Chapter 17 #2
She understands my undertone of being a gentleman and nods in agreement.
But that heightened tension between us only follows us. The lobby is a struggle, the elevator nearly unbearable. Even when she asked me about the latest Spinners game that I watched, I had a short response, not wanting to discuss.
And now as we walk to her door, luckily not far from my own room, I notice she walks purposely slow, as do I. We’re trying to prolong the moment.
Arriving at her door is our end point.
“Well… this is me.”
“So it is,” I say as I rock on my heels, with my hands in my pockets.
“Thank you for the ride and walking me to my door.” The corner of her mouth lifts then falls.
I step to my side, prepared to make my dreaded return to my own room. This isn’t how we were meant to be. Never was.
Pivoting back to her, I shake the last few hours off.
“Fuck it, Harlow. I’m not going to pretend that your needing space makes sense.
A few days, fine, but a few weeks? If that’s the case, then we were nothing at all.
But you and I both know that’s not true.
” I’m about to unleash, and she doesn’t even seem taken aback.
“We weren’t, or are, nothing at all.” She blinks a few times.
I step closer to her. “Do you know what I think?”
She holds my stare. “You’re going to tell me anyway.”
I smirk and step closer, causing her to move back, only for the door to support her. “You’re scared as hell. You don’t want it to end but you think it will. Even more, you're scared that we could be something permanent.”
“Stone,” she pleads. “What do you want me to say?”
I lean against the door with my forearm framing her head. “The truth. You miss me and hate this space.”
Her eyes glaze over, but I can’t help but notice how her body is subconsciously curving into mine. “Yes,” she breathes.
My other hand slides up her arm to find home on her jaw, not too rough. It only intensifies the lust floating between us. “Just speak your mind, Harlow. I need to know so I don’t feel like a hole has been dug somewhere inside of me.”
A sound cracks from her lips, and a flicker passes between us because now she is the one aggravated.
“Okay, Stone, yes, yes, yes, okay? I have strong feelings for you, you don’t leave my mind, and I’m miserable when you’re not around.
I suddenly hate maps, even though when I was younger, I believed that an atlas gives us roads to possibilities.
But you and I?” She breaks away from under my pinned arms and takes a few steps away from me, causing me to turn to face her. “Our road seems to go back and forth.”
“It’s better that way. Nowhere else to go, I guess.”
“I’m scared… I’ve never felt this way.”
“Ditto.”
Harlow scoffs. “Yet you seem calm and not a mess like me.”
“I don’t mind you being a mess.”
Harlow claws her hair and blows out a long breath. “I’m always spinning in a circle around you. I don’t want to be. I just want to close my eyes and…”
I don’t let her finish. I interrupt her sentence to kiss her, placing my hand on the back of her neck.
My kiss must have caught her by surprise because she murmurs a sweet sound into my mouth, but she gives in and reciprocates back.
Not only that, but her arms circle around my middle, pulling me tighter.
Breaking our kiss, both of us with heavy breathing, I warn her. “Harlow, I’m not leaving you alone right now. I have a point to prove. Do you understand me?” My eyes widen, ensuring that she grasps that I won’t be sweet.
She mouths yes.
Grabbing the keycard from her hand, I haul her to me and at the same time open the door. The moment we’re both inside, I kick the door closed. Harlow stops in the middle of her room by the foot of the bed. Striding straight to her, I’m sure I must appear cunning, as I’m about to have my way.
“Harlow, I plan on fucking you until you repeat over and over what you feel for me.”
I rip the buttons of her shirt off then I push her onto the mattress.
She yelps slightly and breaks her fall with her elbows.
Harlow watches as I throw my suit jacket to the side and quickly unbutton my shirt then remove my pants.
Her eyes are hungry when I splay open her blouse to admire her black satin panties and bra.
Balancing over her, I steal another kiss and feel her knees rising to my hips, encouraging me to take more.
“Tell me all you think about is having me inside of you,” I whisper into her ear.
“All I think about is having you inside of me,” she breathes out, her hands exploring my back.
“You don’t want us to end,” I make my next request.
She moans as I press myself against her center. “It’s true, I don’t want us to end.”
“You’ve made me crazy, I swear.” My voice swelters, and I move to flip her onto her stomach, taking her by surprise.
I grab her hair and yank gently with my other hand, pressing her back down.
“You’ve made a mistake, Harlow. You shouldn’t run.
Understand?” I hiss and scrape my nose against her elongated neck.
For a second, I’m not sure if I’m taking this a step too far with this position and my words. But she throws me a half-smirk as her face is smooshed sideways to the mattress. She knows we can always stop it with one word.
Letting her hair flow down, I glide down to yank her panties off, leaving her in her bra.
I stroke a few fingers through her folds for a few strokes.
All the worship of her body will have to wait for later.
Lowering my boxer briefs, I drag her forward and raise her hips before my tip finds her entrance.
I feel her heat and arousal, and I just want to sink further inside her.
One inch, two inches. I close my eyes and groan a sound because she is heaven.
Harlow hums and pushes against me, drawing me deeper inside.
But then I freeze.
“Harlow, wait. Shit, condom.”
Harlow breaks the moment to rest on her forearms and flash me a look. “It’s fine, I’m on birth control. I want you like this.”
Her conviction has me slowly twisting her body until she’s on her back. With her feet resting on the mattress and knees up, I force one knee wide, then the other. Our eyes connect, and I realize slowing down is in our calling.
Sinking back into her, I delve my lips back onto hers. Softly once then hard twice. She grips onto me, and her hair is splayed across the mattress. She holds me tighter, and I pump deeper.
“You feel too much, but it’s right. Tell me,” I husk.
“I do feel too much, but we’re right,” she pants.
Our mouths seal with a kiss because this moment is ours, not some confused thought.
I rest my head on my arms crossed behind my head as I lean against the headboard with a sheet draped around my waist. Saying I’m calm and sated would be an understatement right now, even though I’m trying to recover from that orgasm.
When I see Harlow exit the bathroom, I can tell she’s at peace, but a crack in her thoughts still lingers.
“Don’t think about it, Harlow,” I nearly growl.
She smiles to herself before she joins me back on the bed. I encourage her to rest her head on my chest.
“Let me be in this moment. I want you and always wi—” She stalls.
But I can only smirk.
A forever.
That's what’s been scaring her away.