Where We Belong (Hideaway Bay, #1)

by Lauren Harbor

  Swollen lips and lust-glazed eyes transformed her from pretty to perfection. His dream come true. She lifted her chin resolutely and threw a leg over his lap to straddle him.

  Shocked but grateful, his hands wrapped tight around her waist, holding her close, half scared she'd run away. He leaned forward and rested his cheek against her chest, the rapid beat of her heart soothing him almost as much as the way her fingers did as they massaged his scalp.

  “I've hated every minute apart from you,” she whispered into his hair.

  He turned his face and pressed his lips to the puckered scar on her shoulder. She tensed for fraction of a second before kissing the top of his head.

  A year ago, one look at that scar could trigger an anxiety attack. Now, it represented bravery, growth. The second chapter in their lives. He kissed his way down to the curve of her breast above the neckline of her dress.

  “Me, too. Let's never do that again.” He followed up his kisses with a nip of her skin and a soothing lave of his tongue. It would leave a mark. She always loved it when he marked her, which she confirmed with an answering moan that filled him with deep satisfaction.

  She let go of his head and wrapped one arm around his neck before leaning back with a cat-ate-the-canary smile. He wanted to turn the tables and devour her. Then she pulled down the zipper on the side of her dress and slipped her arms out of the straps until the fabric fell to her waist, leaving soft creamy breasts in a nude strapless bra.

  No satin or lace for his woman. She didn’t need either.

  “Fuck you're beautiful.” He ran his hands up her sides, muscles fluttering beneath his palms, but he never took his eyes off hers. His thumbs slipped beneath the bra, caressing the underside of her breasts, and she bit her lip, thrusting them forward. No further instruction needed. He pulled the cups down and circled her hard, rosy nipples which grew firmer with each circle of his thumb.

  “More,” she demanded, pulling his head close until he licked one nipple and then sucked the tight nub into his mouth. Her shuddered breaths urged him on, along with the way she ground against him, rubbing her panties against his jeans, seeking relief. He was going to come in his pants like a virgin in junior high.

  Haley took his hand, sliding it under her dress and along the dampness of her panties to press against her clit. He loved that she knew her own body, her own desire, and showed him what she needed. He moved his fingers in slow circles until her head tipped back and her breathing became quick and shallow.

  “I want you inside me.” Her small fingers quickly unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, granting him sweet relief.

  “Wait.” He wrapped an arm around her back, pulling her close and leaned to one side, pulling his brown leather wallet from his back pocket.

  She plucked it from his fingers and flipped it open, withdrawing the condom from the back. He pushed down denim and cotton until his dick sprang free. Her lips curled into a smile, and she locked eyes with him as she tore the foil wrapper with her teeth. He almost came on the spot.

  The first touch of her warm skin on his aching arousal set him on fire. She ran her soft hand up and down his length several times, ripples of white heat pulsing through him, and a low growl ripped from his throat. She rolled the condom from tip to base. Her sexy smirk of satisfaction almost pushed him over the edge, but he shouldn't be the only one having fun. He slipped a finger beneath her panties and pulled them to one side, his mouth watering at the wet heat between her legs. Applying pressure to her clit with one hand, he speared the other into her hair, claiming her mouth, tasting her, owning her, slaking his thirst after so many long lonely nights.

  She kissed him back, love and longing communicated with every thrust of her tongue. She rose on her knees, bringing the tip of him to her entrance and lowered herself down.

  Slow.

  Tortuously slow.

  So slow he wondered if she was taking him to Heaven or Hell.

  He didn’t care.

  Chapter Nine

  Hurt my mom... and I’ll hurt you.

  ~ Duke Harper-O’Connor

  Haley sighed with relief as she took him into her body.

  He filled her. Completed her.

  Unlike last time when mindless lust almost shattered the fragile relationship remaining between them, this coupling was fueled by mutual love and understanding and hope for the future.

  She didn't move, instead savoring his hard warmth inside her and his hand on her clit. His answering groan brought a smile to her face, knowing he felt the same way. His other hand slid under the white fabric of her dress and up her thighs to knead her ass and she met his gaze as he looked up at her.

