Chapter Nine.
Oakley
I was ecstatic. Klutz and Lynda had both checked my feet and confirmed I could start moving further. My feet were nearly healed.
Klutz laughed and told me he didn’t want me running marathons but was quite happy for me to walk about the Hall.
After they left, I stood up and winced. There was a residual pain, but it wasn’t too bad. However, I could understand what Klutz meant by not standing too long or walking too far. Harley would need to continue massaging them to keep the skin supple, ensuring it didn’t tighten and pucker up. The stitches had been removed a few days ago, so everything was hunky-dory.
The burning question now, was where to live? It was pointless leaving Rapid City until I knew where Aspen was. Harley had promised help in filing for my inheritance and the remaining matters. Plus, I also needed to draw up the technical plans and have them ready for when Aspen was found.
“What did Klutz and Lynda say?” Harley asked, entering my bedroom without a knock and throwing himself down on the king-size bed.
“That I was okay to walk and stand for short periods.”
“That’s great news, let’s go outside. The snow has fallen again, and I thought we could take a sleigh ride.”
“Don’t we need to start getting ready for the ball?”
“We’ve got time. Come on, indulge me, Oakley,” Harley demanded.
“Fine,” I said, shifting to the edge of the bed. Luckily, I was dressed in jeans and a sweater. I pulled thick socks on and carefully slipped my feet into some fur-lined snow boots Lindsey had bought.
Harley swept me up into his arms just as I finished putting my coat on.
“Harley, I can walk!”
“Habit.” Harley chuckled and carried me outside.
Once we hit the porch, Harley put me down and tucked my arm through his. The snow was soft under our feet and fell lightly.
“What’s going to happen to the party tonight?” I asked.
“Mom’s had the ploughs out, and there’s plenty of free cabins left. The snowploughs will keep running through the night, keeping the main roads clear. Mom’s paying for them, so the ball will go ahead. The caterers have been here since this morning, and deliveries are arriving easily. The snow’s not heavy yet, and we’re used to handling this weather,” Harley replied.
“That’s a good thing. Illinois gets snow, but not like this. This is a little scary,” I admitted.
“Got more to come, babe. Winter’s setting in,” Harley said.
“Oh. I guess I have to finalise my plans. Finding somewhere to rent is a priority, and I need to hire a lawyer,” I replied, feeling overwhelmed.
Harley stopped walking and drew me into his arms.
“Nope. I don’t want you to leave. Oakley, I want you to be my wife for real. We’re building something here, aren’t we?” Harley asked.
“This was short term.” I gasped, but my hands curled into Harley’s jacket.
“Oakley, fuck temporary. Let’s see where this goes,” Harley urged.
“Harley, I like you. Honestly, I’m attracted to you. But I need to locate Aspen and Archer. We need a home, and I must redraw the plans for the turbine and log them into the patent office. There is so much to do.”
“Why do it alone? Let me support you, Oakley,” Harley replied.
“What about Aspen and Archer? They’ll need a home,” I argued. I’d no idea why I was putting up such a fight, but Harley needed to understand what he was in for. “Plus, there’s the mess. I like inventing shit, and so does Aspen. We’d be in our shed for hours, sometimes days.”
“The same as me when I’m creating a sword or weapon. Oakley, stop fighting what’s between us.”
“I don’t want to fall in love and be abandoned,” I finally whispered. “Everyone leaves Aspen and me.”
Harley’s eyes flashed with empathy. “Babe, I understand that fear. Trust me. Let me tell you about my childhood before Phoenix Michaelson found me…”
I listened as we walked, and my heart began to bleed. Harley’s childhood had been a nightmare, and it was a real blessing when Shutout and Ice had discovered him. Harley had experienced happiness before his dreams were snatched away once more. Listening intently, I didn’t realise where we were headed until we stepped through an arched tunnel and into a full baseball diamond.
“Wow,” I gasped, looking around.
Harley looked at his phone, checking something.
“I spent hours here. Before and after school. Carmine—Shutout and I would spend our lives here. Mom rarely saw us. If we didn’t have to eat, we’d have slept here too.”
“You’ve got wonderful memories.”
“Hell yeah. Funny, I remember when Mom bought this. Reading Hall was a wreck. But while the Hall was being fixed, Mom had teams building the stables, diamond, and the ice rink. She was determined that her children wouldn’t go without. Mom had the tennis courts repaired and made the two villages. Nothing was too much. Mom said that she remembered her childhood dreams; hers might not have happened, but ours would.”
“Phoenix is a good mother.”
“She is the damn best. Birthed seven and adopted the rest. Ain’t ever met anyone like her. Mom messes up sometimes, she’s human, but she has got a heart of pure gold.”
“Phoe’s also desperate for grandchildren, and Harley, I don’t want kids yet. Hell, I’m twenty-three. I want to enjoy being young.”
Better Harley understood where I was coming from. If that was a deal breaker, then we best know now.
