Harry
"Are you ready?"
Standing outside of my parents house, I look over at Murphy as I gently squeeze her hand in mine.
"No." Turning to look at me, she swallows thickly. "I mean, yes — but no."
Cupping her jaw in my hand, I lean down to place a gentle kiss to her soft lips. "What's wrong, Murph?"
"What if they don't like me?" Tears form in her bottom lash line as I shake my head.
"That's not possible." Sliding my arm around her waist, I pull her in close to me. "Everyone has talked about how excited they are to meet you. Plus, it's kind of like you've already met through facetime."
Blowing out a shaky breath she nods. "Right. I just have to get over the idea that they are going to hate me."
"Everyone is going to love you, okay?" I press one last kiss to her lips before taking the few steps up to the front door.
This trip with Murphy has been more than I could have ever imagined.
When we were first paired together, the first thing that came to my mind was how I was going to get out of it. What could I do to make sure I didn't have to spend any time with the woman I despised?
Now?
Now I would sell every last piece of my soul to the devil just in order to spend three seconds in the same room with her.
We closed on our deal within the first few days of our meetings which gave us one of the most lucrative deals in our company's history.
Murphy was a complete and total powerhouse.
One of the most intelligent women I've ever known, she continues to blow me away every day with all that she is.
It's becoming so clear to me how the feelings I've been carrying around with are growing exponentially and turning into something as simple as riding a bike.
Loving Murphy is one of the best things I've ever allowed myself to do. Everything that she is pulls me deeper and deeper.
Bringing her to meet my family doesn't seem like a big deal to me for how much time I've spent with hers. Murphy has talked with my parents and Jordan on multiple occasions on the phone and through facetime and they've always got along so well. Jordan has told me on multiple occasions how excited she is to feel like she has someone other than me to talk to.
Even with that I knew why she was so nervous.
Murphy put herself through hell with a man who didn't appreciate her or treat her even remotely close to how you would treat someone you wanted to spend your life with.
God, I fucking hate that man.
David never should have had the privilege of even talking to Murphy.
He took something wild and precious and stuffed her into the lines and boxes that worked for his life — never once taking her wants and needs into consideration.
Even his own family treated her like she wasn't even worth their time.
Murphy has opened up to me so much about how they made her feel and how alone she felt.
A time in her life that should have been exciting and full of happiness, planning a wedding, turned into one of the most stressful experiences of her life. Watching someone else take all her own ideas and throwing them away and telling her that they weren't good enough.
That she wasn't good enough.
I will do anything and everything I can to always let her know that she is enough — more than enough.
Murphy is everything and more.
Here, with my family, I know that she will never feel anything but love and acceptance. Something she deserved all along.
As she squeezes my hand beside me, I look over and take in the gentle slope of her nose and the way her eyelashes meet the apples of her cheeks. So fucking stunning.
"I'm ready."
•
I don't think I've ever been more in love with another human.
Sitting in my parents house, watching Murphy laugh and smile as if being around my family like it's the easiest thing she's ever done? Nothing really can compare to the feeling of knowing she feels welcomed.
My parents welcomed her with open arms and Jordan all but tackled her to the ground.
Seeing the light behind her olive eyes at knowing she felt like she belonged somewhere?
I hope that I never forget it.
That I never forget how I feel right here, right now.
Realizing that I love Murphy doesn't come as a surprise to me.
After being around her so much and learning that all my preconceived notions of her were nothing but false ideas, getting to know her and getting past her walls was like falling into step with your best friend.
Murphy was one of the brightest lights in a world that seemed so dim and dull.
"Harry?"
Breaking my gaze from Murph, I glance up as my mom reaches for some dishes. "Do you mind?"
"Of course not." I laugh, picking up a few plates and placing a quick kiss to Murphy's cheek before following her into the kitchen.
We stand side by side just like we've done since I was just a little kid, washing the plates and drying.
"So."
I can hear the smile in her voice as I laugh. "Yes?"
"Murphy is wonderful, Harry." Taking a plate form
me and drying it before putting it on the drying rack, she turns around and leans against the counter. "I can't believe she's the same woman you used to tell us you couldn't stand."
My lips pull into a smile as I think about the way we used to fight at the office. "Me either. Once I got to know her I couldn't believe that I ever used to feel that way."
"You seem happy, my boy."
Looking over at her, I see myself looking back at me.
I've always been told how much we look alike. With our light green eyes and curly hair, not to mention our front two teeth that are just slightly longer.
My mom has always been one of my biggest supporters. Of course my dad was too, but there was just a connection that we shared that ran deeper.
"I am happy." I wash the last plate and dry it myself. "With Murphy it's like getting to spend everyday with my best friend. Even recently when she's felt exhausted from going and going and going and gets kind of crabby, she makes everything worth it."
"You know, I would ask if you love her but I'm pretty sure I already know the answer to that." She smiles.
My own grin matches hers. "Yeah, I do. I haven't told her because I don't want to scare her. I know the person that she was with before didn't treat her like they should have — I know that there's pieces of her that she still feels like are broken.
"Those parts of her that she shares with me even when she doesn't have to make me even more sure of how I feel. This person took her and tore her apart as yet she still let me in, she still chooses me to show her what it's like for someone to care and pick them over everything else.
"Murphy is strong willed and independent, not to
mention she's so fucking intelligent. Watching her grow out of the shell someone else stuffed her in has been incredible to watch. It would be impossible for me to be around her and spend my time with her and not fall in love with her." I take a deep breath, feeling my heart tug just at the admission out loud.
