Never Forgotten Love

by S. M. Stryker

  Chapter Sixteen

  I WALK OUT TO THE GARAGE to set Harlow’s remote on her car, when I see what she rented for me. Sitting in the second bay was a brand new black Jeep Rubicon four-door with chrome accents. I gasped when I saw it; it was what I had always dreamed of. Harlow wrapped her arms around my waist hugging me. “I hope you don’t mind, I already called Bill for you. He said he could get whatever you wanted. I know you never told me, but I know what you like. If it isn’t what you were looking for, just let Bill know.”

  I turn and look her in the eye, “how did you know what I wanted? That has always been my dream.”

  “I guess I know you a little more than you thought.”

  I take her face in my hands as I softly run my thumb over her bottom lip. “You are amazing.” I take her soft, moist lips with mine, savoring her taste and feel as I slowly run my tongue over her lips asking of entry. She opens her mouth to me as my tongue twirls and dances with hers. I can’t get enough of her, I pull her hard to me, wincing when I hit my bruises, she starts to pull away, but I pull her back harder to me. Pain or not, I’ve missed this and I won’t let go because of some discomfort. I am panting, my head starts to pound as I start getting light headed. Harlow knows something is wrong and pulls away. I lean back against the door jamb for balance.

  “Slide down the jam and put your head between your knees,” Harlow says, “That should help you.” I do what she says and it does. I sit there for a few minutes while she gets me a glass of water. “We can’t do that for a while, at least not until you are feeling better.” Harlow takes the glass back to the kitchen and helps me back up. Still a little lightheaded, I continue to lean against the door jam. When I can see again, I get into her car. Harlow has an older Chevy, but it has two things in it that make me feel comfortable, it has OnStar and a built-in garage door opener. If she ever gets into trouble, all she has to do is push a button, they will get the police on the line, and no one can take her garage door opener since it is built in. I activate the garage door opener in her car so she won’t have to get out of the car to access the key code panel.

  It has been a long day full of emotion and stress, all I want to do is take a shower and cuddle with Harlow. After programming Harlow’s car, I head to the bathroom to start the shower Harlow follows behind me. “You want to join me? I figured it would relieve some of the tension.”

  “How about a bath? I know it will take longer, but we can just relax in it.”

  “Ok, I’ll run it. Do you want a drink?”

  “A glass of white would be lovely.”

  “White coming up.” I turn the water on for the tub, sprinkling in some bath salts. In the kitchen, I take two glasses out of the cabinets filling one with wine and the other with sparkling water. I walk back to the bedroom. Setting our glasses on the side of the tub, I saunter into the bedroom wrapping my arms around Harlow, her back to my chest. I nuzzle my nose to her hair breathing in her scent. “Your smell is intoxicating; I really like how your new perfume mixes with your body chemistry.” Then I lick her pulse point under her ear as she mewls softly and then nip at her earlobe. I pull her shirt off over her head, as I look her in the eyes, I run my fingers over her shoulders, down her arms, exploring, and touching her. I flick the clasp on her bra flicking it open, sliding the straps down her arms as it lands on top of her shirt. Gently I run my hands over her breasts rubbing her nipples with my thumb and forefinger until they are rock hard. God, the sounds that come out of her mouth are hypnotic. I bend taking one of her nipples in my mouth, gently sucking and teasing it as I continue to massage the other one with my finger and thumb.

  I carefully unbutton her jeans sliding them slowly down her hips. Dropping to my knees, I untie her shoes slipping them off and pulling her jeans off at the same time. I return to my exploration of her body with only her panties on, as I run my fingers down her abdomen and circle her belly button and down to the edge of her panties, outlining the front waistband from the right leg then the left. I lean into the apex of her sex inhaling her captivating scent deeply, God it makes me so hard. “God, nothing smells better than you when you are turned on.” I slowly pull her panties down and she steps out of them. I stand up walking into the bathroom to turn the water off. Harlow is in the same spot I left her in when I get back; I kiss her before dropping to my knees again. “Spread your legs apart for me baby.”

