by C. A. Harms
Jett’s statement made me turn in my chair to face him. “Come again?”
“If that is all you see when you look at my sister, then don’t act on it.” Jett stared at me, his expression hard. “I would say that you are one of my best friends, Easton, someone I would do just about anything for. But if I had to choose between you and her, you have to know there would be no question. I won’t stand by and watch her get hurt, not by someone I consider a brother.”
“What makes you think I would hurt her?” I had to admit, the fact that he was assuming I had bad intentions was pissing me off.
“She’s built walls to protect herself. She goes for all the wrong guys because she wants to stay safe. If she goes into a relationship with low expectations, she feels she has less of a chance of getting hurt in the end,” he explained.
“I’m not looking for a fuck buddy,” I stated as clearly as possible. “If I was looking for a hookup, I can guarantee you I wouldn’t go after Harper. I may not have known her my whole life, but I’ve known her long enough to know she deserves something good. And you…” I paused to get my thoughts straight. “Your friendship means more to me than one night of sex. I’m not willing to throw that away. No matter how hot the girl is.”
I chuckled when Jett smiled.
“I will tell you this—she could never just be a road gig. She is definitely more than that.”
I understood his reservations. If she and I had something that went south, my friendship with Jett would be lost as well. I looked over at the blonde beauty again. She was tipsy now, and her laughter was louder. She seemed less guarded. She was relaxed and she was absolutely beautiful.
***
As the night went on, the girls continued to drink, and when they started dancing next to the pool, Jett cut them off and lectured them about the dangers of slipping and hurting themselves. They called him a control freak and a buzzkill, but he was right.
Kade and Jude said their good-byes, and soon after, Jett dragged Quinn off to bed. I snuck off to the hot tub with a fresh beer in hand. I had paced myself all night, knowing I had to drive to my condo.
Avery, Callie, and Harper noticed where I’d gone and decided to join me, and there I was in a pool of heated water with three attractive woman. What guy wouldn’t love every second of that scenario? All three sat on the opposite side and stared at me, smirking. I had a feeling I was in for it when they all shared some sort of signal as they winked and nodded.
“So here we are,” Callie started. “Three of us and one of you. It’s late, dark, and no one’s around to witness or judge.”
Avery leaned over to Callie and whispered in her ear just before she traced her tongue up the side of Callie’s neck oh so gently.
I felt that one as my cock twitched. What the fuck?
I looked over at Harper, who was watching me closely. I couldn’t read her blank stare, and I immediately remembered Jett’s words. Harper isn’t as strong as she appears.
“Sorry, Callie, but I’m more of a one-woman man. And I have my sights set on one specific blonde,” I said, never once allowing my eyes to leave Harper’s.
Her expression softened and relief filled me.
“Well, I guess that’s our cue,” Callie said as she stood up and crawled out of the hot tub. She reached her hand out for Avery, who followed.
“As long as you understand that lick thing was only for show,” Avery explained to her. “I’m only into guys and have no intentions of ever going down under, if you know what I mean.”
Callie laughed and I too could no longer hide my smile. They were playing me, trying to get a reaction.
“No worries, A, I like dick too. You’re safe with me,” Callie assured her. The funniest part was the relieved expression on Avery’s face as they walked away.
“Most guys would have gone for that. Three girls in bikinis offering a night of fun without expectations,” Harper said, her voice slightly slurred.
I looked back at her. “Yeah, I’m sure most guys would have taken the bait. Three beautiful women, a hot tub, no witnesses.”
I slid off my seat and took the one next to her. Once I was closer, I could see her bloodshot eyes. She was extremely buzzed. He guard was down, that cocky attitude gone.
“I have other interests, though,” I stated, resting my head back against the headrest.
“Oh yeah, the blonde.” Her eyes drooped slightly.
“Yeah, she’s gorgeous.” I lifted my hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, and her eyes closed. “She’s strong and bold, but under all that, she’s even more amazing.”
Harper forced her eyes open, and her lips curved into a smile. “She’s a lucky girl,” she whispered.
“Why is that?” I asked.
“Because she’s captured the attention of a man like you. You’re pretty gorgeous yourself, Easton Black. Any girl would be lucky to have a guy like you, to kiss, to hold…”
I leaned in closer and skimmed my lips over hers. Pulling back, I watched her eyes flutter open, locking on mine. “Do you want to kiss me, Harper?”
“Yes,” she breathed.
I pressed my lips to hers, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. Her tongue traced my lips, and I sucked on the tip. Her sexy, soft moan made me want more.
Our gentle kiss quickly became hungry, and she moved faster than a girl who had consumed a large amount of alcohol should have been able to. She placed her hands on my shoulders and straddled my lap.
The moment she started grinding against me, I gripped her hips, stopping her. “No, not here, not tonight.” She pulled back and looked at me, confusion evident on her face. “Not like this, baby.”
She looked startled as she slid from my lap, stumbled back in the water, and braced herself on the side of the hot tub, looking as if I’d slapped her.
