Chapter 5

Harmony

SEEING AT LEAST A DOZEN missed texts on the screen of my cell phone, I bite my lip and start going through them one by one. Apparently, no one missed Harlen tossing me over his shoulder and leaving with me last night. Obviously, they were all okay with him taking off with me, since no one even attempted to rescue me from him.

I need to finish getting ready for work, so I send everyone a quick text letting them know I’m okay and will call as soon as I have time to explain everything that happened, and there is a lot to explain. I lift my head when I see a shadow fall over me and watch Harlen, who’s still shirtless, wearing only jeans, put a hand on the bed at my hip and his face close to mine. “Gotta get to my place, shower, then get to the shop.”

“‘Kay.” I study his eyes and handsome face up close, loving that I now know exactly how his lips feel when they are pressed against mine and how his beard feels against my skin.

“I’ll see you when you get home tonight.”

“‘Kay,” I repeat, watching him smile.

“Kiss me, Angel.”

“‘Kay,” I breathe, lifting my hands to his warm, rock-solid bare chest then sliding them up to his shoulders, using the leverage to lift myself up to kiss him. I may start off placing my mouth against his, but before long, he takes over and turns the kiss into something else… something better… something hotter. God, I didn’t know anyone could kiss the way he kisses. I had no idea a kiss could take the oxygen out of your lungs while at the same time filling you up with life.

Dragging his mouth from mine, his hand wrapped around the back of my neck squeezes. “Tonight,” he says, and my eyes flutter open while I pull in a breath.

“Tonight,” I agree, and his lips touch mine then the tip of my nose before he stands. I watch him in a daze as he puts on his shirt, and then keep watching him as he grabs his boots and leaves the room, giving me a smile over his shoulder as he goes.

I fall to my back in the bed and stare up at the ceiling, feeling nothing but happiness. No fear, no worry about the unknown, just happiness. Smiling, I get up and finish getting ready for work, and then head out with that same smile still on my lips.

***

“Hey, you,” Mimi says, and I look up from the chart I’m working on and meet her gaze. Mimi and I started working here a few weeks apart, but she’s been a nurse for over six years. The first time I saw her, I didn’t know what to think. She’s edgier than any other nurse I’ve met. She has lots of tattoos, black hair that’s cut in a short bob with sharp bangs that brush her almond-shaped, and unusual colored blue-green eyes. I wouldn’t have guessed she’s as sweet as she is by just looking at her, but she is, even if she is a little blunt.

“What’s up?” I ask as she rolls her chair closer to mine.

“I’m exhausted.” She yawns, grabbing her coffee and taking a sip. “These hours are kicking my ass.”

“I hear you,” I concur, picking up my Coke and twisting off the lid. “We only have a couple more hours left though, so not much longer.”

“Thank God. I feel like I could fall asleep standing up.” She yawns again. “This coffee isn’t doing it for me anymore,” she mutters as she pushes out of the chair to stand, sending it rolling back a few feet. “I’m going to go grab a 5-hour ENERGY out of my bag in the break room. Do you mind watching my rooms?”

“Not at all,” I say, and she gives me a small, tired smile before she walks off. Going back to working on the chart in my hand, I lift my head when I sense someone getting close to the nurses’ station then feel myself tense when I see it’s Dr. Hofstadter. Dr. Hofstadter was one of the first doctors I met here at the hospital after I started. When I met him, he gave me the heebie-jeebies. He’s creepy when he’s trying to be charming, and even though he’s good looking, he’s the kind of man whose position as a doctor has given him a false sense of power.

“Hey, Harmony.” He winks, and I fight to keep myself from gagging.

“Hi, Dr. Hofstadter.” I give him a fake smile as he leans against the double ledge counter in front of me.

“How are you?” he asks, and I watch his eyes drop to my chest.

Total creep.

“I’m good. How are you?”

“Been good, spent part of the weekend on my boat, the other part playing golf at the country club.” He smiles what I suppose would be an attractive smile if he didn’t make my skin crawl.

“That’s nice,” I mutter, praying silently that one of the patient’s call light turn on so I have an excuse to get away from him.

“Have you ever been out on a boat?”

“Yep,” I answer, not giving him anything else, since I don’t want to engage him and drag out this conversation.

“Maybe we shou—”

“Hey, Dr. Hofstadter,” Mimi says, sounding upbeat and peppy, and I watch his eyes go to her and twitch with annoyance.

“Mimi.” He lifts his chin in her direction.

“Did you see the football game?” she asks, moving herself to stand between my chair and the counter, blocking him from view.

“I didn’t,” he mutters.

“Bummer, it was a great game.”

