Paradise City: Harrison Series Book 1

by L. L. Ash

  “Oh, she was just telling me about what an amazing lover you are,” I told him, giving him the stink eye.

  Tyler winced.

  “It was a big mistake…. I knew that before it even happened…. We were broken up, Sam.”

  “I know,” I agreed, waiting for him to unlock the door to the suite.

  He hip bumped the small black square before opening the door.

  “How do you do that?” I asked, looking at the square.

  “Key card,” he said, pulling out his wallet before adding, “You’re changing the subject.”

  “I thought you’d appreciate a change of subject?” I mused, as I dug through his wallet for the key card.

  A thick white card was tucked into a pocket under the other card slots and I assumed that was what I was looking for.

  “Not if you’re going to be weird about it,” he said, still holding the door open.

  I waved the card in front of the black box and it turned the handle light green. Nifty technology.

  “You weren’t the only one who had sex while we were broken up,” I told him haughtily, thrusting the card and wallet at his chest for him to put away.

  He let out a barking laugh.

  “Oh yeah. Connor told me ALL about that.”

  “You only know his side,” I said, realizing I was losing this argument badly.

  “I only need one side. With sex that bad, nobody wins.”

  “And you know this from an abundance of experience?”

  “I’ve had quite enough, actually. After we broke up I learned that lesson very well.”

  The thought warmed my heart in a twisted sort of way.

  “What’re you two going on about?” Scott asked as he came in the door.

  “Oh, I just found out Tyler had sex with Georgiana.”

  “You what?” Scott asked, his head shooting up from his phone.

  “Thanks, Sam,” Ty said sarcastically.

  “You’re welcome,” I said, plopping down on the couch, removing my black heels.

  “Georgiana? Really Ty? You couldn’t have found an insignificant person? A person you’d never see again?”

  “It was stupid, I know. Give me a break,” he begged.

  Scott gave a disappointed sigh and said, “I’m leaving this to the two of you. I’m not getting involved.”

  He went back out the door.

  Tyler leaned against the counter in the kitchen in silence. His back was to me and I watched him as he stood there, unmoving.

  I got up, slowly making my way to him. His head was bent, the bridge of his nose pinched between his fingers.

  “I forgive you,” I told him.

  “I didn’t ask for your forgiveness,” he said. “But thanks all the same.”

  “I need to get home,” I told him as I gathered my purse. “I promised Dad we’d hang out. He wants to hear all about my first day.”

  “Ok,” he said, lifting his head long enough to press his lips to mine before he went toward his room without a backward glance.

  The goodbye was colder than normal. But I knew he had a lot on his mind and I was tired myself.

  After making it home Dad happily sat me down in the living room and questioned me about everything I'd done throughout the day. I told him all about what had happened, the work I was doing, but I left out the little tidbit about Tyler and Georgiana.

  Dad was beaming proud of me, saying over and over again how glad he was the I was moving up in life.

  “Well, I’m pooped,” I told dad eventually. “And I get to have another adventurous day tomorrow.”

  “Ok, Sweetheart. Take care of yourself. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Love you Dad,” I said before kissing his cheek and going to my room. I showered, braided my hair, lotioned my whole body then laid luxuriously in my bed. It wasn’t as comfortable as Tyler’s, but it was my own, and that had a certain appeal.

  I was nodding off when my phone dinged.

  -I miss you already.

  Tyler wrote.

  -Why aren’t you asleep?

  I asked back.

  -Can’t. Can’t fall asleep without you here.

  -That’s sweet.

  -It sucks. I’m exhausted but I can’t rest. I need you.

  -I miss you too. Wish you were here. It’s nice to have the bed to myself, but I miss my big hard teddy bear.

  -I can be there in 10.

  -My dad would flip.

  -I’ll sneak in. Haven’t done that in years so I could use the practice.

  -Are you serious?

  -Yeah. Unless you don’t want me to go over.

