Chapter 177: The Release of Tension

JUSTIN’S POV

I slid out from beneath the covers so quietly the mattress barely moved.

Sleep was a lost cause. My mind was spinning with too many names, too many dates, and a anger that burned hot beneath my skin. I stood beside the bed in the dark, watching Harper’s chest rise and fall.

I need a minute, I told myself. Just a minute to clear my head.

I padded into the bathroom, closing the door until it clicked shut. I didn’t bother turning on the main light, opting for the soft glow of the mirror lamps instead. I stripped off my sweatpants, stepped into the glass enclosure, and turned the handle all the way to warm.

The water hit my shoulders in a heavy stream. I leaned my forehead against the cool tile wall, closing my eyes and just letting the heat work over my tight muscles. I washed quickly, scrubbing the lingering phantom weight of those legal files off my skin.

When I shut the water off, I felt a fraction lighter. Not fixed. Not at peace. But steady enough to make it to sunrise.

I grabbed a towel, dried off quickly, and tossed it over the rack. I walked back into the dark bedroom completely bare, planning to grab a pair of boxers from the dresser before slipping back under the covers.

"You’ve been restless all night."

Harper’s soft, sleepy voice cut through the quiet room.

I paused, looking toward the bed. She was sitting up against the pillows, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Her hair was a messy, soft dark cloud around her shoulders, and her eyes were fixed right on me.

"Did I wake you?" I asked quietly.

"No." She patted the mattress right beside her, her gaze dropping down my chest. A small, amused smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Come here, big guy."

I walked over to my side of the bed and climbed on top, stretching out beside her.

"Ew," she teased immediately, her hand coming up to touch my arm before she pulled it back with a exaggerated wince. "You’re totally naked."

A genuine, easy laugh broke out of my chest the first real laugh I’d had in hours. I reached out, hooked my arm around her waist, and pulled her flush against my side.

"I’m clean," I pointed out, resting my chin near her temple.

She laughed softly, leaning her body into mine. "Did you take a shower?"

"Yeah. Needed to cool my brain down."

Harper turned her head. She didn’t ask about the call, or the files, or the trial. Instead, she leaned up and pressed a warm, soft kiss right against my forehead.

My eyes closed instantly.

She moved down, her lips brushing softly over the bridge of my nose, then down to my jawline. Every place her skin touched mine felt like a small, soothing fire cutting through the cold knot in my chest. My heart began to beat a little faster, my body reacting to her touch before my brain could even catch up.

"Harper..." I murmured, my voice turning thick.

She didn’t answer with words. She slid her fingers up into the hair at the back of my neck and brought her lips to mine.

It wasn’t a rushed kiss. It was slow, deep, and impossibly sweet. She tasted like warm honey, pulling me into the rhythm of her mouth until the heavy thoughts in my head completely evaporated.

She broke the kiss for just a second, her lips trailing down the sensitive skin beneath my ear, making a low shudder run all the way down my spine. She kissed down my throat, lingering over my collarbone, before resting her mouth right over my pulsing chest.

She lifted her hands, gently catching my chin in her palms. She tilted my face down so I was looking right at her in the dim light. Her thumb stroked my cheekbone, soft and careful, before she leaned in and captured my lips in another long, intoxicating kiss.

When she finally pulled back a few inches, her eyes were dark, shiny, and full of care.

"Should I go down to the kitchen?" she whispered, her thumb still stroking my jaw. "I can make you a glass of warm milk. Or some chamomile tea. The calming kind. Just something to help you relax for a bit so you can get some rest."

I looked down at her sweet face, my heart aching with how much I loved her.

"Nah," I rasped, my hand sliding up her back to hold her close. "I don’t think I need tea right now."

"No?"

"No." I pulled her tight against my bare chest, breathing in her scent. "I just need you close to me. I took a bath, so that ought to keep me steady until morning, okay?"

Harper smiled against my collarbone. "Okay. No problem."

She shifted on top of the covers, reaching down for the hem of her silk nightgown.

My eyes tracked her movements in the dark as she gathered the fabric in her hands and pulled it up over her head.

