Revived: Emerson Falls, Book 4 (Emerson Falls Series)

by Harlow James

  Rapping my knuckles lightly against the door, I listen for Rachel’s voice so I know it’s okay to enter.

  “What are you doing?” Her voice pulls my attention down the hall where she’s walking towards me with nothing but a towel wrapped around her body, obviously fresh from the shower as well.

  “Looking for you. I love your outfit.” My eyes travel up and down her entirety as she smirks back at me.

  “It’s all the rage right now,” she fires back, turning her doorknob and pushing inside her room as I follow closely behind her. After quietly securing her door, I stride up to her, her back to my front as I wrap my arms around her waist.

  “Thank you for your help today, for all the thought and details you put into his party. That little boy was happier than Santa on Prozac.” That metaphor grants me a giggle from her, the sound instantly making me hard as I feel her hips jiggle beneath my hands as well.

  “You’re welcome. The hard work was worth it to see him smile like that.” Pressing a soft kiss to her neck, I feel her shudder in my hands.

  “There’s another way I wanted to thank you though,” I say, turning her slowly to face me, her hand still anchored to the towel at her chest, her fingers holding the fabric together.

  “Oh, really? How?” She lifts her chin, waiting for me with a challenge in her eye.

  I find the opening in the towel, reaching for her hip the moment my fingers touch her skin. “Take the towel off, Rachel.” There’s a command to my voice I don’t even recognize, but I know I want to be in charge here. I want to pleasure her and make her feel incredible tonight.

  “But I’m completely naked.”

  “You act like I haven’t seen it already,” I tease as her mouth flies open.

  “Luke! You looked that day?”

  “Hell yeah, I looked. I may be a widower and emotionally challenged sometimes, but I’m still a man, Rach.”

  She just grins and shakes her head. “I guess I can’t fault you for that.” And in two seconds flat, she releases her grip and the white terry cloth falls to the ground, her beautiful naked body bared to me, making me swallow hard at the sight. Rachel and I have been fooling around over the past week, but neither one of us has been completely naked yet. And even though I’ve already seen her, it’s different when she’s willingly showing me all of her.

  My eyes travel south, savoring the sight of her pink nipples I memorized before, her soft belly that leads down to her pussy I’m slowly becoming familiar with, the little patch of hair she keeps trimmed just above her slit but everything else left clean. Her long legs are thick and toned and her skin is so soft, I can’t help but run my hands all over her body.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” I tell her, lifting my eyes back to her as I see her trembling slightly while she stands there. “Are you okay?”

  She nods quickly. “Yes. Just… just a little nervous. I mean, I know you saw me before, but this is different.”

  “Yeah, it is. Come here.” I take her by the hand and lead her to her bed, lying her down gently so she’s completely exposed to me. I hover over her, staring down into her eyes before I kiss her slowly, savoring her minty taste while I take my time caressing my tongue with hers.

  Breaking apart, I maneuver down her throat, pressing soft kisses, dragging my tongue delicately over her skin, the trail of goosebumps I create instantly makes me grin.

  “Luke,” she gasps as I take her nipple in my mouth, drawing circles with my tongue, sucking and nibbling while she grows more frantic beneath me. I’m still positioned between her legs, so she can’t move. But I can feel her press her pelvis to my chest, searching out friction to ebb her growing arousal.

  Switching to the other nipple now, I reach one hand between her thighs, finding her dripping for me, my dick responding with awareness, hardening like he’s got a conquest to finish. But tonight is not about me, it’s about her. And I am going to take extreme pleasure in making her come on my tongue.

  My fingers part her folds and I stroke along her slit, spreading her wetness before finding her clit and gently rubbing back and forth across it.

  “Yes,” she moans, her eyes closing, her head thrown back, her chest rising and falling as I continue to suck her tit and move my hand between her legs.

