EMBER
CHAPTER FIVE
I stir in bed, feeling all the damage those Truly’s did the night before.
Groaning, I look over at the alarm clock and see that it's not even eight AM yet. I never made it to the shower last night. After I watched Harley pull away, peeking through the curtains, I went and sat on the corner of my bed, trying to calm the tension I'd been holding because of the texts Dean had sent that sent me spewing. One more message had come through, and while I wanted to tell myself I wasn’t scared, I couldn’t make myself strip and be in a vulnerable state in the bathroom.
I decide I’m going to call a security company today and get some sort of camera security system set up. Everyone always told me they were a scam, but the thought of being able to see when someone is coming or going makes me feel a little better.
I roll over, starting to doze back off, when I hear a knock at my door.
I freeze. Atlas definitely would not be over this early, especially after she finally cut loose with her friends last night.
I have a few close friends, but literally none would be caught dead on my doorstep before eight AM on a Sunday.
I grab my sweatpants, shoving my legs into the pants hurriedly, and pull on my plush robe, tying it tight to my body.
Tiptoeing to the door, I peek through the curtain and see a black leather jacket, dark blue jeans, and onyx colored hair. I let out a sigh of relief.
Last I saw, Dean was balding, so I know it isn’t him.
I unlock and pull the door open. With the door open, I'm met with brown eyes and a smile. “Hey, pretty girl, figured you would need food, but would wallow in bed as long as possible if you didn’t have anything.”
I stand there and lean my head against the door, cheesing like a schoolgirl. Just like I did when I was fifteen, looking at those same brown eyes.
“Well, you’re right, I absolutely would have wallowed all day long.” I laugh, waving him in.
He passes me a white paper cup. “I figured something dark and hot would do you better than regular drip coffee would today.” I raise my eyebrows as he walks by, heading right into the kitchen.
You’re dark and hot and can do me. Shaking my head and closing the door, I turn to find Harley taking groceries out of a white sack.
“Biscuits and gravy, huh?” I say as I enter my kitchen.
He looks at me, hands on the edge of the counter. “Is that okay? I know you’ve always raved about your dad’s gravy, and it won't be as good,” he blows out quickly, “but I assumed it is a comfort food.”
I smile, putting the cup to my lips. “That sounds perfect.”
He grabs a couple of pans from the dish drainer on the counter, and gets to work chopping the onions and prepping the sausage.
After a few minutes, I become obscenely aware that I'm standing here in my robe. Shit.
“Hey, I never got a chance to shower last night before I knocked out. Are you good here while I take a quick shower and get some clean clothes on?” I ask, barely looking at him.
I’m not embarrassed, but the thought of being naked with Harley just in the other room sends flutters through my belly and a tightening in my core.
“Yeah, all good here, I know my way around the kitchen. Get comfy, I brought Twilight, Harry Potter, and Step Brothers,” he says as one side of his mouth perks up into a smile. I couldn’t have stopped my smile if my life was dependent on it.
Racing to my room, I close the door quickly.
Pulling the robe and shirt off, I toss it onto the bed and shove my sweats to the ground.
I grab a claw clip and swirl my hair on top of my head.
I just washed it yesterday so just a quick body wash should suffice.
I probably should clean up my legs and my downstairs lawn.
Not that anything is going to happen or anything, but just in case.
I turn the water to my normal heat setting and hop in.
I moved back months ago, but haven’t been looking for anything in a romantic sense, so “pruning the lawn” has been low on my priority list. Until this very moment.
Again, just in case. I cut myself twice, once on the shin and once on the ankle.
I don’t have time to exfoliate, so I will absolutely get razor burn, but hey, at least it will appear that I’m not against getting laid.
Pulling my towel from the hook outside the shower, I wrap it around my body. I sit there for a minute and hear the faint notes of music coming from the kitchen and smile to myself.
My phone vibrates on the counter, and I see my best friend Ensley is calling. Oh hell. Atlas must have called her. I answer the call and put it on speaker, ensuring the volume is all the way down.
“BITCH!” Ensley’s voice echoes through the bathroom. “Harley!!!”
“Ensley, shut the fuck up, im in the bathroom and its echoing.” I quickly try to get her to quiet down.
“Oh, shit, sorry babe. You sick after last night?" She taunts me.
“No. I was just getting a shower,” I tell her. Fuck, I may as well rip off the bandaid. “Harley brought over breakfast and I was feeling like death after last night.”
“Hold the fuck up,” she shushes me. “So he didn’t stay over?”
“No, he dropped me off, and I went to bed.”
I go through my face routine, opting out of a full face, but swipe on some clear mascara and my vanilla bean chapstick.
Hiking my foot to rest on the drawer handle, I slather some cocoa butter lotion on my legs.
I hate the feeling of pants on my legs after I shave, so I have to put on lotion and let it soak before I slip into my sweatpants.
“And then he shows up this morning with breakfast?” Ensley questions me.
“Yes, exactly that,” I tell her, rolling my eyes.
“So nothing happened?” She starts the real questions.
“We kissed on my doorstep, and then he got in his friend’s car and went home,” I tell her again.
“I can’t believe you didn’t bang him. You were head over heels for him forever,” she says, her tone full of surprise. I can actually see her standing there with her arms crossed, mouth turned down and eyebrow arched with surprise.
