Until Harmony

  Ripping my mouth from hers, I repeat, “Get on,” watching her eyelids flutter open.

  Her eyes scan mine. I don’t know what she’s looking for, but she must find it.

  “Fine,” she whispers, tossing her leg over the bike behind me and wrapping her arms around my waist.

  Squeezing her bare thigh in silent approval, I let her go, start my bike, and then take off toward her place. Pulling into her driveway twenty minutes later, I park next to her car and wait for her to get off. By the time I shut down the engine and dismount, she’s up the steps and at the door. Widening my stride, I make it there as she bends to pick up Dizzy. As I step up behind her, I wrap my hand around her hip, forcing her inside a step so I can close the door behind me. The second I click the lock in place, her shoulders bunch and she steps away.

  Fuck.

  “Harmony,” I call, but she doesn’t turn to look at me. Instead, she shakes her head, goes to the glass door, and opens it up, letting Dizzy out. “Angel, look at me.” I watch her turn toward me slowly, and that’s when I see tears in her eyes. Seeing her attempt to blink them away, the anger sitting in my gut vanishes.

  “I’m sorry.” Her voice comes out in a whisper. “I didn’t mean to do it. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  My brows pull together and I take a step toward her. “What are you talking about?”

  “Ki—” She shakes her head. “Kissing you.” Her cheeks turn pink and she drops her eyes from mine. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I care about you, about our friendship. I shouldn’t have ruined that by kissing you. It was stupid. I’m so sorry.”

  “Are you’re shitting me?” I growl in disbelief. She lifts her eyes to mine and they widen as I close the distance between us. “Babe, pretty sure you felt me participating in the first kiss, and you know I instigated the second one. So I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about right now.”

  She blinks, looking adorably confused. “But….”

  “Do you know how hard you made me? Know how badly I wanted to rip those fucking shorts down your thighs so I could bury myself inside you? I didn’t walk off because I didn’t want you. I walked off so I didn’t fuck you in front of a hundred people. I needed a minute to calm the fuck down.”

  Her lips part, and I shake my head, ripping a hand through my hair in frustration.

  “I know I shouldn’t have walked away without explaining that shit to you, but you shouldn’t have run off without giving me a chance. You also shouldn’t have run off, turned off your phone, and then ignored me when I came to your door.” I lean in and growl, “Repeatedly.”

  “I…. I thought. I…” Her eyes close and she tips her head back toward the ceiling. “God, I’m an idiot.”

  Taking another step toward her, I wrap my hand around her waist and her eyes open, meeting mine. “I should have made a move sooner.”

  “What?”

  “Do you know how hard it’s been, being around you and not touching you the way I want? How hard it’s been, keeping my hands to myself, when that’s not what I want? How hard it was for me not to claim you when your dad asked me what it is I’m doing with you?”

  “What?” she repeats, this time with wonder.

  “I didn’t want to scare you off. I knew if I came at you the way I wanted from the beginning, you would have shut me down,” I confess, and her eyes slide away, letting me know I was right thinking that. “I knew I was getting inside that head of yours, but until that kiss, I didn’t know I was already in there,” I emphasize the last words with a squeeze.

  “I thought… I thought you just wanted to be friends,” she says, avoiding my gaze by looking at my collarbone.

  “I do want to be your friend.” I get closer then lean down and place my mouth close to her ear. “I also want to fuck you.” Feeling her shiver, I slide my free hand around her and pull her fully into me. “Now tell me where do we stand, Harmony?”

  “Where do we stand?” she repeats, slowly tipping her head back to look up at me. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, are we gonna keep pretending like this isn’t happening? Or are we going to take advantage of what we know we’ve got and move on to the next step?” I ask refusing to beat around the bush with her anymore since that shit obviously doesn’t work.

  Her hands come up to rest against my abs. “Do you mean… like, being together… as in a couple?” she asks, and I dip my face closer to hers. So close, I feel her breath brush against my lips.

  “I don’t give a fuck what label you put on us.”

  “Oh,” she breathes.

  “Are you in, or are you out?” I question, and her eyes flare with both fear and exhilaration.

