Shivering in the cool breeze as it brushes over my skin while I stand on the fire escape, I watch Tate unlock his door. As I step inside, my eyes widen with surprise when I take in his place.
When we passed the door a few nights ago, I figured it was a storage room or old offices, but this is a fully functioning apartment. We’ve stepped straight into the living area, which is just in front of the kitchen, separated by an island bench.
“Have you renovated?” I ask as my gaze takes in the modern stone kitchen and pristine white walls. The wooden floors are a light shade of timber and shine like new.
“Yeah, in the last six months.” He throws his wallet, phone, and keys on the kitchen bench. “It’s not that big, but I don’t need much room, and I like being so close to the café. Makes life easier.”
“The café which you . . . manage?” I ask, still really unsure of the exact details.
“Harper,” he warns.
“I know, I know, you’ll tell me later,” I say exasperated. “So . . .”
Why am I so nervous? I’ve had my fair share of one-night stands, summer flings, and even friends with benefits. This is no different. Game face on, Harper.
But this is different. I know it is. Tate means something to me. He isn’t some guy in a club, a friend of a friend, or an acquaintance. He’s my friend. One who has become so important to me in such a short period of time.
Do I mean anything to him? Anything more than sex?
“Daisy . . .” Tate says. His face is fierce, his eyes burning with want.
Butterflies erupt in my belly as he stalks towards me. The excitement, nervousness, and anxiousness all flow together to create the perfect high. I step backwards as Tate cages me in with his hands pressed to the wall on either side of my head.
“Yeah.” I try to swallow the lump that has formed in my throat.
“Do you know how long I’ve wanted this? How hard it’s been watching you, night after night, wasting time on those dickheads?”
He leans forward, never taking his eyes off mine, and I bite my bottom lip, anticipating his kiss. He nips at my lip and pulls it out from the stronghold my teeth have on it, and I whimper. Excitement erupts in my lower belly and I revel in the way he makes me feel. The way he turns my body to mush.
I wrap my arms around his neck as I take his mouth with my own, kissing him with the desire my body feels.
Pulling away from me, he leans down and wraps his arm around my thighs as he lifts me up and over his shoulder.
“Tate,” I yell.
He chuckles as he carries me down a hallway. I don’t see anything except for a tight ass, which begs for my touch. Reaching down, I cup his cheeks in my hand and squeeze hard, feeling the muscles move and work as he walks.
“Jesus,” he growls.
“You’re telling me.”
His feet stop in front of a bed and I take the opportunity to smack him hard on the backside. Tate flings me over his shoulder and I go bouncing down onto the mattress.
“You’ll pay for that.” His tone sounds teasing, but his face is deadly serious.
Before I can respond, he is above me, kissing me once more. We hold each other tight, my hands wrapped around his neck as he holds onto my waist, our bodies aligned from head to toe. We roll around his king-size bed, making use of and exploring every inch of it. Tate lies on top of me, I straddle his lap—we’re side by side, and almost upside down.
We grind our bodies against each other, searching for the friction we both need. Hands roam everywhere and explore everything. I don’t think I have ever been so turned on from making out before.
Tate pulls away and we’re both breathing hard, a light sheen of sweat covering our skin. “I need to see you,” he breathes as he sits up on his knees.
Lying underneath him, I hold my breath as he pulls at the hem of my lace blouse. I lean up and he lifts it over my head, stopping as his eyes catch my fire-red bra. My cheeks warm as I know I don’t have much going on upstairs. If only I could take some from my junk and stuff my bra with it.
“Fuck.” The reverence in his voice speaks to me and I wait patiently for his next move. He reaches out a finger and torturously drags it down from my chin to the base of my neck, continuing its descent down the middle of my chest. Goosebumps flow all over my pale skin and I shiver.
Tate reaches behind me and deftly undoes my bra, pulling it off my arms. Throwing it towards the floor, he then leans forward to kiss under my ear. He trails lingering kisses down my neck and chest to reach my breasts. He kisses, licks, sucks, and gently nibbles on each one in turn.
