook her head. “I’ve never asked anyone to be my girlfriend. Is that still a thing people do?”
Audrey bit her lip. “I’m not sure what people do, but that’s what it sounds like you’re asking.” She wrapped her arms around Harlow’s neck. “You do know what it means to be someone’s girlfriend, right?”
Harlow pulled her closer and pretended to ponder the question. “I’m assuming there are rules involved. I’m just spitballing here, but one of them is commitment, meaning no sleeping around.” She tried not to smile when Audrey raised an eyebrow. “Calling after my shows.” Harlow ticked off the points on her fingers. “Spending all my free time with you.”
Audrey laughed and kissed her. “Correct on the no sleeping around part. Yes, call me after your shows if you aren’t too tired. Spend time with me, but no, you don’t have to devote every second to me.” She kissed Harlow. “Harlow, we’re busy people with busy lives. I want to be with you, but it doesn’t need to be a chore or an obligation. We have a zillion commitments to a zillion different people. I want to be your reprieve. I want you to talk to me when you feel lonely or lost. I want to be there for you, and I want you to let me care about you.” She ran her hand down Harlow’s face. “I want you to be with me what you can’t be anywhere else—completely yourself.”
Harlow was speechless. A lump had formed in her throat. She’d never been in a relationship before, and Audrey was offering total honesty and vulnerability. It was like a dream come true. That was the alarm bell—too good to be true usually meant it was. But that was what Audrey was offering. She nodded, unable to vocalize what she was feeling.
Audrey smacked the side of her leg playfully. “Now, let’s go take a shower and then spend some time by the pool. I want to squeeze the last few hours out of this nice weather.”
Harlow wiggled her eyebrows. “Take a shower with me?”
Audrey grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet. “Obviously. That’s another perk of being my girlfriend.”
Harlow let Audrey lead her up the stairs and hoped for the hundredth time that she wouldn’t do something foolish.
* * *
The last two days with Audrey had been the best of Harlow’s life. Selling out Madison Square Garden for the first time was thrilling, to be sure, but it had nothing on how her body reacted when Audrey looked at her. All of the goals she’d set and shattered, all of the milestones achieved, all the screaming fans, paled in comparison to how everything in her seemed to hum around Audrey. But could it last? Harlow wasn’t sure how their feelings would hold up under the weight of their lives, other people’s expectations, or their schedules.
She also had to consider how different they were. Audrey came from a devoted family. Her support system extended beyond a sibling who had all the same demons. Audrey knew what commitment and longevity were because that was all she’d known. Harlow had th
e potential to be catastrophically disappointing. Then there was the whole image thing to consider. Harlow wouldn’t be good for Audrey’s. People would be intrigued, sure. But once that wore off, the questions would be constant and invasive. Audrey wasn’t some hookup at the Rainbow. She was an A-list celebrity, and that wasn’t something Harlow had ever had to deal with before. Audrey was worth it, no question. But what if she dragged Audrey down?
Audrey buried her face into her side. “You okay?”
Harlow kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, just thinking.”
Audrey propped herself up on her elbow. “About what?”
Harlow got up and shifted the logs in the fireplace, causing them to burn hotter. “How much my life is about to change.” She saw the worried look on Audrey’s face and decided to rephrase. “Not in a bad way. I’ve been able to keep my personal life relatively private because I’ve never been with anyone people cared to discuss. That’s not the case with you.” She didn’t mention her insecurities about their vastly different histories because she didn’t think that was fair. It was her shit to work out, not Audrey’s.
Audrey nodded. “I get that. Is there a certain way you want to approach this? I want to do whatever will make it easier on you.”
Harlow laid back down and pulled Audrey close. “I’m sure our managers will have some opinions.”
Audrey blew out a breath. “This isn’t about them. What do you want?”
Harlow answered without hesitating. “I don’t care if people know we’re together. I hope you don’t think that.” She waited to continue until Audrey acknowledged her understanding. “I just don’t want to ruin your reputation in any way.”
Audrey looked at her with sympathy. “Honey, I’m not worried about any of that. It’s not like I’ve carefully curated my public persona. I’ve just always been me. But if it helps, we don’t have to tell anyone anything. We can just hang out and let people believe what they want. We don’t have to make a public proclamation.”
