Harlow (The Hastings Series Book 2)

by Vanessa Sienna

  “I might ask him,” I said and smiled. Jagger wouldn’t say no.

  “Good. And as much as I appreciate Jagger letting you wear his sweatshirt, I want you to have one of mine instead. That’s fucking corny, Jesus Christ,” he mumbled and brushed his hand through his hair, shaking his head.

  I laughed, my nose crinkling up in amusement. “A bit. But I’d love to have one of yours. Just to…keep you close.”

  He let out a laugh and then grinned. “Oh, good.” This time, I was the one leaning forward to kiss him. I wasn’t sure how we would ever make it in time to eat dinner with Jag and Bliss, but being five minutes or even ten late would be all right, I thought.

  His tongue curled around mine as soon as I touched his and I couldn’t help but let out a small moan. He pulled me closer, his arms around my waist tightly and the kiss deepening more and more. It felt good, noticing how passionate he was. His kiss was slow yet determined and I was sure that was all I ever wanted.

  My hands made their way back into his hair, grabbing fistfuls and pulling at them slightly, knowing he liked the feeling of it. My heart was full, and even if I was the one being corny, I could feel our heartbeats’ rhythm match.

  His hands moved, making their way down to my behind. He cupped both of my butt cheeks and squeezed, making me moan. “God, your ass is perfect,” he said into the kiss and I couldn’t help but smile. Compliments he made about my body always surprised me, then excited me. I didn’t do any sports and I was just lucky to have some good genes. Also, I didn’t eat as much, yet I had some curves I was proud of.

  “I think we’re getting a bit carried away,” I told him, not able to get away. He made it so hard to just stop making out or touching him.

  He let out a low chuckle, then we both managed to get some distance between us. He looked at me with a cocky grin, then brushed my hair back from my cheeks, cupping my face into his hands. “What are you doing to me?” he said, almost whispering.

  Frankly, if I had the answer to the same question for him, I would tell him.

  Chapter Ten

  Harlow

  We made it to the diner and sat down at the booth Bliss reserved for us. The table was set for four and I noticed Bliss was not wearing her uniform. She sat down on the other side of the table, grinning widely and letting her eyes go from Hunter to me several times without ever saying a word. That made me laugh and I wrinkled my nose, tilting my head to the side.

  “Why are you looking at us like that?” I asked.

  “I have this gift of knowing when two people are in love,” she simply said, making me slowly but surely realize what she was on about.

  Hunter rolled his eyes, leaning back. “You also have the gift of being an annoying shit,” he murmured, making me sigh and shake my head. “Hunter…”

  “You two came in here smiling and holding hands like a married couple. First time I’ve seen him like that, and I think I like it.” Bliss was still smiling brightly at us. I noticed Hunter’s hand on my thigh, which had been lingering there since we sat down.

  I pressed my lips into a thin line, trying not to turn red all over my face. I wasn’t sure what to answer so I just kept looking down at his hand.

  “Get used to it.” Hunter’s simple response was better than I had imagined. I looked up, not being able to hide a smile.

  “Aw, man,” Bliss said. “I was scared at first, knowing how he could get and seeing him treat you like shit. But I got high hopes now.”

  As much as I appreciated Bliss’s words, I felt the tension rising in Hunter. I knew he didn’t like talking about his anger issues. So, I did the only good thing and stepped in before something messy would happen.

  “Hey, Bliss,” I started, looking over at her. “I wanted to say I’m sorry for being rude and pretty much kicking you out.”

  Bliss laughed and waved her hand in refusal. “No need to feel bad, honey. You had every right to be mad and angry. Didn’t take it personally.”

  Thankful for that, I nodded and gave her a smile, relaxing at the thought of her not being angry with me.

  “Ah, and here comes the dirty one outta the bunch,” Bliss said, looking over to my brother who was walking toward us, and she was now grinning again but this time there was something in her eyes I couldn’t quite explain. Almost as if she had a dirty secret. And her calling him the dirty one was probably directed to his dirty clothes from working on cars, right?

