by R. Linda
Harper and the
One-Night Stand
Novel #3
R. Linda
Harper and the One-Night Stand
Copyright © 2018 by R. Linda.
All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: March 2018
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-64034-349-8
ISBN-10: 1-64034-349-0
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
To my mum.
Thank you for…everything.
Love you x
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Epilogue
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Prologue
Then
Harper
The thing about one-night stands was they were supposed to be just that.
One night.
One night of fun. One night of no strings. No commitment.
But sometimes a one-night stand wouldn’t go away. It kept reoccurring, against your better judgement. Sometimes a one-night stand was exactly what you needed—over and over again. But then it wasn’t really a one-night stand anymore. It became something else entirely, even when you didn’t want it to. It became something you couldn’t walk away from, even though you knew you should. Even though you knew it couldn’t continue without hurting someone else.
But sometimes…
You. Just. Couldn’t. Walk. Away.
Sometimes you found yourself waking up in their bed when you should have been home alone in your own.
Sometimes you found yourself doing the walk of shame at the crack of dawn, attempting to sneak past their roommate’s door before anyone found out you were in the one place you both knew you shouldn’t have been.
With my heels in my hands, I crept down the hallway that had become as familiar to me as my own, silently trying to escape before anyone woke up. The sun had barely risen, so I knew it was early. I should have felt guilty for sneaking out, but I knew even though it might hurt him to find his bed empty again, he’d understand. He didn’t want this getting out of hand any more than I did. He didn’t want anyone finding out about our…extracurricular activities either.
We knew we were asking for trouble. We knew if we didn’t stop this, it would blow up in our faces. Yet we continued. There was something that kept bringing us back together. No matter how hard I tried to resist, all it took was one smile, and I was putty in his hands. But it was getting risky, and we really needed to stop.
“Don’t forget your purse,” Linc called from the kitchen. I froze, one foot on the fluffy grey rug, the other on the cold timber floorboards. Four more steps and I would have been free. Linc walked into the living room where I was contemplating running, and he had my purse in his hands. “Wouldn’t want anyone know you were here again last night, would we?”
Again?
I turned to face him, my fingers fiddling with the straps on my heels. “How long?”
“How long, what?” He raised a questioning eyebrow and threw my purse down on the coffee table beside me.
“How long have you known?”
He laughed and clapped his hands on his legs. “That it was you? About a month. That he’d been sneaking someone in here every couple of weeks? Since we got back from Fiji.” He turned away from me and walked back into the kitchen. “Coffee?” he called over his shoulder.
My eyes widened, and I rushed after him into the small room, stopping on the other side of the counter. “Fiji was three months ago.”
“Walls are thin, sunshine.” He handed me a cup of black coffee and placed the smallest scoop of sugar into his.
My cheeks warmed in embarrassment. Oh, god, he’d heard. I took a gulp of the liquid gold in my hands, scalding my throat, but I barely noticed. He’d heard.
“Don’t worry. I have noise cancelling headphones.”
“You can’t say anything,” I pleaded, clutching the coffee cup to my chest. “To anyone.”
“You’re playing with fire, you know.” He narrowed his gaze on me, bringing his mug to his lips and taking a long, slow sip.
“I know.” I hoisted myself on the barstool at the counter and ran my hands through my hair. “But please don’t say anything. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
It was only supposed to be one night. One night of too many drinks and one morning in Fiji, waking up to find myself in his bed with no memory of the night before.
He lifted a shoulder casually and leaned against the counter, facing me. “I’ll be quiet.”
“You will?” I sagged in relief.
“He’s my mate. And I know exactly what it feels like to want the one person you know you shouldn’t want, remember?” His smile was full of understanding, and in that moment, I knew Linc would keep our secret. At least for now. He’d secretly been in love with his best mate’s younger sister almost their entire lives, so he understood the struggle and the need for silence.
“But I don’t…It’s not like—”
“I don’t care what it’s like. It’s none of my business. But you both need to figure this shit out now, before either of you gets too attached and anyone else becomes collateral damage. If this is only something casual, end it now before you hurt either of them.”
“I don’t want to hurt them.”
“Then you need to figure it out.”
“Do you really think it’ll hurt Brody?” Even asking the question, I knew I sounded like an insensitive ass. Of course, it would hurt him. And that was the last thing I wanted. But there was something about Nate Kellerman that had me coming back for more.
“His cousin sleeping with his ex-girlfriend?” He screwed his face up and nodded. “Yeah, it’ll sting. Just a little.”
Just a little.
It wouldn’t hurt just a little. It would hurt a lot.
I needed to end this now. I didn’t want to be the cause of anyone’s pain.
“I’ll end it.” I sighed and lowered my head to the counter. I didn’t want to hurt Brody or lead Nate on if I didn’t know where this was going. Because, really, I didn’t know what I wanted. I didn’t want a relationship, but I liked the way Nate made me feel. “It’s done. As soon as he wakes up, I’ll tell him no more.”
Linc didn’t speak. He just eyed me sceptically and nodded once before pouring his coffee down the
sink. “Good.”
He picked up his surfboard that was leaning against the wall in the corner and left. He left me sitting there alone, waiting for Nate to wake up so I could end what it was between us before things got any more out of control.
