Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
“ Y our home is beautiful,” Nyla said when they entered Harrison’s gorgeous, brightly lit, eat-in kitchen. From where she stood, the open floor plan also gave her a view of the living and dining room.
“Thank you.” He stored his keys in a bowl on the counter before he moved through the first floor turning on lights. “Make yourself at home.”
It had only taken fifteen minutes to get to his house, and he lived only half a mile from her parents’ B & B.
Feeling a little better than she had before leaving the club, Nyla couldn’t wait to shed her clothes and make herself a little more comfortable. On the ride there, Harrison had offered to take her home if she was too tired to hang out, but there was no way she’d miss an opportunity to spend time with him. He really surprised her when he told her that, if it got too late, she was more than welcome to spend the night. In his guest room.
He didn’t know it yet, but she planned to take him up on his offer. Jamie trusted Harrison, and so did she. Still, she shot off a quick text to her friend, letting him know she was staying the night at Harrison’s. Since she still lived with Cree, she also texted her, letting her know she wouldn’t be home tonight.
“I’m going to change clothes, then get started on something for us to eat,” Harrison said. “Do you need anything before I head upstairs?”
“Actually, I’m going to take you up on your offer of the guest room, if the offer still stands. And if it does, I’d like to change clothes too.” She lifted her bag, glad she had gym clothes inside of it. “I think I’ve had enough of this suit.”
Harrison gave her a rare smile and slipped his arm around her waist giving her a good whiff of his magnificent cologne. The woodsy fragrance mixed with a hint of leather was different from what he usually wore. It was downright intoxicating. He brushed his soft lips against her cheek, then nuzzled just below her jaw, and sent a frisson of desire pulsing through her.
Tonight, he possessed a sexual magnetism that highlighted his self-confidence. Nyla was truly seeing a different side of him, and she liked it. A lot.
“If it’s any consolation, you look stunning and sexy as hell in this suit.”
Warmth spread through her body at the compliment. She hadn’t missed the way he’d checked her out before his performance and afterwards. That alone had her thinking about updating her wardrobe. Maybe it was time to ease up on the grunge look. Not totally, but just a little. She’d heard variety was the spice of life.
“Thank you,” she said, sure her cheeks would be red with a blush if it weren’t for her dark skin.
“Follow me.” He carried her bag up the stairs instead of the instruments that he’d brought into the house.
She couldn’t wait to see the rest of his home. Nosy? Definitely. Who wouldn’t be? Not only was she seriously attracted to the elusive man, but from what she’d seen so far, his home was wonderful.
Harrison pointed to the door on the right—his bedroom. A quick peek inside showed a huge bed in the center of the space and a small sitting area off to the side. The next was the guest room where he set her bag on the bed. It was average size and brightly decorated with an ensuite.
“Since we’re up here, let me show you the rest of the second floor before you change clothes.”
They passed a guest bathroom, and then they stepped into a slightly smaller room.
“Whoa!” Nyla gasped as she moved farther into the space.
She took in the two televisions, or maybe they were monitors, one on the far wall and one on a gaming-like desk. Clear LED light strips were strung close to the ceiling and went all around the room. Another set of lights were along the baseboards, and both cast a fun glow around the space. On the side walls were glass-enclosed cabinets that held action figures and other gaming equipment.
“This is cool.”
“Thanks. Are you a gamer?” Harrison asked, hope filling his tone.
“No, but this space makes me want to be,” Nyla said honestly. She had to stop herself from roaming around and touching everything like a little kid.
Harrison chuckled. “Maybe one day I can introduce you to gaming.”
She glanced at him and smiled. That told her this wasn’t a one-time visit. Whatever this was building between them might have a chance. She couldn’t wait to find out.
They moved back into the hallway and went to the last room on the left where the door was closed. Harrison pushed it open, and she had no words.
The music room.
Jamie hadn’t exaggerated. The space was a musician’s dream. He had truly gone all out in setting up the space. The color scheme of black, gray, white with pops of light blue was gorgeous. A long, overstuffed, gray sofa at one end of the space made her want to lie on it and take a long nap. The rest of the room included a large keyboard, electric drums, and a stand that held a couple of saxophones. Hanging on the far wall were three guitars.
Nyla turned to Harrison. “If I lived in a place like this, I’d never leave home.”
He grunted. “I pretty much didn’t for the last few years,” he said, and invisible shutters covered his eyes. His previous relaxed demeanor was replaced with his usual somber aura. “Why don’t you get changed, then meet me downstairs.”
