Seventeen Days Page 14

  Harrison must see the dark thoughts come into my eyes. His face takes on a look of concern, and he mouths the question, “What’s wrong?” Not ready to let him so far in, I shake my head no, nothing’s wrong. Only everything is. Or was. My life until the moment I stepped off the plane in Mobile, was wrong. Every single infinitesimal piece of it.

  Reaching up so I can reach his ear, I tell him, “I’m going to pull Julian aside in a moment to ask about lunch. Afterwards, why don’t we head back to the hotel?”

  Needing to be consumed in all things Harrison, I pray he agrees to leave. His touch can erase all the awful touches before his. His answer was to place his hand behind my head and pull my mouth to his. His kiss is the only answer I need.

  Waiting until the song is over, I grab Julian’s arm and lead him away to a hallway leading to the bathrooms. We can hear each other here without having to shout.

  “Can we have lunch tomorrow? Only the two of us? It’s my last day in town, since we’re flying out tomorrow evening, and I’d like to spend time with you. Alone.”

  And accept his offer to pay for my education without an audience around.

  “I’d love to. Do you have a place in mind?” he asks.

  “Actually, I was thinking we could have a picnic near the Eiffel Tower. That way we can take as long as we want, and not worry about a cafe needing to fill the table.” For as many times as I’ve been here, I’ve never taken time to sit and appreciate the beauty of this city. Tomorrow, I can do that while having a quiet lunch with my father.

  “It sounds like the perfect lunch. Would you like me to pack the lunch, or do you want to grab a few things before we go? I have a basket we can use.”

  “Actually, I haven’t planned that far ahead. I didn’t know if you’d agree to the idea or not. Why don’t we go to the store together and get everything? You can bring the basket, glasses, and plates. We can grab the rest.”

  One day, I hope Harrison and I can return to Paris and have a picnic of our own.

  “Okay, I can do that. What time should I pick you up? Eleven?”

  “Eleven sounds great. I’ll be waiting for you in the lobby. Harrison and I are going to head back to the hotel now. He’s tired, and I’ll admit I am too. We must still be suffering from a touch of jet lag.” Who am I kidding? We’re not tired, we’re horny.

  “I’m going to take off as well. Would you kids care for a ride back to the hotel?” he asks.

  “That’d be great. Thanks. I’ll go grab Harrison and we can leave.”

  “I’ll meet you out front then.” As soon as the words leave his mouth he starts making his way toward the exit. That went better than I expected. Since we’re just getting to know each other, I wasn’t sure if he would agree to such a private lunch. I thought he might want to go somewhere more public.

  When I reach Harrison, I notice there’s more females around him than there was when I left. He doesn’t notice one of them. His eyes are focused solely on me. It’s like he’s been watching for my return while a harem full of whores got closer to him. Laughing at the thought, I grab his outstretched hand and pull him through them to me.

  “Come on, Captain. Our chariot awaits.”

  Now that we’re back in our hotel room, I’m nervous.

  What should I do? Do I make the first move? When I made my move last night, it turned out okay. It would’ve been better if he had given in fully. The sexy bastard. Sex for me in the past was never actually my choice. Ever.

  Harrison is truly my first choice. He should have been my first, period.

  We haven’t spoken one word since we stepped into the hotel lobby. The elevator ride was filled with tension so thick you could’ve cut it. If we would’ve been alone, it may have been different. Once we stopped on our floor, I lead the way to our room in silence.

  Which brings us to this moment. This weirdly intense moment.

  Is he nervous too?

  Is it why he hasn’t said anything?

  Why he hasn’t made a move?

  Shit.

  Fuck.

  Shit.

  Fuckshitfuckingshit.

  Someone tell me what to do! Last night, I was bold enough to undress. Should I try that tonight? Will it work? Of course it’ll work, he’s already agreed. Come on, Morgan, you can do this. This isn’t your first time.

  But it should have been.

