Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
MARCUS
“ A re you sure it’s a good idea I spend the night?” Harper asks, not for the first time.
“How many times do I need to tell you it’s okay?” I shake my head at her.
“I don’t want this to cause any problems for the girls.”
I press a kiss to the crown of her head. After another round, we’re lying in bed together, perfectly content. The rain has picked up again, beating a heavy pattern against the windows.
“You won’t.”
“How do you know?” Harper pops her head up, looking me dead in the eye. “Are they ready to see you with a woman?”
I smile at her, fingering a soft strand of her hair. “They’ve already seen us together.”
“But not like this,” Harper clarifies.
“You are the only person I want them to see me with. They love you. I love you. It’s not?—”
“You love me?” Harper cuts me off.
“I thought that was fairly obvious. ”
“It’s not too fast?”
I shake my head. “Considering I’m still your husband…”
Harper laughs out loud, covering her mouth before looking toward the door.
“Don’t worry.” I pull her hand off her mouth and kiss her. “They won’t hear you.”
“You know, we never really did get around to filing those divorce papers.”
“Is that something you’d like to get around to doing?” I ask, holding my breath.
Is this the time to be asking this question? Probably not. Not with her here in my arms, fully sated after a few orgasms.
But I need to know.
“If I did, then I’d miss this.”
“Miss what?” I bring her hand to my lips and kiss the palm.
“Lying in bed together. Cuddling with you.”
“I do love cuddling with you.”
“See? I’d miss out on this side of you that I love so much.”
Flipping her over, I settle my weight on top of her. All of that blonde hair spills across my pillow like strands of gold.
“That you love so much?”
Harper smirks at me. “I thought that was fairly obvious.”
This time it’s me who’s bursting out with laughter. “God, I love you, Harper.”
“Not as much as I love you, Marcus.”
Her big, blue eyes are bright and full of love. I give her a soft, slow kiss. Sweet. Nothing heated.
“So that divorce then… ”
Harper threads her fingers through my hair, brushing it from my forehead. “Eh, I’m kind of attached to my husband.”
I can’t hide my smile. It’s the one that Harper was always able to pull from me so easily.
“It feels kind of weird,” I tell her.
“Being married?”
I nod. “We got married, were told it wasn’t real, spent seven years apart only to realize it’s actually legitimate. Who knew?”
“Maybe it means we need to do something to celebrate it actually being real.”
“You know who’s going to want to help with that?”
Harper smiles. “The girls.”
I nod. “The girls. Which means we should probably tell them we’re dating.”
“Only dating?”
“Ease them into it. I don’t think Sam and Sadie need to know our entire history right this very minute.”
“You’re right.” Harper sits up, covering her chest with the bedsheet. “We can tell them how we met in college when they’re older.”
“When you accosted me at a pep rally.”
“Excuse me!” Harper slaps my chest. “I did not.”
“I mean, you were pretty forceful in getting through that group of women to get to me.”
“Well, what can I say.” She smiles. “When I see what I want, I go after it.”
“Same. And right now, all I want is you.”
Harper kisses me. “Right now, all I want is something to eat. As much as I love you, if we’re going to do this again?—”
“If? There’s no question. I want at least one more orgasm out of you tonight, Harper.” I kiss her and hop out of bed. “Stay put. I’ll grab us some snacks so the girls don’t wake up.”
Based on her reaction, she’s not paying attention to me at all. I grab the gray sweats I was wearing earlier and slip them on.
“I’ll be right back.” I wink at her as she grabs the TV remote.
“Hurry.” Her eyes are hungry for me.
I’m fast and quiet as I head downstairs. Checking on the girls, they’re sound asleep. I turn off the TV and lower the overhead lights so it’s not completely dark for them.
I grab a bag of chips, some veggies, and two waters for us before rushing back upstairs.
I don’t want to keep Harper waiting.
When I sneak back inside, she’s wearing my T-shirt and has an episode of Bluey on.
“Really? You’re watching this too?”
Harper is grinning like a fool at me. “Oh no. I turned the TV on and it was playing already.”
“That’s because the girls were watching it in here.”
“Were they?” Harper quirks a brow at me. “Or are you a secret Bluey fan and don’t let anyone know it?”
“Crap.”
“Oh my God. You do love this show!”
Setting the food down between us, I hand her a water. “Who doesn’t love this show? I had to see what happened when they thought they were moving.”
“Okay.” Harper opens the bag of carrots and crunches one in half. “Then why do the girls think you don’t like this show?”
I sigh, grabbing my own carrot. “If they knew, we’d never watch it. When I start liking their shows, they tell me they aren’t cool anymore and don’t want to watch them. ”
Harpers laughs, covering her mouth. “They are going to be such a handful as teenagers.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“I’m really digging Daddy Marcus.”
“Oh my God, stop.”
“What? You don’t like it when I call you daddy ?”
I shake my head. “Not when the girls call me that.”
“This is going to be such good blackmail.”
“I can’t with you.” I shake my head and open the chips and pop one in my mouth. “There is no need for blackmail. No one needs to know about my secret love of Bluey.”
“It’s a good thing you love me.” Harper is gloating and loving every minute of what she learned.
“I don’t know why. Now, finish your snacks because I’m going to punish you for being a bad girl.”
“I’ve been a bad girl?” She quirks a brow at me.
“Yes. No making fun of me when I’m feeding you and giving you orgasms.”
“Duly noted.” Harper gives me a salute before shoving a handful of chips in her mouth. She looks like the cutest fucking chipmunk on the planet like that. God, I really don’t know how I lived without her.
I love this woman and I will do everything in my power to make sure I keep her this time.
Harper and the girls are all I could ever possibly need in life. I lost her once, and I sure as hell am not going to lose her again.
Because Harper’s it.