Chapter 8
“Iwasn’t necessarily, looking for a rider…”
Four and a half months later…
Harbor
Chevy and I had become pretty close over the last few months—as close as any two females could get that didn’t grow up together.
Frequency agreed with Ledge to put Kitana on at the real estate company since she had experience and the name.
Chevy also had experience and all kinds of contacts thanks to all the work she was doing down at the government building.
Things in the office were usually thick with tension when we were all in the same room.
I tried to maintain a relationship of mutual respect with both of them.
Kitana did have some ways about her that I didn’t trust, but I couldn’t knock her resume.
The differences between her and Chevy were so distinct that it was hard to understand Ledge’s mindset while dealing with them.
The office space that had been purchased for us was ideal for a startup company that wanted to make a name for themselves.
It was medium sized, but the décor gave a certain ambience that wasn’t being executed anywhere else in town.
I’d been busting my ass with real estate courses and college shit.
Sleep was the enemy, and between classes and viewing properties all around town, a bitch was growing drained.
For weeks I’d been prepping and finally took my last exam.
I was just waiting on the results from my instructor.
On top of that, I had two more classes to complete before I got my degree.
I ate breakfast early that Saturday morning.
Celine slept in, and I whipped something up for everyone else and covered everything before I went back upstairs to dance.
That woman did everything around there. So I showed my appreciation sometimes by cooking and cleaning as well.
Technically, I lived here too. I managed to still keep up a routine between studying and everything else.
In the mirror, there was no pressure except from myself.
There was a competition that I had read about going on, and I wanted to send in an audition tape for them so I was trying to get a combination together for a memorable performance.
I did what I did because it was what I loved.
My body was used to it, and I didn’t want to deprive myself of it.
The door to my room had been left slightly ajar that morning, and I was none the wiser to it.
Frequency and I were keeping everything between us on the hush, away from everyone.
We didn’t do PDA, and I did my best not to be all giddy and stupid around him.
That was how he made me feel. To go from where we were a year ago to here and now was mind-blowing.
Karmine had gone back home, but Kara was still hanging around.
Plus, there was Ivy and Celine, so we had to keep our game faces on most of the time.
At night, he would creep into my room, sometimes during the day while Ivy was at school if he had a free minute.
Every time he was inside me felt like the first time.
The idealism and expectations that I had about what sex was were far exceeded with him.
It was more than physical between us, although no one would never hear either of us say it.
I thought because things were going so well, neither of us wanted to jinx it.
The song that I was dancing to ended, and I stretched before grabbing a towel off a chair and patting my face dry.
“How do you get your hips to move like that?” Ivy’s voice pierced my ears from the doorway.
I smirked and held the towel between both hands while keeping her curious stare.
“What are you doing all the way over here?” I asked, taking a deep breath and reaching for a nearby water bottle.
She shrugged, letting herself into my room. “Celine went to the grocery store, Aunt Kara went to lunch with some dude she’s been seeing, and Daddy is on his way home from a meeting,” she revealed.
My heart grew ecstatic at the thought of seeing him. He’d been gone all day, and the only time we had that day was when he was blowing my back out at five a.m. and putting me into a damn coma.
“Well, you want a quick lesson? I got a little time today,” I suggested, tossing the towel back on the chair.
Ivy didn’t answer, so I took her silence for yes. I went through my playlist and decided on a song for us.
“Come on.” I swayed my hips back and forth and let the beat ride before the hook kicked in.
Just like magic, (snap)
Just like magic,(snap)
Middle finger to my thumb and then I snap it
I tapped my feet to the beat and slapped my thighs with my hands, and Ivy followed my lead.
She was reluctant as hell. For months, she’d been giving me attitude.
I wasn’t going to kiss her ass just because I was fucking her father, although she didn’t know that.
She needed to learn how to show some respect though.
She wasn’t a bad kid, and I knew exactly where her resentment came from.
As the rhythm flowed through me, I swayed my hips carefully and she watched before she attempted herself.
