by Lyric James
Weakened, Blake came down on top of her, rolling them both until they were spooning on the cushioned bench. They remained in that position for a while with a film of sweat on their skin, their breaths coming in short and uneven pants. When she shivered, he rose to his feet, lifted her into his arms, and carried her inside to his bed.
Chapter Five
Early the next morning, Harper lay comfortably beneath the cool sheets, turned her face into Blake’s neck, and inhaled deeply. He pulled her close, and when he slid his hand along her bare back, she shuddered. A warm summer breeze billowed the curtains at the windows he’d opened in the middle of the night. The crash of waves on the sand was like music.
She was so comfortable she never wanted to leave the circle of his arms.
He felt like home.
Wait a minute. What?
No, Harper. No.
She tried to pull out of his embrace, but his grip tightened. She had to push thoughts like that away, had to use the common sense she’d obviously lost as the bright morning dawned.
Harper could not confuse good sex—okay…awesome, mind-blowing, soul-tingling sex—with reality.
“Oh no, Princess, you’re not going anywhere.”
Why hadn’t she gone back to her own bed last night?
Because Blake had continued to make sweet delicious love to her the rest of the night.
It had been unending. The man was insatiable. She’d only gotten snatches of sleep throughout the night. Every couple of hours he’d woken her up with some new passionate, tortuous ecstasy that had her continuously screaming his name.
God, she hoped none of her friends had heard her.
He’d made her beg, demand, and promise any and everything he desired.
What had he turned her into?
She felt a twinge between her legs when she moved, but it was a delicious soreness that reminded her of every position, every slide of his tongue, every caress of his hand along her spine.
Even now he maneuvered himself until he was between her legs, his teeth nipping at her breasts, ratcheting up her desire for him when she hadn’t even brushed her teeth.
She braced her hands against his shoulders and pushed. “Blake, stop. Didn’t you get enough last night?”
His breath brushed the crevice between her breasts and lingered as he chuckled. “Of you, Princess? Never.”
Why did he say things like that? Why did unexpected exaltations of joy spread through her when she heard him utter endearments as if he…No.
Blake didn’t love her. She was simply a weekend distraction. A notch on his bedpost he’d wanted to scratch out for years.
She tried to ease from underneath him, but again, he wouldn’t allow it.
“I told you I wasn’t finished.” He slid lower and fastened his mouth around her clit.
“Blake, please…oh my God.”
Whether the please was begging him to stop or begging him to keep going, she couldn’t be sure. Her brain was a foggy, lust-filled haze right now.
His eyes lifted to hers, and his breathing was harsh, uneven, when he slipped a lone digit into her swollen, dripping core, which had her bowing her back off the bed. “Do you really want me to stop?”
More than anything, she wanted to close her eyes and surrender to the pleasure, but she couldn’t…couldn’t.
Faster than she could react or push him away, he was feasting on her again, claiming, marking, making it impossible for her to do anything but need him so badly her breath hitched in her throat. He opened her fully, even with the soft cotton of the sheets tangled around her feet.
Blindly, mindlessly, she clutched at his hair, pulling him closer. It was as if all her protestations, her denials, were for nothing. The pressure, the emotion, the all-encompassing need built up inside her was ready to burst forth, wild and hot with reckless abandon.
She was desperate for him. Yet, somewhere deep inside her, she knew trepidation would come roaring back, rearing its ugly head as soon as her mind cleared of this fog.
But, for now, she decided to lose herself beneath the sharp flick of his tongue into a haze of pleasure.
Blake sat on the edge of the bed and slid on his cargo shorts. “How about I make you breakfast in bed? We’ll see if I can duplicate that delicious omelet I made for you yesterday?” Shirtless, he turned around and crawled toward her. “Then after that…we’ll just stay in bed a little while longer until it’s time to go.”
“That’s not necessary.” Doubts swirled. They weren’t a couple. They weren’t going to leave here today and see each other tomorrow or the next day. It would be like it always was. She’d see Blake every once in a while when they got together with all their friends.
“You didn’t believe me when I said it would never be enough?” He dipped his head toward her neck with a low, sexy laugh. “Do you need me to prove it to you again, and again?”
A slow shiver spread up her spine. Even now, she wanted him still. But she couldn’t bring herself to laugh or be flippant about what had happened between them. Yet, she couldn’t admit her true feelings either.
“Don’t ever doubt me, Princess.”
He was doing it again, subtly infiltrating her thoughts.
Harper’s nipples stiffened beneath the soft sheet she’d pulled around her body. She couldn’t deny it. She wanted his mouth, his hands, every part of his body on her, but she couldn’t allow the words to pass her lips. Blake was trying to control her, just like her father did her mother.
But he was doing it with sex.
After her father left, he’d never looked back. It took her mother years to overcome the grief and find her spark again.
What if she succumbed to Blake, gave him everything, and he got bored with her? What would become of her then?
No.
