Chapter 19 Plan B
Plan B
“Here?” I squeaked.
He spun in a slow circle. “Here? Halfway between your parents’ resort and the parking lot might be a bit public even for me,” he teased.
I barked out a rough laugh and smacked his butt. “Put me down.”
He complied.
I looked everywhere but his face.
“Harley.”
“Hm?”
“Look at me.”
My gaze snapped to his.
Satisfaction lit his gaze.
“I meant figuratively, not literally. Are you ready to let me into your heart?”
“I mean,” I huffed. “I think you’re already there. I just don’t know if you should be.”
“What’s your hesitation?”
Was he just flirting with Natalia to fill time? Was she his B-plan? Or was I?
“What’s going on with Natalia?”
“My guess is she saw you behind me and put on a show.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Really, Daire? If that’s the case, you definitely played your part. I saw you. You held her close. Your,” I drew an imaginary circle around my face, “head was dipped down to hers.”
He nodded slowly. “What you saw was the result of me pushing her away and her claiming her earring was stuck in my sweater. I put my arm around her to make sure I didn’t move while she disengaged us.”
My temper flared. This chick was forever going to be in the way of me getting what I want.
And is Daire what you want?
“And was her earring stuck in your sweater?”
His face broke out into a grin. “I don’t see how it could be considering she wasn’t wearing any.”
I guffawed, then began to giggle. “What did she say?”
He grinned back at me. “Not a whole lot. She was too busy backtracking. Said they must have fallen out in the food tent.”
“Both of them?” I guffawed.
He grinned. “Exactly what I said.” With one finger, he traced the side of my face. “Harley, I’m done waiting,” he said softly.
I searched his eyes. He was dead serious. “You said you’d give me until Christmas.”
“I guess Christmas is coming early this year.”
“Yeah,” I snorted. “Like three months early.”
He moved closer and dipped his knees to loop his arms around my waist. Looking into my eyes he murmured, “Lucky us.”
“What are you going to do to me?” I whispered.
Was I ready for Daire? I only wanted a few sprinkles! And I wasn’t opposed to a little manhandling. Which he excelled at.
“Not a lot until I understand you better. Tonight, I just want to touch you. Finally.”
“So…no sex?” I asked, relief battling with disappointment.
He straightened up and laughed. “I didn’t say that.”
My own laugh was sharp and high-pitched.
“Harley, I won’t do a single thing to make you uncomfortable until you’re comfortable.”
“So, you will make me uncomfortable eventually.”
His eyebrows rose. “You need all the answers tonight?”
“I need to know what I’m getting into!”
With his hands resting lightly on my shoulders, he began walking me backward toward the parking lot. “I’m going to drive us home. The only question you have to answer right now is which home are we going to?”
You going to let me in?
In or out, Harley.
You can’t keep stringing him along.
You can’t keep running.
I closed my eyes.
What if he’s the wish?
I shook my head, but my heart persisted: what if he’s the wish?
In?
Or out?
“My place.”
His hands tightened momentarily, then he pulled me close. His exhale sounded like relief. “Good girl.”
By car, it was less than three minutes to my condo above Mary Lou’s, but he made it in two.
“Are you in a rush?”
He chuckled and ducked his head. “I don’t want to give you too much time to change your mind.”
It hit me that he was invested. Perhaps even more so than I was at that point.
I shook my head slowly. “I’m not going to change my mind.” I pointed toward the building. “Park around back. I don’t have a car, but I do have a parking spot.”
He held my hand as we walked across the parking lot.
And I held my tongue.
Nerves assailed me.
Because while my heart had won this round, my brain was doubling down for the next one.
By the time we got inside, I couldn’t hold back my question. “What if you don’t like what you see?”
He opened my kitchen cupboards like he’d lived there for years and took down two glasses. “Harley, I’ve been with women of all shapes and sizes. I’ve been to sex clubs where women of all shapes and sizes are naked or as close to it as possible. I’m familiar with the female form.”
Sex club?
I’d have to circle back to that later.
I leaned against the counter with my arms crossed over my chest and watched him fill our glasses at the sink before handing me one.
He took a small sip, then continued, “Your body will not be a surprise to me in any way, shape, or form. I know what’s hiding under your clothes. The mystery will be in unlocking your inhibitions so you share it with me without reservation.”
I guzzled my water. “I didn’t even know I was thirsty.”
“Nerves will do that to a person.”
I frowned. “You see too much.”
“I try,” he quipped.
Walking toward me, he plucked the empty glass out of my hand and set it on the counter.
“My plan was to cuddle up with you, watch a movie, make you laugh, and get you nice and relaxed before taking you to bed.” He dipped his knees, picked me up, and hugged me close.
I snorted but looped my arms around his neck. His chest felt good pressed to mine. I was developing an addiction for his hugs, and with our height difference, this was the only way to indulge.
Still, I couldn’t make it easy for him.
“Why are you always picking me up?”
“It saves my neck.” He leaned back and grinned at me. “And it’s easier to pick you up and carry you. We spend less time arguing this way.”
I opened my mouth to retort but he cut me off with a mock glare. “Anyway, I’ve decided to move on to plan B, which is to get you out of your clothes, and your head, as soon as possible.”
I blinked. “I think we should revisit plan A. It definitely has some merit.”
It was a weak protest at best. Because pressed close to him like that? I had a difficult time listening to my overactive brain.
“We’ll do plan A another day,” he acquiesced.
As he stepped over the threshold to my bedroom, I hung up a mental closed sign and shut out everything but the man in front of me.
If I was going to do this, and I was fully committed to doing it, I would enjoy it.
He sat me down on the bed.
I bounced back up and headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” He laughed, his hands on his hips.
I turned back and saucily widened my eyes at him as I flipped the light off.
“Oh, Harley,” he reprimanded softly. “You’re going to make this easy for both of us.”
I wasn’t sure what he meant but easy sounded good. I walked back and placed my hands lightly on his lean waist. Looking up into his eyes, I smiled. “Easy is good. Especially this first time. I’ve never had chocolate sprinkles.”
His brow furrowed. “Chocolate sprinkles?”
I shrugged. “Yeah. You know. Vanilla…chocolate sprinkles…”
He burst out laughing and tossed me onto the bed. “I’m not giving you any sprinkles tonight.”
Disappointment stabbed me. “Why not?”
Crawling onto the bed, he grabbed my ankles firmly and spread my legs wide before settling his body snugly between them, my heat pressed tightly against his abdomen.
I blinked. That alone was spicier than I’d ever had.
Caged in by his elbows on either side of my head, my hands resting lightly on his ribs, I stared up at him.
He studied me. “Even that is new.”
I swallowed. “You see too much.”
“I promise you, I’ll try harder than I ever have before to see everything.” His thumbs caressed the hair at my temples. “I want to make it so good for you, Harley. I want to give you everything you want, and more than you ever thought you needed.”
“Right this minute, I just really need you to kiss me,” I whispered.