drove his fingers into her hair, tightened them and held her head still. He kept her there, his eyes devouring her and she sank into the dark depths.
Need spiraled faster and faster until she was once again poised on the brink.
“Ethan.” His name broke free from her lips and his eyes went almost black.
“Harper,” he growled and the sound sank down into her bones.
The tension inside her broke free and she arched back, clenching around his cock as it throbbed, pulsed inside her. Light exploded behind her eyelids and pleasure so sweet it hurt filled her body. He thrust up once, then twice and froze, emptying inside her.
Their groans mixed together and filled her living room. Warm air brushed over her lips with each of his harsh breaths. Harper leaned forward and rested her forehead against his. His eyes were so blue that she got lost in them for a few seconds.
“This really shouldn’t be this good,” she whispered.
Ethan slid his hand up and down her back and tilted his chin enough so that he could press his lips against hers. The kiss was soft, slow and gentle unlike the frenzy that had just filled them both.
“But it is,” he said against her mouth.
She settled against him, not ready to pull away just yet. This closeness was what she needed right now and he gave it to her. After a few moments, Ethan pressed a kiss to her neck.
“I don’t regret anything that’s happened between us,” he said. “Anything.”
Warmth spread through her chest. Ethan had a way of making her forget everything except how good he felt inside her and knowing that he wanted this, that he wanted everything to be happening the way it was despite the complications, only made her want to hold onto him tighter.
“Thank you for telling me that. Thank you for being here.”
Ethan leaned back so that he could look her in the eyes. One hand cradled her face and he ran his thumb along her bottom lip. She couldn’t help but to lean into his touch.
“I’m here and I’m not going anywhere and we’re doing this together. Okay?”
“Okay.” Harper swallowed the lump in her throat and laid one hand over his. A smile curled her lips up. Maybe everything was going to be okay after all.
Ethan was in the shower. Harper had already taken one and had changed into shorts and a t-shirt.
Everything felt different now, somehow. Better.
Of course it’s better. He said he would be here for you. He said he’s not going anywhere.
Hearing the shower running and knowing that Ethan was in there, in her apartment, made her entire body grow warm with gratitude.
She felt protected…safe…for the first time in a very long time.
Her hand went to her stomach, not for the first time, and she smiled to herself as she lay on the couch and watched TV.
Already, Harper was looking forward to when Ethan came out. She wanted to see him, talk to him, hear his voice. Later, there would be cuddling and sleeping together in the same bed.
Waking up in the morning together. How many more mornings would there be like this? She wondered. Hopefully thousands of them, strung out into the future like pebbles on the beach. An endless line of days spent getting to know each other…loving one another, raising a child, building a real life.
Possible? She wanted it to be. And she could dream, couldn’t she?
For the first time, she had reason to.
Suddenly came the telltale buzzing of her phone. It wasn’t a text. It was a call from an unknown number. Harper sat up and held the phone a long moment. She knew there was no good that could come from an unknown caller, certainly not these days.
But despite her misgivings, her curiosity got the better of her and she answered.
“Harper? Harper Matheson?” the light, friendly female voice queried.
“Who’s speaking?” Harper said, feeling instantly defensive for some reason.
“This is Brigitte Sloan from Gossip USA. How are you?”
Gossip USA was a big, nasty celebrity gossip site that had the kind of train wreck stories you couldn’t look away from. A call from one of their reporters couldn’t be anything but bad news.
“Sorry, I really don’t have time to talk right now,” Harper said, getting ready to hang up.
“We just wanted to get a quick comment from you,” Brigitte said.
“I have no comment on anything, whatever this is about.”
“So you’re not seeing Ethan Wentworth?”
The question hung in the air, buzzing between her ears. Harper felt her breath catch