Page 10 of The Luminosity of Loriana Harper

He managed to shuffle his way over to the bed in the far corner. He was debating the best approach, but when he knelt on the far corner of the mattress, Loriana turned. Her expression turned from wary to welcoming in a heartbeat.

“Mitch.” Soft and warm.

She patted the space behind her. “Join us.” She held up a finger. “Sorry, one moment.” She turned and whispered something into Geoff’s ear.

He propped himself on one elbow and glanced back over at Mitch. “Oh, he’s more than welcome to join us.”

Mitch would consider the enthusiasm later. For now, he accepted the offer, raising the comforter and crawling in behind Loriana. When he began to settle, she threw a glance over her shoulder. “You can get closer.” Pause. “If you want.” Almost as an afterthought.

Well, he most certainly wanted.

He eased himself so he lay flush against her. He pressed his chest against her back and placed his hand on her arm. She snagged it and, to his surprise, pulled it under her arm and placed his hand on her chest. Below her collarbone but above her breasts. Then she melted back against him so there wasn’t a breath of space between them. He lowered his head to the pillow and sniffed her hair.

Creepy much?

And yet not. He’d struggled to identify that hint of something earlier. Strawberry? Raspberry? Definitely something from the edible side. Made him want to nibble on her. She’d tucked her hair under her head, so he had the most perfect view of her delicate neck and earlobe. He’d never bitten a woman’s earlobe before, but the urge was gnawing at him. She fit so perfectly against him. Their thighs touched, and her ass pressed against his groin.

Don’t get hard. Don’t get hard. Don’t…

Fuck.

It happened. The thing he dreaded the most. Part of him was relieved he could still get hard, and part of him was horrified because this was so not the time and place. He started to ease away when she reached out and pressed a hand to his thigh.

“It’ll pass.” Her words were soft.

Geoff chuckled. “It does, I promise.”

Heat burned in Mitch’s cheeks. Bad enough Loriana felt his erection, worse still that Geoff now knew about it. He wanted to pull back. Wanted to make an excuse and leave. But he’d been welcomed by these two, and since this was probably going to be the closest he ever get to Loriana, he’d have to make the best of it.

He tried to focus on his other senses. He heard soft murmurs and plenty of laughter. He flashed to the puppy pile and wondered what it’d be like to join them. He remembered Ardelle’s kindness in encouraging him to come over, and besides the erection that was slowly waning, he couldn’t regret the decision. Then he reviewed all the specs for the work tomorrow, estimating how long the entire installation would take. If he shaved a few minutes off each station, he might be able to fit in one more. Of course that meant less time with the lovely Loriana and the enigmatic Marnie.

Could he find a way to prolong that contact? Because the last thing he wanted was to say goodbye on Monday and never see the women again. Okay, if he was brutally honest, his life would carry on much as it had if he never saw the raven-haired beauty again. But this feisty redhead? No, not a redhead. Auburn with flecks of gold. Did her hair lighten in the summer?

“Mitch.”

Her tone led him to believe this was not the first time she’d called his name. “Sorry, yes?”

“It’s okay.” Again, tender and soft. “I was just telling Geoff how much I’m enjoying this.”

He didn’t miss the hitch in her voice. A warning of sorts. Unbidden, he almost asked how long it’d been for her. Since someone had held her. Made her feel safe. Made her feel treasured.

And for him? Months since he’d been with a woman. Perhaps he’d never been so intimate. Especially with all his clothes on.

His senses went on high alert when Loriana tensed. Subtle, but there nonetheless. Had Geoff done something? Had he done something?

Then she sniffed.

In that moment, everything came into sharp focus. He grasped her closer, and she held on tight to his hand. Each sniff broke his heart and each shudder-wracked sob broke his soul. He had no idea why she was crying. He couldn’t even remember what they’d been talking about. She’d been smiling when she’d asked him to join her, and now she was sobbing quietly.

Movement drew his attention as Geoff gently extricated himself. “I’ll go grab tissues.” He offered a sympathetic smile as he stepped away.

Feeling helpless, yet knowing now was the moment to step up, Mitch held her close. “You can let it out, Loriana. Whatever you’ve been holding inside, it’s okay to feel that. To embrace it.” God, was he saying the right things? A crying woman was so out of his wheelhouse. He remembered his mother crying when he was a young boy and trying to comfort her. He felt as powerless now as he had back then.

Geoff returned with a box of tissues and a sympathetic Patsy. She crouched before Loriana and took one of the tissues, handing it to the sobbing woman.

“I’m so—” Hiccup. “—sorry—” Sob. “—embarrassed.” Sniffle.

“Here, now, young lady, none of that.” Patsy settled in. “May I touch you?”

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