12. Arlo

When I wake with Harrison’s large arms wrapped around me and his chest moving up and down under my head, I can’t help but smile. He is breathing heavily, but he’s not snoring. Not like he tried to say he would. I don’t know who told him he sounds like a train. If I wasn’t in the room with him, I wouldn’t be able to hear a thing.

Last night was amazing, and though I so terribly wanted to fuck him, having his thick fingers wrapped around our cocks, stroking us together until we both came, was incredible. Just the memory of it has my dick twitching against his leg. I quickly turn over. He moans. Shit, I woke him up.

“Where are you going?” he groans, half asleep.

“I was going to shower to help me wake up. My alarm will be going off in—” My phone on the nightstand starts to chime. “See.”

“But I want to cuddle,” he whines, rolling against my back and pulling me close against him. So close that his morning wood presses against the crease of my ass. I’m strictly a top, though I do enjoy outer-ass play, but right now, I need to get ready. I might be nervous as fuck to be doing this reading, but I’d be a total fucking wreck if I was also running late.

I slip out of his arms and climb from the bed.

“Sorry, after the reading, I’ll cuddle you all you like.”

His gaze trails from my eyes to my cock and back up.

“Can we cuddle naked?”

I laugh. “Anytime you want.”

He licks his lips and returns his stare to my groin.

I turn toward the bathroom. “After the reading,” I say again, and as I close the door behind me, I watch him turn his face into the pillow and moan.

“Torturer.”

It’s still not any easier showering with this thing on my wrist. My hair hasn’t been properly washed for over a week. I had to cancel my appointment at the salon a few blocks from my apartment as it clashed with the reading, and now, they can’t get me in for a few more days. I never used to go to salons, but after I tried to wash my hair the first time wearing this cast and got soap in my eyes after about three seconds, I called and made a regular appointment once a week for a wash and blow dry, just to stay on top of it. It’s actually nice having it done for you. I might keep the appointment even after this thing comes off. It never looks better than when I step out of their doors, and it stays frizz free for at least three days, too. Out of the shower, I do my best to brush and blow dry my hair on my own because it goes fluffy as fuck if I let it air dry, and then head to the room wearing only a towel. I half expected Harrison to still be in bed waiting for me, but I open the door, and he’s not there.

“Hello?” I call, but he doesn’t reply. I spot a piece of paper on the pillow and pick it up.

Grabbing breakfast and coffee, back soon. ~H.

I throw on pants and a shirt and am just getting my shoes on when he comes back.

“I got you a muffin, hope that’s okay?” he says, strolling through the door as I’m trying to work my hair into a ponytail. The cast keeps catching my hair and pulling strands out making it look like shit.

“Do you want help?” he asks, putting the coffee down on the table and joining me by the mirror in the living room.

“Yes, please,” I say, holding the brush and hair band out to him.

“Sit,” he says, and I move to the couch. He stands behind it and starts brushing my hair back, pulling it into his firm grasp at the back of my head.

“All done,” he says, a few seconds later, and I stand, shocked he could do it so quickly. I go back to the mirror to check it, and it’s actually really good. He’s managed to tie it back with all the hair on top totally smooth against my head.

“Where did you learn to do that?” I ask and he laughs.

“My nieces like to play hairdresser,” he says with a smile, passing me one of the coffees, but then he pulls it back at the last second. “How many shirts did you bring?”

I raise a brow. “Three. Can I please have the coffee now?”

He holds it against him.

“Are they all as cute as that one?”

I glance down at the fitted dark green shirt and smile. “One is light blue, and the other is black.”

“Then no, you can’t have it. Strip. Naked coffee is better anyway?”

“I’m not getting naked to drink my coffee.”

He pouts. “But naked coffee is the beeeeest.”

I roll my eyes and slip my fingers under the hem of my shirt, then pause.

“I’ll give you shirtless coffee, but only if you’re shirtless, too. I didn’t get nearly enough of a look at that chiseled god-like chest last night.”

