HarperHe smells so good as I hold his head against mine with my arms tightly wound around his neck. The feel of his bristles on my skin excites me, they’re soft and not at all scratch like I imagined them to be. And his mouth is divine, tasting of coffee. The way he smells of citrus and something muskier is intoxicating to my senses, sending a memo straight to my core.A direct hit, it makes me ache like something I have never experienced before. This is Levy, a man, pure one hundred percent masculine. So different from Dylan and the other boys I have kissed growing up. Levy is pure bred MAN.His tongue slides easily into my mouth, let’s face it I am not putting up any resistance. I have been dying to kiss this man for months and months. I can’t even pinpoint when I started to notice him differently other than Dylan’s father. Something just changed in the way I’d look at him, the way my body would crave for him to touch me.The fantasies at night imagining his large hands covering my
LevyWhat was I thinking? I must have been insane to be that close to her especially with Dylan waiting up for me. I need to shake myself or slap myself. She is way too young for me, let alone all the other complications. But damn, she lives in my head, she fills up my senses. I just can’t get enough of being around Harper.“Hi Dad. Did Harper get in alright?” I slip out of my Timberland boots and nod.“Yeah, her mother work up but they wouldn’t let her see her, so I brought her home. Besides, her sister needs her too.”“I was going to pop over and see her.” Lacey stands behind him with a small smile on her face. Man, these kids need to be up for college and it’s past midnight.“I think she’ll be fine. They need to be up early. Taylor has school, Harper will miss college for the day and go be by her mother. You both need to call it a night too. I know you’re twenty-one Dylan, but you have to focus on your classes tomorrow.”“I’ll skip out of here, no problem. I’m sorry I’ve stayed so
Levy“Hey, Bro how you doin’?” I take a seat at the bar where my good friend Lex is sitting with a black coffee in front of him.“All good, busy which is nice since I have another house I am looking to buy and turn around. Don’t suppose you want to have a stake in it? I know you said a while ago you’d be interested in my next venture.”The waitress comes to the counter, “can I get you anything, Levy? Coffee, tea or something stronger.” Letitia has worked here ever since I can remember, she’s friendly and sweet. Today her lilac dyed hair is piled high on her head with a pink bow tied around it. Kinda cute. She’s a sassy woman that’s for sure.“I’ll have a coffee, thanks Letitia. How is your boy these days?”“Oh, he is fine, he’s in the Marines now. He’ll be like old Alex here.”“Hey, less of the old thanks,” Alex grins at her. Letitia busies herself on the coffee machine behind her as Alex slaps me on the back. “So, what is so urgent you need to see me at ten in the morning? What’s goin
HarperI’m back at the hospital my mom is sleeping again, she looks a bit better than she did when they brought her in. At least now her skin doesn’t look so pasty and white, she has a bit of color in her cheeks.Sitting down on the uncomfortable chair next to her bed, because now I am allowed to be in with her for longer. I take her hand in mine and stroke the top of mom’s hand with my thumb. “You gotta get better, Mom. We need you. Taylor really needs you.” She doesn’t say anything, of course she wouldn’t, Mom is fast asleep.The door eases open, and I see Levy standing there, I glance at the wall clock and can see it is already nearly midday. “Hey, you doing okay? He asks me. I nod. My heart racing at just the sight of him in dark jeans, a black T-shirt that stretches across his broad chest showcasing his pecs and his biceps. The tattoos make me want to lick each one as I trail my tongue along the outlines. I feel a heat rushing to my core and clench my thighs together.“I thought
Levy“And that is exactly the problem, Harper. People think you are my daughter. God, it makes me feel so damn ancient.” I stress as I rake my hands through my hair and then settle my hand on the back of my neck and rub it.“That’s ridiculous and you know it, Levy. She’s just a dumb batty woman who should mind her own fucking business. Hey, look at me!” She commands and I find myself looking into those cornflower blue eyes of her and almost losing my shit. She could easily bring any man to his knees, and I am almost there but I can’t allow myself to be.The woman comes back with two coffees one for Harper the other for me and some toast that I asked for. Today I am ravenous, and I have a workout later today with some of the guys at the gym, so I need to keep my calorie intake up.“Thank you,” I say to the lady then pick up the tray with our things on it and make my way towards a free table. The canteen is busy this morning, in fact the whole hospital is. There were a lot of people mill
HarperDoes he think I can’t see him looking at my lips? I know he feels the same connection that I do, honestly, I want him to get over the age gap thing. It’s driving me insane, who cares these days anyway? The only people that matter are Levy and myself. Sure, I guess Dylan might feel a bit awkward. Like for example if Levy and I ever got to be long tern and I became his wife, then Dylan strictly speaking would be my stepson. Now that’s a thought.Yeah, I guess it is exactly what Levy has thought once or twice too. Still, I won’t let that put me off. Every fibre of my body wants Levy, I know for a fact I would be good for him. Naturally, I understand I could never replace Lilly his deceased wife, nor would I want to. We would have something different, something new and being with Levy is all that I obsess about.Coffee break and a bite to eat is over, “I have to go, Harper I’ve got some business to attend to this morning, then I’ll be hitting the gym later. If you need anything to s
