He buried his face in her hair and neck and said, “This is where you belong, Harp. With me, in my bed, in my arms.”
“Yes,” she said with so much emotion, he had to see her face, had to see the love in her eyes. “Love me, Gavin.”
Their mouths came together as they began to move, and they quickly found their rhythm, just as they had all those months ago. She wrapped her feet around the backs of his legs, angling her hips so he could drive in deeper. Never in his life had he felt so connected, so in sync with another human being. Being this close, having her body wrapped around him in every sense, made him feel whole in ways he never had.
Harper’s fingernails dug into his flesh, and he pumped faster, pushed harder. He nearly lost his mind as her orgasm took hold, squeezing his cock so tight he saw stars. A rush of heat consumed him, and he fought against the mounting pressure, wanting to send her soaring again. When she fell back to the mattress, panting, eyes closed, he pushed his hands beneath her, holding her ass as he pounded into her. He guided her legs higher, around his waist. She curled up beneath him, licking and kissing his shoulder. Christ. She must have remembered how that had driven him right up to the brink of madness last time. He remembered what she loved, too, and he moved his hands over her ass, teasing her other entrance.
She breathed, “Yes,” against his shoulder.
“Come for me again, baby,” he coaxed.
She panted against his cheek, pleading, “Dontstopdontstop.”
He moved his fingers through her wetness and returned them to the spot she wanted. Slick with her arousal, he pushed one finger into her bottom. She bit down on his shoulder as she came, rocking and moaning, squeezing his shaft so tight, pressure spiked down his spine, catapulting him over the edge with such intensity, he feared his powerful thrusts would hurt her as he ground out her name through gritted teeth. She was right there with him, clawing at his skin, gasping for breaths.
His head fell beside hers, and he tried to remember how to breathe. “Did I hurt you?” he panted out.
“No. You’re perfect. We’re perfect together.”
Thank God. After the last aftershock rumbled through him, he rolled onto his side, removed and tied off the condom, and tossed it in the trash, not wanting to move away from her just yet. He gathered her in his arms, sealing their love with a kiss.
They lay tangled together, their hearts beating frantically as sunlight streamed in through the windows, warming their naked bodies, and still Gavin ached for more. He’d been insatiable the first time they’d made love, too. He ran his hand down her back and cupped her ass. She made a sensual sound, and just like that, he was hard again.
“Gavin,” she whispered.
He saw so many emotions swimming in her eyes, his chest constricted. Could she possibly feel as much for him as he felt for her? “Yes, love?”
She pressed her softness against his arousal and said, “Can we do it again?”
He kissed her deeply. “Again.” He reached for another condom and said, “And again.”
He kissed her long and slow, and then he rose onto his knees to sheathe himself.
She reached out to help, her eyes alive with pleasure as she said, “And again…”
Chapter Twelve
LATER THAT MORNING, Harper lay in Gavin’s arms on his couch watching the end of a movie. After almost a year of living on worried breaths, thinking about the man she never expected to see again, she could finally fill her lungs to capacity. They’d lain in bed talking and dozing off for a long time after making love until Harper’s stomach growled too loudly to ignore. Then they’d forced themselves out of bed long enough to eat a snack, only to fall back into bed for dessert. They’d showered together, which was another first for her. They’d taken their time washing and caressing each other, kissing and loving without actually making love. It was the most sensual experience she’d ever had. Then again, everything was starting to feel sensual with Gavin. Even lying wordlessly in his arms was physically and emotionally gratifying.
She remembered their first night together, when she was preparing to embark on a scary journey to the other side of the country. She’d been living on the same unsteady breaths then. Spending time with Gavin had centered her then, too. Everything had felt so right, she’d wanted to explore and do all the sexy things she’d read about with him. She hadn’t done it all, though she probably would have if he’d asked. But the things they had done had felt natural, not taboo. The same way it had when she’d thrown caution to the wind and taken control and when she’d begged for more when he was already buried deep inside her. Was it possible she’d met her soul mate in the most unlikely way?
She cuddled closer to him, thankful that this time she didn’t have to catch a plane or wonder if he’d call.
As the credits rolled across the screen, she turned to face him, and he kissed her softly.
“Do you have any writing you need to get done today?” Gavin asked.
“No. I printed out my work the other day and I’ve been reading and revising it. I need a break.” She pressed her lips to his. “Am I keeping you from working?”
“When I lived in Boston I worked every weekend. Now I try not to.”
“What did you do? Go through Workaholics Anonymous?”
“Nah. I wasn’t always a workaholic. But the bad experience in college that I told you about changed everything. Going against my family’s wishes and continuing to see Corinne had created a rift between us, as I said, and for a while I drank too much, played around too much. Eventually I failed a test and realized I needed to pull myself together.”
“One test did that for you? God, you sound like me. If Jana heard that, she’d say we were made for each other.”
