Chapter 45
One Week Later
“Delta Xi!”
The beach house rumbles beneath the shouts of a dozen frat boys and sorority girls standing around a ping-pong table.
It was a fierce match, but no one was keeping score. Everybody wins. Nobody loses. At least, that’s what Harvey whispered in my ear when I asked him who was winning.
Just Delta Xi things, I guess.
They all raise their red plastic cups and chug the contents down. I do the same, happy to be along for this ride.
Before the enthusiasm dies back down, Harvey hooks my arm and lightly tugs me out of the living room. He leads me down the hall and out the front door, silently spiriting me away as he gives August a subtle wink along the way.
Outside, I instantly look up. The summer breeze blowing from the lake tickles my cheeks as I take in the starry night sky. I fill my lungs with fresh air, allowing a little more clarity to seep into my mind — as much clarity as a girl can get after who knows how many vodka sours, that is.
“I am so sorry,” Harvey says.
I balance on the sand. “For what?” I ask, chuckling.
“I really didn’t expect them to bring this many people,” he says. “I swear I told them small and casual. And I’m really sorry they grilled you like that. Though, to be fair, I should have known. These guys aren’t exactly known for their chill.”
I laugh. “It’s fine,” I say. “More than fine, actually. They seem like really great people.”
“Yeah? Because if you’re not having fun, we can go.”
“Harvey.” I tug his hand and he turns to face me. “I said I wanted to meet your friends. And believe me, they aren’t that bad. I’ve seen far worse lack of chill.”
“Really?” he asks, still worried.
I cup his face, his cheeks touched with a bit of stubble. “Really.” I kiss him and his hands settle on my waist. “This is quite educational, actually,” I say. “I never went to college. Always wondered what it was like.”
“Professor B’s Friday night sex cult not do it enough for you?”
“Not quite.” I turn my head, admiring the waves rushing the beach and the stars above Lake Michigan. “Comet Night ain’t got nothing on this view.”
Harvey looks, too. “Yeah?”
I gaze into his eyes. “Yeah.”
I kiss him again. Our lips part, drawing us into an even deeper kiss, one that leaves my toes tickling in my sandals.
“I love you,” Harvey whispers, the words written all over his handsome eyes. “You don’t have to say it back, by the way. I just wanted you to know after everything that’s happened that I still do.” His hands shift along my back. “I always will.”
I take another breath, another rush of clarity. “I love you, too,” I say.
Harvey blinks, then smiles. He doesn’t question it out loud, perhaps too afraid I’ll take it back or say it was just a joke.
I kiss him to show him it’s true. That despite everything we said or did, that I do love him. Maybe I always did. Maybe there really was a moment between us; a moment that hid somewhere deep inside me and took root.
And now, I love him.
Oh, how much I love Harvey Moon.
“Do you want to head back inside?” he asks.
I bite my lip. “Can we stay out here a little longer?” I ask, happy beneath the stars.
Harvey grins. “I was hoping you’d say that,” he says as he takes my hand.
We walk together down the private beach, drifting farther and farther away from the house. Sounds of the party fade behind us, replaced by the endless crash of waves.
Eventually, we walk behind a large rock on the beach, and Harvey slows. He playfully curls his arms around me, holding me close as he touches his nose against mine.
I kiss him first, unable to quell the desire building for him. Harvey lowers to his knees on the sand. I go with him, not wanting our lips to be far apart for too long. Deep kisses draw us closer. Roaming hands leave sparks on my skin.
Harvey sits on the sand and I straddle him, feeling the gentle pulse between my thighs growing more intense with every kiss.
Without words or second guesses, we undress each other on the beach. Alone and hidden, we offer ourselves to each other, our moans of pleasure lost beneath the waves. When I straddle him again, and feel him push inside of me, I cry out his name. I lean back, placing my hands on his knees. I ride him, the cruel wetness between my thighs throbbing, my bare nipples hard to the touch. Harvey holds me, touches me all over. He bends forward to suck a nipple between his lips, teasing me with his teeth, and I cry out all over again.
When I come, I collapse forward to rest my head against his shoulder. He wraps his arms around me and whispers in my ear; naughty words laced with love and affection.