  I thought about it for a long minute. Dad would be furious if he found Tyler in my bed, but maybe he didn’t need to know.

  -I’ll see you in 10.

  I wrote back.

  He didn’t write back again. Instead I heard a light tapping at my window 9 minutes later.

  I swept the curtains away, and Tyler was standing there wearing pajama pants, t-shirt and a grin.

  I unlocked then slid the window open, and Tyler shimmied the screen off the window frame.

  “Be grateful we life in a 1 story,” I said with a muffled laugh.

  “2 stories are way hard,” he said as he climbed through the window.

  “I’m not going to ask how many windows you’ve climbed through,” I told him before pulling his head to mine and kissing me.

  “I missed you so much….” he told me in a whisper. “I’m glad I’m here with you.”

  “I’m glad you’re here too,” I whispered back.

  He kissed me again then looked at his dirt and grime stained fingers.

  “I don’t think anyone’s cleaned that window screen since the house was built.”

  “Probably not,” I agreed and giggled.

  He kept wiping at his hand but the grime wouldn’t budge.

  I escaped to the bathroom, grabbing a clump of toilet paper before wetting it and bringing it back to Tyler.

  “Thank you,” he said and wiped his fingers again as I got into bed.

  When he felt sufficiently clean he tossed the wet TP in the waste basket near my desk before coming to lay beside me.

  We didn’t speak anymore. We just cuddled. As Tyler slept I realized that we’d hit a rather landmark day. There was no sex, no making out. Only the couple heated kisses in his office earlier in the morning and the few pecks we shared throughout the day.

  We’d finally reached the point where intimacy was about being together and sharing each other, rather than physical closeness.

  With that thought on my mind I fell asleep smiling.

  My alarm clock woke me at 6:30 and at immediately I realized Tyler was still beside me. I gasped, shook him awake with a start and pushed him out of the bed. He fell on the floor with a thump.

  “Dad’s going to see your car!” I yelled in a whisper.

  “I parked down the street,” he told me with a yawn. “He won’t recognize it as mine, I promise.”

  Relief rushed through me until I thought about Dad coming into the room and finding Tyler.

  “You have got to go,” I told him, jumping out of bed myself before there was a knock on the door.

  “You ok? It sounds like you’re training an elephant in there.”

  “Just clumsy this morning!” I lied through the door and my teeth.

  “Ok, well I’m heading to work. See you tonight.”

  “I’ll be going to Tyler’s tonight Dad,” I told him.

  “Can I come in so we can talk about this?”

  “I’ll be home tomorrow evening. And I’d love to have a movie night with you,” I told him.

  “Ok,” he said quietly. “I’ll see you tomorrow….”

  As Tyler and I sat in silence. I heard the front door close as Dad headed off to work.

  We sat and looked at each other in relief, but at the same time I wished I had been able to see Dad and say goodbye. It almost seemed like the strong relationship Dad and I’d ha
d for so long was dissolving so quickly I couldn’t keep up. I could tell Dad was depressed and lonely, but I couldn’t get myself to stop my selfishness long enough to help him through this transition.

  With a sigh I stood and gathered some clothes. We tried to shower together in the tiny tub/shower but eventually I hurried to finish so he could have some water.

  “Now you know how the rest of the world lives!” I shouted at him above the sound of the water.

  “You middle class folks live a hard life,” Tyler said with sarcasm.

  I laughed and hurried to put on my makeup.

  We arrived at the hotel early enough so that he could go up to the suite to change and get ready before work, so I made my way to the office about 20 minutes before Tyler or Scott made their way down. Georgiana was there working on paperwork already.

  “Sam,” she said urgently. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea! I’d never had said those things if I knew you two were together….”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I told her with a genuine smile. “If I blew up every time I heard about Tyler sleeping with someone else I’d be a constant train wreck. I pride myself on having more self esteem then that.”

  A small smile lit her face.