HarperButterflies are still zinging around in my stomach as I leave the hospital late morning. The nurses said momma needs to rest more and when she was lucid, she impressed that I was not to stay by her side and should get into college.She is right, I do have a project that needs finishing and a paper to write up that is due in tomorrow. I bet Dylan has already finished his, he is such an A-grade student. Not that I am not, I mean I get really good grades but if I can put of studying at the best of times then I will. I’d much rather be watching soppy romance movies, my favorite are the fake dating kind or enemies to lovers’ type and don’t even get me started on Hallmark movies. To die for.There are no more messages from Levy and I may just be slightly obsessed with checking my mobile every few minutes. Stop it, he is busy he has a business to run. Yeah, but it is difficult. Out in the car park it is bright and sunny, I tilt my face up to feel the sun beating down on it since it s
HarperLacey, Tillie and Mylee are already waiting for me by the entrance to college. “Did you organize this?” I turn and ask Dylan as he pulls up outside the entrance. It’s like having my own personal chauffeur, not that I am complaining or anything.“I may have messaged them, yes,” he says smiling. I reach out and touch his cheek.“Ever the thoughtful and kind, Dylan. Thanks so much. I can’t wait to see them.” I hop out the car as soon as he has it parked and run towards my girls. Each wrap their arms around me and hold me tightly, the lump in my throat aches as I hold back the tears.“Are you okay?” Mylee asks me, concern in her baby blue eyes. I nod unable to speak right now and swallow hard. Maybe if I swallow it’ll make the lump go away. No such luck. Oh, fuck I may start crying right here and everyone will see what a hot mess I am. “You sure? Let’s go somewhere else. Ladies,” Mylee says as she ushers me away from the group hug, down the corridor where we have to dodge it seems
HarperI put the phone down and wonder how on earth I am going to explain this one to my mother and my sister. So far, they are in the bubble of momma being home like everything is peachy and the roses are blooming in the garden.My heart feels like it is having palpitations. More men around the house? This does not sound good and I am frightened to the core for Levy. Whatever he has gotten himself into, I am not sure I can deal with that. I have to think of my younger sister and my mother. Who right now, my mother that is – does not need any upset or stress in her life.And why all of a sudden am I some kind of target? What the holy shit is all that about? There isn’t anything I can do until Levy comes home and tells us what exactly is going on.I go downstairs and call my momma and Taylor to come sit with me in the lounge. After of course I have double checked that the front door and the back door are locked and the windows too. It gives me a sense of eeriness doing this and Levy ha
Levy“Fuck,” I say out loud as Lex looks me in the eye. “So, you’re telling me that Jake had a kid brother?”Lex nods. We’re sitting in his den. It’s actually the basement of his house and runs about four hundred square meters. He has also sots of monitors and screens hooked up. The man runs a private surveillance company on top of being a marine. How he fits it all in is beyond me but he does. Of course, he has a whole team. No, a whole village of people that support him and his brothers.“And you’re telling me that the kid was around five or six when Jake died?”“That’s correct. Man, are you going to fucking sit down? You’re making me anxious with all that pacing. Besides, I just had this floor laid and you’re gonna wear it out.” His voice is good natured but I can tell that my stressing is stressing him out.I run my fingers through my hair, at this rate I am going to bald. “And stop doing that with your hair. You need to chill out, none of this was your fault, Levy.”The hell it w
HarperFear engulfs my body. Who is that man? Momma is talking telling us how happy she is to be free and I am happy for her. I am happy for all of us but now with this man showing me the slit your throat gesture - has shivers running up and down my spine.Taylor hasn’t noticed, she is too engrossed telling momma all about her classes and what she has planned for her birthday and her new boyfriend. Which does make my ears prick up. I didn’t even know my little sister had a boyfriend. I need to pay more attention. Let’s face it all those hormones will be on the rampage and she needs to have the sex talk very soon.“I can’t wait to see what you girls have done with the house,” momma says as I turn to her and force a smile on my face. As soon as we are home, I need to get hold of Levy and let him know what just happened. Maybe this is connected to why he left and went out of town.Am I in danger? Alarm bells start cursing through me as momma chats about her program. “I need to attend a s