  “I love being inside you.” His voice came out deep, gravelly, and tightly leashed like a stallion ready bolt.

  She rocked her hips, and heat whispered through her veins at the slow, sweet friction. Ryan’s hands tightened on her flesh and she moved again, falling into a light rocking rhythm that built up her desire one glorious notch at a time. Ryan pulled her nipple between his lips. A jolt of pleasure arced through her and she pushed up on her knees until only the tip of him remained inside her, then sank down again, the breath rushing from her lungs at the delicious fullness.

  “We should be quick. Someone might come,” she murmured against his lips before picking up the pace. No one could walk in on them, but it'd still be embarrassing to be caught in a compromising position. He hit just the right spot deep inside her, and thoughts of consequences fled her mind. Only Ryan existed. Only Ryan and his magic mouth, magic hands...magic everything.

  “Oh honey, we're both going to come,” he whispered, gripping her hips, thrusting up as she pushed down, their tempo increasing with the rapid beat of her heart.

  Sweat bead dotted her brow, and her breath labored like she'd run a marathon, her body working hard for their mutual release. His breathing matched hers, and along with his heavily lidded gaze, Ryan Harper stole her breath away. A sex dream come to life.

  She leaned down and kissed him. A fiery kiss where every emotion she'd suppressed flowed from her, spoke for her, telling him how much she'd missed him, needed him.

  Small lights danced behind her eyelids and heat built in her core, coiling tightly on the precipice of release. When Ryan's thumb pressed against her clit again, the coil snapped, wave after wave of blinding heat and ecstasy washing over her whole body as those tiny lights exploded and sparked through her veins.

  Ryan kissed her deeply, swallowing her scream of pleasure, stiffening as she contracted around him until he jerked beneath her with his final thrusts and followed her into the abyss.

  “Haley,” He growled the name into her shoulder, and fell back against the seat, panting. He pulled her to rest against him and she buried her face in his neck, gasping for air to fill her desperately empty lungs. As she lay in his arms, sucking in ragged breaths, tears pricked at the back of her eyelids. She bit her lip to stop from crying.

  It didn't work.

  Ryan pulled back, his brow creased with concern. “Hales?”

  “It’s nothing—I'm just so happy. And relieved.” She wiped at the few errant tears and gave a wobbly smile. “And satisfied.”

  He returned her smile and ran a thumb along her cheek to capture another tear. “I love you so much.”

  Gravity shifted and the sensation of floating hit as her heart skipped a beat. She grinned and threw her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his. “I love you, too.”

  An hour later, Haley floated on cloud nine barely resisting the urge to pinch herself. After collecting Duke from Ryan’s dad, she and Ryan walked hand in hand through the crowds at her favorite event, Duke tugging on his lead as he sniffed out morsels of food dropped from takeout containers.

  The perfect day.

  A group of lycra-clad seniors walked past, rolling their bikes and smiling widely. One of them shouted, “About time, you two.”

  Haley giggled and Ryan pulled her closer and chuckled into her hair. Everyone knew eve
ryone's business in this tight-knit community. News of their reunion would be spread far and wide before the fireworks lit up the sky.

  She'd always loved the markets along the waterfront. The excited chatter of children in the playground and the cheerful haggling of shoppers. The way they could journey around the world with delicious aromas from food trucks selling hot dogs to Hokkien noodles. Baklava to burritos.

  Over the past year, she’d missed Sunday strolls with Ryan and Duke, sharing ice cream in the summer, or churros in the winter, and Duke making sport of scrounging all the food from the ground.

  How did she endure six months of strained exchanges as they swapped custody of their dog, like divorced parents whose relationship had deteriorated into silently handing over their kid in a fast food restaurant parking lot?

  She must have tensed because Ryan pulled her off the walkway between food trucks. He lifted her chin, his eyes filled with love and concern. “You okay?”

  Warmth enveloped her from head to toenail.

  This man owned her heart and every other piece of her. She’d never let him go again.

