Page 84 of Falling For Temptation

Or was it yesterday? I know it’s nearly midnight or past it.

It must have terrified her. She slept with me, and I have no real idea how it went for her. Then, I went screaming my love in her face the next day.

She ran from me, and I can’t blame her. I wish there were someone I could ask about sex, but aside from Harley, anyone else I trust enough to broach the subject with is less experienced than I am now.

Was it so bad that she would literally rather be with an abusive ex-convict who’s twenty-four years older than her?

I’m beginning to panic as my thoughts spiral down. I rise, so I can pace the room.

Several minutes later, I abandon my agitated circling and sit next to her motionless form. I lay my head down on her hand again, pressing it to my skin as I drift off to sleep.

It’s still dark in the room when I lift my head. I see round windows of blue sky staring at me.

She lets out a raspy sigh, a tear dripping over her cheek.

I instinctively reach over to wipe it away, and her hand reaches up to hold mine to her face. She presses a kiss to my palm.

“You came,” she whispers, more tears trailing down.

I start to feel hope again at her words. I lean toward her, caressing her cheek with my thumb.

“Of course I came.” I swallow over the lump crowding my esophagus.

She reaches both arms out, and I immediately crush her to me, careful not to pull on the IV. She sniffles on my shoulder for several seconds.

“I love you too, Adam. I’m so sorry I left,” she breathes the most beautiful words into my ear, all my fears melting away.

My heart is leaping inside of me, and if I thought sex was incredible, this moment is absolutely euphoric.

“I love you so much, Harley,” I choke out. I pull her even tighter before slowly releasing.

She wipes her tears, lips slightly curving upward. She scoots over on the bed, and I sit next to her, my arm over her shoulders.

“I thought I could fix it. I thought if I let him…finish the Medusa, he would leave me alone,” she says quietly.

I bring my finger to her lips. “You don’t have to explain anything. He’s gone now. He’ll be put away for a long time.” I’m caressing her cheek, incapable of not touching her skin. “But if you…want to talk about it, I’ll always listen. I…if he hurt you, I think I might need to ask for a moment alone with him.”

If the authorities let me, I would absolutely rip his body to shreds.

She quickly shakes her head. “The cop got there before…before we even started. I was…panicking, and I knew where he kept the guns. Actually, isn’t there some kind of charge for holding a gun on a detective?”

It’s my turn to shake my head. Her hand is grabbing at my waist, but the small physical contact isn’t nearly enough.

“No, he said it won’t be in the report. You were defending yourself.”

I pull her toward me, and she must feel the same because she abandons her place on the bed, crawling out of the covers to straddle my lap. I sigh indulgently, reaching around to grab her waist before I realize the hospital gown is slit up the back.

My finger makes contact with her warm, bare skin at the top of her butt cheek, and I suck in a breath.

Her smile is devious, like she knew it would happen. She leans into me, dipping her face down. The positive reaction from her fuels my action, and I indulge in the feel of her backside in my hands fully. Very few things feel better than this, and the ones that do all involve Harley.

She’s a breath away from me now, and I press a kiss to her lips. She’s delicious, opening to me immediately. My tongue is exploring her mouth in the next moment, and her fingers have started tracing my earlobe.

My hands are still gripping her from behind, the rest of her body flush with mine but separated by too much fabric.

After a few more seconds of sliding tongues and hungry lips, I pull back, panting.

“I cannot have sex with you in a hospital bed,” I say, forcing myself to move my hands away from her butt and close the gown around her.

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