Filed To Story: Secret Shifters Next Door Series PDF Free
“What?” I asked.
Steff gestured at me. “This whole family-man thing looks good on you, bro. It suits you.” I glared at him, but he merely laughed. “Quit with the big-bad-bodyguard routine. Let your heart feel what it feels.”
After everyone had finished and cleared out, Harley woke up from her nap. She came down the stairs, rubbing her eyes and yawning, as we were putting the dinner dishes in the sink.
“Where is everyone?” she asked.
“They left. The crew finished up, and my guys helped them get loaded up and out. We saved you some dinner. Hungry?” I said, wiping my hands on a dish towel.
“Sounds great,” she said.
“I’ll heat it up, Mom. Tate was going to show you the security system,” Mariah said.
Frowning, Harley came the rest of the way down the stairs. “The girls already know how to operate it?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Kids easily pick up on stuff like this. Here, let me show you.”
Leading her to the wall beside the door, I pointed out the new control panel. “This will set and control your security system. There’s also a display where you can pan through and see all the cameras.” I clicked through each displayed as I named them off. “Outside back door, outside front door, outside garage door, inside back door, inside front door, and one at the top of the stairs aimed at the landing. That should be enough to cover all the bases. Steff set up your phone so these feeds go right to you. You can bring up the video feed anywhere and anytime. You’ll see a new app on your home screen for it. The camera feeds also go to the server at my office.”
“We also installed firewalls on all your devices, the girls’ included. It’s probably way over the top, but you can’t be too safe. Blayne had them put in some reinforced door locks, too. Much stronger than what was on there before. I’m pretty happy with it all. What do you think?” I was like a child trying to show off, but I couldn’t help myself. The team really had done a magnificent job.
Harley shook her head in disbelief. “It really does seem like too much. Is all this really necessary? I was thinking a simple alarm would be sufficient.”
I slipped a hand around her waist and pulled her to the side, away from the girls. The feel of her skin through her clothing sent a pleasant shiver through me, but I didn’t let it show on my face.
I leaned in and whispered, “The girls are really worried. When I showed them everything, it made them feel better. They are very worried about you.”
Sadness cloaked her eyes, and she gave a sharp nod. “Okay. It’s fine, really. I just didn’t want to impose too much.”
My hand slid down to her lower back, and flashes of our night together in New York played through my mind. My hands had been all over her. Every inch of her body knew my touch. Heat slowly moved up my spine, and I pressed my body against hers. I could hear Harley’s breathing start to pick up. I wanted a replay of that night. A second chance to feel her writhing beneath me, gasping and clutching at me. The dragon growled deep in my chest as she moved closer to me.
“Tate?” Harley whispered as my face inched closer to hers.
Her hand moved up and slid along my stomach. I was barely able to control myself. I was inches from kissing her, tasting her again, when Jordyn called out.
“Mom, dinner’s ready.”
We broke apart, coming back to our senses. I bit back a curse as Harley disentangled from my embrace and moved toward the kitchen. I stood there for a moment, taking a few deep breaths to calm myself. Had she felt the same way? It had seemed like she had wanted this as much as I did. There was no way to be sure now. I shook it off and went back into the kitchen with everyone else.
While Harley ate, I hung around, talking to her and the girls. We laughed and enjoyed each other’s company. It was a great night, even though the day itself had been pretty terrible. It was
nice. Harley sent the girls to bed early since they started school the next morning.
“I’m not really sure how I’m going to get around after they get to school,” she said after they went to bed. “My car is trashed.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll get you guys wherever you need to go.”
“Tate, you’ve done too much already. That’s a kind offer, but Emily can probably help out.”
“Who’s Emily?” I asked.
“She’s a new friend I made. I met her on the Fourth of July. She’s really nice. I think she’d be fine giving us a ride if we needed it.”
“Okay. Well, if you do need anything, please call me.”
“Tate, I live across the street. I think I can find you.”
“Nope. What if you’re not at home? Or I’m not at home. Here.” I grabbed her phone and dialed my number, then saved it. “Now, you can get me whenever you need me.”
Not wanting to overwhelm her anymore, I stood to leave. She needed to rest. An impulse came over me to finish what I’d started earlier. We’d been interrupted before, but the girls were in bed now.
“I’m going to head home. Goodnight, Harley.” I leaned down and kissed her.
My lips pressed against hers. She stiffened in surprise, then relaxed a moment later, her lips parting to kiss me back. When the kiss broke, I let myself enjoy the look of stunned surprise I left on her face.
“Make sure you lock up as soon as I leave.”
“Uh… okay, yeah. Good night.”