I smile as I lean in for a kiss. She does the same. When our lips touch, it’s like an explosion. There’s one big spark that catches fire. It ignites and immediately burns out of control. My tongue seeks hers out, and when her lips part for me, we connect even more deeply. My hands find her hips and I pull her closer. Her long, tanned legs wrap around me as she straddles my lap. Her hands are already moving up along my jaw, my neck, and into my hair, pulling me into her kiss.
I lean forward, causing her to lean back. I break our kiss, already breathless. “Where’s your bedroom?” I whisper against her soft mouth.
“Down the hall,” she replies, and a moment later, I’m standing with her in my arms.
My heart and lungs are racing. Every muscle in my body is burning from exertion. I’m completely limp, unable to move. Being with Harley is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I’ve been with many women in my lifetime, and while I thought they were all good—well, mostly good—she’s different. Being with her isn’t just sex. It’s like a mix of an electrical storm, a tornado, and a hurricane all at once. It’s raw and powerful. Unrelenting. It takes me down and swallows me up, not releasing me until the very end. And at the end—at least these last two times—I want to do it all over again. I was hoping that tonight would get her out of my system once and for all, but I now know that won’t be the case.
My arm is stretched across her queen-size bed and her head is resting on my shoulder. She has one leg bent at the knee, and it’s draped across my legs. Her naked chest is pressed to my side and her arm is across my chest. This is usually the thing I try to avoid, but with her, it doesn’t bother me . . . and the fact that it doesn’t bother me bothers me.
“I thought you said you didn’t cuddle?” I tease her.
She breathes out a quite giggle. “I don’t, but I’m too exhausted to throw you out right now,” she jokes, making me laugh.
“Would you really throw me out?”
She shrugs. “I guess you did perform some much-needed maintenance. So you’ve earned your right to stay tonight if you want. But I have to warn you, I snore and talk in my sleep.”
I roll to my side and our eyes meet. “Ooh, maybe I’ll discover some of your secrets then.”
She rolls her eyes. “I doubt it. You’ll probably just hear me ordering food, talking to the dogs, or singing whatever song is playing in my head.” She smiles.
“What kind of music do you like?” I ask, wanting to know more about her.
“Rock and alternative mostly. What about you?”
I shrug. “I like everything.”
“There’s nothing better than a rock concert. It’s one of my favorite things to do.”
“What else do you like to do?”
“I like anything that’s exciting. I like to get my heart pumping. I guess you could say I’m a bit of a daredevil. I love roller coasters, ziplines, and bungee jumping. I’ve never been skydiving, though, and I’ve always wanted to.”
I laugh. “So you’re an adrenaline junkie.”
“Everyone is addicted to something,” she says softly.
“Well, I don’t have an airplane you can jump out of right now, but I do have some tickets to a race in a week if you want to go.”
“What kind of race?”
“Sprint cars on a dirt track. It’s a good show—lots of speed and even a few crashes. It’s definitely exciting.” But not something I could ever take Bianca to.
She smiles and her eyes light up. “Okay, I’d love to.”
“Yeah, it’s Saturday and the race starts at noon. I’ll swing by and pick you up if you want.”
She offers a sleepy smile. “Sounds nice,” she agrees.
The two of us lie in bed a little while longer, talking about things we hate, like, and love, and everything in between, such as favorite movies, books, and bands. Conversation comes easy and never feels like it begins to lag. Time passes too quickly when we’re together, and the next thing I know, it’s going on midnight. She’s yawning and rubbing her eyes and I’m not sure if I should find an excuse to leave.
“You’re tired. Should I leave?” I ask, trying to sit up.
“No,” she says, her hand pulling me back down. “You can stay here. I mean, if you want to. Maybe we can have a little fun in the morning before you have to take off.”
I let out a quiet laugh before lying back down beside her. I pull her closer to my body and she warms me up like an electric blanket. Before I know it, I’m drifting into a deep, dark sleep.
