I dreamed of the prison and the night I chose to take a life rather than lose my own. The stench of urine, blood, and filth filled my nostrils. I baked in the never-ending heat inside the prison walls. The dream felt so real, yet I knew the suffering was in my past.
Harlow was my anchor. Even in the dream, I felt her wrapped in my arms. She soothed away the pain from my memories. I awoke to find one of her legs tossed over mine. Smiling at her relaxed sleep, I dozed off again.
The next time I woke up, Harlow was still wrapped in my arms, yet awake and studying me.
“You frown so much when you sleep,” she mumbled, still groggy. “You don’t know how beautiful you look when you frown.”
I glanced at the clock and realized we’d napped half the day. Quiet voices from the living room told me Winnie, Dylan, and Toni had arrived. The time had come to play boyfriend.
I rolled over and braced myself over Harlow whose eyes widened in surprise. My lips found hers then quickly pulled away when I remembered the door was open. Leaning down a bit more, I kissed her throat.
“Rafael,” I whispered in her ear.
Climbing off the bed, I took her hand and pulled her up. Harlow stared at me, unsure then her eyes brightened.
“I prefer Bob,” she teased, hurrying past me.
I still managed to snag her before she disappeared out of the door. “I should have told you before I left. I thought to do it, but I’ve spent too long hiding from people. I ended up chickening out.”
“Wuss.”
Pressing her back against me, I wished our evening could be us alone at the hotel. Instead, I held her tightly until the time came to follow Harlow into the living room.
Chapter Thirty Seven ~ Harlow
The Holiday Inn Express was a ten minutes drive from my house. The air conditioning in the room ran on high, feeling great on my sweaty skin. I turned to Rafael who tossed his keys on the dresser then gave me the once over.
“What should we do first?” he asked, handing me a loaded question.
“Before we get too comfy, I’d like to clean up.”
His dark eyes dissected me, sizing up my comfort level before speaking.
“Lots of clean towels,” was the response he figured I could handle hearing.
Walking past him, I shut the door behind me without thinking. I let the water warm up while I stripped down and considered my next step.
I loved Rafael. I wanted to be close to him. When I thought he wouldn’t return, I could barely function. Yet I felt nervous now.
I soaped up my pits and nether regions, making sure to smell fresh. No matter my nerves, I planed to push myself to get closer to Rafael. He understood me. Hell, he looked ready to pounce the moment we entered the hotel, but kept his hands in neutral. If he could control himself for me, I needed to control my fear. No more thinking like the Harlow who Vaughn saved years ago.
Emerging from the bathroom, I wore only panties. A towel covered my breasts as I walked past him and sat on the bed.
“Your turn, Sweaty Beast.”
Rafael inhaled deeply then lifted an eyebrow. “Good thing we took a nap. I suspect we’ll need our energy tonight.”
“No fucking,” I blurted out. “Sorry.”
Standing up, he just smiled. “So many other ways to play.”
Rafael didn’t shut the door while he showered. I could have checked out the view. Yet I could barely keep my nerves under control without adding his naked ass to the mix.
I waited for him in the chair, covering myself with the towel. He appeared from the shower in only a pair of black boxers. His damp skin shined and I ached with an urge to touch him. No matter my lust, I remained where I was and pulled my towel tighter around me.
“Why do you get so nervous?” he asked, tugging me to my feet. “I know you. What I don’t know, you need to teach me.”
“I want to be close. I just panic when I think too much.”
“With you, I never think. If I did, I wouldn’t have moved you into my place the day we met.”
“I had you hooked from day one,” I said, trying to sound confident.
Rafael smiled then gently tugged the towel away and tossed it on the ground.
“You hide these pretty ladies in the sports bras you wear. I had no idea they were such a handful until you showed up for the hot tub wearing your green swimsuit.”
Leaning into his hands, I sighed. “I don’t want people thinking of me as the boob girl.”
Rafael said nothing, giving me one of those patient grins of a man who’d been around longer than I had.
“Don’t,” I muttered, frowning at his smile.
“You are so young.”
Before I opened my mouth to complain, he knelt in front of me and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“You remember me, don't you?” he teased, talking to my breasts rather than me. “You feel neglected.”
Even wanting to say something, I only sighed when he nibbled at the tender skin under my breasts. Lust broke through my anxiety, making me smile. Rafael continued to explore. His sexy lips sucked and teeth nipped at the sensitive flesh.
By the time his tongue slid back and forth over my nipple, I could barely stand. My hands snug in his hair, I had no intention of letting him stop though.