Текст книги "Crazy Beautiful"

Автор книги: Penny Dee

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 19 страниц)

HARLOW

It was hard not to scoff.

“I’ve seen the girls you’ve been with. I don’t even compare to them.”

“No. You’re so much more than what they are.” Heath’s fingers slipped to mine. “I’ve never met a girl like you, H-bomb. I don’t want any other girl. The truth is, I haven’t gotten laid since I met you.”

“Bullshit. I’ve seen you with lots of girls.”

“Doesn’t mean I had sex with them.”

I eyed him suspiciously. “Why?”

He sighed. “Because none of them were you.”

“Heath, that’s crazy.”

“What’s crazy, is how I feel about you H-bomb,” he said with sudden enthusiasm, his eyes warm and soft. “You’re in every corner of my brain. From the moment I wake up to when I fall asleep. You’re all I can think about.”

I looked away. It was hard to look at him. Because when I did, I wanted him.

“Heath, what I said last night … I’d had too much to drink …” I said.

He frowned but my words didn’t deter him. “Don’t say that. Don’t reduce it to that level. We both meant what we said last night.”

“I’m leaving in a few weeks. If we … it won’t work … I don’t belong here.”

He took my hands. “You belong with me.”

I looked at him and bit my bottom lip. “What you want is impossible.”

“What I want is you.”

He was making it hard.

“How do I start something that I will only have to finish in a few weeks?”

His smile was soft. “We can face that when the time comes. We’ll work it out. We can do this, Harlow.” He gave my hands a gentle shake. “I want you to be my girl. My only girl.”

I found his eyes and was momentarily lost in the infinite blue. It would be easy to give into him.

But giving in would mean risking everything.

If I jumped into something with him and lost myself in him, it would only end badly. He was surrounded by too many temptations. Yes, he said he wanted me as his only girl. But for how long?

Until another challenge came along?

Could I risk my future when that was a real possibility?

Look at how quickly he had changed his mind about me the night I’d picked him up from hospital. One minute he wanted me; the next he was rejecting me.

Was that the sort of guy I could give up my future for?

I needed to go for a walk. I felt so muddled. I needed time to myself to think. My heart and head were fighting and it was an all-out war. My heart was begging me to take the plunge; while my head was gripping onto the edge for dear life.

“I’m going for a walk.” I grabbed my coat from the back of a sofa and put it around me. At the dining table I slipped my feet into a pair of Nikki’s sandals.

“I’ll come with you.”

“No. I need time.”

“Harlow …”

“You don’t know what you’re asking of me,” I said with more force than I had intended.

Choosing Heath would mean giving up everything. My life in Georgia. My plans for college. I’d have to face the wrath and immense disappointment of my daddy. Not to mention the venom of my mother. All for … whatever this was.

“You don’t have to be afraid of anything with me. I will never hurt you,” he said gently. “I’ll give you everything you need. Everything you want. If you’ll just be mine.”

I stopped at the door but only half turned. “I just need some time to think.”

He looked gutted. “Will you be back?”

I nodded but couldn’t meet his eyes as I turned and walked out.

Needing to feel the sea breeze in my hair and the tang of salt on my skin, I headed to the Pier. My head was filled with fog and I needed to clear it before it drove me crazy. I hadn’t expected to meet anyone. And I certainly hadn’t expected to meet Heath. But I had and he had become my best friend and now I couldn’t imagine my life without him.

What if I pursued something with him and went too far to turn back? But hadn’t I already gone too far?

As the street beneath my feet turned into the Pier, I felt the gentle tingle of light rain on my face. The smell and sound of the ocean was an immediate comfort and I drew in a deep hearty breath of salty sea air.

It was late afternoon and the sun was bleeding into a horizon heavy with grey clouds. Foggy coach lights along the Pier created a welcome glow. The rain and approaching storm had driven visitors from the Pier, leaving behind only a few die-hard fishermen. Waves rushed beneath us and thunder rumbled in the distance.

Midway along the Pier I sat down on a bench and raised my face to the sky. I closed my eyes against the light rain on my face.

