Sweet Harmony (Harmony Falls, Book One)

by Elizabeth Kelly

  She muttered a curse and, worried that he would change his mind, she shrugged out of her cardigan and ripped her tank top over her head before he could stop her. “Yes. I’m positive.”

  She was wearing a pale green bra and her nipples pushed against the thin fabric. He cupped her waist and pressed a kiss against her collarbone before sliding his hands up her ribs. She was arching her back before he even cupped her breasts and he made a low chuckle before licking her throat. “So needy, sweet Kira.”

  He licked and nipped her throat, his hands still resting against her ribs. She grabbed them and tried to tug them upward, making a noise of frustration when she couldn’t move them. “Connor!”

  He laughed again and she cried out when one big hand cupped her right breast. His thumb rubbed over her nipple and she arched, her hands clutching at his upper arms through his t-shirt.

  “Such hard nipples,” he said before plucking at one through her bra.

  She mashed her mouth down onto his, kissing him with frantic need. He let her suck on his tongue, let her explore every part of his mouth as he continued to knead and cup her breasts through her bra.

  “I want more,” she demanded.

  He smiled at her, unclasped her bra and tugged the straps down her arms. He tossed her bra aside. Any feeling of self-consciousness disappeared at the look of pure hunger on Connor’s face when he stared at her naked breasts.

  He reached out, she was surprised to see his hand trembling, and gently cupped her naked breast. His hand covered her breast completely and she felt a moment of embarrassment that washed away when he rubbed his thumb over her nipple.

  “Oh my God!” She grabbed at his arms again as he cupped both her breasts and teased her nipples with his thumbs.

  Holy crap, she knew her nipples were sensitive, but the touch of Connor’s fingers was sending butterflies careening and crashing about her belly like they were drunk. She could only watch helplessly as, for long moments, Connor teased and tormented her aching nipples with tugs of his fingers and caresses of his thumbs. He pulled on her right one and then gave it a little pinch, leaning forward and kissing her collarbone when she gasped.

  “Sorry, honey.”

  “No,” she gasped again, “I, uh, I liked it.”

  He kissed her neck, his hands kneading her breasts and she made a low moan. “Connor, you promised you’d suck on my nipples.”

  He kissed just below her earlobe before sucking on the lobe. “Did I?”

  “Yes.” She grabbed his shirt and yanked on it. “Take this off.”

  He pulled it over his head, and she touched the coarse hair on his chest before kissing his collarbone. He groaned, and she gave him a delighted look before licking his throat. He muttered a curse and pressed one hand between her tits.

  “Lie back, Kira.”

  She fell onto her back on the couch, wiggling over to give him room as he laid on his side next to her. Pain crossed his face and she paused. “You okay?”

  “Fine,” he said.

  “Are you sure? You look a little… oh God!”

  Connor had bent and kissed her nipple and she forgot about her worry at the touch of his firm lips. He licked the tip of her nipple and she clutched at his head, her body arching up and her mouth dropping open as she sucked in a gasp of air.

  He kissed and licked around her nipples for long moments, never quite giving her what she wanted, as she moaned and squirmed on the couch. He cupped her right breast and pulled at her nipple before licking her left nipple.

  “Connor!” She couldn’t stand the torment a moment longer.

  “Yes, little Kira?”

  “Please!”

  He smiled up at her before licking her nipple and then blowing lightly on it. “I don’t want you alone with Daniel anymore.”

  “I – what?” She could barely think past the need.

  “You’re my girlfriend and I don’t think it’s appropriate that you’re alone with Daniel. Do you agree?” He licked her nipple again before nipping the soft underside of her breast.

  “Okay, yeah, sure, I agree.”

  He kissed her nipple, his mouth hovering over it as he stared up at her. “No more spending time with Daniel alone.”

  “Connor, please.” She tried to push his mouth onto her nipple but couldn’t budge his damn head an inch.

  “Promise me, little Kira. You won’t be alone with Daniel.”

