Page 36 of A Home for Harmony (Blossoms #16)

EASED HER MIND

“ H appy Birthday,” Scarlet said when Harmony walked in the front door of Micah’s house that night.

She felt like such a fool breaking down in front of him and having to confess what she’d kept hidden for almost two years.

When she summarized it all, it was what he said. Annoying and not threatening.

She had to admit she felt better getting it off her chest.

“Thank you.” Harmony put her bag down that had her laptop in it. She wasn’t sure when Micah was going to look at things or if he wanted Scarlet to know.

“I made lasagna,” Scarlet said. “I started it after school. I hope you like it. I made you a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and strawberries on top because I’ve seen you like chocolate-covered strawberries so I put this together.”

“Aww.” She hugged the teen. “That is so considerate of you.”

“I like making people’s favorites.”

“How did you know those are Harmony’s favorites?” Micah asked, walking into the kitchen. He must have just gotten home and was showering. She’d let herself in after she knocked and walked in herself.

“Harmony posts things like that. Everyone does, Dad.”

She turned to see his eyebrow raised. “It’s normal to do that,” she said. “I have a lot of loves or favorites in life, but I do talk about Italian food and chocolate-covered strawberries a lot.”

Which made her wonder—if this person had her address, why they didn’t send them? You could get them online too. But she always said how much she loved flowers too.

Today she never said who sent her flowers, just posted that she got them. Nothing else in terms of gifts either.

Micah said not to change anything and she didn’t. She posted the picture of the three bouquets and didn’t say a word.

Maybe she was secretly hoping she’d get a private message or email from someone claiming that anonymous bouquet, but nothing had happened yet.

“I would have gotten you chocolate-covered strawberries if I knew that,” he said.

“I don’t know your favorite treats,” she said, grinning.

“I can tell you them,” Scarlet said. “Aren’t you going to kiss Harmony for her birthday, Dad?”

“I had lunch with her earlier. We kissed then.”

She laughed. “You can never get enough kisses.”

He walked over and gave her a kiss on the lips. Not one that was forced by his daughter’s prompting, but a warm one with his arm around her waist, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

“Better?” he asked quietly.

Harmony nodded and hoped tears didn’t spring into her eyes.

“Dinner is ready,” Scarlet said. “Dad, you can set the table? Harmony, sit. It’s your night. Did you do anything fun other than go to lunch with Dad?”

“Not really,” she said. “I got some work done and that is about it.”

“Did you get any good gifts?”

“My daughter is all about gifts,” he said, grabbing plates and setting them down.

“Who wasn’t at sixteen?” Harmony asked. “I got flowers and gift cards. Daisy gave me this bracelet on Sunday.” She showed the silver bracelet. There were several flowers on it symbolizing a harmony of flowers.

“That’s so pretty,” Scarlet said. “What did Dad get you?”

“He gave me his love.” She knew it sounded cheesy and it caused Scarlet to giggle.

“That’s a great gift, but you should have bought Harmony something, Dad. Don’t be cheap.”

She smirked and saw Micah’s face flush. “He doesn’t need to give me a gift.”

“I got you something,” he said. “Maybe I was waiting until later to give it to you.”

“Eww, Dad,” Scarlet said. “That’s gross.”

Micah’s face got even redder. That funny comment would only dissuade her from staying here at night with Scarlet in the house. She knew that right away.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll get it now.”

He left the kitchen and went upstairs and came back with a gift bag and handed it over.

Harmony pulled the tissue paper out and saw the roadside safety kit inside and laughed.

“What is it?” Scarlet asked, moving over. She took it out. “Dad! That’s a horrible gift. You’re so boring.”

“It’s meant as a joke,” he said, cracking a grin. He put another bag, a smaller one that was behind his back, on the table.

“Ohhh,” she said. “I wonder what it could be.” Harmony pulled the box from Blossoms out and flipped the lid on the earrings. “They match the bracelet from Daisy! Did you ask her to make these?” She knew her bracelet was one of a kind.

“I did. I went to see her one day to ask what you had and might like. I didn’t want to give you something you already had. She told me what she was making and said she could do earrings to match.”

She lifted the dangle earrings out. There were three different flowers that matched the ones on her bracelet hanging at different lengths. Not a set, but they went well together.

“Now that is how you do a gift, Dad,” Scarlet said. “For a second there I was going to be disappointed in you when you always give me the best things. Now, let’s eat.”

They sat at the table like a family and talked about Scarlet’s day, Micah’s, and hers. It was smooth and comforting after the day she’d had.

After cake and ice cream were served, Scarlet said she was going to her mother’s for the night.

When they were left alone, she asked, “Did you know she was leaving?”

“No,” he said. “If I did, I would have had you bring your clothes to stay the night.”

“I can still stay the night if you want me to,” she said. “You might not. I know you’re not happy with me.”

“It’s not that I’m not happy,” he said. “More like disappointed.”

Her heart was thumping in her chest. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s on me, not you,” he said. “I’m disappointed that you felt you couldn’t come to me before about this.”

Her shoulders slumped. “Micah. We’ve been dating about three months. This has been going on for almost two years and my family doesn’t know. Erica knows everything about me and I didn’t tell her.”

