Chapter 16
HARLOW
Knock, knock.
“Oh god, no.” Harrison’s casted arm flies over his face. The agony is radiating off of him in waves, causing alarm bells to clang in my head.
I scamper for the sheets, pulling them into my chest frantically. My instinct is to drag them off of the bed with me as I go in search of my clothes, but a large palm clamps over my thigh, holding me in place.
Is it his wife? I know he lives out of state. This can’t be their family home. He couldn’t possibly be dumb enough to bring me here if that’s the case. I assumed this was a rental. Not the type of sublet I’d expect a construction worker to have, but maybe several of them share the place. Is that who this is? One of them is up early and annoyed we were too loud?
Knock, knock.
“Mom!”
Mom?
What the heck? Harrison still lives with his mother? Is this her place? What in the heck have I gotten myself into here?
Knock, knock, knock.
Harrison lets go of my leg long enough to swing his over the side of the bed. “Joyce!”
Joyce? I need to get the hell out of here.
I grip the sheets with white knuckle force as I dart from the bed in search of my undergarments. For all of my carelessness with men, I’ve never had a situation like this happen. And as much as I was falling for this guy, it’s not worth this.
“Harlow, please? Just stay put. I’m going to handle this. I’ll be right back.”
Um, hell no. I’m getting out of here.
Harrison makes a mad dash for the bathroom, and returns moments later as I’m pulling my dress over my head. The anguished look on his face would break my heart if I wasn’t terrified of who I’d find on the other side of that door.
He heads into a room I assume is a closet, returning with a pair of gym shorts slung low on his hips. Sheesh, Harlow. Even afraid for your life, you still get hot and bothered by the sight of the prominent V disappearing into his pants.
Harrison reaches for the doorknob, and I lift the sheet to cover my face as a shriek nearly exits my mouth.
“Hey, Momma. Where’s Joyce?”
The room grows quiet, and I stand frozen in place, wishing the floor would swallow me whole.
“Did we wake you?” His voice is so calm and soothing. Like I talk to Alec when he’s had a bad dream.
Harrison leans back into the room, his eyes finding mine. It’s as if they’re pleading with me for mercy.
I pull the sheet down lower, pressing it into my throat. My heart is hammering in my chest.
Surprisingly, he takes a few steps back and brings an older woman into the room with us. My first inclination is to dart into the closet or bathroom and hide until the coast is clear. Then I can sneak out the sliding doors to the deck and make a run for it.
“Mom, this is Harlow.”
I stand there, blinking at them like one of those actors that dresses like a statue on the boardwalk, hoping for tips in exchange for their commitment to the scene.
“We were just going to bed. Why don’t I get you settled first, okay?”
But before he can exit, another woman, appearing the same age as his mother, arrives at his door. She has a head of gray hair, wrapped in some sort of turban. “Harrison, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize she was up until I heard the alarm from her bed going off. She seemed to have a good evening. I’m not sure what set her off.”
My eyes land on Harrison, who’s wearing a guilty expression. “I’m afraid it was my fault, Joyce. I’m sorry to disturb your sleep.”
“Let’s get you back to bed, Carolyn,” the other woman encourages. It could be the two women are partners, but my history with elderly patients with dementia tells me that’s more likely the case. As Joyce takes a few steps into the room, she comes to an abrupt halt as she finds me there. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Her gaze flicks over to Harrison, an unmistakable curl to the corner of her mouth appearing.
“Okay, okay. Joyce, this is Harlow. Who will probably never speak to me again after tonight. Harlow, this is Joyce, my mother’s nurse.”
I lift my fingers carefully from the sheet I’m holding long enough to give a quick wave. I’m clothed, except for my bra and panties. The thought has me rolling my eyes. Are they lying on the floor over there where they can see? Gah. Not that they can’t figure out why I’m here.
Joyce gives me a similar curt wave before escorting Harrison’s mother from the room. As he shuts the door behind them, he drops his forehead to the door with a loud thud.
Now that the frightful part of the evening is behind us, I try to calm my breathing so my heart rate will come down.
“I’m so sorry.” I barely hear him as he’s talking into the door. “I wasn’t thinking. I was just so wrapped up in you.” He rocks his head back and forth, and the magnitude of the situation finally hits me. I’d been so scared of being caught with another two-timing, back-stabbing asshole that it never dawned on me there was another explanation.
Walking slowly over to where he stands, looking so dejected, I take him in. Moments ago, he’d resembled a sated sex god hovering above me, now more like a sad little boy. Her little boy. It was clear. I knew nothing about this larger-than-life man.
Harrison is as complex as he is charismatic. Agonized as he is attractive. The closer I come to where he stands, the more broken he appears. And not the wrist wrapped in fiberglass, but his spirit. It’s so clear. This beautiful, tortured man is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. And to think I thought I was having a bad week. Nothing could compare to having to watch your parent lose their mind.
Harrison jolts beneath my touch as I place my hand on his back. “I’m so sorry.”
