Rescuing Harlow by Aubree Valentine

Chapter 14

Zane carefully drove his car down through the suburban neighborhood with Harlow in the passenger seat. They had just come from her eighteen-week checkup and ultrasound and were celebrating a healthy baby by going to take a look at the home Landry left behind for his biological daughter.

Vacant nearly a month earlier than anticipated thanks to the tenants who had bought their first home and were eager to move in, Zane and Harlow were getting a chance to see the property in person for the first time - without having to worry about anyone else’s belongings in the way.

Zane still had a lot of hesitations about this house. Moving into a place that he didn’t work for, didn’t sit right with him. But Harlow wanted him to take a look at it with her and help her make a decision, so here they were. Maybe he was making a big deal out of nothing though. Afterall, he knew that Harlow stood to gain half of the vineyard and winery one day. How was this that much different?

“1126, right?” he asked as he slowed the car to a stop in front of the cream-colored craftsman home.

“Yup, this is the place,” Harlow said with an excited grin.

Zane backed into the driveway, put the car in park and shut it off before he quickly got out and jogged around to open Harlow’s door. He held out his hand for her to take.

Most days her baby bump was still barely noticeable but the form fitting tank top and leggings she was wearing today made it a little more noticeable which made it hard for Zane to keep his eyes off of her.

“Something on your mind?” Harlow asked when she caught him staring.

He smirked shamelessly, “Just thinking about goddamn hot you look, knocked up with my kid and all that.”

She rolled her eyes and swatted at his chest. “Always the charmer.”

“I try,” he chuckled.

Harlow pulled the keys from her bag and opened the front door. The first thing they noticed when they walked in was the worn carpet. Why was it that landlords and property managers alike always seemed to think that white or light-colored carpet was a great idea? At least it didn’t smell.

To their right was a cute little room with lots of windows and French doors that would make the perfect little office or library. Through the foyer and to their left was a hallway with the first two out of four of the bedrooms and a full bathroom. Across from the hallway was what appeared to be either a living room or dining room that was partially closed off from the rest of the house that featured another living space with an open design and kitchen.

“What do you think so far?” Harlow asked as she spun round the main living area.

“It’s cute.”

“Cute? Are you sure about that, because you don’t sound convinced?”

“The pictures you showed me were pretty accurate. I think it needs some updating but it’s a nice house. Looks to be in decent shape from what we can actually see.”

There, he was being honest without completely picking the place apart. If he had it his way, he’d tear down the wall that separated the small living room from the rest of the house. The carpet would have to go in favor of a nice hardwood throughout and the kitchen looked like it needed new appliances and maybe even a facelift for the cabinets.

“Do you want to keep going? Check out the master suite and the backyard?”

Zane nodded. “Lead the way.”

Harlow grabbed his hand and practically skipped down the side hallway to the master bedroom. It wasn’t oversized and had a lot of natural light, with a view of the backyard. It was the master bathroom that seemed to excite Harlow.

“Oh my gosh, it has a toilet room!” She squealed and laughed. “That’s so…”

“Ridiculous?” Zane assessed the space. “It sounds like a great idea when you say it out loud but, size wise? Pretty sure you’d have to leave the door open just to sit on the toilet and there is no way you could move enough to wipe. Which pretty much makes the concept pointless.” The words tumbled right out of his mouth, without any filter. Realizing his mistake, he quickly looked at Harlow whose eyes were wide but twinkled with amusement.

She cracked and let out a full belly laugh. “Okay, you have a point. But the idea - was nice.”

“Do you want a toilet room?” he dared to ask.

“Zane, I really don’t care.”

“Okay because, if we were going to move into this place...First of all, you’re going to need to let me do some updates and the first damn thing I’m doing is eliminating the toilet room and putting a bathtub in this bathroom.”

“A bathtub? What’s wrong with just a walk-in shower?”

“Nothing,” he shrugged. “But remember that time we stayed at that hotel after I graduated from the police academy? We had that amazing, jetted bathtub.”

Harlow’s cheeks flushed as she nodded her head.

“And we had sex in that bathtub at least half a dozen times,” he continued.

“Uhuh,” she fanned her face. She remembered that entire weekend, very well.

Zane stalked closer to her until he had her backed up against the bathroom door. Leaning down he whispered in her ear. “I want to be able to do that with you, whenever I damn well please.”

Harlow’s mouth went dry. “Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh,” he kissed her cheek and walked out of the room like he didn’t just set her entire body on fire.

She took exactly two seconds to compose herself before she went scurrying after him. She found him standing in the kitchen, seemingly inspecting the appliances with her back to him.

