22. Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Harvey
Where are we headed with seeds?” Jemima asks as we leave the health store next to the restaurant. Her voice pulls me from the streets to the mesmerizing sight of her heart-shaped face. The warm light from the streetlights casts a soft glow on her features, giving her an almost delicate look.
“You’ll find out.” I didn’t want our time to end yet, so I came up with an idea to make the date last longer.
“What if I don’t like it?” she replies, her teeth skimming her bottom lip in a way that makes my heart skip a beat.
“You will. I don’t need people thinking I don’t look after the women I date,” I say, my attempt at humor falling flat as her eyes meet mine with a hint of hurt.
Her gaze sharpens, and I immediately regret my choice of words. I haven’t dated anyone since we started working together, and the thought of being with someone else now seems ridiculous. She’s different—genuine, unpretentious, and refreshingly real.
“I won’t tell anyone.”
“Thanks,” I say lightly, trying to fix the moment.
As our steps fall in sync and her arm brushes mine, a comfortable silence envelops us.
“Are you heading into the office tomorrow?” she asks, watching her eyes drift toward the city lights as they cast reflections in her eyes, making her look even more captivating.
“Yeah, I have my quarterly meeting.”
“Where do you get your confidence from?” she asks, genuinely curious. Her approach has always fascinated me.
“I'm just good at faking it,” I admit.
“Fake it till you make it… So cliche,” she says with a vulnerable laugh, her eyes sparkling. It’s a rare glimpse into her, and I cherish it.
I nod. “It’s true, though. We pretend we do care until it becomes ingrained in us.”
“You’re strong. It won't be hard to keep it up,” I say, my voice filled with quiet conviction.
“Just keep being a bitch to you and I’ll be fine?” she teases.
I bump her shoulder. “We both know you secretly like me. But it’s okay. I love watching you pretend you don’t.”
Her mouth parts slightly, and I shake my head in a playful way. When she closes her mouth, a small smile plays on her lips.
“Have you finished the financials?” I ask, changing the subject as we stop walking when we reach Central Park. She won’t let me touch the numbers. I still haven’t told her I stumbled upon those papers by accident.
“Not yet,” she sighs, the weight of the workload evident in her tone.
“When you’re finished, we need to have meetings about operations, customer service, sales, and financial reviews.”
“It's so much,” she murmurs, her shoulders sagging.
I open the small bag of seeds and hold it toward her, and she silently takes it. “It won't be if you stick to running the business. We’ll hire good employees to handle the day-to-day stuff.”
“I’m scared of hiring people,” she confesses, her voice barely above a whisper.
She means people who might leave, disappoint, or hurt her.
I stop our walk, turning to face her. My hand skims up her arm, and goosebumps rise in the wake of my touch. “That’s what I’m here for,” I say softly. “I’ll show you how to ask the right questions and to help you choose.”
She purses her lips, her eyes filled with uncertainty. “Yeah, it’s getting too much for me and Molly to handle it all.”
“Exactly. Your business is growing every day. Expanding will make you become more successful.”
She exhales deeply. “I know, but I don’t think I can handle any more change.”
“Our brains resist change because it’s trying to keep us safe.”
“I like safe,” she says, smiling softly. I know why she craves it after everything her shit ex put her through.
“I’ve never talked about work on a date before,” I confess, wanting to keep the conversation light.
“No?” she asks, her expression cautious.
We finish feeding the birds and naturally resume our walk through the park. “They always talked about their nail appointments, how much money I make, where I was taking them next, or how they spent two hours doing cardio.”
“Two hours?” she gasps, her eyes wide as she looks up at me, leaning back. “I do nothing. Unless you count walking to parks and courts with Chad.”
“You don’t need to do anything,” I say, my eyes dropping longingly over her body. “You’re perfect as you are.”
“I want to. I’m…” she starts, her gaze dropping to the floor before lifting it back to mine, “too weak.”
