“We need to be friends, first and foremost,” she said, shaking her head and glancing at her hand. She couldn’t look at me, because then it would be even harder to deny what still undeniably simmered between us, ready to ignite at the slightest spark.
“You willalwayshave my friendship,” I assured her, the intensity behind my words bringing her focus back to me. Covering her hand with mine, I continued. “But I’m done wasting time, Harper. I want you back.”
My heart thundered beneath her palm, and the heat of her touch seared into me. She shot me an unamused look, plump lips tugged down in a slight frown—but she kept her hand splayed on my chest.
“There’s still so much we need to talk about. Your career…” she trailed off, shaking her head slowly, the dark tresses moving over her cream top.God, she was beautiful. My eyes swept over her face, lingering on her lips and dropping to her collar bone before rising to meet her expectant gaze.
“Is my career a problem for you?” I inclined my head, eyes searching hers. “Because I’d give it up in a heartbeat.”
“No, I’m not—“ she sighed, trying to unscramble her thoughts. “That’s not what I’m saying. I just…don’t get how it’ll work.”
“Like this,” I murmured, my hand slipping around her waist. I gently dragged her closer, and when she drew in a deep, quick breath—the material of her shirt rose, and my eager fingers brushed tantalizingly slow against her hip bone, driving us both a little deeper into the fire. “My home is here, with the two of you. I know what I’ve missed out on, and I’ll never make the mistake of leaving you again. Either of you. Move in with me.”
Lowering my forehead to press against hers, I breathed in her intoxicating scent.
“You’re getting a little ahead of yourself,” she said breathlessly as my fingers slipped beneath her jeans’ waistband. Her lids fluttered as the pads of my calloused fingers rubbed against her warm flesh, stopping when I reached her hip bone.
I grinned, eyes swirling with devotion and amusement. “I’m behind, actually. By nine years.”
She shot me another unamused look, her brows rising pointedly. “Do you really expect that I’ll just drop everything and move in with you?”
“Not at all,” I shook my head, lips twitching with amusement. “I understand that you want to take things slow, and we will. But it’s a permanent, open invitation; use it whenever you’re ready.”
“Well, I’m not ready right now,” she said, her voice wavering. But even as she spoke, she moved closer to me, sealing the space between us with her lithe body. My eyes dropped to her collar bone, finding it as flushed as the apples of her cheeks. “To move in with you, I mean.”
“That’s fine,” I smiled slowly, the tension and coils of desire wrapping around us both, squeezing all of the air out of the room. Rational thought told me to back up; take it slow, but slow was never in either of our vocabularies—even in the beginning.
Touching her felt right, and for so long, everything had felt wrong. Off. I tried to fill the void, but it was like a black hole; nothing satisfied its immense hunger, except her.
She filled that void within me, and I was stupid to think I could live even half a life without her. I was tired of denying it, tired of fighting it.
Her eyes were dark and needy, sparking when I gently squeezed her hips with my fingers. I brought my free hand up to brush along the side of her face, feeling her surrender against my touch. I held her chin between my thumb and index finger reverently, gently running my thumb over her plump lips before guiding them to mine.
I started slow and in control, reveling in her exquisiteness.How I’d missed this.My tongue brushed deliberately over the seam of her lips, and she moaned, opening up for me. I lost all sense of control, gluttonous for her. Deepening the kiss, I released her chin, tangling my fingers into the long strands at the nape of her neck.
Goosebumps erupted on her hip bone; I could feel them beneath my palm. My thumb danced across her flesh, and then her fingers were wrapping around my wrist. She pushed my hand down her stomach, until my fingers slipped against her slick folds. She let out a tormented moan that I caught and silenced with my mouth, her hips jerking against the sensitive brush of my fingers against her heated core.
Her hands both went to my chest, fingers griping the shirt and nails scraping against my pecs.
“Fucking hell, Harper,” I moaned, my finger slipping deep inside her. I glanced down and pumped once more, feeling her velvety walls contract around my digit. She was just as responsive as ever, if not more—and I was having a hard time sticking to my resolution to not fuck her.
“Cal.” She whispered, drawing my eyes to her profile. She looked at me for several beats, long lashes brushing against her cheek when she blinked. “I trust you. I’m not moving in with you, but I trust you.”
“You’re just saying that because you want my cock in you.” I grinned, slowly sliding my finger out of her and flicking her clit before plunging it back in. I never looked away from the pleasure dancing in her irises.
“Maybe,” she admitted, her nose wrinkling a little as she laughed. That laugh distracted me long enough for her to swiftly pop the button of my jeans free. When I felt her tugging the zipper down, I pulled my hand out of her pants, my fingers gently encircling her wrist to slow her.
“Harper,” I warned. Soon, there’d be no turning back.
“What? I do trust you. And right now, I’m really horny, Calum. I can’t think straight, and Itrustyou can help me with that.” She whispered urgently. Her eyes playful as her hand slid down against my torso and into the waistband of my jeans. I let out a deep breath and closed my eyes when her fingers wrapped around me.
When Harper took charge and turned her come hither eyes my way, I was powerless. All I could do was willingly heed her calls. And right now, I really didn’t want to walk away.
My other hand tangled in her hair, gripping it as I drew her mouth back to mine. I paused a moment before our lips touched.
“I can definitely help with that,” I promised, my voice low and guttural. “But before we do this—you need to know. We’re happening, Harper. Forever, this time.” I added. She let out a breath that caressed my lips and after a pause…nodded her concession.
I kissed her hard, my hands moving across every inch of her, desperate to somehow touch her everywhere, all at once. To try to make up for every second I’d wasted.
