Seventeen Days Page 12

  “I didn’t mean to worry you. Not at all. I need more time to deal with this and I didn’t want Julian to try and chase after me.”

  “I get it, I do. But next time at least tell me you’re fleeing. Don’t completely leave without me. For all I knew you decided to go to the bar next door and drink the night away. Not that I’d be surprised nor blame you if you did.”

  “I may have drunk those two glasses of wine in a short amount of time, but I’m not a big drinker. Never really have been. My birthday was one of a few occasions where I’ve drank to get drunk. I only did it then because it was my birthday. Tonight it was due to my nerves, and well, you did order it. Plus, it was a white wine, those I do like.” Placing my arm around his waist, I lean into him waiting for the elevator to reach our floor. “I’d like to talk to you about a few things before we go to bed.”

  “Okay.”

  Does he know I can see his reaction in the elevator doors? The expression on his face says he’s everything but okay with my wanting to talk. Wanting to put him at rest, I tell him, “It’s nothing bad. In fact, I think it’s something quite exciting.”

  The elevator doors open then and he nudges me out and toward our room.

  What does she want to talk about that hasn’t already been covered today? Whatever it is, I hope it doesn’t take too long. It’s been hard to stay awake for the past hour. It feels like I’ve been awake for the last few days. Last night, I barely slept an hour. Every time she would move, I’d jolt awake and make sure she wasn’t leaving.

  Unlocking the door, I open it and motion for her to enter before me.

  “Did you happen to bring an extra shirt I can wear to bed?” Even if I didn’t, I would tell her yes. Her wanting to sleep in my shirt is hot as fuck. If I can’t mark her as mine and touch her bare skin, at least my shirt can.

  “You can wear the one I have on now, if you want.” Reaching up, I tug it over my head and hand it to her, leaving me shirtless for her eyes to devour. And they are. Devouring me. If only she knew if she wanted me in her life for more than the next week or two. I’d stop listening to my brain and start listening to my libido and press her up against the wall and ravage her.

  Taking my shirt, she turns her back toward me and starts walking further into the room. Reaching up she pulls her shirt up and over her head. What the fuck is she doing, undressing in front of me? A guy can only take so much. Her little stunt with the towel earlier had me almost to my breaking point. This may push me over the edge. “Red … I’m warning you.”

  It’s like she doesn’t hear me, she tosses her shirt toward the chair and misses. She doesn’t pull my shirt over her head—no, she unhooks her damn bra and tosses it to the floor next. She’s pushing me to my damn limit.

  “I want you to see me naked. The same goes for you. I want to see more than your chest. I want to see it all. Feel it all. Every single hard inch of you, I want you to touch every soft inch of me.”

  Taking a deep breath, I take another step toward her. She’s naked from the waist up, and I don’t think she has any intention of putting my shirt on. She proves me right by turning around. Her hands are covering her nipples and only her nipples. Staring me right in the eyes, she drops her hands. Holy fuck. Unable to help myself, I reach for her and pull her closer.

  “I warned you,” I say, right before pressing our mouths together and melding my chest to hers. She lets out a tiny gasp at the feeling, and I press my tongue inside her mouth. God, she feels amazing. Better than I imagined. Her skin against mine is the sweetest kind of torture.

  Reaching down, I grab her behind the knee and force her to slightly lift her leg, she quickly catches on and jumps up to wrap both legs around my waist. Bunching her skirt up around her waist in the process.

  Not listening to my head anymore, I don’t see the problem of pushing her against the wall and hungrily taking her mouth. She’s felt my erection before, the first kiss in my truck, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to her to feel it now. Freeing my mouth from hers, I make my way down to her neck. Thrusting my hips so my hard-on feels the wetness my kisses has caused inside her panties. I lick her neck. She tastes like sweet peaches.

  “I want you, Harrison. Not only for tonight. I want a future with you in it.”

  “Do you mean that? Are you staying or leaving?” Not sure how I managed to string two words together, let alone two sentences. Pressing her harder against the wall, I take her mouth again. She can answer me after a few more drugging kisses.