I shake my head, words spilling out before I can stop them. “I think you look great. I mean?” My hand jerks to the back of my neck, and I rub it, heat crawling up my face. “Fuck, that’s not what I meant. Not that it’s bad or?” I groan, dragging a hand over my face. “I just… You’re beautiful. Always.” My gaze flicks to her, searching for a reaction, and I swear my heart skips when she smiles.
“I know what you mean. Calm down.”
“Good. I thought I just insulted you.”
“I can’t look in the mirror as I get dressed. Avoiding mirrors is my specialty.”
I stare at her, my jaw twitching. Is she fucking serious?
“Are you fucking with me?”
She laughs, grabs the closest streetlight, and walks slowly around it. Not looking at me but up at the stars above us. My eyes never leave her. She’s so fucking beautiful. “You should look in a mirror every day. You're missing out.”
Shaking her head, she pauses her twirl momentarily. “On what? The bags under my eyes, the lines in my forehead, or the grays in my hair?”
I’m flabbergasted. She’s making me speechless. I don’t understand when all I see is her long, shiny brown hair, soft skin I’m dying to touch, and eyes that tell me everything she’s thinking.
She resumes her walk, but I step forward, stopping her abruptly, capturing her face in my hands, and bringing my mouth close to hers. My body is heavy from tequila and lust. “You and I see things very differently,” I grit out. “You’re incredibly beautiful…natural, yes. But fuck, it’s perfect for me.”
She sucks in a sharp breath, surprised by my words. I’m about to kiss her when her phone chimes.
Tearing her gaze away, she steps back from me to open her bag, quickly answering the call. “Molly.”
Crap, this can’t be good.
“Chad’s upset. I’ve tried to settle him. I’m sorry.” I can hear Molly over the line.
“I’ll be there as soon as possible.” Jemima’s voice has a frantic edge to it. It’s a reminder of how different her life is. It’s not a simple date or hookup.
I straighten. “Let’s go. We’ll drop you off at Molly’s.”
She nods. “Thanks. I’m?”
I shake my head and grab her waist, bringing her closer to me. “Don’t apologize. He’s the priority.”
“Always.”
We stare at each other for a second, knowing how close we were to kissing moments before, but Chad needs her, so I take her hand and walk her to the waiting limo.
“What’s Molly’s address?” I ask.
She rattles it off, and I tell the driver.
She’s texting frantically on her phone. I don’t know what to do, but I hate seeing her this stressed out. I grab her and drag her closer to me. She stiffens, but then settles as I wrap my arm around her back. Tucking her phone away, she lays her head in the crook of my neck. Holding her like this feels so right. Her warm body in my arms, her scent filling my nose, and her touching me back sends a mess of turmoil through me.
I don’t want this to end, but as the car pulls up to another brick apartment complex similar to hers, she lifts her head. I’m breathing heavily, holding myself back from begging to follow her in. I always want to fix other people’s problems, but this is so out of my depth. I know nothing about children; I’m like a fish out of water.
When she peels herself away, I slip out of the car and hold the door open. Her hand settles in mine, and she peers up at me from under her fluttering lashes.
“Thanks for tonight.”
“Was I as bad of a boy as you thought?” I tease with a playful grin.
“Worse,” she replies with a sly smile, her eyes glinting.
I choke out a laugh. The sound comes out unexpectedly breathless. “I’ll have to step up my game next time.”
“Harv?”
I shake my head, not wanting to hear the words, “there won't be another time,” leave her lips.
We stand there, inches apart, as my hand circles her waist. The night air is crisp now, but neither of us is cold.
With my other hand, I grab the back of her head and bring her mouth to mine. She sinks into the kiss, giving me a hungry side of her. Her hand grips my back, and I growl into her mouth. Her lips are soft, and when she parts them, I don’t hold back. I slip my tongue into her mouth to touch hers. When she moans, it sends me into a frenzy. My hands grip her waist and head harder, and every whimper is captured by my lips. Her hands roam my back, scratching me with her nails, and I wish there weren’t any clothes between us. She feels amazing. I can’t get enough.
When we both pull away, trying to catch our breaths, we hold each other's gazes in wonder. Did she feel like her heart was going to burst out of her chest? Because I thought mine was.