Yes, I was afraid of starting something with Heath, because I was only staying for such a short time and didn’t want the heartache of ending something when I left. But in reality, hadn’t we already had started something?

Yes, I was afraid of falling for him and having to end it. But hadn’t I already fallen for him?

Yes, I was afraid of having to turn my life upside down so I could be with him. But hadn’t he already turned my life upside down by making me love him?

Most of all, I was afraid of giving him my heart and having him break it. But he had already taken it from me.

It seemed clear then. Sitting there, feeling the gentle rain on my skin and the ocean air in my lungs. All my fears were pointless. Because they were too late. I was already one hundred percent, head over heels in love with him.

In that one crazy beautiful moment I felt a bright burst of hope. My eyes opened. It was time to give up fighting something so powerful. I would be okay. It would work out.

I stood up, suddenly filled with so much damn love for Heath I could feel it tingling throughout my body.

“What am I doing?” I asked myself incredulously, wondering why I was so hesitant, when it all seemed so clear now.

I had to get back to him.

I had to tell him I loved him and to hell with everything else.

Not hesitating a moment longer, I made my way back down the darkening Pier as the clouds opened and released a heavy downpour. I quickened my step.

Up ahead in dim glow of the Pier lamps I saw the effigy of a man walking towards me through the rain. I slowed as it neared and when it paused, I paused. Then my heart gave an almighty thump and I took off as fast as I could towards it.

I crashed against Heath and mashed my mouth to his. My arms encircled his waist and pulled him to me. Strong hands cupped my face to his and we kissed as the rain poured over us.

“Did you mean it when you said we could make it work?” I yelled over the rain.

He grinned and even in the dim light I could see the brilliant blue of his eyes and the deep crease of his dimples. His lashes were wet. Raindrops fell from his lips. “I will do whatever I have to do to stay by your side,” he said, still holding my face between his hands. “Just say you’ll be my girl and I promise you we will work it out.”

Now that the wall had crumbled, I was flooded with an overwhelming love for him.

“I think I’ve been your girl since the moment you asked me my name.”

He grinned broadly and kissed me again. I closed my eyes and was lost in the slow rhythm of his mouth against mine.

Yes, I was his girl.

Every single morsel of me. And I was done fighting it. I would give myself completely to him.

* * * * *

HEATH

It was all I could have wanted, and more. Harlow telling me she loved me. Telling me we had a chance. It was magical and I couldn’t stop smiling like a lovesick fool. The walk home took a ridiculously long time because despite the rain, and despite being soaked through, we couldn’t stop kissing each other. We walked through the rain soaked streets, our hands entangled, laughing and stopping to kiss, letting the rain pour over us without a care. I’d never known a feeling like it. I was so crazy for this girl; I didn’t know what to do with myself.

As we climbed the steps to the porch I stopped her and took her face in my hands.

“Tell me this is real,” I said, suddenly serious. “That you’re mine.”

She smiled up at me. Her lips were wet with raindrops and her long dark hair fell in wet strands around her perfect face. “I’m all yours.”

I sighed and inhaled deeply, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. She grabbed my wet shirt and pulled me closer towards her. “Now take me inside.”

So preoccupied by the idea of this amazing girl being mine, I hadn’t even thought of making love to her. And now that I could, my body responded with an immediate need to be doing exactly that.

She led me to the bathroom where she turned on the shower and then turned to me. Her expression was determined, yet shy, her big, beautiful eyes not leaving my face as she slowly peeled the wet clothes from her body.

All. Of. Them.

My mouth dropped and I was unable to move, spellbound by the sight of her clothes disappearing from her body and dropping to the floor. She was glorious naked. Perfect. Flawless. Every curve. Every bare inch of her. From the rise of her breasts to the firm and taut plane of her flat stomach.

“Oh Harlow,” I murmured and stepped closer to her, looking into her eyes as she removed my t-shirt and undid my jeans. She pulled them down and then did the same with my boxers, her eyes wide when she saw me completely naked. She looked up at me and I shivered when she touched me.