  “I’m in,” she replies, and that’s all I need to hear.

  I use my arm around her back to pull her up against me, then take advantage of her parted lips. The moment my tongue touches hers, her hands slide up my abs and chest then clench my shoulders.

  Fuck yes.

  Hearing her whimper while her tongue toys with mine, I walk us backward toward the couch. The instant the back of my knees hit the cushion, I slide my hands down her sides, over her hips, and then grab two handfuls of the material there, yanking up the skirt of her dress, and falling back, bringing her down with me.

  “Harlen.” Her lust-filled eyes meet mine and flash with worry.

  “Just getting us comfortable, baby,” I tell her, grabbing her behind her knees and pulling her deeper into me. Once I have her where I want her, I wrap my hand around the back of her neck then slide my fingers up into her hair. “So fucking beautiful.” Her eyes flash again right before I pull her mouth back down to mine for another taste.

  Feeling her rocking against me while she moans into my mouth has me just about coming in my jeans. Fuck, I knew it would be good when I got us where I wanted us to go, but I didn’t have a fucking clue it would be this good. Nipping her bottom lip, I pull her head back and study her face. So fucking gorgeous, not even an exaggeration. She’s perfect. I thought that the moment I saw her, but having her on my lap, her heat resting against me, her lips swollen, her cheeks pink, her eyes filled with desire, I’ve never seen anything more magnificent.

  “Fuck me.” I pull her face forward and tuck it into my neck, willing my heart to stop hammering against my rib cage and my hard-on to die down.

  “Are we stopping?” she asks, sounding disappointed, and I smile at the ceiling.

  “Dizzy’s outside, door’s open, and I’m not fucking you for the first time on your couch,” I say. Then add, “Maybe the second.” Her head lifts away from my neck and our eyes meet. “Maybe the third, since I’ve thought about fucking you on the island more times than I’ve thought about fucking you on your couch.”

  “Seems you’ve thought about…” She pauses rolling her lips together. “You know… a lot.”

  “Needed something to keep me busy, since I wasn’t fucking you,” I explain, and her lips twitch.

  “You’re not the only one,” she whispers, dropping her eyes to her hands that move to my jaw.

  “Yeah? What have you thought about?” I question, and her head dips farther while her cheeks, which are already pink, darken.

  “Just about us,” she answers vaguely.

  Before I have a chance to question her further, Dizzy jumps up on the couch and fights his way between us to get to my jaw, where he always licks. Letting go of her hips, I grab hold of him, tuck him against my chest, and then order, “Hop off and lock the door, baby.”

  Nodding, she scoots off my lap, giving me a glimpse of the sheer panties covering her pussy before she adjust her dress, and heads around the couch for the door.

  “Do you want a beer?” she asks, and I turn my attention from Dizzy, finding her standing in the kitchen in front of the open fridge.

  “Is it real beer?” I ask, and her eyes narrow, making me fight back a smile. “What?”

  Even with the island between us, I still see her plant her hand on her hip.

/>   “You’re the only one here who drinks the beer you bring over. I don’t have another man coming to my house, lounging around and drinking your alcohol,” she sasses, and I narrow my eyes. “And… I don’t drink it either,” she finishes.

  “I’ll take a beer,” I grumble through clenched teeth, and she frowns before looking away, reaching into the fridge, and grabbing a beer and a bottle of water. Coming back to the couch, she hands me the open beer. “Do me a favor,” I say as she takes a seat, and her eyes meet mine. “Do not even joke about there being another man around.”

  After studying me intently for a long moment, she whispers, “It’s been you, Harlen. For months, it’s been you, even when it wasn’t.”

  Hearing her admission, I set Dizzy down on the floor, then drop my beer to the coffee table and take her water from her, doing the same with it before pulling her under me. “It’s been you from the moment we met.” I lower my voice. “I’m crazy jealous when it comes to you,” I admit, framing her face with my hands, and her eyes flare but not in a bad way. “It’s irrational, but it is what it is.”

  “Okay,” she agrees, sliding her hands around my waist and moving them up my back, under my shirt.