“We are, babe. Hell, I thought we were when we first met.” He kissed her and said, “After I tanked that test, I threw myself into schoolwork. I wasn’t ready to see my family again, so I got an internship for the summer with a design firm in Boston. The summer bled into the next school year, and the following summer I got offered a great summer job in Boston. Before I knew it, I had graduated and was working full time at KHB, where I eventually met Serena. I spent years working day and night, through the weekends, trying to climb that corporate ladder and only going home for quick trips over the holidays. Somewhere along the way I’d let go of the anger and hurt that caused me to become a workaholic in the first place, but my personal life had become nonexistent. When Serena started working at KHB, I had an incredible job offer from a competitor. But I’d lived in Boston for years and I didn’t like who I had become. I had no close friends, and I hadn’t been home in ages. I hadn’t even made time to call and really talk to my parents. Beckett and I texted a lot, but even that relationship was strained.”
“Wow, it sounds like you went from that bad relationship straight into workaholic mode and stayed there.”
“I did. And when I saw how much Serena missed everyone here, it reminded me of everything I had lost. I finally called my parents and had a long talk with my father. We hadn’t done that in ages, and it felt so good. I knew I had to fix things back home. That weekend I went home, and Beckett dragged me to the festival, where I met you. Meeting you changed everything for me.”
“I’m sure you met lots of women over the years, Gavin. Why would I, of all people, change anything?”
He ran his fingers through her hair, his gaze serious. “You really don’t know how special you are, do you? Harp, when I say things to you, I need you to know, to really believe in your heart, that they’re true.”
“I do, Gavin. I just meant that you’re a good-looking guy with a huge heart and a great career. You could have any woman you want.”
“Maybe, but I could turn that around, and it’s probably the only way you’ll understand what I mean. You’re a gorgeous woman, with a huge heart, and a great career, even if it has taken a new path lately. You could have any man you want.”
“Most guys are not what they claim to be. And now I hav
e you, the only man I want.”
“Then you understand when I say that you woke me up from years of pushing through a life I wasn’t really living. Suddenly there was this beautiful, smart woman who, like me, was feeling a little lost and did something out of the ordinary for herself. You had what most other women don’t. I’ve said this before, and it’s the best way I can describe how I felt when we met. You might have been trying to be something you weren’t with the one-night stand, but so was I. You were—you are—the realest person I know, Harper. Real is rare, or at least that’s how it feels to me. You told me when you thought I was full of it, and we were so alike, with our normally careful natures and our sense of humor. I felt alive for the first time in years.”
“I did, too,” she confessed. “That might be why I felt so sidelined by the other guys I went out with, because they weren’t real.”
“Harper, this will seem unbelievable, but you were the catalyst to my partnering with Serena. I had the world at my fingertips with that job offer in Boston, but after connecting with you on a level I never imagined possible in the space of hours, not years, I realized that wasn’t the world I wanted. I wasn’t raised to be the guy who lived to work and put family aside. I had lost my way, and after meeting you, I decided to partner with Serena. I may not have known the exact path I needed to follow, but I knew I was heading in the right direction.”
“I’m glad you did, or we might never have reconnected.”
“Me too, sweetheart. And I’m not ashamed to admit that I was completely gutted when I woke up and found you were gone.”
She lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry. I hated leaving you, but I already felt attached, and saying goodbye would have made it that much harder to leave.”
“That feeling of loss was just another thing that drove me to make changes in my life. I never let go of the hope that I’d see you again, and I’m pretty sure I drove Justin crazy talking about Parker. He tells everyone I’m the best wingman because he’s a great guy and the type of friend who builds you up in front of others. But I sucked. I wasn’t interested in the women we met. It got to the point where I’d leave bars early, alone, and he’d just shake his head. He told me he was going to put out an APB for a blonde named Parker.”
She laughed, and he kissed her again. “It’s true, sweetheart. You can ask him if you’d like.” He brushed his fingers over the nape of her neck and said, “Stay…”
“Hm?” She was still processing all he’d said, tucking away every word so she could revisit them later.
“I spent almost a year wishing we’d had time like this. Stay with me tonight. Stay for the weekend. For the week. I don’t want our time together to end. You love working by the water, and this way you won’t have to drive back and forth to your place.”
There was no place she’d rather be than right there with him every free minute they had, sleeping in his arms, waking to his kisses, sharing breakfasts and dinners. She trusted her instincts about Gavin, but as much as she wanted to be with him, she was still a little nervous about moving too quickly. “How about if I stay for the rest of the weekend and then we play it by ear?”
“That sounds great, my careful girl,” he said, and kissed her hard, grinning like he’d gotten the gift of a lifetime, and she sure felt like she had.
“But I have to go home and get clean clothes, toiletries, my work stuff. I have events to cover this week, and I should review my notes at some point. Do you still want to go to the flea market today? I’d love to pick up some of my friend Leanna’s jam.”
“Ah, the famous Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats jam.”
“You know Leanna Remington?”
“I met Leanna and her husband, Kurt, through Drake and Serena. I wish I was into thrillers, because from what I hear, Kurt’s an amazing author. We’ll swing by your place to pick up your stuff and hit the flea market while we’re out.”
