Just Harry

“Can you pass the tanning oil?” I leaned up on one elbow to ask Harry one Sunday by his pool.

He rolled over, looking incredibly comical in the thick white sunscreen smeared all over his pale body, a far cry from the deep caramel my body had bronzed to already. My Cuban heritage showed well in my skin, something Harry was intensely jealous of. He handed me the oil, and I sprayed it on my legs and stomach and arms, rubbing it in. I handed it back and sat up, “Can you do my back?”

“Of course.” he murmured.

He carefully pulled my hair over one shoulder, out of the way, and sprayed the oil down my back, rubbing it in gently. I sighed softly and tried not to enjoy it too much. He is just a friend, he is just a friend. that was my everyday mantra. He got to my shoulders, dousing them with oil and then began to knead them. I sighed, the taught muscles fianlly loosening.

“You are so tense Gabs, maybe we should start calming down in training,” He murmured, lips close to my ear, "I don't want you to get hurt."

“No, Harry, the match is in four weeks, we can’t. I will be perfectly fine.”

He sighed, knowing I was resolute in my decisions. He continued to knead my shoulders, then moved to my back. He expertly massaged out the bundles of nerves along my spine that had been bothering me. I relaxed, trusting my close friend. i shouldn't have.

Before I could stop him, he attacked, tickling my stomach, my legs, my feet. I screamed and squirmed, kicked at him,beating at him with my fists, but he was unrelenting. He could hold me down with one hand and tickle me with the other. I was helpless. I screeched and laughed at the same time. I was breathless and he was dying of laughter, moving to tickle my armpits as well.

“Mercy, mercy,” I breathed, begging him.

He loomed over me,crystal blue eyes dancing. “Say please.” He murmured.

Our eyes locked. Our lips were mere inches away.

"Please."

His hands stilled, my shoulders captured under him. Before I could comprehend what was happening, we were kissing.

He himself above me, bracing his arms on the lounge chair. His lips worked against mine, soft and gentle, but ravenous, hungry for me. This wasn’t exactly the first time we had kissed. He had tried to sneak a few kisses at the beginning of our friendship, but I had put a stop to it swiftly, telling him we needed to focus on polo. Now, all my pent up emotions and feelings for him poured out, and I clutched his neck tightly, holding myself against him. All I could think about was him, all I could feel and sense was him, Harry, oh Harry. I was in way to deep.

A polite cough sounded behind us, and Harry looked up along with me, looking up to see Mrs. Pritchard primly looking the other direction from us. “Your Highness, I heard Miss Martino scream. Is everything alright?” We could hear the smile in her voice.

“Oh yes, quite, thank you Mrs. Pritchard. Gaby just saw a bug and it scared her.”

He shifted us into a sitting position, with me in his lap. He ran his hand up and down my leg softly. I shivered. She nodded and cast a grin at us, “I will call the exterminator tomorrow Your Highness. And send Cook out with some cool drinks soon.”

We collapsed in giggles as she departed, and Harry pulled me to sit between his strong legs, then wrapped his arms around me, resting them on my stomach. “Gaby, you are such an incredible woman.” He murmured, nibbling gently on my ear.

I sighed in contentment, nestling against him, “You aren’t half bad yourself, Your Highness,”

He leaned down and pressed kisses along my shoulder, up my neck and across my jaw line. Each kiss sent a bolt of lightning down my spine. I shivered again, and turned my head to meet his mouth with mine. He captured m face in his hands, and I worked my fingers in his thick hair, leaning into him as a smile came to my face in the middle of the kiss. This was going to be an interesting summer.

A hand brushed hair from my eyes, and I awoke groggily. Harry loomed over me, his figure fuzzy. It took a moment to realize I was in my bedroom, and so was Harry. “What?” I muttered, pulling my self up. Glancing at the clock I realized it was seven and I had overslept, through training and feeding. “Oh my God Harry I am so sorry I overslept!” I tried to get up but he stopped me, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

“Don’t you remember what today is?” He asked softly, stroking my cheek, running a finger over my lips.

It hit me like a sack of bricks. the luncheon for the Polo Match was today.

“Oh God, I need to get ready.” I hit my forehead. “AND feed.”

He smiled at me and scooted under the sheet to lay next to me on the bed, pulling me against his chest. “I already fed. When you were late for training I guessed you had overslept, so I took the horses back and came and fed for you, to let you sleep. You need the rest, darling.”