  “You okay with that?” I ask, and she tips her head to the side.

  “I want whatever it is you want to give me,” she answers, and I press my forehead to hers.

  “You sure?”

  “I’m sure,” she says, and my eyes close.

  “Fuck, I should have made a move sooner,” I repeat, opening my eyes, and when I do, I find hers soft. Seeing that look, I wish even more that I didn’t wait so long.

  “It’s late, and I have to work tomorrow,” she says softly, and I turn my head and look at the clock, seeing its already after one in the morning.

  “Right.” I touch my mouth to hers then start to move back, but her thighs tighten around my hips and her arms grip around my back.

  “Will you stay the night?”

  Fuck

  “You want that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then yeah.”

  “Good.” Her hands slide farther up and I dip my chin, kissing her again, this time, deep and wet. Pulling away, I push up off the couch, dragging her with me. “I’ll let Dizzy out one last time and shut everything down, while you go get ready for bed.”

  “Okay.” She leans up and presses her mouth to mine, and then I watch her ass until she disappears out of sight.

  Looking down at Dizzy, I pat my thigh and he follows me to the door. Letting him out, I order, “Hurry.” And he rushes across the deck and down the steps to the grass, taking care of business before coming right back. Once he’s back in, I lock the door, go to the kitchen, grab him a treat, and give it to him, watching him run off before I hit the lights for the kitchen. Turning off the light in the living room, I make my way in the dark toward the open bedroom door at the end of the hall and walk in.

  Seeing the door to the bathroom open, I sit on the edge of the bed and take off my boots and shirt then stand to unbutton my jeans. Pulling down my zipper, I freeze when Harmony walks out of the bathroom, wearing a light blue nightie, with pink lace covering her breasts and more of that same pink lace hitting her mid thigh.

  Her eyes lock on mine and I watch her swallow. “I put a new toothbrush on the sink for you,” she says, and I lift my chin, finish shucking my jeans, and then head for the bathroom, wearing nothing but my boxers. Taking care of business, I wash my hands then use the toothbrush she left out, ignoring the fact that it’s hot pink. Once I’m done, I open the door and find the overhead light off but both bedside lamps on. She’s in bed, her back to the wooden headboard, a frilly gray comforter down around her hips. Unlike the rest of her place, I know at just a glance that her bedroom furniture is old. It doesn’t fit in with the look she’s building through the rest of the house, and it won’t be long before she’s searching for new pieces to replace all of it.

  “Here.” She holds the remote for the television out toward me. “If you want to watch TV.”

  Taking it from her, I pull back the covers and get into bed next to her. “You need to sleep.” I set the remote down on the bedside table then turn off the lamp, seeing her reach over to do the same with the one on her side. Once the lights are out, I pull her across the bed to me. The moment she’s there, she tucks her face into my neck, her hand slides over my stomach, and her thigh lifts to rest over my hip. Perfect, and yes I should have made a move a lot fucking sooner.

  “Is this okay?” she asks, squeezing my gut, and I know she’s asking if I’m comfortable. I don’t tell her that I’ve never slept with a woman tucked against me before, or that I don’t cuddle. Instead, I pull her impossibly closer then touch my mouth to the top of her head, letting her know nonverbally she’s good right where she is. “Night, Harlen.”

  “Night, Angel.” I give her waist a squeeze.

  Lying here in the dark, I stare up at the ceiling, listening while her breathing evens out, then feel her body relax deeper into mine. Once I know she’s asleep, I close my eyes and follow her.

  Feeling the bed shift, my eyes pop open, and it takes a nanosecond to realize where I am. Hearing a whimper, I tip my head down to look at Harmony in the light filling the room, and then I see her shift restlessly in her sleep. I roll to my side and wrap my arms around her. “Angel, wake up. You’re having a bad dream,” I say against her ear, and then pull back when she moans my name.

  Jesus, no fucking way. My dick, which is already hard, pulses, and my jaw tightens along with my arms around her.

  “Harlen.” Her hand slides over my pec and down my abs. Grabbing her wrist when I see where her hand is headed, I feel her freeze and know she’s no longer sleeping.

