CHAPTER 17
Sterling knew he had to move slowly, but more than anything, he wanted to simply own the woman on the bed, body and soul. He recognized that her trust was a fragile thing, and it wouldn’t take much to break it.
When she’d kissed his scars, he’d almost come undone. It had been the most powerful, erotic, and meaningful gesture any human had ever given him. As long as he lived, if he forgot all other things, he’d remember that one moment.
Harper’s eyes met his as he dispatched his boxers and slid his hands down his body, his blood heating as her gaze lowered. He took in her beautiful breasts, his fingers tingling to feel them once more, to lose himself in their soft spheres. His perusal traveled lower to where her cutoffs covered the rest of heaven.
Striding to the bed, he ignored the slight pain in his leg, cursing the fact that the drugs were starting to wear off. But as he slid a finger around Harper’s waistband, the discomfort was forgotten. She curved her back, allowing him access to sliding her little bitty shorts off her tight ass. Damn, she had curves in all the right places.
He’d once heard that eternity could be seen in a woman’s body. Damn, that had to be true, because he was seeing it right now in every inch of Harper. Her pink lacy panties left little to the imagination, and he enjoyed the slight tease they offered, so he didn’t remove them, yet. Rather, he wanted to soak in the moment and heal her a little bit too.
On the nightstand, Sterling saw a bandanna that Cyler had given him the first day he’d come home. He reached over and grabbed the neatly folded blue square and shook it out. “Do you trust me?”
Holding his breath, he watched as Harper slowly nodded, swallowing hard.
It was a yes, a hesitant one, but he could work with that.
Gently, he knelt on the bed and grasped one of her hands. Placing a soft kiss on her wrist, he inhaled the sweet scent of her honey, tangy and sweet. As he raised the scarf toward the bedframe, he felt her stiffen.
“Trust me,” he whispered, and she relaxed just enough for him to wrap the bandanna around the pedestal and then around her wrist, leaving enough length for her other hand.
Reading his intention, she offered her other wrist.
Offered.
Sterling met her gaze, trust echoing in her expression, and he lowered his lips to her palm, kissing that one as well. As he tied that hand to the frame, he brushed his lips on hers. “Does this hurt?”
She arched up to kiss him then answered, “No.”
Sterling nodded, then darted his tongue in, meeting her warm mouth, wanting to lose himself in every part of her body, but restraining himself, building it up—for them both.
“What about this?” He bent down and flicked his tongue against her perfect breast then retreated, waiting to hear her words.
He could feel her heart pounding through her soft creamy skin, hear it echo in the stillness of the room.
“No.”
“No what?” he demanded gently, nipping at her tenderly.
“No, Captain.” She breathed, desire in her eyes, needing him like he needed her.
He kissed along the faint line that led to her navel then lower, nuzzling his nose against her thigh, just shy of where he wanted to be. “Does this hurt, baby?” he asked, tasting her soft skin.
“No...Captain.” She was breathing heavily, and his body pounded with the same tension, the need for release nearly driving him mad.
“Can you touch me, Harper?” he asked, moving his nose gently and kissing up to her hipbone before nipping at it.
“I can’t.”
“But are you safe?” he asked, knowing he needed to walk her through this to set her free.
“Y-yes,” she stammered, not from fear or indecision, but from passion denied as she focused on his face. A wildness gleamed from her eyes that reminded him of how she looked when she raced.
Running.
Racing.
But not away.
Rather than focusing on the horizon, her focus on was on him, and it was erotic as hell.
“Sterling...” She spoke with an almost demanding intensity.
He trailed kisses back up to her lips, trying to steal her words.
Wanting to steal her heart.
“Captain,” she mumbled against his lips, and his body damn near ignited. “Not to be demanding...but since I’m on the pill...” She didn’t finish.
Sterling knew what she needed, desired.
But he wanted her to say it.
To ask for it.
It was his way of giving control back...when she was otherwise powerless.
“Say it, Harper,” he commanded, slowly removing the lacy pink panties that were torturing him. Moving to hover just above her lips, he aligned their bodies in every way, taunting.
“I want you.”
“Want?” Sterling asked, caressing her with just the lightest touch.
“I need you.” She raised her body against him, her arms still tied to the bedpost as she met his gaze.
Sterling slowly eased into her, his body pounding with anticipation, with too many months of denial, with the primal instinct to go deep. But she was tight, surrounding him with such a powerful pressure that his world damn near went black. It had clearly been a while for her as well.
Rather than follow his lead, Harper wrapped her legs around his backside, pulling him down. The second he was surrounded by her heat, the will to fight every instinct that was yelling at him from within to go slow was forgotten in the passion.
He lost himself in her over and over. Sweat beaded on his back, trailing down his spine as he fought to hold on, to wait till she was cresting with him. Yet as Harper’s body wound up tighter, it was impossible to hold on. Just when he’d reached the edge of his control, she screamed his name, her body careening over the edge in her release. Sterling looked down at her body, heard her cries of pleasure he’d given her and joined her, his orgasm rushing through him like a tidal wave until there was nothing left but cool, calm waters and her.
Harper...beneath him, kissing every part of his neck and chest she could reach...
Bliss.
Heart pounding, he rested his head against hers, breathing in her air, exhaling his into her lungs, being one.
His leg started to tremble, and he reluctantly rolled to the side, his body both relaxed and tense as his other senses started to take account. Pulsating pain radiated from his calf, and he rolled his ankle around, trying to alleviate the cramp that had started.
Well, that’s not exactly sexy.
But apparently, that was his life now. Damn, it sucked to have to deal with that after the most incredible orgasm of his life.
