The Royals Next Door
Page 77
With fumbling fingers I latch on to his suit jacket, gripping the lapels with a quiet sort of desperation, the need inside me spurred on as the kiss deepens and deepens.
“Oh god,” I whisper against his mouth.
How I’ve needed this.
He grins, his hand slipping underneath my robe and camisole, large rough palms sliding up against my skin. An explosion of shivers rolls through me, making my thighs press together.
His hand goes to my bare breast, squeezing gently, his thumb brushing over my nipple until I’m letting out a deep moan. I swear this man has the ability to conjure sounds out of me that are borderline animalistic.
“God, your greedy little sounds,” he murmurs against my mouth, pulling away briefly to stare at me with languid eyes. “You’re nothing but trouble, Piper Evans.”
“Trouble?” I say, already feeling breathless as he starts kissing my jawline, my neck. I grip his jacket tighter, wanting him closer, as insatiable as ever. “How am I trouble?”
“You make me want to do things I’ve only dreamed about,” he says gruffly.
Dear lord.
Feeling emboldened by his words, I reach down and place my hand against his crotch, feeling the large, thick outline of his hard-on. He says I’m trouble, but he’s the one walking around with that weapon in his pants.
But before I have a chance to tell him that, we’re cruelly interrupted by Liza barking.
“Fuck,” I swear as Harrison pulls away, breathing hard. “She better not wake up my mom.”
Face flushed, my heart hammering in my chest, I quickly open the door to see Liza on the other side, sitting down like she’s totally innocent, seeming to smile at me.
Then she barks again.
She’s now an official cock-blocker in my book.
“Liza,” I hiss at her. “Shhhh.”
Bark. Bark.
And now I hear my mother stirring in her bedroom.
“Oh shit,” I swear. I look over my shoulder at Harrison standing behind me and hastily push him back in my bedroom, even though he weighs the same as a boulder. I shut the door on him just as my mom shuffles out of her room.
“What’s Liza barking at?” she says through a yawn.
Bark. Bark.
Barking right at my door.
“She’s just being weird,” I tell her, watching my mom as she makes her way over to the bathroom. Once the door is shut, I fling open the one to the bedroom. To my surprise, Harrison is trying to escape via the window. He’s already removed the screen and is hoisting himself up in an impressive feat of strength.
“She’s in the bathroom,” I whisper. “Just go out the front door.”
He lowers himself to the floor and gives me a sheepish smile. “Always know your exits.” Then he hustles past me, grabbing his shoes, and steps outside, hopping around on one foot while he tries to slide a shoe on.
Just then, my mother steps out of the bathroom and looks over at me right as I’m about to close the door on him.
“Harrison?” she asks, squinting. “You’re over early. I didn’t even hear the door knock.”
I pause. So, so close.
Harrison and I exchange a look like, Okay, be cool, and then I open the door wider.
“Yes, Harrison,” I say to him, stepping back. “Why are you over here so early?”
He clears his throat, his gaze volleying between my mother and me. “Is it early? I had no idea. I, uh, was hoping Piper could accompany me into town.”
My mother stops halfway to the kitchen and narrows her eyes at us, her suspicion piqued. “Oh really? Is that so?”
I gulp. Uh-oh. She’s on to us.
“It’s not because you wanted to come over and try the pie?!” she exclaims happily.
Whew. Saved by the pie.
Harrison gives her a cocky grin. “Well, I suppose there’s no point beating around the bush, now is there?”
“I knew it,” she says, waving him over. “Here, come on in. I’ll make you some coffee, and you can have pie for breakfast.”
I raise my brow at Harrison, expecting him to hurry off or remind my mother that we need to get going or something. But instead he surprises me yet again by saying, “I’d love that.”
Damn this sweet man. That’s twice in a row now that he’s shown compassion and interest in my mother without humoring her.
He steps inside, and luckily her back is already turned, so she doesn’t notice he never had a chance to put on his shoes. He quickly places them on the floor, and as I shut the door behind him, I give his sleeve a quick tug.
“You’re amazing,” I whisper to him.
The corner of his mouth lifts, a warm spark in his eyes as we stare at each other for a moment. I don’t know if he can feel what I’m feeling, but I’m pretty sure I’m just radiating happiness right now, straight from my heart.
The pie actually turns out to be good, and of course Harrison insists that it was all my mother’s doing, as if he didn’t save the whole thing himself yesterday. While the two of them chitchat in the kitchen, I quickly get changed, and then Harrison and I are off.