There was a package waiting for me at the apartment door when I had returned home after class. I picked it up, testing its weight as I walked in to the messy and unorganized apartment. The air smelled stale, of old alcohol and trash. I rolled my eyes. Ever since I had stopped spending as much time at the apartment, often staying with Mason at the mansion, Avery had enjoyed having full run of the place. Sometimes I wondered if she left messes for me to come back to because she was trying to send the message that I needed to be home more or didn’t want me to be here at all.
I set the package down on the table, looking at the brown packaging curiously. My name was printed on the front in big block letters. There was no return address.
I grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter, wiping off some sort of sticky substance from the blade as best I could. I shook my head in disbelief as I took a quick look around the cluttered and dirty kitchen and I then dug into the package. My heart sunk as I pulled the paper away, staring down at Jake’s dark hoodie. A scream escaped my mouth as I stood there, staring.
I carefully picked it up, not knowing what else may be in the package. Thankfully, there was nothing except a note with neat handwriting on it, obviously not from Jake.
Here’s your gift back. Jake doesn’t need anything from you.
I thought about the impulse buy when Jake and I were out shopping just a few days after we had met, when he had still apparently been dating Stacey. I couldn’t stand the old tattered sweatshirt he had been wearing and grabbed this hoodie off the rack for him. I had thought it made him look sexy and when I told him that, he wore it constantly. Now the thought of it
and him
sent shivers down my spine.
Stacey, who was still miraculously standing by Jake’s side, must have felt compelled to throw this and Jake’s impending court date, in my face. I didn’t care about either, although the thought of her going out of her way scared me. The saggy hoodie hung limply in my hand, the note in the other. The smell of Jake’s cologne filled my nose.
The knocking on the door startled me as I dropped the note on the table and headed into the living room, my heart beat fast in my ears. “Wh—Who’s there?” I looked at the deadbolt on the door, still unlocked. I pictured Stacey on the other side, or worse, Jake who may have made bail.
“It’s me,” Mason’s voice flooded into my ears, calming me instantly.
I reached for the handle and slowly turned it, opening the door and taking in a breath of relief.
Mason’s eyes met mine and then traveled down to my hand, still clutching the returned gift. “Are you alright? What’s that? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I looked down, staring at that gross material again. “Stacey sent this to me. It’s Jake’s.”
“Yeah, I know, I remember it.” I could almost feel heat rolling off him in waves at the mention of Jake.
“I was just about to throw it away. I guess she was trying to make some sort of statement, or something.” I said, making my way over to the nearly full trash, throwing what remained of Jake’s free existence in with the leftover spaghetti sauce and eggshells.
I realized that my hands were shaking. Instantly Mason was there, holding me close, stroking my hair.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his hot breath up against my ear.
I nodded, wrapping my arms around him. “That stupid sweatshirt just brought back memories, that’s all. I can’t imagine what would have happened if he would have killed you, Mason.”
“We don’t have to think about that. Jake’s in jail, and if I have anything to do with it, he’s going to be there for a long time.”
“But—”
He grabbed my chin gently, forcing my mouth up to his. “He’s not going to hurt anyone. Not me, and not you.”
I snuggled into him, breathing in the fresh scent of his cologne. “What are you doing here, by the way?” I asked, looking at him suspiciously.
He grinned. “I thought you might want to grab something to eat after a long day of classes.”
I quickly kissed him on the mouth and smiled. Mason always seemed to know exactly what I needed, when I needed it. He was perfect.
I laid Harper gently down on my bed, watching her sink into the large comfortable pillows with a giggle. I climbed in next to her, kissing her forehead affectionately, wrapping my arms tight around her. Outside, peeping through the dark curtains of the room, the mid-afternoon sun shone high above the beautiful view.
I held her tight in my arms, occasionally stroking her silky smooth hair with my fingertips. Though we were both fully dressed up in business clothes, I could feel her eyes close involuntarily. Her familiar warmth, touch, and scent overcame me and threatened to make me drowsy almost instantly.
“I want to go someplace exotic,” I said suddenly, giving her a squeeze. “Maybe someplace with lots of mountains.”
She yawned, splaying her hand across my chest, unbuttoning a few buttons so she could feel the skin beneath. Stretching her body up against my own, she wrapped a leg around me, pressing in tighter. I could feel her warmth beneath the thin fabric of her dress.
“We aren’t really in any position to travel right now, Mason. What with all these mixers coming up and all these new clients—”
I moved my leg up, pressing it in-between her thighs, holding it there as she rubbed herself against the fabric of my dress pants. I tightened my hands around her lower back, admiring the way the small of her back fit perfectly between my fingers.
“You’re such a worrier. Natalie can take care of things here, and we...”