He blushes, and somehow, he looks even hotter and then puts the coffee on the table and strips off his shirt.

I pull off mine, too, and fold it over the back of the couch.

“Shall we sit outside?” he asks, with a wave toward the large doors like a butler making an introduction, and I nod, then follow him out.

He sits back in one of the chairs and instead of sitting in the other, I plant myself on his lap and lean against his warm chest.

“Now this is the best way to start the day,” he says, bringing my cup to the front for me to take. “Are you nervous?”

“A little.”

“You will be amazing, I promise,” he replies, and I rest against him watching the river as the sun rises higher, and we sip our coffee. It’s easy. Like we’ve done it a million times, and now all I can picture is doing this every day. But that’s insane. We hardly know each other, but I feel like no one knows me better. Can you fall in love with someone you’ve known for only a few weeks?

“What time is training today?”

“Not until four. It’s more of a meeting today than a training session, but we’ll be doing some content to post in the lead-up to the season starting.”

“I guess I’ll have to get used to going to these on my own soon then.”

“We’ll figure something out. I don’t mind calling in the odd sick day if we need to.”

“You can’t do that.”

“I could legitimately be sick,” he says, leaning into my neck and nuzzling the crease. “I’d be so desperately sick of not doing this, seeing you, that counts, doesn’t it?”

I laugh. “I doubt Gordon would agree.”

He stops peppering kisses down my neck and sighs.

“We’re going to have to figure out how we’re going to tell him at some point, but today is not that day.”

“I was thinking about that, and you’re right. I don’t think we can tell him anytime soon,” I say, remembering how adamant Gordon was that I stay away from Harrison. He might be his best friend but that shouldn”t give him the right to dictate who he dates, or who I date.

He kisses my neck softly. “I guess we’ll just have to go with plan A. We’ll keep it a secret, for now. It’ll make a repeat of last night that much harder, but I have poker at Gordon’s tonight after practice, maybe I can sneak away to your room for a bit while they get drunk downstairs.”

“I’d be up for that, but you know my bedroom door doesn’t lock right?”

“And if he catches me, I’m dead.”

“I’m pretty sure you can outrun him.”

He laughs and holds me tighter. It’s perfect, and I could stay here in his arms forever.

But my alarm sounds from inside warning us it’s almost time to leave. I”m more annoyed that I have to climb off his lap than nervous that I’m about to read my book to the biggest crowd yet.

We get to the event, and he opens my door for me again, like the last time, and butterflies swarm inside my gut.

“Thanks,” I say, climbing from the truck and then reaching back inside for the book I almost left on the dash. I know they have copies inside, they always do. It’s part of the gig, signing books after the reading, but this is the first copy. The very first one I pulled from that box a few weeks ago. It’s silly to think which book I hold has any impact on how well I read it. But like having Harrison in the crowd, the more things about this that are familiar the better I seem to go.

“Ready?”

“Not really, but okay.”

He closes the door and rubs my back with his large hand. “I’ll be right there in the crowd, the giant kid at the back who can’t stop smiling at how amazing you are.”

My cheeks burn, and I shake my head.

“You can sit in a chair like the other adults if you want to.”

“No way! I love the view from underneath you too much for that.”

I laugh and let him guide me toward the library. He keeps his hand on the small of my back, only removing it to open the door for me and I have to wonder how the hell I’m going to keep a guy like this. He’s sexy and sweet and opens doors for you and I’m…me.

“You’ve got this,” he says into my ear before walking over to sit with the kids waiting on the floor.

My stomach is in knots, but I take a breath and head to the front of the room, and when I sit in the big red velvet chair they’ve pulled out for me, my gaze lands on him, and I smile.

I might not know how I’m going to do it, but I sure as shit know I’m going to do whatever it takes. Because Harrison Roe is everything I could have ever asked for, and now that I know that, I’m not letting go.