by Cameron Hart
I currently live with Harper in an apartment her dad and stepmom pay for, which has allowed me to save a ton of money. By scraping together every penny that I have, I can ensure there is a little safety net to fall back on when Harper inevitably gets swept off her feet by someone, possibly her dad’s super handsome business partner who is currently staying in Harper’s old bedroom.
There’s no denying that they are both ridiculously attracted to each other. Levi practically staked his claim on her at dinner last night. Who can blame him though? Harper is fucking gorgeous with her curvy body and bright smile, and she’ll be a force to be reckoned with once she finally realizes that.
I, on the other hand, have always been petite. Sure, I make up for it with a big personality, but underneath the persona, I still feel small and insignificant, like I might just disappear. Roman made me feel seen today, and that thought excites me and terrifies me at the same time.
✽✽✽
When my shift finally ends, I check my phone. My gut drops to my toes when I see I have three missed calls from a Tampa area code. That makes five phone calls total from the same number, including the two from yesterday. There’s only one person I know of who would care that I left Florida with Harper when I was sixteen, but up until this point, he hadn’t contacted me. Did Roman end up running my plates or something even after he said he wouldn’t? The timing can’t be a coincidence.
I swing by the apartment to change and drag Harper out to the little boutique I have in mind.
We’ve been here all of thirty minutes, but Harper is acting like I kidnapped her and forced her to do manual labor for twelve hours.
“Whhhhyyyy did I let you talk me into this?” She whines. “I look like—”
“Like the sexiest goddamn woman on two legs anyone has ever seen?” I say, wagging my eyebrows at her in the mirror. I still can’t believe she has her v-card. I wouldn’t press it if I thought she had a moral stance against or if she said she wasn’t ready, but all of her hang-ups about sex seem to stem from some serious self-confidence issues. Not that I’m one to judge. I really think that Levi, the dude currently staying in Harper’s old room, would treat her right. He clearly wants her, even if she’s not willing to admit it. Sometimes my little Harp needs a push in the right direction.
“Uh, no, I was going to say I look like a tramp.”
Harper’s response pulls me out of my thoughts. I bark out a laugh. She’s seriously too adorable the way she talks like she’s eighty. “Girl, you gotta update your vocabulary. No one says ‘tramp.’” She rolls her eyes at me. I continue. “And besides, you’re only uncomfortable because you try to hide your beautiful body under baggy t-shirts and jeans. Not saying that ass can’t rock a pair of skinny jeans, but it wouldn’t hurt to switch things up every once in a while.”
“Thanks. I think.” Harper looks herself over in the mirror.
I really wish she could see what I see. I look over her cute, curvy body that looks freaking incredible in the blue dress I picked out, thankyouverymuch, and then back at my tiny one. A wave of envy and self-doubt rushes over me.
I'd never admit it to anyone, but I have a lot of self-esteem issues. But as with all of my weak feelings, I cover it with a heaping helping of self-deprecation and bravado. Or, well, you know. I fake it till I make it. Harper swears up and down that I'm perfect, and I always let her know that her body is absolutely gorgeous. The grass is always greener on the other side, I guess.
“Harp,” I step around and look her in the eye. “All joking aside, you’re beautiful. This dress isn’t ridiculous, and you don’t look ridiculous in it.” I smile and shake my ass to make her laugh. “Rock your curves, lady, own them and use them to your advantage!”
Harper gives me a small smile accompanied by an eye roll.
Cha-ching! The victory is mine.
After Harper pays for the dress, the sexy pushup bra she would never have bought for herself without some encouragement, and the wedge sandals I had her try on (only after suggesting the nude stilettos first, since I knew she would see the sandals as the more sensible option), we head back to the car where I tell her about my plan to seduce Levi.
“So, what is all this about, anyway?” Harper asks
“This, my pretty,” I gesture towards the bags piled in the back of my car, “Is for operation Cherry Pie.”