Harper would not allow that to happen. She had trouble drawing in a breath, but it had to be said. One of them had to say it. “Look, Blake. Last night was fun. But that’s all it was. Today, I’m going back to my world, and you’re going back to yours.”
Hurt flashed across his face, and she had to suppress the urge to comfort him. She didn’t owe him anything. They’d made no promises beyond enjoying the night with each other.
And the morning.
Oh God.
“Are you trying to say this meant nothing to you?” He shoved his hand through his hair and slid off the bed. She didn’t even want to comprehend the expression on his face. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It was just sex?”
Harper hesitated then lowered her gaze. She wouldn’t dare tell him the truth. The lifestyle Blake lived wasn’t conducive to relationships. She couldn’t compete with the women who belonged to Twine, so uninhibited…and free. Sure, they’d enjoyed the weekend together, but she couldn’t give over control of her days and nights to Blake like this every night.
No one could.
Being able to function would cease to be a reality. He’d consume her, mind, heart, and soul.
Then she’d become her mother.
“I enjoyed…really enjoyed being with you, Blake.” She shrugged and forced herself to maintain eye contact. “But it’s over now.”
“So if I told you I didn’t want it to be over, that I wanted to be with you, start a relationship with you, it wouldn’t mean anything?”
He’d break her if she didn’t get out of here. She scrambled off the bed and started gathering up her clothes that he, at some point during the night, had brought in from outside. Now, she didn’t dare look at him.
A million thoughts swirled through her head as she tied the straps of her halter around her neck. He wasn’t serious. Was he? “Be for real, Blake. You don’t want a relationship with me. I haven’t seen you with the same woman twice in all the time I’ve known you.”
She slid on her skirt and tried to lighten the mood, but a fist-sized lump began to form in her throat.
“Did you ever think there was a reason for that?”
Harper chanced a look up
, and the intensity in his gaze made her take a step back. “Because you’re Blake Nelson. Member of the most notorious sex club in Miami. Why would you want a relationship with one woman when you can have them all?”
“Not the one I want, obviously.”
Shock reverberated through her, but she would not be fooled by his false sincerity. Sure, Blake liked her, probably even cared about her, but he’d grow bored with her soon enough when it was just the two of them.
She slipped her feet into her sandals and squared her shoulders. Walking toward him was like stepping on shards of hot rocks. When she stood in front of him, she braced herself with a tight smile before she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. His pure masculine scent surrounded her and made her want to dive back into the bed with him and never come out.
“Bye, Blake,” she said
He didn’t say another word, and his dark brows were bunched over his stunned gaze. She squelched the guilt ripping up her chest and walked to the door, letting herself out.
Chapter Six
Six weeks later…
“You’re a fool, you know that.”
Harper stared at Violet, eyes wide. “Excuse me?”
Violet crossed her arms over her chest. “You. Are. A. Fool. Was I clear that time?”
“How can you say that to me?”
“Easy. I’m your best friend. I’m allowed. Blake is in love with you. He has been in love with you…like…forever. And you’re going to throw it all away because you think every man is like your father.”
Harper took the statement like a sucker punch to the stomach. “That’s unfair,” she said quietly as tears sprang to her eyes.
“No. It’s the truth.” Violet looked around and hissed. “You’re so scared of getting hurt you’re going to let one of the best men you and I will ever know slip away. Do you think he’s going to wait forever?”
Calmly, Harper set her fork down and placed her shaking hands in her lap. Any appetite she had when she walked in the door was long gone. “Look, just because you and Logan have found your happily-ever-after doesn’t mean I’m supposed to find it with Blake.”
The incredulous look Violet gave her bordered on pity. “You haven’t even tried, Harper. Do you want to spend the rest of your life alone, cooking homemade brownies in that café of yours with no one to go home to who’ll rub your feet after a long day?”
It was exactly what Harper thought would happen until a few weeks ago, until she’d shared that magical night with Blake. But it was false hope, wasn’t it? She couldn’t expect one glorious night with Blake to turn into…forever.
He offered…you refused.
No. No.
Besides, she couldn’t compete…couldn’t compete with the lifestyle he led.
“The sex was off the chain, right? You said so.”
Harper glanced around at the crowded restaurant before answering. “Yes.”
“And he told you he wanted to have a relationship with you?”
She wanted to lie to her friend and say no he definitely did not, but she couldn’t do that. The one thing she could always count on her best friends for was the truth and she owed them the same. “Yes.”
“Then I don’t see a problem.”
She glanced down at her withering chicken salad, usually one of her favorite lunches, and nausea rolled through her stomach. “You know Blake is a member of Twine, don’t you?” she said quietly.
“Is that what this is about?”
“I can’t compete with that, Violet.
“You competed the other night, didn’t you? And won.”
“That was just one night. We can’t do that every night. Hell, who has the stamina?”
“Hmph. Who says you can’t do it every night? Girl, ever since I quit my job and started working with Logan running the fitness clubs, I’ve been so busy I can’t see myself coming or going. Every day we both come home exhausted. But as soon as we get in that bed, rockets and flares go off. Every night.” Violet reached over and covered her hand. “Believe me, sweetie. It’ll be easy because it’ll be with someone you love, who loves you and cherishes you. It won’t be a competition. It’ll be fun.”
