AllFreeNovel
Share Us
At the mention of Josh going back, I clam up as everything starts to get a little blurry. My heart starts to race, and my hands start shaking as Josh quietly asks the guys to leave and once they’re gone, he kisses my neck, then my jaw on his way to my lips. The instant those lips touch mine, I begin to calm down.
“Talk to me, sweetheart,” he whispers as I take a deep breath, my eyes meeting his.
“When I saw you…” I trail off, not about to get the words out. “It was as if I was a kid all over again. I felt every emotion I thought I buried when my dad died and that scared the crap out of me… like history repeating itself.” I stop before the full sense of panic sets in, and I can’t make my eyes meet his.
“Harper, this was completely different.” His voice is quiet as he takes my hands in his, bringing them to his lips and lightly kissing each knuckle.
I know he’s right, but that fear is still there, lingering in the back of my head.
“I know, but you didn’t see it. You went into those stands and all I could do was stare and pray that you would get up… when you didn’t…” I can’t finish that sentence, the thought of my life without him is maddening.
“Sunshine, I’m right here,” he says, placing my hands on his chest, taking a breath when I feel his steady heartbeat beneath my fingers. But I still shake my head, knowing he doesn’t fully understand.
“That’s not it. I know you’re fine, and I know that the risk of you getting hurt is always there, but today all my fears came to a head. I barely had a chance to absorb what they meant with everything happening so fast, so when King mentioned you going back… it scared me.”
“I know the thought of me going back scares you right now, hell, if I’m being honest, I’m a little scared too, but I can’t not play baseball. That’s something I can’t give up.”
“I would never ask you to quit. Ever. That’s not even an option, this fear is mine and mine alone. I’ll deal with it, I just wanted you to know it’s there.”
He brings me closer, so his lips graze my ear. “You will never have to do anything alone. I promise,” he whispers before kissing me lightly and pulling me back against his chest.
And for the first time, I think I believe him.
We finally walk through Josh’s front door after filling out mountains of paperwork to get him discharged from the hospital. We spent most of the day talking about my phone call with his lawyer and what happened with TJ. He was rightfully pissed and even now when I help him to his bed, his eyes rake over my body as if he’ll find bruises.
“Stop,” I mutter, pushing him gently back so he’s leaning against the headboard. His eyes narrow and I sigh.
“How can I sit here and rest when that fucker is out there walking around as if nothing happened!”
He’s right, I’m just as mad about this, but Dixon told us that we needed to stay away in order for the police and investigators to do their jobs properly.
“Baby.” I softly run my fingers through his hair, smiling when his eyes close in pleasure. “I’m just as pissed as you, but you know we have to keep a low profile until papers are filed, and that can’t happen until tomorrow. So rest so we can start living our life, okay?”
He’s silent and I take that silence as agreement as I head into the kitchen, grabbing some over-the-counter painkillers that the doctor told me would help with his headaches and a glass of water. When I head back into the bedroom, his head is resting against the headboard, eyes closed and so I quietly place the pills and glass on his bedside table and walk into the closet to change into some sweats.
“I heard you, you know,” Josh says as I change, and I stick my head out and see his eyes wide open.
“What do you mean?” I ask, making my way toward him and finally sitting on the side of the bed.
“I heard you ask me to wake up. I remember the feel of your hand squeezing mine and trust me, sweetheart, I tried with every ounce of strength to squeeze back.”
I can’t hold back the tears anymore as they fall freely from my eyes. I’ve spent the past few hours trying with everything I had to be strong for him. But hearing those words come out of his mouth crumbles every defense I put up. Josh quickly pushes back the covers and pulls me toward his chest, wrapping those strong arms around me.
“I love you so much, Harper.”
“I love you too,” I whisper as his arms pull me closer and closer.
I missed this.
I get ready to pull away, but his hands have other ideas as they begin to wander, stroking up and under my shirt and groaning when he finds I’m not wearing a bra.
“I know I just got out of the hospital, but I need you,” he begs into the crook of my neck as his hands make their way into my hair, leaving gooseflesh in their wake. Before I know it, he grabs my ass with both hands and hauls me onto his lap. “Fuck, Sunshine, this ass could rule the world one day.”
Of course he would say something like that at a time like this.
“Strip for me,” he mutters against my lips before I lean back, looking down at him.
I get off his lap, planning on telling him to rest and that I’ll go watch TV in the other room, but when I connect my eyes with his, the arousal tethered between us changes everything and I know I need this just as much as he does in this moment. I start with my sweatpants, shimmying them down my hips and smiling at the intake of breath from Josh at the sight of my white lace thong. I’m still bent over when I peer over my shoulder, giving him my best seductive look and by the hooded eyes he’s giving me, I think it’s working.
