by Brooks, Abby
“Don’t be.” Harry put a finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. “Once I understood your plan, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day. Besides, the whole point of today was getting to know you better. We definitely accomplished that, didn’t we? I know you have a big heart. I know you care about making people feel better. And I know you could take on Lilah in a battle for design and be a serious contender.” He held up the basket with a flourish. “May I present exhibit A.”
Harry admired compassion. Not many people went out of their way for others anymore. Especially not for total strangers. He had no clue what kind of salary ballet dancers made, but didn’t think it could be much—certainly not enough to make living in a place like New York affordable. Yet, Willow just spent over a hundred dollars to make a stranger feel better. Mix in the fact that she was hot as hell and had an easy intelligence that lit her eyes and Harry was hooked.
Kind, beautiful, smart, and talented? Who wouldn’t want a woman who had it all in spades?
The bored, itchy feeling that came over him when his mind wasn’t occupied had all but vanished since he walked into Juliet’s kitchen the day before. The second his gaze fell on Willow, his attention belonged to her.
He’d thought he had everything he needed in life.
He’d never been so wrong.
They hadn’t even finished their first date yet and he was already working on ways to see her again. He couldn’t imagine going back to how things were before—just him, his hobbies, and his job.
“Ellie’s cafe is just across the street.” Harry indicated the shop at the end of the block and Willow read the name on the neon sign hanging over the door.
“Good Beginnings?”
“That’s the one.” Pride lit Harry’s heart as he stared at that sign. A couple months earlier, someone had broken into Ellie’s place of business and destroyed everything inside. The entire Moore family came together to help her rebuild, both financially and physically, and that sign had been part of his contribution.
“It looks wonderful! I bet Ellie just loves running her own business.” Willow stared at the cafe as if it was an oasis. “There has to be so much freedom in being your own boss.”
“There’s a lot more to it than you think.” Harry took her arm as they crossed the street. “You get out what you put in, which is great.” He shrugged. “Except sometimes that means you never stop trying to put more in.”
“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Definitely. I love my restaurant. Love the control of being my own boss and setting my own hours. But sometimes that means I work way more than what normal people consider acceptable.” He gave her a devilish smile. “I’m sorry, I should say other normal people.”
With a grimace, Willow apologized. “I never realized how snobby that sounds…”
“I’m just teasing, Willie. No worries. I get it. The cult of ballet has you brainwashed.”
She gave him a playful shove as they pushed through the front door of Good Beginnings. Perched on the counter was James, picking off bites of a muffin and tossing them at Ellie’s mouth. “Hey!” his brother called out, hopping down. “Don’t mind us, we’re just killing time until it’s time to close.”
He hit Harry with a confused look, one that said he definitely did not expect him to bring Willow to the café. Under normal circumstances, the teasing would never end, but these were not normal circumstances and thankfully, James stayed quiet. With an unexpected dash of shyness, Willow held out her basket of goodies.
“I, uh…” She bit her lip. “Harry and I put this together for you. It’s just a bunch of silly things that might help fight off the nausea.”
Ellie’s jaw dropped and James—understanding the reason for the stop—offered an apologetic smile to Harry as Willow presented the basket to the couple, explaining the contents in a quiet voice.
“Thank you,” Ellie said, blinking furiously as her eyes misted. “And I’m sorry for the tears, I just…well…it’s been a crazy couple months and the pregnancy has me weepy.”
“Don’t think a thing about it. I just hope something in there brings you relief.” Willow smiled and glanced around the cafe. “This place is amazing! You must be so proud.”
Ellie explained the highlights of what happened, pointing out the damage that had been done and how the Moores gathered around her to put things back together. “Having a Moore in your corner is pretty much a life-changing event.”
The statement caught Harry off guard…until he thought about how much had changed for Juliet and Ellie after they met his brothers. Basically, everything about their lives had been altered. For those two, that had been a good thing. Life for them had seriously bumped off the tracks and needed the reset Ian and James provided.
But maybe running into a Moore wouldn’t be such a good thing for Willow. Her life seemed to be completely in order. What change could he bring her that didn’t blow her plans right out of the water?
Easy there, big boy. Getting a little ahead of yourself, considering you haven’t even known her for twenty-four hours yet.
With a shake of his head, Harry promised himself he’d take it easy when it came to her, then almost laughed out loud at the thought. As a man of extremes, he’d never taken anything easy in his life.
Chapter Thirteen
Harry
As much as Harry loved James and Ellie, he wanted Willow to himself. He didn’t have the luxury of time on his side. With only a few days to learn everything there was to know about her, he felt exceptionally greedy about each hour.
“You hungry?” James asked Willow. “Thirsty? I’d recommend just about anything on the menu.”
She studied the sweets in the bakery display then bit her lip as she turned her attention to the menu. “Coffee is a must,” she said, still reading through her options. “Black, please, and as caffeinated as you can make it.” She finally settled on a salad with grilled chicken and no dressing and stepped aside for Harry to place his order. His mind went to work, adding up the calories and nutrients in the meal, then designing a plate that would better suit her needs.
