“Fuck, baby. Can I come in your mouth?” I sounded desperate, but couldn’t care less. She was giving me everything I needed. She didn’t respond to my question, but her eyes met mine, and she pushed my cock deeper into her throat.
She took every bit of me as if she needed it.
“Fuck, baby.” I groaned as she sat back on her heels. Harper opened her mouth for me, causing my eyes to widen.“Holy shit.”
She showed me her pretty little mouth full of my cum. I couldn’t think of anything else to say as she swallowed my seed.
I wasted too much time; we could’ve been doing this for years.
As she redressed herself, I tugged my sweatpants back on, still feeling the warmth of her mouth on me, and couldn’t help but grin. “We gotta do that again,” I said, voice rough but full of promise.
Harper shot me a sly look. “Anytime, neighbor.”
I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. The way she smelled made my chest tighten. “Hey, I want to help you. With the house, school, coping with the loss of your dad—whatever you need.”
She blinked, speechless.
“Look,” I said, voice softer now, “this town’s small, but my mechanic shops and side business are doing better than ever. This house is paid off. I got it in foreclosure and paid the money for it upfront. I’m happy to help you. I want to see you thrive, be happy—no matter what it costs.”
Her eyes shimmered, and before I could think twice, she cupped my face and kissed me. I could taste my cum on her lips, but it didn’t bother me for a second.
I whispered, “Stay here as long as you want. Even if it’s forever. Shit, I will rent a building for you if you need it to be an esthetician.”
She smiled, the kind that reached her whole face. I kissed her cheek and told her to get some rest. “Don’t worry about a damn thing.”
I tucked her in gently, slid her glasses off, set them carefully on the nightstand, and handed her the satin bonnet she always wore when she had sleepovers with Wren.
Before closing the door, I couldn’t help but say, “Goodnight, Shortcake.”
Her voice came back, soft and teasing, “Goodnight, loverboy.”
“You tryin’ to start this all over again, trouble?” I muttered, eyebrows raised.
She bit her bottom lip, all smug and glowing, and I knew I should keep walking. Knew I should let the space settle between us before I forgot this was supposed to be nothing.
But I couldn’t help it.
I stepped back, slowly, like I were walking into a fire I had no intention of putting out. Bent down just enough to kiss herforehead again. She just looked up at me with those long lashes and pretty brown eyes like she could hear every damn thing I didn’t say.
I left before I did something stupid. I was so close to crawling into bed with her and staying.
The door clicked shut behind me, I crossed the hall to my room, and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t sleep.
10
CAM
The smell of chai hit me before I even rounded the corner—warm, spiced, and familiar. The kind Harper always reached for when she wanted comfort. She had been here for just over a week and was making herself right at home.
I stepped into the kitchen quietly, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Harper and Wren were already in the living room. They were curled up on the couch in their oversized hoodies, heads bent close together, looking at something on Wren’s phone.
Harper had her favorite mug clasped in both hands. The one with the faded pine trees and the cracked rim. I’d picked it up at some tiny roadside pottery shop in Oregon when Reed and I drove out there a few years back. She was so excited to have it when she stayed the night here with Wren. She never drank tea out of anything else.
I didn’t say anything. Didn’t want to interrupt whatever world they were in. I moved to the coffeepot, poured myself a mug, and sat at the kitchen table with my phone. I had work in an hour—some classic pickup coming into the shop for an engine overhaul.
I should've been thinking about work. But all I could see was the way her lips looked as she placed them against the rim of that mug. Her bare legs were tucked beneath her. The way she laughed with her whole body when Wren said something witty or stupid.
God, she felt like home.