Continuing his attention down my stomach, he leaves one last warm kiss above the waist of my jeans. He doesn’t take his eyes off my pants as he quickly undoes the button and zip, and little by little, pulls them down my legs, running his fingers along my skin as he goes.
For how hot and heavy it was before, I am surprised at how easy it seems for him to control himself, undressing me so delicately as if unwrapping a long-awaited gift.
Throwing my jeans on the floor also, he sits back and admires the view. I can feel the warmth of Tate’s stare as it travels my body. With only my little red lace thong on, I feel more than vulnerable.
Leaning up, I pull at his shirt. Realising what I’m trying to accomplish, Tate reaches behind his neck, grasping the collar, and pulls it off over his head. I gasp as I take in all the colourful artwork that covers his skin. I knew he must have a lot but I wasn’t expecting his, may I say, very firm chest to be covered right across with it. You can’t see where one arm ends and the other begins as the detailed artwork stretches from the knuckles of his fingers and flows right across.
Instinctively, I place my palms on his chest, pausing momentarily before I softly glide them all over the front of his body. Over his pecs and across his hard stomach. Tate takes long deep breaths now as his head is thrown back and his eyes closed.
“I want to explore you,” I whisper.
“I can’t take you touching me like that for much longer, Daisy.”
My body moves on its own accord as I lean forward and place my warm lips over his hard chest where his heart lays underneath.
Tate’s head flies forward and his gaze shoots to me as he growls and looks down at me with wide eyes. I watch as his control snaps and he pushes me back down on the bed. He doesn’t take any more time to admire the view as he swiftly pulls my thong off and throws it away before hurriedly divesting himself of his own cotton boxers.
He looks me over one more time. “Oh, God,” he growls as his eyes fall on my lips, my teeth nibbling on the bottom one. He leans forward to pull it out from under my teeth again, and at the same time as he licks and sucks my lip, he runs his finger down my core and through my folds.
Groaning low in his throat, he pushes a finger inside me causing me to moan along with him.
“Fuck, Harper, you are so wet.” He moves his finger in and out of me at a slow pace with deep thrusts. “I can’t fucking wait any longer.”
He leans up and over me, and I can’t help but lather his chest in soft kisses. I make my way to his nipple and run my tongue around it before nipping it with my teeth.
“Fuck,” he groans.
Sitting back, he rips open the foil wrapper and is sheathing himself in the condom in no time. He leans into me and places the head of his cock at my entrance, teasing me as he pushes the tip in and pulls it back out just as quickly. He continues the torture, and I groan in frustration.
Tate takes my cue and slams into me, holding still. He’s buried deep, and the sensation it sends through me sets my body on high alert.
“Give me a sec.” He releases a long deep breath.
I nod, incapable of words at the feeling of Tate filling me. The feeling far exceeding my expectations.
Tate moves, thrusting long, deep, and slow. My whole body relaxes as it climbs higher and higher with every thrust. It’s sweet and sensual, but highly potent all at the same.
He increases
his speed until he is pounding into me with a force that stretches every muscle and tendon in his arms and chest. I can’t take my eyes off the power of them as he strains and flexes.
Tate pulls out, and my body tenses at the loss. He grabs me by my waist and flips me over onto my belly before pulling my hips up, forcing me onto all fours. For someone of a slimmer build, I’m surprised at how strong he is, constantly carrying and throwing me around.
He slams into me once more with no warning, and I yelp at the shock of it as it strikes me in a completely different way. My body tightens as every plunge hits me and sends fireworks through my core.
The familiar sensations build, and Tate hardens inside me, but before I can let go he has pulled out of me again. I sigh, unsatisfied, and drop my head in frustration. Feet land on the bedroom floor, and I wonder what in the hell is going on. Before I can ask, hands are wrapped around my ankles and I’m swiftly pulled to the end of the bed.
