How the Year Ended
The rays of the rising sun roused Harry from a peaceful sleep the next morning, temporarily blinding him before he buried his face deeper into the dark curls, inhaling the peach scent that made his stomach flip flop as he used them as a curtain. “Mmph,” he moaned, spooning the sleeping woman closer, securing her with his arm around her waist.
He had to get up, wanting to have enough time to gulp down some caffeine and a light breakfast before heading to a short meeting with his private secretary. There was much to go over, his schedule jam packed with not only engagements and a top secret tour, but also with duties from the army and necessary meetings if he wanted the Invictus Games to begin at the expected time. He hated early meetings, doing all he could to postpone them to enjoy a quiet morning before his chaotic life called his name; but he wanted to get it over with so he could spend the rest of the day with Anna before he would accompany her to a holiday dinner party that was being hosted by Lily and Paul.
He allowed himself a few minutes of laying there with her without any interruptions, thinking over how this would be the first holiday party they would attend as an official couple. A part of him was nervous and he couldn’t pinpoint why. Paul would be there, as it was his home too, and they were pretty familiar so he knew if worse came to worse, he would have another male to socialize with. Maybe it was the nagging voice in his head that reminded him of other people’s reactions when they first met him outside of official engagements. They either loved him and treated him like another ordinary bloke or remained stiff and only addressed him by his famous title.
He wished the ladder wouldn’t be the case. Especially for Anna’s sake.
A puff of air released from him, unaware he had been holding his breath, as he thought of how nervous Anna must be feeling. She was relatively a private person, never directly confirming or denying being a royal girlfriend to the hospital staff. She didn’t want her personal life—even though it was plastered in the papers and news—to come in between the job she was meant to do there: to care for the children.
But that evening, she would be holding his hand as she introduced him as ‘her boyfriend’. It was a big deal for her…and for him. And all he could do was hope for a smooth sailing evening.
“Harry,” she interrupted his thoughts, her voice sounding sleepy and slightly hungover.
“Yes, baby?” He asked, placing a kiss on the back of her head.
“My head hurts,” she complained, not once peeling her eyes open to the intrusive light that was filtering through her blinds. It was already killing her pounding headache, nevermind if she were to look at it directly.
Harry chuckled. “Lightweight.” He turned onto his back, letting out a long and loud yawn before throwing the covers off of him and dragging himself out of the warmth of the bed. “I’ll grab the paracetamol.”
“Wait..” Anna rolled onto her back, sticking out an arm to grab the back of his t-shirt and pulled him back. She didn’t have to open her eyes to know he was looking at her with an amused grin, wishing she could wipe it off his face. “You’re laughing at me.”
“I am not laughing at you.” He said, his betraying voice making Anna groan. He placed his hands on either side of her head and leaned towards her. “What do you need, love?”
Anna swung her arms around his neck, her forehead creasing as the pounding became more urgent. “Morning kiss,” she mumbled, wincing when he shifted closer, allowing the sunlight to hit her closed lids.
Harry rubbed his nose against hers before placing a soft sweet kiss on her lips. “Morning.”
She smiled through the pain, tilting her aching head to the side to kiss him more properly. “Morning.”
After dropping a peck to her temple, he rose from the bed and tucked her under the covers. “Don’t go anywhere,” he warned.
“Yes, captain.” Anna murmured, feeling herself drift back into oblivion.
Harry gazed at her for a short minute to make sure she was alright before making way into the hallway, his bare feet padding against the chilled hardwood flooring. He passed the sofa where he caught a glimpse of a blanket completely covering a softly snoring Maggie. He shook his head with a snort, already preparing himself for two sloshed women on New Years.
Reaching around the breakfast bar, he stretched his stiff muscles, rolling his shoulders back several times to loosen up and grabbed the paracetamol from the medicine cabinet. He quickly took two glasses from the cupboard and filled them with chilled water.
One cup along with two pills were set on the breakfast counter for his longtime friend while he shuffled back into the bedroom, finding his once again sleeping girlfriend. The remedy was left on the nightstand, waiting for her to be well enough to consume them.
Returning to the kitchen, he began to fix a pot of coffee, pulling out three mugs from the cabinet. His stomach rumbled and he remembered how he hadn’t had a proper supper the night before so he could travel back home. Making way to the living area, he chuckled at the lump on the sofa that stirred with his presence. Grabbing two leftover cupcakes, he popped one in his mouth and chewed loudly before juggling the other cake in one hand and picking up the two empty wine bottles from the previous night. He brought them into the kitchen, the bottles creating harsh noise as they were carelessly placed on the marble counter. Another howl of a yawn escaped him after he scarfed down the second cupcake, this time more drawn out as he scratched his still unsatisfied stomach.
“Ugh, quit all that racket!” Maggie grumbled, stumbling to plop herself down on the barstool, her hair imitating a birds nest as she pressed on her throbbing temples.
“Hello, sunshine. Having a pleasant morning, are we?” Harry teased, chuckling at the glare he received.
“Sod off.” She downed the two pills she found, swallowing them dry.
“Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?”
“Bed,” she groaned. “How I miss thee.“
Harry guffawed, enjoying the sight before him more than he thought he would. He had seen his friend like this before, several times in fact, but the amusement of it never lessened.
“Brew’s almost done, alchy.”
“Meh. Remind me to never drink on a cupcake stomach.”
“Can’t say I haven’t heard that one before.”
“Shut up,” she growled, pressing down on the pressure points to ease the ache in her head.
“You’re welcome for the pain reducer.. and for the blanket.”
“Whatever,” she muttered, her fingers running to fix her hair, wincing at the endless tangles from the restless night she spent on the sofa.
Her hair seemed to stick out more as she weakly tried to tame it. ”Bahaha. Where’s my camera? You’re fit for selfie of the year.”
“Oh my god. What’s it going to take you to shut the fuck up?”
Harry shifted from foot to foot, his humorous grin falling slightly as he licked his lips and cleared his throat. Anna would be up shortly and even though he had thanked Maggie before for her help, he felt she needed to hear it again. ”Real talk for a minute.”
“Harry,” she whined. “I can’t handle any talk right now. My head feels like a shitload of bricks.“
“Tough luck. I gotta get this out before sleeping beauty awakens.”
Maggie sighed, taking a hefty gulp of the black liquid. ”I miss someone calling me sleeping beauty.”
Harry snorted. ”Beauty isn’t quite the word I would use to describe the way you look right about now.”
Maggie’s eyes warned him with a murderous stare. ”I will jam my shoe so far up your-“
“Alright! Relax. You seriously need a good fucking. Good god.”
She batted her lashes. ”Can’t you hook me up with one of your army mates?”
Harry shook his head with his palms out in front of his chest. ”No, no way.”
“Come on, wanker!”
“The answer is no, Mags.”
“And why the bloody hell not?”
“Because,” Harry began, speaking slowly as if he were teaching a child how to talk. “You..are..fucking..mad.“
“What?!”
“Do you remember what happened the last time I set you up with one of the lads? You threatened to fucking castrate him! Chop his bloody balls off. Literally!”
“He was married!” She cried. ”Which I still blame you for that disaster.”
“Technically, they were legally separated.” Harry defended. “How was I to know he got back with his wife after a few dates with you? Guys don’t talk like you girls do.“
“Oh, really? What do guys talk about then?” Harry gave her a ‘duh’ look and Maggie sniggered. “Typical.“
He shrugged without a trace of regret. ”Anyway. I wanted to thank you.”
“For..?”
“Looking after Anna while I’ve been gone. For befriending her like you have. Kicking her stubborn arse when needed.”
“Harry,” Maggie started. “She’s a strong woman. She can handle herself.“
He nodded in agreement. ”I know but regardless, she’s been through some heavy shit and..you’ve put in a good word for me while we were..” He waved his hand as he trailed off. ”Just..thank you for being one of the few people Anna and I can trust.”
“Of course,” she smiled.
“Do I smell coffee?” Anna’s sleepy voice halted the serious conversation as she padded into the room, covering her yawn. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail and her glasses were perched up on her nose instead of having her usual contacts in.
“There she is!” Harry cheerfully said, immediately fixing her a cup of the strong brew. “How are you feeling, love?“
Anna leaned over the counter to peck his lips while accepting the mug. ”One sec,” she said before taking a long sip and sighing in content. ”Better.”
Maggie outstretched her hand that held her now empty mug, gesturing for Harry to give her a refill to which he obliged. ”I’ll need another cup before I can utter that word.”
Anna smiled at her friend, wrapping her arm around her shoulder to give her a cuddle. ”We had fun, though.”
“Ha!” Maggie laughed, recalling some of the confessions that were spoken in confidence. “We sure did!“ Their mugs clinked together and they slightly winced at the sound of ceramic clashing.
“Do I even want to know what you two talked about?” Harry asked, his brows raised as he finished off his cup. “Damn, I make a good brew.”
“Oh yeah?” Maggie started, a hint of a devious smirk forming on her lips. “Would you say you like that, Hazz?”
Coffee spouted out of Anna’s mouth from the meaning behind Maggie’s question, certainly not expecting it. Harry looked on confused as the two girls giggled uncontrollably, hanging on to each other for support as the laughter racked their bodies.
“Still pissed drunk,” he muttered to himself. “What on earth happened last night?”
“Nothing!” They blurted out simultaneously.
————
“Oh, look at you two!” Lily gushed, hugging Harry and Anna once Dave gave the usual curt nod to them both as he passed them to make his way back to the heated car. “So good to see you, Harry.“
“Always a pleasure, darling,” Harry smiled, kissing her hand.
Lily giggled and swatted his arm, winking at Anna who was rolling her eyes. ”Charming, isn’t he?”
“Sure,” Anna joked, smiling sweetly at Harry’s sour expression at her sarcasm.
