“Shh.” I kissed her again, letting my hand glide along the side of her neck until I felt her pulse flutter beneath the tips of my fingers. Harleigh kissed me back, boldly plunging her tongue into my mouth and taking control.
Heat licked down my spine, stoking the flames inside me higher and higher until I thought I might explode.
“Stop,” I breathed, hardly able to believe I’d said it. “We should stop.”
“But I thought—”
“I want you, B. More than you’ll ever understand. But not here, not like this.”
“Oh, okay.”
“You deserve more, Birdie.” So much fucking more.
“I only want you,” she said, peeking up at me through those thick, dark lashes.
Jesus, looking at her hurt sometimes. The vulnerability and honesty in her bewitching green eyes.
Harleigh had always had an expressive gaze. Everything she thought, everything she was feeling was usually right there, simmering in her eyes. You just had to look closely enough to see it.
“We have time.” I put some space between us, trying to think of anything but my raging hard on.
Mrs. Feeley’s ice cream.
Jessa’s cookies.
My old man’s dirty stained wifebeaters.
Yeah, that did the trick, the tension melting out of my body.
“Do you think Zane and Celeste have hurt each other yet?” Harleigh asked, and I was grateful for the change of subject.
“You noticed that, huh?”
“She’s not exactly discreet.”
“But she’s with Mulligan.”
“I guess.” She shrugged. “It could get messy.”
“Not likely. Z is… well, you know how Z is.”
“Yeah. Would it bother you though if they did hook up?”
“They won’t,” I said, not entirely sure I believed my own words. Celeste got under Zane’s skin. I’d seen it with my own eyes.
“But if they did…”
“That’s their business.” It was my turn to shrug. “Why?”
“Celeste isn’t like us… I mean, you. The guys. She doesn’t—”
“Know what it’s like to grow up in The Row.” I stiffened and Harleigh nodded.
“Michael would never approve of her being with someone like Zane.”
Someone like me, the words flashed in my mind.
“What is it you’re trying to say, Harleigh?” I snapped, feeling coils of shame snake through me.