Chapter 33 Gwen
GWEN
People actually asked us to pose for photos once Harrison and I managed to pull away from each other.
Not wanting another PR disaster, I made sure we were accommodating enough to be considered polite—while working on getting out of there as fast as we could.
After not kissing for what felt like years, we just couldn’t stop trying to make up for lost time, and I wanted us somewhere where we could be alone, ASAP.
“What’s next?” I asked Harrison as we strolled down the concourse hand in hand.
“We need to connect with your driver and let them know you’re taken care of for the evening. Then dinner, and after that, who knows what else might happen?”
He winked at me, and my entire body electrified. I was ready for him now.
But his mention of my driver reminded me that I actually had grown-up responsibilities here.
“I like that plan, but I still have stuff I need to sort out.” I started to worry as I considered my new reality.
“I’m here for a month, and as a new business, I don’t feel like I can back out of this potential partnership.
Wakefield is taking a risk on me.” I turned to look at Harrison. “I need to stay.”
He squeezed my hand. “You’re worried about thirty days?
My love, we have a lifetime ahead of us.
A month is nothing. Plus, I have some new business to attend to here as well, and plenty of things I can handle remotely with Susan holding down the fort in the office.
You won’t get me out of your hair for a few weeks at least.”
I grinned up at him. Of course Harrison supported my dreams. He knew how hard I worked to get here, and that I had no desire to be a trophy girlfriend. He stood back while I checked in with the driver Wakefield had sent, then steered me over to a couple standing off to the side of the crowds.
It was a guy who looked familiar standing next to a beautiful young woman. They beamed at us as we approached.
“You remember Kevin,” Harrison said as we got closer to them. “He flew us to my dad’s party, and he flew me here today.”
“That’s why he looks familiar,” I said. I held my hand out to him. “Hi, Kevin. Nice to see you again.”
He slapped my hand away and pulled me into a hug. “It’s great to see you under these circumstances. Gwen, please meet my baby momma-to-be, Sydney,” he said.
I glanced down the woman’s torso and spotted a small bump pushing her shirt out.
“Hiiii,” she said as she swallowed me into a hug as well. “I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to meet you!”
I laughed, overwhelmed by the greeting. “Wow, he dragged both of you over here for this?”
“Dragged?” Sydney made a face. “How about ‘promised this tired, pregnant lady a five-star vacation with plenty of spa time’? I said yes before he finished asking the question.”
“It’s a win-win across the board,” Kevin added. “I needed to get some international flight time, this guy is meeting with Rolls-Royce about their line of jet engines, and my beautiful wife just needed a break. We’re all exactly where we need to be.”
“Not quite,” Harrison said. “Let’s find our car and get out of here.”
An hour later, the four of us were checking into the Ashford Intercontinental Hotel in Mayfair. It was just as gorgeous as the Carmel property, but in a totally different way. It felt ripped from the pages of a Regency romance, a mix of old-world grandeur and modern convenience.
It was no surprise that Harrison made sure to get Kevin and Sydney taken care of before us. Hospitality was in his DNA.
We were still attracting attention, no doubt because I was struggling to navigate the crowded lobby clutching an oversized bouquet of roses. I felt overtired and buzzed at the same time, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to come down from my high.
But maybe I didn’t have to? Maybe this sort of happiness was my new level-set?
The elevator door closed, leaving us blissfully alone in the mirrored car that moved at a snail’s pace. I took advantage of it.
“Hey there, tiger.” Harrison laughed as I practically scaled his body. “There are cameras in here.”
“Who cares, maybe the security team deserves a show?” I said as I wrapped his tie around my hand and yanked him closer to me.
“Well, hello,” Harrison murmured.
He dropped his mouth to mine, and we kissed until we hit the top floor. The door opened, paused, and started to close again before we found the strength to push away from each other.
Harrison jogged my suitcase down the hall to our room, making it clear that I wasn’t the only one ready to strip down and get to business. He fumbled with the key card.
“Wait a sec…” I pointed at the little gold plaque next to the door. “The honeymoon suite? Is this another Drew joke?”
Harrison smiled mischievously. “Nope, that was all me. I figured it would be good practice.”
He pushed the door open, propped it with his foot, and swept me into his arms. I squealed as we crossed the threshold.
“Take me straight to the bedroom,” I ordered, pointing to where I assumed it was, though the room was basically a full suite, complete with a balcony and six-person dining room table.
“You don’t even know how long I’ve been waiting for this,” he said as he kicked open the door.