  “You’re so wet for me, Rach. Have you been this wet all day?” She nods as I move my body further down so I line my head up with her beautiful pussy—pink, wet, and tight as I push two fingers inside, her walls clenching around me. I know how Rachel likes to be touched now, having ventured down that path a few nights ago. But I’m sure there’s more that makes her crazy, and I’m going to discover that now with my tongue.

  “Yes, I have…” she says on a long exhale and then sucks in a short breath as soon as my tongue finds her clit. “Oh, Luke…”

  I hear her continue to speak and moan, but my focus is making her come—at least twice. I move my tongue in small circles and then flick it back and forth, which definitely makes her tighten and get louder. Alternating strokes with my tongue and fingers, I work her up high until she’s breathless and needy. I suck her clit between my lips, pumping my fingers inside of her over and over until I feel her start to shake, her legs spread wide around my face.

  “Luke, I’m gonna come,” she warns while my fingers dive deep and I flick my tongue back and forth across her clit again. And after a few more seconds, she shatters, collapsing back on the bed as she chants my name in time with the pulsing in her pussy. She’s wild and unashamed as she rides out her orgasm, my mouth moving to draw out every last ripple. I give her a minute to recover before I get back to work, plunging my fingers in deeper and flattening my tongue, dragging it through her entire core.

  “Luke! What are you doing?”

  “Making you come again,” I say offended, but then shoot her a smirk and get back to business.

  “But… I can’t, Luke. I don’t come twice…” And all I hear is a challenge, to prove her wrong and show her that a real man does whatever it takes to please a woman.

  “You will tonight,” I declare as I hook my fingers inside of her wet heat and find that spot inside that makes her wetter the instant I touch her.

  “Oh, fuck!” She shouts just as I move up to shush her. “Sorry, but fuck,” she whispers this time as I move my mouth back to her clit and rub and stroke my fingers and tongue simultaneously.

  “That’s it, Rach. You can come again, sweetheart. Let me get you there,” I growl against her pussy as she heaves her breaths and then tightens again around my fingers. And then she explodes, flooding my hand with her wetness, the silkiness hitting my tongue while I lap at her clit, her scent and taste intoxicating me and making me rock hard while she gasps for air and sinks into the bed.

  “Jesus Christ, Luke,” she finally says, her eyes still closed as I make my way back up her body, stopping to lick her nipples once more. She bats me away playfully, clearly still sensitive.

  When her eyes fly open, she looks satisfied—tired, but content, beautiful, yet dirty—like I just took her through the ringer and she might need another shower.

  “I’ve never come that hard in my life,” she admits, stroking the scruff on my jaw with her fingernails.

  “Glad I could show you the other side.”

  “Now it’s your turn.” She moves to sit up, but I pin her beneath me to the bed.

  “No. Tonight was about you. I’m fine. You need to get some sleep. You’ve been working hard on this party for days, so get some rest.” I lightly press my lips to hers and then usher her under the blankets, completely stark naked.

  “Are you sure?” She looks up at me with innocent eyes, but clearly almost about to fall asleep.

  “Yes. Good night, sweetheart.”

  I gently shut her door and then find my room, jerking myself off in two point five seconds as soon as I close the door, and then passing the fuck out, knowing Rachel is bringing my sexual appetite back to life, one orgasm at a time.

  Chapter 17

&
nbsp; Luke

  “Mom, Dad… we’re here!” Strutting into the house I grew up in with my son and Rachel in tow, the smell of dinner hits my nose the second we all get inside.

  “There’s my five-year-old grandson! Did you grow again since Saturday?” My mother comes around the corner of the kitchen, reaching down to hug Grayson.

  “Yeah, cause I had a birthday, duh!” She scruffs up the hair on his head as he turns to see Brooklyn and Carter come from down the hall. “Carter! Brooklyn! Let’s go play!” The three of them race out back as my dad comes inside.

  “Just put the burgers on the grill. Won’t be too long. Can you wash this pan out for me, please?” He hands a glass dish to my mom.

  “Need any help, Dad? Or at least a beer?”

  He scoffs and then lifts his other hand, clenching a silver can with a pleased grin on his face. “Already got one.”