He’d played it cool when she said she hadn’t eaten yet that day, but he couldn’t allow that to keep happening. As an athlete, Willow’s body was her tool. If he wouldn’t let the GTO drive around in less than pristine condition, he certainly wouldn’t let his woman…
He cut that thought off.
Willow wasn’t his. Not by a long shot.
After he ordered and paid—much to Willow’s chagrin—they found a seat near the window and finally, Harry got the one-on-one time he craved.
He had so many things to ask, so many things he wanted to know, he couldn’t decide where to start. And to make matters worse, his need to touch her tangled with all the questions in his head and made it difficult to speak. Even sitting across from her, with only a table separating them, was too much distance for his taste.
He wanted to run his fingers across her cheekbone, let his mouth explore her elegantly long neck. He wanted to run his hands up her trim body and watch goose bumps spread across her skin. He wanted to start kissing behind her ear and work his way down her stomach until he spread her legs and tasted her.
Willow leaned in, folding her arms on the table. “I’m curious. When you’re not running a business or restoring cars or jogging on the beach, what do you like to do for fun?”
I’d like to do you for fun, he thought and tried not to grin like an idiot and give himself away.
“Believe it or not,” he said, sitting back as James arrived with their food. “That pretty much takes up the majority of my time. Being passionate about what you do is both a gift and a curse.”
“You’re telling me.” Willow picked the croutons out of her salad with her fork and pushed them aside. “Luckily, dancers like to play just as hard as we work, so there’s almost always somewhere to go after rehearsal, but it’s always with other dancers. Which is fine,” she said quickl
y, though something in her posture made Harry believe it wasn’t actually fine.
He’d been teasing earlier, when he told her he wondered if she ever said what she was really thinking, but part of him started to wonder if he’d hit the nail on the head. There was something about the topic of dance she had locked up tight.
“If you didn’t have to work so hard, and you didn’t always spend time with other dancers, what would you do?”
The question took Willow off guard. She put down her fork and leaned forward, threading her fingers together and placing them underneath her chin. “What would I do?” she asked, almost to herself. “What does it say that I don’t know the answer to that question?”
“Maybe it says you’re happy with the life you live.”
There it was again.
That flash of darkness in her eyes.
The one that Harry didn’t think she even knew existed.
“That sounds about right.” She took another bite of her salad. “Oh! I know! I’d actually put dressing on my salad and eat French fries whenever I wanted. That’s definitely something I’d do.”
It was probably the worst idea of his life, trying to get to know Willow—really know her—in a week…especially considering he might never see her again. But the chemistry between them was undeniable. He couldn’t imagine being in the same town with her and not being together. If he had to, he’d use every excuse he could think of to get more time with her, consequences be damned.
When they left the cafe, Harry drove straight to the beach. Willow carried her shoes as they walked along the water’s edge, the ocean licking over her feet and lapping the hem of her dress, causing her to laugh and hop out of the way. As they walked, they opened up, sharing every thought that entered their hearts and heads.
No filters.
No practiced answers.
Just plain, unadulterated truth.
At least not until Harry asked about dancing—then, just like at the café, he felt like Willow switched on auto-pilot. Like she was giving him answers she’d recited in front of a mirror. Answers she’d practiced to perfection, until even she believed they were true…whether they were or not. Something told him she wasn’t as happy as she thought she was.
Hours passed like minutes as they walked and talked. Afternoon faded to evening and the time to take Willow home to Juliet inevitably arrived. Reluctantly, he led her back to the GTO. His desire to touch her was so strong, so undeniable, that he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers before he could think better of it.
There was a moment of stunned silence, of a stillness that was fear and anticipation wrapped into one terrifying moment of self-doubt. And then Willow returned his kiss, her lips sweet and delicate. Her hands drew ever so lightly up his back before they clutched at his shoulders, kneading into his muscles. Harry ran his fingers into her hair, pleased to find it as soft as he’d imagined.
He drew back, just enough to free his lips. “I suppose I should say I’m sorry, but I’ve wanted to do that all day and I refuse to apologize for something that wonderful.” The wind rustled in their hair and blew her dress against his legs.
“Good,” she murmured, her voice deep and warm like sunshine and amber. “I don’t know what it is about you…”
Harry desperately wanted her to continue her thought, but she reached up to kiss him again and that was just as good as knowing what she was about to say.
Chapter Fourteen
Willow
Up to the moment Harry’s lips touched hers, Willow thought she knew what it meant to want something so badly she defined her entire life around it. As far back as her memories went, every dream, every waking thought, had all been about ballet and how to further her career.
She didn’t want to be better.
She wanted to be the best.
And with one perfect kiss, everything changed. Wrapped in Harry’s embrace, Willow realized she’d never wanted anything as much as she wanted him. Words like destiny, soulmate, and true love flitted through her mind, distracting her from whatever conversation she tried to have on their short drive back to Juliet’s. She loved her friend. Dearly. But in that moment—if she could have one wish come true—she wished she could give all her remaining time in Bliss to the man sitting next to her.