“Mom can wait. She’ll have to because none of us want babies yet,” Harley said emphatically.
“Good.” A sound made me glance up. “Is that a helicopter?”
“Yes, I thought we’d go on a ride before the ball,” Harley replied with a smirk.
“Oh! Wow, I’ve never been in one before!” I cried, excited. “But it’s snowing. Can it still fly?”
“Yeah, as long as it doesn’t get any thicker, and it’s not meant to until the early hours.”
Harley moved to a wall and pressed a switch, and the baseball diamond lit up. Moments later, the helicopter landed, and we ran over. Harley opened the door and helped me up inside.
The pilot gave us some headphones, offered instructions, and then took off.
From above, Reading Hall looked beautiful with all the lights. The pilot flew us over the Black Hills and Rapid City before returning to the Hall. I held Harley’s hand all the way.
“That is amazing,” I whispered as the Hall came into view again.
“Yeah. And I live there,” Harley murmured.
The Hall was awash with Christmas lights, as were the woods and gardens. The copter circled the expansive gardens for a few minutes before heading back to the diamond. We landed, thanked the pilot, and headed for shelter as he took off.
I turned to Harley and threw myself in his arms. “Thank you! That was out of this world!”
Harley laughed and spun me around before hauling me close and kissing me. It was like a scene from a Hallmark movie. I stood on my toes, ignoring the slight discomfort, and returned his kiss as the snow fell around us. Harley was a damn expert at kissing.
“Come on,” he murmured, breaking the kiss. “We need to get back, or I’m going to fuck tonight off and spend it fucking you instead.”
“Um, I’m tempted to agree, but that might be a bit too fast,” I admitted.
“At your own pace, Oakley. If you’d agreed, then sure, I would take you to bed. But I can wait, patience is a virtue I learned a long time ago,” Harley reassured.
A warm feeling flooded through me. That meant a lot. Harley respected me; something I’d not experienced for a while.
Harley
I waited at the bottom of the stairs for Oakley to appear. She’d got ready with Molly, Demi, Jodie, and Serenity. They’d snatched Oakley away before I could kiss her goodbye, so I’d headed down to the billiard room and played some pool with Fanatic before heading up to dress.
Now I stood with Fanatic, who was escorting Jodie and Serenity. Shutout was there for Molly, and Ice stared upwards, waiting to catch sight of Demi.
The orchestra was already playing, and people were arriving in throngs. The snowploughs Mom had booked were doing their job. There was also a truck out salting the roads that Mom had paid for.
Jodie appeared at the top with her arms linked with Serenity. Both had huge grins on their faces.
“Ready, lovers?” Serenity called, and we nodded.
Jodie and Serenity parted, and Demi swept past them. Ice’s mouth dropped open as Demi swished down and stopped on the bottom step. He made to grab and kiss her, and Jodie bellowed out a no.
Looking disgruntled, Ice held out an arm and walked her towards the ballroom. I was laughing as Shutout did the same with Molly, and then I forgot everything as Oakley stepped forward.
“Holy shit,” I murmured. She was a damn vision. I felt like I’d been punched in the solar plexus. Oakley looked stunning but a little unsure.
“You’re beautiful!” I whispered.
A brilliant smile broke across Oakley’s face as she hit the bottom stair.
“Don’t you dare kiss Oakley and mess up her makeup,” Serenity yelled as she descended. I scowled at my sisters, and Fanatic laughed as he took their arms.
“Cockblocked!” Fanatic crowed and led the two cackling witches away.
“Tonight, I’m going to make you mine,” I promised, and Oakley blushed.
Fuck waiting when Oakley looked like that.
I led Oakley into the ballroom proudly and discovered Mom and half the old ladies scowling. The rest were laughing. There was a sea of tuxedos and fancy ballgowns in front of me. Only, mixed amongst the standard black tuxedos were ones with Rage patches on.
“Oh, Phoe is going to kill you,” Oakley muttered as she stepped back and looked at my own patch.
“Blame Dad, but none of us disagreed,” I replied, and sweeping her into my arms, I moved onto the dance floor.
Oakley
Who’d have believed a ball would be romantic and not tedious? I hadn’t expected a Jane Austin-style ball, but that was what I received. Phoe had opened the enormous dining room with a buffet-style meal. The usual large table had been removed, and smaller tables were dotted around.
Meanwhile, in the ballroom, the chandeliers glowed and lit the stained-glass windows up.
Outside, the Christmas lights sparkled under a cloudy sky. The snow glistened under the lights and made it all look magical. Phoe had employed an orchestra, and there was no pop music present, not that the orchestra didn’t play current music. They did mixed in with waltzes and so on.
I hadn’t expected to enjoy it, but I had. Harley made me laugh constantly with pithy comments about people. I wore soft, cushioned slippers, but half the time, Harley carried me around the dance floor in his arms as we danced. Just after midnight, I decided I’d had enough and asked Harley to take me upstairs.
