The Step Brother

Chapter Twenty Two*

"Chloe!" Perrie is quick to run up to me the second we get to Liam's.

It still amazes me that I've found such solace in her since I met her. Never would I have thought I'd be making friends with a girl with her face covered in piercings and her hair dyed purple and pink. But nonetheless, I've loved getting to know her and realizing we are actually great friends.

"Hey Perrie." I smile as she hugs me. It's a little awkward because Harry hasn't let go of my hand, but when he doesn't let up, I just go with it.

Harry tugs at my hand as he starts for the couch. All of the guys are already seated on the other couch and chair watching some movie, so I say hi as Harry pulls me to sit next to him.

The guys start talking about something that happened at their school. I have no idea who they're talking about, but Perrie saves me when she asks me to help her grab drinks for everyone from upstairs.

"What should I get?" I ask her, searching through the fridge.

Perrie answers by swiftly closing the refrigerator door. "Sit, Hayes." She's smiling, but her tone is serious.

"What did I do?" I joke and sit on the stool at the breakfast bar.

"What's going on between you and Harry?" She gets right to the point. I must have a confused expression on my face because she continues without my verbal response. "The other week he went missing for three days and none of us knew where he was, and then he's hardly come around because he's with you, not saying that's bad, because I love you two together, but there was a huge change in him, and you."

She's very observant. "We worked things out." I shrugged, unsure of what else to tell her. "When he left, and I called you, that was after we got into an argument, and when he got back we talked it out. He's never dated before, and he was just having a hard time."

"What about you?" She asks. "I've only known Harry for a couple of years, but I know him enough. His behavior is understandable, but I want to know about you... I know we just met in September, but I like you Chloe. I consider you one of my close friends, and I'm worried you'll get hurt. I hate saying that, but like you said, Harry's never dated, and I don't want that to affect you two negatively."

I sigh in relief. I need this. I need a good girl talk with someone who knows Harry well. With one of the few people who actually know me and Harry are dating.

"I'm scared." I admit. "He told me he loved me last week. I'm so afraid, Perrie. I mean, I love him, well at least I think I do, and I finally told him this morning, but I'm scared it's too soon."

She gave me a sympathetic smile and sits down on the stool next to me. "I can tell he's in love with you." She sighed happily. "I'm going to be honest, I dated a lot before I met Zayn, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that you just know when it's right. I seriously fell in love with Zayn the week after I met him, and I was scared too. But I'd never felt like that with any of the other guys I dated, so I figured it had to be real."

I nod and take in everything she's telling me. I trust her input. "I was thinking the same thing... I thought I loved my ex boyfriend Grant, but looking back, I never felt this strongly about him. I guess I'm more worried about Harry not really loving me. He's never actually dated before, it's only been hook ups for him. And I get it... but what if he doesn't really know what he's feeling, and he's just saying he loves me? What if he's just confused?" I ask Perrie, admitting my worst fear.

"Chloe, trust me when I say that he is most definitely in love with you." Perrie assures me. Her confidence makes me feel a little better, but I'm still uncertain. "I've known that boy long enough to tell that he isn't lying to you when he says he loves you. Until you moved here, there was always something missing about him. He was a good friend and everything, but he used to be different. He was never fully happy, and I truly think he is now. I think I've seen him laugh and smile more in the months he's known you than the entirety of the time I've known him." She laughs. "He hardly drinks or smokes anymore because he doesn't need to. He's laughing and joking around with the guys more and being nicer to me... Chloe, he's in love with you, and if you can't see that, then I'll have to assume you're blind."

I laugh and nod. "I'm just scared this is too good to be true. My life pretty much turned to shit this summer, and it's been awhile since things went my way."

"You deserve to be happy, Chloe." Perrie squeezes my hand. "So does Harry. You guys make each other happy, so please stop doubting everything and go be happy together. I love seeing you two so in love. Now let's go grab those drinks and get back to our men."

We both get up and hug. "Thanks, Perrie. You're a great friend."

"So are you." She smiles. "And just so you know, this means I get to vent to you about Zayn whenever I need to."

"I would be offended if you didn't." I tease as we grab the bottles of water from the fridge and head back down to where the boys are watching a movie.

"What took so long?" Harry asks me once he situates me on his lap and pulls a blanket over us.

"Just talking with Perrie." I shrug and kiss him, feeling much better after the vent session.

"Is everything okay?"

"Never been better." I smile.

My answer seems to satisfy him when he nuzzles into my neck and nibbles lightly at my earlobe. His hand quickly works itself into the front of my shorts and his fingers graze over my panty-clad sex.

My eyes shoot open and I grab his wrist. "What are you doing?" I whisper harshly so only he can hear. I'm thankful for the distance we have from everyone else and the blanket over us, only to realize Harry did that for a reason.

"Shhh." He whispers just as quietly into my ear, sending a shiver through my suddenly responsive body. "Be quiet and don't come, baby.

Is he serious?

"Harry."

"Relax, Chloe." He whispers hoarsely as his fingers pushes aside my panties and presses into me. I squirm at the feeling of his cold fingers inside me, but it feels amazing. I fight the urge to moan as I squeeze my eyes shut in pleasure. His thumb works my sensitive clit while his fore and middle finger pump in and out of me.

I don't know what I should be feeling due to the fact that Harry is fingering me while his friends are just yards away from us, but this feel way to good to tell him to stop.

"I'm so close, Harry." I moan quietly into his ear.

"Don't." He growls. What the fuck? It's not like I can control when I come!

"Harry, I need more." I whimper. I'm desperate for him to be inside of me, desperate for a release.

"I know, baby." He grits out as his fingers work faster. "But this is all you get. You have to wait until later to get my cock."

"Harry, please," I whisper, unsure what I'm asking for.

I'm vaguely aware of the rest of the guys and Perrie around us, but I'm grateful and surprised that they haven't so much as looked our way yet.

Harry's fingers plunge deeply into me one last time before he abruptly pulls them out, leaving me frustrated and unrelieved. I turn to look at him, hoping he's ready to go finished what we started somewhere more private.

My eyes open wide when he has his two fingers in his mouth, sucking them. "Mmm, so sweet." He hums, his eyes smoldering.

Holy shit. I could've come from that look alone.

"Do you plan on finishing this?" I ask, a bit irritated. I'm aware of his hard-on as he shifts me on his lap, so I'm confused as to why he isn't in a hurry to go home or at least upstairs.

"Later." He replies instantly and seriously.

"You're kidding?"

"Maybe you shouldn't leave me for so long. I was worried about you when you were up there with Perrie for a half hour."

"You're punishing me?" I ask, confused.

"And teaching you a lesson on delayed gratification, baby." Harry winks and kisses me. It starts off sweet and tender, but is quick to become hot and passionate. The strokes of his tongue and pressure of his lips leave me breathless and even more hot and bothered than I already was.

"Oh come on, guys." Liam calls out disgustedly from across the room. "My mom will not appreciate it if I let you two fuck on her couch."

Harry laughs and I blush. "If only he knew how close I was to actually doing just that." Harry says so only I can hear as he takes my hand and presses it to his denim-covered erection.

This man is insatiable.