Page 18 of Perfect Harmony

She wasn’t surprised that he’d finally lostit when she mentioned his dad. Gideon loved his mom, but he’d always beencloser to his dad. He and his dad had spent a lot of time together and Gideonhad often relied on his dad’s advice when he was growing up. She couldn’timagine how painful it was for Gideon to lose him.

After a few minutes, his sobs stopped, andhe drew in a rough breath. He lifted his head and stared down at her. Shestudied his different coloured eyes. She’d known him since she was a child,but she was still fascinated by them. The light blue shade of his right eye haddarkened to a greyish blue and the pale green of his left eye had turned to jade.She wiped away the tears that lingered on his cheeks with her thumbs. God, sheloved him. She knew that now. Her silly teenage crush had blossomed intolove, no matter how hard she tried to deny it. She was aching to tell him, butnow was not the time.

“Thank you, Gracie.” He swallowed hard.“For helping with the funeral arrangements, for staying with Kira until I gothere, for just… for everything.”

“You’re welcome.” She stroked hischeekbone with her thumb. “Whatever you need, I’m here. Okay?”

“Okay.” His warm breath washed over hermouth. They were standing so close, their bodies still pressed against eachother, his arms still clasped loosely around her waist.

She brushed her other hand through hishair. “I mean it, Gideon. Whatever you need from me.”

His gaze dropped to her mouth. The airchanged between them, became charged with something that crackled and sparkedlike a fourth of July sparkler.

Gracie’s breath caught in her throat. Forall of her fantasies, for all of her mooning over her best friend’s olderbrother since she had turned sixteen, Gideon had never once treated her likeanything other than another bratty younger sister. He’d never once looked ather mouth or her breasts or her ass.

But now…

His hands moved away from her waist,disappointment started to flood through her, but then they curled around herhips. Curled around them and pulled her in even closer.

“Gideon,” she whispered.

“Gracie.” His voice was a low rasp of wantand need.

Her body shivered against his, her pelvisarched into him without her command, and a low groan escaped his mouth.

“Gracie,” he whispered again and then hismouth was on hers.

The man she loved, the man she neverthought she’d be with, was kissing her. His lips were warm and firm, and whenhis tongue pressed against the seam of her mouth, she let go of her shock andembraced the moment. She opened her mouth, moaning when he thrust his tonguebetween her lips. He licked and tasted every inner part of her mouth as thoughshe were a new and exotic flavour he couldn’t get enough of.

One big hand tangled in her long hair,holding her in a tight grip, using it to angle her head so he could take the kisseven deeper. The kiss was almost brutal in its intensity, but she slid herarms around his neck and returned his kiss with eager enthusiasm.

His other hand slipped down to cup herass. He squeezed it hard and pulled her up against him. She could feel his erectionagainst her hip and a low ache started in her pussy. She stood on her tiptoesand angled her body so she could rub her pussy directly against his hard cock.

He moaned and the sound sent tendrils of fieryneed licking down her spine. She rubbed again as liquid soaked the crotch ofher panties.

His hand moved from her ass to her breast.He palmed the heavy weight, his thumb finding her nipple and teasing it intorock hardness through her shirt and her bra. When he kissed across her jaw anddown her throat, she let her head fall back, her hands clutching his shouldersand her pelvis rocking against him as he peppered her skin with hot wetkisses. He nuzzled the hollow of her throat before tasting it with histongue.

“Gideon,” she moaned.

At the low sound of her voice, his entirebody stiffened. She cried out when he abruptly pulled away from her andwhirled around to stare out the window again.

“Gideon?” She touched his shoulder and hejerked away from her.

“Don’t touch me, Grace.”

“Honey, please. Don’t pull away from me.Talk to me.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” he said.“This was a mistake.”

Pain lanced through her chest, stabbinginto her heart like a hot knife through butter. “Don’t say that. It isn’t amistake.”

“It is,” he said. “You – you’re Kira’sbest friend.”

“So?” She stepped in front of him, forcinghim to look at her. “What does that matter?”

“Kira would be upset,” he said.

“You don’t know that for sure.”

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