Page 60 of Perfect Harmony

Addison fidgeted with her car keys but toher credit, didn’t try to deny it. “Yes, I remember.”

“Is Preacher the guy you’re crushing on?”

“What?” Addison laughed a little too longand a little too loud. “Don’t be silly, Gracie. I barely know him. Besides,I don’t have a crush on anyone in particular. I told you that before. I was sayingin general that sometimes I wish I had experimented a little more or occasionallythought about kissing another guy. It wasn’t anyone specific. Preacher isn’tmy type.”

“Preacher’s a good looking guy,” Grace said.“Lots of women find him attractive, Addie. It’s nothing to be embarrassedabout.”

“I’m not attracted to him,” Addie insisted.“I just saw a different side of him at the career day thing and it’s thrown me abit. I don’t find him sexy nor do I fantasize about kissing him.”

Addison was a terrible liar.

Instead of calling her out on it, Gracesaid, “You know it’s okay to be crushing on… a random dude, even if you’re happilyin love with the man of your dreams. You are happy, right?”

Addison hesitated and Grace reached for herhand. “Addie, if you’re having second thoughts about -”

“I’m not,” she said. “Of course, I’mhappy. In three months, I’m marrying the love of my life. Why wouldn’t I behappy?”

“I just don’t want you feeling like you’retoo far into this to change your mind or -”

“I don’t,” Addison said. “I want to marryHarrison. I love him.” She kissed Grace’s cheek. “I gotta go. Love you, honey.”

“Love you too.”

* * *

Addison locked her car and grabbed the winebottle from where she’d set it on the roof. She made her way up the streettoward Harrison’s house, smiling and nodding to Mrs. Garjein next door when theold woman waved at her from her front porch.

She loved Harrison’s neighbourhood. He livedin one of the older sections of Harmony Falls and the streets were lined withtowering oak trees. It was gorgeous in the fall when the leaves turned colour.In another few months, this would beherneighbourhood too.

She scanned the flower boxes that lined thefront porch. Harrison’s mother always planted them for her son, but next yearit would be Addison who decided which flowers went into them. She and Harrisonwould plant them together.

She needed to remind Harrison to clean outthe other half of the garage. Right now, his car was the only one that fit,and she really didn’t want to park in the driveway in the winter. She alsoneeded to talk to him about going through their furniture and other stuff. Harrisonwould want to keep his furniture and she couldn’t blame him – his was high end leatherand hers was thrift store chic at best – but there were a few pieces she wantedto keep.

Like Harrison’s going to agree to that.He won’t even clear a drawer for you or give you any closet space and how manynights a week do you stay at his place? You had to beg him to let you leavesome toiletries in the guest bathroom. Don’t you think it’s strange that Harrisondidn’t want to move in together, even after you got engaged?

She paused on the front steps of the porch,trying to ignore the troublesome niggle at the base of her spine. Okay, maybeit was weird that she and Harrison didn’t live together, but Harrison liked hisspace. He always had. She knew that and she respected it. Would it have beeneasier for her if they’d lived together? Of course, but Harrison deserved tohave his needs met as well.

Besides, a proper lady didn’t shack up witha man. A proper lady –

Oh my God, enough with the proper ladyshit. What happens if Harrison can’t get over his personal space thing after you’remarried?

She ignored her inner voice. Harrisonwould be fine once they were married. They’d be living together, but it wasn’tlike she’d be glued to his side the whole time they were at home. She knewwhat he needed, and she could give him space even if they were living together.

She climbed the steps and juggled thebottle of wine and her overnight bag in one hand as she dug through her purse forher keys. She needed to make a note on her phone to talk to Harrison about theplaylist for the DJ. He’d emailed her twice now. If Harrison didn’t sit downand take a final look at the playlist, she’d have to send it as is. Oh, andshe absolutely could not forget to set her alarm for the morning. Her parentswere paying for the wedding flowers, and she was meeting her mom at the floristto make the down payment. Shit, she also needed to book the girls in for theirfinal dress fittings and –

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.She needed to stop thinking about the damn wedding and concentrate on seducingHarrison tonight. A girl had needs and while she and Harrison didn’t have whatshe’d consider a rousing sex life, a month-long dry spell was unusual, even forthem.

She glanced at the overnight bag, a blushrising in her cheeks. She’d told Gracie and Kira that she’d bought a prettychemise and some massage oil for tonight and that part was true. What she hadn’tmentioned was that she’d also purchased some silk scarves with a matchingblindfold and a wand vibrator.

Her cheeks grew even hotter. She’d orderedthem online and she’d had to ask Harper to look at the website with her. She’dbeen completely overwhelmed and lost just looking at the first page. Harrison wouldkill her if he knew she talked to Harper about their sex life, but she had to talkto someone, right? Besides, she didn’t give Harper details, just mentioned thatshe’d wanted to spice things up a bit.

For a moment, she had the urge to just turnand walk away. Get back in her car, drive back to her apartment, put some HGTVon the television and make bracelets until Harrison texted her that he was finishedwith work. It was infinitely easier than asking Harrison if he would be interestedin tying her to the bed, blindfolding her, and using a vibrator on her.

Nerves made her stomach hurt. God, whatwas she thinking? Harrison would lose his mind if she showed him the items shebought. A proper lady didn’t buy sex toys. A proper lady didn’t ask –

Addison, stop!

She stopped. She could do this. What shewas asking was barely a two on the kink scale. It would be fine. Harrison wasa young, red-blooded male. He wanted her to be a proper lady and brought upthat point a lot, but appearances were important to him. That didn’t mean hewanted her that way in the bedroom.

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