Page 6 of Midnight (Chasing the Sun #3)

Nate

"I had no idea a nap could be so relaxing," Harper says she comes into the living room where I've been sitting.

When I told her I had to work, what I didn’t say was I was trying to do as much research on her father as possible. But I don't need her to know that or to see anything that I found, so I close my computer and give her my full attention.

"I was thinking of making chicken parmesan for dinner. How does that sound?" I ask.

Her eyes go wide, and she says, "Oh, I can cook dinner. You don't have to cook for me."

"No, let me take care of you. Cooking dinner is just a small thing. If you weren’t here, I’d normally be cooking for myself anyway. I always cook way too much and then eat off of it for days."

She studies me for a moment and then hesitantly nods.

"While I cook, why don't you take a bath and relax? That bathtub hasn't been used and your bath products arrived while you were sleeping." I tell her and a smile lights up her face.

"I haven't had a bath in ages, but it sounds amazing."

"Come on. I'll bring you stuff into the bathroom." Following her in with the bag of stuff that came, I put it in the bathroom.

"Take your time. Dinner will take a bit," I tell her. Then I head to her room and grab her clothes and her bag and bring them into my room too.

While she was napping, I decided to move her into my room. When I checked on her, she looked so peaceful in my bed that I didn't want her in the other room.

Impatiently, I check my watch. Just under six hours until midnight.

Once I hear the water running, I go into the kitchen and start dinner. After dinner we talk and then head to my room, lying in bed, watching TV. In the first thirty minutes, she drifted off, but I can't sleep.

Watching the clock, I keep counting down the hours and barely see what is on TV. Finally, the clock took pity on me.

12:08 a.m. in the morning.

I did it. My sweet girl is now eighteen. Gently, I push the hair that has fallen in front of her face away and run the back of my hand down her cheek. She starts to stir and I know I should pull back and let her sleep, but I can't seem to stop touching her.

When her eyes open and lock with mine, she smiles up at me.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," I tell her as I stroke her arm, watching the slight blush coat her cheeks.

"I'm eighteen so you can help me with this virginity thing now," she sounds relieved.

"Oh, I plan to sweetheart, but I won't do it now. I want the moment to be special and I have a feeling you haven't even been touch by a man, have you?"

When she shakes her head no, it confirms my belief. My hand is still lightly running up and down her arm. This time when I reach her shoulder, I trail it over her chest to find out she doesn't have a bra on.

Tracing over one nipple, then the other before I gently run my hand over her stomach to the cloth shorts she is wearing.

Then I run my hand over her core and her clit, and I can feel how wet those cotton shorts are. She gasps in my ear, letting me know she is turned on and sensitive.

"Tell me to stop, sweetheart. If you don't want this, tell me to stop at any point. You are in complete control."

"Don't stop," she whispers breathlessly.

When I rub her clit again, only slightly harder this time, to my amazement she comes from just that contact. She turns her head into my shoulder and cries out as I do my best to prolong her orgasm.

She's been on the edge just like me and knowing that make me happy. I've barely touched her, and I can't wait for more.

"Get some rest, sweetheart." I pull her into me as she relaxes.

"That's it?" she asks as she looks up at me.

"For now. I need you to know that I want you, not sex, you. So we will take our time and build a foundation that will last. Now get some sleep."