  She looks down into my eyes as she spreads her stance. She watches me as she bites her lip, I once again inhale “perfect” then I run my hands up her legs to the apex of her sex; using my thumbs to gently open her soft pink folds, leaning forward I drawing my tongue across her sex, Harlow moans. My tongue finds her clit; I slowly slide a finger into her sex as my tongue circles her clit. “You are so wet baby,” I slide my finger in and out rubbing the ridges of her G-spot making her groan louder in a primal groan. Her breathing is ragged; she places her hand on my shoulders for support. I insert another finger as she lets out an erotic cry. I continue to glide my fingers in and out, in and out, in and out, each time rubbing her ridges until her sex tightens around my finger and tongue as she climaxes around me. I continue to lick and rub her until her orgasm subsides “God, baby, I love the sexy sounds you make when you cum, and I can’t get enough of it.”

  Picking her up, I take her to the tub lowering her in. I undress and step into the tub as she stands to straddle me on my lap. She leans forward planting little kisses on my lips, first one side of my mouth then the other. Then she nips at my lip sending a shudder through my body and straight to my cock as it grows longer and harder. She continues with the nips and kisses down my chest to my nipples as she draws my nipple into her mouth softly sucking it and teasing it with her tongue then nips it, “Oh God, Harlow,” I groan out as I throw my head back my eyes closed as I revel in the ecstasy she is giving me. The jolting current runs through my body harder this time as she nips at my nipple again and I am panting. With my neck tipped back, she runs her tongue up my chest to the indent in my throat, swirling her tongue around it. She takes my cock in her hands and slowly double fists it stroking and squeezing it, I can’t stop the moans and groans that escape my lips, she make me feel so good. She leans up again kissing my chin, nibbling as she moves over my face. Still with my cock in her hands then suddenly she slams down on me, thrusting herself down on my thick hard shaft, “Fuuuck,” I say as Harlow screams out in ecstasy. She lifts herself again and again thrusting down on me. I take her head in my hands and kiss her frantically as if she was the air I needed to breathe. I take her hips in my hands moving her body in circles so my cock touches every side of her sex. She is starting to pant loudly, I know she is close, her sex is clenching my cock as we both growl and groan as we cum together. I continue to hold her hips moving them until her climax has subsided. I wrap my arms around her pulling her to my chest resting my head on her shoulder and her doing the same on mine. We stay like that until the water cools then we step into the shower to rinse off. Once we have dried off, we crawl into bed naked cuddling up in each other’s arms drifting into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I AM JOLTED AWAKE when the motion detector light on my back deck flicks on. I slowly get out of bed trying not to wake Harlow. I wrap my robe around me quietly tip-toeing through the house. I grab my phone ready to hit my speed dial. Peering out the window, I look for any type of movement. The light used to catch raccoons and opossums, when I first installed it, but I raised the motion detector eye higher so whatever set it off was over three feet tall. Then I see it, a doe, and her two fawns walking onto the deck eating my columbine, pansies and violas that are or now were planted in my flower baskets. I’m in awe; I didn’t even know there were deer in this area. My house backs to a greenbelt, but I still live in the city. Using the camera on my phone, I snap a couple pictures to show Harlow in the morning. Just as I am snapping the shot, I jump as I feel arms coming around my waist.

  A soft giggle falls from Harlow’s lips, “I’m sorry, I didn’
t mean to startle you, but I reached for you and your sheets were cold so I came out looking for you. What are you doing?”

  Harlow hadn’t noticed the deer yet. “Look what came for a late night snack.”

  “Oh my gosh! In addition, she has babies. How did you know they were out here?”

  “The light came on and I knew something was out here. I was taking a picture to show you in the morning.”

  The doe looks at us as she chews my flowers a pansy hanging out of one side of her mouth. She stops and flicks her big ears, turns her head to check on her babies, then leans down to take another bite of my pansies.

  “This whole Brad thing really has you spooked.”