“Paul!” Lily called behind her. “Come here!“
“What is it?” Paul asked as he strolled into the room. Upon seeing the two new guests, a grin spread on his face. “Good evening,“ he greeted them, kissing each of Anna’s rosy cheeks from the chilled night and clapping a hand on Harry’s shoulder while his other hand shook his. “Thanks for coming.”
“Thank you for inviting us,” Anna said.
“Come, come. The ham is still in the oven for another twenty minutes. Let’s grab a drink.” Lily ushered them into the spacious but cozy sitting room.
Anna felt the slight panic rise in her throat when several pairs of eyes turned in their direction, recognizing the other nurses she frequently saw roaming the same halls she did. Harry must have felt her tense up because he squeezed her hand that clutched tightly to his, causing her to loosen her grip.
“Happy Christmas!” Came the warm greeting from the other guests.
She swallowed before a kind smile graced her features. “Merry Christmas everybody.” They all came up towards the pair to get the proper introductions.
“You look lovely, Anna” Julia complimented, kissing each of her cheeks.
“Thank you.. You do, too. Love the color on you,” she said, gesturing towards the violet dress the older woman wore.
“Thank you, dear. And this handsome man right here.. Pleasure to meet you, Your Royal Highness.” She gave a small curtsy, causing Anna’s cheeks to blaze. Harry shifted uncomfortably, his palms beginning to sweat as his left still clung to Anna’s.
“Please, you don’t have to do that. I’m Anna’s boyfriend, Harry. I think it would be less awkward if you just called me by that,” he smiled politely.
“Oh,” Julia blushed. ”My apologies, Anna’s boyfriend, Harry.”
It was just the cheesy joke the group needed as they laughed off their nerves and shook Harry’s hand, like he was the next average guy.
The rest of the evening went surprisingly well. Anna had already witnessed how easy going Harry was with other people he had just met, and this time wasn’t any different. He cracked jokes, remained charming as ever, and bonded with the other guys like he had known them forever.
Sipping on her third glass of wine of the evening, Anna gazed into the burning fire by the Christmas tree after the rest of the party goers had left for the evening, showering her with hugs and kisses and whispering in her ear how they adored him. She had tried to assist Lily with cleaning up, clearing the table with her while Harry and Paul went off to look over some sort of collection of Paul’s that she couldn’t remember. But Lily ushered her into the sitting room with a freshly poured glass while she finished up with loading up the dishwasher.
Between the wine and the beautiful glow of the fireplace with the white lights of the tree, Anna felt warm and fuzzy. It was a lovely evening filled with laughter and good fun. She had her man by her side, the approving smiles from the people she saw for endless hours at work, and she didn’t feel an ounce of sadness.
She was happy.
“What are you smiling about?” Lily asked, sitting beside her with her own filled glass of the sweet wine.
Anna turned towards her friend and her infectious smile grew in size, Lily mirroring it. ”This was wonderful. I had a great time, Lily.”
Lily motherly patted Anna’s knee. ”Me too, dear. I’m glad you were able to come.” She leaned closer to her to drop her tone by a couple octaves. ”Harry is a remarkable man. He’s absolutely perfect for you, love.”
Anna wrinkled her nose, feeling slightly uncomfortable. She was closest to her fellow nurse out of all the others but she didn’t reveal much to her, protecting her privacy. ”You think so?”
“I know so,” she winked. “He got on well with everyone. I think he made them feel more comfortable and less awkward about a royal being in attendance.“
Anna snorted. ”Like you said earlier, he’s quite the charmer. He gets along with everyone who doesn’t have the vicious lens of a camera behind their eye.”
“Yes, well, who can blame him for that? After what happened to his mother…it’s a wonder how he even gives out interviews.”
A strong urge to hug him close coursed through her. She didn’t know if it was the mention of Harry’s mother or if it was because she felt so much love and affection for him that hearing another praise him made her proud of him. Maybe it was a combination of both.
“I’ve never seen you this happy before. It’s…amazing to witness.”
Anna couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. ”He makes me happy. I mean, he can drive me up the wall sometimes but..”
“Oh, honey,” Lily laughed. “That’s because he’s a man. They all drive us up a wall.“
“What’s going on in here? Bad mouthing the guys, are we?” Paul’s booming voice rang out in the room, both women turning around in the direction of where Paul and Harry stood tall. Anna looked Harry over, biting her lip at his stance with his hands planted firmly on his hips and his brows lifted.
“It’s not bad mouthing when it’s the truth, my love,” Lily said, nudging Anna. But Anna was in a trance as she continued to drool over her man.
He was so handsome in his white shirt and black trousers. She had watched him hours before trimming his beard, finding it extremely arousing. It had caused them to be almost late to the dinner party.
“Well,” Harry said, recognizing the look of want and love in her flashing eyes and big smile that showed off her straight teeth. “Is that true, Annalisa?“
Her gaze fell to his lips when he said her name, making it sound sweet like honey in his deep voice. ”Hm?” She managed to get out.
“Are you talking rubbish about us?”