I wake in the morning and it feels like I’ve just awakened from a coma. I was so tired and comfortable here with her that I don’t think I moved all night. It was definitely one of the best nights of sleep I’ve ever had. I turn my head to my right and find her still lying at my side. Her eyes are closed and her lashes are fanned out across her cheeks. Her lips are smooshed together, making them look like they’re puckered. Her breathing is deep and easy. She must’ve been just as worn out as I was.
I sit up slowly and carefully, not wanting to wake her, then let myself into the connected bathroom. I relieve myself then wash my hands, checking over my reflection in the mirror. My beard has grown in thick this weekend. I’m a corporate guy and have to remain clean-shaven throughout the week, but on the weekends, the last thing I want to do is shave. I put it off until there’s no time left, usually shaving before my morning shower on Monday. The dark circles under my eyes have also seemed to fade away, like I’ve finally caught up on all the sleep I’ve missed this past week from working too much. I feel well-rested and ready to take on the day. It’s almost like being with Harley has recharged my batteries for life.
I dry my hands on the small hanging towel by the mirror and open the bathroom door. I step out and find her sitting up on the bed, wrapped in a sheet. She almost jumps when her eyes find mine.
“Oh, I thought you snuck out on me!” she says, standing and making her way up to me, still holding the white sheet around her tanned body.
I raise my hand to cup her cheek. “You think I could force myself to leave you alone and naked in bed?” I ask, moving in for a kiss.
Her lips brush softly against mine, but she pulls away quickly. “Hold that thought,” she says, rushing around me to go into the bathroom. She closes the door between us and I go to lie back down on the bed.
I hear the toilet flush, and then seconds later, the tap is running. When she comes back to bed and her lips find mine, she tastes of mint. I breathe it in, hoping that my morning breath isn’t too bad as I kiss her.
“I could use a shower. What about you?” she asks, leaning back enough that I can clearly see her whole face.
“Yeah, I could definitely use a shower.”
“Come on.” She stands and pulls me up with her. I follow along behind her to the bathroom. Once inside, she reaches into the shower and turns on the water to warm up. Then she drops the sheet and it falls into a pile around her on the bathroom tile. I pull her body against mine and kiss her. Her hands push my boxers down over my hips until they’re falling to the floor next to her sheet. Together, we step into the shower where we come together for the third time in two days.
We manage to pull away from each other after the shower. She slides into a pair of leggings and a T-shirt. Her wet hair is thrown into a messy bun on top of her head and her face is free of makeup. Even though I found her sexy as hell the night we met at the bar, I still can’t find anything wrong with her now that I’ve seen her completely bare and real.
“Do you have to rush off, or do you want to stick around for breakfast?” she asks, leading me back to the living room.
I lift my left hand and look at the time on my watch. It’s nearly noon and I’ve been completely avoiding looking at my cell. I’m not sure what I’ll see there, but I’m certain someone is demanding my attention.
“I should probably get going,” I reply, stepping closer to her. I lean over and grab my jacket off the back of the couch, and as she predicted, it’s covered in d
og hair. I don’t mind though. “I guess I’ll see you on Saturday for the race?”
She nods as her arms come up to wrap around my neck. “I wouldn’t miss it,” she replies, pulling my mouth to hers for one last kiss.
I kiss her quickly but deeply, then pull away with a grin and head for the door. As I’m closing the door behind me, our eyes meet and she’s wearing a friendly smile as she holds up her hand to wave. Leaving her now feels harder than it did yesterday. It’s like we’ve only gotten closer, but I know it has to be done. Sticking around will only make it harder to leave when it’s no longer an option. Most of all, I need distance. I’m already promised to another. I can’t lose myself in all of this.
I climb behind the wheel of my car and don’t look back as I head home. My phone rings as I’m driving, and I smile, thinking it’s Harley calling because she already misses me, but to my surprise, it’s not her. It’s Bianca.
“Hey, what’s up?” I ask when I hit the button on my steering wheel.