My upper body is lying flat against the soft sheets as my legs hang over the edge of the bed. Tate enters me slowly this time but not wasting a second before he is back at his punishing pace. My body remembers and quickly builds right back up to the verge it was sitting on previously.
Tate pushes and pushes, and I’m experiencing sensations I never have before. One last long thrust and my body shudders, my pussy convulsing around his pulsing cock as he also finds his release.
Coming down from my mind-blowing high, my body relaxes and hangs limply off the bed. Tate thrusts two more times, rubbing out his own release before he slides down onto the carpeted floor, bringing me with him.
I nuzzle into his hard chest, which is now warm and covered in a light sheen of sweat. His cock still pulsing inside me.
“Fuck,” he breathes. “That . . . was . . . something else.”
“Yeah,” I agree, breathless.
I lie in bed on my side, facing Harper, just watching her sleep. After keeping her up most the night, I didn’t sleep once she finally passed out just after three am. I spent the rest of the early hours before the sun came up going over what happened between us.
I have no idea how we got here. How I got so fucking lucky and finally convinced her to give me a chance, but I don’t want to waste a second of it. Don’t want to go to sleep in case I wake up and this was all a dream.
Using my finger, I gently push a piece of Harper’s hair off her face. Her black, short bob is all over the place, her eye make-up is smudged, and she has pillow lines all over the left side of her face, but she is still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
She tries to put on a big front, even with her strong grungy fashion sense, but seeing her like this, completely bare, her lips slightly frowning in their relaxed state, has her looking like the innocent young woman she is.
I want her. Not for one night. Not just for her body. I want her. Her heart and soul, too. Placing my palm on her chest, I feel the steady beat of her heart as her chest slowly rises and falls. She doesn’t even flinch at my touch and I smile to myself, thinking how I must have worn her out.
I take one more minute to enjoy her before I roll out of bed, quickly showering and throwing on jeans and a T-shirt. I head down to the café, knowing it hasn’t opened yet and I’ll only be greeted by Maurice and maybe two other staff members, which if I’m really lucky I can try and avoid.
Entering the kitchen, Maurice is standing behind the grill, singing to himself in Italian. I creep across the kitchen and grab the items I need.
“Good night, was it?” Maurice asks, not even turning to look at me.
I sigh in frustration. What was I doing, thinking I could sneak past Maurice? “It was.”
“Always is, when breakfast is involved the next morning.”
I shake my head, laughing at him. “Careful, old man. This is Harper we’re talking about.”
“Oh, I know. Long time coming, that one.”
“Yeah, I guess it is.”
“Just don’t push her away. She’s not like other women,” Maurice warns seriously.
“Trust me; I know she is nothing like other women. But it’s not me who’s holding back.”
Maurice turns and raises his eyebrows at that piece of information. “Well, don’t give her a reason to hold back.”
“Trust me, I’m trying.”
He nods, and then turns back to the grill while I finish collecting what I need.
“Make sure you tell her to stop by and say hi before she leaves,” he calls over his shoulder as I exit the kitchen and head to make Harper her usual chai tea latte.
The bed dips behind me, waking me from what may well be the best sleep I’ve ever had. I roll over and crack one eye open as the brightness of the room assaults me.
Tate sits next to me, fully clothed in jeans and a green T-shirt, resting against the headboard, legs stretched out in front of him.
His hair is partially wet and he has a wide grin resting across his face.
“Morning,” I mumble.
“Morning, Daisy.”
“Why are you so chipper this early?” I ask, my eyes now closed again.
“It’s not that early.” I don’t have to look at him to know he is smiling. It’s in his teasing tone.
“Shit,” I curse as I fly up in the bed. “What’s the time?”
“Relax. It’s early for you; it’s just not that early for me.”
I look over to Tate and blink rapidly, trying to focus on the tray sitting across his legs that I didn’t notice before. On it rests a selection of Italian pastries, a chai tea latte, and a single daisy.
