CHAPTER FOURTEEN HARLEY
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
HARLEY
I wake up to find that the movie has ended and looped back to the main screen.
My first instinct is to stretch, but before I can, I feel a weight on my arm. Looking down, the sight before me feels like someone reaches in and squeezes my heart. Aria is snuggled up into Ember’s arms, who is laying on her side, facing me. Aria is dead center between us, sleeping like a rock.
In this moment, I realize that I love Ember.
That I am head over heels in love with the woman and have been for years.
I can’t wait for the day she loves me back and we can start our life together, because I'll be damned if I let this woman get away again. The flashes of our future begin playing through my head and I can’t hold back my smile.
I have a thought of a little girl, with curly strawberry blonde hair, and a sassy attitude.
The thought of them fighting with the same attitude has me chuckling to myself.
My movement jostles Ember awake. She stirs and rubs her eyes. “What’re you laughing at?” Her eyes go wide with worry. “Was I snoring? Drooling?” I try to stifle my laugh.
“No, pretty girl, just laughing at myself,” I tell her, trying to ease her worry. Even if she had been, I would have lied.
I find myself unsure of what I should do next, because we never discussed me staying over while Aria was here. I’ve only stayed the night once, so I’m not sure if this is overstepping.
“Hey, pretty girl, should I head out?” I ask her, trying to cover any emotion. I want to stay, but I don’t want to make her or Atlas uncomfortable.
Ember shifts again looking up at me. “We actually didn’t talk about that.” She shimmies out from under Aria.
“I think I'll head home for the night,” I tell her. “Just in case.”
“Yeah maybe that’s a good idea,” Ember pops her lower lips, “We’ll have to verify next time.”
Next time. I like the sound of that.
I pull my arm out from under the two and rise to my feet.
Ember follows suit, and comes over to wrap her arms around my waist. I rest my arms around her, my head sitting on hers.
“I’m going to say something, and it might scare you.
” I feel her tense beneath me, and I realize I could have said that differently.
“It’s a good thing, pretty girl.” I tell her softly, “I just want you to know that I'm head over heels for you.” I tilt her head up, so I can look into her eyes and tell her, “I love you, Ember Alden, and I have no intentions of ever letting you go again.” Her eyes shine with unshed tears.
I lean down and plant a soft kiss on her smooth lips. She returns with the same soft energy.
I sway from left to right with Ember in my arms, and every part of it just feels right. I finally have to pull away.
“Alright, beautiful, I’m going to go so you two can have the sweetest dreams.” I make it to the door.
“I love you, lock the door.” She grins, and I don’t miss that I've said I love you twice and she hasn’t reciprocated.
Not that I expected it from her, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t notice it.
Just give it time, she has walls you have to be careful with, I remind myself as I walk to the car.
I hear the lock click, and blow Ember a kiss through the curtains when I see her peeking from behind.
As I start my car, my first instinct is to head home and take a hot shower and pass out.
For some reason, I have this feeling in my gut that I shouldn’t actually leave.
I back out and decide to make a pass around the block.
Maybe it’s just being away and feeling territorial over the two girls sleeping in that house.
I get to the corner before I turn back onto Ember’s street, when something moving catches my eye in the dark.
Turning my lights off, I park my car on the other street.
I softly close the door, before hiding behind cars, trying to get closer.
As much as I would love to think this is just some random dude, unfortunately, my gut tells me this is exactly why I wasn’t supposed to go home yet.
I get right up behind Dean’s bald ass head, wrapping one arm around his neck and the other around his mouth.
Getting right at his ear, I grit my teeth. “I’m getting real fucking sick and tired of you camping outside my girl’s house.”
Dean fights back, and he’s taller than me, but it’s clear he spends his days being a bum. “She’s not your fucking girl,” Dean spits at me, doing his best to wrestle out of my hold, unsuccessfully.
“I distinctly remember her screaming my name when I had her bent over in the bookstore last week,” I taunt him.
I shouldn’t push too hard in fear of how he might retaliate against Ember later, but I know that she won’t go through it alone. I’ll be there to support her through anything he puts her through from here on out. Unless I get rid of him first.