“You’ve been drinking, Harp. I just don’t want—”
“Don’t,” she said, holding her hand up. “No need to explain. This shouldn’t have happened. None of it. I’m drunk and this was a mistake.”
I sat in the darkness and watched her climb out of the tub and grab a towel from the lounge chair as she passed it. Arguing with a sober Harper was a losing battle, but a drunk Harper? Hell, it would have been like beating your damn head against the wall.
When I heard the back door open and shut again, I groaned in frustration. Well, that was a disaster.
Chapter Nine
Harper
“Wake up, sunshine.” Callie was too chipper and annoying for my liking. “Wakey-wakey. The sun’s out, coffee is brewing, and we want details.”
“What are you talking about, freak?” I groaned and pulled on the pillow, trying to cover my head back up.
“Easton and the hot tub. We want to know what happened after we left you in his very capable hands last night.” Avery was just as annoying as Callie.
“I hate to disappoint you, ladies, but nothing happened. I came inside to go to bed, and I’m assuming he went home. Unless he’s still waiting in the hot tub outside.” Silence filled the room, and I waited for one of them to speak.
When there was still no sound after a few minutes, I peeked around the edge of the pillow. They were both watching me with confusion.
“Why are you two staring at me?” I asked.
“Easton is a very good-looking guy—a guy that happens to be interested in you,” Callie stated as if that explained it all. “Why wouldn’t you go for it?”
I shrugged and sat up. I had a feeling there was no chance of me falling back to sleep, not with these two hounding me for information on events I had no desire to relive. “I don’t like Easton in that way. He’s cute, yeah, maybe even a little sexy.”
Avery gasped. “A little? That man oozes sexy. It is like his own little atmosphere, and he carries it well.”
“Well, then maybe you should go for him.” The moment I said it, I regretted it. My stomach tightened and I felt nauseous.
“Even if I wanted to, it would be a waste of
my time. It’s obvious he has his mind set on you. Besides…” She gave me a wide smile. “I sort of have a thing for Kade.”
I took this opportunity to change the subject. “Have you told him?” She shook her head. “You should,” I pressed.
“Kade’s made it clear that he isn’t looking for a relationship anytime soon.” I instantly sensed her disappointment.
“Hey, you know that has nothing to do with you, right?” I said. “He’s dealt with some things that have changed him. I know you didn’t know him in school, because you were a few grades behind him, but he went through a rough time.”
“Yeah, I know,” she replied. “I’ve heard several versions of the story, but I’ve never been too sure of what was the actual true one.”
His heartache and turmoil wasn’t mine to tell. “He just has a really hard time opening up to people.”
I’d known Kade long before we went to high school together. He was so outgoing then, which makes the changes he’s gone through since just seem more drastic. After his girlfriend died in the accident, he just fell apart. He went from being so full of life to being a shell of himself. There was even a time period where he left town without letting anyone know he planned to go. He took Jenna’s death hard, and he still blames himself for it.
***
After a quick breakfast and another round of questioning from the girls, I snuck out of Jett’s house. The last thing I wanted to do was stick around and take the risk of seeing Easton again. I was irritated at myself for allowing last night to happen. I let my guard down and that made me vulnerable. I let my desire for Easton take hold, so his rejection stung a little—okay maybe a lot.
I was so pissed at myself.
After taking a quick shower, I threw on my workout clothes and whistled for Brutus. “Let’s go, big boy,” I told him as I hooked his leash onto his collar. “What do you say we go for a walk?”
Yes, taking Brutus for a walk always caught people’s attention. He was over 150 pounds next to my 110 pound frame. He might look like a tank, but he was actually just a huge cuddle bug. I got him two days after I bought my condo, and he quickly became my sidekick and my best friend.
I led him down the front steps and paused to lock the door, then we began our walk toward the beach. I had my ear buds hooked up to my phone and was listening to music when an incoming call interrupted Kings of Leon. My heart raced and my mind felt scrambled when I looked down at the screen and saw Easton’s number. I wasn’t sure I was ready to face the humiliation of his rejection. The fact he had that effect on me drove me insane.
I waited too long to answer, and the call went to voice mail. Instant relief washed over me, but I tensed once again when the second call came in. He was persistent, I would give him that.
“What?” I answered in a clipped tone.
“Good morning.” His voice sounded gruff and confident. “Why did you sneak off last night?”
His question surprised me. I actually thought I made the awkward situation easier by removing myself. “I went to bed.”
“I never said I didn’t want to spend time with you. I know that was what you were thinking.”
I stopped walking, and Brutus paused at my feet, looking up at me with his puppy-dog eyes.
“I actually didn’t really think about it. Pretty sure I passed out fairly quickly, and until now last night was the farthest thing from my mind.”
He chuckled, and I waited for the smartass comment I knew was coming. “Okay, Harper, if you want to pretend that’s true, then go right ahead. But I know different. In fact, I’m positive that last night hasn’t left your mind once. I know it hasn’t left mine.”
I let my head hang and tried to tame my racing heart. “Easton, it was just a kiss, nothing more. I was drunk, you were there, it seemed fitting.” I paused and cleared my throat. “But I can assure you it won’t happen again.”
