Peachy Keen (16 page)

Time slowed as he traced my jaw with his fingers. Gulping for air, I wrestled with the thunderstorm inside my body. One second I lit up, a crack of wicked, white fire shooting through my veins, while the next moment an ominous rumble of doubt and fear rolled through me. Harrison gripped my chin and his expression softened as he pulled my face to his, pressing the most gentle kiss to my lips.

When he pulled away from my mouth, his hand left my chin and slowly made its way to my bare thigh. I drew in a ragged breath but remained held firm by his gaze. His fingers crept up to the seam of my panties while I stayed lost in his eyes. When he finally breached the barrier of fabric, pushing it aside so he could tease my glossy flesh, I groaned. It was unexpectedly loud.

Harrison chuckled lightly as he slipped one finger inside me. “Shh…”

Pressing another kiss to my lips, I let his mouth trap the noises I struggled to muffle on my own. As he added a second finger, stretching me, I trapped his bottom lip between my teeth, causing him to release his own noise. Before long, Harrison was perfectly stroking my velvety inner walls and circling his thumb softly over my clit all while we kissed feverishly. I could no longer hear the moans I let go of and he seemed to stop caring. His dark eyes pinned me; I threw my head back as his hand fucked me to the brink of bliss.

I struggled to breathe as he mercilessly pumped his fingers in and out of me. His other strong hand pressed into the small of my back, pulling me forward to meet each thrust of his fingers. My hands gripped his shoulders and I dropped my head, gasping for air, and caught a full view of the artistry with which he pleasured me. The ropey veins of his forearm protruded, tension turning his arm into my ultimate toy. I watched through heavy lids the way his palm began to glisten more and more every time he pounded into me. I was nearly there, trembling with anticipation as the orgasm built deep inside me.

I’d never felt so good. I’d never been so lost to a moment with a man. For all the years I spent seeking pleasure and fun—sure things—Harrison’s touch cast a spell on me I couldn’t escape. But it was the way he looked at me as I came, gritting my teeth and bearing down on him as he wickedly let a third digit glide into my pussy, that made me question why I’d ever resisted him.

I shook and slowly reclaimed the air into my lungs as Harrison slid his fingers out of me. Both of his hands snaked under my dress and grabbed hold of my ass, pulling me toward him so my legs wrapped around his waist. A smirk shaped his lips and as I finally floated down from my high, I rolled my eyes at him.

“Happy with yourself?” I rasped.

He wet his lips and the smirk subsided. “Happy with you.”

16.

Waiting for a Girl Like You

Harrison

The sound of Evan’s boisterous voice calling out for the birthday boy startled us both and Georgia shooed me out the door, telling me she’d be along soon. I knew from the look in her eye what we’d just done and everything prior would be our secret. I wondered how long she’d want to keep it that way.

I turned the corner and smoothed out the front of my shirt, thankful I’d had a moment to think a few unsexy thoughts so my party guests didn’t catch me tenting my slacks.

Evan threw his hands out in front of him and rushed to me. “Dude, where’ve you been? It’s time to embarrass the shit out of you,” he said, clapping me on the back.

I chuckled and moved to where the majority of the guests had gathered and the catering staff was handing out my birthday dessert. I’d never been a fan of being the center of attention, a fact that Evan often used to his advantage to make me uncomfortable.

Holly sidled up next to me and elbowed me in the ribs. “So?”

I looked down at her and only laughed, though I knew my face had to be turning a deep shade of red. She’d been bitching at me, calling me an idiot for not cornering Georgia the second she got to the party and giving me her best
grow some balls
talk when she spotted Georgia and finally said the one thing that resonated: “You spent four years with a bitch like Meredith and you can’t take a little smack talk from someone you actually
like
? Go show her you aren’t fucking around!”

I certainly showed her.

“Hey,” Danielle’s voice piqued my attention and I turned to her, “have you seen Georgia anywhere?”

I cleared my throat and shook my head, unable to answer her for fear of incriminating myself. It was safe to say my nerves were completely shot after making Georgia come in my office. Doing it in another country was one thing, but doing it a few feet away from everyone I knew felt deliciously forbidden. Danielle’s lips twisted, scanning the room just as Georgia walked up in between us. She smiled at me and I almost got hard again looking at her reddened lips and the way her eyes still looked a little wide and glossy. Just fucked.

