Reaching up on her tiptoes, her lips brush my jaw until she reaches my ear.
“Would you like to see my bedroom?”
“It’s not your bedroom I’m all that interested in, Vixen.”
“Let’s take this upstairs just in case Bailey’s date doesn’t go as well as she hoped.”
My eyes widen. I’d not even considered her roommate.
“You make me lose my mind,” I mutter as she points to the stairs. I follow her instructions, carrying her up with me.
“The feeling is most definitely mutual.” She falls silent after saying this into my neck before pulling back to look into my eyes.
“What?” I ask when she stares at me weirdly.
“N-Nothing,” she stutters after a few moments but then clearly changes her mind. “Did… how did you know?”
“Know what?”
“Nothing. It’s this one.” She nods towards the open door, and I step inside before kicking it shut.
Her scent surrounds me as I look around the pink, girly room.
“Wow, this is… unexpected.” Harlow tenses in my arms and tucks her head into my neck to hide. I cast my eyes around her sickly pink walls. It’s like I’ve walked into a little girl’s room.
“Hey.” I thread my fingers into her hair and tug lightly to encourage her out as I lower us and put her on the bed. “Don’t hide from me.”
She looks up and I slide my hand around the back of her neck.
“I’m sorry, I just don’t make a habit of bringing guys here. Like, ever.” She looks away, and I hate that she’s trying to hide whatever it is she’s so concerned about.
“Harlow, am I the first guy to come here?”
She bites down on her bottom lip and a surge of desire races through me. My need to suck it into my mouth and take her all over again consumes me.
“Y-Yeah. I know it’s childish, I just…”
“Sssh,” I soothe, resting my forehead against hers. “I don’t care how you decorate your bedroom. All I care about is the woman inside.” I tense at the admission, and she doesn’t miss it.
Her eyes find mine once again, and she stares into them so deeply. Something crackles between us and I fear that, no matter how much I try, I’m never going to be able to walk away from this woman.
“Why are you here, Corey?” she asks, looking so serious all of a sudden.
“Because there isn’t anywhere else in the world I want to be,” I answer honestly, before crawling over her so she has no choice but to lay back.
Chapter Eighteen
Harlow
“Because there isn’t anywhere else in the world I want to be.”
Even after a handful of more orgasms, I still can’t get those words out of my head.
That comment goes against everything he said about not wanting a future or anything serious. He wanted to be here again with me, and I’d like to think it wasn’t just for sex, seeing as he’s still beside me with his arms locked around my body.
“Stop thinking, Vix,” he whispers into the top of my head.
My fingers pause where they were trailing around the lines of his six pack, and I risk a glance up at him. His eyes are tired and hooded, his lips swollen from our kisses, and his jaw is covered in so much scruff it could almost be classed as a beard. My thighs clench as I remember just how it scratched them not so long ago “I can’t help it,” I admit. “Today has been…” I trail off, not really knowing how to describe it.
“A clusterfuck?”
I laugh, “Yeah, that’s a good way to put it. When you sent me that text, I thought…”
“That was it between us?”
I nod, not wanting to say the word out loud.
“Honestly,” he says, blowing out a breath, “it could have gone either way at that point.”
I move to push myself from his body but his arms lock, keeping me in place.
“I don’t know what I’m doing here, Harlow. I’ve never… I’ve never done this before.”
“And what is this exactly?” I ask, not wanting to assume we’re on the same page.
“I have no idea. All I know is that I can’t stop. When I’m with you…” He pauses, glancing over my shoulder. “When I’m with you, everything goes quiet. My memories drift away. The only other time I find that kind of peace is when I’m working. I didn’t think it existed elsewhere.”
A giant lump forms in my throat and tears pool in my eyes faster than I can control. When he looks back to me, two have dropped and are making their way down my cheeks.
“Fuck. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I whisper. “I just... I get it.” I wipe at my cheeks, embarrassed that I’m crying right now. “I spent a lot of years trying to drown stuff out. Years that I’m not proud of.”
Corey rolls me over so I’m on my back. He brushes his thumbs across my cheeks to clear the fresh tears.
“Let me help.” His lips find mine and, just like he described, everything falls from my head as I focus on him and the things he does to my body.
“I can go home if you’d prefer,” he whispers when I’m just on the verge of drifting off an hour or so later. “I don’t want to keep you awake again.”
“You’re not going anywhere. I can handle nightmares, Corey. I have enough of my own.”
He falls silent but thankfully, he doesn’t move. His chest rises and falls steadily beneath my cheek. His arm is wrapped tightly around me and his hand is locked on my hip.
I feel safe. Secure. And, I hate to say it, hopeful.
In just a short time, Corey has given me something I never thought I’d ever find. Peace. I know that our realities are still out there. Clearly we both still have a lot to deal with. But suddenly, everything feels that little bit more possible.
“Will you tell me about them one day?” he asks, shocking the hell out of me.
My knee jerk reaction is to say no. I don’t talk about my parents. I barely even mention them to Bailey and my aunt, but never to anyone who doesn’t already know the story. It’s always been too painful to drudge it all back up again.