  It takes every ounce of courage I have, but I manage to ask, “Can you get my zipper, please?” Why did I have to choose a dress I couldn’t slip over my head? Nope, stupid me had to pick out one with a zipper. Before he answers, I turn my back to him and pull my hair up off from my neck. Exposing my zipper to him.

  First move made. Checkmate.

  His only response is the sound of my zipper as he pulls it down slowly. Inch by antagonizing inch. He’s about to find out the only thing I have on underneath is my undies. The way this dress is made, there’s no way I could wear a bra. If I could, it’d have to be strapless, and not having one with me, I did the only thing I could do—I went sans bra.

  Sucking in a deep breath, he mutters, “Fuck me, Morgan. No bra?”

  “Didn’t need one with this dress. It’s not like I planned for you to find out. After last night, I wasn’t going to make any move toward us being together. I was leaving the ball in your court. You had to go and put your hands on me in the club. And your fingers.” I’m hot remembering what his fingers did to me, how quickly they brought me to orgasm.

  “Your ass swaying in front of me was too much temptation. I don’t regret that choice. Even if you wouldn’t have pressed your ass against me, my fingers still would have found their way inside of you.”

  Suddenly, I feel his lips on me, kissing a trail down my back. As he pulls the zipper down agonizingly slower, he kisses every inch as he exposes it.

  “Keep doing that and I’ll be begging for your kisses in other places.”

  “Oh, I plan on kissing you everywhere. Don’t worry, you won’t need to ask.”

  Everywhere? Between my thighs where I want him most? If his fingers can work magic, imagine what his tongue would do.

  The only sound I hear is the sound of his kisses, his hands seem to have forgotten my zipper. Not saying anything, I reach back for one of his hands and place it on my breast. It’s all the invitation he needs. His other hand comes up to cup my other breast, squeezing them gently, while his tongue makes its way to my neck.

  Arching my back, I give him all the access he needs. My dress slides down my body without any effort from me. One of his hands slides down my stomach, stopping before it can slide into my undies. Why did he stop? Keep going.

  “Sit on the bed and lie back. Leave your legs hanging over the edge, babe.”

  Thumbing my undies off, I do what he says.

  “Fuck. Me. That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  He’s still fully clothed, how is that fair? “Take your shirt off and get over here and make love to me.” Lying back on the bed, I glance up to see him pull his shirt over his head. Oh, wow. I’ve seen him shirtless before but this is different. We’ve never had the intention of having sex before. His tan skin makes my mouth water. He has a trail of dark hair leading down to his happy spot. Oh, fuck, he has the muscle thingy that turns smart women stupid. Have I ever been this attracted to a man? I can’t recall.

  “You’re sort of beautiful, you know?” Did I say that out loud? Fuck, I did.

  “You want to see beauty? It’s what I seeing now. You. Naked and waiting for me. God, you’re the most breathtaking woman I’ve ever seen, Morgan. Every single inch of you is perfection. And mine. This— Tonight makes you mine. You got that? Mine. No more bullshit. Once we make love, that’s it for me.”

  “Make me yours, Harrison. Make. Me. Yours.” I’m already his if we make love or not. This man owns my soul.

  Not wasting one more second, he practically leaps over to the bed. Lying atop me, he kisses me with a passion he’s yet to show me. Holy shit. And I thought
last night’s kisses were intense. His tongue duels with mine in a battle we both win. When he breaks the kiss, I can’t get air into my lungs fast enough. I’ve never been kissed like that before. Ever. Harrison literally kissed me breathless.

  He slowly kisses his way down my body, stopping at my breasts. One hand cups a breast while his tongue laves at the other. I could have an orgasm from only this. His tongue is as magical as his fingers. I’ve never let anyone do anything more than fuck me. Never let anyone kiss their way down my body. Never had sex with the lights on before, either. Probably because I never wanted to see what was being done to me.

  Harrison makes me want it all.

  His hand not on my breasts moves down and cups my sex, causing me to arch my back up off from the bed.

  “You’re so wet. I love how you get so wet for me. I can’t wait to fully taste you; the sample I had at the club only made me want you more.”