Did I mention I had the best boyfriend in the world? I turned to kiss him gently. “You are amazing. “

“Not half as amazing as you my dear. Now, we have another couple of hours to sleep before you need to get ready. How about we take a little nap?” he slid his arm around my waist, pulling me in to him.

“Darling, have you seen my cuff links?” Harry called from his bathroom. I sat on the chaise at the foot of his bed, reading a magazine.

“In the little china bowl on your counter. I had Mrs. Pritchard clean them yesterday,” I called back, not looking up from a particularly juicy article on the Kardashian sisters.

He swopped into the room, adjusting his cuffs and leaned in to kiss me. I laughed and pulled away, “You’re going to mess up my makeup!” I protested, primly fixing my hair.

“You would still look incredible.” He grinned and pulled me to my feet. My cocktail dress, a pale Tiffany blue, slid like silk over my legs, my toes encased in nude pumps. He twirled me around the room to silent music, “All of my polo chaps are going to be insanely jealous.” He growled, his lips at my neck as he dipped me low.

I froze, clinging to his arm, “What if no one likes me,” I whispered, seeing in my mind’s eye the polo players and dignitaries that would be at the luncheon today.

There were only three polo players on the lists that did not have a title, myself included. The only reason I was in the match was the fact that my father had sponsored it this year. Dukes, princes, Ladies and other important people would be competing.

Harry righted me to my feet and held me at arms length. “Gaby, they will adore you nearly as much as I. I promise.”

“Will your family be there?” I asked in a small voice, eyes downcast.

“I wish, but Kate’s baby is due any day now and they just couldn’t leave.” He sighed.

I looked at him, taking a breath, “Harry, do they know about me?” this was a question I had been terrified of asking him.

He sighed, and settled me on the chaise beside him, tucking me under his arm. “Will and Kate know, and are very excited to meet you, I promise dear. My grandmother though, does not yet. I will tell her as soon as I am face to face with her. She isn’t the type you tell things to over the phone, darling." He chucked me under the chin gently.

I was still weirded out at the blasé way he spoke of his Grandmother, the Queen, but pleased and excited his brother and sister-in-law knew and approved of me. “But you will tell her, when you go to take the horses home?” I whispered.

He smiled softly at me, and kissed me, slowly, warmly, lovingly, my knees turning to liquid. “Oh of course my dear. I will tell her first thing.” That’s all I needed to know. I smiled and kissed him softly back.

The luncheon went incredibly well, so much better than I could have imagined. A number of the players knew my father, a venture capitalist whose newest acquisition was a tack company, and we all got along quite well. The wives and girlfriends of the players were very accommodating and I was paired to sit next to the Countess Ariella, the only other female polo player in the match the next day. She had known Harry since they were both in diapers, and I was enchanted with her. She had regaled me with stories of Harry from his childhood, and had me almost to tears in laughter.

“Harry, you truly have an incredible girl here,” The duchess said regally, leaning over me to speak to harry.

He grinned and pulled me in, kissing my forehead. A few woman cooed over the table. “Don’ t I know it.”

The luncheon ended with the handing out of ‘swag bags’ containing commemorative polos and other tack products, most of which I had already as they were from my dad's stores. Harry held my bad for me and I held his arm as we walked out to the car. My ankle wobble beneath me and i gripped his arm tighter,

“Damn heels.” I muttered, the pain in my toes excruciating.

Harry gave me a concerned look, then flashed me a grin as he turned and swept me up in his arms. I laughed and swatted at him, trying to get him to let me down.

“Harry this is hardly proper!” I laughed, and couples around us smiled and giggled.

“Like I care.” Harry murmured inmy ear, and walked with me to the valet stand, where his Ferrari was waiting. (Oh I didn’t mention he had a Ferrari? He even let me drive it sometimes. Seriously, best boyfriend ever.)

I laughed as he put me in the passenger seat and got the keys form the valet, then kissed me softly. He closed my door softly and came to his side, sliding in and started the engine. He leaned over the division between the seats, kissing me softly, then pulled away and said the words I had been dying to hear, “I love you, Gabriella Michelle Martino."

I gasped softly. His blue eyes drilled into me, looking vulnerable. i realized he was waiting for my response.

"Oh Harry, i have loved you from the day I met you." I murmured, smoothing a bit of hair back from his forehead.

That perfect smile lit his face, and he kissed me once more. "You have no idea how glad I am to have met you, my dear."

Oh, I had a bit of an idea.