Delicate

Chapter 22

HAVEN MCQUEEN

Out of all the cities I've been to and all the five-star hotels I've woken up in over the last few months, Harry's bed is my favorite. His mattress is the softest, the sheets feel the best and smell like him, and the sunny morning Hollywood view doesn't ever get old. My one complaint is that I don't ever want to leave it, but I always have to eventually.

That sad thought comes creeping in as I hear Harry breathe in deeply as he stretches his legs behind me, holding my back against his bare chest the way he did all night. I smile with my eyes closed as he tightens his arm around me, and my skin prickles with goosebumps as he drops a lazy kiss on my shoulder over the shirt that I'm wearing. It belongs to him, of course.

"Morning," he mumbles with a hoarse voice as he feels me shift against him.

I roll over in place to face him instead, showing him my pout until he laughs. "I don't want you to go."

"I'm here until 'round five," he moves my hair out of my face and kisses the apple of my cheek. "Still need to pack."

"Why am I not surprised?" I sigh, which has him coughing out another laugh as he brings me closer to him. "How long will you be gone?"

"Well, the ticket is one-way, so I just need to book one for whenever I'm ready to come back."

My jaw falls open. "You booked a one-way ticket to another country without consulting me first?"

"I thought I would just feel it out once I'm there," his tired smile remains as his eyes flicker across my face. "I'm sure I'll be coming back sooner rather than later, but I'll at least be there through Christmas."

Less teasingly, I nod on the pillow and find his cross necklace to play with. "In all seriousness, I'm glad that you're going to have time to go home and rest with your family. You deserve that."

He blinks down at my lips as I habitually wet them. "You know what's insane?"

"What?"

"My whole year has been planned out, to the day, since January, but I had no idea that I'd be having someone to miss when I'm gone for Christmas. I had no idea this would happen when we met, either. I didn't see this coming at all."

"You didn't see this coming?" I widen my eyes at him. "I didn't see this coming."

He starts to laugh, surely knowing that's true. "I never asked you what you were thinking when we met. Did you think I was another music industry asshole?"

"Not at all," I reply sincerely. "I was nervous to meet you when I came here only because I was a fan and all that, but once we started talking, I felt totally at ease with you. Also, you were nothing but nice to me so I definitely wasn't thinking you were an asshole."

"That's good," he chuckles. "I thought you were pretty in the pictures I saw of you from events you'd been to and things like that, but I was blown away when I saw you in person. I remember thinking you were so naturally beautiful, which is rare these days."

"Stop," I cover my face with my hand. "I'm tired of you making me blush all the goddamn time."

He pulls my wrist down to kiss the corner of my mouth as I try to turn away from him. "I like making you blush."

My smile only stretches wider as he keeps stamping kisses to my cheek, slowly making his way to lay halfway on top of me. "You know what really humanized you that day, though?"

"Hm?"

"That cereal bowl you had on your coffee table."

"Oh my God!" He starts cracking up. "You remember the fucking cereal bowl? I was hoping you didn't notice."