We kissed and I pressed myself to her, pleasure flooding every pore and cell of my body. We kissed slowly, our fingers exploring the slick surface of our skin. She felt so good to touch. Warm and smooth. Her skin was flawless and sun kissed. But it was her gentle moans as she touched me that almost made me come undone.

She pulled away but took me with her as she stepped into the shower. The water was warm, a welcome contrast to the cold rain. I was desperate to be inside her but it was our first time and I wanted to make it last.

Now wasn’t the time to rush. Now was a time for making it last until we couldn’t stand it any longer. I had thought about making love to her a lot and now that it was actually happening, I was damned determined to make it better than any fantasy I’d had. I pulled her against me and kissed her again.

“I’ve wanted to do this for such a long time,” I murmured, my hands finding the soft curves of her throat and her jaw. “Tell me you want me as much as I want you.”

“I want you Heath,” she whispered, her lips brushing against mine in response. “I want you so bad I can hardly stand it.”

Her hands slid over my hips and across my pelvis, her fingers wandering lower, sliding around my cock and gently squeezing. I exhaled deeply. Jesus, it was going to be hard to hold back.

“That feels so good.” I breathed hard.

“And this?” She took my hand and placed it between her legs. “Does that feel good? Feeling how wet you make me?”

She touched my fingers to her and dear god, she was so wet I had to fight off the urge to bend her over and slam deep into her.

“Oh baby you’re so wet,” I groaned, my voice raspy. “Let me be inside you.”

“Have you got any protection?” she whispered, her hand moving up and down the length of me.

Thank god there were condoms in the bathroom vanity. I grabbed one, ripped open the foil packet with my teeth and hastily rolled it over me. When I rejoined her under the spray she pushed me down so I was lying in the tub, my back against the porcelain as she straddled me. Strong thighs gripped me and suddenly I was right there, right at the beginning of her. She took me in her hands and slowly rubbed the head of my erection through the warm and soft folds of flesh. Oh God. Then slowly, very, very slowly, she placed me there and gently slid down the full length of me. Right to the very hilt.

She gasped as I stretched and filled her and I almost came because it was so damn intense.

She paused for a moment, her eyes closed and her muscles pulsing around the length of me. Then, opening her eyes she smiled and looked at me with smoldering intensity. Her eyes were dark pools of heat and desire. She moved and used her thighs to slowly lift herself up, dragging her tight flesh along the length of my erection before plunging back down again. I moaned and she fell forward to find my mouth, breathing hard between kissing me and moving up and down on my cock. It was excruciatingly exquisite. Like nothing I’d ever known.

“Baby if you keep doing that …” I moaned, knowing I wasn’t going to be able to hold on too much longer.

But she wasn’t going to stop. She rode me slowly, her eyes closed, her hips and thighs moving against me, her muscles milking me. Her head was tilted back. Her thighs were rock hard against me as she pressed harder. It was mesmerizing to watch. And I soaked it in. Spellbound by my beautiful girl, only momentarily distracted by the magical sensations racing throughout my body. Her brows drew in and her lips parted with a moan. Then she slowed, and her breathing became ragged as she rocked against me, grinding and pulsating. It was torture, a sweet, sweet torture. And just when I couldn’t hold back any longer her head fell back and she cried out in pleasure. I closed my eyes then, finally giving into the euphoria. Weeks of built up sexual inactivity let go in one massive orgasm. White light burst across my brain. Holy fuck!

It was like an immediate rush of some kind of drug in my veins. It filled me and took over me completely. It dropped my head backwards. Oh God, it felt so good! I didn’t move as it descended on me. Every part of me detonated with blinding pleasure.

Fuck.

Me.

I couldn’t move. Even as the pleasure slowly eddied away … my body was a rag doll.

It took Harlow leaning in and kissing me before I could function again.

I looked up at her and slid my teeth across my bottom lip. She smiled and I fell in love with her all over again.

We toweled off and headed to the kitchen to make coffee, still unable to keep our hands off each other, and then took our coffees to my bedroom where we lost our towels and I got to make love to this amazing girl again.

