Chapter 27
Harmony
The constant ache between my legs is finally quenched, but now that I’ve felt his hands on me, I need more. I’m addicted.
Tell me you’ve only ever been mine.
Just thinking about his dirty talk makes me press my thighs together. I close my eyes and inhale deeply. I can almost still feel his arms still wrapped around me.
After what just happened in the kitchen, there’s no more denying his attraction for me. And no matter how much Elias has changed, he wouldn’t touch me without having some sort of feelings for me.
So, where does that leave us?
I reopen my eyes and find my brush. I yank it through my hair, and it snags on little knots—reminders of what just transpired.
This will have to do. I head out of my room and poke my head around the corner.
I spy Sully and Elias standing in the middle of the living room, speaking in hushed tones. Elias nods.
Elias looks over at me and my heart sinks. Any signs left that he just gave me a fantastic orgasm are all gone. He clenches his jaw and shakes his head at something Sully says.
“Is everything okay?”
Sully paces away from me but says nothing.
“Did you find out something?”
He stops moving but doesn’t meet my gaze. “After what happened last night, we all agreed that it’s best if you come stay with me.”
“Who is we?” I glance between the two men. Elias has the decency to look ashamed. “Why are people deciding things for me?”
Sully shifts from one foot to the other, and after a quick look at Elias, he says, “Elias feels he can’t concentrate on protecting you because of your developing … relationship.”
I laugh shrilly. “So he went to you about this relationship and not me.”
“I did tell you.” Elias takes a step toward me, and I raise a hand. He halts, and his body is suddenly rigid. His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “Please don’t be mad.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “How could you hand me off to someone else?” I strengthen my tone, praying he’ll listen. “Don’t make me go. I trust you a thousand percent to protect me.”
“I agree that she’s better off here with you but not if you can’t keep your head in the game,” Sully says, breaking us out of our staring contest. “I can’t move like I used to, and none of my men can come to Granite Falls, so she either needs to come to New York, or you need to pull your head out of your ass. ”
Before Elias can launch another argument, I move to him, and cup his face. Lowering my voice so only he can hear, I say, “You’re the one I trust. If this is because of what just happened, then I promise to keep my hands to myself from now on.”
He grabs my hand, placing a gentle kiss on top. “But that’s just it. I want you to touch me. But I can’t go to bed with you every night and get lost in you.” He releases his grip, and my hand falls to my side. “How will I protect you if I do that?”
My phone trills. I check my watch, and Serenity’s name flashes on the screen. She definitely has to be a part of this scheme. But if she thinks she can convince me to go with Sully, she has another thing coming.
I answer the call. “Let me guess; you want me to go with Sully, too?”
“Yes, I do.” Her voice is more strained than usual. “You need to listen to us. Now.”
“Why? No one has tracked me here yet, so—”
“Victor is here,” Serenity says, effectively cutting off my words and any thoughts. “And wherever he goes, so does the media. You need to go hide.”
“Who cares if Victor is here?”
Elias springs into action, eating up the distance to my bedroom. I run after him, but he’s already packing everything into my bags.
“If you’re seen with him, they may think you two reconciled,” Serenity says. Her words barely penetrate my brain as I try to take my bag back.
I don’t respond. My sister’s voice filters through the speaker again, but I can’t hear her words.
I snatch my clothes out of Elias’s grip and throw them on my bed. “I’m not going anywhere. How would anyone even know where I am or where I’m living? They’ll go to Serenity’s house so if anything, she needs to go stay at Sully’s.”
Elias is already shaking his head, but I forge on before he can argue. “We can skip work for a few days. Try to wait out the storm.”
“They already know you’re in Granite Falls. If you go with Sully, far away from here, you’ll be safer.” He looks at me finally and lets loose a heavy sigh. “I can’t leave Abigail and Barb there by themselves for too long.”
“Why the hell not?”
He huffs out a breath. “Because I own Cutesy’s now. It’s my full-time job. You know I already retired from this line of work. I only took this job because Sully needed me to protect you.” He swings his head to look over at me.