  “I'm fantastic. Nothing could ruin this day for me.”

  He pulled her close and kissed her deeply until a few young teenagers nearby made gagging noises “Get a room.”

  She pulled away; her cheeks flushed with heat. “As much as I’d love to continue this show, Addi will murder me if she hears about us from someone else.”

  “Why don't you go find her now and I'll bring everyone some churros?”

  “You're a prince.” She kissed him quickly, rubbed Duke behind the ears, and walked towards the markets. Rather than going to straight to Charlie’s stall where she’d roped Addi and Shayla into helping promote the animal shelter, Haley decided on a quick detour.

  She visited a stall with handmade soaps and lotions and purchased a jar of edible body paint.

  Ryan's body would make a beautiful canvas.

  She paid for the item and placed the jar in her purse. Her cheeks hurt from the carnival-clown-grin splitting her face, but Haley didn’t care. Life was good and nothing would ruin her buzz.

  A hitched gasp sounded behind her. Haley's scalp prickled. She turned slightly, enough to see a handmade jewelry stall in her peripheral vision. A man stood in front of the stall, and his emaciated hand shook, something metallic glinting in the sunlight. A black hoodie concealed his face, but not the nervous jitter traveling through his body.

  The low gravelly sound of his voice was unmistakably threatening, but his words were impossible to hear. The employee's stricken face told Haley a robbery was in progress.

  Training kicked in and she casually inched closer. Thank God no one else picked up on the signs. Panic led to more danger.

  The perp's eyelid twitched. He turned, eying the handful of people milling about nearby stalls and food trucks. The glint of steel she'd caught earlier was a knife.

  At least it isn't a gun.

  With a better view of his face, she noted beads of sweat on his upper lip, dark circles under his eyes, and his trembling hands. A junkie jonesing for a fix. He jerked his hand at the stall keeper who dropped the bills she'd gathered from her cash box.

  Haley tensed, reaching for her weapon, but finding only soft cotton against her hip instead of a holster.

  Damn.

  The perp focused on the cash. She took a deep breath.

  I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

  She crept forward and grabbed his arm, squeezing the Kote pressure point near his elbow. He screamed, dropping the knife, his cries drowning out the clatter of metal against bitumen. Before he could react, she kicked the knife away and wrenched his arm up behind his back.

  He hissed in pain.

  A child wailed and a male shopper ran toward them.

  “I'm a police officer. Stay back.” She issued the command calmly and clearly but recognized the adrenaline-fueled look of a wannabe hero. This guy was not going to let her do her job.

  The perp struggled as the shopper charged closer, arm pulled back ready to land a blow. She stepped back and twisted, shielding them both from the shopper's swing. His fist flew past her face, but he overbalanced, tripped, and slammed them with the force of a Mack truck.

  Haley relaxed her body to minimize the damage when they hit the ground. The sharp sting of gravel shredding skin on her knee and elbow burned but was better than a broken bone or two.

  “Aaaargh,” the shopper cried out, clutching his calf.

  “Get off me, bitch.” The perp's voice was threaded with fury as he thrashed in her grip.

  No thanks for saving him from a punch to the face. Figures. She stood, half hauling, half dragging the perp to his feet and hoping she didn’t flash her undies to the crowd. A dark patch of blood bloomed around a tear in the shopper's jeans and the knife lay next to him on the gravel, red marring its shiny surface.

  Shit. Paperwork’s gonna be a bitch.

  Why did men always underestimate her? Now an under-control situation had turned bad. Fast.

  Pain exploded in her cheek, and her head snapped back.

  Son-of-a-bitch. The junkie had hit her. She shook the spots from her vision, and he jumped to his feet. Bolted.

  “Haley. You okay?” Ryan's panicked voice was like a guilt-laced bullet to the gut.

  Please don't freak out. Don't let this ruin us.

  He dropped to his knees beside her, eyes wild with worry. Duke growled and tugged on his leash, watching the perp sprint away.

  Ryan pulled her to her feet with his free hand and inspected her cuts and grazes. She wanted to cling to him. To be comforted by the man she loved. But she had a job to do. She tugged out of his arms, bracing herself for a fight.