  “Well then, let me catch up.” I reach into the fridge and secure a beer and then head outside, where Tenley and her husband are already parked in Adirondack chairs, watching the kids play. Rachel ran to the restroom as soon as we arrived so she will join us out here shortly.

  “You’re drinking a beer? Are you feeling alright?” Tenley eyes me suspiciously from her seat.

  “Hey, I don’t have to teach class until four tomorrow afternoon, okay? I can have a drink.”

  “Whoa. Are you drinking a beer?” Rachel comes up behind me this time, eyeing me as if I’ve grown two heads. I think it’s safe to say based on their reactions, I rarely drink beer. I’ll have a glass of wine occasionally with Rachel at night, but typically, I’m not a big drinker.

  However, it’s a Wednesday night, my sister and her family are in town, and my parents invited us over for dinner so we could all spend some time together while they’re here. So, I’m gonna have a drink.

  “Are you ready for the semester to end?” My sister’s husband chimes in while I watch my son make memories with his cousins, climbing up the ladder into the playhouse.

  “Yeah. But I’m teaching summer school, which starts just one week after finals. It sucks, but not working during the summer means I don’t get paid year-round. Being a professor at a college isn’t like working at a school in a public school district. You don’t get health insurance and paid time off unless you’re tenured, and you have to work each semester to keep getting paid. I just started, so it’s going to take a while before I get there. But honestly, I really do enjoy it.”

  “I bet it’s nice to have a set schedule, not having to work odd hours into the night too,” Tenley adds.

  “Yup. And I get to see my son every day, when before, sometimes I would go three days without seeing him.” My mom and dad used to keep Grayson during those sprints, where my night shifts stacked on top of each other and the time I did go home for was used to sleep.

  “I know he loves that. He always looks forward to the hour when you get home and we get to eat dinner. It’s definitely nice to see you at the end of each day too.” Rachel comes up beside me and slickly caresses my fingers with hers behind our backs. We’re still keeping our relationship from Grayson, but every adult here knows we’re seeing each other.

  We haven’t put a label on things because titles and declarations make me sweat. But I am definitely developing overwhelming feelings for this woman. I stopped trying to fight the smile she extracts from me the second I see her, and I’ve given myself permission to keep pushing our physical relationship. I’m still hesitant to tell Grayson because in his mind, he’d love nothing more than for Rachel and me to end up together. And as much as I feel that could happen, there is still the memory of Hannah that’s holding me back.

  “Hey, come inside with me for a minute.” Tenley stands and then flicks her head towards the house. We make our way down the hall adorned with grade-school pictures and memories from our childhood, complete with gangly teeth and bad haircuts, before entering the guest room where she and her husband are staying. The kids have been sleeping on the pull-out couch in the living room for the past few nights since Grayson’s party.

  “How’s it going?” She asks as she folds her arms across her chest.

  “Good. Really good, actually,” I say, fighting the grin building on the corner of my mouth.

  She chuckles. “I can tell. I saw that little hand caress outside.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Cut the shit, Luke. You’re the one who told me about you two.”

  I sigh playfully. “I know. So what’s up?”

  “How would you feel about Grayson staying over next weekend for a few nights?”

  “Here?”

  “Yes, here. Where the hell else would we go? To our house in California?” She’s being sarcastic, so I know she’s joking. But when my sister gets riled up, there’s no telling when she might explode.

  “Okay, okay… why do you ask?”

  She raises her brow. “Well, I think it would be nice for him to have a sleepover with his cousins and I know Mom and Dad miss having him around all the time. But honestly, I think it would be good for you and Rachel to have some alone time without Grayson around.”

  The minute she says the words, I instantly think of all the things we could do in a house minus a child that could wake up at any moment. And they are not things I want to discuss in detail with my sister.

  “What makes you think we need alone time?”

  She shakes her head at me. “You don’t know much about women, do you?”

