In Pursuit (24 page)

“Where did you go?”

“Physically, we weren’t together, but Edith, I was with you the whole time. I didn’t stop thinking about you for one second. You filtered through my dreams and I related everything in my daily life back to you. You completely consume my thoughts.”

“What does that mean, Harris? When I saw you that day on Rush, it was like we were strangers. If it hadn’t been for Luke, I’d think you have a girlfriend and I just helped you conduct an affair!” My voice takes on a shrill tone. The pulsating pain that I felt that day starts to creep back. I struggle to maintain a sense of calm, and once I’m able to even my voice, I speak again. “This relationship deserves better than that.”

Harris stops idly touching me and takes a more physical approach, climbing off the couch and squatting in front of where I sit. He takes my hands in his, and my legs drop forward in front of him. “You deserve everything I have to give, Edith.
Everything.
It’s just that I have to adjust my priorities. Claire demands a lot of my attention and she gets… jealous when that attention is diverted.”

I nearly sit up with a start. Is he going to bring up Cooper?

“You can probably tell that I have a deep sense of responsibility over my sister.” A wry smile crosses his lips. “And, somehow, despite everything that’s happened, I found this connection with you. Everything is better when you’re near. So that’s where I went for the past few days, I was reconciling those two emotions. It sounds so fucking ridiculous when I say it out loud, but that’s all I have to give. The truth.”

Even though it’s honest, the words still cut into me. “Reconciled? I don’t want to be reconciled.”

He tucks a tendril that fell loose from my braid behind my ear, a frown creasing his forehead. “No, of course not.”

“Then what are you trying to tell me? I don’t want to compete for your attention.”

“And you won’t have to,” he says tenderly. “Edith, I’m all yours, and I hope you’ll be all mine, too.”

“I just – my dad never put me first. There was always something more important to him than me. Harris, please, if you can’t commit tell me now.”

“No, you aren’t hearing me.” He draws me closer, touching our foreheads together. “I want you as my top priority, and Claire needed some time to accept that. But she has started to, and the road is clear. Let me show you how good we’ll be together.”

My top teeth nibble on my lower lip while I ponder his statement.

“Please, don’t do that,” he says softly. Using his thumb, he tugs my lower lip free. “Your lips are too beautiful. Full. Pink. Soft.” He sucks my lower lip into his mouth, letting his tongue flicker across in languid strokes. “They should be swollen from my kisses, nothing else.”

He owns me with his words, blasting through all of my defenses.

I let him kiss me.

Harris moves from a crouch to his knees. He’s so tall that we are basically on equal ground in this position, and I scoot to the edge of the couch to accommodate him. A tear leaks out of the corner of my eye, dribbling down my face and onto his.

“What’s wrong baby?”

The kiss is over but I’m still holding onto his shoulders. I drop my head into the space where his shoulder meets the base of his neck. “I’m so happy.”

A low rumble of laughter makes his chest vibrate, and then he tugs me forward into a familiar position, my legs around his waist, arms circling his neck. His palms settle on my ass and he stands up, still holding me securely to him.

“I want to take you to my bedroom, Edith.”

Tentatively, I reach up to run a hand through the short hairs on his head. When I respond, I make sure to keep my eyes locked on his so he can see my emotions. Confident. Aroused. After a night of barriers, now free.

“Yes.”

There’s no pause as he swiftly strides from the living room into his large bedroom. He doesn’t bother with the lights; the city skyline provides plenty of illumination for his bedroom. Very carefully, like I’m made of the most delicate silks, he sits me on the cloud of bedding. My legs hang over the edge of the bed and he drops to the ground to unfasten my wedges and tug them off my feet, reminiscent of the night he took me home from Luminous. Once each shoe comes off, he leans down to press a kiss on each arch, which sends me into a fit of giggles.

“Ticklish?” He’s amused, too, a gleam sparkling in his eyes.

“Maybe only from foot kisses.”

“We’ll have to test that another day,” he murmurs. The gaze in his gray eyes goes from playful to darkened with desire in a matter of seconds. He moves to sit next to me on the bed, a hand reaching out to cup my cheek in his usual grip.

“Where should I start?” he asks in that same deep rumble. His eyes survey my face and shoulders, lingering on my breasts. “I don’t think I can resist any part of you, so I have to explore every inch.”

Then he dips down, pressing a trail of kisses from my neck to ear lobe. His free hand lifts and begins plucking at the buttons of my blouse. With quick work, he’s pushing it off and I’m topless, just a lacy ivory bra covering my swelling, sensitive breasts. His fingertips tickle down from my neck to my waist.

“Harris,” I whimper.

“Patience.”

The instruction doesn’t stop me from slipping my hands underneath the soft shirt he’s wearing. I tug at it, attempting to pull it off. With a teasing smirk, Harris moves away to yank off his shirt the way guys do, pulling from the material from behind with no worry of stretching out the garment. Then, with one swift movement, he
finally
reveals his chest. The perfectly sculpted pecs and defined abs instantly dry my mouth.

My hands need to be on him. Now.

I stroke my fingernails up to his nipples, drawing light teasing circles on his chest. As I lean in toward his nipple, Harris places a firm grip on my shoulders, holding me in place. “Did I say you could kiss my chest?”

My eyes fly up to his, the sexy smile still in place. I realize he’s teasing, but can sense a strong desire from him for control. I shake my head slowly.

“Then wait your turn.”

He assumes the position he had earlier on the couch, kneeling between my legs.

Our eyes lock, emotion crackling between us.

I lift my hands to his cheeks, pulling him closer, and let my lips convey the words I’m not yet ready to say. The kiss is full of tenderness, but when we retreat, it’s clear that Harris wants more than just gentle, romantic kisses.