  “You awake?” I ask, and it takes a second but she eventually answers.

  “Yes.” She presses her forehead into my chest.

  “What time do you gotta be out of bed?” I ask, letting her wrist go and sliding my hand down the material at her back.

  “Um… nine,” she breathes, as I keep sliding my hand down until I reach the hem of her nightie.

  “Is your alarm set?”

  “Yes,” she answers, and I start skimming my hand back up and under the soft silky material.

  “How about we see how far we can get before it goes off?” I suggest, listening to her breathing change and feeling her nails dig into the skin on my bicep she’s holding onto.

  “Okay,” she agrees, keeping her forehead pressed into my chest.

  “Tip your head back and give me your mouth,” I order, feeling her shiver. When she pulls her head back, I place my mouth against hers while sliding my hand over her hip and soft stomach. Her muscles bunch and her nails dig deeper as I slide my fingers along the lace edge of her panties. Only when I reach the apex of her thighs with my fingers do I kiss her, touching my tongue to her bottom lip. Her mouth opens on a gasp and I slide in to heaven with both my tongue and fingers, encountering wet heat in both places.

  I deepen the kiss then move her to her back, rolling her clit with my thumb. Pulling her mouth from mine, her head presses into the pillow while her hips lift, wanting more. “Harlen.”

  Hearing the need in her voice, I don’t let up, not even when her hand slides down my abs and into my boxers to wrap around my dick.

  Fuck. Hearing her, smelling her, knowing I’m soon going to get a taste of her, my hips press deeper into her hand and I slide one finger, then two deep inside of her.

  “You gonna let me have a taste of you?” I nip her earlobe, and her grip on me tightens. “You are, aren’t you?” I ask, and she moans, lifting her hips, riding my fingers while I keep my thumb at her clit circling. “Answer me.”

  “Yes.” She pants.

  Kissing her ear, I move and kiss her neck, collarbone, and then shift and pull down the lace edge of her nightie, exposing her breast and peach-colored nipple. Palming her breast, I lick over her nipple then blow against it, watching it tighten, and then do the same
with the other one. I feel her core grip and pulse around my fingers, cluing me in to the fact she’s close, which is good, ‘cause so am I. Pulling myself from her hand so I don’t come before my mouth is on her, I shift down the bed. Ignoring her alarm when it starts blaring, I toss her leg over my shoulder and place my mouth on her, over the lace covering her. Pressing my tongue in, I pull back and suck hard.

  “Oh God!” she cries, and I groan. Sliding the lace to the side, exposing her to me, I put my mouth back. The second my tongue slides through her folds, her thighs tighten and her pussy pulses around my fingers. Lifting my head, I watch her come then slow my strokes. I get up on my knees and wrap my hand around my cock, jacking it off. Looking at her mass of hair spread out on the pillow, her eyes dark with greed, her perfect tits out, and feeling her pussy pulsing around my still thrusting fingers, I get close then lose it completely when her hand wraps around mine and she takes me there, watching in wonder as I come all over her exposed belly.

  Dropping my head back to my shoulders my hips jerk as she keeps stroking. “Christ,” I groan, righting my head. I slide my fingers slowly out of her pussy and bring them to my mouth, sucking them clean.

  “Oh my God,” she whispers, holding my gaze, and I grin around my fingers.

  “Don’t move,” I order, getting off the bed and going to the bathroom for a washcloth. Turning the water to hot, I warm up the cloth then take it back to the bed to clean her up. Once I’m done, I smile. “You wanna shut the alarm off?” I ask, and she blinks like she hasn’t been listening to it beep for the last ten minutes. She sits up, reaching over and turning it off. Taking advantage of her being propped up, I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and drop my mouth down to hers for a hot, deep, very wet kiss. “Morning,” I rumble when I pull back, and she laughs, sliding her hands around my waist.

  “Morning.” She rests the side of her head against my abs, and I run my fingers through her thick, soft hair. I hate that she cut all her hair off, but I have to admit I love the way it looks now. Wild, just like I know she is when she lets her guard down.

  “Do you wake up like that often?” I ask, and her body stiffens.