“Yeah.” He clears his throat. “I gotta head out. If you ladies need me, you know my number.”

“Yep,” Mimi agrees, and I see his eyes come to me from around her shoulder and watch him smile.

“Have a good night.”

“You too.” I don’t smile back. I just watch him turn and leave.

“God, he’s so creepy,” Mimi says, turning to face me once he’s disappeared down the hall and through the double swinging doors at the end.

“I know,” I agree, because he is, and I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks so.

“Was he going to ask you out?”

“I don’t know, but I hope not.”

“You don’t want to be on his radar. You need to avoid him.”

“I’ll avoid him,” I assure her.

“Good.” She opens her 5-hour ENERGY and tips it into her mouth.

“So who played in the game yesterday?” I ask with a smile, and she grins at me.

“Fuck, I don’t know, but it’s the only thing I could think to say when I saw the look on your face and him leaning over the counter.”

“Thanks for saving me.”

“Don’t mention it.” She shrugs, taking a seat in her chair, pulling out a chart, and opening it up.

Looking from her to the clock on the wall, I hold in a sigh of disappointment. I still have an hour and thirty-four minutes before I can go home. Damn. With no other choice, I get back to work.

***

I pull into my driveway at a little after eleven p.m. and notice the lights on inside. Something I’m not use to, but something I really like. I shut my car down and grab my bags off the passenger seat. The minute I open my door, I watch Harlen step out onto the front porch with Dizzy in his arms.

“Hey.” I slam my door behind me and head his way.

The moment I’m close enough for him to reach, the arm that’s not holding Dizzy slides around my waist and his mouth drops down to mine for a soft kiss. “Hey,” he says there, and I smile. “You hungry?”

“A little,” I answer as he trades my bags for Dizzy, who’s trying to get to me, and places his hand against my lower back to lead me inside the house.

“Got you Lo Mein when I ordered Chinese for myself earlier. It’s in the microwave.”

“Cool, will you heat it up for me? I’m just going to change real quick.”

“Sure.” He drops his mouth down to mine again for another touch before taking my bags with him toward the kitchen. I go to my bedroom and kiss the top of Dizzy’s head one last time before I set him on the floor, watching him run right back out of the room as I head for the closet. I trade my scrubs for a pair of loose pajama shorts and a tank top, then grab a sweater and go to the kitchen, hearing the microwave beep.

“You want one of your ciders?” he asks.

“Sure.” I head around the island toward him then watch him open the fridge. The moment I see how stuffed full it is with food, I look at him.

“I thought you were just going to pick up the basics,” I say, raising a brow, and his eyes come to me.

“I did,” he answers, opening the cider and handing it to me. Moving around him, I open the door to the fridge and look in. I wasn’t wrong. The shelves are full, along with the meat and fruit drawer.

“I hope you plan on helping me eat all this stuff,” I tell him, opening the freezer and finding it’s just as full, with different kinds of meats and frozen vegetables.

“It’ll all get used,” he answers, and I shake my head.

“I don’t normally cook on my days off, but now I guess I’ll have to.”

“Stop complaining about having food in the fridge and come eat,” he orders as he pulls down a bowl from the microwave and hands it to me, shoving a fork into the noodles.

“I’m not complaining,” I lie, and his lips twitch. “Whatever.” I take the bowl with me to the living room and take a seat on the couch, while he comes over, sitting next to me, with his own beer.

“How was work?”

“Good.” I shrug, figuring after his statement last night about being crazy jealous, it’s probably best to leave out anything to do with Dr. Hofstadter and the creepy vibe he gives me.

“Just good?”

“Yeah, nothing much happened. We had one new patient come in, but the rest of the night was quiet.”

“Quiet’s good,” he says, reaching over and tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

“Quiet is good, but it also means time has a tendency to drag, and since I would rather have been home hanging out with you, quiet sucked.”

“I see,” he murmurs, and I catch his smile before he takes a pull from his beer.

“What did you do today?” I ask, blowing on a forkful of noodles before taking a bite.

“Work, and your dad came by to see me.”

“What?” I choke on a noodle and start to cough. Only when I’m done does he continue.

“Apparently, he heard I took you home last night.” He shrugs like it’s not a big deal, when it is, since I wanted to be the one to tell my parents about Harlen’s and my new relationship status. I knew I should have taken time to call them this afternoon, but I didn’t, and now I’m sure they’ve heard about Harlen carrying me out of the bar, caveman style.

“Oh my God,” I whisper, then ask, “What did he say?”

“First, he told me to back off. When I ignored that suggestion, he told me that if I fucked you over, he’d have my balls.”