“Subtle.”
“I thought so,” I grin.
“Okay, well, I’ve already invested two-hundred dollars into this plan, so are you going to tell me what exactly it entails?”
“Well, first things first. We come up with some reason for you to go over to your dad’s house. You’ll be all dressed up in your new outfit, and when Levi inevitably asks where you’re going, you’ll tell him you’re going to a party. At a frat house. With a date.”
“Um, why would I tell him that? What if he asks follow-up questions? You know I’m a terrible liar.”
“Which is why it isn’t a lie. We’re going to a party Friday night at the Alpha Phi Alpha house. And I told Ryan and Andrew we’d go as their dates.”
“You WHAT?”
“Chill, Harper. It doesn’t really mean anything. These guys will take a hint and go hit on some other chicks when they see we’re not interested. Everyone knows once you’re inside one of these frat parties, anything goes.”
All the color drains out of Harper's face and I know exactly what she's thinking. My sweet, innocent little Harp. I'm glad she doesn't go out and dirty herself up with the world. I've had plenty of experience with that and I like knowing someone like her would still want to be my friend after all these years.
I explain to her that it’s really not that big of a deal, that once we’re in the door everyone will go their separate ways. Besides, if all goes according to plan, Levi will be jealous as fuck and want to keep Harper all to himself for the night, leaving me wide open to have a few drinks and forget all about Roman.
Despite popular belief, I’m actually not a huge drinker and I’ve never done drugs. I don’t even really like to party. I do, however, need to keep tabs on what kind of drugs are being run on campus so I know if Craig is spreading his empire out here. In which case, I’ll need to get the fuck out of Dodge.
I pull into the parking lot of our apartment and look over at Harper. She’s a little more at ease, and I can tell she’s thinking about Levi. She has that doe-eye thing going on and a cute little smile. I don’t even think she knows she’s doing it. I can’t help but feel a little pang of jealousy, but I shut that shit down real quick. I’m genuinely happy for her and I hope Levi makes her feel as beautiful and incredible as she is. Maybe I can get my happily ever after vicariously through Harper and Levi.
Chapter 4
Roman
It’s been a week since I’ve seen Emma and I miss her so goddamn much. I had planned to stay at the diner for the rest of her shift and get her number, but I got a call about a key witness on a case I’ve been working on for months.
I was up for forty-eight hours straight and then ended up having to fly to California to track someone else down. It couldn’t have been worse timing. Even with everything going on at work, Emma was never far from my mind. The way she came apart for me, the way she wanted me as much as I wanted her. Her eyes haunted my dreams the entire time I was gone, the spark of hope I saw buried beneath the layers of doubt. I pray I didn’t extinguish that flash of light by leaving her all week.
I had Tyler set up some light surveillance on her for my own peace of mind. I knew she was hiding from someone and I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her defenseless. She’s mine, whether she’s willing to accept it or not. And I protect what’s mine.
I just landed in Atlanta and took my phone off airplane mode. I see I have five missed calls from Tyler. It has to be about Emma. Fucking hell, if anything happened to her while I was gone I’ll never forgive myself.
“Tyler, what’s going on?” I growl into the phone.
“Don’t freak out
—”
“Tell. Me. Now.”
“My guy spotted Emma and a friend going to the Alpha Phi Alpha frat house about two hours ago. It’s not life or death, I just thought you’d want to—”
I hang up before he even finishes the sentence. It’s another hour before I get to my car and fight through traffic to get to the GSU campus.
Storming in the door, I look around and am fucking disgusted. My dandelion is far too good to be in a place like this. It reeks of pot and stale beer. Every surface looks dirty and sticky. The music sucks and is far too loud. The guys are handsy and the girls are drunk. That thought has me tearing through the house, swinging doors open hard enough to rip the hinges right off.
She’s nowhere to be found. I make the rounds again, and I can finally breathe again when I see my little one by the front door. She’s got one hand on her hip and the other one pointing a finger at a large, muscled man with a pretty girl slung over his shoulder.