Harper rolled over to her side, and he turned to meet her green gaze.
“Sterling?” she asked, her eyes looking upward.
“Yeah?” he replied, his gaze rising to where her hands were tied.
“You can let me go now.” She grinned shyly.
“Honey, who says we’re done?” he asked, kissing her nose. Still, he reached up and untied the simple knot and released her hands.
“Are you all right?” Harper asked, glancing down at his leg then back, her brows pinched in concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Sterling sighed. “Well, half of me is blissed out, but the other is trying not to cramp. So...” He gave a chagrined smile.
“Let’s wait on round two then.”
“So, I made the cut, huh?” he asked, rolling out of bed and watching as Harper did the same. Unabashedly, he memorized her naked body. Damn, God had been in a good mood when He made her.
“You’ll do.” Harper grinned and walked into the bathroom. “Give me a minute.”
She closed the door, and Sterling did several stretches to his leg while he waited. When she was finished, he traded places with her, taking a moment to open the medicine cabinet and pull out his prescription.
Two. He had enough for now...or tonight.
But no more.
His body cringed inwardly at the thought.
He opened the cap but misjudged the angle, and the two little pills rolled down the sink before he could catch them.
Damn it!
He could only imagine the pain he’d be in later, but maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as last night. Lord only knew he needed to wean himself from the damn things anyway.
But that was easier said than done. All too clearly, he remembered the sweating, the pain, the ache. With a deep breath, he tossed the bottle into the trash.
No. He’d be fine.
After he finished cleaning up, he walked out to the bedroom to find Harper gone. He quickly changed into some basketball shorts and a T-shirt and walked, trying not to limp, out to the living room, but she wasn’t there. He checked the kitchen next and found her over the kitchen sink, her hair a tangled mess from making love, filling a glass of water. Quick as a flash, it was as if everything fit. Something about her standing there made him wonder what it would be like to come home to her in their kitchen, in their home, to the life they’d build together.
And he wanted it, so damn badly, a trajectory, not just aimlessly moving through life. To have a purpose, just like Harper had said. But rather than a career, maybe it was a person.
Her.
And everything else revolved around it, like the moon orbited the earth. The give, the take, the perfect balance that brought out the best in both worlds.
Harper turned and, upon seeing him, gave a slightly shy grin. “I kinda feel like I ran a marathon.”
Sterling chuckled. “You too, huh?” He grabbed a glass and filled it up as well. As he drank the water, Harper sighed.
He set down the glass and grasped her hand, tugging her till she was close enough to hold tightly. Chin resting on the top of her head, he asked her, “Why the big sigh, honey?”
She relaxed in his arms, mumbling the words against his chest. “I need to go home.”
“And you don’t want to?”
“No. Does that freak you out?” Harper leaned back, studying him.
“That you want to stay or that you have to leave?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood.
“Ass.” She rolled her eyes, but he could see the answer was important.
“Freaked out,” he answered honestly, keeping his expression sober.
She tensed.
“The thought of you leaving isn’t something I’m prepared to deal with just now. Give me, oh, I don’t know, a few years—decades, something like that.”
She shook her head, but Sterling was dead serious.
“Harper, someday you’re going to marry me. Not today, not tomorrow, and probably not next month, but I can honestly tell you that someday, you’ll be mine. I hope that doesn’t freak you out.” He turned her words around, grinning slightly even as he was anxious about her reaction to his candid words.
“That sure of yourself, huh?” She tilted her head, studying him, probably evaluating if he was serious or not.
He decided to take it a step further. “Is that so wrong? To be that sure about someone?”
Harper shook her head slowly, her green eyes darkening. “No. It just doesn’t happen that often.”
Sterling refused to let her go, so he shrugged while he held her, the motion ruffling her long hair slightly. “Often doesn’t mean never.”
Harper gave a slight grin. “True.”
“And you didn’t answer the question. Does it freak you out?” he asked.
“No more than you usually do,” she replied, grinning with more freedom.
“Good to know.” He released her but reached out to hold her hand, wanting to have contact, never wanting to let go. “So, you need to leave? Are you sure?” he asked, though he knew the answer.
“Yeah, Jasper’s probably blowing up my phone right now.” She rolled her eyes.
“Where is your phone?” Sterling asked, realizing it hadn’t made a sound.
Harper blushed. “In the car. I kinda left it there on purpose.”
Surprise slowly registered through Sterling as a grin broke across his face.
Harper shrugged.
He groaned, wanting her all over again, and again after that, never being able to have enough. “Damn, how do Kessed and Jasper do it? Not run off to Vegas just so they don’t have to be apart?”
She grinned. “So...Kessed pretty much lives at our house. But I won’t lie. There’s been talk. And if I wake up and they are gone, I’m checking Vegas first, because Kessed is not into this big wedding thing.”
“I thought it was going to be a smaller wedding,” Sterling commented as Harper started out into the hall. He followed her lead, still holding her hand.
“It is, but it’s all big to Kessed, who is happy to have a justice of the peace. I think Jasper is the one who wants all the bells and whistles.”
“I’d have never guessed,” Sterling replied, surprised.
“Yeah. We’ll see how it plays out. They have less than two weeks. C’mon...Captain. Let’s get me home.”
“Harper...” Sterling warned, his body all too ready to have a repeat performance.
With a giggle, Harper pulled her hand away and ran out the front door.
Sterling shook his head and followed slowly, knowing he’d been bested.
After all, sometimes when chasing what you loved, you didn’t have to run.
You just had to catch up, even if it was a walk.