"I've been dreaming about that since I was eleven," she finally says, and I laugh under my breath before running my lips over her head, wondering how this day went from crazy to crazier.
"Hope I didn't disappoint. Obviously the expectations were a little high, if that's true." I lean back to watch her eyes that are laden with lust and want. All for me.
"I'm not lying, and I'm certainly not disappointed," she says, smiling up at me with those genuine eyes I've seen all night. Never once has she acted deceitful or hinted at malice.
"Good," I say, running my thumb across her lower lip and loving the way her breath hitches.
She smells so damn good, like strawberries and something else … mango? I don't know, but it's intoxicating. The scent is shy and sweet, just like her. I could easily rush this into my bedroom, but she asked to slow down.
Slow down. Fuck, it just makes me harder to know she's not in a hurry.
"Usually I have extraordinary restraint," I tell her, my voice coming out strained as she runs her hands over my chest like she can't stop herself. "But if we continue to stay in this position, I'm not promising that restraint will last."
Her face blushes; I can see it even in the barely lit room. I start to kiss her again because I can't seem to help myself, but she puts a hand to my chest.
"If you keep kissing me, my restraint won't last, and then … Well, as much as I want to do this, I don't think tonight should be the night."
My eyebrows go up, and a slow grin crosses my face. She wants to see me again. Fuck all if I don't want that too.
I haven't been on a date-since Fiona-where the girl didn't ask about my cousins or my net worth the entire time. Harley couldn't care less about any other Sterling or what I make. She also doesn't give a damn about my leg, which is a bonus.
This wasn't supposed to be a date, I remind myself, as I help Harley down from the bar, careful not to let my eyes drop to where her dress has risen up. If I get a peek, all bets will be off.
My original plan makes me feel like shit now that I've spent the evening with her. You can't fake the blushing. You can't fake the way she looks at me. You sure as hell can't fake the way her body shivers with each touch she feels from me.
There's a reason I'm so observant. I've had to be. I've always had to guard myself, be wary of someone's intentions. Harley hasn't looked at me with contempt tonight. Not even a little bit.
As soon as her feet are on the floor and she's fixed her dress back into place, I cup her chin, tilting her head up. Her gaze flicks to my lips, and her eyelids lower. Just that reaction alone tells me why she's here, and it has nothing to do with some petty revenge.
"I'm sorry," I tell her, and she grins as her eyes come back up to mine.
"Sorry for kissing me, or sorry for making me fix my dress?" she asks, trying to sound amused, but I hear the slight edge of insecurity in her tone.
"Neither of those," I say with a smirk, running my hand down to her neck.
Another little shiver slithers through her body, though she tries to act like it didn't just happen.
"Sorry for standing you up at prom. I'd explain myself, but I don't want it to sound like I'm making excuses. The only thing I can do is apologize. I genuinely never knew about the aftermath. All of us were sort of in a haze for about a month or longer after that night."
Her smile falls, and her lips tighten. She doesn't look angry. She doesn't look sad. She just looks … I'm not really sure what that look is.
"I'm sorry too," she groans, then looks away. "Never thought I'd say that to you."
I'm confused …
"Why?"
She laughs humorlessly. "Look, I should have let you explain that next day. You'd always been nice to me. One of the few who had." She brings her gaze back to meet mine. "I should have known you weren't just being cruel. But I was in a bad place. I didn't know about Rain until recently. I wasn't ever close to anyone like all of you were, but if it had been my friend in that position, prom and dates would have been the last thing on my mind too."
She blows out a breath, then shakes her head, a bitter smile on her lips.
"Funny how one simple little explanation can make you feel like an ass, huh?"
I don't know how to respond to that.
"I hear communication is really important," I tell her, my lips twitching as she grins at me.
Raya's cousin was full of shit. No offense to Raya or Ray-because I trust them completely-but any other Drivel is definitely not trustworthy. There's a reason Ray changed his name to Capperton and gave his daughter that name. He wanted a better name for her and him.