  “I won’t be alone with Daniel,” she said. “I promise. I promise I’ll never be alone with him. Just please, Connor… your mouth, please.

  His hot, wet mouth closed around her nipple and sucked. She cried out, her hands fisting in his dark hair as he sucked hard. Each pull of his mouth sent an arrow of pleasure straight to her pussy. When he shifted and his thigh pushed between her legs, she hooked her legs around it and humped his thigh shamelessly as he moved back and forth between her nipples, sucking and licking on the sensitive tips.

  He shifted again and she could feel his erection poking against her hip. She grabbed his arms and pulled on them, widening her legs and trying to get him to slip between her thighs. Now that they’d had the attention of his mouth, her breasts were no longer aching as bad, but the ache had moved lower and deeper, directly between her legs.

  If she’d thought the ache and throb of her tits were bad, it was nothing compared to the throbbing of her pussy. She needed relief and knew exactly how she could get it.

  When Connor didn’t move, she groaned with frustration and reached down, grabbing his thigh just above his knee and giving it a hard yank to try and move him over. He made a harsh cry of pain and she let go of him immediately, giving him a horrified look.

  He struggled to sit up, his face pale and his body trembling. She scrambled back, staring at him as he rubbed his right knee, his lips drawn down with pain and little drops of sweat breaking out on his forehead.

  “Connor?” She touched his naked back. “Connor, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “It’s fine,” he gritted out.

  He was lying and she gave him a helpless look. “What should I do?”

  “Nothing. Just give me a minute.”

  Feeling sick to her stomach, she yanked her tank top over her head before sitting quietly next to him. After a few minutes, he relaxed a little and took in a deep breath.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said.

  “It isn’t your fault.”

  “It is,” she said. “I’m very sorry.”

  “It’s okay.”

  She chewed on her bottom lip. “What happened to your knee?”

  “Tweaked it during the game last night,” he said.

  She frowned. Why was he lying to her?

  “Grace said she’s seen you limping at the office. Did you injure it when you were a kid?”

  He tensed and grabbed his shirt from the floor, shoving it over his head. “It’s fine, Kira.”

  “That isn’t what I asked,” she said.

  He sighed. “Yes, I hurt it when I was younger and sometimes it acts up.”

  “Oh. I’ve got an ice pack in the fridge. I’ll grab it.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t bother. I’m fine.”

  “You’re obviously not fine,” she said. “What did you do to it when you were a kid?”

  “None of your business,” he said.

  She gave him a hurt look. “We’re dating, Connor. This seems like something I should know.”

  “We’re fake dating,” he said. “And I’m not talking about my knee injury with you.”

  He stood up and limped his way to the door. “This was a mistake. I gotta go.”

  She jumped up and followed him down the hallway. “Are you kidding me? Why do you get to be the one to decide when it’s a mistake or not? You were the one who started this with your damn touching and your-your nipple talk during the game!”

  He glared at her. “I wouldn’t have even been over here if you hadn’t invited Daniel to come over.”

  “I didn�
�t invite him over, he asked, and I said yes because it’s something we do all the time.”

  “Yeah, well, you have a boyfriend now, remember? Letting him hang out here when I’m not around is a slap in my face.”

  “It’s not real,” she said. “We aren’t actually dating!”

  He glared at her. “He doesn’t know that and no one else does either. If you want Daniel to buy this relationship, then you need to think about your actions and act like you and I are dating for real. It’s that simple, Kira.”

  “Fine,” she snapped. “I fucked up. I get it. I’ll try to be a better fake girlfriend in the future.”

  “Good.”

  There was tense silence between them and then Connor took a deep breath before running his hand through his hair. “Fuck. Okay, I’m being a dickhead and I apologize. I know you want to be with Daniel, and I’ll do my best to help you achieve that goal, but you have to use your head about this. He’s not going to be jealous if he thinks this isn’t real.”

