Harry (Southern Sands Book 2)

by A. M. Williams

  “Dude, what the fuck?” Jax asked.

  He shook his head and looked up to meet Jax’s eyes. “I have no idea.”

  Jax shook his head while he sipped his beer then opened his mouth to respond but paused while the waitress put another cold beer in front of Harry. He shot her a weak smile before focusing on Jax again. “I think you have some idea,” Jax countered. “I mean, you didn’t even say anything when Emily came over.”

  Harry scratched the back of his neck and grimaced. In lieu of a response, he just shrugged.

  Jax scoffed. “Dude, seriously. I thought you ended that with her ages ago. What was tonight? You string her along?”

  “Tonight was everything coming to a head, apparently.” A heavy knot had formed in Harry's stomach.

  “That’s putting it lightly. That chick had no business doing what she did during the show or after. Do you know how bad this could make us look? We could lose bookings over this!”

  Harry looked at Jax incredulously. “I’m pretty sure I’m well aware of what’s at stake Jackson. I am the one that handles the bookings.” Harry was annoyed that Jax thought he should be dispensing relationship advice to him. It wasn’t so long ago that Jax was walking the minefield of serial dating, and he’d dealt with far worse than what just happened with Emily.

  Jax cocked a brow and a mean look came over his face. “Alright, Harrison. If you say so, just make sure that shit doesn’t happen again. Not only are you jeopardizing the upward momentum the band has, but you’re fucking up your personal life and it’s bleeding into mine. Fix. It.”

  Jax drained his beer and slammed the empty bottle on the table, making Harry jump and a few people turn to look their way. With one last long look, Jax turned and walked toward the bathroom; Harry assumed to check on the girls who still hadn’t come back.

  Alone, he rubbed his hands over his face and considered what Jax said. He couldn’t disagree, but he thought it unfair to lay all the blame at his door. Jax was the one that encouraged him to get out there and play the field a bit. However, it was Harry that picked the girl and didn’t have the balls to end things when he should have.

  He sighed and leaned back in his chair, sipping his beer as he slowly scanned the room. This night wasn’t going at all the way he thought it would. For a night that had such potential at the start, it had crashed and burned spectacularly.

  As his gaze panned the room, he paused at the bar. He thought Emily left earlier after she stormed off, but it seemed she hadn’t. She was standing at the back, facing him, glaring at him as she sipped her drink.

  Their gazes clashed and it was obvious she was still angry. He waffled back and forth before deciding to go over and talk to her to try to clear the air a bit before things got worse.

  He took a fortifying sip of his beer before sliding out of his chair to cross to where she was standing.

  Their gazes didn’t break the entire time he trekked across the floor. If looks could kill, he was pretty sure he’d be dead based on the look she was giving him as he turned to lean his back against the bar next to her.

  “What the hell do you want?” Emily asked, venom dripping from her words.

  Though he was concerned there was no salvaging the situation, he continued on, determined to try and soothe any pain if he could. “I saw you were still here and thought we should talk, just the two of us.”

  Emily rolled her eyes. “Please, you want to talk now?”

  He cocked a brow. “Well, yeah. We don’t have an audience and you’re not yelling. So, I think this is a great time to get it out in the open.”

  Emily snorted and shook her head, draining her drink. She turned and signaled the bartender, pointing to her drink and holding up a finger. A few moments later, another one slid across the bar to her.

  She turned back around and leaned against the bar, mimicking Harry’s pose against it. “What else is there to say?”

  “I think a lot. You laid a lot at my door.”

  “I’m pretty sure it was all deserved.”

  Harry shook his head. “I’d disagree. We never talked about exclusivity and we hadn’t talked in days. I’m not saying that excuses anything, but we weren’t serious.”

  Emily looked at him in shock. “Are you serious? Not serious? I slept with you!”

  Harry shrugged. “So? That doesn’t mean anything.” Saying those words made him feel like a douche, but he couldn’t help how he felt.

  Emily sputtered for several moments at his words. “You can’t be serious right now. I mean, you did not just say that to me!”

  Harry wasn’t sure why she was so surprised or shocked. “I’m not sure why you’re incredulous? We never once talked about what we were to each other. We never labeled it. We never had any kind of talk about giving any sort of relationship a go.”

  “I, honest to God, can’t believe this conversation. You’re saying since we weren’t serious, I have nothing to be upset about?!” Emily’s voice was rising again and he needed her to not go off again.

  He shook his head. “I didn’t say that at all. You’re reading something in my words that isn't there.”

  “Then enlighten me.” The deadly calm in her voice was familiar from that of his mom when he was growing up; it usually indicated she was about to blow.

  Eyeing her nervously, he continued. “I know I should have been more upfront with you about everything and I wasn’t, so that’s on me. Honestly, when I met you, I wasn’t in the best place. The girl you saw me with earlier? We were officially on a break and I decided I’d try to see what else was out there. I met you right after we decided that.”

  “So, I was what? A rebound?” she scoffed, shaking her head.

  Harry shrugged. “Maybe? I enjoyed our time together, but the way I feel with Bailey? I never felt that with you.”