At first, I think he’s trying to take the girl against her will, but giving the scene a second look, I pick up on some subtle body language. The girl doesn’t look like she’s scared. She looks like she’s annoyed and even a little excited. And the man is holding her in a protective grip. When he turns to the side, I can see worry and relief written all over his face. I’m sure we even have matching expressions.
As I get closer, I can hear more of their conversation.
“I’m doing what I need to do to protect her,” the man says. I can tell he’s being sincere, thus confirming my earlier assessment.
“You screwed up, buddy. I’m not letting you hurt her again.” Emma is all of five foot two and can’t be more than a hundred and fifteen pounds, yet, she’s standing her ground. I love her all the more for it. She’s a fierce protector of her friend. Another layer to the beautifully strong woman in front of me.
“Yeah!” Her friend pipes up.
“I get it. I messed up. But I need to take care of her now.”
Emma has her hands on her hips, trying her hardest to puff herself up and stand between the guy and the doorway. He could easily step around her or mow her down, but he’s respecting her space and her concern for her friend. That’s the only reason I’m not going to punch him in the face. Well, that and the fact that he obviously has his sights set on the woman in his arms.
“How about I give you both a ride home? That way you know she’s safe.”
“Not happening,” I say once I’ve reached Emma. Her eyes go wide with disbelief, which quickly turns into anger. God, she’s so beautiful. Even more breathtaking than I remember. I put a hand on her hip and pull her tight against my side so she can’t get away.
She does her best to look indignant, but I feel her small body relax into mine. I sense the battle going on inside of her. She wants to hate me but some part of her can’t deny what’s going on between us. It gives me hope that I didn’t completely fuck this up.
I look at the man standing in front of me up and down and address the young woman he has over his shoulder. “Everything ok here, miss?”
She sighs, but then gives a defeated, “Yeah.”
"Great," I say with a chuckle. Looks like the man and I are in a similar position. I turn to Emma and grip her chin so she has to look at me with those deep, soulful eyes. "You're coming with me, dandelion. I told you you're mine."
Anger and hurt flare up in her eyes. “I am no one’s, least of all yours. You don’t own me, and I don’t belong to anyone—”
I can’t hear any more of this shit. We need to get out of here and have this conversation somewhere else. Taking a page from my new friend’s book, I bend down and easily hoist Emma over my shoulder.
“HEY!” She yells while kicking and punching me. I can barely feel the effects of her tiny fists and cute little feet.
The other man and I share a moment, knowing each of us has someone precious in our arms and we're not above becoming cavemen to do what needs to be done.
“After you,” He says.
I smirk and walk out the door. I feel Emma’s hands pressing down on my back so she can look up at the man behind me.
“You,” she says with a stern don’t-fuck-with-me voice. “If you ever fuck up again, I will cut your dick off.”
I’d smile at her protective, momma bear comment, but her words anger me. I spank her, just hard enough to get her attention. “Don’t talk about another man’s dick or I’ll have to stop and show you what it means to be mine,” I grumble. The other man and his woman take off in a different direction, leaving my little one and me on our own.
She huffs and puffs and tries to wiggle out of my grip. I spank her again, a little harder this time.
“Stop that!” Emma is going for anger, but her voice is laced with more than a little bit of arousal.
Fuck me, this girl is perfect.
I set her down when we get to my car. She’s all wound up, ready for a fight. I can’t wait to fuck the tension right out of her.
“What the actual fuck, Roman? You come into my life and make me feel all of these…these…fuck!”
Her eyes are watering, and I can feel her pain somewhere deep inside of me. I want to pull her into my arms and show her how sorry I am. I know that’s the wrong move though. She needs to work through this, and I need to hear it. I deserve whatever she has to say.
