by Amelia Jade
“Because we need to talk,” he said gently.
Harlow whirled away from him. “I don’t want to.” She was pouting now, sulking even, and they both knew it. Avoiding the issue wasn’t going to make it go away, but she didn’t want to face it either.
“Harlow,” he said softly, stepping around until they were face-to-face again, though he respectfully kept his distance. “I know you don’t want to talk about it. I get that. But you can’t keep running away from whatever this is forever.”
“Yes I can.”
He smiled faintly and shook his head. “You know better than that. I know you do. You’re smart, and thoughtful, and capable of seeing that running away forever isn’t the answer.”
She wanted nothing more than to be angry at him. To hate him. To yell hurtful things that would make him storm off and leave her alone so that she could leave. Yet no matter how hard she tried to do so, her body wouldn’t respond. It didn’t want to hurt him. He was saying all the right things, and showing her that he was there. For her. Vanek was making his stand, and that deserved some respect.
“Fine,” she said with a half-shudder, half-sob. “But not without a drink.”
Pushing past him, she walked across the warehouse, around the float, and to the piles of stuff on one wall that were there when she’d gotten access to the building. Scaffolding and other items she couldn’t identify, courtesy of the building’s owners, and mixed in between them near the wall was a little fridge.
“This has been here this whole time?” Vanek asked as she opened it. “And stocked with beer? You’ve been holding out.”
Harlow choked back a sad smile and popped the tops of both, handing one to him.
“And she drinks beer,” he said in awe. “I didn’t know that.”
Looking down at the floor, she shrugged. “I wanted you to think I was classy when we went out,” she admitted. “I don’t mind wine, but beer is just so much more refreshing.”
Vanek gave her another smile and raised his beer. She hesitated before clinking hers against the offered cheers, but in the end she couldn’t leave him hanging. They drank together briefly and then located some chairs. Well, she sat on a workbench and he lowered himself gently onto one of the non-broken floats. Never once did he push her, or urge her on while she sat there and gathered her thoughts.
“I’ve not told anyone this,” she said slowly. “I still can’t believe I’m going to tell you.”
The big man nodded solemnly, giving the moment the seriousness that he could tell it deserved. Ugh, why does he have to be so perfectly understanding of everything? Why can’t he just act like a dick for once so I can tell him to fuck off and go away? It would be so much easier…
“Thank you,” Vanek said into the silence.
“For what? Being a complete bitch to you the past two days?”
He couldn’t quite hide his smile at the self-deprecating comment, but he did get his beer to his mouth in record time to help.
“No,” he said after a long pull. “For talking to me. I can tell that this means the world to you, and that agreeing to talk was extremely difficult. It means a lot to me that you’re willing to do that for me.”
Is that what she was doing it for? Harlow hadn’t really thought of it that way. She’d hoped that by explaining what was going on, he’d understand and leave her alone, letting her go. How was Vanek seeing it then? Did he think that by somehow revealing her past that it meant she trusted him enough to confide in him and work with him to fix it?
Holy shit. That was exactly what he thought. Harlow wanted to groan in dismay. She couldn’t back out now either, since she’d already agreed to talk. The worst part of all was that she couldn’t figure out if he was right or not. Just like she’d feared, being near to him, talking to him, and just letting him into her comfort zone was playing tricks with her.
“You didn’t give me much of a choice on the matter,” she muttered.
“Sure I did. You could have still packed up and left with me here. I wouldn’t have physically stopped you. You know that.”
She did? Of course you did. He’s not an asshole. You were just too embarrassed to admit that you were fleeing and have him watch you do it.
Or deep down she wanted to tell him, to have him assure her that things were going to be okay, for some completely unexpected reason that she couldn’t see coming. Harlow wanted that fairytale romance ending, and Vanek was just the guy to play the part. But no matter what, she didn’t see it ending that way. They were just too different.
Still…
“When I was young, really young, maybe four at best, my father ran away to join the military. Never gave a reason. Just up and left, leaving my mom alone to raise me. He was a soldier, like you.”
Vanek frowned. She could tell he wanted to say something, but didn’t, letting her talk.
“I don’t remember much of my father, you know. Vague memories. I’ve seen the odd picture. Things like that.” She took a deep breath, her chest starting to shake with nerves. “Because he never came back. Ever.”
Vanek’s eyes never wavered, capturing her in their tender gaze, as if telling her that he was sorry, like all the words people had spoken to her at his funeral. All the empty sayings of how he would be so proud of her, or of how they knew she would be strong for him.
Never once did they acknowledge how empty her life had suddenly just become. Of how much the loss hurt when it awoke her in the middle of the night in a sobbing fit. Nobody ever helped her with things. Nobody came to the father-daughter dances at school, or was her little league coach. Nobody ever did that for her. There was no one around to walk her down the aisle if she ever got married. But it was okay, because her father was proud of her. And she was strong. So it was okay.
Harlow wanted to scream in anger at all the people with their meaningless words. It wasn’t them who’d lost their daddy. It wasn’t them who had to grow up in a broken home, where she was just a reminder to her mother of the man that they’d both lost. None of them had to feel like she was unwanted.