  Emily’s head jerked back and she looked at him with surprise. “Wow, way to make a girl feel good. Thanks for completely insulting me.”

  Harry groaned in frustration and realized he was probably digging himself into a hole he couldn’t get out of, but he had to try. “I didn’t mean that to be insulting. I’m sorry you took it that way. I just meant that…” He sighed as he trailed off, trying to think of what to say.“I just meant that Bailey is it for me, you know? I’ve been in love with her since I was twenty-one years old. I don’t think anyone could measure up to that.”

  Emily dropped her gaze to the floor at his words. “Oh,” was her only response.

  They lapsed into silence. Harry dropped his gaze briefly before looking back at Emily. She looked contemplative as she studied the label on her bottle. She finally sighed and said, “I’m sorry for how I acted earlier. That is so not me, normally. I can’t even say what came over me. I just…I really like you. It hurt that you cut me off without a word and then to see you with someone else? I couldn’t handle it.”

  Harry winced. He’d definitely fucked this entire thing up. “I’m sorry about how I handled this. I should have been upfront with you.”

  As he watched, she drained her drink and turned to place it on the bar. “I guess I’ll, maybe, see ya around?”

  Harry nodded and watched Emily walk toward the door. Her shoulders were slumped as she moved through the crowd. Once the door closed behind her, he looked back to his table and saw that Bailey, Jax, and Karlie were all sitting there, glaring at him.

  “Jesus Christ,” he muttered to himself as he pushed off the bar to rejoin them. He couldn’t win, that was for sure.

  They continued to stare at him as he made his way over and sat back down. “What was that about?” Bailey asked, her voice tight with emotion.

  He sighed. “I was just trying to clear the air between us.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Really? That’s it?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m not sure I believe you. Did you talk about anything else? Maybe make a date for later?” Bailey accused.

  Harry looked at her incredulously. “Are you serious right now? She’s
not here, is she? I’m at this table, aren’t I?”

  Bailey snorted. “Well, I think we’ve seen how you handle shit like this.”

  Without another word, she stood and gathered her things. She shot Harry one last look before turning and leaving him there.

  “Bravo,” Jax said, slowly clapping. “You handled that like a champ.”

  Harry turned to glare at him. “Need I remind you that you weren’t in so different a position not so long ago?”

  Jax shrugged. “Your point? I’ve moved past it; you haven’t.”

  With that, Jax and Karlie gathered their things and left as well, following in Bailey’s footsteps. Alone again, Harry couldn’t quite believe what happened. Emily showed and created a scene, not once but twice. Bailey wasn’t talking to him and didn’t believe anything he said. Even his best friend was angry at him. What the fuck was going on?

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Bailey

  Bailey slammed the door to her apartment behind her, and it rattled in its frame. She didn’t even care if it woke her neighbors. She couldn’t be bothered to care about anything right now. She threw her keys, purse, and jacket onto the coffee table before she started pacing her living room, walking from one side of the room to the other before pivoting and repeating.

  She honestly couldn’t believe how the night had gone. While she believed Harry when he said he wasn’t with Emily, that didn’t make things any better with the confrontation between Emily and herself in conjunction with his talking to Emily later.

  She snorted when she remembered Harry’s confusion at her anger. He really didn’t get it. She dragged her hands through her hair, pulling on the ends before pulling down on the skin on her cheeks. She let out a muted yell of frustration.

  After releasing some of the energy, she felt slightly better, but not much. She knew that she had probably been rash leaving the way she did. At the time, she hadn’t cared. She just couldn’t be around him or that entire situation anymore. She needed space to think and process.

  Now that she had that space, she realized how it might look to Harry. Like she was running. Like she didn’t want them anymore. Even so, she refused to make the first move. He would have to take it upon himself to seek her out to smooth things over.

  She paused by the end of her couch, contemplating what might happen if he didn’t contact her. She quickly dismissed the idea that he wouldn’t, but she still couldn’t shake that niggling thought in the back of her mind that this might be it.

  A hard knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. She glanced at the clock and confirmed that it was almost midnight, way too late for someone to be dropping by. She didn’t move and waited to see if the person would leave. She wasn’t interested in late night chit-chat with a neighbor.

  The knock sounded again and the sound seemed to reverberate through her apartment, sending a shiver down her spine.

  She inched toward the door and looked through the peephole to see the back of someone’s head. She rolled her eyes at how helpful a view that was. Then she paused as she realized she recognized the person standing outside her door. She’d recognize him anywhere. It was Harry.

  It was only because she didn’t want him thinking she was ignoring him that she opened her door and stared at Harry’s back, waiting for him to turn and say something. When he didn’t move, she sighed and moved to shut her door. He turned and she was taken aback by the anger she saw on his face. Harry was a very mellow kind of guy.

  “Wha—” Bailey tried to ask.

  She was cut off by Harry’s lips on hers, forcing her mouth open. She gasped as his tongue entered her mouth and dueled with her own. Her hands came up to grip the front of his shirt as he pushed them into her apartment and slammed the door behind him.

  She pulled her mouth away and panted. “What are you doing?”

