Chapter 13 #2
“And you’re the kind of girl who gets attached,” Zoe says with certainty. “Has he contacted you since last night?”
I shake my head. “No… but he said he would be busy with work today. He’s got some kind of new acquisition he’s taking on.”
“Or he’s on step one of avoidance.”
“Why do you think there are steps to avoidance? Why wouldn’t he just tell me he doesn’t want to see me again. Or just ghost me period? Why do there have to be steps to the process?”
Zoe rolls her eyes. “My poor na?ve friend. It’s because men don’t want to totally drop a woman they are interested in…
especially hot, single, potential fucks.
You let him know last night that you’re ready to give the man your virginity.
That is a temptation most men wouldn’t pass up.
Of course, he’s not just going to ditch you.
He’s going to stew over his choice to not take you last night until he makes a decision on what to do. ”
Her words circle around in my head, making sense and yet at the same time feeling completely wrong in the context of Harrison. He’s not the type. He’d let me know if he didn’t want to see me. He’s straightforward and wouldn’t lead a person on. Would he?
My phone dings with a text while I’m still chewing over Zoe’s words. I grab my phone and check the message.
I want to see you…
I feel my lips tilt up into a smile that I try to hide from Zoe, knowing she will latch on to it like a dog with a bone.
I want to see you too.
I’d be there already, but I’m working late.
I don’t fight my smile this time. He’s as anxious to spend time with me as I am with him.
We can meet tomorrow…
His reply is fast, and I can hear the words in his low possessive growl.
Not soon enough.
You can come to my place after you get done at work.
I can imagine his heated look at my offer. I’m staring at my phone waiting for his response when Zoe clears her throat. “Earth to Olive,” she says.
My phone dings at the same time I look over at Zoe. My attention is quickly diverted back to my phone. One glance at the screen tells me that Harrison will be coming over as soon as he’s done at the office. Another text comes through telling me not to wait up that he’ll call when he’s on his way.
I have no idea how I’ll ever sleep knowing he’s going to be in my home in just a short time.
“Okay, what the heck is going on?” Zoe asks as she snatches my phone out of my hand. “What has you all goo-goo eyes and sexy smiles?”
She reads the message string, her eyes bugging out. “Maybe there’s an option number three… good guy who doesn’t want to mess up his chances with the woman he really likes.”
“You think?”
“He hasn’t gone a day without you and wants more after two straight days. It says something alright.”
Zoe finishes her wine and leaves not long after her dropping the Harrison cares about me bomb. Could she be right? I push those thoughts out of my mind and spend the next couple of hours distractedly writing and thinking about Harrison coming here.
At ten, I finally give up on writing and get ready for bed.
I kick myself for not having any sexy lingerie to sleep in.
I settle for a lacy pair of panties and a white cami that hugs my curves.
I look at myself in the mirror and decide what I will do.
But I make a note that I need to go shopping and soon if I’m going to have many of these late-night interludes.
It’s midnight when my phone rings. I answer it groggily. I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep.
“’Ello?”
“Hey, sleeping beauty. I’m almost to your place.”
“Okay.” I smile wide, instantly awake and excited to see him. “See you soon.”
I rush to brush my teeth, just in case. True to his word, Harrison knocks on my door less than ten minutes later.
Harrison looks exhausted. His hair is mussed like he’s spent half the day running his hands through it.
His tie is missing, and the first several buttons on his shirt are undone.
He looks rumpled and sexier than ever. When he smiles at seeing me, that tiredness seems to disappear.
Then his eyes look down, and he takes in my outfit—or lack thereof.
He gives me a heated look, then growls lowly and pushes me inside my apartment, kicking the door closed behind him.
“Never answer the door like this again.”
I smirk at the sensual threat in his tone. “And why pray tell not?”
Harrison tugs me into his arms. “I don’t want anyone seeing what’s mine but me.”
“Yours?” I ask, breathless.
“Oh, yes, angel… all mine.”
His lips crash down to mine, kissing me like he wants to crawl inside me.
Our tongues tangle in an erotic dance that has my nipples pebbling and my pussy dampening.
I slowly start to undo the remainder of the buttons on his shirt, exposing his cut muscles.
I don’t resist the temptation to touch him.
“Ah, baby, you’re driving me crazy.”
“I’d apologize, but I’m not sorry.” I press a kiss to his chest, moving my hands down to his hips and around to his hard abs.
I love the feel of his skin. He’s hot and hard in all the right ways.
He’s got a smattering of hair on his chest and a trail from his belly button down inside his pants.
I run my hands back up to his shoulders and push his shirt off…
the material has barely hit the floor before he’s got me picked up in his arms.
He lifts me off my feet with a firm hand on my ass. I quickly wrap my legs around his hips and my arms around his neck. Our lips find each other again in a dueling kiss. I break away, my breaths coming in heaving pants. “You like manhandling me.”
“I do,” he says with a possessive growl. “Bedroom?”
“Down the hall on the left.” I gasp as his fingers trail between my bottom cheeks, and I squirm against his erection. He carries me to the bedroom, then sets me back on my feet. My body slides down his feeling every hard muscle and groove against my beaded nipples.
My head falls back on a moan when Harrison cups my breasts with his big hands.
He pinches my nipples, and I gasp. I work open his belt and focus on his pants.
I push my hand inside, feeling his hard length, thick and ready.
Before I even get the first stroke, he pulls my hand away and pins both of my hands to my sides.
“Not what I came here for,” he growls.
My lip pops out in a pout. I’m worked up and needy. Ever since the first kiss—that first elevator ride—I’ve been on edge. Every time I think about him, I get hot and wet.
“None of that, angel. We’re both wiped,” he runs his thumb under my eye where I know dark circles live.
I can’t stop the feeling of rejection from sweeping through me. Why doesn’t he want me as badly as I want him? My whole body is a livewire of sensation. One touch and I’ll explode. I’m willing and ready, and yet he denies me. Denies us. I just don’t understand.
He toes off his shoes and pushes his pants the rest of the way off. His black boxer briefs are lewdly tented with his erection. He obviously wants me… so why is he holding back? Is this all about my virginity?
Part of me wishes I never would’ve mentioned it. We could be having sex right now if I hadn’t confessed. Zoe would be so disappointed in my lack of seduction abilities.
Harrison pulls down the blankets on my bed and indicates I should crawl between the sheets.
I don’t argue because I want to be in bed with him, just not in the way he apparently wants me.
As soon as I’m settled, he crawls in beside me and tugs me against his hard chest. For a moment, I feel awkward.
I’ve never cuddled with a man before. I’m not sure where to put my legs, my arms, let alone my hands.
I fidget and wriggle, trying to not squish him.
He chuckles. “Relax, angel.”
I let out a long sigh and do my best to relax.
Without giving it too much thought, I throw my leg over his, snuggling my lower body as close as I can get.
My head finds the perfect spot in on his chest, and my hand rests on his stomach.
I snuggle in and let out a low moan at the feel of all his hard muscles and warm skin touching me from head to toe.
It’s marvelous.
I don’t think I’ll be able to fall asleep.
I’m too wound up, and practically laying on top of Harrison isn’t helping matters.
Especially when he starts running his fingertips up and down my spine in a maddening pattern that keeps me on edge, wondering where he will touch next.
Before I know it, sleep captures me and drags me under.