Done (Harmony Haven #1)

Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

EASTON

We didn’t sleep. Not a wink. Which was not good since I had to be at work the next morning. Not that I had any regrets.

While we recovered, we talked and laughed. And when our bodies were ready, we made love over and over until the sun started peeking through the curtains. I didn’t tell her, and I wasn’t sure she had realized, but something in me changed that night.

Again.

Maybe it was the moment we kissed.

Maybe it was her eyes as she came.

Maybe it was how comfortable we were just lying in each other’s arms.

Whatever it was, I knew I was on a bigger mission than I ever anticipated. Somehow, some way, I needed Jesse to fall in love with me. I needed her to take my heart, keep it safe, and give me hers so that there was never a night I couldn’t be in her arms and in her bed.

She was guarded, and I understood why, but I also knew she felt everything I did. I knew we were supposed to be together, and she had to know that I would never be done trying to make her realize how much.

“Come see me at the station today. Bring Max,” I insisted, working on the strength to get up from her bed. “I don’t want to have to wait till Monday to see you two again.”

“Dangerous.”

“No it's not,” I laughed, pulling her into my arms. “It's the safest place in town.”

“Not for a girl who has to keep some poorly constructed walls around herself, especially when she’s around a man that carries a sledgehammer in his pants.”

My laugh was loud enough to wake Max, and I quickly covered my mouth to suppress the noise. Jesse laughed with me, proud of herself for such an astute analogy.

“I promise not to hurt you with it,” I continued laughing.

“Yeah well,” she swatted at me playfully, “I’ve heard that before.”

“How so?”

Of all our talking, her ex—and my issues with Rory—had somehow stayed out of it. But I wanted to know what happened with Max’s dad. What kind of guy must he be that he’d willingly choose not to be in Jesse and Max’s life? At the very least, wouldn't he want to be a dad?

“My ex is a financial consultant for a lot of big name clients. He wears a suit, his hair is always done, and he looks like he could rule the world. You’d never know that underneath that pretty package is a drug addicted asshole. He once told me he’d never hurt me, but when my mom got sick, when I got pregnant, ya know, when I needed him the most…he told me to get lost. So I did.”

Fucking dickhead. “When was the last time you saw him?”

“When I was in Atlanta, he’d knock on my door every few months and try to charm me into having sex with him. He’d never even glance at Max or worry about his existence. I’d always kick him out and he’d leave with no issues. But the last time I saw him was a few weeks before I moved here. He had started using again and he escalated his attempt to sleep with me by breaking into my apartment. Thankfully, he left when I threatened to call the cops. A week later, this place fell into my lap. I had been wanting to move anyway, so it seemed like the sign I needed to finally do it.”

My heart was threatening to beat out of my chest. Jesse spoke as if her story wasn’t a big deal, but I was clenching my fist, mentally telling myself that driving to Atlanta was a bad idea. Beating someone I didn’t know would have been a poor choice.

“It's kinda funny,” Jesse huffed a small laugh, but nothing seemed sincerely funny. “Clay had broken into my apartment and scared me to death when I saw him in my living room. I met you after you scared me to death, thinking you broke into my house.”

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

It wasn’t funny, as in ha-ha. It was funny as in not funny at all. She must have assumed at first that I was Clay. Her fear in that moment, not to mention her strength, was so much clearer and kind of mesmerizing.

“Does he know where you live?” I dared to ask, wondering if she or anyone had told him.

“Nah, I’m not even sure he knows I moved. Like I said, he only comes around every few months. Next time he knocks on my old apartment door, he will meet Yannick, the French chef that took over my lease.”

“He won’t hurt you,” I promised, gritting the words out not only to her, but to myself.

“He won’t,” Jesse assured us both. “I don’t need a hero, remember? But you can see now why I’ll always have my guard up. Max needs me more than I need anyone else, and as much as I like you,” she tapped my chest mindlessly, “this is all I have to give.”

I wasn’t going to deny that the things that happened in our past were directly related to the decisions we made for our future. I had spent my entire life avoiding the feelings I had for Jesse because I knew what it was like to lose someone you loved. Not just from heartbreak, but from them being ripped from this world. It was a pain I wasn’t sure I would survive again.

But it was a chance that Jesse made worth taking. And I knew that I would do everything, and anything, it took to protect her. We couldn’t always choose our fate, but we could try our damnedest not to tempt it.