  “Uh, newsflash. The last woman I dated was Hannah, so forgive me, but it’s been a while.” Her face instantly softens before she continues.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry. Look, I’m not trying to be the nosy, in-your-business sister—”

  “Uh, yes you are,” I cut her off.

  “Okay, fine. I am,” she says as she waves her hand in the air, accompanying her famous eye roll. “All I’m saying is, you need to spend some time together, just the two of you without him around. Take her out, wine and dine her, show her what she means to you. Because regardless of what you say, Luke, I know she means something to you.”

  I exhale in acceptance. “Yeah, she does. My feelings are definitely getting stronger for her, Ten, and it’s fucking terrifying. But I don’t know… there’s something still holding me back. Did I tell you I went to Hannah’s grave on Mother’s Day?”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “Well, I did, after Grayson gave me that album that Rachel and Mom made. I freaked out when I saw it, dozens of memories barreling into me like a fucking tsunami. I felt like I was drowning in grief, running from reliving every moment with her because it hurts so fucking bad to think about it, even almost five years later.”

  Tenley walks over to me and rests her hands on my shoulders. “I think having Rachel around is forcing you to actually grieve. When Hannah passed, you were handed a shitty stack of cards and your infant son was your first priority. You became consumed with taking care of Grayson and pushed down everything I think you needed to process. There is no timeline for grief, Luke, and certainly no schedule for moving on either. But Rachel is amazing. Just watching her with Grayson on Saturday was enough for me to see what you see in her. And then she and I got to talk a bit too while she was in the kitchen, and damn. She’s the entire package—polite, beautiful, confident, intelligent, driven, compassionate. She’s a catch and if you screw this up, you’ll never forgive yourself.”

  “I asked her to give me a sign, Ten…”

  “Hannah?”

  I nod. “Yeah. I know it sounds crazy…”

  “No, Luke. No, it doesn’t sound crazy. I would probably do the same thing if I lost Matthew.”

  “But I’ve gotten nothing. Zip, nada. The Kit Kat thing had to be a coincidence because I feel like Hannah would show me, she would give me something to let me know it’s okay to surrender to what I’m feeling.”

  Tenley’s arms wrap around my neck now as she pulls me in for a hug, squeezing me so
tight. It feels so comforting to hold my sister. Obviously, we talk a few times a week on the phone and we’ve always been close, but nothing can compare to actually having her here.

  “Don’t lose faith, Luke. She will. I know my friend. She’s waiting for the perfect moment, and then she’s going to take your breath away.” The image of Hannah walking up our driveway the day I met her for the first time pops into my head, because that’s exactly what she did to me that day. She stole the oxygen straight from my lungs.

  “I hope so, Tenley. I need the confirmation. But I do think you’re right,” I relent as we push apart. “I think Rachel and I could use that time, and next weekend is right after finals, so that’s perfect. I’ll be able to relax. Although, no one besides our friends and family knows we’re dating. Taking her out on the town is going to invite all sorts of questions.”

  “Screw everyone else, Luke.” Her lips curl up in disgust. “They aren’t living your life, you are. Do what makes you happy. You should know more than anyone that life is too fucking short to care about what other people think.”

  Pulling my sister into my arms again, I rest my lips on her temple. “Thank you, Ten. I love you.”

  “I love you too, big brother, even when you’re being stubborn.”

  “I’m not stubborn!” I scoff as we make our way back to the living room.

  “Yeah, okay.”

  “There you two are. It’s time to eat.” My mother calls out from the kitchen while we make our way back to the sliding door, about to return to the patio. I catch a glimpse of Rachel sitting in a chair, a light gust of wind blowing a few strands of her hair around her face, her smile bright as always as she watches Grayson play and holds a conversation with my dad. She looks comfortable, peaceful, like she belongs here—and that thought slams into me with full force, my heart pounding in my chest while I process it.

  “Come inside and wash up, you guys,” she yells to the kids across the yard while they dash up the porch and rush past her, headed to the bathroom to clean off the dirt and grime that comes from being a child playing outside.