She Loves Me (Harmony Pointe #3) - Melissa Foster Page 0,47

exhausted. Harley went upstairs with Piper to tuck the girls in, and after sweet hugs from Sophie, Jolie gave Piper the longest, tightest hug Harley had ever witnessed.

“Love you, kiddo,” Harley said as he pulled Jolie’s door closed behind them. His head and heart were so full, he couldn’t find the words to express all of the emotions he felt.

Jiggs raced ahead of them as they made their way downstairs. As Piper helped him through the living room, he said, “Thank you for everything you did for them today.”

“It was nothing.”

“It wasn’t nothing, Piper.” He couldn’t keep from drawing her into his arms. “Don’t minimize what you did. It meant the world to me, and I know it will to Delaney, too. You knew exactly how to help the girls when I was lost.”

“You’re never lost. And don’t think I don’t realize you’re using me instead of a crutch right now.”

“You don’t have to do that with me,” he said softly.

“What?”

“Act like you don’t care, like you don’t want to be in my arms.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Admit it, Pipe. You like how we feel.”

“I like big men. You’re big.” Her gaze slid to his mouth, and she licked her lips. “You know how to kiss pretty well, too.”

The invitation in her eyes was inescapable, and his sister’s words sounded in his head—I’ll never take another second of life for granted.

Unwilling to waste a second of their time together, he lowered his mouth to hers, taking the kiss he’d been thinking about since last night. Her arms circled his waist, and she went up on her toes, pressing her soft, luscious body against him. He took the kiss deeper, earning a sexy moan that sent heat coursing through him, spurring him on. He lowered one hand to her ass, pushed the other into her silky hair, holding her body flush with his so she could feel what she’d done to him. She felt so perfect in his arms, kissing him fervently, writhing against him, it sparked an internal battle. He wanted to lay her down on the couch, strip her bare, and love her like she deserved—and then he wanted to love her like he knew she craved just as badly as he did. But Piper had spent years seeing men and sex as a means of nothing more than relieving tension, and there was no way he’d let her see him in that same light.

It killed him to break their connection, and he did it slowly, reluctantly, taking several tender kisses before finally pulling away. She gazed up at him with desire welling in her eyes, cheeks flushed.

He brushed his lips over hers, needing the connection, and said, “One day you’re going to realize you’re safe with me, Pipe.” The way she was looking at him, he thought—hoped—she might admit it right now.

She lowered her gaze and stepped out of his arms. “You’ve been on your feet too long. Your ankle has to hurt.”

She nudged his chest as if she could push him down to the couch, but he didn’t budge. He couldn’t believe how easy it was for her to go from eagerly kissing him to safely protected behind an invisible barrier.

She walked around him and said, “I’ll take Jiggs for his walk. You rest.”

He watched them go out the back door, wondering how long it would take Piper to admit what he saw in her eyes and felt in her touch. If only a sledgehammer could tear down her walls.

When she came back inside, he was sitting on the couch with his ankle propped on a pillow on the coffee table and Piper’s favorite movie queued up on the television screen, hoping she’d stick around. Jiggs trotted over and licked his face as Harley loved him up.

Piper headed into the kitchen and said, “What can I get you?”

“An ice pack and you is all I need.”

She didn’t respond, but returned a minute later with the ice pack, a glass of water, and a bottle of Motrin. Her face was a blank slate, giving nothing away, and he wondered if she’d ever get tired of maintaining that tough facade. He put the ice pack on his ankle and took the pills. When she placed the glass on the coffee table, he reached for her hand, pulling her down beside him.

“I’ve got Thor all ready to go.” He put his arm around her, pulling her tight against his side, and she made an exasperated sound. “Just go with it, Trig.