Afterwards, I watched her sleep as the rain rattled against my bedroom window. She was beautiful. I couldn’t believe how such an amazing girl could somehow be mine. She was too good for me. I knew that. But I would do everything in my power to make sure she never found out. I would treat her well. So well, she’d never want to leave me. Because I couldn’t bear the thought of ever hurting her. Or ever being apart from her. Not now. Not ever.

First up would be to remove anything that could complicate our relationship. That would include emptying out all the girls phone numbers I had stored in my cell. I wasn’t sure how many of them there were. Too many probably. And most of them had been one-night stands. But those days were behind me and from this point on I would be a one-girl guy. Forever.

Chapter Twelve HARLOW

I feigned the flu to get out of work and spent the next three days in bed with Heath. A cool front had moved in, bringing with it rain and wind and cold, grey days. Heath and I barely made it out of bed and we made love a disproportionate number of times. Sex with him was fast becoming an addiction I didn’t think I would ever be able to shake.

On the third day we ran out of condoms and ventured out into the grey day to visit the pharmacy. We took his Harley and he held my arms around his waist with one free hand as we slowly made our way through the streets. After making our necessary purchases, which included two boxes of condoms, two Gatorades and a handful of chocolate bars, we left. We had to pass his favorite tattoo parlor to get back to the bike and in a moment of craziness I dragged him inside.

“I’m going to get one,” I said. “What do you think?”

“I think its permanent,” he warned.

“Says he who has more pictures on him than the walls in the Louvre.” I pointed to the wall of designs. “I always wanted one. But I’ve never been inspired enough to get one.”

“And I inspire you to ink yourself?” He slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him.

“I want something to help me remember this crazy wonderful time. When I’m old and grey. I want to remember how incredible this felt.”

“I’ll be sitting beside you, so you could just ask me.”

He kissed me, reluctantly breaking away when one of the tattoo artists appeared. He recognized Heath and they greeted each other warmly. His name was Ari and he looked like a six-foot commando, covered in artwork. He had nice eyes and when he smiled, his teeth were like a floodlight.

“My girl wants some ink,” Heath explained.

“Did you have anything in particular in mind?” Ari asked me.

“I’d like the infinity symbol.”

He nodded. “The infinity symbol is cool.”

I picked up a pen and scribbled three words onto a post-it note.

“With these words.” I slid the paper across the counter.

Heath looked questioningly at me.

Ari nodded. “How about you guys give me half an hour and let me come up with a design for you? See what I can work out.”

While Ari worked on my tattoo design we walked down to the Pier. It was cold for summer but the beach was still dotted with holidaymakers and families. Heath bought us Reubens for lunch and we ate them on the Pier, while trying to keep our hands off each another. Less than an hour later we were back at the tattoo parlor standing in front of Ari as he showed us his design.

“That’s it. That’s exactly what I want.”

It took half an hour with Heath firmly clutching my right hand as Ari worked on the inside of my left wrist. It didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. In fact, it was more irritating than anything.

When Ari finished, I looked down at it excitedly. Written in fine black script ‘make it real’ broke through the elegant black scrolls and decorative swirls of the infinity symbol.

“Make it real?” Heath asked.

“Another way of saying follow your dreams, I guess.” I looked from the tattoo to him. “I wouldn’t be sitting here, in California, with you, if I hadn’t made it happen. And I am so grateful that I did. I made it real.”

After Ari dressed it with an antiseptic cream and covered it with a protective bandage he told me how to take care of it while it healed. Not that it was necessary. I had a walking art gallery sitting next to me who would make sure I looked after it properly.

“I was right. You really are a bad ass rock chick,” he said as we left the dimly lit tattoo parlor and climbed onto his bike.

I laughed and nodded. “I guess I’m not so innocent after all.”

Heath threw me a smoldering look. “You showed me that in the shower three days ago and you seem pretty determined to drive that point home.”

Careful to avoid knocking my bandaged wrist, I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my chin on his shoulder. “And if you stop wasting time, I’d like to get back to your place and drive that point home even further.”

He smiled and with a flick of his wrist, the Harley rumbled to life.

