His Town

by Ellie Danes

  “Come here,” he ordered, tugging me close and kissing me again, fully, deeply, in spite of his cut up mouth. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Chapter Eight

  Mason

  I sat across from Avery, looking at her curiously from behind my desk. It had been almost three weeks since I last saw her, since everything with Jake had gone down. Her face revealed nothing, not even as I leaned forward. Her eyes traveled up to my scalp, where the scar I had gotten from my run-in with Jake had begun to heal.

  “You do know that when I told you to go find Harper, I didn’t mean for you to get yourself killed.” A wry smile formed on her lips as she crossed her legs, laying her hands across her lap. Today she wore a neat black dress, her hair pinned up to stave off the summer heat.

  I shrugged. “I’m still alive, aren’t I?”

  She scoffed as a reply, looking pointedly at my healing head.

  “So what are you doing here, Avery? I have to admit, I was a little surprised when Natalie told me you had scheduled an appointment to meet with me.”

  Avery’s grin grew a little. “Let’s just say I thought about what you told me, how the right guy might still be out there.”

  I arched an eyebrow, sincerely impressed that she had come back. Avery didn’t seem like the type of person to ask for anyone’s help, especially from the man who had broken her best friend’s heart. Maybe Harper had talked some sense into her.

  I grinned inwardly as I thought of Harper. My Harper. We had finally reached a point that I had always dreamed about having with a woman. Harper had simply cured me from my incessant fears about ending up with someone who constantly wanted something from me, as my relationships had been in the past. She wanted nothing but my love, and I had plenty of that to give her.

  “So, you want to attend another mixer?” I guessed, snapping back into reality.

  “No.” She sat up a little straighter. “I want to be a bachelorette.”

  I almost laughed. I should have known. Avery certainly wasn’t the type of person to ask for help—she liked to be in charge. “Well, typically our bachelorettes pay us a good sum to find them the men of their dreams.”

  Avery raised her eyebrow as she half-smiled at me. “Well, maybe we can just say that you’re repaying the favor I did for you.” Her smirk widened. “You know, pushing you to go after Harper instead of doing nothing?”

  I sighed. She did have a point.

  Finding someone for Avery would be an interesting task, at least. And I knew it would make Harper happy, to see her friend find someone.

  “That’s true,” I admitted. “I suppose we could make this work.”

  She grinned. “As soon as possible?”

  “Of course. Assuming we can find a group of men that meet your expectations.” I couldn’t help but goad her a little as I watched her smile quickly turn to a scowl. “I’m kidding, Avery. I’m sure we can find the perfect man for you.”

  A satisfied grin took over her face as she got up, making her way to the door. Pausing for a moment, though, her lips pursed and she turned back to me. “You make her happy, you know. I’ve seen the changes in her.”

  “She makes me happy, too.” I smiled, standing now to shake her hand.

  Avery tilted her head with a half smile as she stared at me. “Treat her right. Or else.”

  “I will, I promise.” I extended my hand and was immediately met with a warm hug, catching me off guard. I laughed, having no doubt that I would indeed hear a mouthful from Avery if I ever treated Harper with less than what she deserved. “You don’t have to worry on that account.”

  “I certainly hope not. Though, I would like to see my roomie every once in a while. Maybe we could work out a visitation schedule?

  “She’s free any time,” I smiled.

  She nodded. “I’ll expect a call from Natalie in the morning about my interview and mixer.” I watched as Avery made her way out of the office.

  Sitting down at my desk, I traced the swirls of wood with my fingers as I grinned to myself, thinking about how Natalie was going to respond to us taking on Avery as a client. First Harper had invaded Natalie’s space, now her much more high-maintenance roommate.

  It was probably time to give Natalie a raise.

  Rubbing my temples, I knew it wasn’t as simple as just that. I hesitated as I dialed Natalie’s office extension. “Have a minute? I’d like to talk.”

