Collide in Plain Sight

Chapter 18

Harlow

He said he loves me. 

He said he loves me, and I want to believe it. I really do.

"You love me?" I ask, trying to swallow around the lump in my throat. He chuckles a little and leans forward to press his lips softly against mine. I feel him smile against me and I tighten my arms around him, wanting to stay just like this forever. He pulls away slowly and reaches his hand up to hold my face gently. It's wet, but I don't care. It still feels so good. 

"Of course I do, sweetheart. I think I've loved you from the moment I first saw you. At first it was more about obsession, attraction. But the more I got to know you, the deeper I fell. You're not just beautiful, Harlow. You're intelligent, kind, funny, sarcastic. You're perfect." he murmurs as his eyes trace my face so reverently I feel like he's trying to memorize ever detail. "And now I'm completely at your mercy." 

"Pierce, I-" I start, but he cuts me off with a gentle peck to my lips. 

"You don't have to say it back. Actually, I don't want you to. I know this situation is... messy. Strange and completely unconventional. I don't want you to say it because you feel obligated to. If you ever do say it, I want it to be because you truly feel it and I don't expect that right now. I've had much longer to fall for you than you have for me. Or, you could decide you just don't feel that way. And that's okay too." he says, but the pain in his eyes betrays his words. 

"I care about you, Pierce. The way I feel, well, I'm not sure if it's love because I've never felt this way about someone else before." I confess. His face curves into a blinding smile that makes my heart skip a beat and warmth envelope me in comforting tendrils of contentment. 

"That's enough for me, love. More than enough." he says. He leans forward and kisses me again, like he can't get enough of it, before his arms wrap around my legs and my back. He lifts me slightly and I pull away to look at him, trying to figure out what he's doing. 

"Let's race." he says. 

"What?" I ask just before he chucks me in the air. I let out a surprised shriek before I crash into the water, splashing before I resurface. I sputter and scowl at Pierce, but he's too busy laughing to be offended by it. 

"Oh, it's on now." I say, shoving a wave of water at him so he chokes. He coughs a few times and wipes the water from his eyes, but he's still smiling at me. 

"No cheating this time." he says. 

"Me? Never." I pretend to be shocked at his words and that only makes him laugh again. 

Awhile later after we both shower to get the chlorine water off of us, we sit in the dining room together and eat dinner. It's a companionable quiet and I let my mind wander. 

"If you could do anything in the world, what would it be?" I ask him. 

He stops eating and looks out the window as he thinks. I lit a candle for the table and it casts a shadow on his face, making his jawline look much harsher than it is. I reach out towards him and run the pad of my thumb along it. He just shaved earlier today, so his skin is soft and warm under my touch. The connection has him turning back to look at me. He lifts his hand to wrap it around mine, pressing my knuckles against his lips and closing his eyes as he savors the connection. 

"I'd be doing this." he says.

"Doing what?" I ask, cocking my head to the side as I appraise him. He chuckles and smiles at me, kissing my hand again before placing it on the table. 

"Spending every day with you." he answers easily. I smile and blush, but roll my eyes playfully at him. 

"There has to be something else you'd like to do as well?" I ask. 

"I'll think about it and get back to you. What about you? What would you like to do?" he asks. 

"I'd like to see hot air balloons. The pretty ones all floating in the sky." I say wistfully. 

"With me?" he asks. 

"There's room for two in the basket I'm sure." I tease. He chuckles, his eyes glimmering in the flicking of the candlelight. "I think everything I would like to do would be better with you." I say honestly. 

"Your birthday is in a few months." he says and I nod. 

"It is. You think you'll let me out of here by then?" I tease, but his eyes darken with something I'm not familiar with. "What's wrong?" I ask. 

He moves so quickly I can barely register what he's doing until I'm scooped up into his arms and he's carrying me towards the stairs. 

"Pierce!" I shriek, holding onto his shirt so he doesn't drop me, but with how firm his hold is on my legs I doubt he would ever let me fall. 

He carries me all the way upstairs and to his bedroom, tossing me on the bed. I giggle as I watch him climb over me. He kisses his way up my neck and whispers into my ear. 

"I don't like the idea of sharing you." 

"With who?" I ask breathlessly. 

"Anyone." he says succinctly. 

I spread my legs until his body nestles against me, wrapping my arms around him and pulling me into him. He groans and I feel him swell against me, the feeling has my brain going foggy with lust. I grind my hips against him and am rewarded with another groan that makes a shiver wrack down my spine. I turn my head to give him better access to my neck and see his hand tighten on the bed sheets like he's barely holding on to his self restraint. I decide to test how far I can push him and run my hands under his shirt. I feel his back stiffen at my touch and I curve my fingers to run my nails down his bare skin. 

"Fuck, Harlow." 

His voice is much deeper now, almost like he's slowly turning into an animal. Feral. The fact that I can so easily unravel this man only makes me more excited. I suck on his neck, leaving marks up to his ear where I bite down gently on the lobe. He groans again and rests more of his weight on me, his hand going to my hip and letting his fingers sink into my skin. There's a small bite of pain so I pull back slightly. 

"Gentle, baby." I murmur. 

He opens his eyes and forces them to focus on me before he nods once and leans down to kiss me again. This one is more intense than any of the others. He takes more control, slipping his tongue into my mouth, moving his hands up and down my body until I'm a writhing mess against him. He bites down on my lip gently before licking away the sting then pulls away to look at me again. 

"Tell me what you want, love. Or tell me to stop. I'll do whatever you want. Whatever you ask." he says, his voice hoarse as he tries to control himself. 

I don't want to stop. I know that. But I've never had a man be so willing to do whatever I want. And there's one thing I've always wanted to try. 

"I want you to use your mouth on me." I say, trying to keep the whine out of my voice as I practically beg him. 

"Where?" he asks against my heated skin as he glides his lips along my collarbone and up to my neck. 

"Please, Pierce. Please." I beg him. 

"Where do you want my mouth, sweet girl?" he asks again and I nearly cry from frustration. I'm not good at this. At asking for what I want. I take a deep breath and lean up into him while I try to summon what ever wanton sex goddess has taken over my body to the surface. 

"I want your face between my legs." I whisper in his ear. His body goes still before he pulls away to look down at me. 

"You'd let me do that?" he asks, clearly shocked. I grin at how sweet he is and nod. "Really?" he asks like I've just given him a gift.

"Yes, please." I say, rubbing my body against his to encourage him to move. He groans again and captures my lips in a short, heated kiss before he pushes up onto his knees. 

"I told you I'll give you whatever you want, my love. But there is one thing we'll have to do first." he says with a devilish grin and a gleam in his eye. 

"What's that?" I ask. 

"Get you naked."