Chapter 20

Twenty

Presley

The wind blows against my unruly hair as I laugh into the cool winter air.

The tour guide is telling jokes while tourists listen eagerly, and beside me, I curl my arm into Haden’s.

We have done so many things in this city while we lived here but never something so simple.

“I can’t say I’ve ever ridden on this bus,” Haden says, unsure. “It’s such a different way to view the city, and do you think they recycle these headphones?”

Laughing, I lean in and kiss his cheek. “That’s what the old Presley would have asked.”

“Wait, so no more matching socks and color-coded rows in my drawer?”

“Maybe I’ll mix it up,” I tease him. “Zig when you think I’m going to zag.”

His brows lift with curiosity as the corner of his mouth quirks up. “You’re such a tease. I give you one day before you’re reorganizing the new house and start labeling my underwear or something.”

In all this mess, I completely forgot about the new house. We have another week left in our bungalow, and although it pains me to say goodbye, the excitement of a fresh start is exactly what I need.

I shake my head. “No, I need to relax. Some things are out of my control.”

Taking a deep breath, I watch the city pass us by, my chest radiating with happiness as I experience this moment with the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. Beside him, I realize I can do anything I set my heart out to do. Haden always supports me, and when we argue, it is warranted. He wants us to achieve the best and pushing my mindset out of my comfort zone is not a bad thing. He challenges me like no other person has. And yes, on more than one occasion, he makes jerk-like decisions, but on reflection, it is with good intentions.

“I feel as though I’m seeing it all for the very first time.”

Haden grins, kissing my hand. “I miss seeing you this happy.”

I turn to stare into his hazel eyes, savoring the way he gazes at me as if I am the air he breathes. “I miss seeing us this happy.”

Leaning in, he places his warm lips against mine. Unable to contain myself, I hold his head in my hands, pulling him into a fiery and passionate kiss until we pull apart, our breathing shaky and uneven.

My eyes glance sideways as the tour guide watches with an annoyed gaze.

“I don’t think he’s too happy we’re making out on his bus.” I giggle, pulling myself away.

Haden cocks his head to the side. “He doesn’t know the hell we’ve been through, but I’ll behave for now.”

The sightseeing tour gives you the flexibility to see famous New York attractions at your own pace. We drive past the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center. We stop off at Brooklyn, had lunch by the water before hopping back on the bus and back to Manhattan. As we take in all the sights and architecture, we reach our final destination of Central Park and hop off.

“Where is all your stuff?” I ask him.

“I didn’t bring anything.”

“Nothing?”

“Nada.”

“Not even a toothbrush?”

“Well,” he says, scratching his beard which looks unkempt. “I figured it was the least of my problems, and the city would have supplies.”

“Well, my fancy hotel has toothbrushes.”

“Oh yeah?” Haden smirks with just a small pouting of his lips, a narrowing of the eyes, then tilts his head, his gaze fixated on me. “What else does it have?”

“Those big robes with the initials engraved on the pocket.”

“Sounds fancy.”

“And a large hot tub… with wine.”

“I think you have to order the wine,” he tells me.

“Jacque is quick to bring it up.”

“Jacque?” He raises his brow. “Is this the point where I get jealous because another man is bringing wine to your room?”

“Maybe, if you think I’d have an affair with a man old enough to be my great-grandfather. Jacque is practically part of the furniture in this place.”

“Carry on.”

“Oh, and it has this huge TV with all these channels. Great for watching porn.”

Haden stops dead in his tracks, still holding my hand. “You must have really missed me?”

I wrap my arms around his waist. “I did.”

We take our time, walking slowly through the streets. It is very unlike Haden to be so patient. I half expect him to throw me over his shoulder and have his way with me, but he takes it easy.

As we walk, we talk about buying a place in the city next year if business goes well. I decide to let Haden handle the financial side of things, relieving myself of something which I don’t need to have on my plate. He enjoys it, and as long as we aren’t going bankrupt, I need to trust him.

We make our way back to the room. I swipe my card and pull him in. He follows but stops as soon as the door closes. His posture stiffens, his lips pressing together in a slight grimace.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, moving toward him with worry.

“When I went to find you, I thought you and Cassandra were…”

His stare falls onto the floor, his feet shuffling as he rubs his ear. I bring my hands to his face, lifting his gaze to meet mine. Guilt washes over me, I shouldn’t have been so careless, especially after Gemma warned me.

“I’d never touch anyone else, willingly,” I assure him.

“She said… well, she hinted something happened.”

I take a deep breath, trying to word this in my head, so I don’t hurt him. “She kissed me,” I admit. “It went longer than it should only because I was in complete shock before it sunk in to pull away.”

“She… she kissed you?” he stutters. “Is that it?”

“She tried to remove my blouse, but I stopped her. I never wanted anything from her but friendship. I was too blinded by my own problems to see she wanted more.”

Haden shakes his head with a tight jaw. “I knew it, Presley. I mean, I don’t blame her. You’re the whole fucking package. I’m just angry I let her manipulate you for so long. I should have pulled you away, made you stop hurting. You needed me.”

I place my finger against his lips to calm him down. “Nothing would have stopped the hurting. It still hurts, but the difference is that now I realize I do have you by my side. That’s what I need, Haden. I need you, all of you, by my side, being my partner.”

His expression remains hard. “I let her go. I’m sorry if that upsets you, but I had to make a decision that was best for us.”

I’m not surprised by his callous decision which will cost the business a lot of money, but I understand Haden needed to do this. I don’t blame him, working with her would have been difficult for me. I’m sad to lose her friendship but feel betrayed at the same time. She knew my vulnerabilities and played them well, almost costing me my marriage.