“One day,” I whisper. “How about you. Fancy talking about it?”
“One day,” he repeats. I might hate that he’s keeping things hidden, but I can’t exactly argue because I’m doing the same.
I drift off in his arms and don’t surface again until my name being called stirs me back to life.
I crack my eyes open to find the sun streaming in through the crack in the curtains and glance at the clock.
Shit, it’s late.
I look at Corey, who’s still sleeping soundly beside me. He’s on his back with his arm thrown over his head, the covers so low that it exposes his toned and inked chest and stomach.
I lose myself following the lines of his tattoos, so I don’t hear the footsteps heading for my bedroom door.
Before I know what’s happening, it flies open and Bailey comes walking in.
“Harlow, why are your clothes all over the living room flo… oh, fuck.” Her eyes go so wide, I half expect them to pop out. “Is that the Brit?”
“Yeah,” he says, “and he’s sleeping.”
“No problem. Could you just push the sheets a little lo—”
“Out, Bailey.”
“But—”
“OUT,” I squeal like a banshee, stirring Corey awake. After rolling her eyes at my over-the-top reaction to her appearance, she backs out of the room.
“It’s not like I haven’t seen one before,” she mutters seconds before the door closes.
“Exactly, your wealth of knowledge is vast. Use your imagination.”
“Bitch,” she calls, making both Corey and I laugh.
“I’m so sorry,” I say, dropping my forehead to his chest.
“There’s something wrong with your best friend.”
“I’m well aware. You know she’s not going to let you out of here until she’s grilled you for at least an hour, right?”
“She can try. I’m n
ot one to kiss and tell. Although, I’m not sure it’s going to be necessary.”
“How comeeee,” I squeal as he flips me onto my back and looms over me.
“She can hear just how good I am.” He pushes my legs apart and settles between them as his fingers find my sensitive center. It’s deliciously sore as he pushes two fingers inside me, reminding me of everything that happened last night. “Always so fucking wet.”
“It’s your ink. I can’t get enough.”
“My ink, huh? You sure it’s not the promise of my cock?”
“Nah. I can take or leave that. Corey!” I screech as he bites down hard on my nipple.
“Louder. Make her really fucking jealous, Vix.”
By the time we roll out of bed sometime later, I’ve no doubt that Bailey—and possibly half the street—knew exactly what was going on.
“I need to shower,” I say, padding to my bathroom as Corey stands deliciously naked at the window, staring at the glorious spring morning outside. “Do you mind? You’ll give some of the neighbors a heart attack.” I run my eyes down his sculpted back and to his ass. I bite down on my bottom lip. It should be illegal to have an ass quite that peachy.
“Just checking out the neighborhood while you check out my arse.”
“Well, if you don’t move, you won’t get a chance to check me out in the shower. But I understand if the old woman over the street who reads in the window is more fascinating.” Before I get a chance to turn away from him, he’s halfway across the room and has my hand in his.
“Let’s go. There’s nothing more fascinating than watching bubbles run down your body.”
“Oh good, you’re both still alive. I started to get worried when all the cries for God and the banging stopped,” Bailey quips when the two of us make it down to the kitchen sometime later. Thankfully, I found Corey’s discarded clothes neatly folded outside my bedroom door when I emerged to go and find them for him.
“Shut up, B. I might suggest you’re just jealous, but seeing as you didn’t come home until this morning, I’m assuming you had yet another successful Saturday night.”
“I’ve had worse, that’s for sure. But you have most definitely had a better morning. For someone who’s been celibate for—”
“Bailey,” I hiss. “Enough.”
“What? I’m just saying that you seem to have remembered how to ride the bike perfectly well.”
“Like a pro,” Corey adds, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me back into his body.
My cheeks burn as Bailey barks a laugh, amusement and delight filling her features.
“Morning, Brit boy. I would say it’s nice to see you, but seeing as you clearly spent the night in her bed and not mine, I’m not so sure it is.”
“Who said we didn’t spend any time in your bed?”
Bailey gasps in mock horror. “Fair play. It was time you got your own back for that night I spent with Harry… Hugo… Henry… Ugh, I don’t remember his name. All I know is he had this massive—”
“You’d better be joking,” I snap, cutting her off from the inevitable.
She winks at me. “I guess you’ll never know.”
“Jesus, you’re a nightmare.”
She shrugs. Her ability to not care about anything is one of the things I admire the most in her. She’s desperate to find the one, but even with her lack of success she still keeps her head up and keeps kissing the frog in the hope that he might be it.
“Who’s for bacon?” she asks, pulling the refrigerator open and poking her head inside.
“As tempting as that sounds, I really need to head off.” Disappointment floods me, and apparently he doesn’t miss it. “Walk me out?” he asks before directing me from the room.
“What? No kiss goodbye?” Bailey calls after us.
“Maybe another day.”
“Don’t even think about it. She kissed Colton once and she’s never let me forget it. My life wouldn’t be worth living if—”
“She kissed Colton?” he asks curiously.
“Yeah, why?”
