21. Jace
Jace
I make some grilled cheese sandwiches and heat up a can of soup I found in her pantry. She eats the soup, but only nibbles at the sandwich, too wrapped up in her thoughts.
“Jace, this was so kind, but I think I want to hit the shower and crawl into bed.” Watching her hurt and struggle is a special kind of torture. She only takes a few steps before turning, eyes filled with uncertainty. “Would you stay with me tonight, Jace?”
I eat up the distance between us in two steps, wrapping my arms around her. “There is nowhere I would rather be, babe. Do you need help?”
Her lips quirk, and a tiny bit of light shines in her eyes. “I wouldn’t turn down an extra hand in the shower.” Staring into her eyes, I try to read her, and the vulnerability there snaps my resistance.
“Let’s go, babe.” Grasping her hand, I lead her through the bedroom and into the bathroom.
She looks unsteady and exhausted. Leaning into the shower, I turn it on, cranking up the hot water.
Harper joked once that if she doesn’t look like a lobster getting out of a shower, it’s too cold.
The warm steam quickly fills the bathroom.
Gently, I help her out of her clothes. Dirt and mud are caked on the knees and back of her jeans, and there are small muddy handprints on her shirt from where Lizzie held on.
Tears clog my throat at the sight. Once Harper is naked, I quickly strip out of my clothes and pull her into the shower.
“Mhmmm, this is perfect.” Harper leans into the streaming spray with her eyes closed.
“Shit,” I hiss as the scalding water hits my skin. “There is no way you like this.” Harper adjusts the temp down, slightly chuckling.
“You big baby.” She’s swaying on her feet as she turns into me. I hold her as the water streams over us for a few seconds, doing my best to ignore my rapidly hardening cock.
“Turn around.” I step back to grab the shampoo from the ledge and pour some in my hand.
“Jace, you don’t have to do this.” Shock is etched on her face.
How long has it been since someone took care of her?
I swirl my hand, motioning for her to turn around, then start working it through her hair.
Massaging it into her scalp, loving the contented noises she makes.
There is mud in her hair, and it takes a minute to work it out.
Then I rinse and massage the conditioner in.
Once her hair is clean, I reach for her loofa but decide I prefer to use my hands.
Rubbing over her body, hands gliding across her skin, cleaning away the day.
As sexy as she is, it’s an honor to get to take care of her.
Once she’s clean, I hastily scrub myself.
By this point, the water is cooling to a more bearable temp for me, so it’s likely cold for her.
Still holding her slightly as we step out, I stretch, grabbing the towel hanging from the rod and wrapping her in it.
“Harper?”
“Hmm?” She’s dead on her feet and all loopy. It’s impossibly cute.
“Where are extra towels?” She points to the cabinet in the corner. Grabbing two, I wrap one around my waist, and the other I use to dry her hair. Her eyes are glued to where the towel hangs low on my hips. My overly eager cock perks up again at her attention.
“Keep looking at me like that, babe, and I’m going to break all my promises to myself.
So, get that cute ass in bed.” She hesitates like she’s thinking about refusing me, calling my bluff, but she finally turns around, sauntering out of the bathroom, her hips swinging a bit more than normal.
Little tease knows exactly what she’s doing, and my cock happily plays along, going to full attention.
On silent feet, I catch up to her, smacking that swaying ass, earning a satisfying squeal from Harper.
Sweeping her into my arms, I carry her the rest of the way, setting her down then following her body onto the bed.
My lips instantly find hers. I already know I won’t let it go beyond this, but I’m no monk and can’t resist her siren call completely.
The kiss shifts from playful and fun to something intense and emotionally charged.
Harper clings to me, pulling me closer, her nails scraping against my skin, clawing me to her.
Then she’s gasping with tears in her eyes.
“Oh, God, Jace.” She hiccups into my chest. I roll to my back and pull her, so she’s draped over my chest, and my heart fractures at her broken sobs.
“I could’ve lost her today.” The air leaves my lungs, and my own tears threaten to break free.
I swallow them down; I can and will process this later. Right now, my job is to just be here.
“I know, babe, but you didn’t.” Brushing the tears from her face, I hold her, offering her a safe space.
My hands stroke her back and brush through her hair.
Harper’s breathing eventually slows and steadies; the rigidness of her body softens, as sleep pulls her down.
Before closing my eyes, I run through the breathing exercises I did with Harper earlier.
Hearing it from her lips, the fear and reality of what could have happened today is intense and all consuming.
I’m blindsided by how important they both have become to me in such a short time, and fuck, life can change in an instant.
My head is racing with plans for the future.
A future filled with this woman and her mini me.
I awake to Tink pawing at my arm that is holding Harper to my chest. Both of us are still in our towels from the shower.
Tink is insistent in her pawing. Afraid she will wake Harper, I shift, sliding out from under her, and settle her under the covers more fully.
My clothes are rumpled and dirty, but there’s no alternative, so I pull them on and follow Tink from the room, assuming she needs to go out.
Instead, she leads me to where Lizzie is sitting on the couch, her small hands clutching the remote, and she’s pointing at the TV, jabbering a string of unintelligible words at the fact that it isn’t doing anything.
She’s in Sofia the First pajamas, and her hair is sticking out in every direction.
Tink goes and sits at her feet. I think my dog has found her new person, and it isn’t me, and I’m not even a little upset.
“Can I help, Lizzie?” I call softly from the edge of the rug.
She nods vigorously, making her hair flop in her face.
She pushes it out of the way roughly as she smiles up at me.
Studying the remote, I finally get the TV on.
She climbs off the couch and points to an icon on the screen.
Several Sofia the First movies pop up. She points excitedly to one, and as soon as it starts, she runs back to the couch, clambering onto my lap, and my heart melts.
We get through one episode before she takes me by the hand and leads me to the kitchen.
Under her direction, I find cereal, bowls, and spoons.
She happily munches on her cereal with no milk.
I learned quickly that she was not okay with milk when I poured it on, and she pointed at it with a string of gibberish flying from her mouth, while she frowned at the bowl like it had personally offended her.
On my second attempt, I put the milk in a cup and dry cereal in a bowl; this earned me a high five.
After breakfast, Lizzie runs to her room, returning in a purple poofy dress that looks very similar to the princess on the TV screen.
She hands me a brush and hair bands with a purple ribbon.
Panic sets in, I have no idea how to do hair, but here goes nothing.
Working through the tangles will take a while, so I set her up in front of the TV and get to work.
Lizzie is not shy in letting me know when I pull too hard.
Tink eyes me each time I do, like she’s judging me and knows even she could do a better job.
Once the brush is moving smoothly through her hair, I attempt a ponytail.
It’s high and leaves her pony flopping all over.
Her giggles fill the air as she runs to the bathroom and looks in the mirror.
Apparently, she likes it enough. Handing me the ribbon, I tie a bow, then watch her twirl, her head swirling so her ponytail bobs all over.
After more directions, she has me turn on a Sofia the First sing-along video.
An impromptu dance party ensues and even Tink joins in the revelry.
The moment feels surreal. Has it really only been a few months since I met Harper and Lizzie?
Everything about this relationship has come so naturally, been so organic that it feels like we have always been together, like we have always been a unit.
I watch the little girl clutching my fingers, and in that moment, I know this is all I will ever want—us.