Page 46 of Harry

They chatted about clothes, makeup, cleaning supplies, and the kids before they got to Ava’s house. After Lila and Emma came home, they made snacks and then played a board game both kids wanted to play. They were in the middle of the game when Wild and Harry came in.

Seeing Harry’s smile made her heart swell. Having a normal time with Ava and the girls and then seeing Harry smile at her like that made her afternoon. Ava had chicken she popped into the oven, and they played with the girls until it was time to eat dinner.

Rory excused herself to the restroom to freshen up before dinner, and when she stepped out of the bathroom, Harry was right there in the hall with her.

“Hey, you look good,” Harry said before she could get past him.

She paused and met his gaze. “So do you.”

His lips quirked up. “It’s nice seeing you happy.”

She nodded. “I am happy. I like spending time with Ava.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re friends with her.”

“Me, too. And I’m glad I have you.”

He reached up and ran his thumb over her cheek. “I’m glad you have me, too. I want to be in your life for a long time.”

She thought about moving to the den but needed to feel closer to him. When she leaned in, Harry froze. She almost pulled back, but the need to feel close to him grew, and she brushed her lips over his.

She could feel him quiver at her touch. It was excitement and love all poured into one place. Their gaze met, and the heat was almost too much. Harry cleared his throat and stepped back. She didn’t want him to stop.

“Wait,” she whispered.

He froze, and she placed her hand on his chest. Her fingers trailed over his pecs, then his collarbone. It had been so long since she’d wanted to touch a man. They were at Wild and Ava’s house, but she couldn’t stop this slow exploration.

One of the kids shrieked with laughter, and she pulled her hand back. Harry caught her hand and brought it to his lips.

“Later, we’ll explore more later. That is, if you want to.”

She nodded. “I don’t know what I’ll be able to do, but that was nice.”

He smiled. “It was. I like having you touch me.”

She bit her lip, her gaze flicking to the ground as embarrassment filled her. He cupped her cheek, and she glanced up, meeting his gaze.

“Do you think you could let me be in charge?”

He nodded. “You could tie me down. That way, you would be in control.”

Heat filled her face, and she gasped as one of the kids came running down the hall. This wasn’t the place to have that conversation.

“We’ll talk about that later,” Harry said before reaching down and flattening the front of his pants, then he untucked his shirt.

She guessed he had gotten hot and bothered just like her. She wanted to explore Harry. She just hoped she was brave enough to go through with it.

Chapter 39

Harry had Rory hot and bothered all evening. Every time she looked at him, she thought about how good it had been the one time they’d had sex. Working with the therapist, she’d started to separate what had happened at the compound from what had happened in her life before.

Dinner was nice. Watching Ava and Wild work together with the girls and in the kitchen made her heart squeeze. She’d always thought men weren’t into doing family things. She’d never really seen it in action, but Wild did so much. When it was time for the girls to wash up before bed, Wild said it was his turn and headed upstairs with Emma and Lila. She heard the girls laughing while they were saying goodbye to Ava.

She relaxed into Ava’s hug, thankful she had good friends willing to help her recover. She couldn’t imagine what her life would be like if she had left California.

“Call if you need anything,” Ava said before she let go.

“Thank you. You all have been so good to me.”

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