Our hands remain together, neither of us ready to leave just yet.
This time, she rises onto her tiptoes and leaves me with a soft yet bruising kiss. When she stands back, her hands pull away from my body, and I stuff mine back into my pockets to resist temptation. I stare at her pretty swollen lips, enjoying the evidence of our kiss.
“I better go,” she says, her voice edged with reluctance.
“Can I come up?” I smirk, knowing I’m pushing my luck, but her eyes are sparkling under the streetlights. “Harvey. Do you think that's a good idea?”
“Molly or you would’ve told him I was with you. Maybe I can help?”
“I don’t know…” Her words fail her when I step close, so our lips are close again.
“Let me be here for you. You’re not alone in this.”
She rolls her eyes, and her lips lift as she turns and heads up the stairs and I follow.
Molly greets us and I don’t miss the arch in her brow at Jemima. I swallow a laugh. Entering the small apartment filled with bright colors and dinner on the table. But I don’t inspect for too long because a scream that almost pierces my ear drums draws my attention.
Jemima is holding Chad on the gray sofa and running her hands through his hair. She hushes him, but it’s like he gets louder. I’m frozen with Molly on the other side of Chad, trying to give him a washcloth, but he smacks it away.
“Harvey?” he calls, and my body moves on instinct.
“Hey, Chad. What’s wrong?”
“My head hurts.”
“How do you want us to fix it?” I move closer to him.
He holds his head. “I don’t know.”
“I already gave him Tylenol,” Molly says, standing back giving me room.
“He probably needs to get home and go to sleep. It’s way past his bedtime,” Jemima says, her eyes fixed on Chad.
“I’ll drive you,” I say, picking up the bag.
Chad rises and steps forward, and before I can process what’s happening, his arms wrap around me. I freeze, staring down at the top of his head, my brain scrambling to catch up. My hand hovers awkwardly for a second before it lands on his back, moving in slow, uncertain circles.
“No, I’ve got it. You stay here. Molly can help me.”
A heavy sigh leaves Jemima. “Let me pack up your things first.”
Molly nods, and I get ready to pack the bag, but Chad screams again gripping me tighter.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jemima asks softly.
“I want Harvey.”
The empty bag in my hand feels like it weighs a ton. I look at Molly, who shrugs.
My gaze moves to Chad, who’s begging me with his eyes, and then I look to see Jemima’s matching ones. She just wants him to be happy.
I walk over and hold out the bag to her, and she rises and takes it, whispering, “Thanks. I won’t be long.”
Sitting on the sofa, I’m unsure what to do next. But Chad decides for me. He drops his head on my thigh, and I grab the blue washcloth from Molly’s outstretched hand and place it on his head.
A few moments later, she swallows hard and whispers. “I’m ready.” She holds out her arms, and I lift Chad up and walk him to her. He screams again. “No, Harvey.”
My eyes widen as he curls into my arms.
She dips her chin and walks to the door, kissing Molly’s cheek and thanking her for looking after Chad.
Inside the limo, I peer at Jemima, noticing her pinched expression. “Are you okay?”
I’m on one side of the limo, her on the other. Chad is in the middle of us, still moaning in pain.
“Yeah, once the medicine kicks in and he falls asleep, he’ll be fine.”
“How are you so calm?”
My heart is beating so hard with worry.
“He’s been sick a few times this year.”
I nod as Chad stays curled into me for the remainder of the drive.
When we arrive at her apartment, Jemima reaches for the bag and I carry him up the steps and into her place, heading straight to his bed.
“You need to sleep,” I say to Chad.
“Can you read me a book?” He grabs the book on his nightstand.
Kicking off my shoes, I settle myself back on the headboard of his bed. He lies beside me as I read.
A few minutes later, Jemima pokes her head into the room and smiles. “He’s asleep.”
I close the book and stand, slipping my shoes back on.
She tucks him in, and we walk out to her door.
“I’m sorry for how the night ended. A screaming child and no sex is no one's idea of a good date.”
My gaze is fixed on her as I answer honestly.
“This was actually the best date I’ve ever had.”