“Oh, nothing much. Just hanging around the house. My parents are breathing down my neck since we went to that thing last night. Figured I’d pacify them by taking you out to lunch. What do you say?”
“You’ll have to give me a few minutes to get home and change, but sure,” I agree. When it comes to our parents, we usually do whatever’s necessary to keep them off our backs. Whenever I start feeling the heat from my father, I’ll call her for the same thing.
“Okay, I’ll be by in, say, an hour?”
“Perfect. See you then,” I say, hitting the button again to hang up.
I make it home, jump in the shower, and change into some normal clothes. I leave my tux on the bathroom floor since the maid will pick it up and know to send it to the cleaners. I’m just sitting down to put on my shoes when I hear the intercom.
“Viv, will you please check the door, and if it’s Bianca, will you let her up?” I ask, not stopping with my task.
Just as I put on my second shoe and stand up, Bianca is walking through the door. I walk around the couch and greet her with a hug. “You look lovely, as always,” I say, looking up and down her body. She’s dressed in a classy black dress that’s form-fitting but not too tight. It has a slim belt around the waist and her arms are bare. She’s matched the dress with an expensive pair of sleek black heels. Her blonde hair is pulled back into a neat bun, and her makeup is perfectly applied. I don’t know what’s wrong with me for not wanting this woman, but everything about her is wrong for me. How can Harley be so right? I have no idea.
“Thank you. You look quite nice yourself,” she says, smiling. “So I was thinking the club for lunch? Get lots of eyes on us so we can take a little break for a couple of weeks. What do you think?”
“The more witnesses, the better,” I agree, leading her toward the door.
I take her down to the garage and open the passenger-side door to my car. She slides inside and waits as I walk around to get behind the wheel. I start up the car and it purrs to life.
“We didn’t get to talk much last night. What have you been up to?” she asks, making friendly conversation.
“Oh, you know . . . a little of this, a little of that,” I tell her.
She laughs. “Come on. That’s a response you give a stranger at a charity event. Not me. Seriously, what’s been going on in your life?”
I laugh because she’s right. I think I used that same line at least 20 times last night. “Well, I’ve been seeing this girl.”
Her brows lift.
“Her name is Harley.”
The corners of her mouth turn upward. I think, deep down, she’s okay with this sowing my wild oats thing because she’s hoping I’ll fall for one of them. Then she won’t have to marry me and it won’t be because she backed out of the deal. It’ll all be my fault and she’ll get off without any trouble.
“Harley? Where did you meet her? Let me guess . . . one of those sleazy bars you attend on the regular?”
I laugh. “Well, I can’t exactly pick up women at the country club, now can I?”
“Tell me about her,” she insists.
“She’s a tornado,” I laugh. “She’s bold and fun and just a hell of a woman. And to be honest, she surprises the shit out of me in every way possible.”
“What do you mean by that?” She furrows her brows.
“The night I met her, she was attending a little celebration for one of her friends who just got engaged. We hit it off instantly, and I thought I had the deal sealed, but she wouldn’t run out on her friends. So I ended up giving her my card and taking off with Matt. But then, not too long after I got home, I got a call from the police station. She’d gotten arrested and needed me to bail her out,” I laugh.
“What was she arrested for?” Bianca asks, eyes wide with excitement.
“Get this . . . she got kicked out of the bar for dancing on the table, but then she got caught trying to sneak back in. When she was taken out again, there was a police officer who asked what was going on and she tried to flash him to keep from going to jail.” I laugh again just remembering the way she told the story.
“She was going to flash the cop?” Bianca asks, just as amused as I am.
I nod.
“Who does that? I never would’ve thought of that.”
I shake my head. “That’s what I mean. She surprises me in every sense of the word. I never know what she’s going to do, and that makes it even more fun than just sleeping around.”
“I bet you love that,” she says with a knowing smile. “You and a challenge go together like peanut butter and jelly.”
My laughing dies down as we continue with our drive. “So, what’s been going on with you? How’s work? The love life?”