“We’ll see,” he said. “It wasn’t just a kiss, Harper. We both know that. But I’ll play along. Just know that others may be fooled by your act, but you’re not fooling me.”
The click on the other end of the line left me speechless once again.
Chapter Ten
Easton
“There was a fight on the second level, and they had to call the authorities,” Whitney explained. “It got bad, Easton, really bad. The guy had a knife and Sarah got cut in the scuffle.”
I hung my head and pinched the bridge of my nose, still holding the phone tightly against my ear. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah, but, um, she had to get rushed to the ER. She needed stitches, and she was pretty freaked out.” Whitney sounded a little freaked herself.
“I’m leaving Palm Beach now. Can you call everyone in? Have them meet at the club at four today.” I had to clean up this mess. I had a nightclub that was falling apart, and now my people were getting hurt. It was the only one of my clubs I owned that I avoided whenever possible; the place that had taught me not to mix business with pleasure.
Sarah was the girl I’d allowed myself to get wrapped up with when I should have run in the opposite direction. But instead I gave in and it all blew up in my face. In the end I was left with a lifetime of regret and a woman who never seemed to understand that we would never be anything to each other but a hard lesson learned.
***
I pulled up in front of Ricochet fifteen minutes before the designated meeting time and spotted Sarah’s jeep parked in the mix of all the other cars—the jeep I had bought for her.
Today would be my first time seeing her in over two months. I remembered the last visit well, but today I would not be repeating my actions of that night. I was here on business; I couldn’t give in to temptation.
Squaring my shoulders, I approached the back entrance and walked inside. I could hear all the employees chatting as I made my way down the long, dark hall leading into the club. As I rounded the corner into the brightly lit club, the employees looked toward me.
“Afternoon, everybody.” I nodded toward my two managers, one being Sarah herself. “How are you doing?” I tried to keep my tone professional.
I had spent the last two months away from her for a reason. She was toxic, and she wasn’t good for me. She was a liar, a cheater, and I was over it. But she was also Ray’s daughter, and that was one reason I hadn’t let her go from Ricochet. She also knew how to handle this place and was good at her job. She was just really bad at committing to just one guy.
“I’m okay,” she assured me. I could tell by the way she was looking at me that she thought my question meant more than me being a concerned boss.
“All right.” I turned to the other employees. “I’ve already contacted a security company. We’ll have metal detectors placed at both doors and the emergency exit in the back. I’ve also been in touch with Bennie and Ray. They’ll be assigning four more men to the club.”
Everyone was well aware of what Bennie and Ray could provide. They had some ex-Marines and some other pretty badass guys under their wings. They only employed the best, and that made everyone feel a little safer.
“I’ll be hanging out here for the next few days, talking with the authorities and making sure things are under control. Business will continue as usual, and if at any point anyone fears an impending issue, we call it immediately. It is better to be safe than to have another fight like we did last night.” The nodding of heads filtered through the group.
“Does anyone need anything from me?” I asked. The moment I said it, I tensed. I had just given Sarah her in without meaning to. I knew it would come eventually, it always did, but I had just made things that much easier for her.
“Actually, I’d like to talk to you. In private,” Sarah said from behind me. For the most part, everyone employed here knew about our past, so I knew what most of them were thinking.
“Let’s get to work cleaning up and getting things ready for tonight. We’re opening at seven.” I turned to face Sarah. “We can talk right over there.” I pointed toward th
e booth just to the left of the bar. It was secluded yet visible to everyone.
Yes, her disappointment was obvious, but I was playing it safe. She turned and walked in that direction, and I waited a few minutes before following.
I took a seat across from her, and she sat silently staring at me, a look of confusion on her face. “Why are you acting like this?” she asked.
“Like your boss?” I said. “Because that’s what I am.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Sarah, what we once were, it’s over. I’m here on business only.” I stared directly at her, hoping she could see just how serious I was.
“Two months ago you weren’t feeling the same thing.” She smiled, and I knew she was remembering our last encounter, a night I regretted for weeks.
“That night was a mistake,” I insisted. I shouldn’t have let things go that far. What we had ended almost a year ago. It won’t happen again.”
She bit her lower lip and looked up at me through her long, dark lashes. “Okay,” she whispered, smiling. I wasn’t blinded by her. I knew instantly that she was formulating a plan to change my mind.
Chapter Eleven
Harper
It had been five days since Easton called me, five days that my stomach has been in knots and I’ve been unable to force his words from my mind.
What the hell did he mean that I wasn’t fooling him? It was just a kiss. A hot, heated, blow-your-mind kind of kiss, but it was just a kiss.
So why the hell was I still thinking about it, about him? And why was I irritated that I hadn’t seen or heard from him in days?
It was Friday afternoon and Allure was packed. Normally I’m more of an observer who makes sure the customers are happy and their needs are met and who keeps the employees on their toes. But today I was a stylist as well. We were overbooked, and that was not including those who insisted on waiting to be worked in. I couldn’t afford to stand on the sidelines.