* * * * *

HEATH

I didn’t know what I’d done, but God knows I must have done something right for my life to be this good. It just didn’t get any better than lying there with my girl in my arms. Everything in my life was coming together. I had my girl. The band had our first record deal with a big record label, as well as a nice fat cash advance.

In a few hours we would leave for Vegas, where we would perform in front of a 20,000 strong crowd and then next month we would be heading out on a five-week tour with the Masters of Mayhem Music Festival.

Yeah, life was fucking amazing.

“What are you smiling about?” Harlow was awake and shifted beside me to lean up on her elbow. She rested her palm flat against my belly.

“I was just thinking how good life is.” I smiled up at her.

“Yeah?” Her fingers traced the outline of my shoulder tattoo. “Why?”

That was easy. “Because you’re mine.”

Her fingers found the taut curves of my belly and gently rolled over the bumps of each abdominal muscle. “Why is it that you say all the right things, Mr. Dillinger?”

“That’s because I am a very smart man.”

“Not bad looking either.”

Her lips curled into a wicked closed-lipped smile as her fingers found the black ink that flanked my right obliques. She was seducing me with her fingertips and their featherlike delicacy against my skin. They were such tiny touches but they sent pleasure to every part of my body.

“Do you know what it says?” I asked as her fingers whispered against the black ink etched into my flesh.

She nodded. “It’s the final verse to Stairway to Heaven.”

Beautiful and smart. I was so fucking pleased she was my girl.

“Why did you choose them?” she asked.

I thought about it for a moment. “I know it can be interpreted in so many ways. But to me, it’s a reminder to trust your instincts, no matter how wild they may seem.” I shivered beneath her touch as the tips of her finger swirled around the elegant script of the last sentence. “When we first started the band no-one truly believed we’d become anything. They told me to get a real job. But I just knew we could become something if we persevered. And I was right. Our hard work and faith paid off. When we released our first album, I got the tat to remind me to always follow my instincts.” Her feather-like caresses were making made me hard. “It’s a reminder to be a good person. No matter how successful you become.”

“You are a good person.”

Hearing her say it, almost made me believe it. And the way she was looking at me, the way her fingers caressed my skin, the way her dark eyes smoldered across at me … the front of my boxers started to rise. I was going to have to make love to her again.

In one swift move I rolled her until I was on top, pressing my pelvis into her. I would never get tired of this.

But the knock on the front door couldn’t have been any more badly timed.

“Ignore it,” she whispered, teasingly shifting beneath me so all I would have to do would be to move slightly and I would slide into her. My body begged me to ignore whoever was at the door. But a second round of knocking distracted me.

Growling, I kissed her and reluctantly climbed off the bed. Every part of me protested. The insistent knocking continued.

Walking down the hallway, I shoved on my sweatpants, ready to get rid of our visitor quickly so I could get back to bed with Harlow and finish what I’d just started.

When I reached the front door and opened it, fire ripped through my chest.

Straight away, I knew who was standing across from me.

I’d just come face to face with Harlow’s past.

Colton.

He smiled and I swear to God I wanted to punch him in it.

He was like something out of a fucking shaving commercial. Strong jaw. Dark eyes. Clean cut. Typically handsome. He was an unwelcome introduction to Harlow’s other life.

The one before me.

I remained poker faced despite the rise of anxiety I felt in my core. It seemed to be my only defense against such an unwanted intrusion.

“You must be the renowned lead singer extraordinaire,” he said in his thick Southern accent. He followed it up with a million dollar smile, like we were old friends. But there was something in his eyes. A wicked gleam. An arrogance. A mockery.

“I was hoping to see Harlow. I believe this is the right place. The Dillinger residence, am I right?”

Just hearing him say Harlow’s name was like a razor blade to the brain.

I didn’t want him there. I’d just found and landed the girl of my dreams—I didn’t need this polar opposite of me turning up to ruin it.

Feigning ignorance, I asked, “And who are you?”

He smiled as if privy to something I wasn’t, then looked at the gold signet ring on his pinky finger. When he looked up, he fixed me with the arrogant stare only known by those of old money and privilege.

Dark eyes fixed on mine and he smirked.

“I’m her boyfriend.”

* * * * *