“There you go. Start slow, and then throw yourself into it,” I urged her.
I sang along to the lyrics, confident in my swag and trying to get her to be the same. Eventually, we were both dancing and singing our hearts out along with the track. Ivy had picked up her energy and was learning to trust her core and let it move her.
“That was actually pretty good. I didn’t know you were interested in dance.” I smiled at her and she blushed, eyes drifting to the ground.
“Well, there is this squad at school. Tryouts are coming up, and all the girls that are popular are trying out for it. I know I’m pretty lame—”
“Says who?” I questioned, raising a brow with attitude and a hand on my hip.
“The girls at school. They’re all cliqued up and have been since the beginning of time. I don’t fit in with any of them. The only thing that I can think of is to try to beat them at their own game. They won’t have a choice but respect me once I thrash them in a competition,” she declared.
I admired her fire, but it still made me uneasy. I went to shut the music off and grab my towel again. I was sure to need a shower after this work out.
“Listen to me, Ivy. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I get it though. I just don’t want you to let this define you.”
“Harbor, are you going to help me or not? I can always get my daddy to hire a professional instructor. I just thought since you do this all the time—”
“Okay, enough with the guilt trip, ya little manipulator.” I called her out, and she batted her eyes at me innocently.
“Whatever do you mean?” She gave me a faux southern accent and clutched her imaginary pearls.
A hard, skeptical glance fleeted across my face while a hand rested on my waist, and she tossed her hands up.
“Okay, fine. Will you please help me?” She clasped her hands together in prayer and flashed that innocent look on me again. “Please?” She puckered her lips shamelessly.
“You… are just a hot ass mess.” I teased, shaking my head.
Snickering, she jumped up and down with excitement.
“Okay, can you come up with a routine and song for me to audition with?” Ivy asked, moving toward the door.
“Aht, aht, hold up... diva in the making,” I joked, pausing her in the doorway. “This isn’t my assignment. It’s yours. So… you pick a song, come up with some moves, and come back, then we will work on what you want to execute together.”
Ivy sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. I was annoying her.
“What’s the point of that?” she asked as her father materialized in the doorway behind her.
My heart skipped more than a couple of beats as he stood there staring in at us both.
I had no idea how long he’d been standing there, but his expression showed that he had overheard something as he peered down into his daughter’s face.
I tried to focus on my answer, but Frequency’s presence snatched any complete thoughts from my brain.
“Hello, Harbor!” she yelled and waved a hand in front of my face.
Behind her, a sexy smirk hit his lips right before his tongue swiped over them.
“The point is… you have to study your craft, Ivy. Is this something you really want for yourself, or are you just trying to prove a point?”
“I want to a prove a point,” she answered like it should have been obvious.
I closed my eyes and shook my head. She swung around to face her father. I watched her stand on her toes to kiss his cheek, and he knelt a little so that she could actually reach him.
“Hi, Daddy.” Her lips pecked his skin before she slightly curved back toward me. “Can we start after school Monday?” she asked.
“Yeah, sure,” I answered as she took off past her father down the hallway.
He watched her go, hands in the pockets of his slacks, before he stepped into my room.
His big hands were on my waist first before they slid further south, resting on my hips so that he could pull me toward him.
His lips found mine in a soft kiss, and he embraced me tighter within his grasp.
Everything about his touch was urgent. We were spending all the time together like a couple, and I was growing used to it.
I didn’t know where any of it was going, and we didn’t talk about it. Shit just was what it was.
“Well, hello to you too.” I gave him a thousand-watt smile, and he held me against his hard flesh. He was weary in the face, so I knew that work was kicking his ass. “How was your day?” I asked, surprising myself as he sat on the edge of my bed and pulled me down into his lap.
“Shit was cool. Kind of hard to focus these days.” His enchanting ass eyes canvassed my lips.
“Hmm, and why is that? Something got you distracted?” I mocked him while his hand rested on my thigh.
“She don’t even know how much,” his lips whispered against mine before he was trapping them in a steamy kiss.