The married couple looked at each other, knowing the chemistry between their guests were undeniable from experiencing it themselves. Paul winked at his wife and she grinned excitedly at him. She couldn’t want to be alone to tell him she was right about Harry and Annalisa since day one.
“Um..what?” Anna asked, confused.
Harry shook his head and chuckled, strolling over to pluck the glass from her two hands. ”You’re cut off. Lily, I thought I could trust you not to get her sloshed.”
Lily giggled and shrugged her shoulders innocently. ”Whatever do you mean?”
“You’ll know exactly what I mean when you have to see me carry curly to the car.”
Anna pouted while the three laughed. ”I can walk perfectly fine, thank you.”
Harry cocked his head to the side, a hint of laughter still present in his voice. ”We’ll see about that, love.”
Another hour passed of quiet chitchat between the two couples, the girls on one sofa and the guys across from them on the other. Paul and Harry retold stories of the trek, choosing to only mention the comical stories to not damper the good mood of the night.
Harry caught Anna’s loving eyes every few minutes and felt his heart rate increase every time.
———-
The three days leading up to New Years Eve went by quick, Harry and Annalisa spending every waking moment together aside from Anna’s shifts at the hospital. They were blissfully happy as they participated in the most domestic chores.
On Sunday afternoon, Anna taught Harry how to make chicken chickpea chili and nursed his burns from the splattered sauce when he set the heat on the stove too high. She laughed at his interested expression when she walked into the kitchen after finishing up a call with her mother (a daily ritual since Christmas that she found odd) as he stared at the boiling pot of chili.
“That’s not going to make the fifteen minutes speed up, babe,” she said, tapping his jean clad ass.
“I don’t want it to overspill,” he replied, focused eyes never straying.
“My nana always said if there’s a spotless stove with a boiling pot of chili, then you didn’t make it with the right amount of love.”
“Mmhmm..” He said, absentmindedly. Anna chuckled and shook her head at him clearly ignoring her.
Sunday night found Harry overindulging in the tasty chili as she worked her shift. He managed to find a few containers that he used to pour the supper into and take over to his brother and sister-in-law’s to prove his cooking skills were getting better. Harry waited impatiently as they took spoonfuls, Kate immediately praising him as Will threw out a couple insults before admitting it was better than he thought it would be. That only resulted in them advancing the plans of Harry and Anna hosting a get together dinner to finally be introduced.
On Monday morning, Anna returned home to find Harry slaving at the stove as he prepared omelets. She covered her mouth to stifle a giggle when Harry cursed and shook his hand to ease yet another burn he managed to get.
“Oh boy, you attempting to make breakfast alone in my apartment worries me.”
He turned sharply towards her and greeted her with a cheeky grin, his rosy cheeks deepening in slight embarrassment. “Morning,” he said, puckering his lips. Anna laughed and skipped towards him, her aching feet forgotten at the sight of him, before she pecked his lips repeatedly.
“Good morning to you, Chef Wales. What’s on the menu?” She asked and peeked around him to see the oddly shaped egg omelet from his lack of flipping skills. “Wow, an omelet.”
“Or a somewhat attempted omelet,” Harry said, sheepishly.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and reached up on her tiptoes to place more sweet kisses on his lips. “I’m sure it’ll be great. But I would probably flip it again cause it’s starting to smell like burning eggs in here.”
“Shit!” Harry quickly unwrapped himself from her embrace and attended to breakfast, a sour look on his face replacing the happy grin when he noticed the slight brown edges. He flipped it over slowly and sighed in relief when it didn’t mess up any further. “How was work?”
“Fine,” she answered. “How was your evening? Missed me tremendously, I hope.”
“Always,” he chuckled, throwing a wink over his shoulder. “I went over to Wills and Kate’s last night. Chili was a hit, by the way.”
“Yes!” She exclaimed, holding up her palm as he slapped her a high five, Harry’s proud grin present on his face.
“We got to talking and made a few calls and decided Friday would be the big dinner where I introduce you to them.”
“What?! Harry!” She cried, panic coursing through her as her breathing became shallow. “Shit, shit, shit. That’s not enough time to plan!”
“What? Anna,” he laughed as she started pulling open drawers, slapping down cookbook after cookbook on the counter. “What the bloody hell are you doing?”
“Trying to find something decent to make for your family! Oh god,” she buried her flaming face in her trembling hands. “I’m going to fail. They’re going to hate me. Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
Harry snickered, turning the stove off and gathering her hands to reveal her worry. His laughter melted as soon as he saw her frantic eyes, darting between his. “Baby.. just calm down. Please,” he begged. “You have nothing to be this frightened about. They already adore you by how incredibly happy you make me.”
“What if they’re allergic to nuts and I add fucking walnuts to the gravy like a moron? Or what if they don’t like gravy? What do I serve if they don’t like gravy, Harry?!”
Harry paused for a moment, reeling from her sputtering. Then he threw his head back and howled in laughter. Anna swatted his chest relentlessly, scowling at him.
“This isn’t funny! Stop laughing, you git.”
But her angry words only made his laughter increase in volume, his face turning a beet red from the lack of oxygen.
