Evening the Score // Book One

Chapter 32

Elena stared up at the ceiling of Anne's family room while she listened to the family all make their way downstairs and into the kitchen. She had one more day to get Harry to listen. And considering his rebuff of her last night, the odds were not in her favor.

She silently got up off the couch and hurried up the stairs to Harry's room before anyone saw her. She pushed the door in and slipped inside, stopping when she saw Harry look up. He was wearing only a towel, fresh from a shower. His perfectly tanned skin was glistening with undried water droplets. His black ink seeming more prominent than usual.

Elena felt heat pool between her legs. God, he was so beautiful. It hurt to feel the apprehension stop her from reaching out to touch him when she would have any other time.

Harry cleared his throat,

"Was just getting ready for breakfast."

Elena nodded,

"I, um...I was..." She stopped, not sure what to even say.

He turned back to the clothes he'd laid out on his bed.

Elena stayed rooted to her spot. She just needed a connection between them, something...anything...one thing to keep them linked. She'd live on it until he got over his anger and started talking to her again.

She reached out, her hand sliding up onto his shoulder. Harry froze. Elena stepped forward, her other hand winding around his bicep as her lips pressed against the skin on the back of his shoulder.

Harry wanted to step away, move from her grasp and push her back. But her fingers against his skin kept him right where he was. He hadn't felt her touch in so long, he couldn't deny it felt like coming home.

Elena's hand slid over to the back of his neck where she curled her fingers into the hair on the back of his neck,

"I'm sorry, Harry..." She whispered against his skin. Her breath across his skin sent chills down his spine. She stepped even closer into him, pressing herself into his back, "I miss you." She continued, gaining more confidence with each passing moment where he didn't step away from her, "I miss touching you, feeling you...please talk to me. I can't take this distance. It's like I can't...stop you from slipping away."

Harry's eyes fell shut. He could almost see himself turning around to touch her. Pulling her into his arms, kissing her so deeply it took her breath away, lowering her onto the bed as he covered her with his body.

He turned his head, his eyes meeting hers. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears as she stared up at him with such sorrow. She took a breath,

"Please?" She begged.

Elena felt her heart skip a beat when he turned towards her, his eyes focusing on her mouth and then her eyes and then back to her mouth. She felt his hands slid around her waist to her butt, causing her to wind her arms around his neck. His forehead pressed to hers for a split second before he tilted his head up and his lips touched hers.

Elena felt the apprehension from a few moments ago drain out of her. His hand lifted to her cheek, tipping her head back so he could take her mouth again, deepening the kiss and curling her toes.

Harry pulled his lips from hers, swallowing hard before he kissed her again. And then again. He pulled her into his chest, her usual spot when he was kissing the hell out of her. Feeling Elena tucked into his body was comforting in a way that nothing else would be.

She hooked one arm under his shoulder, her fingers gripping his shoulder as her other hand threaded into the hair on the back of his head. Her head tilted just enough for him to get more of her mouth.