“We’re thinking about having the wedding at Bayside Resort or maybe Summer House Inn,” Cree said. “We want to invite all our friends from the Seaside community, too.”
“That’s going to be a big wedding,” Hunter said. His brother and his wife owned a cottage at Seaside, as did many of their friends.
“I know, but how can we not invite all of our closest friends?” Cree said.
“You definitely have to invite everyone from Seaside. If it wasn’t for them, you never would have met Brock. They were instrumental in bringing me and Hunter together, too,” Jana said, happily eyeing Hunter. “It looks like there will be two reasons to celebrate over the holidays. We’re pregnant! I’m due the week before Christmas!”
Harper gasped and hugged Jana as everyone else talked over each other, and the guys bumped fists. “A baby! I’m so happy for you guys.”
“Will you help me set up the nursery?” Jana asked.
“I wouldn’t miss it!” Harper said.
Jana looked at Cree, who was talking a million miles an hour about how much she loved babies, and said, “Will you help, too?”
“Absolutely!” Cree said.
After talking giddily about Cree’s and Jana’s news, Harper was about ready to burst with her own exciting news. She waited until there was a pause in the conversation, when she was sure she wouldn’t be stealing anyone else’s thunder, and said, “I have news, too.”
She told them about her show being canceled, and then she said, “I was embarrassed to tell you guys. I’m sorry I lied about what it was really like while I was away.”
Brock reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “Harper, you never have to keep anything from us.”
“I know. I wasn’t in a good place. I wasn’t thinking straight, because there was more going on.” She told them about her awful dates, and she even shared the embarrassing story of yelling at the poor guy sitting next to her on the plane.
Brock looked like he wanted to kill someone. “I would have flown out there and taught that cheater a lesson.”
“Which is just one reason I didn’t tell you about it when it happened,” Harper said.
“Damn, Harps, you have better luck with guys than I do,” Colton said, breaking the tension.
“I actually owe you a huge thank-you, Colton. Remember when you ditched me at the music festival?”
“You went to a music festival with Colton?” Jana asked.
Brock was watching her intently.
Harper hadn’t told Brock or Jana about the festival, and she wasn’t surprised Colton hadn’t either. He’d always been a good secret keeper, and he knew how far outside her comfort zone she’d stepped.
“The annual music fest in Romance, Virginia,” Colton explained.
“It was right before I left for LA. I figured since I was starting over, I might as well jump in with both feet and try something else. It wasn’t like I was having any luck with guys the old-fashioned way, and moving across the country was already way out of my comfort zone. So I took a page from your playbook, Jana, and tried a one-night stand. Look how good it turned out for you and Hunter.”
“Christ.” Brock scrubbed a hand down his face. “And you decided to do that in another state, without me there to make sure you were okay?”
“Hey, I was there,” Colton argued.
Brock glowered. “You ditched her. Was this the festival with that musician you’re into?”
An arrogant grin appeared on Colton’s face, and he said, “Oh yeah. I was in deep, too.”
Harper slapped Colton’s arm. “Pig.”
Colton chuckled.
“Brock, I’m not a kid. I knew what I was getting into.” Harper thought about that and added, “Sort of, anyway. It turns out I suck at one-night stands. I met this great guy and we had an amazing night, but then I couldn’t stop thinking about him afterward.”
Jana’s eyes filled with concern. “I can’t wrap my head around you having a one-night stand. I’m not sure if I should be proud of you, or feel guilty that you did it, because it’s obviously my fault. I wish you had come to me for guidance first.”
“Colton gave me advice.”
Brock glowered at him.
“Here’s the thing,” Harper said. “It wasn’t just like a quick…you know…and then it was over. We spent the whole day together, and that night, and then I put my number in the pocket of his suitcase before sneaking out while he was asleep.”
“Oh no, Harper.” Jana shook her head. “I feel sick at the thought of you doing that, and I’m the one who was always pushing you to loosen up.”