  Ryan closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed roughly. When he opened them again, he nodded towards the park behind her. “You go. I'll call it in.”

  Her heart skipped a beat and she sucked in a breath, relief piercing her adrenalin bubble.

  He trusts me.

  She spun away and broke into a run, wincing as her brain bounced like a pinball in her skull and her grazed flesh burned with every stride. Her feet thundered on the ground, almost as loud as her heart, and she'd be eternally grateful for choosing the high tops instead of sandals.

  Duke sprinted past her, his blue leash trailing on the ground behind him.

  Shit.

  “Duke. Stop.” Her shout sent starlings screeching from the Douglas Firs and drew the attention of several families sitting on picnic rugs nearby.

  The perp disappeared behind a wall of trees, closely followed by Duke, who true to form, ignored her command. She wished for Duke's speed because there's no way she'd get this guy if he left the park and crossed the main street into downtown.

  She reached a fork in the bitumen path and stopped, bracing her hands on her knees, catching her breath.

  “That way.” A pale-faced woman crouching protectively beside a stroller pointed to the path on their right.

  “Thanks.” Haley set off again, quickly reaching a public restroom. Duke's barks echoed inside the red brick building

  Secure the scene.

  The entrance to the male and female restrooms stood side by side, and a quick walk of the perimeter showed barred windows with no other exits. The moron had cornered himself.

  Dumb, but possibly still dangerous. Her stomach clenched. He'd dropped his knife, but could he have found another weapon.

  Duke's growls echoed in the building, punctuated by deep throaty barks.

  “Fucking dog. Fuuuuck.” The perp's voice rose steadily, ending on a squeak. A cornered, strung out junkie... Time to get Duke out of there.

  “Duke. Come.”

  Her dog bounded out of the building and sat at her feet. Definitely one of the more unexpected events of the day. He panted, tongue hanging out with an I-kicked-butt gleam in his eyes. She grabbed his leash as a precaution and sighed with relief at the sweet sound of sirens filling the air.
<
br />   Ten minutes later, with the drama over, her body buzzed with adrenalin. She’d caught the bad guy. Her instincts and training kicked in, and she kept her cool.

  I’m still a badass.

  She and Duke, both.

  Duke sat at her feet, panting with excitement as her fellow officers arrested the perp and walked him to the patrol car. She squatted gingerly, and hugged Duke tight, hissing as grazed flesh stretched over her knee, “You're such a good boy.”

  Officer Ambrose approached and she stood, trying to relax her suddenly rigid muscles as she waited for the snide comments to spew from his pinched rodent-like mouth. But she wouldn't let him get to her. Not anymore.

  “Nice work, O'Connor.” He mumbled the words, struggling to make eye contact.

  Her jaw almost dropped to the ground but she quickly shut her mouth and nodded with a shrug. “Thanks.”

  Police Chief Higgins joined them and patted her shoulder, offering a wide smile. “Damn fine work, actually.” The chief stared pointedly at Ambrose who cleared his throat and looked down at his shoes. “From what I hear it was an impressive chase, especially after a knock to the head. And in a dress, no less. Great job, O'Connor. I want you to enjoy the rest of your day. Leave the paperwork for tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Chief.” She nodded and smiled as he walked back towards the car.

  Ambrose looked after the chief but didn’t follow, instead shuffling his feet in the dirt. When he looked up, she raised her brow and pursed her lips. She would not be his verbal punching bag or the butt of his jokes any longer. She deserved respect.

  “I heard you took him down with some magical martial arts move.”

  Was that admiration she heard in his voice?

  She nodded and stood taller. “I can show you sometime if you want.”

  “Thanks. I'd like that.” He offered her a smile and then gestured to the patrol car. “Anyway, I'd better go. See you next shift?”

  She nodded and returned his smile. “Sure.”

  She turned away from him and grinned, barely resisting the urge to break out in a happy dance. She had Ryan back, she’d caught the bad guy, and she'd finally got some respect from her colleagues.