Page 100 of Billion Dollar Dispute

Peering into the mirror, he pulls his fingers out of me and licks them clean, moaning my name. His face is erotic. I twist in his arms and bring my hands to his neck, as his hands settle on my hips. His heavy lust-filled eyes make my heart beat harder. I rise onto my toes, and we kiss… It's a slow, soft kiss. When we pull apart, he’s wearing the biggest boyish grin, and it makes it hard to stop a wide smile from taking over my face.

I run my hand through his messy hair. “I’ve always wanted to do this,” I admit, curling my fingers and tugging on it the way I’ve always wanted to.

“I knew you secretly loved it.”

He leans into my hand. “The first time I touched it at Oliver's gallery, I wanted to push it up and kiss you.”

He growls. “You should’ve.”

I drop my hands back to his neck. “No, tonight was perfect.”

“Yeah, it was, wasn't it.” He rests his forehead on mine, remaining silent as we catch our breaths and soak in this moment.

A few moments later, we pull apart to clean ourselves up and then the office. I expected it to be awkward, but it isn’t. We kiss and throw our clothes at each other, and the weightless feeling in my body makes me feel like a teenage girl with a school crush on the popular kid.

“When can we do that again?” he asks, after we’re both dressed and ready to leave.

This is when my reality of a single mom with minimal help hits me. “I don’t know.”

I hang up the phone with my realtor. I’m searching for a condo for Chad and me. It feels like a big step forward, but also a reminder of everything I’m juggling. Today, I need to find time to call the bank and fill out forms. Pushing the glass door, I take a deep breath, steady myself, and head into work.

“Why do you look different?” Molly's eyes narrow as she reads my face when I walk into work the next morning.

I quickly look down at myself, checking for any changes. “I don’t look different. You’re exaggerating.”

“Take a look at yourself.” Molly points to the small mirror on the wall.

I catch a glimpse of my reflection, and there’s a mess of flyaways on my head. I quickly smooth them down, but it doesn’t remove the fact I barely slept last night. I’ve replayed my night with Harvey repeatedly. I tossed and turned, remembering every touch, word and kiss, that by the time I fell asleep, I slept in and was late dropping Chad off.

I take the chair beside her desk. “Don’t say anything, but… last night, I was with, Harvs.”

“Must be serious if you're giving him a nickname,” she teases, raising her eyebrow and leaning in closer.

I lower my voice, glancing around as if someone?Harvey?might overhear. “No, I'm talking in code.”

Molly shrugs, a small smile on her lips. “Well, I like the nickname. And he’s not here, so tell me everything.”

My body temperature rises at the memory, and I struggle to find the words. “It was… mind-blowing. I’ve never been with a guy like him.”

Harvey is not like the men I’ve known, and I have to stop trying to make him fit that mold. He’s different…better. I canfeel the shift inside me as I realize how much I’ve been holding him to an unfair standard, comparing him to the past, to the mistakes and disappointments that came with it. But Harvey isn’t that. He’s something more, something I’m not used to. It’s hard to let go of the walls I’ve built, but I can feel them crumbling a little each time he proves me wrong.

Her eyes widen as she sits back. “What do you mean?”

“He was solely focused on me… showering me with compliments and making sure I felt amazing the whole time. And his mouth… God, his words.”

Molly’s lip’s part, and the biggest smile takes over her face as her hands rub together. “Are we talking dirty talk, or…?”

I rub my temple, trying to will away my embarrassment and not be shy about how good he was. But I’m sure my face is bright red with the memory…

“Goddamn,” Molly says in awe. “I’ve always wanted a guy to do that without me having to ask.”

A shiver runs down my spine, the intensity still vivid in my mind. “I’ve never had that before. But it’s?”

“Hot,” Molly interjects.

“He wasn’t just saying it, he was showing me. It made my insecurities disappear, and I was able to fully enjoy the moment.”

Molly’s face softens, knowing what I mean. She’s aware of how insecure I’ve been about being a single mom because she is too.

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