  She slid into the office, moments later, shutting the great mahogany door behind her. “What’s up Asher?” There was still a slight distance between us. Something we hadn’t felt in our relationship ever before.

  “We need to talk,” I said, my mood dampening a little.

  It had been a few weeks since the attack, and Harper had stayed over at the mansion multiple times now, but I hadn’t seen Natalie speak with her at all. I respected Natalie—she was like a sister to me, and I didn’t want us to be enemies because of my relationship.

  “I don’t see why. It seems you’ve already made your decision, and I have no say in the matter.” Her voice was icy, and the glare that she gave me chilled me to the bone. Usually, she respected me enough as her boss to keep silent about my personal affairs, but today was different. Today we spoke as equals, as friends.

  “Nat, come on, talk to me. I don’t want this to be a battle forever between you and Harper.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, purple hair trembling just a little as she stared me straight in the eyes, trying to control her temper. Natalie had always had a bad temper. I usually tried to stay away from her wrath when she got into moods like this.

  “Asher, her ex-boyfriend clubbed you over the head. You could have been killed.”

  “Trust me, I know.” I rubbed my head where the stitches once were, remembering that night all too clearly. “But Jake is in jail, and Harper is the one for me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’ve said that before, about other women.”

  I stood up so I could be at eye-level with her. “She’s different, Nat. I love her.”

  “I don’t trust her.” Natalie quickly snapped back at me.

  “I wouldn’t expect you to. You’re always looking out for my best interests, and I love you for it. But you don’t know Harper. I need you to trust me on this one. She’s the one for me.”

  Her eyes studied me. I didn’t look away from her gaze, or flinch from her critical stare. Finally, she sighed, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation. “Fine. If you think this is what’s best, I’ll go along with it. But I swear, Asher, if she or anyone she knows hurts you like that again...”

  I didn’t hear the rest of her sentence as I walked around to her side of the desk, sweeping her up in a hug. “She won’t. They won’t. Thanks, Nat.” I breathed a sigh of relief as I felt her give in to the hug.

  “And by the way,” I hesitated. “We just took Avery on as a client.” I smiled to myself as I felt Natalie’s body tighten, but she didn’t say a word.

  That only made me hug her tighter.

  Chapter Nine

  Harper

  There was a package waiting for me at the apartment door when I returned home after class. I picked it up, testing its weight as I walked into the messy and unorganized apartment. The air smelled stale, of old alcohol and trash.

  I rolled my eyes. Ever since I had stopped spending as much time at the apartment, Avery had enjoyed having the full run of the place. Sometimes I wondered if she left messes for me to come back to because she was trying to send the message that I needed to be home more, or because she didn’t want me to be here at all.

  I set the package down on the table, looking at the brown packaging curiously. My name was printed on the front in big block letters. There was no return address.

  I grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter, wiping off some sort of sticky substance from the blade as best I could. I shook my head in disbelief as I took a quick look around the cluttered and dirty kitchen, and I then dug
into the package.

  My heart sunk as I pulled the paper away, staring down at Jake’s dark hoodie. A scream was poised on my lips as I stood there, staring.

  I carefully picked it up, not knowing what else may be in the package. Thankfully, there was nothing except a note with neat handwriting on it, obviously not from Jake.

  Here’s your gift back. Jake doesn’t need anything from you.

  I thought about the impulse buy when Jake and I had been out shopping just a few days after we met, when he had still apparently been dating Stacey. I couldn’t stand the old tattered sweatshirt he had been wearing and grabbed this hoodie off the rack for him in protest. I had thought it made him look sexy, and when I told him that, he wore it constantly. Now the thought of it, and him, sent shivers down my spine.

  Stacey, who was still miraculously standing by Jake’s side, must have felt compelled to throw this in my face in light of Jake’s impending court date. I didn’t care about either, although the thought of her going out of her way to do this did scare me a little.

  The saggy hoodie hung limply in my hand, the note in the other. The smell of Jake’s cologne filled my nose.