“He didn’t,” I whisper as anger fills the pit of my stomach.

“It’s all good. It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s not all good.” I drop my bowl to the coffee table with a clank and stand. “And it is a big deal. I can’t beli—” My words are cut off and my breath leaves on a whoosh as I’m pulled down onto his lap and his arms go around me tight.

“Calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down. I can’t believe he’d try to threaten you to stay away from me,” I say trying to get out of his hold that only seems to grow tighter.

“Am I here?” he asks, and I let out a frustrated huff then glare at him.

“That’s not the point.” Even though it does make me happy that he is here and not running for the hills to get away from me and my crazy father.

“It is the point.”

“It isn’t the point.” I cross my arms over my chest. “Sheesh.”

“Christ, you’re cute when you’re pissed on my behalf.” He grins, and I continue to glare. Then he laughs hard, so hard his body shakes, and even though I love hearing it and feeling it, I’m still pissed.

“This isn’t funny, Harlen. This is serious,” I say, and he laughs harder, tucking his face into my neck and continuing to laugh there. “I’m serious.”

“I see that, Angel,” he tells me through his laughter, and I growl.

“It’s not funny! He shouldn’t have done that. He shouldn’t have done it the first time, and he really shouldn’t have tried it again.”

“You’re right. It’s not funny.” He sobers, pulling back to look at me, and I brace when I see the look in his eyes. “It’s not okay for your dad to try to scare me off, but if we have girls one day, I’ll end up doing the same shit. So like I said, it’s all good.”

Holy shit. He said we. Oh God, I can’t breathe.

“Fuck,” he mutters, giving me a squeeze. “Do not even start overthinking that shit.”

“I’m not.” I wheeze out my lie, and he shakes his head.

“What the fuck am I going to do with you?” he asks with a soft look in his eyes, and I shift on his lap. “Let’s focus on the good shit before we start worrying about weddings and kids,” he says, and my eyes widen on the word weddings then my breath leaves on the word kids. “Fuck.” He smiles, and I close my eyes, deep breathing. “Guess that’s one way to get you to be quiet.”

“Shut up,” I whisper, and he laughs.

“Eat your food.”

“Don’t boss me around.”

“I see you’re in the mood to argue,” he mutters, looking at the ceiling and letting out a heavy, exaggerated sigh.

“Shut up.” I fight back a smile then let out a shriek of laughter as he tosses me off him, putting my back on the couch and coming down over me.

“If you’re not hungry, I have plenty of other ways to keep your mouth busy,” he tells me, dropping his mouth to my neck and touching his tongue against the skin there, making me shiver.

“I don’t think I’m hungry anymore,” I whisper, locking my fingers into his hair, and I feel him smile against my skin before he nips my neck. Pulling back, his eyes search mine. “What?”

“Nothing.” He shakes his head then I lose his eyes when his head dips and his lips touch mine. As I open my mouth, his tongue slides in and I whimper, tasting him and the beer he was drinking. Shifting, I wrap one leg over the back of his thigh and tighten my hold on his hair.

His hand cups my breast through my tank and my back arches off the couch into his touch. Then he pulls down the cotton material and his fingers pull my nipple, sending a jolt of electricity through me, forcing me to rip my mouth from his so I can moan, “Harlen.”

“Right here.” He dips his head then his lips close around my nipple, that warm, wet heat making me gasp and grind my hips into his. “Fuck.” His mouth leaves me and his hand locks around my hip so he can hold me down. My eyes spring open and I stare at him, panting. “Angel.” I see the heat in his eyes and I lick my bottom lip, watching his eyes drop there.

“Take me to bed, Harlen,” I whisper, and lucky me, I don’t have to ask twice.

He grabs both my ankles and pulls my legs around his waist, ordering “Lock them, baby.” I do, then his hand slides under my back and he stands, taking me with him.

The second we’re up, I drop my mouth to his as he walks us back to the bedroom. Feeling his hardness through his jeans and my sleep shorts, I nip his lip then moan when his hand smacks my ass hard, so hard I gasp as my clit vibrates and my core clenches. I don’t see it when we enter my room, but I know when he puts his knees in the bed with me still wrapped around him. My back hits the bed and his weight settles on top of me, and then we lose each other as I force his shirt up over his head and he does the same with my sweater and tank top. His chest drops back down to mine and the hair covering his torso scrapes across my nipples, making me realize the reality of him is way better than anything I could have imagined in my head.

I lift my head to get to his mouth, but he pulls back. “Get out of your shorts, Angel.”