“No reason.” He pulls me into his arms and closes the space between us. “I wish I could stay.” He rubs his nose against mine and I sigh.
“It’s okay. I’ve got some stuff to do,” I admit, thinking that I need to check on my aunt again.
“Meet me after I finish work?” Hope shines in his eyes.
“Hmm… that depends on what you’ve got to offer me.”
“Dinner and a bad night’s sleep?” he asks with a naughty glint in his eye.
“I’ve got work tomorrow morning.”
“Bring what you need and you can go from mine.”
An idea forms in my head. “Don’t worry about planning anything, I’ve got it covered.”
“Okay.” Intrigue fills his face, but I don’t let on.
“I’m going to miss you,” he murmurs before dropping down to capture my lips.
“I’ll see you later.” I watch as he walks down our driveway and climbs into the car I didn’t realize he’d ordered.
After waving him off, I head back in to join Bailey in the kitchen.
She looks over her shoulder at me from where she stands at the stove, and a smile curls her lips.
“You look really fucking happy.”
I sigh, dropping down into a chair and unable to fight my own smile.
“I know I joke, but he’s really good for you.”
“I think you might be right.”
“So what happened last night, then? You never said he was coming.”
“It wasn’t planned,” I admit. “I was in bed trying to sleep, and he just turned up.”
“Oh, I love a good booty call.”
“Is there anything involving sex that you don’t like?”
“Umm…” She pretends to think for a second before she starts laughing. “So, is this thing getting serious?”
I’m desperate to say yes, but the reality is that I really have no idea. “I don’t know,” I admit. “He tells me he doesn’t do serious or even consider the possibility of a future, but then he turned up last night and told me that he needed me and didn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. I don’t know what to believe.”
She stares at me for a beat before a small smile appears on her lips. “You’ve turned that poor man’s world upside down, H.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Oh, come off it. He might have never wanted a future with anyone before—he was probably telling the truth there—but equally, he’s never met anyone quite like you before. He’s freaking out. You’re showing him something he never thought he wanted.”
“Really?” I hate sounding so unsure, but while he’ll openly admit that this kind of thing is all new to him, I’m not exactly an expert either. I’ve never had any kind of serious relationship. He’s not the only one in uncharted water right now
“Yeah, but it doesn’t really matter. It’s been what? A week? Do you need to put a label on whatever it is yet? Just enjoy it. If it continues then great. If it doesn’t, then you know you tried and enjoyed yourself.”
Her words play out in my mind as we eat our breakfast. Bailey knows me well enough to know that I need time to process this huge change in my life. To anyone else this might be nothing, but I’ve never opened myself up to this kind of possibility before, and as exciting as it might be, it’s equally as terrifying.
“How was your aunt yesterday?” Bailey asks eventually once we’ve finished eating.
I give her a rundown of how I found her, and Bailey’s face shows the exact concern I feel. I told her to call me if she needed anything or was feeling worse, and when I checked my cell when I got up, there was nothing. I can only hope that means she’s feeling a little better.
Bailey disappears to do her thing, and after washing up our mess, I sit down with a coffee to write a list. Selfishly, I don’t want to go out tonight. I want to spend the night in with Corey, so I’m going to treat him to a little of
my home cooking. It won’t be all that impressive, but I’ve got a few signature dishes up my sleeve thanks to my aunt’s teaching skills.
Thankfully, when I get to her, the curtains have all been opened, and even without getting inside the house, I can already sense that it’s a much less depressing place to be today.
“Hello?” I call once I’ve poked my head through the front door.
“In the kitchen, sweetie.”
I make my way through with bags in hand. “Whoa, you look better today.”
“I feel it.” I breathe a sigh of relief. We all know what’s coming, but just seeing the twinkle of life back in her eyes makes me feel so much lighter. I didn’t want to admit it, but I thought yesterday might have been the beginning of the end. The fact that she’s standing here now has tears burning my eyes.
“I just needed a good rest. I’d been doing too much.”
Rolling my eyes at her, I walk over, drop the bags onto the table and kiss her on the cheek.
“So, enough about me. Tell me about you. Have you seen your British man again?”
My cheeks burn, giving her all the answer she needs.
“Oh goodie, I was hoping for some juicy gossip. How about you make us a drink and tell me all about it?”
“Sure thing. Go and sit down.”
“There are cookies in the tin.”
“You made cookies?”
“I fancied a treat. Don’t worry, I did it in the mixer. I hardly moved a muscle.”
I raise a brow at her, relieved that my moaning is finally sinking in. I can’t chastise her for the cookies though, because they’re too damn good.
“So, come on.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me. “Make an old woman very happy.”
“You’re not old,” I mumble around a mouthful of cookie.
“Maybe not, but it’s been a few years, and it’s not like I have any of that in me these days.”
A spray of cookie flies from my mouth at her innuendo. To start with, she looks horrified that I’ve just covered myself in half-chewed biscuit but after a second she realizes what she said and barks out a laugh of her own.
“I didn’t mean it quite like that, but at least I now know you have exciting things to tell me, if your mind is going there.”
Inked: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World) Page 16
