Chapter 1 #4
Her father had been called away for business at the last minute, before their trip to Amsterdam for Joey’s birthday, so they had enjoyed their trip with their father’s staff instead.
Avery had paid off two of the bodyguards to keep Joey away from Ash, so the twins actually got to have fun during the break.
They arrived back in the States two days ago and are already packing to move into the townhouse here in the Bay.
Only Blaise is stuck away from us all until school goes back in session.
I’m more worried about that lovable asshole than I want to admit, but I also have no clue about how to deal with rich, emotionally-fucked, dickhead parents in a way that doesn’t involve serious maiming or flat-out murder.
Neither of those are currently viable options, but if that changes, I’ll happily step in.
A yawn sneaks up on me, big enough that my eyes water, and I rub them like I can fend off my fatigue that way. Harley kisses my temple and says, “C’mon, I’ll get this cleaned up and we can go to bed.”
I freeze and he scoffs at me, like my reactions are so fucking amusing.
“I’ve already told you, I don’t have to sleep in your bed with you,” he huffs at me and grabs my plate. I shuffle into the kitchen behind him to argue over the dishes until he snaps at me, “You cooked, so I clean. Get the fuck over it.”
I move to sit on the bench and fidget while I watch him. He doesn’t look at me, but he must have extra senses or some shit because after I’ve agonized over the bed situation for ten minutes and find myself jittery, he says, “Look, I get you’re probably gonna have issues—”
“Why am I gonna have issues?” I snap.
He cuts me a stern look. “You’ve been living under the threat of rape from multiple fucking sources for years.
I’m sure that would make anyone jumpy. I’m not trying to make a big deal out of it or talk about it if you don’t want me to, but I don’t want you to get in your head about it either.
If you’ve got hard lines or boundaries, just tell me and I’ll never cross them.
I’m not gonna lie and say I’m not fucking desperate for you, but I’m also not in a rush.
The other two will take it slow as well, especially if you tell them why. So just… calm the fuck down.”
Boundaries and hard lines. I do have quite a few of those, except they’re all centered about the physical abuse I’ve survived over the years, not sex. The idea of talking about that makes me want to vomit, so I try not to think about it too much.
Is there a way of letting him know without saying the words?
Fuck, okay, I mean, I could show him my scars, but even just the thought of that makes my stomach roil in shame and fear.
I squirm and bite my nails while he washes the dishes. “I’m not scared.”
“I didn’t say you were. Pretty sure I said jumpy.”
I roll my eyes at him. “It wasn’t just the Jackal that stopped me. I’m not interested in casual, never have been and never will be. I didn’t want to just fuck anyone.”
Harley scrubs the pans in silence, and I watch him while I try to figure out how the fuck to say it.
When he moves on to wipe down the bench with such thoroughness that I know he’s been trained well by Avery, he says, “Are you asking me if I think this is casual? Because, fuck, Mounty, I’m kind of hoping you already know how serious we’re all taking this. ”
I swallow. “Knowing something in your head is very different to letting… letting yourself really believe it. I guess, I still kind of think this is all going to blow up in my face.”
Harley nods and wipes his hands before walking around the breakfast bar and gently prying my legs open to stand between them.
He waits for a moment until the tension melts out of me.
I shiver as he leans down and cups my face gently, breathing the words onto my lips as he speaks.
“I’m keeping you forever. I don’t do this shit for anything but keeps.
” And then he swallows my answering sigh with a kiss.
I missed this. I missed the feeling of his lips on mine and his hands holding my face like I’m everything to him.
That feeling finally breaks the hold of the Wolf on me.
I wrap my legs around his hips and pull him closer; he never fucking gets close enough to me.
I wonder if I’ll still feel that way when we do have sex.
I shiver at the thought and moan into the kiss, sucking on his tongue for more.
Harley breaks away and groans at me, “You kiss me like you want to fucking consume me.”
“Maybe I do,” I tease, smiling and rubbing myself against his chest in a very non-Lips-like manner. When he groans again, pulling my hips flush with his, grinding his dick into me, I mentally high-five myself for the move. Then, annoyingly, another yawn escapes me, and he chuckles.
He hooks his arms under my legs to cup my ass in his big hands, squeezing as he lifts me up and presses me against his chest. “I’ll tuck you into bed, babe. I’ll go take a cold shower.”
I clear my throat but it doesn’t stop my voice from coming out as a rasp. “Sleep in my… our bed. The other one is for Avery. We can figure out the specifics when the others get here.”