I swallow hard and flutter my eyelashes. Did I hear him correctly? He owns Cutesy’s? “Why wouldn’t you tell me that? You let me walk around there like a fool—”
He doesn’t let me finish my sentence and says, “You didn’t look like a fool. Abigail was about to tell you that I own it, but I wasn’t ready for you to know, so I cut her off. If anything, it looks bad on me.”
I shake my head, tears filling my eyes, and Elias starts packing my bag again. He’d rather me go with Sully all the way to New York than stay here with him. After everything we just did …
“This is all happening wrong.” Elias starts mumbling under his breath as he grabs the rest of my clothes that are still in the dresser.
“What’s all happening wrong?”
He looks up at me, and it’s almost as if his entire body tenses. “Us. Harmony. Us.”
I flinch and take a step back.
His dark eyes widen, and he drops my bag onto the bed, immediately coming to my side.
“I don’t mean that the way it sounds.” He pulls me in for a hug, crushing me to his chest. “I wasn’t lying when I said I’ve dreamt about you ever since you left.
I’ve been waiting for you to return because you’re it for me. ”
Tears leak out of my eyes before I even realize I’m crying. “Then don’t make me go.”
After all of our time away from each other, we finally get a second chance, and he pushes me away before we can find happiness together. Maybe I can learn to live with the loss of my mother as long as that means I get to keep Elias.
“Hello!” My sister’s voice penetrates the silence.
I somehow forgot she’s still there and press the phone back to my ear. “I’m sorry. Elias is kicking me out of his house. Can I call you back?”
“No, I need you to listen to me. I kind of told Victor about the texts, and he’s calling his personal bodyguard to come help.”
Out of everyone, I never expected Serenity to betray my trust like this. She can never keep her nose out of my business, still acting like I’m a child to be mothered.
“Why would he do that?” I snap out. “Can he just go back to New York? That would help immensely.”
Serenity says something in the background then returns to me and says in a sharp tone, “No, he won’t leave until this is figured out.”
I sigh and rub my temple with my free hand. How did I find the one billionaire who isn’t obsessed with work and wants to stay here in Granite Falls? But if this means I can stay here with Elias, then my mind is made up.
I glance over at the traitor. His wide, dark eyes take me in. Grudgingly, I say, “What do you think?”
Elias’s shoulders relax slightly. “If he sends his bodyguards, you won’t have to go to the city with Sully and we can be together.”
I nod once at his words and say to Serenity, “Tell him I agree.”
***
After John came to pick up Spot and Rex, Elias and I arrive at Blooming Hotel, three towns over, an hour later. What I don’t expect is a scowling Victor waiting inside.
I glance around the well-lit lobby, but no one pays us any attention.
An elderly couple is sitting on a love seat, watching the news on the large TV.
A family of five is at the counter checking in while the small children toddle around the area.
A plethora of people walk in and out of the automatic doors.
I march over to Victor and hiss, “What are you doing here?”
His normally light blue eyes seem to darken a shade. “Why didn’t you tell me someone is threatening you because of me?”
I look away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to give you guilt on top of having to clean up after I left you at the altar.”
I peek up at him, and his face softens. For as long as I’ve known him, he’s never been the type to get mad, and I’m so thankful for that.
“All of that doesn’t matter now.” He waves his hand as if saying goodbye to our past. “I’m not mad at you, but this is something I need to know.” His tone is soft and gentle but firm at the same time. “You’re in this position because of me. I want to help you.”
“I just hoped that if I left and had nothing to do with you, it would go away.”
“Harmony!” A familiar high-pitched voice echoes through the mostly empty lobby. “Elias told me what was happening, and Patrick convinced me that I had to come.”
I turn to Elias. “Why did you tell her?”
Instead of him responding, Abigail interrupts. “I might have threatened his treasured man parts if he didn’t tell me why you couldn’t come in to work for a week, and then I had to threaten his precious coffee machines if he didn’t tell me where you were staying.”
I rub my forehead where it pulses. “You are too much. All you had to do was text me, not threaten Elias.”
Taking in Abigail, who’s normally perfectly styled hair is messed up and she looks like she only put on half of her makeup. I can’t imagine how she feels. We finally reconnect, and I have all this drama and threat circling me.