Shamelessly, I gave her a onceover, drinking in the way her little black dress dipped perfectly in the front to give a glimpse of cleavage and even more perfectly in the back. If I craned my head just right, I could see the border of a tan line I was sure she didn’t want pointed out to Danielle peeking out of the low back of her dress.

“There you are!” Danielle chirped, pulling Georgia’s attention from me.

“Okay, everyone shut up,” Evan said with a smirk on his face. He turned to me from the middle of the crowd just as two waiters arrived with a tray, handing glasses to Danielle and Georgia.

“Root beer floats?” Georgia laughed.

“My favorite,” I replied quietly.

Her lips curved into a sweet grin. “How did I not know that about you?”

Considering the night we’d spent poring over every minuscule detail of each other’s personalities, including favorites, it was a good question.

Danielle let out a laugh and bumped into Georgia’s shoulder. I’d watched her put away a glass of champagne pretty quickly after they arrived but she’d obviously had more while I was with Georgia—it was clear she was tipsy. “You just met him, duh!”

Georgia stifled a giggle and nodded at her friend. “Right.”

“It’s my best friend’s thirtieth and when I told him I was going to throw him a party all he said was, ‘No cake,’” Evan announced, to which the response was a chorus of teasing boos. “But you don’t get a body like that by eating white flour,” he added. The crowd rumbled with laughs and Evan grinned widely at the response.

“You’re not helping the rumors, bro,” I piped up.

Evan shot me a cheeky wink before I saw the seriousness wash over his face when he lifted his glass in the air. “I love you, brother. Happy birthday. I hope you get exactly what you want. You deserve it.”

A few awws chimed around the room and just as I was about to say thank you, the lights dimmed.

“Buuut just because you said no to cake doesn’t mean we aren’t gonna sing,” Evan barked.

A giant frosty mug with a sparkler sticking out of the top mound of ice cream headed toward me on a tray as everyone sang. I dragged a hand over my face and kept the pained smile on when I saw the look of contentment on Evan’s face.

I took the mug with one hand and raised it to my friend as the sparkling candle snuffed itself out and in the second before someone flicked the lights back on, Georgia’s fingers linked with mine at my side. I turned to her beside me and through the applause of nearly thirty guests, I heard her sweet voice. “Happy birthday, Harry,” she said.

She took her hand away from mine when the room lit up again, leaving my skin vibrating where she’d touched me.

“What did you wish for?” Holly asked.

Turning to Holly on my opposite side, I saw the self-satisfied smirk on her face and scolded her with my eyes. Little brat. Standing among the three women suddenly made my heart pound nervously. Drunken Danielle, who hadn’t a clue what Georgia and I were up to; Holly, who knew just about everything and was enough of a punky little sister to try and trip me up in front of Dani and Evan…and Georgia. The only one I wanted to be with on my birthday.

Georgia inhaled sharply beside me and when I focused on her again, turning my head, she appeared stone-faced. With a rigid jaw and tightly pursed lips, it was clear something had suddenly riled her. When I saw her eyes dart back and forth between Holly and me, I scrambled to find words.

“Holly, this is Danielle’s friend, Georgia,” I said, pulling my little sister around to stand beside me. Holly grinned at Georgia and I swear I saw Georgia bare her teeth before she forced a smile. “Georgia, this is Holly. My little sister.”

Her face fell and she bit her lip, smiling through it as she reached for Holly’s hand, shooting me playful daggers with her sultry brown eyes. I pulled my lips into my mouth and bit them, stifling a chuckle at her expense.

“Jealous?” I mouthed silently, one brow cocked.

Georgia narrowed her eyes even more but she couldn’t stave off the grin she was fighting to hide. I shot her a wink before I turned, hearing my name. Though it nearly killed me, I did my best to act normally for the rest of the party and that meant not clinging to the side of the woman I’d “just met.”

A few hours later, the majority of the guests had left while the rest slowly made their way to the elevator and I tried to keep from constantly staring at Georgia from the corner of my eye as Evan headed toward me.