  Jagger walked up to our booth, giving Bliss a quick, warning glance and then smiling down at me. He bent his head, kissing the top of mine. “Hey, sweet girl. You feelin’ okay?” he asked, sitting down next to Bliss, who now scooted over to sit opposite of Hunter. I nodded, returning his smile.

  “I feel fine,” I told him.

  Jagger acknowledged my answer with a nod, then turned his gaze to look at Hunter. I held my breath, wanting to scream at those little voices in my head still telling me that Jagger hated the idea of Hunter and me together. I should’ve pushed those thoughts aside. I knew Jagger probably didn’t like it, but he somehow accepted it.

  “I got a call. It’s done,” Jagger said, taking off his cap and putting it next to him on the table. Hunter gave him a nod and that conversation was already finished. No more questions, no more talking.

  “So, you guys wanna try our new burgers?” Bliss asked, giving each of us a questioning look. I nodded.

  “Sounds good to me.” The guys agreed and Bliss lifted her hand in the air, calling out to her co-worker and telling her to get the four of us those new burgers on the menu. We all ordered our drinks and when the waitress was gone again, Bliss started talking again.

  ***

  Hunter

  My sister’s voice was too damn obtrusive. I loved her but hearing her go on and on about her day at work and how annoying some customers were wasn’t really my passion. To distract me from that squeaky voice, I grabbed Low’s hand in mine and pulled it into my lap, interlocking our fingers. I loved how small her hand was compared to mine, yet it fit right into it.

  When Jagger told me that he got a call I held my breath for a second. It was an important call to let us know whether we had to go after one idiot tonight who thought it was a good idea to break into the cave and mess with Gunner personally. I didn’t feel like working tonight. All I wanted to do was keep Harlow close and not let anybody ruin my night with her. I hadn’t asked her yet if she’d want to come back to my place again tonight, but I was hoping she would say yes.

  When we got the food, Harlow started eating immediately, almost as if she hadn’t had any food in her system in weeks. She let go of my hand, using both of hers to grab the burger and take big bites, making sure one or two fries would get in that mouth too. It was amusing and kinda hot. She didn’t mind people watching her eat or her getting sauce all over her cheeks. Of course, she wasn’t eating like some kind of pig, all messy and dirty. But she enjoyed her food in the most adorable way possible.

  “Jesus, you gonna stare at her some more or start eating too?” Jagger sounded amused yet annoyed.

  “He’s been bitten by the love bug a bit too hard, I think,” my sister explained, making me roll my eyes and grab my own burger now.

  “She’s just fascinating,” I murmured before taking a bite, and out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a silly grin spread all over Harlow’s face.

  At least she was enjoying my embarrassment.

  When did I turn into such a pussy-whipped softie?

  After dinner, we kept on talking about some things, but I mostly listened to Bliss tell her stories about guys she met here and there. Some of the stories were amusing and Harlow listened to them with interest sparkling in her eyes. But something was slightly more amusing than watching Harlow listen to my sister’s men-stories.

  Jagger looked pissed. He rolled his eyes multiple times, shook his head or gripped his hair tightly. It was amusing at first because I thought he was just annoyed by her stories, but then I noticed some sort of jealousy as soon as another guy
was mentioned by Bliss.

  Shit. Were they fucking? I glanced between them, noticing for the first time how close Bliss sat to Jagger. Her voice came off mocking a lot of the time, and I wondered if she was just making him jealous.

  Either way, and no matter if they were fucking, I was the last person allowed to get angry at them. I was with his sister too.

  Though, I wasn’t just fucking Harlow.

  Not yet.

  And even then, love would be involved in it and play a big fucking part too.

  Chapter Eleven

  Harlow

  Living life was much easier knowing the people you loved the most loved you back no matter what. After everything that happened in that short amount of time, I finally felt peaceful. I had Hunter, who wasn’t leaving my side, and any chance he got he spent his time with me. And there was Jagger, who still worked hard and made sure I was healthy and well. And then there was also Bliss, with whom I was spending more time. Of course, that only happened if Hunter was okay with letting me go out with his sister for some hours before kidnapping me back to his place as usual.