“Well, I’m glad I did it. I really connected with the guy, and when I got back to the Cape, I saw him again. I’ve seen him almost every day since. His name is Gavin Wheeler.”
“Gavin?” Jana said. “Serena Mallery’s business partner? He’s hot.”
Hunter’s eyes narrowed. “Babe…?”
“What? He’s not as hot as you,” Jana clarified.
“We know Gavin,” Brock said. “He’s a good guy, Harper, but anything could have happened to you out there.”
“But it didn’t,” Colton reminded him.
“Can you two stop? Something did happen,” Harper said adamantly. “That’s the point I’m trying to make. I met a guy who’s a great listener, he’s family oriented, and he has encouraged me in all the best ways. I was nervous about telling you guys, or my friends, that my show was canceled, and I didn’t trust my own instincts with men because of what happened. I couldn’t even write. Can you imagine that?”
“No, because writing to you has always been like boxing is to me,” Brock said with concern in his voice. “I’m sorry you went through such a hard time, and I’m glad you had someone who helped you, but, Harper, we’re your family. You should have come to us.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. But my whole life felt upside down, and honestly, I felt stuck. I needed to be pushed, even if I didn’t realize it. Gavin did. He wouldn’t let me just wallow in that awful headspace where everything felt negative. He urged me to write about my experiences in LA, to see them differently, and it’s like he opened a dam to my creativity. And he didn’t just help with that aspect of my life. We talk about everything. He understands who I am and what I need. He knew how far outside my comfort zone I’ve been over the past several months, and he knew that night in Virginia, too. I am one hundred percent certain that if I had tried to hook up with any other man that night, I wouldn’t have gone through with it.”
She looked at Brock, knowing how much he loved and cared about her and how much pressure he’d put on himself to keep them all safe throughout the years. “Brock, there are some things a woman has to figure out without the protection of her family. It’s different working through things with him than it would be with you or Jana or Colton. I’m sure it’s the same way for you and Cree, and Jana and Hunter. I can’t explain it, but I trust my instincts.”
Oh my God, I really do.
The realization took her by surprise, bolstering her confidence and her courage.
“I know I did the right thing. And I wish Gavin were here right now, because seeing you guys so in love makes me miss him like crazy.” She’d been holding part of herself back from Gavin, waiting to make love with him until she was sure about where they were heading, but now all she wanted was to be in his arms. She couldn’t know for sure where they were heading. But as long as they were together, she knew they were moving in the right direction.
“I’ve never seen you like this.” Jana studied Harper’s face. “Are you falling for him?”
“I don’t know. Maybe?” she confessed, her heart hammering against her ribs as yes floated in her heart. “This morning I thought I was losing my mind because I’ve never thought about a man every minute like I do with him. I didn’t think it could possibly be normal, much less reciprocated.”
“I think about Brock nonstop,” Cree said. “Sometimes he’s just in the other room and I miss h
im.”
Brock pressed a kiss to her temple. “Me too.”
“That’s how I feel,” Harper said.
“You know how often I think of Hunter,” Jana said. “But, Harper, why would you ever think it wouldn’t be reciprocated? You’re an amazing woman, and any guy would be lucky to be with you.”
“You’ve always had guys after you at Undercover,” Colton said.
“Yeah, the wrong guys.”
“Harper,” Brock said, “when you meet the person you can’t live without, it’s only natural to think about them all the time. And when you finally come together with them, those thoughts only get stronger.”
“When they’re bummed, you’re bummed,” Hunter added. “When they’re happy, you want to do everything within your power to keep them that way. That’s love, Harper. You might not be there yet, but if you feel those things, it’s definitely worth holding on to while you figure it out.”
“Oh, I’m holding on,” she said. “But I’ve also been holding back, because I’ve never experienced so many emotions all at once. Let me finish telling you about this morning. There I was, trying to convince myself I was crazy, and when I walked out my front door to come here, I found the sweetest note on my porch from Gavin, along with a handful of red lollipops tied together with a pink ribbon and a matchbook from the Wysteria Inn where we’d stayed in Virginia.”