Quickly, I shove my thumbs into the waistband of my shorts and tug them down, kicking them off. Still sitting back on his calves in his jeans, his eyes wander over me lazily. “Christ, where the fuck do I start?” he asks roughly as his large, rough hands slide up my smooth skin from my ankles to my thighs where he pulls my knees apart. Leaning forward, his beard scrapes across my skin before his lips touch my belly at the same time as his fingers slide down my inner thighs.

My lungs burn with anticipation, knowing what’s coming, and I fight myself to keep still, to wait for his touch, when all I want to do is lift my hips and beg. “Harlen,” I pant when his fingers part my slick folds, and his eyes come to me through his thick, dark lashes as his mouth dips between my legs. “Oh God.” The first touch of his tongue against my clit makes my hands and toes curl into the bedding under me. I lose his stare completely when I dig my head into the pillow behind my head and lift my hips into his talented mouth as he goes from tasting me to eating me like a man starved, nipping and licking every part of me spread open to him. When his thumb slides inside me, I lose hold on my sanity and come hard, so hard that I scream as my body convulses and I see bright lights. Breathing heavy, I lift my head and watch him pull out a condom from his wallet and kick off his jeans. Sitting up as best as I can, I start to wrap my hand around his thick length, but he stops me grabbing my wrist.

“You touch me, I won’t last,” he growls, ripping open the condom with his teeth. He drops the wrapper to the bed then slides the condom down his length. He’s big. Long and thick. Perfect.

“I feel like this is when I should ask if it’s going to fit,” I whisper, and his eyes meet mine then he grins at me.

“It will fit.” He leans over me, forcing me back down onto the bed and kissing me again. He thrusts his tongue into my mouth while he slides his cock up and down through my wetness. Squirming under him, I gasp into his mouth when he fills me up in one deep stroke. “You okay?”

“Yes,” I exhale, circling his hips with my legs, and he slides out then back in, slow at first before picking up speed. Capturing both my wrists, he pulls them up above my head and pounds into me while taking my mouth in another deep kiss. I try to move with him, but it seems all I can do is hang on for the ride. Just when I’m getting close, he lets my hands go, flips me to my belly, pulls up my hips, and slides back in. My neck arches and my hair flies, whipping against my back as he wraps one hand around my hip and the other cups my breast.

“Touch yourself. Help me get you there.” He nips my shoulder, and I moan, pulling one hand from the bed and bringing it between my legs. Circling my clit, his fingers join mine between my legs and I hear him groan as I start to come around his length while he fucks me. God! My forehead drops down to the mattress and both my hands slide out in front of me as he fucks me through my orgasm, never letting up on my clit, even when he pulls me up so I’m sitting on his thighs and impaled on his cock.

“Harlen,” I moan as he thrusts into me hard, rolling my clit and sending me over the edge once more before my last orgasm has even washed away. Feeling his teeth sink into my shoulder, I listen to him groan as his hips jerk and he comes. I close my eyes and let my head fall back to his shoulder, spent, out of breath, and exhausted.

Feeling his lips kiss my shoulder where he bit me, I open my eyes and turn my head to look at him. “You’re gonna have a mark.” He touches the spot gently with his lips and I shake my head.

“I don’t care,” I reply, and he smiles then slides his hand up to circle my neck. He brings my face closer to his for a soft, intimate kiss that ends when he slides out of me and I mewl from the loss of him.

“Be right back.” He kisses my shoulder before letting me go. I fall down onto the bed and feel my stomach melt when he pulls the blanket out from under my hip to toss it over me. Watching him walk naked to the bathroom, I close my eyes and curl myself around my pillow, needing to rest for just a minute.

***

“What the fuck?” I hear Harlen growl, then I feel the bed move. Opening one eye then the other, I see that the room is filled with light—not light from the overhead light, but sunlight.

Shit, I must’ve passed out last night. I don’t even remember falling asleep. “What’s going on?” I put my elbow in the bed, and Harlen turns to look at me over his naked shoulder from the doorway. Watching his eyes wander over me and get soft, I feel my belly get warm.

Before he can answer my question, I hear the doorbell go off and watch the softness slide out of his eyes and aggravation slide in. “Someone’s at the door.”

“Crap, it’s probably my mom.” I hop out of the bed and look down at myself. I’m still very much naked. I never sleep naked. I’ve tried but always found I couldn’t do it; I just wasn’t ever comfortable enough to get to sleep and stay that way. Then again, I had never had two orgasms in a row before trying.

“I’ll answer the door. You get dressed,” he says, bringing me out of my thoughts, and my head flies up.