  “That’s awesome. I think I’d be a horrible, jealous monster if I were you.”

  I just laughed.

  “Ladies,” Scott said as he breezed by, perching against Georgiana’s desk. “How are you two lovely birds today?”

  “Always the charmer,” Georgiana said with a giggle and a small blush.

  “Probably better than a turkey like you,” I answered with a laugh.

  “Oh!” Scott exclaimed, slamming his hand against his chest. “My heart! My heart, it’s shattered! Someone call the ambulance! My heart is broken!”

  “Heart attack already?” Tyler asked as he made his way into the room of offices.

  Scott swiped at the back of his head but he was too quick. Tyler ducked, then pressed against me and placed a swift kiss on my lips before opening his office door.

  “Get to work old man!” Tyler told his father. “Stop flirting with the secretaries and get to something done today! I don’t want to withhold your check.”

  Scott laughed a jolly sort of laugh before swaggering toward his office. Tyler winked at me before closing his own door. The phone rang at that moment and Georgiana answered, trying to cover her grin.

  Chapter 15

  “Are you ready for our movie night?” I asked Dad excitedly the next evening.

  “Oh, Sweetie, I’m sorry but I won’t be able to tonight. I have a date.”

  My heart stopped.

  “A date?” I gasped out.

  “Yeah. I met her last night at the bar down the street. She’s a widow herself. We had a lot in common and she was sweet. I guess I realized with you being gone so much and building your own life without me, I need to start taking care of me and putting my personal life back together.”

  The thought shocked me, but he was right.

  “I figured you would just hang out with Tyler.”

  “Oh, yeah he’ll be excited. I’m happy for you Dad,” I told him and realized I actually meant it.

  “Thanks Sweetie. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Ok,” I said and we hung up.

  I stood beside my car for a long while in thought before I made my way back to the elevator. I called Tyler as I rode it up.

  “Hey Sexy,” he said, answering out of breath.

  “Hey, want some company tonight?”

  “Of course! But I thought you were spending the evening with your dad.”

  “I was supposed to. I just talked to him and he canceled. He had a date.”

  “A date? You’re serious?”

  I nodded, then upon realizing he couldn’t see me I said, “Yeah. Kind of a shock.”

  “Ok, where are you?”

  “On my way up to you.”

  “Ok hang on.”

  I waited in the elevator for about 5 minutes, surprised that nobody called it, then suddenly the elevator jerked up and brought me to the top floor.

  Tyler was there waiting for me.

  “Sorry that took me so long. Had to call security to give the elevator access up here.”

  “Quite the pain if you don’t put the key in from the beginning, huh?”

  “Yeah, nobody comes up here without an escort.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t know it’d be difficult.”

  “No worries,” he said with a grin before putting an arm around me and leading me into the suite.

  “Why are you all sweaty?” I asked as he brushed the wallet in his hand against the black box by the door.

  “I was running.”

  “Where?” I asked as I pictured him running up and down the hallway.

  “In the gym.”

  “Huh?” I asked and he held my hand, pulling me backwards.

  He led me down the hall and opened a door between his room and Scott’s room that I had assumed was a closet until now.

  It was a small, but mighty little gym. There was a treadmill, a Bowflex, and a weight set. I moved inside and saw a pull up bar bolted into the ceiling, hanging about 2 feet down, and a yoga mat rolled up in the corner with a balance ball.

  “How did I not know this was here?” I asked him in shock.

  “Because I don’t need to work out in here with how active you keep me in the bedroom,” He said with a knowing grin.

  I blushed a little.

  “But, I’ve been slacking and lazy the last few days…. As you know. So I thought I’d get sweaty on my own.”

  I cackled at that. It was an unattractive sound.

  “That didn’t come out like I wanted it to,” he said with a chuckle of his own.

  My cackle got louder.

  “I give up. You dirty, dirty girl,” he said with a grin before shedding his shirt and hopping up to the pull up bar.