“Great party, man,” I said. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Evan replied with a sincere look. “So, uh, Dani’s pretty lit…I think I need to pour her into bed. Are you cool helping Georgia catch a cab? She wanted to stay in a hotel even though I told her there was plenty of room here. I think she’s over our honeymoon phase.” He laughed.

“Sure, sure. Is Danielle all right?”

Evan sighed. “Yeah. She was nervous about meeting people tonight and got a little too much liquid courage in her. Plus, that fucking bullshit story about me getting back together with Kim started trending again. We’re working on it. It’s just been a lot for her in a short amount of time.”

Putting my palm on his shoulder, I looked him squarely in the eye. “It’s gonna work out, Ev. She loves you. She’s not going anywhere.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said half-heartedly. “Sorry to make you shut down your own party. You sure you don’t mind getting Georgia to her room?”

My throat tightened. I didn’t mind at all. I assured Evan I had it covered and he gave me a quick albeit firm embrace, telling me happy birthday one more time. I watched as he helped Danielle off the couch, where she sat slumped with a goofy grin on her lips.

“But I’m fine!” She giggled as Evan tossed her over his shoulder, heading to his bedroom. Danielle waved at me and I waved back with a smile. When she gave Georgia a weak goodbye, I finally let myself look at her again.

Georgia stood with Holly near the kitchen entry. I heard them snicker as I approached. “Something funny?” I asked.

Holly’s nose wrinkled. “We were just talking about how cute you and your boyfriend are.”

I rolled my eyes and nodded. No amount of teasing from my sister could keep my heart from rebounding in my chest at the sound of Georgia’s effervescent laugh.

“I think it’s nice,” Georgia commented.

“See,” I scolded Holly. “Don’t hate on the bromance. It’s
nice
.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night, manservant.” I saw Holly’s eyes dart toward the elevator and she pulled in a deep breath. “All right, kids, I’m outta here,” she said with a little quake to her voice.

My head whipped around to see Evan’s costar from
The Heirs
, Theo Carter, waiting with an alarmingly smoldering look in his eye. He was waiting for my little sister.

“What are you doing?”

Holly straightened up, firming her posture and arching one brow angrily. I didn’t have to say more for her to know I was playing the protective older brother card. “I was trying to be considerate of your,” she glanced at Georgia then back to me, “
situation
this evening, but I’m not going all the way back to Jersey to my apartment and I’m sure as hell not going to pass up a date with Theo Carter.”

Snorting, I gritted my teeth and stared her down. Stubborn as hell, wild as can be, the biggest pain in my ass, but I loved her. “Please be careful,” I said rigidly.

She turned with a laugh, not bothering to appease me, then stopped to kiss Georgia on the cheek. “Nice meeting you, Georgia. Don’t let this grumpy old man ruin your night.”

Georgia beamed and turned to watch Holly bounce her way over to the sudden A-lister. I dragged a hand over my face when I saw him put his hands on her waist and back her into the open elevator. The sound of Holly’s giggle was the last thing we heard before the doors shut.

“I’m surprised you didn’t go shake him down. One hand to the back of the neck and you’d have that little punk on his knees,” Georgia baited me. “I’ve seen it.”

My tongue ran across my teeth under my smiling lips. I could’ve retorted. We could’ve bantered back and forth all night. Fun was easy with Georgia. Everything was easy with her. I felt a pulse beneath my sternum then another at my groin when she wet her lips.

“So I’m supposed to put you in a cab and send you off to your hotel,” I started.

One corner of her mouth twitched up in a knowing smile. “Yeah…”

“But I’d rather put you in a cab and take you home with me.”

For once, I didn’t feel like her friendship with Danielle sat in the forefront of her mind. She didn’t seem clouded by anything other than maybe lust when she looked me up and down.

She grinned. “What are we waiting for?”

***

The dim light of the inside of the cab painted her skin a delicate blue. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. With the hem of her dress sitting well above her knee, I easily reached over to rest my hand on her thigh. Georgia glanced at me and covered my hand with hers, hugging her fingers around mine. My insides vibrated more at the thrill of holding her hand than staking claim to her thigh and while I knew an admission like that may scare the shit out of her, it made me giddy. This was it. She was it.