Harper’s mouth found mine, her body pressing up as tightly as it could against my leg. Her hands worked at the other buttons on my shirt.
“What happened to ‘love comes first?’” she asked, nibbling at my ear, finally undoing the last button of my shirt and opening it, pressing her clothed body up against me.
“Love
does
come first,” I retorted, my hands traveling down to her ass, giving it a firm squeeze. I felt her giggle against my neck. “That includes our love, though. You know you’d like to travel with me, admit it.”
She pulled back a little so I could see her grin. She didn’t admit it.
“Your loss,” I growled, my hands still firmly planted on her ass as I rolled her over, placing myself between her legs. Warmth spread through my body, focused on an area much lower than my heart.
The thin, silky material of her dress gave me easy access to her soft, pliable thighs. I pried them open, running my hand along the black lace of her underwear. She propped herself up on her elbows, watching me, her hair falling in front of her face slightly.
“What do you think about a mountain hike now, Miss Browning?”
She shrugged. “I still don’t feel comfortable leaving
everything
in Natalie’s hands, Mr. Asher.”
“Hmm.” I moved my face a little closer, running my cheek along her inner thigh. I could feel her body shiver beneath my fingertips as they traveled up and down her legs, reaching up to stroke the flat of her stomach. “How about now?”
My teeth tugged at her panties. I watched her expression. She was trying to hold out, but a soft, almost inaudible gasp escaped her lips. “Now?”
“I think...”
I grabbed the flimsy material of her underwear and slid them off her legs, pushing up her skirt so I could see her completely. I brought my lips in for a taste, letting her juices coat my chin. “Want to go on a mountain hike, Harper?”
“Yes—yes, that sounds fine.”
I went to work with a grin, licking, sucking, and teasing as she squirmed beneath me, body hardly able to stand the pleasure. She looked absolutely beautiful as she tilted her head back, lips parting a little as she took in more air, trying hard not to let go completely and spoil the fun. I felt her thighs tighten around my head, and I shivered, feeling the strength in her legs as she begged me for more.
“Not yet, sweetheart.” I pulled my lips away from teasing her sweet spot, giving her a grin as she groaned in frustration. I slipped two fingers inside of her easily, feeling her depths convulse against them.
“Mason...”
“I know, baby.”
Harper sunk her fingers into my shoulders, tugging me toward her, wrapping her legs around my hips so I couldn’t escape. I grabbed her hips, feeling her moan against me as I slid inside of her, muscles tight.
I leaned down, still inside of her, wrapping my arms around her, just wanting to feel close. I could feel her hands playing at the nape of my neck as she peppered kisses across my chin, her tongue occasionally making its way across my skin.
I loved her. I knew I loved her, especially after these last months we had spent together, working together, sort of living together. I loved her not only physically, but for her spunk, her intelligence, her capable logic and mind. She was my partner, my lover, my friend. I had never felt so close to anyone, never felt that I needed someone as much as they needed me. We were mutual, completely equal. I reveled in the feeling that I had desired for so long.
I propped myself up to gaze into her milky blue eyes, feeling as if I could remain this way forever, within her grasp, being smothered by her love. She said my name, pulling me from my thoughts and back into glorious reality.
“Where did you go?” she asked me, giving me a smile, her fingers trailing down my cheek.
“Home,” I replied. “I went home.”
Harper was my home, now. She meant the world to me.
I tangled my fingers in her hair, kissing her soundly as I thrust into her, her gasp telling me that I had taken her by surprise. Her hips rocked with mine, our movements growing more desperate, more desired.
I filled her as she convulsed around me, her face hidden by her hair as she buried her face in a pillow so she could scream, letting out all the tension and pleasure she felt. I grabbed her, gathering her in my arms as she came back down from her high, our bodies spent.
* * * *
We woke to the sound of Natalie knocking on the door.
“Harper, Asher? Are you in there? Your two o’clock appointment is here.”
Harper yawned, sitting up. “Yes,” she yelled back. The two had gotten much friendlier with each other over the past months. I knew that Harper had begun to charm Natalie with her friendly, bubbly personality. Although Natalie was still reserved around her, I could tell that she was beginning to like Harper.
I stayed on the bed, buttoning up my shirt as I watched her get up and go to the mirror, straightening her dress and fixing her makeup.
“Don’t be nervous.”
She turned toward me, grinning. “Nervous? Me?”
I laughed. “Well, this will be your first time interviewing someone. There’s no reason to be intimidated.”
She grinned, picking up my tie from the ground and motioning for me to sit up. I complied, watching as she tied it around my neck skillfully.
“Ready?”
Harper nodded, grabbing my hand and giving me a smile as we made our way out into the foyer to meet Avery, our new client.
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