I drag him backwards before throwing him to the ground. He gets up quicker than I anticipate and he lays a right hook into my eye. He goes to swing again, and misses, leaving me with the opportunity to grab his left arm and pull it down, shoving his head down, connecting my knee to his face.
“I’ll be in her life forever you fucking loser,” Dean spits at me, slowly trying to advance on me. I shove him back in the center of his chest with all the force I can, causing him to trip over his own feet, falling backwards to the ground.
“I’m only going to say this one more fucking time, Dean.” I tower over him, my control on my rage starting to slip. “You stay the fuck away from that house, and anyone who lives in that house, visits that house, or walks past that fucking house,” I spit at him.
I get to my car, whip out of the spot I was in down the road, and quickly pull back into Ember’s driveway.
I back into the driveway quietly so that I’m facing out towards the street.
I keep my lights off and keep my car idling with the heat on.
I’ll be damned if he thinks he’s going to make me fucking flinch.
That’s MY girl in that house. I keep watch all night, until sleep finally takes me.
A loud tap wakes me out of my sleep. I look up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and see Asher’s face filling my window. I roll down my window, look over at my phone, and see it's seven o’clock in the morning.
“Dude, did she beat your ass and kick you to the curb already?” Asher laughs. I glance up at the rearview mirror and catch a glimpse of dried blood and a little bruising where Dean got his licks in last night.
“What do you know about Dean?” I ask him without laughing. Asher’s face goes pale.
“Fuck.” He blows out a breath, placing both hands on the car window frame. “Is he still fucking with her?” he questions.
“Yeah dude, he’s stalking her.” Asher backs up, letting me get out of the car. “We installed cameras just so that Ember could be more aware,” I tell him as I close the door.
“I left last night so the girls could get some sleep.” I lean my butt against the car, arms folded across my chest. “I circled the block and before I turned onto the street, Dean was sneaking towards the driveway and we went to throwing fists.”
“Fuck, man.” Asher slides his hands down his face. “Atlas hasn’t said anything, so I figured everything had burnt out with that.”
“Honestly, I doubt Ember has clued her in. I know she’s worried about Atlas’s mental health right now.” I glance over at him.
Before he can respond, the front door opens, and a very sleepy Ember stands there, with a very happy Aria sitting on her hip. Seeing her standing there, with that sweet baby on her hip, sends flutters to my stomach.
She has a grumpy and confused look on her face, which confuses me until she comes down her front steps and stops right in front of me. “What the fuck happened to your face, Harley?” She’s pissed. I contemplate lying to her, but I don’t want to lie and risk her safety in this situation.
“We should talk about that in a little bit,” I tell her as I grab Aria from her hold. We head into the house.
Ember must have known Asher was on his way because all of Aria’s stuff is pulled together, waiting by the door.
“Did Atlas at least get a little sleep?” Ember asks, her eyebrows showing all of her concern.
Asher laughs. “As much as I allowed her.” He wiggles his eyebrows up and down suggestively, before he dramatically rolls his eyes. “Which was obviously all night.”
He laughs as Ember punches him in the arm. “She’ll be okay, Ember. Honestly.” Asher scoops Ember up into a hug, giving her a tight squeeze. She squeezes him back before Aria reaches for her daddy. I pass her to Asher, and use the moment to scoop Ember into my own embrace.
Asher takes off with Aria, leaving Ember and I sitting on the couch.
“What happened, Harley?” Ember asks me, not making eye contact.
“Last night after I left, I got a weird feeling, so I didn’t go home,” I explain to her.
“I made a circle around the block, and by the time I was coming back onto your street, Dean was coming up on the edge of your house,” I continue, flexing my hands from the clenched fists I hadn’t realized I was holding tightly. “We laid hands on each other.”
She finally looks at me, tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she starts.
I take her face in my hands, forcing her to look me in the eyes. “You didn’t do this, Ember.” I make sure she hears me. “You didn’t ask for any of this bullshit.” I’m trying so hard not to let my frustration show, because I don’t want her to think it’s at her.
