Damn him.
Considerate and sexy.
Knock it off, Carmichael.
“What are you doing?” she asked when he returned, stripping as he went. He dropped his clothes and came for her without answering. Harper squeaked as he pulled the dress up over her head, stopped briefly to kiss her hard, then grabbed her hand and took her to the bathroom.
“Get in,” he said, sinking into the tub slowly. He didn’t wait for her to acquiesce. It was as if he knew she wouldn’t refuse him. That both galled and aroused her.
She wasn’t accustomed to taking orders. But there was something a little dangerous about Teagan at the moment that tripped her wires in the biggest way. She stepped into the tub but before she could slide to the opposite end, he curled her into the cove between his legs.
His cock bumped against her behind and she hitched a tight breath as the memory of what he could do with that thing made her blush. “Lean back,” he said, the deep rumble of his chest vibrating through the water.
Harper sighed and sank against him, closing her eyes briefly to enjoy the illicit joy of being held against his solid body.
For a long moment, they simply enjoyed the mild jets swirling the water, neither speaking—the air heavy with tension.
“Tell me what you’re running from,” he said.
“I’m not running from anything.”
Teagan tried again, his voice steady but firm. “Tell me what has hurt you so bad that you’re unwilling to try again.”
Her silence prompted him to start throwing out theories.
“Bad boyfriend broke your heart?”
“I don’t allow my heart to be broken,” she returned coolly.
“Then tell me why you keep pushing me away when you know we’re a good fit in so many ways.”
“Teagan, I’ve tried to spare your feelings,” she said, searching for a convincing way to lie. “I’m just not interested in anything serious with you.” She turned to face him, meeting his gaze. “If you were interested in just sex, I could handle that. Sex with you is phenomenal, but I can’t offer you anything else.”
“You’ve already said all these things but I know you’re holding back. If you can tell me truthfully why you won’t be with me, I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want.”
She frowned, not quite believing him. “You’re serious?”
“I’m totally serious.”
“Can we still have sex?” she asked coyly, warming to his proposal.
“That’ll be up to me to decide. Unlike you, I’m all in. I want you, Harper. Whatever it is that you are... I want it. But if I can’t have all of you then I’m not sure I want the consolation prize.”
Sex with her was the consolation prize? “That’s not what most guys say.”
“I’m not most guys.”
He was right about that. She reached beneath the water and grasped his semiflaccid shaft, giving it a squeeze. “Try to tell me you don’t want to bend me over this bathtub and screw me right here.”
His gaze darkened with immediate desire and he surged against her hand but he didn’t cave. “Tell me and I’ll decide from there.”
Maybe this was a deal she should take.
Teagan seemed a reasonably sensible guy. Maybe he’d understand the economics she was faced with and agree her options were slim.
Ha. Yeah right.
She could already see the hunger in his eyes, could feel the tension in his frame.
“You talk, I’ll wash.” Teagan lathered up a soft cloth with body wash and began to lazily rub it across her shoulders and down her back, then back to her front. She smiled in spite of herself when he paused a little too long on her breasts but his touch was incredibly soothing.
“I can’t afford to be with you, Teagan,” she said, sighing as he sluiced water over her soapy body. It felt wonderful to be pampered by someone who looked at her like Teagan did. Something deeper than lust caressed her senses with that gaze. “My mother has MS and I am her sole caretaker.”
He paused with a surprised expression. “That’s very noble of you.”
“Not noble at all. I’m her only family. She and I are all we have.”
“And you thought I would have a problem with you being a good daughter?” he asked quizzically.
If only it were that simple.
She drew a deep breath and took the cloth from his hand to return the favor. “My mother was a hopeless romantic. Always wanting to fall in love. And she fell in love more times than I can count during my childhood. But she was still responsible and made sure my needs were met and we had a roof over our heads. She even managed a small savings. Until Rex came along.”
He waited for her to continue. Harper hadn’t realized sharing this story would be more difficult than she’d thought.
“Umm, so Rex came into our lives and played the gentleman. He wooed my mom and sold her a million lies just so he could get his hands on her money. By the time my mom figured out she’d been conned, Rex was long gone and so was our entire life savings.”
“How much?”
She shrugged, admitting, “It wasn’t a lot but it seemed like it to us. Twenty thousand.”
“Did your mom file charges?”
She shook her head with a derisive chuckle. “My mom was too embarrassed to admit she’d been played. And she was brokenhearted. She really loved him. Even if it was just an act for Rex.” She drew a deep breath as she slid the cloth over his pecs. “My mom got sick not long after. Doctor said stress might’ve been the catalyst but who knows? Maybe she always would’ve gotten sick but at least we would’ve had some money to pay for the doctors.”
“Twenty thousand doesn’t go far in health care,” he said, frowning. “And this guy just disappeared into the wind?”
“Long gone. Sometimes I think about trying to find him but I don’t know what I would do if I did. I’m not sure I trust myself. I might just shoot him.”