  “It’s not that I am spooked, I am just concerned about you and keeping you safe. I don’t like not being in control, I am having to second-guess what this guy is going to do or try to do. I never would have thought he would have talked Stacey into ramming my Jeep to get at you, and she ended up paying the ultimate price. I mean if a guy is willing to beat up his girlfriend’s father…anyway lets go back to bed and they can continue their snack.”

  We walk back into the bedroom and cuddle down into the bed.

  The rest of the week went by quickly. Richard and Nicole went on their vacation and I was running the office with the help of Raven. I still had to be careful of my concussion, I still had a headache, but each day it was getting better. I hated that Harlow still had to be guarded, but at least now there is only one person we have to watch for…at least I hope Brad is the only one.

  Friday, Harlow and I decide to stay home and just have a nice quiet night in. She has to go into work and catch up on things that she missed while I was in the hospital. My headaches are almost gone now, I still have the bruises, and they still are tender, so we have been taking things easy all week, it’s driving me crazy, but she is afraid of hurting me.

  We finish out nightly rituals and cuddle down into each other and it doesn’t take long to drift off. I wake to Harlow thrashing in her sleep, she is crying out. “No, I don’t want this, stop, you’re hurting me! Get off me!”

  “Harlow, Harlow girl, shhh, it’s me, it’s Beckett, you’re safe, shhh.” I softly stroke her wet cheek, as Harlow’s eyes shoot open.

  “Beckett?”

  “Shhh, yes baby it’s me, you’re ok, you’re safe.”

  “Oh God, Beckett, it was so real.”

  “I know baby, it’s ok now, I’m right here.”

  We continue to lay there talking. I know that seeing Brad last week did a number on her again. She hadn’t seen him for over six years; it had to be a shock to her system to see the man that she had been running from and almost come in contact with him. By the time we had talked everything out, it was two-thirty and Harlow will need to get up in a half an hour to get ready to go to the bakery; needless to say, we didn’t go back to sleep, memories of the dream that I thought I was having earlier came to my mind, ride-um cowboy.

  After playing Cowboys and Indians, Harlow rolls out of bed to get ready for work. When the shower turns on, it gives me inspiration. I get out of bed and walk into the shower with Harlow surprising her. “What are you doing?” she asks shocked.

  “Well a few years ago I made a good kitchen slave to a beautiful girl I knew and I was thinking that maybe I could help you so you could get out of there faster.”

  “Really? It’s your weekend and you want to come and help me?”

  “Of course, why wouldn’t I, it’s not like I’m going to be able to go back to sleep without you here, plus I miss being around you, I would rather wash dishes and be with you than be here alone without you.”

  Harlow turns around and looks at me taking my face in her hands pulling me down to her as she takes my mouth to hers showing me just how much she appreciates me going with her. This way I can also be there to help protect her.

  I call Mitchell after we exit the shower letting him know I’ll be taking Harlow into work so he does not have to come and pick her up. I haven’t told Harlow how I met Mitchell because it wasn’t important, but taking Krav Maga classes has given me the confidence that I so badly needed since I lacked any type of self-confidence or self-esteem as a child and teenager. I continue classes twice a week, I’m by no means an expert, but after eight years I am proficient at it and I know I can take care of Harlow and myself if necessary.

  “You ready?” I ask.

  “Yes, I just need to grab my keys and phone.” We walk out to the garage and she gets into the Jeep. I follow behind her setting the alarm from the garage. I get into the Jeep and gaze at the dash. Not that it has changed that much, but this one has the navigation screen and a few other extra buttons my old Jeep didn’t have. I lock the doors before opening the garage doors, I am lucky that I had an extra remote from when I installed the opener. As soon as I clear the door, I push the button closing it, waiting until it’s all the way closed before leaving the driveway. I turn out of my driveway and see one of Mitchell’s men in his truck as he followings me out. It is a clear night out, and the sky is full of stars. There are not a lot of cars on the road at this time of the morning so it’s easy to see if someone is following us or not. I have been so stressed about this Brad issue. I just want it over with; I can’t imagine what Harlow is feeling.

