My hand leaps to my mouth to stifle a laugh. “No! You did not!”
“That dress, London.” He exhales. “So tight, and your tits were right there, and as I followed you down the sidewalk, I kept thinking about bending you over.”
“That’s why you showed up at Dunfoy’s on my birthday.” I point an accusatory finger at him. “You came there to fuck me.”
He chuckles. “Not on top of the bar, Ava.”
I laugh too. It feels good after the heaviness of the past few hours. “You wanted me to come back here with you? You expected me to.”
“Yes,” he eagerly admits. “I thought about you every second between our encounter in the elevator and when I walked into that bar.”
“If I had told you in the elevator who I was, would you have come to the bar?”
He studies my face. “I don’t know. I probably wouldn’t have, but I felt drawn to you, Ava. I’ve never experienced that before, so I might have hung around outside hoping to see you.”
I wasn’t expecting that, so I let out a heavy breath. “I’m glad you came into the bar that night.”
“I am too.” He points at my coffee. “Drink up. I’ll take you home when you’re done.”
“Can I stay the night with you?” I ask tentatively. “If that’s not okay, I’ll understand.”
“It’s more than okay, Ava. It’s perfect. I’ll hold you while you sleep,” he offers. “While you dream about me.”
He follows that up with a wiggle of his eyebrows as if he’s kidding, but he has no idea that all I do is dream about him.
“I’m going to take off before Roxy comes back,” I say, pulling on my ponytail to tighten it. “I don’t want her to catch me here. That would be a lot to explain to her, wouldn’t it?”
Harry tugs the zipper of my sweater up a bit. “I’d tell her my friend stayed the night.”
I hold back a smile. “Is that what we are?”
He leans forward to take my lips in a slow, lush kiss. “Friends and lovers.”
“Lovers,” I whisper. “Making love this morning was incredible, Harry.”
I woke him at dawn by taking him in my mouth. His hands tangled in my hair, and just as he was about to come, he tore away from me, sheathed himself, and wrapped his body around me from behind. He fucked me slowly and tenderly, all while whispering in my ear how beautiful I am.
“It was phenomenal,” he whispers, his hands jumping up to cup my face. “Your trust in me means everything. I hope you know that.”
I search his eyes. “You know you can trust me too. If you have a secret you want to share, I promise I won’t tell a soul.”
I expect a smile from him, but his expression is stoic.
He closes his eyes. “Roxy will be home soon. Jos needs to work for a few hours today.”
Suddenly, feeling shut out, I take a step back. His hands fall to his sides.
“I ordered a car for you.” He looks toward the door of his home. “He should be parked outside now.”
Nodding, I reach for the door handle. “I’ll never forget last night.”
“Neither will I.” He moves closer to rest his hand over mine. “It will stay with me forever, London.”
CHAPTER FIFTY
Harrison
This is the last place in the world I want to be, but family is a chain I’ll never have the strength to break.
Our mother called this little family meeting to make an announcement. Since it’s on the heels of her time spent in France, I already know what’s coming.
I’m about to be wearing a tuxedo again as I walk her down the aisle.
“What is it, Mom?” Roxy bounces on the couch next to Ryden.
Since this is happening in my home, I had no choice but to open the door to allow my brother entry.
He showed up with a hangover, a hickey on his neck, and a black eye. I didn’t bother asking. Roxy handled that. The answer Ryden handed her was enough to placate her.
He told her he was at practice even though training camp doesn’t kick into gear for another few weeks.
“Well,” my mother draws that one word out for a good ten seconds.
“Well, what?” Jos pipes up.
We left the office early for this. I wouldn’t consider that a hardship since we swung by and picked up Roxy from school on our way here. Ramona made it clear that she wanted us gathered together as soon as possible.
“I’m not getting married,” our mother says.
My mouth drops open, but my siblings didn’t catch every word of that because they slip into their typical reactions to her announcing an upcoming marriage.
Jos bounces to her feet. “How exciting!”
Ryden tries to push himself up from the couch but gives up. “I hope this one sticks, Mom.”
Roxy is the one to clue them both in. “She said she’s not getting married. Mom is still single.”