Where We Belong (A Touch of Fate #1)(61)

I lower my head alongside hers, my front pressed lightly to her back. My cheek is resting next to hers, and even though they aren't touching, I can feel the warmth radiating off of her body. I hate that she's so rigid, but I'm hoping that if I can manage to get out a few things I have to say, she might relax just a little bit.

"Max is asleep." My words are soft and spoken over her shoulder. "What are the chances that he'll get up?"

She shakes her head slowly. "He won't." Good. That's what I was hoping for.

"Well, it appears I was wrong." When my breath fans across her face, I notice her neck break out in goose bumps and I smile to myself, loving the way her body is reacting to me. "It turns out Max isn't your boyfriend."

A soft laugh slips from her lips and she shakes her head, lowering it. I'm not sure if she's looking down to see the dishes in front of her, or if she's dropping her head at the memory of us fighting the other night at Blue. Either way, at least I made her laugh and I really want to do that some more.

"I was wrong and I'm sorry." She lifts her head and angles her face slightly to the right. Her eyes flit to mine and she nods, a sad look on her face.

"I'm sorry too. I should have told you about Max sooner. I was going to, it ju—"

"Don't. It's okay. You have nothing to apologize for. This was all me. And now it's my turn to talk, okay?" She nods, turning her gaze back to the window.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

She hesitates, making me fear the worst and then answers, putting me out of misery. "No."

"Do you have any sort of relationship with Max's father?"

"No," she answers, quieter than before. Thank God!

"Is Max's father in the picture?" She squeezes her eyes shut and quickly shakes her head. Damnit. I hate to hear that. That stupid prick has no idea what he's missing out on. I make a note to spend some extra time with Max doing 'guy' stuff. And I’m going to circle back around to discuss Max’s father, but right now there are more important things we need to talk about.

"I'm really sorry to hear that. You've done an amazing job raising him. He's an incredible little boy," I say with as much conviction as I can.

Harley releases a quick breath and some of the tension drains from her shoulders. I can feel her back soften against my front and I'm thankful that I'm making some progress. This is good.

"Avery and I are not together." Harley doesn't say a word. I can feel her back rise and fall against my front, her breathing steady and even, but other than that, she doesn't move an inch. I can tell she wants to believe me, but she's not convinced.

"I can't look at anyone else, because all I see is you." Her eyes close and I can feel her relax into me. "I've thought about you every day, Harley, and I should have never walked away from you five years ago. I don't want Avery; I don't want any other woman. I just want you. I. Want. You," I whisper, my words spoken directly into her ear. When I see a single tear slide out of the corner of her eye, I lower my head a little more, lightly brushing my nose against the side of her cheek.

"I made the biggest mistake of my life when I walked away from you that night. I may be an idiot, but I learn from my mistakes and if you give me another chance, I swear to you…I swear, I will never walk away from you again." Tears are now streaming down her face—I just pray that they’re happy tears.

"You need to know that I was not rejecting you the other night. I thought you had a boyfriend and I was trying to do the right thing, but I need you to know that pulling away from you was so f*cking hard, Harley." She's breathing faster and her hands are gripping the counter so tightly that her knuckles are turning white. "Do you believe me?" I whisper, gently prying her hands off the counter. I hate asking her that, but I need to know if my words are getting through to her.

"Yes," she whispers, her voice cracking. She wipes the tears from her eyes and turns in front of me. I don't move. I like having her close, caged in my arms.

She stares at my chest, and I can tell by the expression on her face that she's trying to figure out what she wants to say. I keep quiet because I really want us to be on the same page…but I need her to get there on her own.

She lifts her face and the softness in her eyes cracks my heart wide open."You're sorry?" she asks timidly, her eyes wide with hope.

"More than I could ever tell you."

"And you aren't with Avery?"

"Never. Avery who?" I answer, pulling a small smile from her lips.

She looks at my chest again, trying to find her words. Releasing my grip on the counter, I wrap my hands around her neck, my thumbs caressing the sides of her jaw. At first she looks startled, but then her body relaxes and she catches me off-guard when she grips the bottom of my shirt, fisting it in her hands.

“Ask me, Harley."

Her eyes blur with tears and I can see the slightest quiver in her bottom lip, but my brave girl doesn’t back away. “You want me?” she says, so softly that I barely hear it.

“I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my entire life." I’m laying it all on the line. There’s nothing else I can do. I have to open myself up to her and hope to God she believes me. I’m trying with everything I have to display every emotion I’m feeling on my face right now.