“Look, I have to hurry up, he’s probably done cooking and just eating by himself,” I tell her as I take down my hair, pulling my fingers through my waves and trying to give it a little volume.
I find my cami with the built-in sports bra, my favorite black bookish sweatshirt, my cloud socks, and finally my light gray sweatpants.
I choose the ones that hug my ass just a little bit tighter than my others, and they have pockets.
Need I say more? I grab my phone and slip on my BearPaw slippers.
“Wait, he’s cooking you breakfast in your own house before eight in the morning?” Ensley asks. “I’m not sure I believe he didn’t stay over. Anyway, you owe me a fucking call when he leaves. I need all the details, bitch.”
I laugh, my hand on the doorknob. “I promise, I'll call when he leaves.”
“K love you, byyyye.” Ensley squeals and then the phone goes dark after she hangs up.
I round the corner to the kitchen and Right Now by Akon is on, blaring. Harley is at the stove, back to me, singing along. “Cause you were my homie, lover, and friend…” and I cover my mouth to hide my laugh, leaning against the door frame. Harley whips around, spatula in hand, eyes wide.
“Ah fuck, Ember, you can’t sneak up on me like that.” He’s laughing, and stirring what I assume is the gravy.
I saunter over, grabbing the coffee cup I'd left on the counter and bringing it to my lips.
It's cold. May as well make it iced. I walk over to the top cabinet, where I keep my cups, and grab a tall glass.
Walking to the freezer, I fill the cup with ice and pop the top off of the cup, pouring its contents over the ice.
I grab a straw, stick it in, and sip on it.
I lean against the counter, watching Harley cook.
We stand there for a bit, listening to the music transition, a comfortable silence stretching between us.
Finally, Harley puts the lid on the gravy, and I set the cup down. He eyes it. “I knew I should have made it iced.” He laughs and walks a little closer.
Wait, made this? This time, my outside voice has permission to speak. “Wait, you made this coffee?” I ask him, squinting one eye.
He laughs. “Yeah, the local coffee roaster gave me a key while he’s closed during his chemo, so I can go in and roast my beans.
” He stops and leans against the counter a few feet away, propped on his elbow.
“And then I have a De’Longhi espresso machine at home.
” He smiles. “That was the blonde espresso roast. It has those light caramel notes in there. I think I remember you liked caramel in your coffee.”
The man had found his way back into my heart within twelve hours of walking into Atlas’ backyard. Why don’t most men understand how easy it is? Just care a little and put in a little effort.
I grin from ear to ear. “Well, that was delicious, and I'm gonna need to buy some of those blonde beans from you.”
He laughs and turns back, just as the timer goes off on the oven, letting us know the biscuits are ready. “Let’s eat!” he says excitedly, rubbing his palms together.
I grab two plates from the cabinet and set them out.
He puts two biscuits on his plate, and one on mine.
I open his biscuits and lay them flat, before I move onto my plate.
He grabs the plate, sees that I opened the biscuit, and gives me a little grin.
Moving on to my plate, I smother my biscuit.
We work quietly before heading into the living room with Harley carrying our plates, and me carrying the cups of orange juice.
Harley sets the plates on the coffee table and retreats into the kitchen, quickly returning with some DVDs in hand.
“You can pop them into the DVD player on the side, or I have them downloaded on Prime,” I tell him before taking my first bite from my plate. It's not as good as dad’s gravy, but I'm biased. It's pretty damn good, though.
“I’m going DVD. For the experience.” Harley laughs, looking back at me as he squats down, pushing the tray back into the player.
I reach for the remote and click it to the right HDMI channel. “Aye, Aye captain.” I salute him before reaching for my OJ.
Harley comes back over to the couch, sitting down and grabbing his plate, holding it to his chest to dig in. I swear he doesn’t even taste it while he’s eating it. He’s done before the movie starts.
The opening credits start with the PNW trees. “I’d never given much thought to how I would die…”
I finish eating, wiping my face off before throwing the paper towel on my plate and setting it on the table. “That was so fucking good, I could totally pass out now.” I laugh, rubbing my full belly.
Harley smiles sweetly. “Good, I'm glad.”
I grab two blankets off the back of the couch and toss one to him. I lean over, squishing a couch pillow into the armrest and lean over on my side, curling into a little ball, covering myself with the blanket. I finally pass out sometime after “Sex, money, sex, cats…”
I wake up and the credits are playing. It's bright outside, the sun shining in between the curtains. I go to stretch and feel a strong arm over my middle and a hard body behind me, soft sighs blowing out while Harley sleeps. It’s been awhile since I cuddled anyone.
I lay there, enjoying his familiar smell.
He still wears Blue Seduction cologne. Breathing in, I suck in that minty, musk, and leather scent.
I snuggle back into his hold, his arm tightening slightly around me, before I doze back off.
I wake up a bit later to Maggie trying to join us on the couch, walking right over us. Being just like a cat, not giving a shit who’s around her. I laugh and scratch her ear and feel Harley tighten his hold again. He brings his nose to the side of my ear, breathing into my hair.
“Hey,” he says, his voice low and sexy, with his just woke up voice.
“Hey,” I say, hearing the smile in my voice.