The tears were flowing violently now as she belatedly realized she’d been saying all of her previous thoughts out loud for Vanek to hear. His eyes glistened with pain as well. Never once did he say anything. He got up, putting his beer to the side, and walked over to her stiffly to put an arm around her.
“When my mother finally passed,” she whispered between sobs. “It was easy. I’d already been through losing one parent. Becoming an orphan just seemed to complete the process, though I was only fourteen.”
“I’m so sorry, Harlow,” he said at last. “Nobody should ever go through that. There’s nothing I can say to make it feel any better, but know that I’m here, right now, to hold you.”
She pulled away from him. “That’s the problem though, Vanek. You’re here right now. But what about tomorrow? Or the next day? What about when the government finally calls you up and says that you’re going on tour? That you deploy tomorrow. What then? Who will be there for me then?” Harlow shook her head. “I can’t go through that. Not again.”
Vanek’s chest rose and fell, her head moving up and down as powerful lungs worked to bring him oxygen. “I’m not a soldier, Harlow. Not in that sense.”
“What are you then?” She looked up at him.
He smiled. “Honestly? You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. You’d call me crazy.”
“I already know you’re rather peculiar, Vanek. You can tell me.”
She watched his lips compress and then work back and forth as he stared at her thoughtfully, his eyes focusing and clouding as he thought of different things.
“Okay, but remember the part where I said you wouldn’t believe me.”
“Uh-huh. Make with the truth,” she said, her mood lightening a little with his antics.
“Fine.” He closed his eyes and drew in a breath. “I’m a dragon working with the government to save the world.”
The words came out so fast that it took her
a moment to parse them. Then another moment to repeat it six times in her head to ensure she’d done that right.
“Uh-huhhhhhh,” she said slowly.
“See, I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.” Vanek shrugged mightily, the movement jostling her. “But one thing I promise you is that I wouldn’t run away without telling you. You would get more than a note stuck under a rock.”
Harlow’s eyes filled with tears once more and she began to sob.
“That’s all I ever got,” she said through the haze of warm liquid running down her cheeks, soaking his shirt.
“What? What’s all you ever got?” he asked, pulling her in tight, thick fingers running slowly up and down her spine in a soothing motion as powerful biceps pressed into her shoulders.
“A letter. My father left it when he went away.”
“Oh. What does it say?”
She sniffled, wishing for a tissue or ten. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“I never opened it. I don’t want to read all about his excuses for leaving me and Mom. He should have been there, Vanek. For us. He didn’t have to go.”
The big man, or dragon, if she listened to his jokes, held her tight without a word while she sobbed for another few minutes.
“Sorry about your shirt,” she said when at last forming words was easy again.
“It’s okay,” he assured her. “Trust me. It really is.” He peeled it off.
Her eyes quickly ran over his upper body, admiring the sculpted lines of his chest, the rippled bumps of his abs, and the glorious tautness of his arms. Despite her sorrows, she couldn’t help but admire his gorgeous physique. Vanek didn’t seem to notice her admiration, and he was oblivious to the effect it had on her as he pulled her back into him.
“Do you know why I bought the float company?” she asked, resting in his embrace, feeling the heat from his skin begin to warm her.
“Why?”
“It’s the only memory I have of us being a family,” she said quietly. “My dad had me on his shoulders, and my mom was there too, standing right next to us, telling me what was going on. I don’t even remember the parade, I just remember being together, as a family, in that one moment.” She sighed, eyes closed, reliving it one more time. “When I turned twenty-one and received my father’s death benefits and the inheritance from my mother’s passing, I used it all to buy the float company.”
Harlow pulled back, looking up at Vanek. She could see one little track down his cheek, and it touched her heart that he’d shed a tear with her. Perhaps he was for real.
“I just wanted to give little kids the same memories that I gave them. Family. Love. Of their parents, something joyful that they can hold onto if the times get tough.” She rolled her shoulders to try and relax them a little. “Nobody should ever have to go through what I went through, Vanek. Nobody.”
“I know. But you’re doing a good job,” he said encouragingly. “You’re bringing lots of happiness to people. I saw that the day I met you.”
“You mean the day you broke my best float?”
He hung his head. “Yeah. That would be the same day,” he grumbled. “But you should keep doing that.”
Harlow looked away. “I can’t. Not now that I lost my next client.”
She felt his muscles stiffen underneath her.
“You lost the client?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?” he growled.
“Because you came barging into my meeting.”
Chapter Fourteen
Harlow
“Uhhhh,” he said awkwardly, unsure of what else to say, fumbling for the right words.
Harlow felt a little bad for him. He’d been doing so good, saying all the right things, making real progress. Until now.
“Without any income, I’m toast. The banks won’t lend me any more money. I already owe too much to them.” She shrugged. “I’ll probably have to sell the company to someone.”
Vanek shook his head. “No. That’s not going to happen. We’re going to find a way out of this that doesn’t result in you selling your company. Not yet.”
Her head came up to stare at him. “We?” she asked skeptically.