Harley stopped outside my door and cupped my face. “No pressure, Oakley, this is your choice.”
“I choose you,” I whispered.
I almost laughed as Harley booted the bedroom door open and carried me inside. He placed me carefully down and kissed me like he was a drowning man.
Harley backed me slowly towards the bed, his hands running up and down my bodice and cupping my breasts. His fingers roamed my back and discovered my zipper.
A smile crossed my lips as we kissed. Harley was about to get a serious shock.
While dressing, I’d resolved not to wait after all and worn a surprise for Harley. If he hadn’t decided to seduce me tonight, I was going to tempt him. And what I wore underneath was a part of that!
The dress fell to the ground, and Harley’s hands touched my corset.
They froze, and Harley broke the kiss. Stepping away, his mouth dropped open as he stared. I wore a strapless corset and white stockings held up by a white lace suspender belt and white lacy French cut panties.
“Holy shit,” Harley muttered as his eyes roamed over my body. The heat in them warmed my body and aroused me. My nipples hardened, and my pussy became damp.
Harley stripped off his tuxedo and stood in skintight boxers that hid nothing. His cock was huge!
I licked my lips, and Harley groaned.
“My own late Christmas present to unwrap,” he murmured and sat on the bed and moved me between his legs. “Are your feet hurting, baby?”
“No.”
“Good.” Harley grasped my hips and pulled me forward as he kissed my right hip.
I gasped as featherlight kisses touched my heated skin. He slowly moved onto my bared stomach, and every touch of Harley’s lips made me shiver. As he kissed my left hip, Harley turned me around and released a pained groan.
“Your ass.”
Harley cupped my cheeks and kneaded them. He rose a little and kissed and nipped across my shoulders. Then pushing my hair to one side, he lavished attention on the back of my neck.
I shivered under his mouth. All the time, Harley’s hands remained on my butt, kneading and grabbing. He turned me slowly to face him and claimed my mouth in a searing kiss.
My toes curled into the thick carpet, and I angled my head so Harley could kiss me deeper. When the kiss broke, I was gasping for breath and clinging to Harley. He bent his head and began trailing tiny licks and kisses across the globes of my breasts in their corset.
My nipples tingled until the point of pain, and I guided his head to them.
Harley freed a breast as he sat back on the bed and sucked my nipple deep into his mouth. A tinge of pain ran through me, but it excited me at the same time.
After heaping attention on one, Harley turned to the other. I rubbed my legs together to ease the friction between them, and Harley slid a hand downwards. Trailing kisses down my stomach Harley tore my panties from me.
“Oh fuck,” Harley murmured, laid down, and dragged me over him. “Sit on my face,” he ordered.
I straddled him and allowed him to position me. I clung to the headboard as I panted and tensed, ready for him. His tongue touched me, and I cried out and nearly came off the bed.
Harley spread my thighs wider apart and lowered me. With a swift movement, he sucked my clit into his mouth and pushed two fingers inside me.
I threw my head back and moaned out loud.
His hands held me trapped as Harley’s face fucked me hard. I spasmed as I felt an orgasm build. At that moment, Harley lifted me off his face and, in a swift move, pulled his boxers down and impaled me on his cock.
After the initial shock wore off, I began moving as I braced myself on his chest.
“Take it, Oakley,” Harley murmured as I ground faster against him. His hands once again held me in place as he fucked me ruthlessly.
My orgasm built and exploded, but he didn’t stop as he chased his own release. The urgency in his movements drove me into a second peak and over the edge as Harley cried out his own.
He thrust hard several times before stiffening. I felt his cock pulse deep inside me as I collapsed against his chest.
Harley wrapped me up tightly in his arms, and I tucked into the crook of his neck.
“That was…” I murmured and stopped, unable to find the words.
“Yep,” Harley drawled.
“And we can do that for the rest of our lives?”
“Fuck yeah.”
“That is a nice thought,” I muttered. I started to giggle as Harley lifted his head and looked down at me in stunned amazement.
“Nice?” he asked in disbelief.
“Fucking wonderful?”
“That’s more like it. Now I want to unwrap my present. I got too carried away with what was inside to bother unwrapping it!”
I began giggling as Harley tossed me on my back and kissed me soundly.
Harley
“You want me to do what?” I asked Shutout in disbelief.
“Play the charity game with me. Three players have dropped out, we’ve covered two but need one more.”
“Bro, do you have any idea how harsh you’re being right now? Playing pro ball was my dream. And isn’t this going to be televised?” I demanded.
Shutout looked at me. “Frightened?”
The fuck did he just say that!
“I’ll play asshole, but you’re going to owe me huge.” I stormed away knowing Shutout had baited me. This was going to hurt massively. This game was going to give me a taste of my dream that had been snatched away.
Muttering curses under my breath, I began searching for Oakley. She’d understand my pain.