“Harry!” She yelled. “Stop!”
“I..I c-ca-n’t!” He forced out, his laughs never letting up. Anna crossed her arms across her heaving chest, tapping her foot as she waited for him to calm down. After a couple minutes, Harry’s boisterous laughs turned into soft sniggers here and there as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He grinned apologetically at Anna and brought his hands up to cup her cheeks. “I’m sorry, love. But.. holy shit, I’ve never seen you that panicked before. Oh god, that was comical.”
She glared at him through slitted eyes, still allowing him to turn her head up to brush his lips against hers. She reciprocated, of course, and Harry knew she wasn’t as angry as she let on. His thumbs softly stroked her rounded cheeks as their lips meshed together. He elicited a moan to escape her when his teeth captured her lower lip in his mouth and sucked playfully.
Anna’s arms fell limp at her sides, stubbornly refusing to touch him no matter how much her hands itched to feel his hard chest. Her mouth was less stubborn than the rest of her, slanting over his again and again as if it had a mind of it’s own.
He was good. He was damn good. This display of affection was surely enough to erase the panic from her mind, to give her a few moments of peace and pause the jumbled thoughts that were swarming since his announcement.
After a couple minutes of sucking face in her kitchen, her mini freak out replayed in her own mind and before she knew what was happening, she tore her lips from his and laughed breathlessly at her own silliness.
“What?” Harry lightly laughed along, trying to catch his breath.
“Nuts! I..” She hunched over, hanging onto his arms as her laughs came out louder. “I was freaking out about nuts in gravy!”
They both erupted into laughter together, breakfast and the pending nerve wracking dinner party forgotten.
——-
Why Harry didn’t see this coming, he didn’t know. But he was kicking himself in the arse for not putting up much of a fight when she dragged him to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients she would need for Friday’s dinner. He tried to convince her to put it off until later on in the week, listing off other things they could be doing than spending the rest of their Monday afternoon going through aisle after aisle, one of them being her sleeping to be fresh for work later. But Anna shot that down with her usual ‘I’m fine on no sleep’ excuse he heard too often before she would crash on his or her sofa for a couple hours.
Anna scratched off ‘walnuts’ from the list, snickering to herself from the earlier fiasco. “Okay, we’re about halfway finished.”
Harry groaned, folded at the waist with his elbows on the hand rest of the cart. She patted his back in mock comfort before he stood up straight and pushed the cart along after her. She kept a secure hand on the end of the cart after Harry had kept it rolling whenever she came to an abrupt stop, hitting her bottom hard enough that she was certain she was bruised.
“This is a form of torture,” he complained under his breath.
“Poor baby,” she teased in a baby voice. “Are you not having fun?”
“No,” he grumbled. “And I’m fucking starving.”
“I’ll treat you to lunch if you’re a good boy and suffer in silence.”
“Treat me to lunch?” He quoted. “I don’t think so.”
“What?” She asked, looking over in his direction. “I can’t treat my boyfriend to lunch?”
“No. I’m the man and I’m treating my woman to lunch.”
With her head cocked to the side, she stared at him with lifted brows and mouth gaped open. “What are you trying to say with ‘I’m the man’ and ‘my woman’?”
He shrugged, selecting his next words wisely to rile her up. “It’s a man’s world, Anna. I didn’t make up the rules.”
“You sexist pig!” Her face contorted in disgust at his choice of words. ”Dave,” she turned towards the PO who was checking out the nutritional facts on the back of a package. ”Tell Harry he’s a pig.”
“You’re a pig, sir.” He parroted, accustomed to their banter. With any other royal, he would’ve kept to himself and minded his own business. But working with Harry for years now, they had formed a bond where he was comfortable enough to take jabs at him. And he had learned taking Anna’s side during their constant bickering was the safe route.
Harry smirked in reply, taking advantage of her hand no longer holding the cart at a safe distance and pushing it forward to tap her. “Oink oink.”
Three hours later, his kitchen was fully stocked with things he didn’t know existed, his stomach was satisfied with lunch (that she convinced him to let her pay for by threatening to withhold sex), and his sofa was occupied with the stubborn sleeping woman.
Her feet were propped on his lap while he multitasked, answering the endless amount of emails in his inbox and texting with Will back and forth about New Years plans and Georgie’s new tooth that was breaking through the gums, keeping both mum and dad up during ungodly hours.
Anna watched him work silently, unbeknownst to him. She loved the way his brows furrowed in concentration as his eyes smoothly ran across the screen, reading each sentence three times before moving on. He had a habit of licking and rubbing his lips and mouthing a word or two.
And when he would glance at his mobile, typing out a quick reply with a smirk, he looked so boyish and manly at the same time.
She found him adorable.
Harry must’ve felt eyes on him because he turned his head towards her and wasn’t in the slightest startled to see her smiling face.
“Hey, sleepyhead. How long have you been awake?”
“Not long,” she said, clearing her still groggy throat. “What are you doing over there?“
He turned his attention back to the computer screen for a second before looking back at her. ”Working,” he sighed heavily.
