Page 54 of Unpredictable
My chest squeezed at an unwanted memory, and I did my best to push it away. Juliana wasn’t Cam. But the more I told myself that, the more my vision blurred. This was why I’d avoided intimacy. Because when you let someone in, when you opened your heart—you were likely to get burned.
“Harrison?” Juliana’s tone was rife with concern.
I rolled to the side, draping my arm over my forehead.
“What’s wrong? Oh my god.” She held her fingers to my neck, taking my pulse. “Are you having a heart attack?”
“What?” I jerked my attention to her. “No. Cam cheated on me.”
Nothing like talking about your ex to kill the mood. I dragged a hand through my hair and stared at the ceiling. Juliana propped herself up on her elbow. I hadn’t meant to confess that, but now that I had, I owed her an explanation.
“We were both…busy with our careers, traveling, raising a child. She…” I swallowed. “At one point, she got pregnant again. I was overjoyed, but she wasn’t as enthusiastic.”
Juliana linked her fingers with mine, silently giving me her support. I continued to stare at the ceiling, unable to meet her eyes.
“Cam lost the baby, and I blamed her. I was drowning in grief. And even though I knew it wasn’t her fault, I…pushed her away. I pushed her into the arms of another man.” I squeezed my eyes shut, remembering it all so vividly. The pain of the loss never faded, but sometimes it was more pronounced than others.
“I’m so sorry, Harrison.”
My chest ached. I fucking hated talking about this. But for some reason, I felt compelled to share with Juliana. Maybe it was because she’d opened up to me. Maybe it was because I wanted her to realize everyone had their struggles. Whatever the reason, I knew I could trust her.
“Which is why—” I turned to face her, sucking in a deep breath. “Which is why I want you to look at me, to see me.”
She nodded, her expression thoughtful.
“And while I know what you and I are doing isn’t wrong,” I said, needing to get it all out in the open. I wasn’t going to move forward without addressing the elephant—or the ghost—in the room. “I can understand why you’d have mixed feelings.”
“Harrison,” she sighed, and I tried to ignore the warmth of her body, the fact that she was naked. Lying next to me, her tits pressed against my arm.
Fuck me. If we didn’t have sex after this, I was certain my balls were going to fall off.
She trailed her finger along my collarbone, down my chest, and I squeezed my fists to resist touching her.
“What are you doing, Juliana?” I clenched my jaw, closing my eyes briefly as she continued to tease me.
“I want to move forward. I want to take the next step…” she said on a shaky exhale. “With you.”
That was all the confirmation I needed. I pulled her into my arms, crashing my lips against hers. She tasted as sweet as I remembered, though there was a hint of saltiness too. She was delicious, addictive, and I couldn’t get enough of her.
I caressed her back, her ass, pulling her into me. My skin was on fire everywhere she touched, my body coming alive in a way it hadn’t with anyone else. I was already so close, and I needed to be inside her.
“You feel amazing,” Juliana said as I slid my cock between her legs.
“So do you,” I murmured between kisses. I was light-headed as I kissed my way down her neck, brushing my lips over her collarbone. “I need you.”
She tilted her head back, moaning. The walls weren’t soundproof, but I didn’t care who heard us. I wasn’t usually this reckless, and I blamed it on the gorgeous creature cradled in my arms.
“I need you. I need this.” Her eyes were intent on mine, her determination unwavering. “I want to be with you and only you.”
I slid my hand down her stomach, gliding easily over her clit. She was ready, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold out. It seemed like an eternity since we’d last been together. Weeks of dancing around our attraction. Months of pent-up desire that was finally allowed to burst free.
She arched her back as I teased her center, sliding inside her channel with one finger, then another. I curled my fingers, capturing her moan with my mouth. She was writhing beneath my touch, and I couldn’t wait to be inside her.
“Fuck. So sexy,” I said as I watched her unravel. When she came, it was fast and hard, and I milked every ounce of pleasure from her.
I pressed my lips to hers, gratified when she uttered my name like a plea. “Harrison.”
That one word set my heart and mind at ease. Unlike the last time we’d been together, I knew that she was here—with me.
