“And you have full custody?” I asked, just making sure to verify.
“Yeah, she signed away all of her rights,” he replied. “Aria’s never met her. Vivienne doesn’t know what she looks like. She usually calls about once a year, around the holidays, to say she wants to see her. The first year, she couldn’t even remember her own daughter’s middle name. It’s never about Aria. It’s about the image of it all. Usually, I just ask her a question about Aria—when’s her birthday, what grade is she in, what’s her favorite color. It’s just enough to piss her off and remind her that she has no stake in Aria’s life.”
“And what does Aria know?”
“Nothing really. I don’t want to lie. I don’t know how to lie to her—not about something like this. She knows Vivienne left and hasn’t made an effort to be a part of our lives. She’s bothered by not having a mom or having two parents, so it’s… it’s a process, and I’m navigating it. This is… you know, this is part of what you’re walking into, too, right?”
I knew why he kept saying shit like that. I knew he was worried that one of his complications would bethething that would scare me away. Pausing, I stepped in front of him.
“Harley, forever and a day, that’s what I’m in for,” I reminded him gently. “You aren’t getting rid of me that easily. I can’t promise I won’t talk shit about her when she crawls out of the gutter once a year, but I can promise that I won’t let you do it alone.”
“I need you to be a little less perfect,” Harley retorted.
“Hey, now! I make perfect look good.” I chuckled and leaned in, my lips brushing against his in a brief kiss once. Twice. Three times. “You talk about your ex like she’s in everything you do.Once a year isn’t messy. It’s an annoyance at most. If Aidan pops back up, because sometimes he does, then we’ll be even.”
“Are you sure?”
“A hundred percent.”
“What happened with your brother?”
“Fucking Aidan,” I said with a sigh. “It’s not that big of a deal, I promise.”
“I’d still like to know since we’re sharing our messes,” he replied.He had a point.Turning, I gently tugged him with me as I started back the way we came.
“I’m sure you can guess that he didn’t give a shit about Roxy being pregnant, but when she was… six months? Seven? Eight? I don’t remember. He showed up again, and it turned into this whole thing because she was pregnant. I got a broken nose, and he gave her a concussion. We both got restraining orders, his name isn’t on Carson’s birth certificate, and I have no clue what he’s up to,” I told him. “And I don’t fucking care either.”
“I’m glad he’s gone,” he whispered. “You deserved better than him.”
“We both deserved better, but I refuse to linger on that,” I told him. And I did. There was too much to look forward to in life. I had no desire to linger on the bad crap in our pasts.
CHAPTER 98
maverick
You can’t just throw those away!” I exclaimed as Harley tossed the two mugs from dessert in the garbage outsideThe Lakeside Reverie. “That’s a waste of good mugs.”
“I don’t want to clean them.” He shrugged like it was the simplest thing on the planet.What did I know?Maybe it was when you had money. “They were cheap.”
“Mhmm.” I made a face as I stared at him, judging a little bit. He just smiled at me. It was hard to deny him when he lookedso at ease with his windblown hair, sand-dusted dress pants, and bare feet. I could just barely see him in the distant glow of street lights, but goddamn, he was stunning. “I think you just like bragging.”
“Do you want me to dig them out?” Harley offered, gesturing to the garbage can. I caught his hand and held it as I walked him toward the side lot where he was parked.
“Fuck no,” I retorted with a grin. “We’re not heathens.”
I was on cloud nine. Or higher than cloud nine.Was there something more euphoric than cloud nine?Whatever it was, I was unbelievably happy. Sure, we’d talked about heavy shit and dredged up old memories to share, but the date had been perfect. It was all that I could ask for and more.
Well, maybe there was one more thing I’d add to top off the night.
Planting a hand on his stomach, I pushed him back against the side of his SUV. My mouth landed on his, hard and demanding. There was no teasing or feeling it out. Just an absolute need for him. Harley’s back hit the door with a muffled thud, his breath punching out against my lips in a sharp exhale that tasted like chocolate. Sweet and sinful as my tongue shoved past his lips and stroked his, pulling a low groan out of him.
His hands were on me in an instant, fisting the lapels of my jacket and yanking me flush against him. My hips rolled against his, the hardening lines of his cock making my own ache. I kissed him harder and dragged my teeth over his lower lip as I ate up every little sound he let out. I nipped at his jaw and licked and sucked on his neck. I found all the little spots to draw out more noises from him while the spicy musk of his cologne filled my lungs.
“Mav,” Harley rasped when my teeth scraped over his fluttering pulse. His hand slid up and anchored in my hair as he hauled my mouth back to his. He kissed me with an urgencythat matched mine, even as he tried to talk me out of it. “Mav… parking lot…”
“Don’t care, princess,” I said between kisses. My dick strained against the thin fabric of my pants as I thrust against him, desperate to feel him. Sparks danced down my spine at the friction between us. “It’s quiet…”
I smoothed my hand over the rigid swell in his pants, enjoying the way his breath hitched in his throat.