“Yes. We. This is my fault. I screwed this up. I’m going to fix it. Can you give me a bit more time?”
She thought about it. “Yeah, I can do that. Because truthfully, I probably wasn’t going to get that contract anyway. They’d already given me all the signs of rejection, without actually saying so before you came in anyway.”
Vanek didn’t accept that. “Doesn’t matter. It’s still my actions that sealed the deal.”
“Maybe,” she agreed. “But don’t forget you were only there because of what I did. I think we can both share the blame, if that makes us both happy.”
“Works for me,” he said with a wry smile.
“Good. You just have to promise not to run away. To abandon me.” The words were said lightly, but neither party took them as such.
Vanek gathered her up into his arms once more, their faces now inches apart as he let her look deep into his soul through his eyes while he spoke.
“I won’t,” he promised. “I’ll be there for you.”
Harlow’s lower lip quivered slightly at the profound sanctity of his statement. It wasn’t the words themselves, but the way in which they were delivered, the utter commitment she sensed within them, as if were making a vow to a higher power. It was…intoxicating to be on the receiving end of it. Her lip stopped quivering though her mouth remained open slightly as she breathed slowly.
“Vanek,” she said softly. “I…”
“Shhh,” he said, lifting one hand from the small of her back and pressing it gently against her lips, hushing her. “It’s okay.”
“Why are you so amazing?” she asked through his finger.
“Because you’re worth it.”
It wasn’t a response she’d been expecting. Her blood started flowing rapidly as their eyes remained locked together, neither party speaking. Harlow could sense the sudden rise of tension, and she debated what to do. Vanek’s finger was still pressed to her lips, and suddenly she opened her mouth and sucked on it, gently wrapping her lips around the tip and sliding them down, her tongue swirling against and around it as she took more of it into her mouth.
Heat burst from Vanek in an expanding cloud of warmth, his skin growing almost hot to the touch in an instant. The sudden heatwave made her slightly lightheaded, but Harlow knew what she was doing. Hopefully.
Vanek’s other hand slid around her back and hoisted her up and around, until she was suddenly straddling him. Her palms pressed against his cheeks and she pulled herself into him, kissing furiously as they both let themselves go at last around each other.
The workbench groaned as he sank back under her onslaught of desire. Harlow gasped as he wrapped both hands around her curvaceous posterior, and, holding tight, lifted them clear of it. The walls were too far away, but it didn’t matter. The massive dragon held her tight, his arms not even trembling the slightest. Harlow realized she enjoyed feeling slightly taller, her legs wrapped firmly around his waist.
His breath was hot and his tongue soft as it rolled over hers, his every movement adding to the rush of the moment. Without thinking, she reached down and pulled the billowy blue top she was wearing up and over her head. Vanek buried his face in the swells of her breasts, lavishing her with kisses and the odd bite that made her gasp with barely restrained delight.
For a moment she considered how things had changed in the span of an hour. When she’d first come to the warehouse Harlow had been ready to pack up and leave Barton City and Vanek behind forever. To keep hopping from one city to the next, never settling down, never doing anything without an eye to when she could leave next. Now, as Vanek’s fingers deftly unclasped her bra, sending it falling to the floor as well, she realized that perhaps there was a reason for her to stick around a little longer.
He sucked on her nipples,
her hands laced around the back of his head, pulling him in tight as tiny little pulses of pleasure filled her center.
Vanek was as unusual as they come, but for whatever reason that didn’t seem to deter her. She wasn’t thrown off by his slightly eccentric actions or vocabulary, or even the old-school way he seemed to view how a man should treat a woman. Who was she to complain about being spoiled, anyway? It felt nice to be cared for, and right now it felt even better to be wanted.
He’d made his stand, coming after her and proving that he wasn’t willing to back down, that she wasn’t going to just run away without facing him. Vanek had made one thing very, very clear. He wanted her.
Her.
“Oh Vanek,” she moaned as his mouth found the veins in her neck, alternating between kissing and gently nipping on them, driving her wild with anticipation.
Her fingers slipped through his long black hair, playing with it while he explored her uncovered upper body, alternating between both hands or just one single hand holding her in the air. His strength was incredible, and the more she thought about just how powerful he was, the more she arched into him.
A low, primal growl ripped from his throat as he strode forward and laid her back onto the exposed hood of the float. Cool metal touched her back, providing a stark contrast to the press of his exposed chest, and in seconds she was too wrapped up in him to think of anything else. The smell of freshly cut wood and the leather of his belt filled the air, clouding her senses.
Slipping a hand between her legs, she at last was able to start returning the pleasure. Her fingers deftly circled around the bulge in his pants, teasing it up and down in long, slowly strokes that left Vanek nearly panting.
Clothes flew everywhere as he undressed both her and himself at the same time. Harlow bit her lip so hard she thought she was going to start bleeding as he stood before her completely bare, his body like the statue to some sort of god carved from stone in utter perfection.
A small patch of hair in the center of his chest that she’d somehow failed to notice before ran down the center of his abs and then disappeared at his waist, completely cleanshaven from there down, much to the delight of her eyes.