He takes a deep breath, bringing me in for an embrace.

“You’ve got me for life. Ride or die, baby.”

I pull away with a beaming smile.

“Ride or die, huh?” Playing with the buttons of his shirt, I watch his cocky grin fixate on me. “How about you run the bathtub, and I call Jacque. Red or white?”

“You,” he whispers. “I just need to taste you.”

* * *

My hands move to the back of his head, clutching his hair in my fists as we fight to get closer to one another. The water swooshes around us as I straddle him inside the giant bathtub. Despite the size of this thing, getting our bearings takes a few moments.

I pull away, out of breath. “Baby, we need to slow down.”

The desire in his eyes, the raw, animalistic hunger is staring back at me. God, I want to combust as I stare back at this gorgeous man. I almost hate myself for wasting time over the last few months.

I lean my body forward, pulling him closer to me as he places his mouth on mine. Every kiss becomes harder, more aggressive, and demanding. He wants to own me—now, here, in this moment. He commands me with his eyes to ride him slowly—an agonizing pace which drives us both insane yet at the same time heightens our senses.

I crumple beneath his touch. Every lick and caress of my heated skin causes me to moan louder. Haden murmurs my name, each syllable dragging against his lips with a raw growl that lingers as he kisses the sweet spot behind my ear.

I wait with bated breath, anticipating his next move, his next touch. My breasts are exposed, water cascading off the tip of my nipples with bubbles surrounding the curve of my breasts. He devours them like a wild beast looking for its next feed, grating his teeth ever so gently as I arch my back and moan in delight.

Impatiently, I push back and grind myself against him, his piercing hitting just the right spot. I’m coming undone, desperate to go faster if it weren’t for the water spilling over the tub.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he mumbles, nipping at the base of my neck. “The first day I met you, you wore this thin dress. I turned up the AC because your nipples were hard as fuck. Do you know how many times I jerked off to you?”

My heavy breathing becomes a laugh. “You saw that? It was always so cold when you were around.”

He responds with a sly grin, then buries his head between my breasts before circling his tongue around my nipple.

My back arches, the sensation so unbearable I’m ready to tell him I want to finish now.

“I did.” He breathes warmth against my skin. “You were so goddamn hot. There was this bet going on, and let’s say that I threw a ton of money at those fuckers not to go near you.”

“I should be annoyed. But let’s face it, you would have had me one way or another. And now you’re mine.”

He kisses me deeply, letting out a moan. Haden loves it when I claim him.

“Tell me…” he questions with a smirk, “… are you ready?”

I nod, in love with the way his eyes speak more than his words. His lips crash against mine again, kissing me deeply before he pulls back and stares. He doesn’t move, taking shallow breaths and maintaining his steady gaze.

“Why are you looking at me this way?” I keep my voice low, conscious of the fact that his eyes haven’t left mine.

“Because I could have lost you. I’m so fucking in love with you, it hurts.”

“Ditto.” I smile. “Now, make me come because I’m dying.”

He focuses his attention back on my lips, kissing my mouth with urgency and leaving me without a single breath to catch. My nails claw across his back, which I am sure are leaving marks.

With every move Haden makes, I fall deeper under his spell, allowing him to ravage my body to make up for the time lost.

I’m begging my body to hold on and last just a few minutes longer as he continues to fondle my breasts, while biting his lip. I can see he is awfully close.

My phone begins to ring on the vanity. I brought it in here in case of an emergency if Gemma needs us. We both stop and look at the number. It’s Katrina Mayflower.

“I have to take this,” I tell him.

“Presley, you’re kidding me, right? My dick is inside you.”

“Hello, Katrina?”

I don’t give Haden a chance to say anything, ignoring his hands on my hips as he continues to grind me slowly.

“Hi, Presley, just a quick call. I’m about to take off. Look, your pitch was one of the best I’ve heard. My lawyers have read the contract, and I’m all yours.”

My muscles tighten from excitement causing me to almost drop the phone into the water. “Katrina, you don’t understand how excited I am to work with you. We’re going to do great things.”

“I know you will.” I can almost hear her smile over the phone. “Listen, I have to go. I’ll be in LA next week, so I’ll get my assistant to arrange a meeting.”

“Sounds perfect.”

I hang up the phone, clasping it to my chest with a surge of happiness.

“Did you hear that? We signed Katrina Mayflower!”

Haden stares back with a knowing grin. “You, baby. You did it.”

“There’s so much to do. My God, Clint is going to be in heaven editing her pieces, and Maria… she’s her biggest fan.”

“Presley?”

“Hmm?” I murmur, lost in thought.

“Can I at least make you come first?”

I don’t even respond, realizing he’s still inside of me. I place the phone back on the vanity.

This man wants only me at this moment, and I will do every damn thing in my power to please him. I continue to grind him, arching my back as I demand him to blow inside me. My blood is pumping hard, and every single part of me tingles in a mad delight as my body combusts beneath him. I call his name repeatedly, loudly, wishing this moment won’t end.

Haden has a desperate need to control the moment, holding back his impending orgasm until it finally gets the better of him. The grip of his hands is tight against my waist as his body slams into me until his moans slow down and his hips follow suit.

His head falls back against the rim of the tub, both of us out of breath.

I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect reunion.

I might have been lost, but all along, home is waiting for me.

I want to go back to LA, start our life as a family in our brand-new home. I desperately want to hold Masen in my arms and make more memories.

But most importantly, I want to begin the road to recovery. Grieve, take the baby steps to empower myself, and soon, grow our beautiful family with the one man who loves me more than I love myself at times.

Haden Cooper, aka my #jerk.