opia [h.s au]

Chapter 4

The remainder of the day went by and the only surprise was the way my heart skipped a beat when I saw Athena and Harry discreetly changing numbers by the end of the section. If Harry was one of our regular photographers I would probably have to scowl him for not being professional but as he is just doing this once and under such a short notice I don't have it on me to b***h about something like that.

Also, there's the fact I don't want Harry to know that I care.

Which I don't.

I'd successfully avoided him the entire day, purposefully keeping my distance and letting Gem be the one supervising the course of the shooting, something I usually like to be closely overviewing to be sure everything is happening according to our client's briefing. However, I trust in Gemma's work and I felt like I really needed the space away from Harry.

His presence is just too overwhelming, the way his tall, lean body moves is addicting and I found myself completely unable to take my eyes off of him during the day, stealing some quick stares more often than I probably should. I really enjoyed watching the way his back muscles stretched every time he took the camera off of the tripod to have more control over the angles, or how his arm muscles popped when he flexed his arms to mess with his hair, something I came to realize he does a lot.

Two or three times during the day, his emerald green eyes glanced towards me as well and I hate to say he caught me staring more than once, but I was always quick to conceal my interest by looking to the other way or pretending I had an eye twitch or some kind of Tourette syndrome that makes my head turn to the opposite direction every once in a while.

Athena went away as soon as the shooting ended and now it's just us and the staff organizing things so we can call it a day soon. Harry already arranged his equipment and now he is helping us set everything in order, which I think it's endearing.

No, Billie. Stop with this s**t.

Rolling my eyes to myself, I grab a few plastic chairs that are sitting near the coffee table and take them to the storage room at the back of the studio, putting them at the right place before looking to the iWatch in my wrist. Jesus, it's almost 7 pm - this day has been terribly long and I'm exhausted not only for standing all the time, but mainly because my brain has been doing gymnastics all day long, trying to ignore Harry but at the same time being completely aware of every little movement of his body.

Yawning loudly, I stretch my back feeling my bones creaking loudly. Uh, that's good. A little strangled moan escapes from my lips when I stretch my arms, my sore muscles relaxing a bit.

However my entire body tenses when his scent fills my nostrils, the sweet vanilla mixed with wooden tobacco that haunted my dreams for months. I turn in my heels just to be punched in the face with his presence, he looks even taller and his broad shoulders seems larger in this small room.

"So here's your hiding place." Harry smirks, one of his arms crossed over his stomach while he uses his long fingers to play with those f*****g pouty lips of his.

His body is covering the door so I feel like I'm trapped in the small room with him. Again.

I have to use all of my will power to hold his gaze that seems to be burning holes in my eyes "No, it's the storage room. My hiding room is elsewhere." I answer him with a faint smile.

Great, Billie, the timing for your nonsense jokes is just f*****g perfect.

"Oh, really?" Harry raises his brows "And where would it be?"

"If I tell you it won't be my hiding place anymore, so I guess we better drop the subject" I have to concentrate not to facepalm myself.

"Are you trying to hide from me, love?" He asks, his voice dropping as his glare intensifies.

"What? No, course not, hahah, why would I? I don't even know you, I mean, except for today and the fact that you're Gem's brother, but other than that I have no freaking idea of who you are" I listen to my voice and feel my lips moving as I form the words but it's like my brain is completely disconnected from my mouth because I'm talking f*****g nonsense.

Somebody please punch me in the face, please, please punch me in the face I dare you, just take me out of my misery.

"Whoa" Harry chuckles "I do remember that nervous little mouth of yours" He takes another step and now he is so close I can feel the warmth exhaling from his body.

"Don't know what you're talking about" I say, looking to my feet as I try to pass through him, not daring to look into his eyes at this proximity.

"I think you do" He takes a step to the side, letting me pass thought him, but before I could leave the room I feel his massive hands resting on my shoulders, the lightest of touches raising goosebumps all over my skin and I freeze in place, unable to keep moving.

I feel him moving behind me and jump in my place when his breath hits my ear, making my entire body shiver and I squirm in my place, unable to pretend I'm unfazed by his sudden closeness.

"Thursday night, Sinners Club, four months ago" He whispers in my ear, his large hands now slowly ghosting down my arms.

"Six" I pant, unable to bite my smart ass tongue.

"What?"

"Six months, not four" I explain, rolling my eyes and the little chuckle noise he makes gets my stomach fluttering.

"So you do remember me" Harry hums in me ear "Because I was under the impression you forgot about our night and all the fun we had that day."

"Oh, really?" That's funny, I was under the same impression after, you know, you ignored my the entire day" I whisper yell before I can hold it in.

Oh my f**k, kill me. Kill me now. I beg you.

"Don't be jealous now, love" His voice drops to an octave as he leans further, his warm lips now brushing the shell of my ear and I hate myself for letting a little pant escape through my lips "We got plenty of time to catch up."

"I wouldn't count on that" Once again my mouth works faster than my brain and I blurt this out in a cold tone voice.

Torturous slow, Harry hums, his hands now ghosting up my arms until they are back to rest on my shoulder blades and he inhales softly before I suddenly feel his wet tongue ghosting in my ear, followed by the lightest of kisses.

"We'll see about that."

With that, he leaves the room without looking back.

~*~

"Jesus, he is just so annoying!" I bellow and Dom laughs at my expense, rolling his eyes for me.

