Page 11 of The Secrets We Share

Walking her up to the spare room, I get her situated. I contemplate joining her in bed like we used to because, knowing Harkin, he’ll be up all night working on whatever he and James are trying to crack. But in the end, I trudge over to the mainbedroom. Cinder lays curled up in a ball on the end of the bed. Her spot since she was a puppy, as much as Harkin hates it.

After months of not drinking, the two glasses of wine swirl through my blood, clouding my thoughts. Moving through the bedroom, I strip down, leaving pieces of clothing in my wake. The oversized clawfoot tub under the frosted arched window calls to me.

I flip on the hot water, dousing the bottom of the tub in the bubble bath and oils provided by the rental company. Slowly, I dip my body into the steaming water, relaxing quickly against the padded headrest. The scent of vanilla and peppermint fills the bathroom, and I wish I had thought of dimming the lights and turning on some music.

Left alone with my thoughts is never a great place to be. My anxiety quickly builds, regardless of the calm state I’m in. It never matters how much Harkin assures me we’ll figure this out together. My self-reliance from years of being alone has systematically engrained a need to figure shit out immediately.

I could go to my father, keep Harkin out of it, and finally figure out what the hell his end game is. But all that will do is cause mass chaos for my man. He’ll never let me go now. I’d have to drug him, tie him down, and become a ghost to disappear from him again. And if I’m honest with myself, that’s the last thing I want.

Harkin is it. He’s the one I’ll always want. It doesn’t matter if he has a daughter with my sister. It doesn’t matter if my father has other intentions for me. None of it matters because I would rather take my last breath than separate from him.

I draw in a deep breath, sliding beneath the calm edge of glassy water. The weightlessness washes away my mind’s need to piece everything together. When I break through the surface and settle back, a hand slips against my skin, pushing a strand of hair out of my face.

“There you are.” Harkin’s warm tone surrounds me.

I purr like a cat raised from a nap in the sun. “Join me?”

He doesn’t answer. Instead, his hand swishes through the cooling water. “How about we take this to bed instead?” he asks, extending his hand to me for a safe exit.

I take it, and he pulls my body from the warm depths. Water cascades down my relaxed muscles. He wraps me in a soft towel before drawing me into his arms. I nuzzle into his neck, inhaling his familiar scent that I could pick out of a blind lineup.

This is the side of Harkin that makes me stay. Not the way he handles situations with a firm hand, not the money or the tech genius. It’s the man who takes care of me when no one else has since my mom died. I feel the sting of her loss every day, but he lessens it. Hour by hour, day by day, I’ve learned to love again.

Stacey’s shock about me not sharing that little tidbit of information plays back through my head. She might be right. Maybe it’s time to let the final brick crumble.

SIX

HARKIN

Whisper (Slowed) - Able Heart

It’s time. I need to tell her the truth I’ve been holding on to. I don’t think we can move forward with the chaos about to rain down on us without clearing the air first. Her warm, wet body nestles into my hold as I step into the other room.

“Here, let me get you some clothes,” I offer as I try to place her on her side of the bed. She doesn’t let go, clinging to pull me down with her. The towel drops open, exposing her beautiful body.

“I don’t need clothes. Come to bed,” she whispers into my ear.

What my little one wants, she gets. There’s no denying her in times like this, with the vulnerability written all over her face.

“Sweetness, we’re not alone in this house,” I remind her as I follow her body down onto the soft mattress. Her thighs spread, opening with enough space for me to lay between them. It feels wrong to be this close to her and still have a barrier of fabric between us.

“I can be quiet. Plus, I’m pretty sure Stacey had enough wine to knock out an elephant.”

“But James is still very much awake,” I point out. “And we need his help. So, you better not let him hear you come all over my tongue.”

Her giggles fill the quiet room as I push down her body, capturing a pink pert nipple in my mouth with a gentle tug. Those giggles quickly turn deeper into soft moans of pleasure the moment my tongue flicks against her clit.

“Are you going to stay quiet for me?”

She nods in agreement, but when my head lifts from between her thighs and my eyes cast up at her, she remembers. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good girl. Now fuck my face, baby.”

Diving back down, I lick her slit from her puckered hole to clit, then pause and wait for her to take the reins. She doesn’t hesitate, rotating her hips back and forth, chasing her high. Her breathing turns erratic, and I slip my hands around her thighs, pulling her down against my tongue even harder. Rough fingers dig into my hair, pulling from the scalp.

“Fuck, Harkin, don’t stop. Right there. I’m so close,” she begs loudly, and I pinch her inner thigh in warning.

Her whimpers set me off. One orgasm is never enough between us. Her fingers, which were digging into my scalp, push against my shoulders as she tries to break away from me. Overstimulation turns her moans into laughter as I refuse to let her move away from my tongue.

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