  His words are all I need to send me over the edge. His fingers are in me now as his mouth sucks in a nipple. It’s too much yet not enough. My fingers find their way into his hair, pulling him closer to me. As I’m coming down, he releases my nipple with a popping sound.

  “Babe? Can you let go of my hair? I’d like to continue but I can’t move.” Huh, didn’t know I was holding on to it that tightly.

  “Only if you can repeat what you just did.” ‘Cause holy wow.

  “Oh, I plan on doing one better. My tongue is going to replace my fingers. I’m hungry and can’t wait to have my dessert.” He did say that? Seriously, it’s so damn cheesy. Fuck it, it turned me on even more and I don’t give two shits.

  Still keeping my grip on his hair, I say, “Um. No one has ever done that to me before. Had their tongue down, you know … there.” Kill me now. Please. My cheeks feel like they’re on fire. Talk about embarrassing, my admitting that to him after what he’s done and what he’s about to do. But he needed to know, right?

  “If you’re nervous, I don’t have to taste you tonight. We can save it for later, once you’re more comfortable with me. Trust me, I plan on eating you for the rest of my life. What’s one more day?”

  Instead of answering him, I release my hold on his hair a tiny bit and push his head further down. It’s my way of saying yes. Turns out he doesn’t need the actual words.

  Using his hands, he parts my slick folds and sweeps his tongue straight down the middle. Licking me from my clit to my opening. Holy. Fuck. So this is what I’ve been missing? Moaning, I push his head into me further. As if he needed any direction. “Don’t …” His tongue hits my clit again before I can finish my thought. Wow. All I can think is … wow.

  “Don’t what, baby? Don’t stop? Don’t do anymore? I need you to finish what you were saying. ‘Cause your body isn’t telling me to stop. Your body is telling me to keep going. So do your reactions.”

  What was I going to say? Oh, yeah. “Don’t stop. That’s what I was trying to say. Please don’t stop, Harrison.”

  And he doesn’t stop. Nope. Not even for me to catch my next breath. Before I know it, I’m coming again. Hearing the familiar sound of a zipper and foil being ripped, it takes me a moment to process what is happening. He’s entering me while I’m still coming from his tongue. It’s too much. It only takes him one thrust home, and I’m cresting again. I’ve never had more than one orgasm. Ever. I was lucky enough to have one. This feeling is too much for me to handle, and I start crying. It's all consuming.

  Not stopping, he wipes my tears away. With each thrust, he places a quick kiss on my lips. These emotions are more than I’ve ever felt before, more than I can handle. It’s like I’ve thrown myself into the eye of the storm.

  It’s everything.

  Last night was beyond amazing. I’ve never known such love could exist between two people.

  After the first time, Harrison gathered me up in his arms and carried me into the bathroom where he started a bath and we got in together. Every touch made me feel cherished, loved, desired.

  We made love three times before exhaustion took over. When my alarm went off, I woke up all tangled in his arms. Best. Feeling. Ever. Not wanting to move, I snuggled closer to Harrison and hit snooze. Julian could wait—snuggle time with Harrison seemed more important at the time.

  “You’ve got to move, babe. Julian will be here in less than an hour. I’ll check out the area while you’re away. Maybe I’ll hit up the cafe around the corner for lunch and pick up a few souvenirs from one of the shops nearby. Savannah might like a token or two from Paris. I could always pick her up a little something special from the two of us.”

  Is it already after ten? I could swear my alarm was set for nine. Good thing we took a shower after round three. Now I don’t have to take one before meeting Julian for lunch.

  “How do I have less than an hour? Did I hit snooze more than once without realizing it?”

  His fingers pause in their comb through my hair. “No. I reset the alarm before we fell asleep, figured we could use the extra sleep.”

  Now that he mentions it, I do vaguely recall him grabbing my phone, but I was too sleepy to question it.

  “No, it’s okay. I’ll quickly pull my clothes on, do my hair, and add a touch of makeup. No biggie.” And it’s not. Unlike Sienna, I don’t need hours to make myself presentable. A touch of this, a smidge of that, and I’m good to go. No muss, no fuss.