While taking a quick shower, Nyla couldn’t stop thinking. After touring Harrison’s home, it became even clearer that he was so far out of her league. Educated, great job, nice cars, and a gorgeous home, and what did she have? She had money in the bank, but all of it was earmarked for the club. Other than that, she had nothing. What could Harrison possibly see in her?
Jamie had said she and Harrison could be good for each other, but doubt was starting to settle in. They were as different as winter and summer. Surely, once Harrison got to know her better, he’d want to be with someone who was his equal in every area.
But what she couldn’t deny was that invisible pull she felt whenever she and Harrison were together. Each time she saw him, she wanted to touch him, kiss him, hug him, and it was obvious he was feeling the same way. His unexpected kisses kept catching her off guard, but was all that enough?
Nyla never considered herself an overthinker. Normally she was a one-day-at-a-time person who rolled with whatever was brought her way. Yet, dealing with Harrison had her thoughts and emotions all over the place.
Once she was showered and changed into yoga pants, a long sleeve T-shirt, and thick socks, Nyla headed downstairs. She was a night owl, but the queen size bed in the guest room was calling her name. She resisted.
“Hey,” she said when she reached the kitchen. She sat at the center island on one of the barstools.
He glanced over his shoulder. “That was quick. Do you need medicine for your headache?”
“No. I took something before leaving the club. It’s better.”
She’d been pushing herself hard the last few weeks, and the long days had caught up to her. She planned to spend the weekend relaxing.
“Hopefully, some food and rest will help,” Harrison said as if reading her mind.
His cell phone, sitting face down on the center island, rang, and he lifted it. After a quick glance and a frown at the screen, he silenced the device. Then he shoved it into the front pocket of the well-worn blue jeans he had changed into.
Nyla admired the way his long-sleeve T-shirt molded over his muscular body. The material was thin enough for her to see his sinewy muscles contract with every move he made. She’d seen so many different sides of him, including his styles of dress, since meeting months ago, and so far, she liked what she saw.
As she watched him move around, it was safe to say Harrison felt comfortable in the kitchen. He seemed more relaxed than she’d ever seen him. Clearly, his home was his happy place, but why was she there? Why did he invite her to his home?
So much for not overthinking.
They hadn’t talked since the night he’d dropped her off at home. Yet, today, it was as if no time had passed between them, and that kiss earlier? Goodness. Yeah, they shared an addictive physical attraction that neither of them seemed to be able to resist. The man was downright enticing, but…
“What are we doing, Harrison?” she asked, just as he started cooking grilled cheese sandwiches. He had no idea they were one of her favorite comfort foods. “Why did you invite me over? Days ago, I was under the impression you didn’t want anything to do with me.”
That stopped him, and he swung around to face her, a spatula in his hands.
“I want everything to do with you,” he said with conviction, and her pulse quickened. “You’re all I’ve been able to think about this past week, Nyla. Hell, even longer than that. I’m sorry if I’m throwing out mixed signals, but I needed to get my head straight before I could come to you correctly.”
He turned back to the stove to flip the grilled cheese and turned off the tomato bisque he had going. Then he returned his attention to her.
“You came into my life when I was just resurfacing, for lack of a better word. I don’t think you understand how strong of an effect you have on me. You make me want things that I haven’t wanted in a long time. Things I never thought I could have, and I wasn’t ready.”
Nyla wasn’t normally speechless, but this… There was a bit of anxiousness behind his statements. As silence filled the space and as she dissected his words, he turned back to the sandwiches.
He hadn’t been ready for her. If she took time to think about it, she could say the same about him. For the last couple of years, her focus had been on buying Moody Days. She’d worked day and night, planning, saving, and a whole lot of praying that she could pull this off. She honestly didn’t have time for a relationship. So yeah, she understood where he was coming from. Still…
Approaching him, she placed her hand on his lower back, and he glanced down at her. “You said you hadn’t been ready for me. What changed?”
He plated their sandwiches, and his intense eyes bore into hers. He really was a sexy man, and she was still trying to get used to seeing him without his glasses.
His large hand cupped her cheek as he brushed the pad of his thumb over her skin, and Nyla damn near purred. Her flesh prickled at the tenderness of his touch. For a big, grumpy guy, he had a calm, soothing presence about him, and in this moment, she felt cherished.
Harrison lowered his head and kissed her sweetly. “It’s time for me to start living again, and when I picture how that’ll look, I see you as part of that vision.”
Stunned, Nyla didn’t know how to respond. He spoke with such conviction that she believed every word, but they didn’t know each other. Not really. All they had going for them was a serious attraction that made her want to be reckless. Something she couldn’t afford to be.
However, when had she ever let that stop her?