Page 4 of Love Under Protection

I don’t ask who ‘they’ are. Instead, I give him a solemn nod and separate myself from him. My phone pings letting me know I’ve got a voicemail waiting so I change my focus to that as I dress in last night’s clothes.

Liv’s voice fills the line as I button up my shirt and grab my small clutch.

“Hey, Raylynn! We’re here! Gosh, this place is so gorgeous. Meet me in the lobby in thirty. Jameson’s booked a spa day for you and me! Seriously how sweet is he? See you soon!”

I delete the message and sigh. Let the crazy begin.

“I need to shower. I’ve got a golf date with a few friends,” Harley grumbles, running a hand over his face.

“Yeah. I should go too. This was fun.”

No regrets. I will not regret throwing caution to the wind and having a little fun with this man.

“It was. Thank you,” he says sweetly, placing a chaste kiss on my forehead.

I escape without another word.

Taking the elevator up one more floor, I rush down the hall and quickly slip the room key in the slot. The door unlocks and I slip inside, heading straight for the shower.

It seems like such a shame to wash away the night. As the water cascades down over my body, I recall the feel of Harley’s hands on me and my core clenches. Nope. No regrets. Not one. Okay, except for maybe the fact that we couldn’t have a repeat this morning.

Chapter 3

Harley

I’d give anything to go back in time by about an hour, to when I was still tucked in bed beside the gorgeous brunette from last night. Instead, I’m driving a golf cart around with my best friend/groom-to-be and his father, Walter.

It’s been non-stop since Jay and Liv’s flight touched down this morning.

Christ, he didn’t even give me a chance to grab a cup of coffee before he started blowing up my phone and twenty minutes after that, dragging me out of my hotel room while I was quite literally still trying to zipper my pants. His annoying and constant barrage of messages and phone calls sent the woman from the night before running out the door. She insisted she had somewhere to be too, but I think she was more worried that whoever was blowing up my phone was going to waltz in and catch us both in a compromising position.

“Harley quit ignoring me.” Jameson slaps me on the back, jolting me forward and causing me to slam on the brakes.

“Jesus, what the hell, man?”

Walter laughs beside me.

“I asked you if you were sure you had your tux and that it fit properly. Liv’s asked me four times now to check with you.”

“Yes, Jay, tell your precious bride that I have my tux, and it fits wonderfully. In fact, it looks so great that all eyes will be on me and not your ugly mug.”

“Remind me again why I asked you to be my best man?”

“Because if not for me, you and Liv wouldn’t be together. Plus, your dad couldn’t do it since he’s filling in for the late Mr. Hawthorne.” I gladly jog his memory.

“I’m not sure how you think you’re responsible for us getting together, but whatever,” Jameson retorts.

Okay, so he’s not wrong. I can’t say I was always Olivia’s biggest fan. In my defense, she did treat Jameson like shit, a lot, before they officially got together. He wasn’t innocent either, but I had taken to calling her the Ice Princess for a while there. I came around once I saw the love they have for each other. Hell, I hate to admit it, but Olivia is good for him - they’re good for each other.

“Son, speaking of Mr. Hawthorne…” Walter pipes up.

“No Dad, Liv did not invite her mother. Dahlia made it clear that she didn’t have time for such frivolous things and felt that Liv’s money would be better spent on something flashier besides a wedding to a piece of blue-collar scum,” Jameson grunts.

“Sometimes, it’s hard for me to believe she’s the same woman who was married to Marvin all those years. I know your mother would really like to wring her neck.”

“I’d pay to see that,” I interject. “My money is on Greta.”

Jameson told me all about how Olivia’s mom basically went nuts when Olivia’s father died. Come to find out Mrs. H had been having an affair with her husband’s brother of all people. The whole situation is a million kinds of fucked up and explains why Olivia had some issues herself.

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