A tired laugh tore from her mouth. ”It’s a hard knock life.”
“I’ll say..” He teased right back, reaching for his buzzing mobile. He snorted when he read his brothers text.
You’re sick. I don’t need to hear about your weird sex games dickhead.
“Is that Skip trying to persuade you in playing Farm Palace again?” Anna asked, yawning.
“Not this time. I think he gave up the fight after Mags caved and replied to his request,” he answered, his thumbs typing out a message to Will at an expert speed. “It’s Will. He asked about dinner on Friday and I made a joke about not using walnuts and gravy in the same sentence with you and he took it as a sex thing.“
“Harry!” She shrieked, kicking him and rubbing her face with her hands in exasperation. “Great. Now I really won’t be able to look him in the eye. Ugh!“
Harry laughed, moving his laptop to the empty cushion beside him before squeezing her thigh reassuringly. ”Don’t sweat it, love. It’s all in good fun.”
“Right.” Anna cocked a brow. “Don’t fucking sweat it if I happen to make a joke that could be taken the wrong way the next time I talk to Luke.“
The grin immediately wiped off of Harry’s face, his cheeks no longer pink as his skin paled.
“Touché.”
————-
“Have I told you how stunning you look tonight?”
Anna beamed up at him, squeezing the arm that hers was currently curled around as they walked up to the door. The party was already going strong, music blaring and flashing lights could be seen through the windows.
“Maybe once or twice since you picked me up.”
Harry frowned. ”Just once or twice? Shame on me. You deserve more than that.”
Anna giggled, laying her head on his arm for a moment. ”You’re making me blush.”
“You look incredible, peaches. Everyone will be envious of me tonight.”
“You’re looking spiffy yourself. I may just have to spit on all the women that get too grabby.”
Harry chortled, reaching for the doorknob to join the party. ”Wouldn’t mind if a dark haired beauty got a little grabby tonight,” he winked.
“I’ll let Jake know,” she cheekily replied.
Harry’s loud laugh as they pushed through the door was drowned out quickly by the intense vibration of the bass of the music. He grasped her hand tightly before pushing through the crowd, using his free hand to wave at people she didn’t know along the way.
It wasn’t long before they reached the section of the house where all the familiar faces were. They were greeted by cheers, champagne flutes high in the air, before getting crushed into big hugs.
“Thought you’d never make it in time!” Liv said as she dropped a kiss on each of Anna’s cheeks.
“I’m so sorry! I had to switch my hours and work until 6 tonight so I could be here,” Anna explained.
“Glad to see you,” Kimberly, Jake’s fiancée, smiled, hugging and kissing her the same.
“You, too! Big year coming up for you.”
“Yep!” She grinned, linking arms with Jake. “Eleven more days before I make an honest man out of him.“
“Amazing how the church will even allow you to show up in white,” Harry joked.
“Amazing how the church never bursts into flames whenever you step foot in one,” Kimberly retorted.
“Ohhhhh! Burn!” The group exclaimed as Harry pulled a face of defeat.
“When are you two going to tie the knot?” Beth asked, giggling at Anna’s bugged out eyes. She was thankful she didn’t have a drink yet or they would have gotten showered with it.
Harry threw his arm around Anna’s shoulder and gave her an affectionate squeeze. ”Soon, I hope.”
“Whoa there, soldier. Soon? Are you proposing tonight?”
Anna didn’t have a clue who had asked that, the blood rushing in her ears being the cause of that. She wanted to marry Harry, of course she did. But they weren’t ready yet. They needed more time before they would even discuss a timeframe for an engagement.
“No, not tonight,” Harry confirmed, Anna’s heartbeat returning to a normal steady pace.
“Hurry up before she runs off again,” Skip joked, getting a glare from Anna and Maggie as the rest of the gang rolled their eyes and groaned, Harry telling his friend to ‘shut the fuck up’.
“Har har,” Anna said in a dry tone.
“What? It was just a joke,” Skip defended.
“Who needs a drink?” Jake asked to change the subject, nodding at Anna’s grateful eyes.
Harry looked at Anna apologetically but the unaffected look in her soft features made him relax. ”Something to drink, beautiful?”
She nodded, a blush creeping on her cheeks as the girls awww’d at his choice of words. ”I’ll have a glass of champagne, please.”
He ducked his head to kiss her lips before removing himself from her. ”Be right back.” He roughly clapped Skip by the shoulders and ignored his protests, the rest of the guys following suit.
Just as they were out of earshot, the girls became antsy and were ready to hit the dance floor.
“Let’s dance!” Maggie exclaimed, grabbing Anna’s arm.
Anna laughed and shook her head. ”Oh, no. I think I need a drink before I start dancing.”
“Come on,” Liv pouted. “It’ll be fun!“
“Not yet. Go dance. I’ll catch up with you after I’ve had this one drink.”
A few minutes later, Harry returned solo.
