Page 42 of Shattered
But, apparently, that wasn't what she wanted. Harper grabbed fists full of my tee, bunching the material in her palms. A small moan sounded from the back of her throat and hit me right in the groin.
As I slid my hands down her back and dug my fingers into her waist, a little voice whispered that I needed to slow down before I was unable to stop at all. I pushed the warning to the side as our kiss became more urgent; Harper matching every bold stroke of my tongue.
Her palms flattened against my chest and she gave me a small shove. Confused, I pulled back slightly just to get caught in Harper's desire-filled gaze. Her lips were swollen and the sexiest shade of just-kissed-stupid. We hadn't been kissing that long, or had we? Whenever I was with her, the world just seemed to melt away.
I raised an eyebrow in question when she sank her teeth into that lush bottom lip and shoved me again. "Sit." Her voice taking on that commanding tone was sexy as sin and I felt it everywhere. I was half-tempted to bait her a bit, just to hear more. Instead, I found myself saying, "Yes, ma'am."
My ass had barely hit the ground before Harper was on top of me, straddling my thighs and kissing me with fervor. I skimmed my hands up her legs and palmed her perfect, plump cheeks. It was my turn to release a groan when she flexed her hips and pushed down into me.
With every roll of her hips, I felt my sanity slip more and more. I don't even know how I managed to drag my mouth away from hers long enough to confess, "Sugar, this is most definitely going to be my only moment of clarity. If you're not up for some al fresco lovin', you'd better stop me now."
Moments of clarity sucked. The words had only just slipped out of my mouth when Harper slid off my lap and pushed to her feet. Not gonna lie, my ego took a bit of a battering right then. More than a little disappointed that our time was over, I started to get up when Harper's sandal-covered foot pushed into my chest.
"I said, sit." That stern tone was back but the glint in her eyes and the sexy smile on her lips told me I was about to be one hell of a lucky guy. Meeting her gaze, I placed my palms on the ground behind me and leaned back. Licking my lips, I stretched out my legs, crossed them at the ankles and waited.
The few rays of sun that managed to sneak through the trees illuminated her frame. For a few seconds, she just stood there, her eyes glued to mine. There were so many emotions shining in them, but the only one I cared about was hesitancy.
There was no way that I was going to let this woman do anything she wasn't comfortable with. I was prepared to wait however long she needed me to.
"Harper, we don't need to do this. Not now and not here."
Shaking her head, she pointed her index finger in the air, indicating that I should give her a minute. Easing back onto my palms, I gave her what she asked for. A few seconds later my eyes zeroed in on her tongue gliding over her bottom lip. Even from my vantage point, I could see her throat work as she swallowed hard.
I understood exactly how she felt, because sitting there on my ass, looking at the girl I had desired for months, mademenervous. My heart was on such a wild gallop; I was afraid that she might see it trying to break through my ribs. Even my palms were clammy. All of that just because even though she knew I was broken, she was still looking at me with a mixture of want and hope.
It was my turn to swallow the lump stuck in my throat when she gripped the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head before dropping it at her feet. Whatever words I wanted to utter then got sucked right back in when she released the button on her jeans with a soft pop.
Torture, it was pure torture watching her shimmy out of them before kicking them to the side. If her nerves from before were because she was self-conscience, as so many women were, they were perfectly unnecessary. She was gorgeous. Inches and inches of creamy skin just waiting to be explored.
I was about to tell her as much when she reached behind her and undid her bra. That was also the time I was reduced to a gawking idiot. Honestly, who could blame me though? Here was Harper standing in front of me wearing nothing but a pair of black panties.
Panties that soon joined the rest of her discarded clothing. I couldn't help it, my eyes drifted over her body in a slow appraisal, possibly lingering a bit at her breasts—I was a man after all. Yeah, gorgeous was a damn understatement, she was whatever trumped that.
As my gaze lowered, I felt the smile form on my lips. "So," I said making eye-contact again. "That's what those strips were for."
Harper looked to where my stare had been moments ago and then shrugged. "It feels better this way."
I nodded my head and tried not to envision what she looked like waxing herself between the legs. Without thinking I found myself saying, "Next time you do that, call me."
"Why?" She asked with a chuckle. "Do you want to pull the strip off?"
"No, Sugar. I want to kiss it better afterward." Winking, I patted my thighs. "Now get that pretty little ass over here."
Not even the highest high could compare to how magnificent it felt to have Harper's legs wrapped around me and her body moving with mine. The most melodic song had nothing on the soft moans slipping from her lips.
Bottom line: sex with Harper was absolutely incredible. There was just one problem; I didn't want just the physical. I wanted to own her mind, body, and soul.
One might have thought that I'd completely lost it by jumping Logan like that. Maybe I had, but it was so much more than a quick release. He'd given me a part of him, a deep, dark part. I was merely returning the gesture. I could never confide in him about my past but I could give him something of me. The problem was, I hadn't just given him my body, I gave him a part of my heart too.
Still, I couldn't muster up a single ounce of regret.
As we made our way back to the ranch, I noticed that there were a few more cars parked; meaning Eli and Chase were joining the BBQ too. The mere thought of spending the afternoon in Sheriff Jackson's presence gave me the wrong kind of chills. My brain was already coming up with valid reasons for me and Flynn to head out early when the ATV pulled to a stop.
Both Logan and I were slow to leave the little bubble we'd created for ourselves. About halfway between the house and the parked vehicles, he brought us to an abrupt halt. Stepping into my line of vision, Logan cupped my cheeks.
With his eyes roaming over my face, he whispered, "Thank you."
The intensity of his gaze and the gentle tone to his voice was too much. Suddenly I was feeling raw and emotional. What I wanted most was to get out of there. Before I could voice my thoughts, the front door swung open followed by, "And where have you two been?"
