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His thumb brushed gentle circles on my hand. “I talked to your mom.”
I turned in his arms so I could see his face. “What did you say?”
His jaw clenched and his gray eyes seemed harder than I’d ever seen them. He was angry, but not at me. I was certain of that. “I told her she was wrong for treating you the way she did.”
He shared the whole scene with me, and with each word out of his mouth, I fell a little more in love with him. No one had ever come to my defense like he had tonight. I pressed my forehead against his collarbone and closed my eyes, trying to breathe through the swell of emotion that crashed into me.
“Jordan backed me up,” he added quietly. “For what it’s worth, I think your brothers are decent guys, although Eric is my personal favorite if I have to pick.”
That made a laugh bubble up.
“And my dad?”
“Didn’t say a word.”
That tracked. It was disappointing but not a surprise. My dad hadn’t always been like this, but grief had changed us all. But grief didn’t excuse cowardice, and standing next to your wife while she told your daughter she should be dead was cowardice of the highest order. I had hoped for more from him, but maybe I should’ve known he’d always side with Mom.
I was done worrying about either of them. It was time to move forward with my life. Harry was right that I didn’t deserve to punish myself for being young and making a bad choice. I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to let go of the mindset I’d been living with for the last five years, but I knew I was ready to try.
Especially with this man by my side.
I glanced up at Harry, cupping his face and bringing his mouth down to mine. His kiss was soft but just as all-consuming as always.
God, he could kiss.
He kissed me like he was devouring me, but instead of the intense passion from last time, this was slow, savoring.
Like I was a treasure and he was going to relish every second.
His hand came up to cup the back of my neck, his fingers threading into my hair, but I could feel his restraint—the way he was letting me set the pace, giving me room to take what I needed.
All I needed was him.
I pulled at the hem of his shirt, and he broke the kiss long enough to pull it over his head. My hands found his chest, his abs, the toned skin I was still getting used to exploring. His gaze was hot on me as he traced my touch across his body, his breathing getting heavier and his gray eyes turning dark and stormy.
We didn’t need words. Our actions would do the talking.
Maybe they always had.
Maybe I’d always belonged to him and he’d just been waiting for me to catch up.
He undressed me slowly, peeling off each layer with a patience that made my skin burn. My sweater first, then the top underneath, his fingers grazing my sides on the way up and leaving goose bumps in their wake. He unhooked my bra and then tossed it off the side of the bed. His mouth found the curve of my neck, kissing there while his hand cupped my breast and toyed with my hard nipples. He worked his way over my collarbone and then down to the swell of my breast, replacing his hand with his mouth. His touch wasn’t rushed, and his mouth sucked on my peaked nipple like he was teasing me, completely unhurried, despite the way my body was writhing on the bed. I needed more.
I reached for the button of his jeans, but he grabbed my hands and brought them above my head, holding them together with one hand as his mouth met mine in a kiss that left me breathless.
How did he always know what I needed without me telling him?
He tightened his grip slightly and arched a brow, asking a silent question that I understood immediately. I nodded. I’d keep my hands right where he put them.
He kissed me again, quicker this time, and then moved down to pull my pants and underwear down my legs. While he was off the bed, he stripped out of the rest of his clothes until he was as naked as I was. His hungry gaze devoured me as he slowly lifted my foot, placing it on his shoulder and then kissing his way down my leg until he was between my parted thighs.
A groan escaped him before he licked up my center and then swirled that wicked tongue of his around my clit. My eyes closed and my head tilted back as bliss washed over me. I wanted to touch him, but I also wanted to trust his lead and that desire won out.
Just like his kiss on my mouth earlier, he kissed my pussy like he was savoring it, like every swipe of his tongue was meant to commit my flavor to memory. It was teasing and sensual and so intensely frustrating because it wasn’t enough to throw me off the cliff of pleasure I was desperate for.
“Harry.” It came out more pleading than I’d ever heard from myself before, but I couldn’t stop it.
His heated gaze met mine and then he slowly slid a finger inside me while his mouth fastened to my clit and sucked. My hands gripped the top of the pillow as pleasure wound tighter and tighter inside me. My thighs shook and my breath came out in shallow pants until it reached a fever pitch and I tipped over, my orgasm radiating through me like a supernova until I was a shaking mess on the bed.