“Champagne for milady..” He announced in an official tone, handing Anna a full flute of the pink bubbly drink. She voiced her thanks and took a small sip, inwardly moaning at the sweet taste that seemed to explode on her tastebuds. It was then that she noticed the capped bottle of water he held in his other hand. With furrowed brows, she gestured towards it.
“You’re not drinking tonight?”
Harry threw the bottle up and caught it expertly. “This?” The corner of his lips twitched in reply before lifting up into a seductive smirk. “This is for you.”
“What do you mean?” She asked in confusion.
“You’ll be on the floor in a matter of three more drinks… I want you sober later so with every drink from here on out, you are to down half a bottle of water along with it.”
She caught the mischief twinkle in his eye before they darkened with desire, creating heart palpitations. “You want me sober, hm? Why’s that?”
He shifted closer to her, his tall frame hovering over her small frame and ducked his head, his nose sweeping her curls to the side to reveal the shell of her ear. “Because I want to make love to you to start off the new year.” His husky voice was enough to buckle her knees. But his reflexes were quick enough to catch her when she stumbled, his arm securely around her waist to keep her upright. “Is that alright with you, love?” He asked, capturing her earlobe between his teeth and giving it a light tug.
“Harry..” She moaned, forgetting the surrounding company.
But the sound of footsteps stomping towards them made Harry sigh and pull away, only to witness to Skip and Maggie continuing their disagreement.
“Skip! I’m not going to kiss you at midnight! Please, leave me be.”
“Come on, Mags. I’m alone, you’re alone.. It’s perfect! We are the only two people here that don’t have anyone to suck face with.”
“Whoa,” Maggie stuck her hand out in a halting gesture. “Suck face? I won’t agree to kiss you and now you’re thinking I would ever kiss you with tongue? Boy, keep fucking dreaming.”
“Don’t act like you’re not tempted,” he argued.
Maggie scowled before facing away from him to look at Anna, grabbing her arm. ”Please dance with me before I give his bollocks something to cry about.”
Anna gulped down the rest of the champagne before taking two long sips of the water, eyeing Harry as he smirked, adjusting his tight trousers in the crotch area.
She handed the two drinks to him, mouthing her apologies before being whisked away by their eager friend.
Harry and Skip stood side by side as they watched the two girls begin to dance to an upbeat song. Harry paid close attention to the way Anna’s hips rotated in a suggestive manner as she giggled with Maggie.
“I need whiskey.” Harry groaned, feeling his trousers getting tighter and tighter at the sight of her.
“I’m with you on that, mate.”
——-
After polishing two tumblers of the amber liquid, Harry found Anna still dancing with Maggie. He had tried to keep his distance so she could enjoy herself and have the other party goers get to know her without him on her arm, but after having a chat with a few people he hadn’t seen in awhile, he was beginning to miss her warmth.
Anna was about to screech when she felt two strong hands grab hold of her waist until she caught whiff of his cologne. She smiled at Maggie’s suggestive wink and poor excuse for getting herself a drink before she left the couple alone.
“Sorry, I have a boyfriend,” Anna called out over the music, her hips never stopping the rhythmically sway to the music.
“Lucky guy,” Harry replied, twirling her around to face him. She instantly swung her arms up around his neck and shifted closer, their bodies gyrating on their own accord.
“I think so,” Anna said, seductively. She began to grind against him, the heat that was already between them to radiate further as the slick sweat began to glide down their skin.
Almost every part of them were touching, his hands making home dangerously low right above her ass as they moved in sync. Their breaths were ragged, Harry panting on her flushed face.
It had been just two days since they were connected in every sense of the word. Two days. But to them, it felt like an eternity.
Desperate desire pulsed through them, needing more than just a dance. Harry was contemplating on formulating a plan on getting her alone somewhere in the crowded house for some relief, knowing Anna would at first decline before he would easily persuade her to follow him.
Just as he was going to let her in on his plan, he felt a hard clap on his shoulder, startling the pair that clung to each other to pull apart as Harry whipped around to find a jittery Tom.
“Sorry to interrupt, mate. There’s someone asking for you.” Tom peeked over at Anna and his nervous grin turned into a kind smile. “Anna, Liv said she wants to discuss your attire for Jake’s nuptials. She’s by the refreshments table.“
“Oh,” Anna said, perplexed by what was going on. She could sense something was not quite right by the way Tom was separating them, especially with the equally confused expression on her boyfriend’s heated face as he wiped away the beads of sweat that formed below his hairline.
“Come with me, Harry.”
Harry and Anna shared a questioning look, Harry shrugging at her before he dropped a chaste kiss on her peach colored lips. ”I’ll be back, baby.”
“O..kay.”
She watched their retreating forms for a few seconds, waiting until they got lost in the sea of people. Once she couldn’t determine who was who, she turned in the opposite direction with shaky legs and began her mission on finding Liv.
———-
Anna caught the blue blazer in the corner of her eye and turned her head in the direction of it, watching Harry’s retreating form walk up the stairs. He had been gone for twenty-eight minutes now, Anna checking her watch every few minutes as she waited for his return. She absentmindedly nodded to whatever Liv was yapping about, not having the slightest clue anymore.