“Work is good.” She snorts. “But the love department is pretty much closed.”
“What? Why?”
She shrugs. “Just don’t have time for it.”
I frown at her. “Bianca, you’re supposed to be using this time to have fun too,” I remind her.
She rolls her eyes. “No, I wanted this time to advance in my career. You wanted to have fun. I’m nowhere near ready for marriage and kids either, Foster. I know our parents seem to be racing us there, but you’re not holding me back by any means.”
I nod, glad that we’re on the same page. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure,” she agrees.
“Will you answer honestly?” I glance at her from the corner of my eye.
“Absolutely. This thing between us doesn’t work well if we’re not honest. What do you want to know?”
“If our parents were to say that we had to get married right now, what would you say? Would you go along with it or would you fight?”
She thinks about it for a moment. “I think I’d try fighting it for a while. I’m nowhere near where I want to be at work yet, but I’m so close. I just need to secure a little more funding.”
“Why work so hard to get something you’ll never get to keep? You know that when—well, if—we get married, you won’t be working, right? Our parents would have a fit. They’ll want you to give up your career and focus on starting a family.”
She nods. “I know. I guess I’m just hoping that this little break we’ve been given will turn into something else. Like, maybe you’ll fall in love with someone else. Or maybe my father will actually respect the work I’m doing and let me run the biomechanics R&D division at the company. Then we won’t have to go forward with it.”
“You don’t want to marry me?” I ask, not hurt or upset by any means. Just so we’re both on the same page.
“No. You know this. Nothing has changed. You don’t want to marry me either, Foster. If you did, we’d be married already.”
“Even though you don’t want that?”
She shrugs. “It doesn’t really matter what I want, does it?”
“Of course it does,” I insist.
“At this point, I’m simply trying to live one day at a time and hold off my parents as
long as possible. I just can’t believe that in this day and age, we still have this ridiculous pressure to get married and have a family like that’s my sole purpose in life because I have a uterus. Why send me to Harvard and Oxford if all I’ll ever be is a trophy on someone’s arm, ya know?”
I nod as I accept her answer and let the conversation I started drift to a close. Again, I wonder why we’re doing this. She doesn’t want me and I don’t want her. But if we fight against it, what will happen? I know neither of our parents will be okay with it. Will my father disown me? Will he withhold the family business from me? And what will her parents do? I’m sure it will be easier for her than for me. Her parents love her regardless of what she does, even when they don’t approve. They’ll realize that eventually, she’ll settle down and, being her, she won’t settle for anything less than she deserves. She’ll be okay in the future. But what about me? Will I?
Lunch goes smoothly. We eat, talk, laugh, and drink. There are plenty of people at the club, most of them family friends. There are enough witnesses to pass the word down the grapevine that we were here, and we were together, looking like a couple should. This should be enough to get our parents off our backs for a while. And in the meantime, I’ll be free to be with the girl who really does intrigue me. Harley.
Five
Harley
When Foster leaves, I start my day by letting the dogs out and getting them fed. I check my email and see that someone’s potentially interested in adopting Juno and would like to come over. It makes me sad when I have to lose a dog, but it also makes me happy because I know that dog will be going to a loving home. I book the appointment and get busy straightening up the place and making myself look more presentable than PJs and messy hair. I return a few more emails for work, then catch up on some of the shows I’ve missed during the week. Before I know it, someone’s knocking on my door and I open it to find the couple interested in Juno.
I welcome them into my house and offer them a seat. Juno and the others come to sit at their feet. They’ve been trained well, so they don’t jump on people, even when those people are sitting on what they consider to be their couch. They wait on the floor until they’re addressed. I introduce the couple to the dogs, saving Juno for last. When they look at her, their eyes light up and they immediately switch from petting the rest of the dogs to just her. Some of the dogs lose interest and wander off to lounge on the floor where the sun is shining through the window, or they go for one of their favorite toys. Juno stays put, loving the attention.
My Accidental Forever (Love You Forever Book 5) Page 5