She moved over to sit on his lap in his chair in the family room.

“That’s why I said it’s on me and not you.”

“I’m sure I’m making a bigger deal about this. I felt that way too. Maybe it grew in my head more than it should have. If I said something earlier, I might have realized how silly I was being.”

“Don’t diminish it,” he said. “I mean that. It’s not over by a long shot.”

“Are you trying to scare me more?” she asked.

“No. I’m saying I want you to go on with life as you were and in the meantime we are going to go over everything else and I’ll look into things or what I can.”

She pursed her lips. “Since it’s my birthday, I want to change the subject. Can you go put your uniform back on for me?”

He lifted his eyebrows. “What?”

“I asked you before about role playing and you said I only needed to be here when you got home from work. I was, but you weren’t alone and had already changed. Maybe I want to see you in it when we are alone.”

“You have in the morning when you’ve stayed the night,” he said, closing one eye at her.

“You’re taking all the fun out of this. What did Scarlet say? You’re boring.”

He stood up with her in his arms. “Hardly boring,” he said. “But I suppose if it turns you on.”

“Oh,” she said, running her hand down his chest. “It really turns me on and I’d like to end the day this way.”

He moved through the house and up the stairs. “You’re not making me put the whole thing on, right? Not my holster and gun.”

“You’ve got another gun I’m interested in,” she said. “Just your pants and shirt, buttoned up. Nothing more. I promise.”

He set her on his bed and went into his closet to pull out his uniform, then undressed and she shook her head at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Can’t you go in the bathroom and do that and come out all ready?”

“You’re yanking my chain and the only reason I’m complying is because it’s your birthday.”

“And I had a hard day,” she said, batting her eyelashes.

“Don’t remind me of that part of it.”

He moved to his bathroom and came out a few minutes later in his pants and shirt buttoned up and tucked in.

“Where are all your pins?” she asked. “You look kind of plain.”

He closed one eye at her. “I have to put them on daily,” he said. “Are you going to make me do that?”

She wasn’t sure why she never noticed that before. He must have kept them in the bathroom in a drawer because she never saw them anywhere in his room.

“No,” she said. “I’m too horny for that.”

He snorted. “If I put the pins on, would you be even more so?”

“You’re funny, Micah,” she said, standing up. “Sit down. It’s my day and I want to do the work.”

“That’s how you want it?” he asked.

“Yep. You’re not going to talk me out of it, are you?”

“Do I look stupid?” He moved over to sit down.

She stood in front of him between his legs as he was on the bed.

One by one she unbuttoned his shirt until it was opened all the way, then tugged it out of his pants and let it fall to the side.

Her hands went to his chest. He had a sprinkling of hair in a few places she loved. It seemed to her everything on him was damn near perfect.

She reached for the button on his pants and undid them, parting them so that his dick came out, then she shimmied out of her jeans and underwear and pulled her sweater over her head, leaving her in a floral print bra.

He pushed back some, allowing her to climb on his lap, then slide down on top of him.

She threaded her fingers into his hair, holding his head in place, her mouth landing on his.

“I think of this all the time,” she whispered against his lips. “My body on top of yours. You inside of me. I don’t know that I’ve ever thought of sex as much as I have since I met you.”

His hands went to rest on her hips, gently guiding her to ride him.

“I feel the same. You’re always on my mind.”

“Like this?” she asked.

“Most times. Though men can’t hide that as well.”

“There is no reason to hide it.” She was rising and lowering at a controlled pace.

Maybe she was trying to be sexy, but it all came down to going with what her body felt.

Right now, she wanted to shut her brain off and only focus on the man she loved.

The one who started out annoyed with her earlier, then walked her through a conversation and almost eased her mind.

There was more to him than he ever wanted people to see, but she was proud to know that she got to witness it.

“You know how much I love you, right?” he asked.

“I do.” She wrapped her legs around his waist now rather than having them on the sides of his hips. He was still sitting on the edge, but he stood up and all she could do was hang on.

“We didn’t get to try this move the other day,” he said.

She was gripping his neck and letting him do the work.

He was strong enough to keep her in place, his hips jamming up into her again.

She loved when he did that.

It was almost as if it was his signature move, branding himself in her.

“That’s it,” she said. “Keep doing that.”

“I can’t let you do all the work on your birthday. I need to give it to you like this. The way I feel.”

“Yes!” She was trying to move her hips with his, but it wasn’t working.

He walked a few steps to the wall and pushed her back against it, braced one hand on the side and thrust into her in rapid motions.

“You like it when I give it to you hard,” he said.

“I do,” she said, moaning. “Keep it up. I’m almost there.”

He was grunting with his need to possess her. Something she wanted to feel.

Then she came and was chanting out his name. Two more thrusts and he was right there with her, his mouth crushing hers, their bodies pulsing together.

He dropped his forehead on hers after a minute. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” she said. “Thank you for everything today. I mean it.”

He nodded his head and moved back, helping her stand. The minute she did, everything he blew into her came out and landed on his pants that were now around his ankles.

She burst out laughing.

“Guess I can’t wear these tomorrow.”