A wicked laugh hid behind her pleasant smile, formulating up a plan to get Harry alone. He smelled so good tonight, his musky scent still lingering in the air, and it was driving her absolute mad with desire ever since he whispered his promise of pleasuring her after the party.
60…59…58…57…
She began counting down a minute, thinking it was enough time for Harry to do what he needed to do before she would barge in and have her way with him. She couldn’t wait to sneak her hands underneath his light blue collared shirt and feel the heat of his bare skin on her fingertips.
“Anna.. Anna..”
She heard her name being called but it sounded distant, like it was floating through the breeze on a windy day.
“Earth to Anna!” Liv exclaimed, waving her hand in front of the dazed brunette. Anna blinked and turned her attention back to her friend, smiling apologetically.
“Sorry, I-erm.. need to use the loo for a minute..”
Climbing the steps at a calculated pace, her heart raced at what she was about to do, glancing down below at the bustling party that was going on. Once when she reached the bathroom, she took a calming breath to gather up the courage she needed to knock on the door firmly.
“Just a minute!” Came his voice from behind the door.
Anna swallowed before bringing her face close enough to the door where she knew he could hear her, especially since she was able to pick up on the running water as he was finishing up. ”Hey, it’s me.”
The water stopped immediately and a few seconds later the latch made a hard unlock sound that echoed in her ears. She pushed the door open after turning the knob and smiled at the concerned (and guilty) expression that his features held, his forehead creased.
“Everything okay?”
Anna didn’t reply. She didn’t have to; not when she quietly shut the door behind her and turned the lock, her heated gaze never once straying from his. A slow grin spread on his face as he took a step toward her, his arms instinctively threading through hers and clasping behind the small of her back.
“Are you looking for a quickie?”
Anna bit her lip, wetness pooling between her thighs at his closeness, his body heat radiating off of him as if he was feverish.
And he was. He never had known to desire a woman so strongly before her.
“I missed you,” she declared.
Her hands smoothed up his shirt and slid off his blazer as it dropped to the floor. His tongue poked out, sliding across his lower lip, admiring the way she was seducing him when he had been trying to do the same not long ago. He swallowed, pushing the thought of where he had just come from away so their night wouldn’t be ruined. ”You do want a quickie.”
Anna shrugged, batting her eyelashes at him before she began to undo the buttons of his collared shirt, desperate to touch his pale skin.
“I figured since you want to begin 2014 by making love to me..” She trailed, removing his shirt completely to begin undoing his trousers. “Might as well end 2013 with a..“ Reaching up on her tiptoes, she brought her chest flush against his heaving one and wetly kissed his stubble chin while her hand slipped inside his trousers and boxers. “Bang.”
Harry moaned, unclasping his hands to palm her bottom, squeezing her flesh. ”Fuck, I love you.”
——
“Where the fuck have you two been?!”
Harry and Anna exchanged guilty smiles as they approached their group of friends. It was nearly midnight, sixty seconds left of the year before the new one would begin.
“We…umm..we were..erm..” She stumbled for an excuse.
“Nevermind that! There’s only 45 seconds left!”
Everyone’s eyes were fixated on the massive screen that was set up with the countdown to the new year before they would all shout and confetti would float all around them. Harry cradled Anna’s elbow to catch her attention and smiled excitedly when her sparkling eyes met his.
They were both hopeful for what 2014 would bring, finally feeling their relationship was headed in the right direction. It had gone through the ringer, faced with Anna’s inner demons. But they came out stronger and unstoppable.
They were both confident nothing would stand in between them now. Absolutely nothing.
“I love you,” he said. She could barely hear it, relying on her lip reading abilities. But she knew exactly what he said by the fluttering butterflies that were in her stomach.
With an arm wrapped around his waist, she smiled brightly at him, becoming overwhelmed with emotion. ”I love you.”
“No, Annalisa. I really love you.”
Twenty-five seconds.
“I know,” she laughed lightly. “I really love you, too.”
He brought his hand up to cup her cheek, his strong gaze never faltering from hers. ”This year and every year here on out I promise to always be there, through everything.”
Anna covered his hand that was fixated on the side of her blushing cheek with her own, getting hypnotized by the crystal blue of his enticing eyes.
“And,” he took a deep breath. “I’m going to make sure you know just how much I love you. You mean the world to me and I will defend you, honor you, worship you like you deserve to be.”
Ten seconds.
“I’m going to make you so happy, Annalisa. Like you have made me.”
She couldn’t speak, could barely even think in her own mind as the rowdy guests began hollering deafeningly loud. But all she could hear was the promises he was making to her, tears forming in her eyes.
She didn’t know what she did in her lonely life to deserve such a man like him. But she was thanking her lucky stars.
Five seconds.
“This is our year, baby.”
Harry brought his mouth closer to hers to whisper the last words of the ending year before he captured her lips in a promising kiss with two seconds left, unable to wait until the clock struck midnight.
Wild Winter's Day 