After (The After Series)

“It’s a school night,” he mocks me. “Could you be more of a square?” He
laughs like he’s just said the funniest thing ever.
“You should just go,” I say and lie back down, turning to face the wall. I don’t
like this Hardin. I want my semisweet Hardin back. Not this drunk jerk.
“Aww, baby, don’t be mad at me,” he says, but I ignore him. “Do you really
want me to go? You know what happens when I sleep without you,” he says, just
above a whisper.
My heart sinks. I do know what happens, but it’s not fair for him to use that
against me when he’s drunk and taunting me.
“Fine. You can stay, but I’m going back to sleep.”
“Why? You don’t want to hang out with me?”
“You are drunk and being mean.” I finally turn back around to face him.
“I’m not being mean,” he says, his expression neutral. “All I said was you
were being annoying.”
“That’s sort of mean to say to someone. Especially when all I did was ask you
about your job.”
“Oh God, not this again. Come on, Tessa, just drop it. I don’t want to talk
about that right now.” His voice is whiny and he slurs his words.
“Why did you drink tonight?” I don’t mind if he drinks; I am not his mother,
and he’s an adult. The thing that bothers me is that every time he drinks there is a
reason behind it. He doesn’t just drink for fun.
He looks away from me and toward the door as if planning an escape. “I . . . I
don’t know . . . I just felt like having a drink . . . well, drinks. Can you please
stop being mad at me? I love you,” he says and brings his eyes to meet mine.
His simple words dissolve most of my anger and I find myself wanting his
arms around me.
“I’m not mad at you, I just don’t want to backtrack in our relationship. I don’t

---

like when you turn on me for no reason, then just leave. If you’re mad about
something, I want you to talk to me about it.”
“You just don’t like to not have control over everything,” he says and wobbles
a little.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re a control freak.” He shrugs as if it’s a known fact.
“No, I’m not. I just like things a certain way.”
“Yeah, your way.”
“So I guess we aren’t done fighting, then. Anything else you want to throw in
there while you’re are it?” I snap.
“Nope, just that you’re a control freak and I really want you to move in with
me.”
What? His moods give me whiplash.
“You should move in with me—I found an apartment today. I haven’t signed
anything yet, but it’s a nice place.”
“When?” It’s hard to keep up with the five personalities of Hardin Scott.
“After I left here.”
“Before you got drunk?” I ask.
He rolls his eyes. The light from the lamp hits the metal of his eyebrow ring,
and I fight to ignore how attractive that is.
“Yes, before I got drunk. So what do you say? Are you going to move in with
me?”
“I know you are new at this dating thing, but people don’t usually insult their
girlfriend and ask them to move in with them in the same sentence,” I inform
him, chewing my bottom lip to suppress my smile.
“Well, sometimes the said girlfriend needs to lighten up.” He grins. Even
drunk, he’s charming as hell.
“Well, then said boyfriend needs to stop being a jerk,” I say to retaliate.
He laughs and moves from the chair over to my bed. “I am trying not to be a
jerk, I really am. Sometimes I can’t help it.” He sits on the edge of the bed. “I’m
really, really good at it!”
“I know,” I sigh. Regardless of this episode tonight, I know he really has been
trying to be nicer. I don’t want to make excuses for him, but he has done much
better than I expected.
“So you will move in with me?” He smiles hopefully.
“Jesus, let’s take this one step at a time. I will stop being mad at you for now,”
I tell him and sit up. “Now come to bed with me,” I instruct. He raises an
eyebrow as if to say, “See, control freak,” but stands up to pull his jeans off
anyway. When he removes his shirt he puts it on the bed before me, and I love