She thought of the note, feeling good all over. Good morning, beautiful. Have fun with your family. Remember, you achieved greatness before you ever went to LA. Your family knows how special you are. The only thing that’s changed is that now you’ve got more inspiration for your writing and a great boyfriend! Can’t wait to hold you in my arms again.
“That’s pretty sweet,” Colton said.
“Pretty sweet? Are you kidding? That’s super romantic,” Cree added.
Jana raised her brows and said, “If you told him about your red lollipop fetish you must really like him, because you hate how red lollipops make your tongue and the inside of your lips red. You always said you’d never eat one in front of a guy.”
“I know! And until Gavin, I never have.” Harper laughed. “I thought about that when we were in the candy store in Virginia, but I wanted Gavin to know my secret. I’m telling you, everything is different with him. Do you know what he did when I told him that I wouldn’t eat a red lollipop in front of him even though it was my favorite? He went in search of red lollipops. He said I should never be embarrassed to do anything I enjoy.”
“Oh, Harper,” Jana said. “He sounds like he’s really for you.”
“He is.” He’d pushed her then with the same gentleness he encouraged her now. But he hadn’t pushed her to do the one thing she knew he wanted as badly as she did. Her pulse sped up with that realization. She didn’t want to hold back anymore.
Not even for another second.
Harper pushed to her feet and dug through her purse for her wallet and keys.
“What are you doing?” Jana asked.
“I’m sorry. I have to go.” She threw money on the table and said, “I love you guys. I’ll be in touch, but there’s something I need to do right now.” As she ran for the door she remembered her siblings’ news and called across the restaurant, “Congratulations! I love you!”
She ran through the parking lot to her car, and then she sped the whole way to Gavin’s house. By the time she arrived she was out of breath.
She flew out of her car and ran up his walk, pounding on the door like a madwoman.
She was mad all right.
Mad about Gavin.
“BASICALLY, WHAT I’M hearing is that you owe me big-time for dragging your ass to that music festival.”
Gavin stepped off the dock, speaking through his AirPods to Beckett. “Yeah, I do. Everything is different with Harper in my life. I can’t even explain it, but man, Beck, I want to do things I haven’t ever wanted to do, like finally making my house more of a home. I can’t wait for you to meet her.”
“Whoa. Does that mean you’re actually bringing her home? Dude, this is serious. Are you sure? You remember what went down the last time you did that.”
His jaw clenched. “Harper’s not anything like Corinne. You’ll love her as much as I do.” He looked out over the water and said, “It’s crazy, Beck, but she’ll be here in about an hour and I’m counting down the minutes like a lovesick teenager.” He headed for the house. “I’m thinking about bringing her home with me for Thanksgiving.”
“No shit? You think you’ll still be together?”
“Hell yes. Have you listened to anything I’ve just said?” Gavin opened the patio door, and as he stepped inside he heard someone banging on the front door. “Hold on. I have to answer the door.”
He strode through the house and opened the front door. Harper launched herself into his arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him like a second skin and crushing her mouth to his.
“I missed you,” she panted out between frantic kisses. “I don’t want to hold back anymore. I want it all with you, Gavin. Take me to your bedroom.”
“Man she sounds hot.” Beckett’s voice jarred Gavin from his reverie.
“End the call, Beckett,” he growled against Harper’s lips.
She drew back, confusion in her eyes. “Beckett?”
Holding Harper with one arm, he tore his AirPods from his ears and threw them to the floor. “Forget him.”
He grabbed the back of her head, bringing her mouth to his, their tongues tangling in a passionate dance as he carried her toward the bedroom. He wanted to know what changed, why she suddenly wanted more of him. But she was in his arms, kissing him like she needed him to survive, and in that moment that was all that mattered. He lowered them both to the bed, their tongues thrusting, tasting, memorizing the feel of each other’s mouths. He ran his hands along her thighs, barely able to think past the need to be inside her. He broke their kiss long enough to reach behind him with one hand and tug his shirt over his head.