  Her hips meet mine, and together, we mimic the act of sex. If she keeps it up, I’m going to come in my jeans. It takes all the strength I have to pull my mouth away from hers.

  “No matter how much I want this, I need your answer first. Are you staying?”

  With the hand I had wrapped around her head, I reach down and pinch her nipple. She lets out the sexiest moan I’ve ever heard.

  “Can’t … think … when … you … do … that.”

  Not stopping, I massage her breast. She’s the perfect size—a handful.

  “I’m not positive I’ll stay, but I know I want a future with you. No matter where I end up, I want you in my life. Distance doesn’t matter to me. I only know for certain how much I want there to be an ‘us’.”

  It’s enough of answer for me. Reluctantly, I push away from her and unhook her legs from around my waist, not missing the puzzled look that crosses her pretty face. “I’d love that, Red.” Before she can read too much into it, I continue, “But we’re not having sex tonight.”

  “Before you get carried away and think I don’t want you, let me tell you why. There’s a few reasons. We don’t have any condoms.” I didn’t pack any for this reason alone, so I wouldn’t be too tempted. I knew if we didn’t have them, I wouldn’t act on anything.

  “I’m on the pill, and I’m clean. I trust you are, too?”

  She shouldn’t have told me that. Fuck. Now I want to do nothing else but gather her back up into my arms and ride her bare.

  “The other reason is, this isn’t the right time for us. You’ve had one shitstorm after another today, and you don’t need to add sex to the mix. I’ll help you find relief if you want, but we will not be having sex tonight.”

  “I can get myself off, thanks.” Not giving me another moment to explain further, she pulls my shirt over her head and walks toward the bathroom, effectively closing me out.

  Shit, that could have gone better.

  Julian is waiting for us when we make our way down to the lobby the next morning. He’s early. I figured maybe we’d have time to grab a coffee before he showed up. It’s okay, though, we can grab one on the way to wherever it is we’re going.

  Reaching out my hand, I shake his. “Good morning, Julian.”

  He reaches out to hug Morgan, but she’s not ready for that, it’s awkward to watch them skirt around each other. Neither one knows what to do with the other. She wants to hug him, but she holds herself back. She doesn’t trust him with her heart yet. That much is certain. They end up doing a weird half-hug-handshake combo.

  “Morning, Julian. Did you end up planning anything for us to do today, or no?”

  If his answer is no, I have a few places I’d like to check out. I’ve always wanted to see The Mona Lisa in person. Maybe we can check her out without him before we fly back home.

  “Actually, yes. I’d like to show you the city I fell in love with. I’ve also made dinner reservations for the three of us, before we conclude our evening with a little live music. A friend of mine’s band is playing at a club down the street, I thought it’d be nice if we all checked them out, together. I’d love for you to see what I do on a typical weekend night.”

  Sounds like an excellent day to me.

  “I didn’t bring anything to wear to a club. Can we stop at a store where I can purchase a dress? If so, I’m game for that. Show us your city—I’d like to see it from the eyes of someone who lives here.”

  Laughing he turns and makes his way toward the f
ront door. “Do we need the car, or are we going places on foot? I can grab the car and meet you two out front here in a few minutes.”

  “No need, Harrison, I drove over here. My car’s waiting right there.” He’s pointing to a Mercedes S class. A fucking Mercedes AMG S65 to be exact. If he customized it, we’re talking an easy two-hundred thousand. Holy shit.

  “Pick your tongue up, Captain. And wipe your chin while you’re at it, you’re drooling.” So she noticed, huh? It’s one of my dream cars. Maybe someday I’ll own one. His car is my new yacht. My whole business expansion.

  “You may drive it later, Harrison. For now, it’ll be easier if I do, since I know where we’re going.”

  “You’ve got yourself a deal.” I’d love to drive this puppy. It’s heads and tails above my truck, and trust me, my truck is nice. Brand new nice. But not Mercedes nice. If I didn’t want to expand and buy another yacht, I could probably afford to get one, although why I’d want to drive one around Alabama, I don't know.

