“Taylor, are you okay?”
Harper inhaled deeply.“Remarkably better than I thought I would be.So what happens now?”She looked down at her hand; her fingers were still.Progress.
“Well, they need to process the paperwork, arrange for release, and assign a probation officer.Did you get any more messages?”
“Yes, I have four now.How long?”
“He’ll be out in the next week, maybe even days.Taylor, I still think you should go to the police.”
“Because that worked out so well for me the first time around, right?”Harper couldn’t help herself as feelings of anger and frustration started to bubble over.“To think, if they’d done their job, I’d be with my family, still teaching.I would have felt safe with Nathan in prison.”Harper paused for a minute as the reality hit her.“I’d feel more scared if the police actuallyknewabout this.What would happen if Miami police called Chicago to find out about Nathan, would they tell Chicago where I am?”
“Not if you tell them you have a final injunction, a restraining order, that has no expiration date on it.Nathan, or you, would have to file to have that amended.They’d tread carefully.”
But it wasn’t a guarantee.The only way to get away from him for good would be to run and not tell anyone this time where she was going—not even Lydia.But it was no longer that simple.
***
The floor was moving.Okay, maybe it was the ceiling.Trent fell face-first onto the bed.He squinted at the clock on the bedside table; the flashing green lights starting with a three was all he needed to know.
Holy shit, those boys could drink.They’d gone to a high-end bottle service bar and spent the night in the VIP section.Vodka and tequila had flowed like water.He was more of a beer guy but had held his own.Although now was a different matter, as his head and stomach threatened a rebellion.
Hitting the bathroom for water, he took a good look in the mirror.Christ, he looked rough.Maybe a quick shower while waiting for some of that water to kick in would be a good thing.
Standing under the cool spray, he looked at the little ledge, imagining Harper with her hands on it while she bent over for him.Despite the coldness of the shower, his cock sprang to life and needed some relief.A couple of strokes from him just weren’t going to cut it.
Grabbing a towel, he tried reaching for his phone, missing it twice before closing one eye and actually getting ahold of it.
It rang several times and flipped to voice mail.Trent tried again.Second time’s the charm.
“Hello?”Harper murmured softly.
“Hey, sweetheart.Where are you?”Did he just slur that?He heard her laugh quietly.
“Miami.”
“Ha ha.You’re funny.Did I ever tell you that?No, really, where are you?”
“Bed,” she said with a sigh, and he swore he could hear her fluffing up her pillow and rearranging the comforter.He could see her, lying there naked, like she had been on their first night together.Cheeks all flushed from their lovemaking, her hair spread around her, so messed up, yet so undeniably hot.
“Fuck.Are you naked?”He closed his eyes to stop the walls from moving.
“Not quite, baby.I stole your Tool T-shirt.”
The thought of her in just his T-shirt made him groan.“Wish I was there right now to see you in it.”He started to stroke himself slowly.Long, firm strokes up and down to the sound of her voice.
“Are you drunk by any chance, Trent Andrews?”Her giggle reassured him that she wasn’t mad.
Shit.She was perfect for him.“Would you still have phone sex with me if I was?”
“Really?I’m not sure I…”
Trent was ready for the uncertainty and cut her off quickly, “Yeah, Harper.I’m sure.I’m so hard from thinking about you all day… will you please let me love you?”
“Maybe.It would depend on what you wanted me to do.”
“I want to get you off knowing you’re wearing my shirt.Lift it up to your waist, sweetheart.”He could hear her shuffling around.“Now, I want you to lick two of your fingers.”
There was a long pause, followed by the sound of her doing as he asked.“Okay… what do you want me to do now?”