“Seriously. You...you…”

He slowly turned around, fighting back an evil grin. “Problem, Pretty Girl?”

Harlow marched right over to him and poked his chest. “You. You’re so…” she fumbled over the words. “You’re a tease! Damnit.”

Zane laughed. “I simply stated that our house needed to have a large bathtub. What’s so wrong with that?”

This time Harlow pounded her fist against him in frustration. “That was NOT what you did, and you know it!”

“What did I do, Harlow? Tell me,” He teased as he pinched both of her nipples that were visibly hard beneath her shirt and the sports bra she was wearing underneath.

“You. I’m...ah,” she purred.

“Do you need something?”

“Mmmm.”

“That’s not an answer,” Zane moved his hands away from her boobs to cup her sex instead. This time she quivered. “Tell me what you want, Harlow.” He leaned down and nipped her neck. “Do you want me to fuck you, right here, right now?”

He already knew the answer from how wet she was. He could feel it, and the heat between her legs, through the fabric. Still, he wanted to hear her say the words out loud.

“Yes,” she squeaked. Zane rubbed a little harder. “Yes, please. I need you.”

Zane bent her over the counter then hooked his fingers under her pants, dragging them oh so slowly down her legs. Her scent was intoxicated, and he wanted to bury his tongue inside her, tasting all she had to offer.

With a tap on each ankle, Harlow spread her legs further apart as Zane kneeled behind her. Unable to resist, he used his fingers to open her wider before he buried his head between the back of her thighs. When his tongue met her flesh, Harlow let out a groan and pushed her hips out further, even closer to him.

“Goddamn. Zane.”

Oral sex was one of many things that Zane excelled at in the bedroom, but when you combined his skills with pregnancy hormones and her body that was extra sensitive to everything these days, well things were even more off the chart then Harlow ever thought was possible.

He teased her clit, licking and sucking, then he’d swipe his tongue inside her only to repeat the motion over and over, driving her closer to the edge. One finger found her puckered hole while he shoved another inside her pussy.

“Relax for me,” he whispered, his finger edging closer and closer to slipping inside her ass.

“I. Uh.” The ass play was new and while Harlow wasn’t sure she was ready for all of that, just feeling him gently rubbing around the area turned her on even more.

Zane pressed ever so carefully. “Do you want me to stop?” he asked while his fingers still slid in and out of her wet pussy.

Harlow groaned.

“Yes or no, Harlow. You need to answer me.”

“Don’t stop.”

“Atta girl,” Zane slapped her ass and she heard him spit on his finger. “Breathe.”

Harlow took a deep breath and gasped when his finger slipped all the way in.

“Fuck. So hot,” he grumbled then went back devouring her like it was his last meal, all while his finger moved in and out of her ass.

“Zane!” The sensations running through her body were too much, and not enough at the same time. Her core clenched. “Oh. Ohhhh.” His fingers moved to exactly the right spot, damn near bringing her to her knees. “Fuck,” she hissed as her legs gave out from under her.

Zane quickly scooped her up and cradled her in his arms until her body stopped shaking and she looked up at him with the shy smile that he adored.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” he grinned back. “You good?”

“Uh huh. I think you can put me down now.”

He eased her feet back on the floor and adjusted her pants back to their rightful place.

“Wait...you didn’t,” she looked down at the hard bulge in his pants.

“Later. That was just an appetizer,” he winked.

A shiver ran down Harlow’s spine. “Promises, promises.”

If the man was going to torment her, then she was going to poke the bear right back. It served him right.

“Are we done here?” he asked, carefully ignoring her goading.

“I guess so. Are you going to actually tell me how you feel about the idea of potentially living in this house? If you don’t like it, maybe we could put it on the market and buy something else. Combine your nest egg with whatever we get for this place for a different house.”

Zane had already thought of all of the possibilities. While he had been saving up since his very first job, he certainly didn’t have the same amount of cash that this house was worth. Still, if they each put equal parts on another house, it would be theirs. He knew by the look on Harlow’s face that wasn’t what she really wanted though. And even if he wasn’t thrilled about the idea of living in a house that he didn’t earn, he did understand where she was coming from. This house was a connection to the past, to a life that was hidden from her. He couldn’t ask her to let it go. He just couldn’t.

“That depends. Are you actually going totell me that you really want to move into this house and raise our child here? Because I think we’re both holding back here.”

Harlow looked around once more. “Uhm. Okay. Maybe we should talk in the car. I can’t think straight while we’re standing here, where you did...that.”

He could already see her cheeks flushing. “It’s cute when you blush like that. Dirty girl.”

“Ugh. I hate you sometimes.”

Zane wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. “You love me. I know it and you know it.”