  Watching Hunter’s behavior change was incredibly astonishing. Not only was he much calmer with fewer outbursts, but the way he talked to others or reacted to stupid comments about him being ‘pussy-whipped,’ as Jagger liked to call it, was acceptable now. He learned to just let those comments slide and not make a big deal out of it. There were days when Hunter couldn’t keep it in, though. I didn’t know what it was that triggered him, but he had gotten a message, and after reading it he threw his phone against the wall. Right after that, his fist landed on the spot on the wall his phone hit before. Blood ran down his forearm thanks to his then busted knuckles. I sat there on his couch, watching him pace in front of me and say some words I wished didn’t exist. He pretty much damned the whole town and some guys I didn’t quite catch the names of.

  I waited for him to calm down, hoping I could keep my mouth shut and just be patient. Luckily, I was strong enough to keep in anything I wanted to say to help him relax. It took him about fifteen minutes to sit down next to me, not saying a word and letting me hug his side. He apologized, sighing deeply and kissing the top of my head. I told him it was okay and that I was proud of him for handling this situation that well. Sure, it was kinda stupid to tell him that, but in his mind, it helped reinforce his better behavior.

  Another night we went over to my house, cooking dinner together and eating it with Jagger and Bliss. That was a weird evening. First, Hunter and Jagger discussed business, made a phone call all serious and tense, then came back laughing and took some beer out of the fridge to make a toast.

  “Cheers to us,” they said with a grin and Bliss and I just laughed and grabbed ourselves something to drink too.

  After dinner, Jagger and Bliss suddenly disappeared outside, arguing loudly. We could only hear some muffled sounds on the inside, exchanging looks and making out our own scenarios in our heads. They came back inside, Bliss with a satisfied grin on her face and Jagger looked annoyed.

  It was clear that they had a thing going on. Not sure why they even tried to hide it. I wouldn’t mind them being a couple. If Jagger was happy, that was all that mattered. But the thing that kept them from telling us was Hunter. I could read Hunter all too well now and I knew when he disapproved of something or wasn’t sure what to think of something. No matter if they were dating or just having sex it wasn’t his business and he literally had no right to judge.

  But what was his business was our sex life. Or how I liked to call it: our non-existing sex life. All right, I was exaggerating. After my first time giving him a blowjob, we, well, I started to experiment more. We were all over each other, not being able to get our hands off each other’s bodies. Yet, we never managed to get to the sex part. I was sure it would be coming sooner or later, but two weeks was even too long of a stretch for me. And hell, I had no clue what it really was like. I was just excited to have my first time with Hunter. Knowing he knew what to do made me feel safe.

  Hunter had told me many times that he didn’t want to hurt me. He saw my greenish-yellow bruises around my upper body. “If I’m gonna have sex with you, I want to be able to touch you anywhere,” he said. I wasn’t hurting anymore, and I had told him that multiple times. But he didn’t believe me.

  Of course, I couldn’t wait any longer. Everything else we did, the kissing, the blowjobs I gave him, and the orgasms he made me have, wasn’t off-limits and felt great. I asked Bliss why Hunter wasn’t making the next move.

  “I think he just likes to fuck hard. All men do. They wanna take control over your body,” was Bliss’s response. I awkwardly laughed it off at first, but after asking Hunter about what Bliss had told me he agreed with his sister. Hearing Hunter approving only made me more excited and ready.

  To make sure it was going to happen soon, I called the doctor to ask if I could go by and get checked because I wanted to start working out and I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to yet. Of course, that was a lie, but telling them I wanted to make sure I could have sex without my boyfriend breaking my ribs again because he liked to fuck hard wasn’t an option.