  “Are you nervous about today? About spending time alone with Julian?”

  Placing a kiss on his chest—near his heart—I get up from the bed.

  “Nope. Not one bit. I’m feeling good about having a somewhat normal father/daughter relationship with him.”

  He may have missed the first eighteen years of my life, but I’ll be damned if he was going to miss out on another day. Julian is a fantastic guy, and I’m sure with time he’ll be a kick-ass father. But I have to let him be one. This lunch today is only the beginning of it. As much as I want Harrison to be there with me, I want him as far away as possible. It’s a tug of war with my heart but my head won. Alone time with Julian is needed in order for us to move forward.

  “You’ll have a great time, I’m sure. Everything Julian did with us yesterday is proof of that. He wasn’t trying to impress me; he was trying to impress you. His daughter.”

  Shit, I know. But he didn’t need to impress me. His being alive, and in my life now, is all that matters.

  “His presence impresses me. I should probably tell him he doesn’t need to work so hard, huh?”

  “Unless you want him to keep on tossing his money away, I’d tell him.” Laughing gently, he climbs from the bed and starts making his way toward me.

  “Nope. No hanky panky for you this morning. I have places to go, people to see. Slowly back away, mister.”

  “Call him and tell him to be here at noon, you have something more urgent to attend to.” Reaching for me, I don’t put up any fight and fall willingly into his arms. Noticing we’re both naked and he’s very much awake, if you get what I mean. Shit … I’m going to be late for lunch.

  Sitting on a blanket on the greenest grass I’ve ever seen, I lie back and take in the beauty surrounding me. Paris truly is a magnificent city. I never cared much to take it all in before.

  “Thank you for asking me to do this today, Morgan. It’s been an honor to spend this time with you.”

  Watching a butterfly flitter on by, I tell him, “My pleasure, Julian. We needed this bonding time. Plus, I needed to let you know about Columbia and what steps I need to take next. I’ve yet to discuss those things with Savannah or Harrison. I’m betting it won’t be a pretty conversation. But I’m not leaving them forever, only for a few months.” Something only now has occurred to me: I should spend the holidays here in Paris with Julian. Invite my aunt and Harrison along too.

  “Hey, would you like to spend Christmas and New Year’s together?”

  It’ll be pricey, but I’m sure Julian would pay at least for my way here. Harrison should be able to get away. After all,
I don’t see winter as being his busy season. Aunt Savannah probably won’t want to spend time with Julian, but if we were all here, would she agree to it? Maybe. Probably. More than likely.

  “That would be wonderful! We could make arrangements over the next couple of weeks. Would you want to stay with me, or in a hotel? Would it be you alone or others as well? I don’t mind opening up my apartment for everyone to stay, I have plenty of room.”

  Shit. Maybe I should have cleared this with everyone else before I blurted it out to Julian. Oh well, if they don’t want to come, they don’t need to come. I’d love to spend Christmas in Paris with my father. If my heart comes along too, it’s fine with me. My aunt would be the icing on the cake.

  “Um. I’d plan on there being at least three of us. If it’s okay?”

  Better let the others know ASAP that I basically made plans for them for the holidays. Oops.

  “That’d be okay, my dear. I’m already looking forward to it. Normally, I try to get back to the States to see my family but this year should be all about you. And it should be here, in Paris. It’s absolutely beautiful in the winter. And don’t worry about a thing, everyone is welcome to stay with me. Like I said, I have plenty of room.”

  Not only did I make plans for everyone, it sounds like I’m making him cancel his plans with his family.

  “Oh, no. You go spend the time with your family. It’s okay, I can spend the holiday with Savannah in Alabama. Who knows, I could be changing schools around that time, and it may all work out for the best. Maybe next Christmas I can come here to visit. Or spend next summer here.”

  “I’m going to only say this once, so listen up. You’re more than welcome here, Morgan. You asked, and I agreed. You’re not stopping me from making other plans, I want to spend the holiday with you. So it’s settled then. You’ll come here. I’m assuming Harrison and Savannah will be with you?”