Could it be that easy? She’d love to go home to Blake every night, share her day with him, and then have mind-blowing sex. Maybe he’d even want her to teach him how to cook again. They could cook together in that glorious kitchen she helped him design.
But what about her mother, her father? Harper felt as if there were rocks in the bottom of her stomach. The same thing that happened to them could happen to her and Blake. One thing she didn’t want was to end up like her mother, barely able to get out of bed each day because of a broken heart.
“And how do you know you’re not into some of the kinky stuff Blake does at that club? Have you even talked to him about it? Asked him if he’s really a member?”
She cleared her throat and knew a flush crept across her cheeks. “Are you crazy? Of course not. I mean I brought it up, but I didn’t ask him about it.” More like threw it in his face. He never confirmed or denied when she brought it up.
“Which is exactly my point. You haven’t even talked to him about it. How do you even know he’s really a member of that club? You’re just running on he said, she said.”
Harper shook her head. “No. I…you know me, Violet. I can barely talk about sex with you, Dayna, and Stella.”
“Where do you think I’d be right now if I hadn’t gone into seduction mode with Logan that weekend we spent at the beach house?”
Harper had to admit she hadn’t seen Violet this happy in a long time. Dayna and Stella too. It seemed as though each of her friends had found her happily ever after that weekend.
Dayna took a chance with Jared.
Stella finally admitted her feelings for Ian.
All of them were brave enough to go after what they wanted. All of them, except her.
Because you ran from it.
Violet placed her hand over Harper’s. “If you want Blake in your life, Harper, if you truly want your happily ever after, you’re going to have to talk to him. You’re going to have to take a chance.”
Chapter Seven
Harper grabbed the bubbling caramel off the burner, took a spoon, and began to put the finishing touch on the brownies she’d made that morning.
When her mind wandered to Blake for the millionth time that day, she had to set the pot down because her hands began to shake.
Fool.
She was such a fool. What was wrong with her? After her discussion yesterday with Violet, she came to realize Blake was nothing like her father. Nothing. Hell, if Blake wanted to control her, he wouldn’t have waited so long to tell her how he felt. Because of her past, he’d known she needed to be the one to make the first move.
Would he ever forgive her? Give her a second chance? Too many times today she’d slid the pad of her finger across his name on her cell phone, daring herself to call him. But she’d chickened out each and every time.
Ugh.
She’d ruined it.
That’s what she’d done.
She picked up the pot and spoon again with steadier hands and began to drizzle it over the decadent chocolate. When she heard the swish of the kitchen door, she said, “Tina, will you bring me the bakery tray I use to display the brownies?”
Deep in thought, Harper sucked in a breath when she saw a masculine hand place it beside her. All she could do was simply gaze at him. Lines etched his eyes, and he looked tired. With trembling hands, she set her pot down and resisted the urge to smooth her fingers over the lines she now knew she’d put there. “Hi,” she said quietly.
Blake reached for her, pulled her into his arms, and captured her mouth in a kiss that left her insides as soft and gooey as the caramel sitting in her favorite pot.
When he released her, he asked in a raw voice that shook just as much as her hands. “Do you know why I called you every day when I was designing my kitchen?”
Almost daily B
lake had called her, sent her emails with pictures, or sent her text messages when he was building his house, specifically the kitchen. She shook her head and whispered, “No.”
He reached for her hand and brought it to his mouth and kissed her knuckles, closing his eyes as he lowered his face so that she was stroking his stubble-covered cheeks “Because I wanted to know what you wanted. Remember what I would always ask?”
She had to quiet the joy threatening to bubble up inside her soul. Somehow inside her, she’d always known. “If it were my kitchen, what would I choose?”
Stainless steel appliances or black? Oak or cherry wood cabinets? Stone or granite countertops? Before he made a choice about anything, he always called her first. It was as if he was building that kitchen… Her breath caught in her throat.
“I built that kitchen for you, Princess.”
Harper’s heart thumped hard in her chest. “But…but, that was two years ago.”
Blake reached up and cupped her face with his hands, gliding one thumb over her bottom lip. “Because I knew one day, one morning, I’d wake up and find you in there, making breakfast for me, in one of my old T-shirts, a beautiful smile on your face.”
Harper threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. “Oh, Blake. I’m so sorry. I was stupid. Please forgive me.”
He planted a kiss on her forehead, on the tip of her nose, a light one on her lips. “I’ll forgive you if you do one thing for me.”
“Anything,” she said and kissed him back.
He stepped back, reached inside his front pocket, and pulled out a black velvet box. He opened the top and set it next to her brownies. Warm air whispered shallowly from her lungs. “Oh my God.”
When he looked at her, he wore the same devilishly sexy smile that never failed to make her toes curl in her sensible shoes. “Make omelets for me forever in our kitchen. Marry me, Princess.”