  Opening the front passenger door, I gesture for Morgan to get in. “After you, beautiful.” She’s blushing. Have I not called her beautiful yet, or is it because I did so in front of Julian? No matter, I plan on telling her at least once a day starting today.

  Closing her door, I open mine and slide into the back, directly behind her. Sighing when my ass meets the plush leather.

  “You’re doing it again.”

  “Doing what, exactly?” Did she hear my pleasure sigh? Shit, I thought that was done internally.

  “Drooling. It’s only attractive when you’re drooling over me.”

  Clearing his throat as if to let us know he’s there, Julian starts the car.

  “Did you two have breakfast yet?” he asks while turning out into the busy Paris traffic.

  “No, we didn’t. We overslept this morning and barely had time to dress before meeting you. We planned on grabbing coffee before you showed up but you were early.”

  That’s the most words she’s said to him since they met last night. I’m impressed.

  “Well, we can stop for coffee now if you like or we can go have brunch at a place near my office. It’s one of my favorite places to dine.”

  “Okay, to brunch. I’m sure Harrison could eat. Right?”

  “Hell yes, I could eat. Can’t say I’ve ever been to brunch, though. Is it as fancy as the word implies?”

  I’m serious, kind of. I know it’s a mixture of both breakfast and lunch, but does it serve both? My mother may have been educated and elegant, but we damn sure never had brunch.

  “It’s not fancy, only a fancy word. Normally they serve about anything that can be considered breakfast or lunch. My favorite part is the mimosa. Or a good spinach and cheese quiche.”

  A what? What the hell is that? “I can get behind a mimosa or two, but what the hell is a quiche? You said spinach so automatically it’s not something on my must eat list.”

  Laughing, she turns in her seat so she can see me. “It’s another fancy word. Basically, it’s an egg bake. You don’t have to have spinach. A man like you would probably go for ham, mushrooms, and cheese. You should totally try one if they’re serving them. You’ll like it.”

  Doesn’t sound too bad. Eggs and stuff.

  “Brunch it is!” Julian exclaims. This is going so much better than I thought. I didn’t foresee Red being so open to him this morning. Sleep must have done her wonders. We may have gone to bed upset with each other but we woke tangled up together. Even in sleep we reach for the other.

  Winking at me, she quickly turns around in her seat. “Can we go to the Louvre today, or won’t we have time? I’ve always wanted to see the inside.” It’s like she can read my mind. How did she know I wanted to go there? “And if we go do you think we’d be able to see The Mona Lisa?” Red asks.

  “Oh. Yes, you can see her across the room, but most days it’s a wait to get up close and personal. She’s much smaller in real life. Until I saw her, I always thought she was larger than life. And she’s not. She’s not much bigger than a standard size family photo.”

  Well, now she sounds disappointing.

  “Is she worth the wait?”

  “Yeah, exactly what she asked, is she worth it? We don’t have much time on this trip and is seeing her truly worth the wait? I’ve always wanted to see her, but if waiting till our next trip is what we have to do, it’s what we have to do.”

  “Aren’t all the great things in life worth waiting for?” he asks.

  Why yes, yes they are.

  It’s like he was talking straight to me. Like he read my mind about my relationship with Harrison. He can’t possibly know, can he? Do I wear my want across my face? Can my father see it? Never having been in this position before, I’m curious to know but keep silent. It’s not a question to ask a virtual stranger. I’ll ask Harrison later.

  I’ve never had a boyfriend before. Not a serious one, anyway. Admittedly, his words last night hurt. No matter what he says, it was like he was turning me away. Like he didn’t want me. But his body proved otherwise. And I meant what I said about being on the pill and being clean. I’ve never had sex without protection before but I trust Harrison with my life.

  And since he’s the only thing in my future I’m certain on, it makes it a non-issue. For me, anyway. I know we told my aunt we’re only friends, but obviously, things have changed now.

  I have a boyfriend. We may not have given ourselves a label, but it’s what we are. My heart is telling me he’s my future.

  No one has spoken since Julian said the best things are worth waiting for. We all know what I do when I find myself in an awkward situation. Deciding to not ask something embarrassing, I use this as an opportunity to get to know my father. How weird is that to say? My father.