  A knock on the door startled me as I dropped the note on the table and headed into the living room, my heart beating fast in my ears. “Wh—Who’s there?” I looked at the deadbolt on the door, still unlocked. I pictured Stacey on the other side, or worse, Jake; what if he had gotten bail?!?

  “It’s me,” Mason’s voice flooded into my ears, calming me instantly.

  I reached for the handle and slowly turned it, opening the door and taking in a breath of relief.

  Mason’s eyes met mine and then traveled down to my hand, still clutching the returned gift. “Are you alright? What’s that? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  I looked down, staring at that gross material again. “Stacey sent this to me. It’s Jake’s.”

  “Yeah, I know, I remember it.” I could almost feel heat rolling off him in waves at the mention of Jake.

  “I was just about to throw it away. I guess she was trying to make some sort of statement, or something.” I said, making my way over to the nearly full trash, throwing what remained of Jake’s free existence in with the leftover spaghetti sauce and eggshells.

  I realized that my hands were shaking. Instantly, Mason was there, holding me close, stroking my hair.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his hot breath up against my ear.

  I nodded, wrapping my arms around him. “That stupid sweatshirt just brought back memories, that’s all. I can’t imagine what would have happened if he would have killed you, Mason.”

  “We don’t have to think about that. Jake’s in jail, and if I have anything to do with it, he’s going to be there for a long time.”

  “But—”

  He grabbed my chin gently, forcing my mouth up to his. “He’s not going to hurt anyone. Not me, and not you.”

  I snuggled into him, breathing in the fresh scent of his cologne. “What are you doing here, by the way?” I asked, looking at him suspiciously.

  He grinned. “I thought you might want to grab something to eat after a long day of classes.”

  I quickly kissed him on the mouth and smiled. Mason always seemed to know exactly what I needed, when I needed it. He was perfect.

  Chapter Ten

  Mason

  I laid Harper gently down on my bed, watching her sink into the large pillows with a giggle. I climbed in next to her, kissing her forehead affectionately, wrapping my arms tight around her. Outside, peeping through the dark curtains of the room, the mid-afternoon sun shone high above the beautiful view.

  I held her tight in my arms, occasionally stroking her silky smooth hair with my fingertips. Though we were both fully dressed up in business clothes, I could feel her eyes close involuntarily. Her familiar warmth, touch, and scent overcame me and threatened to make me drowsy almost instantly.

  “I want to go someplace exotic,” I said suddenly, giving her a squeeze. “Maybe someplace with lots of mountains.”

  She yawned, splaying her hand across my chest, unbuttoning a few buttons so she could feel the skin beneath. Stretching her body up against my own, she wrapped a leg around me, pressing in tighter. I could feel her warmth beneath the thin fabric of her dress.

  “We aren’t really in any position to travel right now, Mason. What with all these mixers coming up and all these new clients—”

  I moved my leg up, pressing it in-between her thighs, holding it there as she rubbed herself against the fabric of my dress pants. I tightened my hands around her lower back, admiring the way the small of her back fit perfectly between my fingers.

  “You’re such a worrier. Natalie can take care of things here, and we...”

  Harper’s mouth found mine, her body pressing up as tightly as it could against my leg. Her hands worked at the other buttons on my shirt.

  “What happened to ‘love comes first?’” She asked, nibbling at my ear, finally undoing the last button of my shirt and opening it, pressing her clothed body up against me.

  “Love does come first.” I retorted, my hands traveling down to her ass, giving it a firm squeeze. I felt her giggle against my neck. “That includes our love, though. You know you’d like to travel with me, admit it.”

  She pulled back a little so I could see her grin. She didn’t admit it.

  “Your loss,” I growled, my hands still firmly planted on her ass as I rolled her over, placing myself between her legs. Warmth spread through my body, focused on an area much lower than my heart.