  When we arrive at the bakery, I park as close to the front door as possible. “Wait in the Jeep until I open the door for you, I want to be by your side where ever you are.” She looks up at me like a scared bunny. “I’m not just talking about today either; I want to always be the one to open your doors.” I get out of the Jeep; aware of my surroundings I open Harlow’s door as I escort her to the entrance of the bakery. Once inside she relocks the door and turns the lights on.

  In the back room of the bakery, Harlow works like a well-oiled machine. The kitchen is bigger than I thought it would be. As you walk through the single saloon door, to the right in the corner Mitchell built a security room; it’s walled off so no one can see inside and it’s secured with a door that faces into the back wall of the kitchen. Between the saloon door and the security room there is a small shelving unit and a refrigerator that holds the day’s smaller orders. To the left there is a wall, which runs approximately twenty feet, there are three doors as you go down the wall. The first one takes you into a large pantry that holds all of Harlow’s dry goods. The second one is a walk-in cooler and the third is the walk in freezer. On the back wall, there are stainless gorilla racks that house all her pans, trays and display ware, and all her cupcake boxes, to go boxes, and papers and a door that goes out to the dumpster and back alley. On the right wall, there is a large proofing oven and two free standing double ovens. There are cooling shelves next to the ovens for items that are just pulled out of the oven, and the industrial dishwasher that is housed in a large stainless unit that also has a sink in it. In the middle of the room, is one stainless table at least fifteen feet long used as workstations? The workstation is about nine feet wide with a two foot wide shelving unit in the middle that houses all of her sprinkles in various colors, dyes, colors sugars, decorating paraphernalia, scales, utensil holders with rolling pins, spatulas, measuring cups and more. Four white Kitchen Aid mixers sit at the end of the workstation. The place is so organized and spotless. It smells of cake batter, pastries, and breads. “What do you need me to do?” I ask.

  “Can you go into the pantry and bring me a bag of cake flour, please.” From under the workstation she pulls a rolling bin out and pulls the lid off it, she is measures out flour into a big container that is sitting on a scale. She pulls another rolling bin out that holds sugar. I walk into the panty; I am in awe of all of her supplies in there and wonder how much of it she goes through in a week’s time. I pick up the twenty-five pound bag of flour and take it to her. She cut the top off and I pour it into the bin. I think back to all the times I was at her house in Seattle when she made cupcakes and how she always had flour on her face. I now can see why, as I dumped the flour into the bin, flour dust flies ev
erywhere. After I had placed the flour bag in the paper recycling, I notice Harlow was laughing.

  “What are you laughing at?”

  “It probably wasn’t a good idea to wear a black shirt today.” I look down and my once black shirt is speckled with flour making it look gray. She walks over to me and wipes my face with a towel. “You have flour all over your face,” she chuckles.

  “I always wondered how you always ended up with flour all over your face.”

  “I didn’t always have flour on me.”

  “I always knew when you baked, even here; that first day that I came in here; you came through the swinging door and the flour was on your cheek and nose,” I say smiling at her. “It brought back some great memories. God, I had missed you so badly, I never thought I would see you again, I thought I had lost you forever. My heart stopped beating when I saw your bracelet and then you walk through that door.” I tipped my head motioning to the swinging door. “That had to be one of the best days of my life.” We both stood, just looking at each other. Tears filled Harlow’s eyes. She broke eye contact first asking; blinking so her tears wouldn’t fall.

  “Do you want to make some coffee?” She has a small coffee maker in the back for personal use.

  “Is this what you use for yourself to stay awake?”

  “I usually have so much to do in the mornings I don’t have to worry about trying to stay awake, but yes, I thought you might like some too.”

  “It does sound good.” I make the coffee and help Harlow out when she needed it until Shannon shows up to help. The smell of the coffee permeates my nose as the sweet fragrance of the cupcakes and pastries merged with the coffee. “I don’t know how you stay so thin; it smells so good in here I want to taste everything.”