  “What is it you do for a living? You said this cafe is near your office, correct?” Maybe he owns his own business like Harrison. My aunt never did say what he did. She’s a successful vet so I can’t see her having been married to anyone who didn’t have ambitions to equal her own. Although, she did get her education after their divorce. But, on the other hand, he does live in Paris and it’s got to be expensive. Plus, given the way Harrison has been drooling over this car, I know it’s expensive. I can see the Mercedes label; I know those don’t come inexpensive.

  “I’m a defense attorney. I haven’t lived in Paris the whole time since leaving Alabama. Although, I did move here right after things went bad with Savannah but left a year later to study at Oxford. Where I studied law. Upon graduation, I was offered an internship here in Paris, which led to a full-time position. About three years ago, I opened my own practice. Do you know what you plan to study, Morgan?”

  Nope. No fucking clue, dude. Well, maybe a tiny clue, although I've never given it a voice.

  “No, I don’t. Before all this trouble I got in, I was planning on attending Columbia in the fall, but had yet to decide on a major. Honestly, I have never been sure what I wanted to do, maybe business will be a good fit for me. I’m not sure. For now, I’m doing some light office work for Harrison; he owns his own business.” Yeah, so I may have only worked there for like two days. It counts for something, right?

  “Is that right? What kind of business do you own, Harrison?”

  “I own a company that runs fishing charters out on the Gulf of Mexico. My father opened it, and I took over when he passed away. I briefly debating on selling it but couldn’t part with it, so I put my business degree to use and opened the doors back up. And I haven’t looked back a day since. I’m planning on expanding the business for the second time this summer. Adding another boat and crew, maybe an overnight charter.”

  Julian is pulling up to a valet at what appears to be a pretty stylish cafe.

  “Sounds impressive, son. I’d like to take one of those tours one day. I’ll schedule it through you, now that I know someone who runs that type of thing. Maybe see if a few friends of mine can come along. With Morgan being in Alabama, I’ll have a good reason
to come back and visit. My family isn’t in the area anymore, so I don’t get there much at all; it’s been quite a few years.”

  The valet opens my door to allow me out. I hope this place doesn’t make Harrison feel less than equal. He didn’t grow up around money like I did. This is probably the first time he’s been in a car that costs as much as a typical college education. Although, he does charge a pretty penny for his tours. I’m sure he could buy this car, if he wanted. Shit, he bought two, first-class, last minute plane tickets, and I know our hotel isn’t cheap. It’s probably a good five hundred a night, easy.

  Don’t think about money so much, it doesn’t define a person.

  If I repeat it, I’ll start to believe it. You’d think with all the bad that has happened to me due to having money, I’d know that. But dammit, I always try to put value on a person depending on if they have money or not. Stop being so shallow, Morgan. Money doesn’t buy happiness; you’re living proof.

  Getting out of the car, I take the valet’s hand offered to me and stand to the side to wait for the guys to join me. Harrison is the first, and he places his hand on my lower back and starts to lead me toward the entrance. “Shouldn’t we wait for Julian?”

  “He’s right behind us, babe.”

  So far, today hasn’t been awful. Going to bed angry at myself—and Harrison—you’d think I’d have woken up in a bad mood, but nope, I’m in a great mood. Must have been the tension I relieved by myself last night. If we would’ve been intimate last night, I’m positive I would have been a delightful mood this morning. I’d have been like Mary Fuckin’ Poppins.

  “Harrison, may I speak to you for a moment? Morgan, will you please go inform the hostess we’d like a table for three?”

  “Um. Sure, I guess.” Wonder what he wants to ask Harrison that he can’t say in front of me? Weird.

  My life has been an out of control spiral over the last month. Welcome to adulthood, Morgan. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about. Why did I make the stupid decision to take ecstasy? It’s a question I ask myself at least twice a day. Can’t say I regret it all that much, anymore. It brought me my aunt, my father, Harrison, Mac, and Rusty Sprockets. All of those things are a hundred percent better than the toxic people that were in my life, people I had considered my family. What was I thinking?