Harry pulled into the driveway and Willow searched for the right thing to say. She wanted to tell him what a great day she had. She wanted to give him some clue as to how much fun he was to be around. But for the life of her, she couldn’t find words strong enough to convey all the things in her head and heart—especially considering it was way too soon to be feeling the way she was.
She placed her hand on his, traced a lazy circle around one of his knuckles, and looked deeply into his eyes. “Thank you,” she managed at last.
She meant thank you for all the different parts of who he was that connected so easily with all she was.
She meant thank you for seeing her. For hearing her.
Thank you for spending the day with her.
Thank you for a kiss that would forever change the course of her life. From that point forward, everything would be different because she’d met him. A tiny voice in the back of her brain spoke up, reminding her of the repercussions of that last thought, but she pushed it away and refocused on Harry.
Hoping he understood, she gazed into his eyes, and something so wonderful it hurt flooded her system when she saw that he did.
“No, Willow Tamran, thank you.”
“Can I see you again?” she asked.
He grinned as he brought her hand to his lips. “I was going to ask you the same thing.”
“Tomorrow?” She had never wanted someone to kiss her as badly as she wanted Harry to kiss her. Leaning close, she traced her hand up his arm and pressed her palm to his cheek. He closed his eyes and smiled at her touch. Without thinking, she leaned across the seat and kissed him, her lips barely grazing his.
She heard his breath catch in his throat and desire blazed to life in her body. Heat pooled between her thighs and she pulled away, awash in a combination of lust and tenderness she’d never experienced before.
“Until tomorrow,” she breathed, then climbed out of his car and dashed toward the porch, too keyed up to tolerate something as mundane as walking. She skipped up the steps and turned to wave as he pulled out of the driveway. The sun blazed down from its point in the sky and sent him off in a miracle of gleaming red paint and white leather, light dancing in his hair, and the memory of his skin against hers.
When he was out of sight, Willow waltzed into the house, humming to herself. “Oh Juuuliet!” she called. “I’m hoooome.”
A muffled series of curses and whispers came from upstairs, followed by a bout of giggling, some thumping, then more giggling before Juliet appeared in the bedroom doorway, wearing only Ian’s shirt and a sheepish grin. “Your timing is impeccable as always.”
Willow bit her lip and smiled. “You guys need me to leave?”
“Nope. We’ve…uhh…we’re good.” Juliet flashed a thumbs-up then looked at her hand as if it had acted of its own free will, before dropping her arm and blushing furiously.
“Hope you had fun,” Willow said as she wandered into the kitchen to check on the status of the coffee pot. It was late in the evening, but she never had a problem with caffeine the way some people did.
“You better believe we did,” Ian yelled from somewhere in the bedroom. Willow listened as Juliet chastised her fiancé, then, from the sound of it, leapt back into bed with him. Shaking her head at their enthusiasm, Willow washed out the empty carafe and filled it with water. She scooped coffee from a bag labeled ‘Good Beginnings Morning Blend’ into the filter and started the pot brewing.
With so many good people surrounding her in Bliss, it was becoming clear how Juliet ended up swept off her feet and decided to settle in the small town after she left New York. Happiness lived in the nooks and crannies of the house.
Willow waited for the c
offee to brew and entertained herself by watching the ocean roll up to the sand, leaning against the window as the delicate aroma of the Morning Blend filled the kitchen. As the coffee maker gurgled happily on the counter, Juliet padded into the kitchen, her bare feet slapping on the tiles.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Willow said without looking away from the window.
“Don’t be. I’d apologize, but I’m not the least bit sorry for what just happened in there.”
Willow turned around and groaned. “Really? Too much information, Julz. No need to share the gory details.”
“Oh, but there is. It’s just that good.” Juliet sighed and leaned on the counter. She’d put on a simple sundress that showed off her tanned legs. Bliss looked good on her.
“Believe me, that’s more than enough sharing. But if it’s good enough for you to want to go there, then I’m really happy for you.”
“Speaking of happy, how was your time with Harry?”
Willow couldn’t stop the smile that lit up her face. She tried to hide it by opening the cabinet and digging for a coffee mug, but Juliet caught it anyway.
“Willie!” Juliet gasped. “Look at you. Are you falling for a Moore?”
“Who’s falling for a Moore?” Ian ambled into the kitchen, wearing only a pair of low hanging sweatpants. His chiseled chest and abs made Willow remember Harry running shirtless on the beach. Those Moore genes sure were something.
Willow shot Juliet a look as she poured herself some coffee. “I had a really nice time with your brother today. He’s very sweet.”
And he takes my breath away and I feel like I’m on the precipice of something big when we’re together but it’s ridiculous for me to feel that way. I live in New York and he lives here and we barely know each other. Like, at all.
“Harry’s a good guy.” Ian smiled and leaned on the counter. “But his job is his first love. I wouldn’t get too wrapped up in him.”
Juliet slapped him on the arm. “Ian!”