It's not at her—it's for her.
She hangs her head. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
“After I knocked Dean on his ass, I pulled into the driveway and sat outside all night,” I tell her.
I get up, pulling her with me. “I can tell you didn’t sleep either babe.” My arms circle around her and kiss her forehead. “Let’s go take a shower and then take a nap?” I ask her.
She sighs against me before leading me to the bedroom. Once she hits the threshold of the room, she strips her clothes off, leaving a trail to the bathroom. By the time she’s in the bathroom, she's stark naked, bent over turning the water on to heat.
Fuck me.
I already feel my cock straining against my jeans. I strip off my clothes, and watch as she gets into the shower. I watch the water flow down her body, physically seeing the water relax her body in her safe space. I almost don’t want to join her, so she can have a moment to decompress.
Almost.
I get in the shower and stand behind her, wrapping my arms around her. We stand there like this for a few minutes, feeling each other fuse into one. Just finding our calm, together.
Finally letting her go, I grab the shampoo and lather it through her hair, massaging her scalp.
I run my fingers over her head. She loves her hair being played with, but I’ve never washed a woman’s hair before.
I lean her head back, letting the shower rinse her hair out.
I remember my sisters always telling me they used to wash their hair twice.
I don’t remember the specifics, but I do it anyway.
I lather her hair with conditioner. Letting that sit in her hair, I wash my own.
After I've rinsed my own hair, I turn her around and tip her head back. I massage her scalp and rinse the conditioner out of her hair.
As her head is tipped back, I step in front of her and bend down to kiss her. I start the kiss light, before I deepen it, adding an urgency behind my kiss. I let her pull my bottom lip into her mouth, and she bites down.
I moan into her mouth as I back her into the wall, sucking on her tongue.
I raise my knee, placing it in between her legs.
I can feel her heat against my leg, but I tease her by not making contact where she wants it yet.
I bring my hand up to her neck and squeeze, causing her to let out a moan.
The sound sends me spiraling and I push her down to grind her wet pussy on my thigh.
She begins grinding up and down my thigh, chasing the friction on her clit.
Before she can get close, I spin her around to face the wall.
I stand behind her, pressing her flush against the wall.
I lightly run the back of my hand from the top of her shoulder down to her hip, sending shivers through her body.
I take hold of her hip and place my other hand on the wall and Ember brings her arm up and around my own.
She laces her fingers with mine against the wall.
I line my cock to her pussy to take her from behind, pushing into her.
Ember turns her face into my arm that’s braced against the wall and bites down, hard.
In that moment of pain and pleasure I thrust into her with force.
“Such a good girl for me, Ember,” I whisper as she pushes back against me and whimpers.
“Harley.” She pants as she clamps her pussy down, pulsing around my cock. That alone has me losing control. I fuck Ember hard and fast. She meets each thrust with urgency. We fuck in sync, despite slipping and sliding off each other’s bodies. Before I know it, we’re both coming together.
I flip Ember and I around, pulling her into my chest under the water, and kiss her. Ember sees the bite marks, and looks up at me under her lashes. Without a word, she plants a soft kiss on the mark.
“I’m sorry, babe.” She cuddles into me. “I shouldn’t have bit you so hard.”
I pull her back, just a little bit. “Don’t you dare apologize.” I bring her body flush to me. “I didn’t think I could get harder than I already was, but that made me absolutely feral. Feel free to bite me whenever.”
We get out of the shower and towel off in a comfortable silence. Ember snags my t-shirt from the bathroom counter, with a smug grin spread across her face. I pull on my boxers as I watch her settle into the bed. I round the bed and turn on a movie to fall asleep to.
Before the movie can even start, Ember is already passed out. Laid on her stomach with her left leg hiked up, I admire her full ass on display, thanks to the black thong she wears.
She’s too far away in this damn bed.
I lean over, slipping my right hand between her legs and my left under her head, and pull her flush with my body. She snuggles into me subconsciously, letting out a soft sigh. I hear her heavy breathing level into a soft pattern. I plant a soft kiss on her, and let myself drift off to sleep.