Harrison got to work unbuttoning my blouse, the one concession I’d made to look professional on the long flight. My black pants were camouflaged leggings, which made them way too easy for him to strip off. I was fully naked in seconds.
“This feels wrong,” I said against his mouth as we kissed.
“Oh yeah? How so? Because I feel pretty fucking amazing.”
He brought my hand down to press against the bulge in his pants.
“You’re still dressed!” I protested.
“All the better to focus on you, sweet thing,” he whispered as he kissed his way down my neck.
I wanted to strip him down, but I was powerless to do anything more than clutch onto whatever I could reach once he dropped his mouth to my breast and tongued my nipple.
“Harrison,” I inhaled sharply.
“Shh,” he said in between kisses. “I’m just getting started.”
Kneeling between my thighs with my legs draped over his shoulders, it took all of four minutes for Harrison to make me come. His mouth and tongue knew exactly what to do, exploring me gently at first, then with increased pressure, like me getting close was getting him off at the same time.
“Don’t stop,” I begged. I threaded my fingers in his hair and tensed my thighs.
And then I was falling and floating at the same time. I think I screamed his name. Once the last waves subsided, I felt boneless and nailed to the bed.
“Strip,” I commanded weakly, pointing at him like I was threatening him. “Now.”
“On it,” he promised with a devastating grin.
I managed to pry open one eye so I could enjoy the show. Harrison whipped off his tie and flung it across the room, then unbuttoned his shirt so forcefully that a button flew off.
“Whoops,” he laughed.
I started to come back to life when I heard his belt jingling. So close.
I sat up to watch the finale. Harrison stripped off his pants and boxers and unleashed his cock, gripping it at the base.
“Hold on, I need to get a…”
I kneeled down in front of him, and he trailed off because it was impossible for him to keep going with me downing his full length. I was on my knees in front of him, gazing up as he pushed deeper into my mouth.
“Damn,” he sighed.
I kept going until I could tell he was almost ready to explode, then backed away abruptly.
“Now fuck me,” I said. I walked over to the bed, bent over, and looked back at him over my shoulder.
“You’re killing me, woman,” he complained.
I heard the condom wrapper ripping open, then he pressed up against me, gripping my waist. He teased me with the tip of his dick, and I writhed against him, practically begging him to get on with it.
He finally plunged inside of me, and we both paused to savor the sensation. We were finally back where we belonged.
Harrison moved against me with a slow, teasing motion, easing himself in and out. He reached up to wrap my hair around his fist and pulled, ever so slightly, then leaned down to whisper in my ear.
“I need to see you.”
With that, he flipped me around and picked me up so we were face-to-face, standing beside the bed.
“We’re going to do it standing up?” I asked him. “Because I’m into it.”
“I’m up for anything you want—but right now, I need this.”
He gently lowered me to the bed and climbed on top of me.
“I need to see how gorgeous you look when I make you come again.”
“Harrison,” I giggled and slapped his arm. “Stop. You’re embarrassing me!”
“What? You’re perfect in every way. Especially when you’re screaming my name.”
He leaned down to kiss me, cradling my cheek tenderly.
“I feel so fucking lucky,” he whispered to me.
His eyes scanned my face like he was seeing me for the first time. My heart felt light enough to spring out of my chest. Had I ever been this happy?
“We’re both lucky,” I said. “Or maybe it isn’t truly luck? Because to me, this feels like destiny.”
I lifted my head just enough to kiss him, which magnetized us back together. Once our lips touched, it was tough to get us to stop.
Harrison bumped my legs apart with his knee and moved closer to me. This time, he didn’t wait and slid all the way inside with a groan. I closed my eyes.
“Look at me,” he whispered as he began moving, rolling his hips in a way that hit all the right spots.
I opened my eyes and met his.
“I love you, Gwen Ackland,” he said.
I couldn’t process any of it. The way he was making me feel, the fact that this perfectly flawed human was in love with me, the potential to spend the rest of my days with him, feeling this happy. This content.
“I’m sorry…” he paused mid-stroke. “You have nothing to say back to me?”
“I love you!” I shouted and laughed at the same time. “I love you, I love you, I love you!”
I would’ve kept screaming it, but he started laughing and clamped his hand over my mouth. I bit his finger.
“Ouch! Is that how we’re playing?”
He leaned down to nip my neck.
“Vampire.” I smacked his shoulder.
“Something like that,” he said and eased back into rhythm.
I locked my legs behind his back and let myself get lost in him. In us.
We were thousands of miles away from home, locked away in a hotel room together, and it was exactly where we needed to be.