"You know, I've always been proud to call you my son — one of my greatest achievements." Pulling me into a hug and letting me go, she looks up at me. "But there's nothing better than to see how I've been able to reach you to treat people with kindness and show them the love that the world should have shown them in the first place. I'm proud of you."
Holding her tight, I place a kiss on the top of her head. "What can I say? I learned from the best."
"Let's get back out there before they send a search party after us — I want to spend as much time with Murphy before you leave."
I groan. "Don't remind me. I'm not ready to leave in a couple of days."
"As much as I wish you could stay — I'm happy you have the life you've made for yourself in New York." Opening the door, we make our way back to everyone else.
"Hi bear." Dropping a quick kiss to her lips, I sit down and pull her into my lap. "I missed you."
"Harry... You were literally gone for maybe fifteen minutes." Her laugh reaches her eyes and my soul.
Kissing her cheek, I let my lips brush against her ear.
"Any time away from you is too long."
•
"What are you smiling at?"
Standing in the doorway of our bathroom, Murphy looks at me as I lay in the middle of the bed. "You."
"You're so cheesy." Wearing just an oversized shirt of mine, her dark hair hangs loose around her face.
Putting my hand to my chest, I fake a dramatic gasp. "You wound me, bear."
She laughs. "Harry—"
"Can't talk right now — I'm dying — I've been wounded—"
Murphy crosses the room, laughing so hard that her cheeks are pink. "Do you need me to call a doctor?"
"Maybe you—" I grab her hand, tugging her onto the bed. "Can help— Need mouth to mouth—"
Moving her legs so that she straddles my hips, I continue my charade as she laughs, leaning over and cupping my jaw before putting her lips on mine.
"How about that?" Pulling back, she smiles down at me. "Feeling better?"
My fingers slide along the smooth skin of her thighs. "No, I think I need a little more just to be sure."
"You seem like a very needy patient." Brushing her lips against mine, I love the easy and patient kiss. "I guess I can provide adequate care."
I hum as our lips meet again, hungrier this time.
We kiss each other with lazy strokes of our tongues and light touches with our fingertips. Sliding my hands under her shirt, I feel her lips turn up into a smile when I gently trace over the birthmark I don't even need to see.
I have it memorized.
Rolling her hips forward, Murphy drops her lips from mine and follows the curve of my jaw. "I want you, Harry."
"You have me, Murph." The words are simple but true. "You can have me as long as you want me."
Reaching for the waistband of my boxers, she shuffles her body down enough to manage to get them down my legs before reaching for her shirt, discarding it before leaning down to kiss me again.
"Murphy, I love you." The words slip out as I cradle her face in my hands, green eyes looking at green eyes. "I don't expect you to say it back — I just want you to know. You matter to me and I'll do whatever I can to always support you and to always stand by your side and let you make a way for yourself whenever you want to. There will never be a time that you don't come first to me."
I watch as tears form in her waterline, reaching up to wipe them away. "I've never known what it felt like for someone to love me in a way that was all consuming. Every day that I'm with you I've never had to question your actions or the things you say. Learning everything about you has become one of my favorite things and I hope that I never have to stop doing that — learning about you. I love you, Harry."
Murphy reaches between us, her warm palm across the sensitive skin of my length making me moan as she continues to kiss me. "Let me make you feel good first, bear."
"No." Shaking her head side to side while lifting up, she runs the head of my cock through her arousal, coating my skin. "I need you — now. Please."
"Take what you want from me, Murph." My hands find her hips as she lowers her body, taking me until there isn't anything left to give. "You feel so good around me."
Bracing her hands on my chest, she whimpers as she starts to create a rhythm for herself. "So deep. I can feel you so fucking deep, Harry."
I wrap my arm around her waist as I push myself up, resting my back against the headboard. From here. it's easy to lean forward and press my lips across the skin of her chest.
Flicking my tongue across her nipple, I moan against the skin as her hands fist my hair — pulling as she grinds her body into mine. Nipping the sensitive peak with my teeth, I pull back as Murphy drops her head back.
"Fuck, I love when you take my cock like this. Getting everything you want from me — using me." Running my hands over her thighs, I find her clit with my thumb and roll it against her piercing.
Letting her hands fall behind her and resting them on my thighs, I watch her incredible body move and react to the pleasure. "Right there, don't stop doing that — please don't stop."
"I can feel you around me, bear." Thrusting my hips up, I feel her clench around me. "Come on, be good. Be so good and fuck me like only you can."
Her eyes meet mine, hooded with a stary haze, leaving one hand on my thigh and bringing the other up to play with her nipple. "I'm so close, I'm going to come. Come with me."
Pressing my thumb a little harder and thrusting my own hips up into her a little harsher, I watch as she comes apart in front of me — jumping off the precipice and taking me along — my own release filling her as she slumps over, resting against my chest.
"Harry..." Her breath tickles the hair at the base of my neck as she catches her breath. "Fuck, I love you."
Smoothing my hand down her back, I press a kiss to her temple. "I love you, bear."
Life isn't always easy and it's hardly ever simple, but sometimes you find someone who makes all of those moments disappear.
You find someone who makes life feel easy and right — someone who makes every hard thing worth it.
You find someone like Murphy Brooks.
_________
Hi!
Sorry I have been so MIA on this story but I honestly lost a lot of the fire ai had going for it and didn't really see the plot going anywhere. It felt more like a chore to write it and I hated that!
I've just revamped my timeline and my outline and it feels so good to be back and writing something that feels fun again.
Thanks for hanging in there with me for the boring stuff I've written during that and I hope you stay around for what's to come.
You'll need snacks, wine, and maybe some tissues.
twitter @ niallsgoldhoop
-Alex
🍀