Zoey set down her utensils, turning to fully face Harriet, who she could sense had been watching her. Meeting Harriet's gaze, she narrowed her eyes, brow raised.
"Are you going to tell me what that look's all about?" Zoey asked, clearly confused and slightly irritated.
Harriet chuckled, leaning in. "Why so grumpy?"
Zoey sighed, clicking her tongue. "You've been staring at me without saying a word, Harriet. I'm not sure ifâ"
"Has it ever crossed your mind," Harriet interrupted, "that maybe your father left you an inheritance?"
Zoey stilled, taken aback. "Inheritance? I've told you before, we lost everything because of my illness. The family business went underâ"
"But what if there were other investments? Businesses you didn't know about?" Harriet pressed, her gaze unwavering.
Zoey's eyes narrowed. "Harriet Pierce," she said firmly, "stop going around it and tell me what you mean. What inheritance?"
Harriet glanced away, biting her lip. "Are you and Ellie... actually sisters?" she asked, attempting to ease into it.
Zoey sighed, propping an elbow on the table. "Did Ellie get to you?" she asked, clicking her tongue. "Look, Ellie's my half-sister. She's my mother's daughter from a previous relationship, before my parents got married."
Hearing it directly from Zoey struck Harriet harder than she'd anticipated. Zoey continued, her tone bitter. "Ellie was never close to my father. My mother cheated before marrying him, and he never accepted Ellie as his own. Maybe that's why Ellie's never treated me like family, either," she added with a hollow laugh.
"Zoey..." Harriet reached for her hands gently. "Remember that building you wanted to buy?"
"Oh, that!" Zoey's face brightened. "I actually decided to let it go. I have some stocks and dividend incomeâI'll just use those as passive income, I guess. And maybe I'll start a new business with my own savings."
Harriet gripped Zoey's hands tighter. "Zoey, would you consider speaking with a lawyer?"
Zoey tilted her head, laughing softly. "A lawyer? Why? You're acting odd today, Doc." She stood, ready to clear the table.
Before she could pull away, Harriet tugged her closer. "Please, talk to Vera. She's uncovered something important, something that could change your future."
Zoey's brows knitted. "What are you talking about?"
Harriet stroked Zoey's cheek gently. "Let's go together. Vera can explain everythingâyou deserve to understand what's really yours."
Harriet rubbed her temples, sighing after ending yet another call with Vien, who was back in New York to care for her daughter. She glanced at Zoey, who was snuggled under a blanket on the couch, engrossed in a book. With a soft groan, Harriet jogged over and practically threw herself onto Zoey, wrapping her arms around her.
Zoey caught her breath in surprise. "Harriet," she murmured, closing her book as Harriet buried her face against Zoey's chest.
"Why are you like this?" Harriet asked, her voice holding a hint of playfulness. "I'm flying to New York tomorrow, and you seem totally unbothered. Aren't you going to miss me at all?" She looked up, giving Zoey a pout like a child throwing a tantrum.
Zoey chuckled, pinching Harriet's cheek. "Of course, I'll miss you. But you're going there for work. What am I supposed to do?" she replied, stroking Harriet's hair.
Harriet sighed, nuzzling closer before trailing soft kisses along Zoey's neck. Zoey squeaked as Harriet playfully nipped her skin.
"Just marking you," Harriet said with a smile. "I'm really going to miss you."
Zoey ruffled Harriet's hair. "You'll be back in no time, right? How long are you staying in New York? I know there's surgery, but you'll have to run follow-up tests to monitor your patient's recovery."
Harriet laced her fingers through Zoey's, looking at her intently. "You'll be here when I get back, right? You'll wait for me?"
Zoey cupped Harriet's face, a warm smile on her lips. "Where else would I go?"
Harriet chuckled, shrugging. "Just making sure you'll be here. Because if you're not, I might have to take drastic measures," she teased, nipping Zoey's shoulder.
Zoey threw her head back, laughing. "Honestly," she said, meeting Harriet's gaze, "I'll miss you too. I'm not sure what I'll do without my grown-up child to babysit."
Harriet grinned, leaning closer, her arms braced on either side of Zoey's head. "Grown-up child? Me?" She gulped, her gaze softening as she looked down at Zoey beneath her. "I could get used to this view, especially when you're underneath me."
Zoey rolled her eyes with a playful smile, wrapping her arms around Harriet's neck. "You haven't even left yet, and I already miss that smart mouth of yours," she whispered, pulling Harriet in for a kiss.
Harriet smiled against Zoey's lips, deepening the kiss as she traced her hands along Zoey's curves, sliding the blanket off as she held her close.
Harriet's gaze softened, and she murmured, "I love you," her breath warm as she gently bit Zoey's lower lip, drawing a soft moan from Zoey, who tightened her hold, pulling Harriet even closer. Harriet's fingers glided along the strap of Zoey's lingerie, slipping it down her arm to reveal her bare skin.
Zoey raised a playful brow, tracing Harriet's face with her fingertips. "Are you just going to stare?" she teased.
Harriet chuckled, leaning in. "Not a chance," she whispered, her lips finding Zoey's skin. She kissed and caressed Zoey's chest, savoring every touch. Zoey sighed deeply, wrapping her legs around Harriet's waist and urging her closer, needing her near.
Smiling, Harriet shifted her hips, playfully pressing against Zoey, who gasped, her head tilting back in response. "Sensitive tonight, aren't we?" Harriet murmured, noticing Zoey's body react to her every touch.
In one swift movement, Harriet knelt between Zoey's thighs, pulling off her own shirt and tossing it aside, her eyes meeting Zoey's with a smoldering intensity. Zoey chuckled as she caught Harriet's gaze, feeling the heat in her stare. Harriet's hands moved slowly, reaching Zoey's waistband and easing her underwear down.
"Oh," Zoey gasped as Harriet rested her legs on her shoulders, pressing soft kisses along her thighs, her teeth grazing the skin as she left gentle marks down her legs, savoring every inch. Harriet's touch was deliberate and lingering, as if wanting each moment to stretch on forever.
Harriet's fingers moved in gentle circles, intensifying the pressure as she leaned closer, her breath warm against Zoey's sensitive skin. Positioning herself, Harriet let her tongue explore, tasting Zoey with a slow, deliberate rhythm. Unable to hold back, Zoey tangled her fingers in Harriet's hair, urging her closer, every movement sending waves through her body as she wrapped her legs over Harriet's shoulders.
"Fuck," Zoey gasped, her voice barely a whisper as Harriet's tongue teased her in an upward, downward, then sideways motion, making her arch her back, shutting her eyes and surrendering to the intense sensation.
The sound of Harriet's breathing mingled with her own, each slurping sound making Zoey's pulse race. Harriet's tongue worked wonders inside her, slow and then deep, as her fingers found Zoey's clit, rubbing just enough to spark a delightful, tickling sensation.
"Harriet..." Zoey murmured breathlessly, grinding against Harriet's touch as their tempo quickened. Her body tensed, nearing the edge. "Please... don't stop," she pleaded softly, her voice trembling. Just as she approached release, Harriet slipped two fingers inside her, thrusting alongside her tongue.
Zoey gasped, gripping the headrest tightly with one hand, the other still clutching Harriet's hair. Her body shivered with an intense warmth as she finally let go, her release washing over her. But as she caught her breath, she felt Harriet's tongue still there, tenderly savoring her, sucking softly.
"What the hell..." Zoey breathed, her voice breaking as Harriet continued, coaxing every last tremor from her body.