Damn, I thought, my throat going dry instantly. She is so beautiful.

As she peeled the top off, exposing her soft skin to the cool air, I couldn’t help myself. My hand reached out on pure instinct, my fingers gently pinching and twisting at her exposed nipple.

Harper gasped, a sudden, breathy laugh bursting from her lips. "Justin! Stop!"

"I’m sorry," I grinned, my thumb lightly rubbing over the tight peak. "It just looks way too beautiful sitting right in front of me."

She shook her head, laughing softly as she tossed the gown to the floor. "How are you even able to admire art at a time like this?"

"My bad mood doesn’t mean I stop appreciating what’s mine," I told her, my voice dropping an octave.

She giggled, the sweet sound easing the last bit of tension out of my shoulders. I reached up, cupped the back of her neck, and pulled her down for another kiss.

Harper melted over me. Her hands slid down my chest, over my stomach, and wrapped softly around my length. She started stroking me with slow, tender pumps, her thumb gliding over the tip.

A heavy groan tore from my throat. My hips bucked up into her grip on instinct.

"Harper..."

She smiled against my lips, her touch light but intoxicating.

I couldn’t just sit back and take it. Being a hockey player had its perks I had the size and strength to maneuver us easily. I placed my hands on her hips, lifted her up, and flipped her gently onto her back beneath me.

She sank into the mattress, her dark hair fanning out over the white pillows. I hovered over her, my large frame casting a shadow over her body, trapping her in the absolute best way possible.

I slid my hand down her flat stomach, guiding my fingers down between her thighs. She was already slick and trembling for me. I slid two fingers inside her, testing her heat. She was completely wet, soft, and ready.

A sharp spark of pride and desire shot straight to my gut.

She knows, I thought, staring down into her dark, heavy-lidded eyes. She always knows how to pull me out of the dark.

All I wanted was to be buried inside her to lose myself in her warmth until the world outside this room stopped existing.

I lined myself up at her entrance and pushed slowly forward, sinking deep inside her in one long, seamless thrust.

Harper let out a loud, breathless moan that echoed off the quiet walls, her head tilting back into the pillow.

That sound threw my self-control right out the window.

I started moving, setting a deep, steady rhythm that rocked the bed beneath us. Every time I drove into her, her body met mine, her legs wrapping tightly around my waist to pull me even deeper.

"Justin..." she whimpered, her hands gripping my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin.

"I’ve got you, baby," I panted, leaning down to press my forehead against hers. "I’ve got you."

I kept a steady pace, filling her over and over again. Her moans turned into sweet, needy cries that drove me absolutely wild. The tight heat of her body was wrapping around me like a vice, squeezing me with every single movement.

I could feel her building toward the edge. Her inner muscles started fluttered wildly around me, contracting in sharp, delicious waves.

"Justin " she gasped out, her eyes rolling back as her orgasm swept over her whole body.

Watching her shatter beneath me was all it took. Her tight pulse triggered my own climax, a hot, overwhelming surge bursting through my chest and ripping a guttural groan from my throat. I drove deep into her one last time, holding myself buried inside her as my body shook with the release.

For a long time, the only sound in the room was the heavy, ragged sound of our breathing.

Slowly, the intense heat settled into a soft, cozy warmth. I carefully shifted my weight onto my elbows so I wouldn’t crush her with my heavy frame.

"Sorry," I rasped out softly, kissing the tip of her nose. "I don’t want to squash you."

Harper let out a faint, contented laugh, her arms still wrapped loosely around my neck. "You’re fine, big guy."

I rolled onto my side, taking her with me so she was resting comfortably against my chest. I pulled the heavy duvet up over both of us, wrapping us up in a tight, warm cocoon.

Harper let out a long sigh, resting her cheek right over my steadying heartbeat.

"Well," I whispered into her hair, a soft smile tugging at my mouth as my eyelids finally grew heavy. "That worked."

"Told you," she murmured sleepily, her fingers lightly trailing over my ribcage.

And right there, wrapped up in her, I finally fell asleep.