“It means…” Cal trailed off, his eyes seeking mine. “To put something right.” He continued, rubbing his thumb against my knuckle. I could feel the words he didn’t say as clearly as if I’d heard them spoken, and my heart fluttered in my chest.
“Okay.” Asher grinned, holding open the bookstore door for us. Maeve went in first, her eyes as wide and bright as a child’s on Christmas morning.
“Oh, Harper! This is gorgeous!” she exclaimed, her head turning this way and that as she took in the rows of bookshelves, tables, and displays. “I remember when this place was an old thrift store. It looksincredible!”
“Just wait until you try the coffee,” Calum said, winking at me.
Maeve adored the shop—and Ellery—so much so that she ended up leaving with ten new paperbacks and a box of cannoli from the café.
“It was so great seeing you again,” Maeve said to me when it was finally time for her to go. She hugged me hard before releasing me. “And you!” she added, pulling Asher in for a hug. She held him close for a moment, soaking it in with a soft, maternal smile. Calum watched on, his own lips curling into a happy smile that immediately made my heart skip with delight.
“It was good seeing you, too, Maeve. We hope you can all make it to Asher’s party.”
“Of course!” She cooed, eyes shining brightly. “Is there anything, in particular, the birthday boy wants?”
“LEGO!” Asher proclaimed. “I don’t have the new Captain Marvel set. The diamond heist set would be cool, too, though!”
“A LEGO fanatic? I should have known,” she chuckled, glancing at Calum warmly. “I’m sure I still have your old sets kicking around in a bin somewhere.”
“You probably do,” Calum laughed, shaking his head a little. The door chimed, and in walked a woman that looked remarkably like Maeve. I knew the second my eyes took in her red hair and bright green eyes that it was Connor, all grown up.
I hadn’t seen her since she was fourteen. Even then, she’d always resembled their mother—the light to Cal and his father’s dark. She looked even more like Maeve now; the same porcelain skin, the same vibrant, ruby hair, and sparkling emerald eyes. She peered around the shop before finding us in the café. Grinning, she floated over to us with light, sure steps.
“I texted Connor after lunch to let her know I would need to be picked up.” She explained to us. “I figured I’d occupied enough of your time, Calum.”
“Mom don’t be silly. I would have driven you home.”
“What, you aren’t happy to see me?” Connor teased, coming to a stop near the table we loitered at as we said our goodbyes.
“Of course, I am, Pip.” Calum ruffled her hair affectionately. “Asher, this is your Aunt Connor.”
“Hey! It’s so great to meet you,” Connor smiled, her green eyes a little misty before they moved to me. “Hi Harper, it’s good to see you again, too.” She threw her arms around me in a brief but warm hug.
“It’s good to see you, too,” I replied before she stepped back, her eyes dropping to Asher again.
“I can’t believe how much he looks like you, Cal!” She exclaimed, shaking her head like it mystified her.
Asher beamed at the comparison, puffing his little chest out importantly. “I’ve been getting that a lot lately.” He remarked, trying for aloof; but I knew he was thrilled about it. We chatted for another couple of minutes, and then Maeve let out a deep sigh.
“Well, I need to get dinner started,” She said. I could sense she didn’t want to leave just yet; neither did Connor, but never-the-less, they said their goodbyes and headed for the doors—box of cannoli and books in hand.
Calum
When dawn broke Thursday on Harper’s second day off, I was already wide awake, holding her in my arms. I breathed in the scent of her shampoo, letting it fill my lungs before releasing it with a sigh. I’d do anything to spend the rest of my life waking up with her, just like this. She shifted in her sleep, her ass moving against my morning wood. Exhaling, I tried to resist rubbing against her.
Harper wiggled her hips again, rubbing her ass against me. The thin t-shirt she was dressed in—my t-shirt—rode up to pool at her waist. She wore nothing beneath it, and I only had my boxer briefs as a barrier. I knew how quickly I could get them off if provoked.
Snaking my arm around her stomach, I gently palmed her breast, rubbing the soft material of the t-shirt over her nipple, relishing how quickly it pebbled. She drew in a breath, her chest rising and falling—my hand moving along with it. Harper pushed her ass harder against me, and I jerked my hips forward with all the control of a teenage boy.
Rolling over so that her head rested against my arm, Harper peered at me with sleepy, seductive eyes. Her fingers stretched across my lower abdomen, gliding slowly down until her hand disappeared into the waistband of my briefs. She gripped me with a steady hand and smiled. “Good morning.”
“Morning,Acushla.”
We spoke in hushed voices, not wanting to disturb the sleeping child down the hall. I’d checked in on him after using the washroom when I’d first woken up. He’d been asleep then, and I could still hear him faintly snoring away.
Which was good, because Harper started pumping her hand, her fingers gently squeezing my shaft. In a flash, I’d shoved my boxer briefs down my knees and worked them off with my feet while she continued her torturous, slow pumps, biting her lip as she watched me.
Unable to withstand it anymore—and with my boxers still around my ankles—I climbed over her. Bracing my arms on the mattress, I nudged her legs apart with my knee and freed my right foot from my boxers.