My eyes move to Harley's lips, and I study them intently for a long moment. She steps into me, like she's about to grant me permission to kiss her again.
Her phone rings, breaking the moment between us, and she looks down, picking her purse up from the bar where it landed at some point.
She quickly pulls out her phone as I take a step back, giving her space, and I watch as her expression hardens.
"I need to take this," she says without looking up.
Curious, I watch as she walks toward the foyer for privacy. I shouldn't listen in, but that nagging voice of warning still has me erring on the cautious side.
So, in a total dick move, I follow her quietly, staying out of sight as she answers.
"I thought I told you not to call unless it was an emergency," I hear her say harshly, and my skin prickles.
A breath blows from her lips, and I continue to listen, wishing I knew who was on the other line and what they're saying.
"I've already put money in your account for this month. It's not my fault if you can't stop yourself from giving it to your bum boyfriend, Mom. I guess you'll have to get creative and possibly even get a job if you need more. We've had this discussion before. You're on an allowance."
My stomach twists. I shouldn't be listening to this. This has nothing to do with me. But I can't help myself.
"What bills?" Harley hisses, trying to stay quiet while she gets pissed. "I pay all your bills directly, so you have no bills. Don't lie to me. You want money. You don't need it. You had more than enough in your account to get you through the month. Get rid of him, and who knows, you may be able to save up a little cash for the next bum that comes along. I have to go."
Silently, I step away as she argues with her mother for a second longer.
When she rejoins me in the living room, I'm pouring some wine for both of us, pretending like I didn't just eavesdrop on something too personal because of my paranoia.
I feel like a prick.
"Everything okay?" I ask her, hating the fact that I'm the one being deceptive now.
Her face is too expressive to be hiding some nefarious plan. I can tell she's annoyed even though she's currently trying to mask it.
"I'm sure you know what it's like to feel used by people you trust," she says, surprising me and hitting a little too close to the mark for comfort.
She takes the glass of wine and chugs it in just a few sips, so I pour another glass for her when she lowers it back down.
"Pretty acquainted with that feeling," I state vaguely.
"Ever get used to it?" she asks, a brittle smile on her lips as she looks up at me.
I've thought plenty of things about Harley, but kindred wasn't one of them until this moment.
"No," I reply honestly.
She blows out a frustrated breath, and she sips her next glass of wine a little slower as she goes to the sofa, sitting down and crossing her legs.
"What made you assume that about me? Because I'm a Sterling?" I ask as I take a seat near her, but careful not to touch. Since I want to touch her. And touching leads to wanting more.
How fucking long has it been since I had sex?
I don't want to start counting days.
That could take too long.
But the accidental abstinence is keeping my mind focused on one thing and one thing only, and I feel like a jerk. A horny jerk. And Harley is in a fucking red dress that would be so easy to-
"Because of prom. Not because you're a Sterling," she says with a shrug, and my eyebrows knit together as I force my mind to stop thinking about sex.
"What?"
"You said yes to me because you thought I wouldn't be too demanding. I assume that meant you were used to people expecting a lot from you, or taking advantage," she says with a shrug.
I laugh humorlessly, running a hand through my hair.
"Yeah. That and the fact you were into me," I tell her, leaning back and smirking, wondering if she's going to start sharing some of those fantasies that have me really interested now.
She clears her throat, but rolls her eyes. "Plenty of people were into you. I was just low maintenance. It was still a dream come true, nonetheless."
I grimace, thinking back to how I shattered said dream. "Low maintenance was a bonus. I meant you were into me. Not just into a Sterling."
Her eyes come up, genuine confusion glistening in their depths. No wonder I'm struggling to keep my hands off her. She's legitimately clueless because she's sincerely into me.
"I'm a gateway Sterling," I say before I can stop myself.
Her eyebrows go up. "Huh?"
I really should stop talking now. If I keep talking, then it'll sound like a pity party-which it's not. It'll also sound like I need some ego-stroking, which I don't.