“I got you some breakfast, that’s all,” he says, like it’s no big deal.
I can’t look away from the tray and specifically, the single daisy.
“Wow, that’s so thoughtful. Thank you,” I whisper in awe.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t had a guy get you breakfast before?”
“No. No, I haven’t.” I look up to meet his gaze.
“Never?” he asks, shock lacing his voice.
“Never.” Warmth floods my cheeks. It’s probably a little unethical to set him up in this way but I need to know what he thinks about last night. Any clue to what he’s thinking or feeling. “What, so you do this for all your casual sexual encounters?” I sass him.
“Well, yeah. It’s good manners . . .” Tate trails off as his phone rings next to him. My eyes automatically go to the screen and Stacey flashes on it. Tate quickly silences the phone and places it back on the bedside table.
My heart drops. Why did I get my hopes up? I hate that I’m already even thinking about commitment. About being his someone special. Here I go again, naïve Harper, taking a few sweet gestures and dirty words to mean something they’re not. This is exactly what got me into this situation in the first place. I shouldn’t have ever slept with him. I have to get out of here.
Jumping out of the bed, I don’t bother hiding myself, knowing it’s only going to slow me down. I quickly scrounge up all my clothes and chuck them on.
“I’m really sorry. I have to get home and get ready for work.”
“I know.” Tate watches me closely. “That’s why I woke you early. You have plenty of time. Sit, have something to eat.” Yes, early. Why would she, whoever she is, be calling so early?
“I really have to go.” I jump around on one foot, trying to slip my shoe on.
He narrows his eyes at me. “Harper.” There is warning and question in his tone.
“I’ll see you later, okay?” I wave as I hastily exit his bedroom, grabbing my purse and heading to the door. “Bloody women,” he mumbles as I reach the front door and close it behind me.
I don’t stop thinking about Tate all day. All the way back to my apartment, and the whole time I’m getting ready for work. Even at the art gallery, I float around all day in a daze. The tenderness between my legs is a constant reminder of him.
I’m worried about what last night means for Tate and I. Will we still be able to be friends? I’m sure
it has hardly effected him, so really it comes down to whether I can handle still seeing him every day. I know I shouldn’t have done it. How long had I fought it? Yet I can’t bring myself to regret it.
How could I? I think it was one of the best nights of my life.
Lying on my couch and pouting about last night is not going to help solve anything. I hop up to head to my bathroom to get ready for my last date.
Dane is the last guy I have been talking to online and I cancelled my ‘Find The One’ membership earlier today. I definitely think I gave it a good go but it’s obviously not for me. I tried to cancel my date with Dane but he was pretty insistent, saying how much he had looked forward to meeting me, blah, blah, blah. Another sweet talker, that’s all, and once again I got sucked right in, agreeing to keep the date.
I did, however, try to move the date to a restaurant on the other side of the city, but was unsuccessful in my pursuit, as he had worked his schedule around the café.
Dressing casual, I choose jeans and a black knitted sweater with my black army boots. I really can’t be bothered, and I know my outfit reflects my bad mood.
Dawdling to the café, I consider turning around and coming home at least five times in the short walk. I could message Dane and say I’ve suddenly come down ill. Maybe something serious, like measles or the mumps.
Releasing a deep sigh, I push open the café door, which feels twice as heavy as it did yesterday. Before I get a chance to look for Tate, Dane stands at a table and waves me over.
His pictures didn’t exaggerate his good looks at all. He has the same bleach-blond hair and warm tanned skin, which also confirms his love of surfing. He’s wearing tan cargo shorts with a light blue polo, and I should really be more excited about this gorgeous man in front of me.
Actually, he’s so beautiful it makes me wonder why he would be dating online. I have no doubt he could get any woman’s attention he wanted.
I scan his hairline and gaze at his crouch a little too long before my eyes move to his shoes. I remember things may not always be as they seem.
Whatever You Do Page 12