“Do you own a gun?”
“Of course I do.”
“Then, you should probably listen to your gut and leave him to his own karma. Even as beautiful as you are, prison orange would not look good on you.”
She rinsed the soap away and gently wiped his face, avoiding his eyes. “The thing is, I should perhaps thank him.”
“Come again?”
“He taught me that trusting love is for idiots. Love isn’t real, Teagan. It’s science. A chemical reaction exploding in the brain for a few brief months before reality sets in and the hormone bath subsides.”
“Love isn’t just about science,” he said, pausing to rinse his face. He pushed his hair back and met her gaze. “Love is something you feel here.” He tapped her chest where her heart resided. Then, he tapped her forehead. “Not here.”
Harper laughed. “Well, maybe for some people, but not me. That’s why I’m not the girl for you. I don’t believe in love. I believe in hot sex, deep kisses and the power of the dollar. And that’s it.”
“So you con these men just like that man conned your mother, only your targets are bigger and wealthier,” he said, putting together the pieces.
She refused to feel any shame, not in front of Teagan, so she nodded as if proud. “Yep. And I’m good at it. At least I was until you came along.”
“You were hurt. That man was an asshole. But you’re better than he was,” he said, grasping her hands in his.
Harper scowled, irritated that he was trying to save her, as if she needed saving at all. She tugged her hands free. “I like what I do. I like wearing designer clothes and eating at the finest restaurants. I enjoy the privilege of having whatever I want at the snap of a finger. These men fall all over themselves to shower me with gifts and trinkets. And then, when I’m tired of them or our time has run its course... I move on.”<
br />
“Why Stuart, then?” he asked, peering at her intently, as if knowing Harper had a different agenda than usual. “He’s a nice man. And you’re not his type.”
“I’m all men’s type,” she disagreed. “If Vanessa hadn’t cock-blocked me, I’d have that man in my bed as we speak.”
That part was iffy but she wasn’t going to admit her failures. She already knew Stuart had been a bad investment of her time, which was simply inexcusable on her part. Now she had to research someone else and so far, she didn’t like her options.
A tiny twitch in Teagan’s eye gave away his discomfort at her bald statement. She dared him to judge her. “Go ahead, call me a whore, call me a gold digger, it doesn’t matter to me. What matters is what lands in my bank account.”
“You said you did this for your mother...how much does her care cost?” he asked, throwing her off.
“Why?”
“Because if you’re doing this for your mother’s care, that other stuff shouldn’t matter. The cars, the clothes, the privilege...and honestly, I don’t think it does matter to you. I think you’re still playing a part and we agreed to complete honesty.”
She held her breath as he rose, the water dripping from his magnificent body. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his torso as he stepped out.
“The thing is, Harper, you’re punishing every man for something that happened to your mother. I understand, but at a certain point, you have to realize that you’re wrong.”
“Thank you for sharing your unsolicited opinion on my life,” she said, grabbing her own towel and tucking it around her. Stepping out, Harper stalked past him, hurt and irritated that he so easily saw around her carefully constructed reasoning.
“And you’re wrong,” she added. “I do like that stuff. Just because you want to see me in a different light doesn’t mean what you want is any more true than what I’m telling you.”
“You know how I know you’re lying?” he said, stalking closer, crowding her space. “Because of the way your eyes track my every move, how your skin warms to my touch and how your body reacts to mine when you have no choice but to give in. Your mouth can lie but your body does not.”
“Sexual attraction isn’t an accurate measure of someone’s honesty,” she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. Everything he said was true but she was also being truthful to a point. “I’ve never said I didn’t respond to your touch. Sex with you is the best I’ve ever had. You might always have that distinction but I need more than epic sex!”
“Exactly,” he said, unswayed by her impassioned response. If she was stubborn, Teagan was equally so. “If we never had sex again, I’d still want to spend every moment with you. You’re a hot woman, no doubt, but I’m interested in more than just what’s between your legs, sweetheart. Can you say the same about the other men you screw?”
No, she wanted to cry. She was nothing to those other men but they were nothing to her, either, so it was fair, right?
“Teagan,” she whispered, losing the will to fight anymore. “I gave you my answer. Either you believe me or you don’t.”
His jaw firmed and he swept her into his arms, saying in a hard tone, “I don’t,” before carrying Harper to the bed.
This night would end with both tangled up in each other but Harper knew by morning, everything would look the same.
No matter what Teagan had to say.
20
HE’D MADE HARPER a deal, what more could he say that would convince her to trust him with the truth?
Nothing.
There was nothing left to say or do.
But he couldn’t leave without touching her.
No, it wasn’t about the sex, but if she wouldn’t offer her heart, he’d take what he could get.
He tumbled her to the bed and ripped her towel from her body. Her skin, rosy from the bath, tan from the sun, beckoned to his lips as he bent to press kisses along her tan lines.