  Instead of answering, Harry just kissed her again, just as forcefully as the last time. His hands roughly slid up her sides and sank into her long hair. He wrapped it around his fist and tugged, tilting her head back further, allowing him better access to her.

  Her body tingled as desire coursed through her. Harry had never been like this before and she loved it, even if she was still angry with him. That reminder had her pushing back. For every dominant move he made, she made one in return.

  She threaded her own fingers through his hair, tugging on the strands and making him groan. She sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, biting down just hard enough for him to wince, before soothing it with her tongue.

  Harry pushed her backward until her back hit a wall, pressing himself against her. She could feel the evidence of his arousal between them and she thrust her hips against his. Anger? What anger? All she felt right down was red-hot desire and she wanted Harry now.

  She pulled her hands from his hair and grasped the hem of his shirt, pulling it up, forcing him to move back to pull it off. His torso exposed, she ran her fingers over the planes of his chest and abs while he quickly removed her shirt and bra. He roughly grabbed her breasts, palming them before squeezing them and pinching her nipples just enough that it hurt.

  She narrowed her eyes at the little bit of pain. Two could play that game. The rest of their clothes seemed to melt off as they fought for dominance, biting lips, necks, nipples, anything they could get their mouths on.

  Bailey had never been so aroused in her entire life and she was quickly approaching the point that she didn’t know what to do with herself. If Harry didn’t do something, she was going to take matters into her own hands.

  Harry biting her nipple brought her back to the present and she realized that he was now holding her, having wrapped her legs around his hips, as he walked them to her kitchen table. He dropped her on the wooden top with a thud.

  She opened her mouth to say something but was silenced as Harry roughly pushed her legs apart and dropped to his knees before giving her center a long, firm lick. Her head fell back and she propped herself up on her elbows as anticipation snapped through her body. She let out a loud moan as he concentrated on her clit, suckling it while two fingers probed her opening.

  With little warning, he thrust them inside as he flattened his tongue against her, making her jerk as she started to crest toward that elusive high. She gasped when he curled his fingers as he thrust, never letting up on the pressure against her clit. The pressure inside was building and she could tell that the orgasm would be spectacular.

  It was just out of reach, a few more strokes and she would be there.

  Suddenly, she was empty. The pleasure was gone. She opened her eyes to see Harry was now standing a few steps away, rolling a condom down his length and stroking himself a few times. When did that happen?

  “What the fuck?” she asked, none too pleased at the change in pace.

  He cocked a brow as he grasped her hips and picked her up, setting her on her feet. Still without speaking, he turned her around and pushed her back down, forcing her to bend at the waist. Realization dawned at what they were about to do. Doggy was one of their favorite positions and she could feel herself dripping at the thought of them doing it at the kitchen table. Her arousal was enhanced by the dominance he displayed in putting her the way he wanted her, not listening to her questions.

  She felt him behind her, a light brushing of his hand against her skin raising the hairs in its wake. Suddenly, he was filling her. Though she was ready, to have something suddenly there verged on the point of pain. That pain was forgotten though as Harry started to move.

  He gripped her hips tightly and started fucking her like he never had before. Each thrust hit just the right spot for her and that denied orgasm from earlier was quickly building again. She moaned as Harry slammed into her, his balls slapping her clit slightly. She was vaguely aware of a screeching noise as they moved together, but she couldn’t bring herself to care enough to figure out what it was.

  She could hear Harry breathing harshly, groaning every so often. Those sounds combined with the sensations
inside rocketed her to her orgasm. She pushed back against him as her walls clamped down on his length, drawing a loud moan from him. He redoubled his efforts, thrusting harder, which drew out her own orgasm.

  It seemed to go on and on, almost to the point of more pain, when he suddenly stopped and gripped her hips tight enough she was sure there would be a mark the next day.

  Her arms gave out as he pulled out of her and she rested her torso on the tabletop, panting. Her heart beat fast and she desperately wanted some water, but she couldn’t bring herself to move.

  The table was cool against her cheek and helped to sooth her overheated flesh.

  Harry pulled out and walked into her bathroom. He emerged a few minutes later sans condom. She watched him walk to her couch and sit on the edge, placing his elbows on his knees and hunching over.

  Silence descended between the two of them. Bailey slowly stood, her legs wobbly from the physical exertions of a few minutes before. She noticed, as she leaned against the table for support, that it had slid quite a bit from where it normally sat. That screeching sound from earlier came to her mind and she realized what it was, blushing at the realization. She walked over to the couch and dropped onto it beside Harry.

  “Don’t do that again,” Harry finally said.

  Her brow furrowed. “Do what again?”

  “Just leave like that. The only way this works is if we’re open and honest with each other. I was trying to be, but you just ran. Like always.”

  Bailey winced at his words, realizing the truth in them. Hadn’t she already come to that same conclusion earlier?

  “I’ll work on that,” she promised. She meant it too. She knew she needed to work past her normal reaction of panic and flight to be able to build something worthwhile with him.

  They lapsed into silence, the only sound the dull hum of traffic filtering into the room. Harry eventually sighed and adjusted his legs, widening them slightly.