It's Friday night and after a busy day at work, I'm finally laying on my bed wearing the oldest set of clothes I could find in my wardrobe, a big ice cream tube in my hands, Netflix on my TV and a fully dressed to impress Dominic sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing tight black jeans and a leather jacket.

Typical of almost every Friday night, he made a strategic stop at my place before heading to some of the clubs he goes every week, He always stops by saying he misses me, but I know that's an excuse to try and get me out of the house, which I almost never do.

It's not my fault that I'm as lazy as one can be. You know, I just work too damn hard during the week and I've learned to take every opportunity to lay down as I possibly can.

If I had to pick which one would be my spirit animal, it would probably be a sloth.

Or maybe just a big fat cat, I'm not really that picky.

Anyhoo, I just told Dom everything about working with Harry yesterday and he is loving the fact that life just brought back what was about my only wild night out to bite me in the ass.

"That's your chance the end what you left open" Dom raises his eyebrows at me "To pick up from where you left off with him."

"Shut up, that's not gonna happen" I roll my eyes "That night was a mistake. That yelling girl who interrupted us was actually my guardian angel in disguise."

Dom cracks up a loud chuckle, shoving me on the shoulder with a playful punch "So you just said your guardian angel is a drunk b***h who starts throwing punches out of the blue?"

I pretend to be thoughtful for a few seconds before nodding my head "That sounds about right."

"God, you're terrible. Come on, get off this bed and let's go party with me!" He pushes the blanket from over my legs and I roll up in a fetal position, groaning loudly and squirming in place.

"Can't. Too tired" I mumble, rolling in bed off of Dom's reach.

"Ugh you're an awful friend. I do hope this Harry guy will do me a favor and f**k that laziness out of you" Dom remarks, smirking.

"Dominic!" I squeal, pretending to be in shock "He won't f**k me."

"Oh trust me dear, if he is half as hot as you're saying he is, I know for a fact that he will be able to get into your pants sooner rather than later" Dom says matter of factly.

"So now I'm a cheap w***e, is that what you saying?" I frown at him.

"Don't talk like that, whores are people too and they're just working their asses off, sometimes literally" Dom lectures me with a serious look on his pretty face "And that's not what I meant. I just think you really need to get laid and take those spider webs out of your v****a, you're really needing it, sista."

"Shut up!"I feel my cheeks blushing, not because Dom talked so freely about my v****a but because what he is saying is actually truth.

Last time I had s*x I was still with Sam, the cheating bastard. After being dumped by him I mourned and licked my sorry ass wounds for about six months, than met Harry at that club and almost went all the way with him, but after that didn't happen I kinda felt a little relieved.

I mean, I'm not one to judge and I do love hearing Dom's tales about his s****l adventures but to me s*x is a big deal. That night at Sinners I was acting completely out of my character and as I said, my guardian angel - aka the drunk b***h - saved me from doing something I know I would regret later.

"So you're really going to waste another Friday night on bed watching Netflix?" Dom asks me, standing up from my bed.

"Yep" I pop the "p" and then smirk at him.

"You still coming to my party tomorrow, right?" He raises his eyebrows, crossing arms in front of his chest and I have to say I'm actually surprised he managed to do that, the leather jacket he is wearing being way too tight in his muscles.

"Yep, it's not like I have a choice" I roll my eyes and Dom takes a book from my nightstand and throws it at me. I jolt from the bed but my foot get stuck in the blanket so I fall face-first at the floor.

"Oh my God are you alright?" Dom shouts, taking quick steps to kneel beside me, helping me get up.

"I am" I chuckle, pressing my palm in my forehead which is hurting as a b***h "My forehead is like throbbing, though".

"Let me see it" Dom pushes my hand off of my skin and I widen my eyes when he flinches a bit.

"What? What?" I squeal.

"You cut your forehead" Dom's voice trembles as he tries to hold a laugh in. 

"Don't you dare laugh, asshole" I glare at him "This is totally your fault."

"S-sorry" Dom giggles "Here, let's clean this up".

We walk to my bathroom and Dom helps me wash the cut in my forehead, which is big and kinda deep so is very hard to keep the blood off. After pressing it a lot and ruining my white face towel, the bleeding finally stops and I put a bandaid over it.

"Now I won't be able to go to your party, I'm hurt" I sigh dramatically and Dom chuckles at my poor attempt of gaining a free pass to another Saturday in bed.

"Oh you wish" He rolls his eyes "I'll see you there, Princess, don't forget to bring my Gem along with you."

Ugh. I completely forgot Gem and Harry will tag along tomorrow. To be honest I'm a little afraid of what could happen at a party with him again, but I guess having Gem there and being around all Dom's friends will give me some kind of leverage over him.

At least that's what I'm hoping for.

"So I'm heading off now" Dom says, walking out of my bathroom and going towards the front door "Sure you don't wanna come?"

"Nah, I'm hurt bro!" I whisper yell dramatically, to which Dom chuckles.

'See you tomorrow then. 9 pm, don't forget." Dom kisses the top of my head, pulling me to a quick tight hug.

"I won't" I mumble to his chest, liking the way he smells so homey and how I feel safe in his arms. I love to give him a hard time and being a t**t to him but truth is he is the only family I have. He is like my brother.

"And, who knows..." Dom steps out of my apartment, pressing the button for the elevator "Maybe Harry will kiss it better if you ask him properly."

I flip Dom off before he steps in the elevator, giving me the finger as well before the iron door closes and hides him from me.

Ok, forget what I said. I hate that motherfucker.