He reaches behind me and unfastens my bra, releasing my aching breasts. My nipples are already pebbled, waiting with heady anticipation for his attention.

His left hand reaches my right breast, completely covering it in his palm. He gently massages, circling my nipple with his thumb. Instinctively, I lift my legs, wrapping them around his back and tug our bodies closer, attempting to grind my throbbing pussy against his warm waist.

He lets out a low growl and lowers his lips to my sensitive nipple, sucking it into his mouth. His teeth bite gently causing me to jerk against him.

“So pretty.” The vibrations of his voice cause my body to tremble.

I’m unable to contain my breathy moans as he feasts on my body. My head drops back and I arch forward, begging for attention. His lips move to my other breast while he tweaks and teases the now exposed and wet nipple. I thrust my hips into his body, desperate for friction.

With strong and confident hands, he moves my body backward on the bed so he can finish undressing me. With unhurried movements, he unbuttons my jeans and helps me lift my hips to slide them and my thong off in one smooth swoop. Then I’m laying before him, completely bare, and stretched out across the bed. He’s hovering above me, his eyes roaming around my form reverently.

“You are exceptional.” 

I can’t wait much longer, my pussy tingling for release, my body writhes against the bed.

“Harris,
please
.”

Then the cocky smirk is back. He knows what I want.

He deftly slides out of his jeans and boxer briefs, revealing a throbbing erection. Some people say the male body isn’t nearly as beautiful in comparison to the female form. These people clearly haven’t seen Harris Grant – cut from marble and sporting a large, thick cock, ready to slip deep inside of me.

He’s back on the bed, crawling between my spread legs.

He starts at my thighs, nibbling and sucking at the tender skin. He slowly, so slowly, moves upward, placing a sucking kiss to my lips, and a low moan escapes.

“Such a tight little pussy,” he says between his electrifying kisses. “Dripping and ready for me.”

"Please."

“What do you want?” he teases me, moving away from the spot that needs his lips the most. 

“Only you,” I breathe.

The declaration breaks his teasing, and he uses his powerful arms to launch his body off me, and he stalks over to the side table to pull out a condom. He quickly sheaths his cock with the protection.

His knees not so gently nudge my legs apart as he crawls between me.

“This won’t be slow,” he tells me roughly.

“Good.” 

In one powerful thrust he enters me, his cock throbbing inside of me. His strokes come hard and fast. I lift my legs to wrap them around his waist, urging him to deeper.

“You’re so wet,” he groans. “So tight.”

No man has talked dirty to me in this way. It’s hot, so hot, I’m practically ready to come with just the sound of his raspy voice.

My arms reach up and wrap around his back. I dig my fingernails into his skin, crying out his name. He slams into me, bringing me closer and closer to the brink of orgasm.

Then he adjusts his grip, moving his hands around my ass to lift my body up off the bed and closer to him. His lips are fused to my neck, sucking the skin between his teeth.

“I am yours and you are mine,” he grounds out against my neck.

“Yes,” I agree, bucking against him as his thrusts become more urgent, more intense if possible. The buzzing low in my belly starts to demand my attention. It’s spreading through my body at a rapid pace, the telltale signs of an orgasm stirring.

“Harris,” I moan. “I’m going to come.”

“Not. Yet,” he grits, dropping my body back to the bed. Using my legs around his hips, I urge him harder and deeper.

“Please, please,” I beg.

“Now,” he roars. 

Screaming his name, I release my orgasm, my walls constricting around his throbbing cock. He’s still pumping furiously, moaning my name as he climaxes.

“Edith, Edith.” He drops his chest to mine like he sunk to the bottom of the ocean. He tucks his face into the crook of my neck, not speaking. I feel the same way, panting against his chest. His semi hard cock remains inside of me, twitching with the remnants of the intoxicating experience we just shared. With an annoyed groan, he pushes himself off my body and disposes of the condom. Then he’s back, wedging one leg between mine, draping an arm across my stomach and pressing his cheek to my collarbone.

Sex with Harris was fiery and intimate at the same time. He had my body singing for him, playing me like I would a piano. Underneath the layers of lust lies a connection so deep, it leaves me floating in tranquility.

And now, with my heart thumping at a slow and steady cadence, I cradle him to my chest and try my damnedest to enjoy the moment, soak up the little things: the tickle of his breath on my skin, the bead of sweat trickling down my neck, the warmth of his body cloaking mine.

We lay there for what feels like hours, I’m gently scratching at his skin in long, sweeping movements. His breaths became measured and even, he must have been so relaxed that he fell asleep. I stop with my light touches, and wrap my arms around him as tightly as I can, squeezing our bodies together.

“Harris,” I whisper his name to myself but it causes him to stir, his tongue flicking out on my neck to alert me he’s awake.

“My tiny but mighty Edith wore me out,” he says gruffly.

“I love holding you like this.”

“I never feel more at peace than when I’m in your arms.”

The words fill a longstanding ache inside of me. My eyes close as I revel in his words.

“Don’t want to let you go,” he groans into my hair.

“Then stay like this,” I whisper, resuming his back massage. He moans in appreciation. A few minutes later, I join him, drifting off into a dreamless slumber.

Some time later, I wake up when I realize I’m being tucked underneath the blankets. A heavy and familiar arm curls around my lower belly, and then I’m cuddled against his chest. I nuzzle my cheek into the bicep that rests underneath me.

“You are the world’s best pillow,” I murmur sleepily.

His body vibrates with a chuckle. “And you’re just the world’s best. Period.”

I sigh in contentment. “Good night, haunting Harris.”

“Is that a compliment?”

My lips pucker then brush against his skin lovingly. My response comes out as a soft hum in confirmation. His arms tighten around me.

“Goodnight, electric Edith.”