Someone beside her grabs my attention. He looks familiar, but I can’t quite place him. “Is he with you?”
“Oh, this is Patrick. You met him at the club.”
He reaches out a hand for me to shake, and I comply. “I’m sorry. Some things are still really blurry, and others I don’t remember at all. Nice to meet you, Patrick.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” His hold on my hand lingers a few seconds longer than comfortable.
Then he finally pulls back and wraps an arm around Abigail’s shoulders.
“Sorry for intruding. Abby and I were about to go to the movies when someone called. I didn’t want her to fret the entire time, so I suggested we come. ”
Turning back to Abigail, I say, “You two can go enjoy your movie. I’m going to stay here where it’s safe until everything goes back to normal.”
“I brought you a few supplies for your hideout.” She holds up a backpack stuffed so full it looks like it’s about to explode.
“We can help you carry it up so you don’t have too much,” Patrick suggests with a smile that doesn’t quite meet his eyes.
“Uh, sure.” Then I turn to Abby. “Thank you for thinking of me.”
“It’s no problem.” She looks between Victor, me, and Elias and says, “We’ll wait for you by the elevator. When you’re done, come find us.”
Once the two of them walk off, I turn back to Victor. “Please go back to New York.”
“I will when I know you’re safe.”
“You can go, and the bodyguard can stay. You have a company to run.”
Victor reaches out to touch me, but a growl makes him back away. We both turn to Elias who has the most serious look on his face that I’ve ever seen. Is this like marking his territory because if it is … he’ll have hell to pay later.
Elias shifts so that he’s partially in front of me. “What if someone is here watching? If you touch her, it will look bad.”
Good cover. Jealousy was never attractive to me, but for some reason, right now, it makes liquid heat pool in my stomach. Get ahold of yourself before the men notice, I scold myself.
Victor nods, pulling my attention back to him. “I’ll go stay at another hotel nearby, but I already paid for your room.” When I open my mouth to argue, he holds up a hand. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t need to get a hotel room. Please, just accept it.”
His words make sense, but it doesn’t feel right for him to pay for a room for Elias and me to share.
“My men will take turns sharing a third room as they rotate out. Don’t worry. I’ll make this right, and you’ll be back home in no time.”
Victor hands me my key room labeled 404, and we say our goodbyes.
When I don’t move, Elias asks, “Are you ready?”
I nod. He kisses my forehead, his lips lingering. All I want is to sink into him and to forget everything that’s happening, but I need to push through. Maybe now that we have Victor on our side, we’ll have more access to upgraded technology, and we can find out who is behind the messages.
Elias pulls away, and I almost chase after his warmth but resist. We’ll have plenty of time and privacy once we’re in our room.
He slings a backpack over his shoulder and picks up two more bags.
I pull on the handle to the remaining luggage and inwardly sigh.
We definitely overpacked. But who knows how long we’ll be here? And I had to bring my sexy lingerie.
Elias leads me over to where Abigail and Patrick wait. Their heads are bent together, and Abigail laughs at something Patrick said. Something about them being here feels … off. Why would a guy who never truly met me suggest they cut their date plans and come see me?
As we near them, Abigail spots us, and she presses the elevator button.
The four of us stand there, shifting, and shuffling our feet.
I press myself into Elias. Just being near him makes me feel safer.
I’m not sure what to say in front of someone I don’t know.
It must be getting attacked and drugged that has me skeptical of anyone I’m not familiar with.
I feel that should be a normal response for most people.
The elevator dings, and the doors slide open.
We file in, and I press the button labeled with a four.
I instinctively glance up at Patrick and find him watching me as Abigail and Elias chat about work.
Patrick flashes me a smile before turning back to Abigail.
I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans right as the elevator stops and the doors open.
We step out, and my hotel room is three doors down.
Stopping outside my door, I turn to Abigail. No way am I letting a stranger inside my room. “Thank you for bringing something. I appreciate you thinking of me.”
She pulls me in for a hug. “I also put a bottle of wine in there.” When she pulls back, she winks. “Hopefully, you won’t be drinking it alone.”