As they sat up, he took her hand and said, “I know this feels fast, Harp, but how many guys can say they wished at a fountain and their wish actually came true? I’m starting to believe in fate, and I don’t want to waste a second of our time together.” He must have seen the surprise in her eyes, because he said, “When we tossed our pennies into the fountain, I wished we could be more than a one-night stand.”
Her heart turned over in her chest, because she’d wished for almost the same thing. She’d wished he’d call. Little did she know she’d inadvertently hidden her phone number from him. They’d made their wishes in the fountain before they’d even slept together. For a guy who had thought he was getting a one-night stand to want more before they’d even had that made her believe in fate, too.
“You knew I was going away and you still wished for more?”
He pulled her to her feet and gathered her in his arms, gazing deeply into her eyes. “Yes, because what I had with you in just a few hours was more than anything I’d ever had before.” He brushed his lips over hers and said, “I knew one night couldn’t be it for us, so I wished that it was only the beginning of our story.”
WHEN THEY ARRIVED at Harper’s cottage, Gavin wrapped his arms around her from behind as she unlocked the door and said, “Would you mind if we cut a few flowers from your garden to bring to my place? My girlfriend loves flowers.”
“Great idea,” she said, turning to kiss him before pushing the door open. “Excuse the mess. I always print out my work when I’m reading through it the first time.”
There were papers spread out over her desk, coffee table, counters, and even on the couch cushions. Nearly every page was marked up in red ink, with notes scribbled in the margins.
“So this is what you do when you’re not at my place.”
“Not always,” she said as she gathered the papers. “This is what I do after most of the first draft is done. Your brilliant idea of using my experiences in LA for inspiration was just what I needed to get my creative juices flowing.”
“Which is awesome, but how do you work like this? Where do you sit?”
She shrugged. “Wherever. I’m used to it, and I can’t do this outside because, as you can imagine, a breeze would create havoc with my organization.”
“This is organized?” He raised his brow.
“If I had more space, I might set up tables or something, but this works for me.”
She was so selfless in her pursuit of her dreams, it made him want to give everything he had to help her achieve them. “I can’t wait to read what you’ve written.”
He reached for a piece of paper, and she grabbed his hand, stopping him.
“Uh-uh. You can’t read it until I tweak it.”
He pulled her in close and said, “Maybe I can entice you into sharing sooner.”
His lips came down over hers, and she returned his efforts eagerly, going up on her toes for more. His hands slid down to her backside as he deepened the kiss, and she melted against him. Man, he loved the way she reacted to him with all the same emotions he felt.
She pressed her hands to his chest, abruptly breaking their connection. “You might be able to charm my panties off, but you’re not going to read this until it’s a bit more polished.”
“Hold on to the charming your panties off thought for a second. That means your writing is good, right? Because when you thought your writing wasn’t your best, you let me read it.”
“I hope it’s good, but I don’t know for sure.”
He kissed her neck. “I could help you decide.”
“I can see this is going to take nerves of steel.” She stepped back, her cheeks flushed. She held her hand up like a barrier as she placed the papers she was holding on the desk. “It’s not fair to use that wicked mouth of yours to coerce me like that.”
He hauled her against him, loving the heat in her eyes and the giggle that slipped out. “How would you like me to use it? Like this?” He sealed his mouth over her neck, sucking hard, and she gasped a sharp breath. “Or maybe you prefer this?” He dragged his tongue down the center of h
er chest and tugged her top down so he could lick the swell of her breast.
“Gavin,” she said breathily. “We’re going to end up in the bedroom again.”
“And that’s bad because…?” He swore he saw her mind churning, like she was digging deep to come up with a reason.
“You’re right.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the bedroom. “There are worse addictions than having sex with my boyfriend.”
His chest constricted at how easily the endearment sailed from her lips.
As they tumbled down to the mattress in a tangle of gropes and hungry kisses, he intended to show her just how much more than an addiction he hoped to become.
AFTER MAKING GOOD use of the condoms they’d bought at the pharmacy in Provincetown, they showered again, packed up enough of Harper’s things for the next two nights, and cut flowers to take to his house. Harper put the flowers in a wide-bottomed vase that wouldn’t topple over in the car, and then they made their way to the Wellfleet Flea Market.
The flea market was held in the parking lot of the drive-in theater. It was bustling, with people moving in and out of the snack building and between vendor booths. Canopies were lined up as far as the eye could see. Colorful banners flapped in the breeze, and children darted in and out of the playground. Harper set the vase beside the car in the parking lot so the flowers wouldn’t die while they meandered through the market.
“Aren’t you worried someone will take those?” Gavin asked as they walked toward the colorful canopies, which brightened the overcast day.
“If they do, they need them more than we do.”
They strolled hand in hand through the market, checking out used books, jewelry, clothing, collectibles, and various arts and crafts. It was a balmy afternoon, the type of oppressive heat that begged the sky to open up and give relief.
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