---

that he wants me to wear his shirts as much as I want to.
I pull my shirt off to slip his over my head when he stops me.
“Fuck,” he blurts out and I look up. “What are you wearing?” His eyes are
dark and wide.
“I . . . I got some new underwear today.” I flush and look away.
“I see that . . . Fuck,” he repeats.
“You already said that.” I giggle. The light in Hardin’s eyes is blazing for me
—and it makes my skin tingle.
“You look incredible.” He gulps. “You always do, but this is just . . .”
With a dry mouth I look down to where his boxers strain against his growing
bulge. The energy between us has changed for the fifth time tonight.
“I was going to show you earlier, but you were too busy being a jerk.”
“Mmm,” he mumbles, clearly not paying attention to what I’m actually
saying. He places his knee on the bed and looks my body up and down again
before climbing on top of me.
His lips taste like whiskey and mint, and the combination is heavenly. Our
kisses are soft and teasing, coming together and drifting apart, his tongue
playfully gliding over mine. His hand wraps into my hair and I can feel his
erection press against my stomach as he brings his body closer to me. He lets go
of my hair to hold himself up on his elbow and use his other hand to touch me.
His long fingers run along the undersides of my lace bra, dipping down inside of
it and back out. He licks his lips as he cups me with his large palms, rubbing up
and down.
“I can’t decide if I want this to stay on . . .” he says. I couldn’t care less; I am
too mesmerized by his graceful fingers on my skin.
“Off it is,” he says and unclasps my bra. I arch my back for him to pull it off
and he groans as his crotch presses against mine.
“What do you want to do, Tess?” His voice is shaky and uncontrolled.
“I already told you before,” I say as he pushes my panties to the side. I wish
he wouldn’t have drunk tonight, but maybe his half-drunken state will make me
seem less awkward.
I cry out as his fingers enter me and I wrap one of my arms around him, trying
to grasp on to something, anything. I reach between us with my other hand to
palm him. He groans and I squeeze gently and stroke him lightly.
“You’re sure?” he pants. I can see the uncertainty in his clear green eyes.
“Yes, I am sure. Stop overthinking it.” Boy, have the tables turned, that I’m
the one saying this to him.
“I love you. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes.” I press my lips against his. “I love you, Hardin,” I say into his mouth.

---

His fingers continue pumping in and out slowly and his mouth moves to my
neck. He sucks at my skin harshly, then slides his tongue over the ache to soothe
it. He repeats this over and over, and my entire body is on fire.
“Hardin . . . I am . . .” I try to say and he quickly pulls his hand from me,
kissing me as I whimper. He scoots back and hooks his fingers around my
panties, pulling them down my legs. He places both of his hands on my thighs
and squeezes gently before kissing down my stomach and blowing on my
wetness. My body involuntarily lifts off the bed and his tongue moves up and
down while he wraps his arms around my thighs, keeping them apart. Within
seconds my legs begin to shake and I grip the sheets and he continues lapping
his tongue around me.
“Tell me how good it feels,” he says against me.
Strangled sounds escape my lips as I try to say something, anything. Hardin
continues to say dirty things, licking me between them, forming a delicious
pattern as my body shakes and my toes curl. When I regain consciousness he
brings his mouth back up to mine, a strange taste on his lips. My chest is heaving
and my breath is staggered.
“Are you . . .” he begins.
“Shh . . . Yes, I am sure,” I tell him and kiss him, hard. My hands claw at his
back, then pull his boxers below his hips. He sighs as the restriction disappears,
and we both moan as our skin touches again.
“Tessa, I . . .”
“Shh . . .” I tell him again. I want this more than anything and I don’t want
him to keep talking.
“But, Tessa, I need to tell you something . . .”
“Shh. Hardin, please stop talking,” I beg and kiss him again. I grab his
erection and slide my hand up and down its length. His eyes close and he sucks
in a sharp breath. Instinct takes over my actions and I brush my thumb over the
tip of him, wiping away the dampness there and feeling him pulse in my hand.
“I’m going to come if you do that again,” he gasps. Suddenly he pulls up and
jumps off the bed. Before I can ask where he is going, he pulls out a small packet
from his jeans.