“And then you just disappear. I guess you got what you wanted from me in the back room? Huh?” She rages on. It fucking guts me that she thinks that. “And it’s fine. I mean, I get it. I wanted it too, and it was…well, you know how it was.” Her cheeks flush pink and just like that, my dick comes to life. “But I get it, I guess. We don’t even know each other. But I don’t know why you would say all of those things, and then…and then…”
The tears she’s been holding back for so long come rushing down her face. I can’t take it. She’s killing me. Emma digs the heels of her hands across her face to wipe the tears off of her cheeks. She’s frustrated and embarrassed and she’s being a little too forceful with her movements for my liking.
I reach out and grasp her wrists, setting them at her sides. “Be careful, little one. Don’t hurt yourself.” I move one hand to her hip to hold her in place, while the other cups her face. I use my thumb to gently wipe away her tears. Her small, delicate hand comes up and rests on top of mine.
“Please don’t be nice to me,” she whispers. Those words hurt worse than anything she’s said so far. “We can’t do this. I can’t do this. Don’t make it harder.”
I close the distance between us, wrapping my arms around her and resting my forehead against hers. “Don’t say that, dandelion. We are doing this. I’m so fucking sorry I had to leave. It was for work. I swear to you, I meant everything I said. You are mine, Emma. Mine.”
I can feel her slip away from me, her heart wanting, needing to believe me, but her mind telling her to get the fuck out before she gets hurt even more.
She rears her head back, trying to put distance between us again. “No!” She yells in my face while trying to twist out of my grip. “I’m not an object you can own, I’m not a possession!”
I fist the back of her hair and force her to look up at me. I'm firm but gentle. She needs to calm down, and she needs to hear me say this.
“No, dandelion. Not a possession. A fucking treasure.”
At my words, her body stills.
She searches my eyes for truth, and I hope she can tell I’ve never meant anything more than what I just told her. I’m not sure if she’s ready for anything more, and that’s okay. I’ll get her home safely tonight and then I’ll keep showing up so she knows I’m serious about her. About us.
And then her mouth crashes down on mine. She fists the sides of my shirt and pulls her body closer to mine. I open up for her and we fucking devour each other. My cock is raging for her, straining and threatening to burst through my fucking jeans. Emma pulls my bottom lip between her teeth, biting me and pulling a growl from deep inside. I welcome her punishment.
I cup her ass and lift her up, laying her out on the hood of my car. I place my hands on either side of her head and bend down to claim her lips again. She writhes beneath me when I trail open-mouthed kisses across her jaw and down her neck. When I nibble her pulse point, Emma whimpers softly.
I trail my fingers down her throat and between her breasts, squeezing and rubbing one nipple and then the other through the material of her dress. Continuing my lazy exploration of her body, I splay my hand over her tiny, flat tummy and briefly imagine it swollen with my baby growing inside.
The thought gets me painfully hard. I slide my hand under her dress, caressing the inside of her thigh and roaming higher, higher, until I feel her damp heat through the fabric. Her back bows off the car and I catch her moan in my mouth as I kiss her deeply.
"Need to get you in my bed, dandelion," I say, my voice gravelly and strained with desire for my woman.
“Yes,” she whimpers.
Chapter 5
Emma
We stumble into Roman’s house, unable to stop kissing and touching each other as he shuts the door with his foot. He backs me against a wall and pins my hands above my head, kissing and biting down my neck as I buck my hips into his hard cock.
Then he lets my hands go and I immediately go for the button on his jeans, desperate to be connected with him again. He takes out his thick cock and my pussy clenches, remembering how good it felt to have it tear me in two.
I want to feel every inch of his hard shaft as it rips me apart. I want to feel his passion, his intensity as he devours me with his hands and mouth. I want to memorize the way he makes my body feel so I can carry it with me once we’re over.
Some small part of my brain is telling me that I shouldn’t be doing this, that I still don’t really know Roman any more than I did the first time we fucked, but all of that quickly drops from my mind once Roman takes my lips in a searing kiss.