After Hardin

36

~ TESSA ~

    The next week flies by.  Hardin and I fall into a nice routine.  He works in the morning while I'm still sleeping and then we have breakfast together.  He's gone to the gym each day for a few hours which gives me some time alone, and we have packed up most of his things for the move back to the United States.

    The young girl who came and looked at the apartment was extremely excited to take over the lease, so that made things much easier for Hardin.  He won't have to pay the rent on the apartment after he moves out. 

    We have spent a lot of time with Trish.  We ate dinner at her house almost every night.  That's where we are headed right now, since it's our last night in England.  Hardin just got back from the gym where he worked out and said goodbye to his friends at the gym. I'm waiting for him to get out of the shower so we can head to his Mum's house. 

    "Hardin, we're going to be late.  Hurry up."  I yell through the door.  Just as I finish the door swings open and I am face to chest with a wet and naked Hardin.  I step back from the door as he walks toward me out of the bathroom.  I retreat farther into the room until I run into the back of the couch.  Hardin advances to me until we are standing toe to toe. 

    He leans down so our lips are a whisper apart.  I breathe in deeply, he smells like his body wash and mint.  His lips lightly move against mine before he moves his head so that his lips are right next to my ear.  I can feel his warm breath flutter across my ear.  My nipples strain against my bra and arousal pools in my core wetting my panties.  "I'll only be another minute,"  he says and steps away from me, whistling as he gets dressed.  I finally let out the breath that I was holding as I watched him slide his boxers up his long legs.  I can't tear my eyes from him as he dresses.  I'm very blatantly staring at him and when he turns to face me he has a smirk plastered across his face.

    He struts over to me after he finishes getting dressed just as casually as if he wasn't just naked in front of me less than five minutes ago.  My face is heated and I'm sure I'm the same shade of red as a tomato.  He wraps his arm around my waist and says, "Ready, love?" as he leads me out of the apartment. 

    My nerves are going crazy from the little show he just put on.  My skin tingles where his arm is around my waist and the butterflies are swarming in my belly.  The entire walk to Trish's house I try to shake the feeling that I want to go back to his place and pounce on him. 

    Thankfully when we get to Trish's house I have a little reprieve from Hardin touching me.  Trish is still working on dinner and I offer to help her in the kitchen.  She waves me away and tells me that I need to sit and rest.  I sit at the kitchen table so we can talk while her and Hardin finish preparing dinner.  The three of us in the kitchen like this feels natural.  I'm struck with sadness knowing that tomorrow we will be leaving England, and Hardin won't be able to see his Mum as much.  It also hits me that she won't see her grandson's as much either. 

    Hardin brings some plates to the table and notices the tears that are quietly sliding down my face.  He kneels down in front of me so that he can look into my eyes.  "Tessa, what's the matter?"  he says as he brushes the tears from my cheeks.

    "It just hit me that you're going to be leaving tomorrow and you won't see your Mum as much as you have been.  I feel terrible that you're leaving now that you and her have such a good relationship.  Plus your Mum won't get to see our sons very much.  It just makes me sad."  I say to him as he wraps his arms around me. 

    He pulled me off the chair before sitting down in it himself and then pulling me onto his lap.  He held me in his arms for the longest time before speaking.  "Tessa, please don't worry about that.  My Mum can fly to see us, and we can come here too.  Technology will help us, we can video call all the time.  We will make it work.  I need to be with my family, you and the boys."