  “I said I get it,” Kira replied. “No need to elaborate. I’ll do better in the future.”

  He looked like he was going to say something else, and she crossed her arms over her chest, giving him a cool look. “Good night, Connor.”

  “Good night.” He yanked open the door and stepped out onto the porch. He slammed the door behind him, and she gave his retreating back the bird before making a screech of frustration and stomping back to the kitchen.

  Chapter Ten

  “What’s wrong with you tonight?”

  “Nothing. What’s wrong with you?” Kira said.

  Gideon patted Tank’s head before leaning against the counter. “You’re acting weird.”

  “You’re acting weird.”

  He rolled his eyes and grabbed a tart from the cupboard. “Have you shown that tech guy the properties yet?”

  “No, that doesn’t happen until Friday.” She stared at her hands as Gideon sat down across from her.

  “Nervous?”

  “Yeah. If I can’t find a property he likes and wants to purchase, I’ll lose my job.”

  “Sorry, kid,” he said.

  She shrugged. “I just need to think and stay positive. There has to be something he likes, right?”

  “Yeah. How are things going with your new boyfriend?”

  “Don’t say it like that.” She scowled at him as he shoved the rest of the tart into his mouth.

  He chewed and swallowed before saying, “It’s Wednesday and we still haven’t talked about it.”

  “You’ve been busy at work and there’s nothing to talk about. I’m dating Connor.”

  “But you’re in love with Daniel,” Gideon said.

  “No, I had a pointless crush on Daniel that I’m now over.”

  He studied her silently and wilted under his gaze. She hated how her brother could always tell when she was lying.

  “I haven’t seen Connor’s car here since Saturday,” he said.

  She glared at him. “Are you spying on me?”

  He gave her a grin, not the least bit ashamed. “It’s not spying when I’m a cop, Kira. It’s called doing my job.”

  “It’s called spying and you need to stop. Besides,” she lied, “I’ve been at his house a couple of times this week.”

  “Now I know you’re lying,” he said.

  “Shut up.”

  “Connor lives in an apartment, not a house,” he said.

  “How do you know that?”

  “I’m the sheriff,” he said as if that answered everything.

  “Well, I just,” she waved her hands around, “meant house in general.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s Connor’s address?”

  “I don’t know his exact address, Gideon.” Sweat was dripping down her back. “Hey, did you see they have steaks on sale at Safeway? I know you’ve been itching to barbeque again.”

  “Stop changing the subject. Where does Connor live. Just give me a general area of town.”

  She stared at him before sighing. “Fine, I don’t know where he lives, all right?”

  “You’ve been dating him for almost three weeks, and you don’t know where he lives,” Gideon said.

  “Don’t make a big deal out of it,” she said. “He usually comes here.”

  “Kira, you’re hiding something from me,” Gideon said. “Why?”

  “I’m not. God, Gideon, I’m not a little kid anymore. Stop treating me like one.”

  Gideon tapped his fingers on the table and Tank sat up, making a soft ‘woof’ as he stared toward the front door.

  “I realize you’re not a kid, but you’re my kid sister and I’m going to worry about you. Especially if you’re dating someone who isn’t a good guy.”

  “Connor’s a great guy,” she said. “You hate Daniel, I would think you’d be happy that I’m dating someone else and finally over him.”

  Gideon stood and leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. “I would be if I thought you were actually over Daniel. Come by the house tomorrow night at six for dinner. Bring your… boyfriend with you.”

  “I’ll check and see if he has plans,” Kira said.

  “Love you, kid.” Gideon whistled for Tank and the big dog lumbered to his feet and followed him out of the kitchen.

  “I love you too.” Kira waited until the door shut before grabbing her phone. She hesitated and then typed Connor a quick message. She hadn’t heard a word from him since Saturday, and to be honest, she wasn’t even sure if they were still fake dating. He’d been super pissed when he left.

  Yeah, well, that’s not your fault. He was the one who was acting all weird and shit.

