Stay Close [h.s.]

Chapter 2

We stayed on the sunset balcony until well after the sun had set and the sky went dark. We stayed until it seemed like the entire island had gone quiet. We stayed until I was certain Harry had fallen asleep because his breathing slowed.

I thought of the night before Harry proposed to me when we were in Paris. We had sat on the balcony overlooking the city and I had no idea he was planning this. The life we would have together. The happiness we would share.

"Harry?"

He hummed, barely awake.

"I'm going to get in the bath."

"Okay, baby."

I ducked out of his grip and kissed his forehead before walking back inside.

The oversized bathtub took a while to fill. I poured one of the small bottles of bubble bath into the running water and watched the mound of tiny bubbles grow.

I took out my phone and for the first time since the airport. A steady stream of congratulatory text messages still poured in from friends, extended family members, and industry professionals I had met over the years. My direct messages on Twitter and Instagram were full of well wishes from Harry's fans all over the world. Maybe they're ourfans now, I thought.

I turned off the water and undressed. The water was hot on my skin, so I sank slowly into the water. I tied my hair up into a messy bun on the top of my head and sat back so the water covered my chest.

The window near the shower was open, letting in a gentle tropical breeze and the sound of birds and insects humming and chirping, even in the dark. I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of palm leaves rustling in the nighttime air.

"Hey," Harry said. I opened my eyes and saw him standing at the side of the bathtub unbuttoning his shirt. "Were you going to invite me to join you?"

I smiled. "I told you I was coming to take a bath, and you didn't seem very interested."

"Oh, I'm very interested, Kate." His shirt fell to the floor and he started on the button of his shorts. They fell to the tile floor with a soft swish, leaving him only in a pair of black Calvin Kleins.

"Would you like to join me?"

He hitched his thumbs under the waistband of his boxer briefs and winked. "I would very much like that." He dragged his them down to his ankles and stepped out of them.

I felt my cheeks heat up, but Harry didn't seem fazed as he stepped into the tub. He settled in, sitting opposite of me. He bent his long legs against the sides of the tub. Once situated, he gave me his best schoolboy grin.

Harry had seen me in some of my most vulnerable moments. He was always so respectful of me and of any boundaries I had. I trusted him implicitly, but I was still nervous about physical intimacy despite our recent experience.

Our first time was our wedding night. Harry was sweet and patient and didn't point out my inexperience. I was surprised by how it seemed to enhance the connection we had.

Physical intimacy was the topic of several conversations we had leading up to our wedding. We discussed our decision to wait because it was important to me and to manage boundaries and expectations. Harry never made anything awkward or uncomfortable. He was encouraging and understanding in ways I didn't think a lot of people could be.

Harry nudged me with his foot. "This is okay, right?" His tone was suddenly serious, all the joking melted away.

"Of course it's okay," I said.

"Good," he hummed, sinking lower into the water so the ends of his hair were submerged. The water level rose, threatening to spill over the sides of the tub. Harry wrapped his hand around the back of my calf. He slowly dragged his hand up and down the smooth skin of my leg under the water mindlessly.