  I told Hunter about the appointment and he quickly agreed to go with me. That was perfect, so he could hear Dr. Sullivan say that I was doing okay. Of course, Hunter didn’t know about the lie I told the nurse. That would just make it awkward. Hunter knew I hated sports and workouts. The only walking I liked to do was at Frankie’s, waiting tables, where I started working again a week ago.

  So, here we were, me sitting on an examination table and Hunter on the seat next to it. He looked a little uneasy, almost worried. When I lifted a brow, he gave me a smile and sighed deeply.

  “Just want you to be fit,” he said. I rolled my eyes, wrinkling my nose.

  “I told you before, Hunter. I feel fine and nothing’s hurting anymore. You just don’t believe me.”

  “Your body is still bruised, love.”

  “So, if the doc says my ribs are healed, will you still not touch me because of the bruises?” I asked. God, why was it so hard to make him fuck me?

  He shrugged. “I don’t wanna break you. That’s all.” I shook my head, murmuring something under my breath. He chuckled, which made me look back up at him only to see him grin like an idiot. “Is there something you want to tell me, sweetheart?” I shook my head once again, hoping he didn’t hear what I said just then. “Harlow.” He raised his eyebrows. “I heard you say something about sex.” Great. So, he did hear something. I sighed this time, looking into his eyes. “Tell me,” he pushed, leaning forward and propping his elbows on his knees.

  “I just want to have sex,” I told him. No need to try and fight him over this. He would get it out of me eventually, so I thought I’d just give up right then and there. The corners of Hunter’s mouth went up, then his lips puckered. “You think I don’t know that?” How dare he even say that? “So why won’t you let me have it?”

  What he said next should’ve been bleeped. Hunter had a dirty mind and even dirtier mouth and I was lucky Dr. Sullivan didn’t come in and hear what Hunter said. “Because every time I fuck your sweet pussy with my tongue and fingers I feel how tight you are and the way you scream my name just from that makes me realize each damn time that the second my dick would push into that sweetness you wouldn’t be able to take it and I wouldn’t be able to stop from pumping into you without mercy.”

  My mouth was dry, but my panties felt wet and hot. I kept staring at him, not able to say a word but imagining everything he just said. “And that’s why. Just making sure you’ll be able to handle me.”

  Whether or not he was trying to scare me or excite me, all I wanted to do was strip naked and fall all over him right in that doctor’s office.

  Chapter Twelve

  Hunter

  Harlow was testing me. While Dr. Sullivan checked on her, her eyes wandered all over my body, pausing at where my cock was hiding underneath my jeans for too long most times. Her gaze was ful
l of desire, that much I could tell. And even after telling her what I wanted to do with her, she didn’t get scared away. Of course, I wanted that too, but I knew the way I could get during sex. I could go slow at first, just to make sure she’d adjust to the feeling of it, but as soon as it felt right and good for her, I wouldn’t hold back.

  I was amused by her attempt to tell me silently how ready she was for it. As a response, I simply smirked at her. That only frustrated her more, and I was sure the second we would get back to my trailer, she wouldn’t hesitate to strip down her clothes and throw herself at me. But that would only happen if Dr. Sullivan told us that she was all healed up and fit again.

  “So, my nurse told me you want to start doing some fitness,” Sullivan said and smiled at Harlow. “I think that’s a great idea. Just some running and fitness? Or are you a team player kinda girl?” he asked, and I raised both brows, giving Harlow a questioning look. Harlow didn’t like any type of sports. She liked walking. But that’s it.

  Harlow suddenly tensed up and pressed her lips into a thin line. She looked at me, then turned slightly red on her cheeks and turned her gaze back to Sullivan. “I just…” she started. I was waiting for a response, but before she continued, I realized why we were here in the first place. I started to grin again, knowing she needed an excuse to come here and get checked. “Just some running,” she told Sullivan and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “That’s awesome. I can assure you that everything is fine. As long as you’re not hurting, you should be good to go on some runs. Your lungs have regained some strength. The bruises are healing up well, so I don’t see a reason why running wouldn’t be a good idea. Maybe it will even help your lungs to get back to their normal state.”