“But—” I don’t have a chance to tell him he should put on his shirt before he’s gone, disappearing out of sight. Running naked to my bathroom, I take care of business quickly then go to my closet, grab a pair of sweats and a tank top, and put both on before running out of the room. When I make it to the kitchen, I find out I was right. My mom is sitting at the island with a smile on her face, and Harlen is filling the coffee pot, shirtless, giving my mom a reason to smile.

“Mom,” I say, probably a little too loudly, and her head spins in my direction then her eyes do a mom sweep.

“Hey, honey.” She does another sweep then gives me a knowing smile.

“Uh… hey.” I go to her, kissing her cheek. “I was going to call you when I got up today.”

“I was in town, figured I’d stop by to check on you,” she explains, and then her eyes go to Harlen before coming back to me. “I see you’re okay.”

“Ugh… Yeah.” I bite my lip, not sure what to say to her. I know she and my dad heard what happened the other night… but still.

“You want coffee, Mrs. Mayson?” Harlen asks, and my mom turns to look at him.

“Call me Sophie, Harlen, and yes, I’d love a cup,” she replies, smiling at him.

“Right,” he mutters, looking at her before his eyes come to me. “Angel?”

“Yes, please.” I take a seat on the stool next to my mom and watch his back muscles flex as he pulls down three mugs from the cupboard above the coffee pot.

Feeling my mom nudge my shoulder, I pull my eyes from Harlen’s shirtless back to look at her. “Friends, huh?”

“It just happened, Mom. I was going to tell you about it, but yesterday got away from me, and then you showed up today before I could call you.”

“I’m not upset,” she says quietly, and then adds, “Your dad might take some convincing.”

“Coffee,” Harlen interjects, setting down two full cups on the island. “I’ll be back, gonna go put on a shirt,” he mutters, and I nod then hold in a sigh when he comes around the island, stopping to give the side of my head a kiss.

I wait until he’s gone to look at my mom. “Dad’s going to have to get over it. I’m mad at him,” I whisper.

“You’re mad at him?” she repeats, studying me like I’ve grown a third head. I don’t think I’ve ever been mad at my dad. Even growing up, I don’t remember ever being mad at him.

“Yes, I’m mad at him. He told Harlen to back off. That is not okay,” I gripe, and her eyes narrow.

“He did that?”

“Yes.”

“He just cannot be believed,” she whispers, looking angry.

Shit.

“Mom.”

“I’ll talk to him,” she says, and I feel my eyes widen. Crap, Mom pissed at Dad is never a good thing.

“Let me handle it.”

“I told him to stay out of it, to let things play out,” she tells me with a jerk of her head. “And then he goes and does that.”

“Mom.” I grab her hand and force her to focus on me. “Let me deal with Dad.”

Studying me, she finally relents. “Fine.”

“Thank you.” I breathe out a sigh of relief then pick up my coffee and take a sip.

“I think he sees a lot of himself in Harlen, and that scares the bejesus out of him,” she admits after a moment, and I turn my head, meeting her gaze. “It will be okay.”

“I know it will,” I agree. It will be okay; it might take some time for my dad to come around, but I know he will eventually and if he doesn’t then… Well I hope I never have to think about that.

“So did he really toss you over his shoulder?” she asks dreamily, and I laugh so hard my body shakes.

“Yes, he really did.”

“Wow.” She grins, and I roll my eyes at her then watch Harlen come back out of the bedroom dressed.

“You gonna stay for breakfast, Sophie?” he asks, and she turns her smiling eyes to him.

“I’d love to.”

“Good,” he says softly, and then his eyes come to me. “Babe, you wanna feed Dizzy while I cook?”

“Sure.” I hop down off the stool, informing my mom, “Harlen bought the whole grocery store yesterday.”

“Did he?” she asks, looking between the two of us.

“Yeah, now I won’t be able to have takeout for at least a month, and I love takeout.”

“Worse things a man can do than keep your fridge stocked and your belly full,” Mom mummers, smiling into her coffee mug, and I feel Harlen’s fingers give my hip a squeeze, so I turn my attention to him.

“You gonna bitch about me, or are you gonna help me out by feeding your dog?”

“I’m going to help you out, and you shouldn’t curse in front of my mom,” I tell him, resting my hand on my hip, and his eyes drop there and I watch his lips twitch.

“Know your dad and your brothers, Angel. Doubt your mom hasn’t heard worse.”

“This is true,” she confirms.

“Whatever, still,” I huff.

His fingers dig into my hip then he lowers his head and kisses me hard and quick.

“Feed your dog,” he orders as he lets me go.

“Bossy,” I grumble under my breath, and I hear my mom laugh, which makes me smile. I look at her and see her eyes are soft, not on me but on Harlen. One down, one to go.