“How about l come here Monday?” I had no response to her proclamation just yet. Until I knew where I stood with Max, I had to be okay taking whatever she gave me and not pushing her too hard. He was the most important part of who she was. Did I fully understand that? Would I ever know what that means? “After you get Max to school, I’ll finish putting his bed together while you work. Sound good?”

“Sounds domestic.”

Yeah, it did. But I just snorted and stayed silent, not wanting to give her a chance to turn me down again. My alarm on my phone was two minutes away from going off, and Max usually woke up around the same time, so I started sliding my way out of Jesse’s bed.

Without standing up, though, I pulled her to me, her naked body falling against mine, and I kissed her. It was just as passionate as the night before, but with less intent. I had to go, she had to take care of Max. We couldn’t spend another hour making love.

When I pulled away, I held her neck with both hands, keeping her lips close to mine as I whispered, “Good morning.”

Then I let her go, watching as she blissfully fell back onto her pillow. She had a knowing smile on her face and used it to unwittingly tempt me back into her bed as I got dressed. The only thing stopping me was the word “ Momma ” I heard being yelled from down the hall.

Max was awake, our night was over, and I had to get out of there before he saw me. Until Jesse was sure of what it was we had, Max didn’t need to assume I’d always be there when he woke up.

“You look fucked,” Daniel laughed as I walked into the station. “I take it that things went well after the festival?”

“Yeah, where were you?” I had fully expected him and his family to be there. Granted, there were a lot of people around, but surely I would have seen him.

“I worked,” he shrugged. “Gonna take Wednesday off for an appointment in the city so Rory and I swapped Saturday.”

That means she was off on Saturday, probably running around and creating chaos, while I had been on my date. That also meant she was going to be there all day with me on a shift I thought she wasn’t going to be on.

“She's here already?” I grimaced, not in the mood to deal with her just yet.

“Nope,” Daniel laughed. “Her car is here, I haven’t seen her. Probably left it when she went out last night. You’re safe for now.”

Running a hand through my hair, I sighed and looked around the bay, not seeing any drills or training set up. I needed at least three hours of sleep before I could think straight, so I took Daniel’s word and walked up to my room.

It was dark and cold, the perfect combination. I didn’t even bother with the light, just threw my clothes off and tossed them into the corner near my locker.

Usually I slept in department issued sweats or workout gear so that if there was a call, I could put my suit over them and save myself a step to get ready. That morning, I had decided to risk it, and stayed in my boxer briefs, wanting the cold sheets of my small bed to cool my skin.

Sitting on the side of my bed, I scrubbed a hand down my face and readied myself to lay down when I felt a hand start tracing up my spine.

“What the—?” I stood up, reaching for the light but not hitting it before Rory’s arms wrapped around my neck. Her mouth went to my shoulders and she bit, moaning as if I tasted like filet mignon. “Are you…? Get the…?”

I was in so much shock, I was having a hard time finding my words. My hands were trying to pry her from around my neck while she rubbed her body against my chest.

She was insane, never before taking the chance she was in that moment. I was her boss, she wasn’t supposed to be in my bed, and she could get fired for even attempting to cross a line with me at the station and on the clock.

Not to mention I had told her no before. Ever since we were seniors in high school, she’s known that we weren’t going to happen. I took her to the prom because I felt sorry for her. Hell I wasn’t even going to go at all until her date told her a week beforehand that he asked another girl instead. But that night created a crush that had haunted me.

“Rory stop!” I yelled, not worried about anyone hearing me through the door. If anyone was passing by and heard me, it would have been on her, and she would have to face the consequences. I couldn’t protect her from the decision she was making.

“I got here last night,” she whined. “I waited for you . I need you.”

“No,” I shouted, finally getting her arms to disengage and pushing her down on the bed. “You know better than this and you know I’m not fucking around with you. What the hell are you thinking?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered, suddenly withdrawing and sliding off my bed. Then, much louder, she added, “Don’t touch me!”

“I—” What the fuck was her problem? I had no idea how to respond.

Without another word, she opened the door and raced out, wearing nothing but a tight pair of workout shorts and a sports bra. It had been hard to see when the door was shut and the light was off, but I sighed in relief as I watched her exit, knowing she hadn’t been completely naked in my bed.

Dealing with her should have been my priority, but I was drained and more tired than I had ever been, so I didn’t even attempt to leave my room. Instead, I locked the door and fell onto my bed, getting to sleep quickly, which made it all feel like a dream instead of reality.

But I still didn’t regret it. I’d do it again. All night in Jesse’s bed, making love to her over and over? Yeah, it was worth it—the exhaustion and the risks.