  He let out some giving-birth breaths while he crossed his ankles and pulled himself up over and over again.

  “I don’t get to work out much since I don’t go to quarterstaff fights anymore.”

  “Why don’t you?” he asked in a labored breath.

  “I’m too busy. Besides, on my time off I’d rather hang out with you.”

  He grinned and let got of the bar, leaning over to kiss me before hopping back up, his arms twisted in a different position than before.

  “Well I just got started so you’re welcome to work out with me.”

  The thought was enticing.

  I ran into his room and shed my clothes, grabbing a pair of booty shorts I usually wore to bed, and a white cotton ribbed sleeveless undershirt Tyler wore sometimes. I considered wearing my underwire bra, but the thought of working out in it, then getting it sweaty prompted me to drop it. I would just go braless since I didn’t have a workout bra with me. I would have to remember to grab one next time I was at home. I pulled on the shorts and undershirt before joining Tyler in the gym.

  “Hot damn!” he explained when he saw me from the treadmill. “If that’s what you’re going to wear working out, let’s do it every day!”

  I laughed and went to the pull up bar. Though I’d not used one since freshman year of highschool, I was pretty sure I’d be able to do at least one or two. Tyler had made it look easy.

  He lowered the speed of the treadmill so he could twist around and watch me. I only felt a little conspicuous.

  1,2,3 was all I got before my hands slipped and I fell.

  “Not bad,” He called at me, a grin on his face.

  I threw up my middle finger at him without looking his way before getting up.

  He burst into laughter and turned the speed back up. After doing some rows on the Bowflex, Tyler grabbed some weights and waved me over. I grabbed the 15 pounders and he grabbed the 35 pound pair before showing me some exercises. I was shaking and sweating and out of breath in about 15 minutes. Maybe it was closer to 10. I wasn’t entirely sure.

 
“I give up,” I told him, dropping the weights.

  “Well I got you sweaty enough to see through your shirt, so my job is done,” he said and collapsed on the Bowflex bench.

  “You cannot,” I rolled my eyes at him, but chanced a look down. Sure enough my skin and the pink tone of my nipples showed through the thin damp cotton.

  “You’re just lucky,” I started, and then the door opened.

  “Hey, party in the gym,” Scott said as he walked in, a towel wrapped around his neck.

  He opened his mouth to speak again until Tyler and I spun around to look at him. His eyes widened, and his open mouth turned slack for a moment before it snapped shut with an audible popping noise.

  Tyler quickly stood, turning me around and motioning me with his eyes to cover myself.

  Then it occurred to me the conversation we were just having about my see-through top.

  “Oh, Dear God!” I groaned as I threw my hands over my chest, crossing the arms in a secure and covering position.

  I ducked my head and ran past Scott, out of the room before slamming Tyler’s door.

  There was the faintest call of my name, but I was too horrified to answer. I wasn’t sure how I kept ending up in these situations. How Scott managed to keep finding me in these awkward states of dress, or undress as it were. First I was in a bra the second time he ever saw me, then I was pantsless on the toilet a couple weeks ago after the Plan B debacle. And now I might as well have been topless for how well you could see through the damp cotton.

  To say my face turned into a tomato was not an exaggeration.

  I’d lived with my dad for 2 decades and he hasn’t seen as much of me as Scott has in just a matter of months.

  “Sam,” Ty said, peeking his head into the room. “It’s ok, Babe. No harm done.”

  I just sat and glared at him.

  “Babe, it’s fine. It’s not like Dad hasn’t seen boobs before.”

  “Not MINE,” I said in a growl, more angry at myself than him.

  “Seriously, it’ll be forgotten by tomorrow.”

  I wasn’t sure if I was comforted or insulted by the statement.

  He came in and sat down next to me putting his arm around me.

  “C’mon. Let’s go eat something. It’ll make you feel better.”

  I nodded, but first put on my lounging pants and a baggy t-shirt.