Reaching over, I turn his face to meet mine, my fingertips stroking the sexy scruff on his chin. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
His face, while anguished, seems to possess a more hopeful glow about it. “I never bring anyone here, Harlow. Well, there’s never been anyone I’d want to. Until now.”
Leaning in, I give him a chaste kiss, trying to comfort him in any way I can.
“I should’ve explained before I brought you here. I don’t share much of my personal life. It’s… well, it’s a lot.”
My gut feeling is that he’s afraid it’d only scare someone away. But in my experience, that only means they weren’t meant to be in the picture. “Is it dementia?” I ask tentatively.
“Yeah, how’d you… Oh, duh.”
“I see it a lot. She lives with you then?”
“Yes.” His voice is so soft. Fragile, even.
“Harrison?”
He closes his eyes, his chin dropping to his chest upon hearing his name. That defeated look has returned, replacing the hopeful one from moments ago.
“I’m not sure it’s possible.” I stop, licking my lips. The last few moments have caused my mouth to dry up like the Sahara. “But I think I might like you even more than I did when you rocked my world a few minutes ago.”
His head springs up, eyes wide, just before the most dazzling smile crosses his face. His green eyes glistening as he looks at me with such reverence it makes me tremble. Reaching up to cup my cheek, he strokes it with the pad of his thumb before lowering his mouth to mine for another kiss. It’s tender and sweet, and my knees nearly buckle beneath me as he nibbles on my lower lip.
“Come back to bed,” I whisper.
“Harlow,” he breathes against my lips. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
Rubbing my eyes at the sun pouring through the sliding glass doors, I’m momentarily muddled. Then I find a hard, unforgiving slab of white fiberglass draped over my belly. Glancing down, I have to squint to make out the drawing on the top. It looks like a heart. Is that Mom written within it? It’s a mess. Maybe Harrison has a small nephew. It reminds me of Alec’s writing.
“Good morning.” The gravel in his voice causes my lower belly to tighten. But after last night, I’m not sure I want to repeat anything that might give the other residents of this house a wake-up call.
“Morning,” I reply.
“You sleep okay?” Gah, that voice. Lifting my head to take him in, I find his gorgeous face smiling back at me, his hair rumpled to perfection. I’m not eager to leave this. His chest was the perfect pillow. I swear, this man is sex personified. “Harlow, you all right? I know last night was?—”
“It was perfect.” And it was. I’m not giving this man any doubts. The introduction to his mother and Joyce may have been terrifying, but the moments leading up to it were so delectable. I wouldn’t change a thing. I readjust his arm so I can curl into his side. “Who knew all of those weeks of saucy hello’s as I came to work could turn into this?” I giggle.
Harrison’s arm wraps a little tighter around me, and I snuggle into his embrace. I can’t imagine he’s hiding a wife and kids from me, but I’ve been burned enough to know I can’t assume anything anymore.
“Harry?”
“Yeah?” I feel a kiss to the top of my head.
“I should’ve asked before we got here. And I wish meeting your mother was enough.”
His arm stiffens, and I can almost feel him retreating.
Rolling back, I glance up into his sexy face to find little worry lines crinkling at the edges of his eyes. Heck, even those are hot. “I’ve had a really bad run of luck with men. Like, really bad. I told myself I was done. But… well, I can’t fight this. You aren’t married or involved with anyone, are you?”
His body visibly relaxes as a wide grin crosses his face. “No.” He chuckles. “I told you I don’t bring anyone here. I have the same luck with women.” He shakes his head. “Okay, maybe just one. But my life has been hard enough to juggle with work and the one you met last night.” He turns away from me, looking toward the rays of sun breaking through the glass. “This situation isn’t easy. And it’d take a special person to want to become a part of this chaos.”
I’ve only just met this man. While I want to comfort Harrison and reassure him I’m all in, I’ve been there, done that. I can’t keep living my life this way. As much as I feel more comfortable here than I have anywhere with a man. Demented mother wanting to join us after sex or not. “You’re right. I’m sorry if you’ve had women in your life who couldn’t understand and be there for the both of you.”
His head rotates back to me, an expression I can’t quite identify peering at me. This man looks as if he’s lived a thousand lives in this moment. There’s an odd sense of pride building in my chest for someone I barely know. But again, I tend to jump into things with both feet without allowing someone’s true character to have a chance to bloom. I need to be more cautious this time. I have children who could get hurt, and as much as I’d like to tell him about them, he has a lot on his plate. I’m not sure this is the time for that conversation.
“Thank you.”
“For what?” I reach up to run my fingers over the stubble along his jaw, his beautiful green eyes even more hypnotic in the morning light.
“I had the best night of my life last night. Well, until my mother decided she wanted to pay us a visit.” He lets out a nervous laugh before gazing back down at me. “And it wasn’t just the sex. You’re… well, you’re incredible. I never imagined the woman I’d been dreaming of could be even better in real life.”
Yeah, I’m done for.