Until Harmony (Until Her 4)

“Willow, you still there?” I ask once I’ve made it to a quiet area.

“I’m still processing the news that you’re out with Harlen again, this time at a bonfire,” she says, and I look up at the stars sprinkled across the dark sky. “What the hell is going on with you two?”

“Nothing,” I grumble. “We’re friends.”

“Right.” I hear the disbelief in her voice, and my hand balls into a fist at my side.

“What’s going on? Is everything okay with you?”

“I wanted to see if you were around to get dinner. I feel like I haven’t seen you since you moved.”

“I’m sorry.” She’s right. I haven’t seen her much since I moved. Then again, most of my days off have been spent hanging out with Harlen, shopping with him, watching movies, eating dinner, drinking, and just having fun. I have tried, on more than one occasion, to turn him down when he’s asked me to hang out, but somehow I always end up caving and doing whatever the hell it is he wants to do.

“I’d like to see my sister to spend time with her,” she whines, and guilt hits me in the stomach.

“I have tomorrow off. I’ll drive up and spend the night at your place. We can get dinner then veg out and watch movies.”

“That works. I also expect you to tell me what’s really going on with you and the giant.”

“Seriously, there is nothing to tell. Nothing is going on. We’re just friends, Willow.”

“Right,” she mutters again, and I sigh, wishing for the first time that I wasn’t right, that there was secretly something happening between Harlen and me, something more than us just becoming good friends. “I get off work at four tomorrow, so I should be home by five, if not before.”

“I’ll be there.”

“See you then.” She hangs up, and I shove my phone in the back pocket of my jeans. Looking toward the bonfire, I watch Harlen talk to a guy then feel my stomach muscles tighten uncomfortably when a woman sashays up to him. Like every time it’s happened when I’ve been around, he doesn’t do more than dip his chin toward her in greeting. Still, I hate seeing it. I hate knowing I have no claim over him, that if he did want to take a woman up on an offer of a good time, he could without so much as a second thought.

Watching her walk away, I head back toward him, and like he knows I’m close, his eyes come to me. My stomach does the same thing it always does around him, which is more than a little annoying. I wish I could get over this crush and focus on the fact that I’ve got a really great friend.

“Everything okay?” he asks, studying me.

“Yep, Willow just wanted to get dinner. Since I’m here with you, I told her I’d drive up to Nashville tomorrow and spend the night at her place for some sister time,” I say, taking the beer he has in his hand, putting it to my mouth, and watching him smile as I take a sip and force it down.

“That’d be good.”

“Yeah,” I agree then look around. It’s getting late, meaning most of the people who are still here are no longer just hanging out. Most of them are finding partners to spend the night with.

“You ready to get out of here?” he asks, and I look at him once more.

“Are you okay to drive?”

“Only had two beers. I’m good,” he promises, and I watch him lift his chin to someone across the fire. Looking that way, I watch his friend Everret come toward us with a chick under his arm.

“You taking off?” Everret asks once he’s close, and the girl looks me over then tucks herself tighter against him like I’m going to pull him magically into my snare.

“Yeah,” Harlen answers, taking the beer from me and tossing it into a bin off to the side.

“Cool,” Everret mutters, and then his eyes come to me. “Good meeting you, Harmony.”

“You too.” I give him a smile then watch him and Harlen do the man handshake-back-pat thing before he walks off with his arm around his girl.

“Ready to go?” Harlen asks, tipping his head down toward me.

“Yep,” I say, and then his large hand closes around mine so that he can lead me to his bike. Once he’s on, I get on behind him and hold onto his waist as he pulls off the grass and onto the road. Just like every other time I’ve ridden on the back of his bike, the warmth of him seeps into my skin, the smell of him filling my lungs, and for a few minutes, I pretend we’re something we’re not.

Chapter 3

Harmony

“HARLEN,” I MOAN AS his mouth travels down my neck to my breast and he pulls my nipple into his mouth. My clit pulses and my toes curl. Running my hands up his chest and neck, I slide them into his thick hair to hold him where he is. My head digs deeper into my pillow, and my breath hitches when his hand slides over my hip. Squeezing my eyes closed, I wait to feel his fingers against my pulsing clit.