  It was true, he had been acting weird and shit. She’d had supper with Grace last night and, without telling her what happened on Saturday, asked her what Connor’s mood was like.

  “Terrible,” Grace had sighed. “He’s been a real bear all week. Why? Did you two have a fight?”

  She’d brushed off the question and although she could tell that Grace wasn’t buying any of her excuses, she didn’t question Kira further.

  She stared at her message, rereading it quickly.

  Hey. My brother wants us to come over for dinner at his place tomorrow night around six. Are you available? Fair warning, he’s even more suspicious because I couldn’t tell him where you lived.

  She hit send and then hesitated before typing some more and sending it.

  Hope your knee is better. Are we even still fake dating?

  She didn’t have to wait long for a response. Her phone dinged and she scanned his text a little too eagerly.

  Hi. Yes, we’re still fake dating and yes, I’m available for dinner tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at quarter to six.

  She slumped in her chair. That was it?

  What were you expecting? Her inner voice sounded grumpy.

  She didn’t know, she supposed. It’s not like he would tell her he missed her or something. Or that, like her, he’d slept terribly the last four nights with weird sex-dreams that left him cranky and sexually frustrated.

  She rubbed her forehead before leaving her phone on the table and heading upstairs to draw a bath. Maybe the combination of a hot bath and – her cheeks flushed – some dedicated time spent masturbating would help her actually sleep tonight.

  * * *

  Worried his knee was still bothering him, she was waiting on the porch when he pulled into the driveway the next night. She hurried down the stairs and climbed into the car, giving him a tentative smile. “Hey.”

  “Hi, Kira.”

  “Thanks for doing this.”

  “Of course.”

  “My brother lives on Wilshire Avenue.” She put her seatbelt on as he pulled out of the driveway.

  “All right.”

  There was silence and hating the awkwardness between them, she said, “Connor, I -”

  “Kira, I shouldn’t -”

  They both stopped and she smiled at him. “Go ahead.”

  “I shouldn’t have acted th
e way I did on Saturday. I’m sorry. I was wondering if we could just, I don’t know, forget the fight and start over? I was in pain and being an idiot.”

  “Yeah, I’m - I mean, I wasn’t exactly acting mature, so, I’m sorry too.”

  “So, truce?” His dimple deepened when he smiled at her and a healthy dose of lust washed over her.

  “Truce.” She silently thanked God she’d had the foresight to wear a tank top, t-shirt and a thick sweatshirt to hide her traitorous nipples. She’d discovered over the last few days that just thinking about Connor and his perfect mouth, made her nipples go hard. Seeing his mouth in person, with that stupidly adorable dimple, proved she didn’t stand a chance.

  The idea that her brother might realize she was horny was too horrifying to even properly comprehend.

  “So, uh, how was work this week?” she asked.

  “Good, busy. How about you?”

  “It’s been good. I have an appointment on Friday to show a client some commercial properties.”

  “Oh yeah?” He glanced at her. “That sounds promising.”

  “It is. It’s kind of weird though, he said I was recommended to him, but I don’t know who would have done that. I asked Rose and Ray if maybe they had done it, but neither of them had even heard of the guy before he came into our office.”

  “Strange,” he said as he turned onto Wilshire.

  “I thought so,” she said. “Gideon’s house is third on the right.”

  He pulled into the driveway and parked before shutting the car off. She smiled at him. “I’m going to apologize in advance for the grilling you’re about to get from my brother.”

  He grinned at her. “It’s cool. I can handle some big brother grilling.”

  She sighed as she climbed out of the car. “See, you think you do, but you haven’t been subjected to Gideon yet. I mean, we’ll be lucky if he doesn’t handcuff you to the chair and, I don’t know, waterboard you or something.”

  He laughed out loud as they met in front of the car. When he held out his hand, she took it and made a little squeak of surprise when he pulled her in close. “Don’t worry about me, little Kira. I promise I won’t crack under the pressure.”