HarperI can’t take my eyes off my momma. It is like seeing a new woman just off the catwalk or from a magazine cover for one of those mags that is like, oh, I don’t know – Homes & Gardens or something. She doesn’t seem to fit in a rehab center.“It’s really me, sweetheart. Come here, let me cuddle you,” Momma says. Damn even her voice sounds different. It’s not hoarse or brittle or angry anymore. It sounds soft and gentle, full of love.Taylor wraps her arms fiercely around my mother as if she is scared to let go, like a baby monkey holding on to its mother for dear life. The scene unfolds in front of my amazed eyes making my heart stutter. Is that a thing? A stuttering heart? It is now. Usually, I would have assumed only in a romance novel or for lovers, but honestly it has stuttered.“Harper?” Momma says tilting her head to the side. Her smile is wide and infectious making me smile back. God, please don’t want to slay me but seeing my momma so elegant, so put together and so downri
HarperHe left me breathless, like shaking legs, stars in my eyes and my heart jumping and flipping all over the place. Sex with Levy is out of this world! I am still recovering as I walk back across the street to my house where my sister will be waiting for us to go for my mother.We still have half an hour before we need to leave. Levy said he would come with us and cancel all his plans. Sweet of him but you know, this is something that I have to do with my sister on our own. I’m an adult, a big girl now and all my life it seems, I have done big girl shit. Today is no different.Of course, it would be good to have my man by my side to support me and place his arm around me. Only who would Taylor have? Exactly. I need to be there for her like I always was when it was just her and I against the world.Besides, I know that Levy has some pretty important shit to sort out himself. We still need to talk about that, not today, however. It can wait. I trust Levy implicitly and when he is re
Harper“Where are you going?” Taylor asks as she spoons cereal into her mouth.“Over to see Levy. Are you good?”She looks adorable with her bed-hair and rosy cheeks. The best is watching her eat with an appetite. For a hot minute or two, I thought she was going to have some serious issues with eating. Thankfully, whatever she was going through has passed and her appetite is restored.“At this time? You know we have to go for momma in,” she glances up at the clock on the kitchen wall. “An hour, Harper.”“I know but I feel like a shit about last night and I, you know,” I shrug my shoulder. “Kinda want to go over and see him.”“You better not be late back.” My oh my, she sounds like one of my old school mistresses back in the day.“No, ma’am. I won’t be late.”“Cut that shit out!” she says making me grin.I go over to her at the island and give her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Sis.” She shrugs me off but I give her another kiss in any case.With a light step and fluttering in my stomac
LevyI have been awake most of the night thinking about this whole damn shitshow of a situation. Harper is absolutely right. I need to tell her. After all, if I want a relationship with her that is long-term based on trust, openness and honesty, then Harper deserves to know everything about me and what happened back then.Hell, I’ve carried the guilt and burden of this on me for eighteen years and I need to tell Dylan. My insides churn and I am not a man who suffers easily with a churning stomach. But all of a sudden, I feel like I have way too much to lose.Throwing the rest of the dregs of the black coffee down the sink, I swill out the mug and leave it on the side for later. I’ve got an early start to go meet up with the guys but first I need to drop in and see Harper before she goes off with Taylor to pick up her mother.Dammit, I missed her warm body in bed with me last night. I love the way she snores lightly; it’s like she blows bubbles in her sleep. When she is with me at nigh
HarperI let the tears fall as soon as he left the house. And I am beating myself up for pushing him so hard. It’s not like I don’t trust Levy, of course I do. But whatever is worrying him - which it is, because I could see the angst written all over his face – he needs to tell me.It upsets me that he is treating me like a child, although I know he regards me as an equal and an adult it just doesn’t feel like it right now. God, all these conflicting emotions are too much to handle.A gentle knock to my door, I lift my head and wipe my tears away. “Can I come in, Sis?” Taylor asks from the other side. I’m sitting cross legged on the bed clutching one of my favorite Teddy bears from when I was a kid. Back when things were normal and I had a non-alcoholic and junkie mother. Oh, and a father.“Yes,” I mumble. The door opens and Taylor comes in.“Are you okay? I couldn’t help but over hear most of it.”“I’m fine, it’s not like we’ve broken up or anything. I just need some space. He’s trea
Levy There is no way I can say anything to her right now. All I am going to do is give my woman something else to fucking worry about. Her plate is full right now with her mother coming home tomorrow morning. It is my job to protect her and keep her from harm. Only now with the latest hate message, it is going to be difficult.Some cunt has got it in for me and I am going to find out who the fuck it is. Lex is still on it with his guy. Roger said he would sniff around our old stomping ground and see if anyone is willing to talk. Some fucker will know who is behind this.Harper sits beside me looking at me like she is delving right into my soul. It kind of makes me want to pull back. I cannot have her reading my mind. “Listen sweetheart,” I begin only to be given an arched eyebrow.“Do not call me sweetheart in that tone.”Huh, I always call her sweetheart. Shit, I’m all out of practice in handling mad as hell women and right now I can see dragon fire coming out of her ears. It’s damn