  The thin, silky material of her dress gave me easy access to her soft, pliable thighs. I pried them open, running my hand along the black lace of her underwear. She propped herself up on her elbows, watching me, her hair falling in front of her face slightly.

  “What do you think about a mountain hike now, Miss Browning?”

  She shrugged. “I still don’t feel comfortable leaving everything in Natalie’s hands, Mr. Asher.”

  “Hmm.” I moved my face a little closer, running my cheek along her inner thigh. I could feel her body shiver beneath my fingertips as they traveled up and down her legs, reaching to stroke the flat of her stomach. “How about now?”

  My teeth tugged at her panties. I watched her expression. She was trying to hold out, but a soft, almost inaudible gasp escaped her lips. “Now?”

  “I think...”

  I grabbed the flimsy material of her underwear and slid them off her legs, pushing up her skirt so I could see her completely. Bringing my lips in for a taste, I let her juices coat my chin. “Want to go on a mountain hike, Harper?”

  “Yes—yes, that sounds fine.”

  I went to work with a grin, licking, sucking, and teasing as she squirmed beneath me, body hardly able to stand the pleasure. She looked absolutely beautiful as she tilted her head back, lips parting a little as she took in more air, trying hard not to let go completely and spoil the fun. I felt her thighs tighten around my head, and I shivered, feeling the strength in her legs as she begged me for more.

  “Not yet, sweetheart.” I pulled my lips away from teasing her sweet spot, giving her a grin as she groaned in frustration. I slipped two fingers inside of her easily, feeling her depths convulse against them.

  “Mason...”

  “I know, baby.”

  Harper sunk her fingers into my shoulders, tugging me toward her, wrapping her legs around my hips so I couldn’t escape. I grabbed her hips, feeling her moan against me as I slid inside of her, muscles tight.

  I leaned down, still inside of her, wrapping my arms around her, just wanting to feel close. Her hands were playing at the nape of my neck as she peppered kisses across my chin, her tongue occasionally making its way over my skin.

  I loved her. I knew I loved her, especially after these last months we had spent together, working together, sort of living together. I loved her not only physically, but for her spunk, her intelligence, her capable logic and mind. She was my
partner, my lover, my friend. I had never felt so close to anyone, never felt that I needed someone as much as they needed me. We were mutual, completely equal. I reveled in the feeling that I had desired for so long.

  Propping myself up to gaze into her milky blue eyes, I felt as if I could remain this way forever within her grasp, being smothered by her love. She said my name, pulling me from my thoughts and back into glorious reality.

  “Where did you go?” She asked me, her fingers trailing down my cheek.

  “Home.” I replied. “I went home.”

  Harper was my home, now. She meant the world to me.

  I tangled my fingers in her hair, kissing her soundly as I thrust into her, her gasp telling me that I had taken her by surprise. Her hips rocked with mine, our movements growing more desperate, more passionate.

  I filled her as she convulsed around me, her face hidden by her hair as she buried her face in a pillow so she could scream, letting out all the tension and pleasure she felt. I grabbed her, gathering her in my arms as she came back down from her high, our bodies spent.

  * * * *

  We woke to the sound of Natalie knocking on the door.

  “Harper, Asher? Are you in there? Your two o’clock appointment is here.”

  Harper yawned, sitting up. “Yes,” she yelled back. The two had gotten much friendlier with each other over the past months. I knew that Harper had begun to charm Natalie with her friendly, bubbly personality. Although Natalie was still reserved around her, I could tell that she was beginning to like the love of my life.

  I stayed on the bed, buttoning up my shirt as I watched her get up and go to the mirror, straightening her dress and fixing her makeup.

  “Don’t be nervous.”

  She turned toward me, grinning. “Nervous? Me?”

  I laughed. “Well, this will be your first time interviewing someone. There’s no reason to be intimidated.”

  She grinned, picking up my tie from the ground and motioning for me to sit up. I complied, watching as she tied it around my neck skillfully.