When I catch my breath again, I push him down onto his back. I place my palms on his chest as I move, bouncing up and down along the full length of him. Harvey inhales sharply, his eyes glazed with pleasure as he watches his cock sliding in and out of me. He digs his fingertips into my thighs and I don’t stop until he grunts with release. I feel it deep within me and smile, the sensation of him dripping out of me almost making me come all over again.
Silently, Harvey sits up again. We kiss beneath the stars; a kiss to trust and commitment to each other.
To where we’ve been and to where we’ll soon be.
Together.
“I feel dirty,”I say, the grime of the beach still present on my skin.
Harvey chuckles with me as we hop out of his car parked in the garage hidden beneath the Botsford Plaza Hotel in the heart of Chicago. It’s late, well after midnight for sure, but a night off is a night off and I can’t imagine how I would have spent it otherwise.
“So do I,” he says. “But maybe that’s love.”
“What is?”
“Getting sand in awkward places.”
I laugh as he pulls me into his arms once again and kisses me, hinting at more to come.
“Slow down,” I tease, giving the parking lot a quick glance for spying eyes or camera phones. “We’ve chanced the tabloids once tonight already.”
“At this hour?” Harvey asks, doubtful.
“Can’t let the guard down, Moon,” I say. “There are eyes and ears everywhere. And you heard Jordan last week. No more screwups. We do everything by the rulebook now.”
Harvey nods. “Be chill,” he quotes her.
“From now on, we should probably reserve the sex on the beach for the hotel bar.”
He grins. “You think they’re still open?”
“Doubt it. But room service runs all night.”
He kisses me again, and I push him back with a playful scold. “You haven’t been listening at all, have you?”
“I’m sorry.” He feigns a pout. “You’re just so pretty.”
“Let’s get inside before our public displays end up on the front page,” I say. “Again.”
He grins at that, the memory a fond one. “I miss Albuquerque,” he says. “Has it really only been three weeks since New Mexico?”
“Time moves fast on tour,” I say. “Man, I remember?—”
Harvey yanks me back to him, stealing a kiss. His perfect mouth envelopes mine, and I can’t help but swoon against his firm chest.
“Harvey,” I scold, though... I don’t really care anymore. I wrap my arms around his neck, accepting another passionate kiss, feeling a deeper urge taking hold of me again. “We should get upstairs. Now.”
“Or…”
Harvey points behind me with his eyes. I turn my head to look, spotting the Criminal Records tour bus safely parked along one of the back walls.
“You want to do it on the bus?” I ask. “Really?”
“Why not?” He grins, his hands still playfully stroking my cheeks. “Don’t pretend like you haven’t thought about it.”
I don’t refute it.
“There’s no one around,” he says. “No one will see a thing.” He kisses me, weakening my resolve. “We’ve scrubbed it of bugs and everything.”
I tremble, seeing his point. Before I can argue further, Harvey kisses me again, this time massaging my tongue with his and breaking through the last of my sanity.
“Fine,” I say, shuddering from the heat. “Let’s be quick.”
“Not too quick, though,” he teases.
Taking hands, we spin around, not-so-sneakily making our way across the deserted underground parking garage toward the bus.
But before we reach it, two people come into view. We lurch back to hide behind a truck a few rows away, eying the others standing outside the bus’ open door.
“Damn,” I whisper. “It’s Jordan and Bronson.”
“What are they doing out here at this hour?” Harvey asks.
I chortle. “She probably just woke up,” I joke. “And he sleeps on the bus sometimes.”
“Don’t blame him. The pillows here suck.”
I gasp. “Bite your tongue.”
“They’re way too soft.”
“You know you can call the front desk and ask for firmer shit.”
“I did not know that,” he says. “And now that I do...” His words trail off as his eyes grow wide. “Whoa.”
“What?” I look toward the bus and mine do, too. “Whoa.”
Bronson kisses Jordan. Or... Jordan kisses Bronson?
They kiss each other.
Bronson and Jordan are kissing each other!
Jordan throws her arms around him and hops up, curling her legs around his thick waist. He catches her, his hands gripping her ass tightly and holding her up with ease.
Bronson carries Jordan onto the bus and the door closes behind them.
“Whoa,” I say again.
On second thought, maybe we should just burn our rulebook entirely.