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His tongue grazed hers, drinking her in even as her fingers undid the last button. She pulled away from his kiss long enough to push the fabric over his shoulders and down to the floor.
Harley took a deep breath and undid his belt. He turned his back to her and walked over to the bed, where he slipped out of the rest of his clothes. He sat on the edge of the bed, eased back to lean against the pillows and watched her from across the room. His appreciative gaze on her body made her feel sexier than she ever had before. She’d always felt too thin, even boyish in shape with no real curves to speak of. But he looked at her like she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen and she wanted to show off for him.
Jade started by turning her back to him, displaying the curve of her ass in the thin black G-string panties she was wearing. She reached up and pulled the pins from her hair. The twisted bun unraveled, letting the pale blond strands cascade down her bare back and shoulders. She shook it out a little, hearing his sharp intake of breath from the bed.
Then she hooked her thumbs beneath her panties and started easing them over her hips. She did it slowly, bending at the waist as they slid down her legs until she was able to kick them aside. When she turned to face him again, his hands were fisted and his jaw was tight with restraint.
“Come here,” was all he said.
Jade moved to the bed, and Harley reached out for her waist and tugged her into his lap. She straddled him, looking into his big blue eyes as he again leaned back against the pillows that lined the padded leather headboard. There were so many unspoken emotions trapped there. If she gazed long enough into their depths, she wondered if she would uncover how he really felt about her. She could easily sense his desire for her. And that he cared for her. But was there more to it than just that? And if there was, would she let her heart have what she wanted this time?
Last time, she’d done what she thought was right and followed her head, not her heart. She’d taken the advice of her well-meaning friends and family, and gone after
what she thought she needed in her life. Not what she wanted. Because then, as well as now, Jade wanted Harley. Not just in her bed, but in her life. She wanted to share his life. Share his last name. She wanted to share a future with him, even without knowing what that would entail for them.
Because she loved him. If she was honest with herself, she’d have to admit she loved Harley and always had. She had talked herself out of it, insisted it was youthful infatuation and directed herself onto the “right” path with Lance, but that had never made her a fraction as happy as she was when she was with Harley.
The realization should’ve made her glad. At last she knew what she wanted in her life. And yet she felt the prickle of tears. Leaning forward, she kissed him and squeezed her eyes shut to keep them from rolling down her cheeks, where Harley could see them.
He wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her tight against his chest and lifting her up just enough for him to slip inside her. She came back down at a tantalizingly slow pace, stopping for a moment to cherish the feel of him. In this moment, they were connected in a way she’d longed for. It wouldn’t last forever, though, so she needed to treasure every second they shared like this.
That’s how they came together. Rocking back and forth on the bed, riding every high together until her thighs burned, her center throbbed and they couldn’t hold out any longer. When she came undone, it wasn’t with a cry, but a soft gasp in his ear as she clung to his neck. He followed her, groaning her name in a way that a man wouldn’t do unless he felt something for her.
When it was over, Harley gently rolled onto his side. Scooping Jade into his arms, he tugged her back against his chest and curled protectively around her. “Jade?” he said, in a hushed whisper from behind her.
“Yes?” she replied, her stomach suddenly tightening. He wasn’t the kind for pillow talk, so whatever he wanted to say to her right now was important.
“I know you’re nervous about meeting the Steeles and what it might mean for you and your future. You always worry about fitting in. But you’re amazing,” he said. “Don’t let anyone ever do or say anything to make you feel otherwise.”
It was a sweet thing to say. Something she needed to hear, for sure. But in that moment, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. It had felt like the moment. His chance to say that he wanted more with her. That he cared for her. That he loved her. But instead, she got a lovely compliment and a boost to help her through her nervousness.
She knew then that she couldn’t, wouldn’t, tell Harley how she felt. Not now, at least. Maybe when the case was over. Right now, it was more important that he focus on what he’d been hired to do. His mind seemed to always be centered there, anyway.
And if he packed up and headed home to DC without a backward glance, she’d be relieved to know she’d kept her mouth shut and hadn’t made a fool of herself a second time.
* * *
“You know, if I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it.”
Confused, Harley stopped short in the entryway of Jade’s house. The voice he heard didn’t make sense in this context. He scanned the room, stopping when he spied Isaiah installing a motion detector in the corner of the kitchen.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Installing the equipment you ordered. This is the last of it, actually.” Isaiah climbed down from the stepladder and set the drill on the kitchen table. “The cleanup crew is on their way to straighten up the place, too.”
Harley shook his head. “That’s not what I mean. What are you doing here? This isn’t your job. You’re supposed to be back in DC watching over the office, not putting in cameras and sensors in Charleston.”
“It seemed like a rush job, so I came down with the other guys to lend a hand.”
Harley stared at his friend in disbelief. “You know better than anyone that you can’t lie to me.”
Isaiah grinned widely, giving up any pretense about why he was here. “Fine. But do you really think I’d pass up this chance?”
“What chance?”
“To see the great Harley Dalton in love.”
“Pish!” Harley said dismissively. “You came down here for nothing, man.”