Her hands played over his chest, her lips curving up in appreciation. “God, I love your body.”
The need in her voice made his cock throb. She was gorgeous, her golden hair spilling over his sheets, the creamy halter top of her dress resting against her tanned skin, the skirt bunched around her waist, and her pretty lace panties begging to be removed.
“Not half as much as I love yours,” he said, taking her in another fierce kiss.
One tug on the strings around her neck freed her breasts. He kissed a path down her neck, over her breastbone, and then he teased her breasts the way he’d learned she loved. She arched and moaned, every sexy sound making him harder, hungrier. He stripped away her dress, and his heart nearly stopped at the sight of her naked, save for the peach panties he was about to tear off with his teeth. And that tattoo. He’d seen it in his most erotic fantasies. The mark of the woman he’d never forget.
She reached for him, but he was on a mission to make her feel better than she ever had. As his hands slid down her ribs to the dip at the swell of her hips, he kissed and sucked, licked and teased every soft, supple inch of her.
She buried her hands in his hair, his tongue sliding in and out of her belly button. She arched and whimpered as his mouth moved lower, teasing along her hips. He slicked his tongue along her inner thigh, inhaling her sweet scent. Then he breathed over the wet trail he’d left, and goose bumps traveled up her flesh. He gave her other thigh the same attention, clutching her hips as he teased her. He licked her through her damp panties, earning a loud, greedy moan. He grabbed the thin material between his teeth, looped his fingers beneath the lace covering her hips, and dragged her panties down her legs. He tossed them aside and loved his way up her legs, kissing and caressing all the way up to the apex of her thighs. He kissed the tender skin around her glistening sex until she rocked and begged for more. The need in her voice was the most erotic sound he’d ever heard. He splayed his hands on her inner thighs and dragged his tongue along her wetness.
/> “Oh Lord,” she said in one long breath.
“So sweet, baby.”
He did it again, one long, slow stroke over her swollen sex.
“Gavin, Gavin, Gavin…” she whispered.
He loved teasing her. Knowing she trusted him with her whole self in the light of day, body and soul, made their lovemaking that much more intense and special. He palmed her breast as he teased her again, squeezing her nipple. She panted, whimpering and writhing against him with every slick of his tongue. He knew what she needed, and covered her sex with his mouth, fucking her with his tongue, teasing her with his fingers, taking her right up to the edge of ecstasy—and holding her there. When she was breathless and flushed, he focused on the place she needed it most, sending her soaring. Her hips bucked and her sex pulsed as he feasted on her.
As she came down from the clouds, he sent her right back up and over the edge again, her essence exploding over his tongue. Her nails dug into his shoulders. He’d never felt so alive, so enraptured by pleasuring a woman. He moved off the bed long enough to strip naked. Her eyes fluttered open as he reached into his nightstand and grabbed a condom. He tore it open with his teeth as her gaze hit his cock. The raw passion in her eyes made him impossibly harder.
“I’m on the pill,” she said shakily.
“You’ve had enough bumps in your road lately, sweetheart. I’m not taking any chances with you. No accidental pregnancies to upend your life.”
“Or yours,” she said sweetly as he sheathed his hard length.
He came down over her and cradled her face between his hands. He wanted to tell her that she could upend his life any day of the week, that what he felt for her was so much bigger than anything he’d ever felt before. But he didn’t want to scare her off, so he kissed her softly and said, “I want nothing more than to feel everything when our bodies come together. We’ll know when we’re ready to risk it.”
He kissed her as their bodies aligned, deepening the kiss as they became one, and the rest of the world fell away. He reveled in the feel of her breasts against his chest, her soft thighs beneath his, her tight body swallowing every inch of him. She felt even more incredible and they fit even more perfectly than he remembered. He cradled her body against his, fighting a war inside him, wanting to stay right there as desperately as he wanted to unleash his every emotion and love her hard.
Bayside Romance (Bayside Summers) Page 14