Harper shivered, moaning as he slowly opened her legs, splaying those lovely stems so he could feast on the dewy center he craved so much.
Her pale folds, damp and plump, hid that sweet button that he wanted to suck into his mouth.
Harper’s scent drove him wild, urged him to bury his face between her thighs and suck and lick until she screamed his name.
Teagan lifted her hips and pulled her close, sinking his tongue deep, sliding and tasting, exploring. He listened for her subtle cues—a tiny gasp, a tight breath, a soft, helpless mewl—and adjusted his tempo, rhythm and pressure until he had her panting like a wild thing in his arms.
The thrill of pleasuring Harper was quickly becoming his favorite activity. She tasted like honey and lemon, pineapple and summer. He would gladly spend the rest of his days camped out, sucking on her swollen nub, listening to the music of her cries.
Teagan had always been a fan of a woman’s pussy, but his enjoyment of Harper took that appreciation to a new level.
Was this love?
Was it possible to fall as quickly as that?
Maybe Harper was right and this was just infatuation, or crazy-ass lust that would fade.
His gut called bullshit. This felt right on so many levels.
Why wouldn’t she admit the same?
Harper sucked in a tight breath and cried out as she came hard. He tasted her juices, felt her clit pulse with each contraction while her thighs quaked.
Groaning, she allowed him to roll her over to her belly. Her ass was near perfect. She had the trimmest waist that flared to gorgeous, womanly hips. She had a small mole on her right cheek that dared to blemish that soft skin.
His cock surged with need, hard as a manzanita branch. He guided his length to her entrance and slowly pushed inside, breaching her hot sheath. His eyes fluttered shut at the exquisite pleasure, savoring the close heat surrounding his shaft as he buried himself as far as he could possibly go.
“Harper,” he breathed in pleasurable agony. “God, girl...”
Still buried inside her, he lifted her onto her knees, pushing her head down to rest on the bedding. She was a carnal offering that he gladly accepted. The twin halves of her ass were perfect for his grip as he thrust against her.
She moaned and curled her fingers into the bedding. The sound of their breathing and their bodies filled the room.
Teagan increased his tempo, losing himself in the intense heat between them. He rocked against her and she pushed to meet him, impaling herself on his shaft, groaning with each thrust.
He gripped her hips harder as the telltale signs of his release began to build. Harper’s breathing rasped as she stiffened, keening as another climax found her. Teagan gratefully gave in to the urge to follow.
His thrusts slowed and he finally stopped, withdrawing to fall beside her on the bed, his hand flopping over his eyes.
Neither spoke.
The harsh breathing between them was a shared sound, each heartbeat racing.
“You should go,” Harper said, breaking the silence.
He collected her roughly and pulled her against him. “No.”
“You promised.”
“Go to sleep.”
Teagan heard the sadness in her voice, the obvious reluctance to push him out, so he took the burden from her shoulders by refusing.
She seemed relieved and cuddled up to him, falling asleep within moments.
How could someone fight so hard against something they really wanted?
Teagan saw through her motions, recognized the scent of fear in every decision to push him away.
He couldn’t force her to trust him.
Either she would come to that realization on her own or she wouldn’t.
Teagan had to get to the point where he could watch her walk away if it came to that.
&nbs
p; * * *
HARPER WAS DREAMING.
She was eleven again in body but her mind was processing the scene as an adult.
The weak sunlight dusted the scarred kitchen table and dust motes danced.
Her mother’s tears splashed on the table as she stared at her bank statement.
“He took it all.”
The whispered words echoed in the small apartment.
Harper knew how this dream ended because it’d played out in real life.
The scene switched and her mom was on the floor, the strength in her legs giving out.
The scene switched three to four more times, each one filled with more evidence from her past that trusting a man was a lesson in foolishness.
Harper awoke, sweating, around midnight. Teagan was lightly snoring, his deep breathing more soothing than she wanted to admit.
She rolled onto her side and watched Teagan sleep.
Such a classically handsome profile.
If she were a different person, living a different life...yeah, Teagan would’ve been her first choice.
Funny, kind, sexy—what’s not to like?
But surely, that’s what her mother must’ve thought, too, when she met Rex.
Rex had pulled out all the stops to bag her mother.
He’d been a small-time crook but what he’d taken from them might as well have been a million dollars, for it was all they’d had.
At least she could say, the men she took from had plenty to spare.
Justifications, she thought with a derisive smile, is that what I’ve come to?
The thing was, the perfect life was an illusion.
Everyone used everyone else to some varying degree.
So why did she physically hurt at the thought of walking away from Teagan?
It felt perfectly natural to have Teagan in her bed, beside her, laughing with him.
Even arguing.
Harper had always managed to keep a part of herself distant from the men she dated but not with Teagan. It was as if he could psychically rip apart her walls and drag her straight to him.
It was scary and wonderful at the same time.
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