Chapter One
Nate
The smell of grease permeated the air, so thick I nearly choked on it. I liked fried meat as much as the next guy, but this was almost unbearable. The woman scrubbing the counter smiled as I walked in. How this place had the best burgers in the state, I didn’t know, but Ryder raved about it, so there I was, waiting for my sister to arrive. She and her friends had finally finished university and were coming home. For how long, I wasn’t sure, but she’d been gone three years, and the last six months had been the most painful. Not because I missed her or anything like that, which I did, but because I had to deal with my lovesick best mate and his obsession with my sister.
It was weird.
As much as I was okay with their relationship—they were made for each other—it was still weird. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact the guy I had been friends with for twenty-three years was dating my younger sister.
Weird.
I located an empty booth in the back corner of the fifties-inspired diner at the roadhouse on the outskirts of town. Again, how Ryder even knew this place was here was beyond me. I had never stopped here for anything other than to put fuel in the car when it was running on fumes and had no clue there was even a place to eat. But there I sat, watching the killer storm brewing outside while I waited for everyone to arrive.
I was browsing the unappealing menu when the doors finally opened and in walked Indie and Linc, a whirl of air rushing around them. That storm was going to hit sooner rather than later. I was out of my seat and scooping my sister into my arms the moment the doors closed behind them.
Indie laughed. “Good to see you too, big bro.”
“Sorry, it’s just good to have you home. I won’t have to deal with listening to this one,” I gestured at Lincoln, “bitch and moan about when he could see you next any longer.” I released her and led them over to the booth I had claimed in the deserted diner.
“Aww, did you miss me, stupid ass?” Indie teased Linc, using a nickname I didn’t understand and wasn’t sure I wanted to.
“Ace,” he said through clenched teeth. Another nickname I didn’t want to know how it originated. The less I knew about my sister’s relationship with my best friend, the better.
Weird.
“How was the drive?” I asked, sliding into the booth opposite them.
Indie coughed and shot Linc a strange look while he lounged back against the seat with a smug look on his face. “Good, man. It was…real…good.”
Indie smiled and slapped him on the chest, and I groaned. I didn’t want any more details. She pulled out her phone and frowned.
“Where’s Bailey? She and Ryder passed us hours ago. She should have let me know by now they had made it home safely.”
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Linc reassured her.
“They passed you? How?” I knew they were back. In fact, I had seen them both an hour ago. But Indie didn’t know that, and she didn’t need to.
“Umm…” Indie hesitated and looked at Linc for an answer. She obviously didn’t get the one she was hoping for, because she continued with a note of hesitancy in her voice. “We stopped…for…umm, fuel…and food. Yes, food. Can’t have a road trip without an appropriate amount of snacks to keep your energy up.” Her smile was too bright. Her eyes too wide. She was lying. They didn’t stop for fuel and snacks. But I really didn’t want to know why they stopped.
“Well, maybe Bailey and Ryder stopped for snacks too somewhere along the way,” I suggested.
Indie giggled into her hand like a teenage boy hearing the word “boobs” and muttered, “Yeah, I bet they did. Bailey likes snacks…”
“She needs them. For energy.” Linc coughed into his shoulder.
“Stamina.” Indie bit her fist.
“And Ryder is always fully fuelled and ready to go.” Linc lost it. He threw his head back and laughed.
Indie bit her lip to stop herself from laughing but failed, and pretty soon they had tears streaming down their faces.
I was missing something. They were definitely talking about something other than snacks and fuel. I knew exactly what it sounded like, but I wasn’t quite ready to admit to myself what that might be, so I pushed the thought aside and tried to not think about it.
Thankfully, a moment later, the perfect distraction arrived. All thoughts of fuel, snacks, and stamina were forgotten the moment the kitchen doors opened and out walked Harper. She had her head down and wasn’t looking in our direction, but I knew it was her. I’d know her shoulder length black hair and the way it brushed the top of her neck anywhere. I’d spent a lot of time with my hands in her hair and lips on her neck. What was she doing here?
I lifted my hand to wave but then thought better of it and ran my hand through my hair instead. Great cover. She was supposed to be with Kenzie.
“It’s just us, then?” Indie asked, stealing my attention from Harper.
“Yep,” Linc answered.
Indie frowned.
“You were expecting a welcome home party, In?” I teased. The front doors opened, the wind howled, and the doors slammed shut again. I looked up, and Harper was gone.
“What? No, I just thought our friends and family would at least like to be here when we got back.” She picked at a napkin on the table.
“What am I? A neighbour?”
“No, I mean…I’m glad you’re here, but I thought Mum and Dad or Kenzie would want to see us too.”
“I’m sure you’ll see more than enough of everybody soon, Ace.” Linc kissed the side of her head before changing the subject. “I’m starving.”
He looked over his shoulder and signalled to the woman behind the counter that we’d like to order. Not that I really wanted to order anything on the menu, but we needed to stall a while longer until I got the text from Ryder saying everything was ready.
The woman, whose name tag read Julie, came and took our orders.
Indie yawned. “Man, I’m exhausted. Let’s just eat, and then you can take me to my parents’ house.”
“Two minutes ago, you were complaining no one was throwing you a welcome back party, and now you want to go to bed?” I fished my phone out of my pocket when I heard the message tone.
“Shut up. I’m tired. I can change my mind. You can throw me a party tomorrow instead.”
I read the message.
Ryder: Ready when you are.
I looked at Linc and waved my phone so he knew it was time.
“What was that about?” Indie’s eyes flickered between Linc and me.
“What?” I brushed her question aside and typed a response to Ryder.
Nate: 30 minutes.
“You shook your phone at Linc,” she said to me then turned to him. “And you nodded in agreement. You guys just had a secret conversation. Something you don’t want me to know about.”
“Ace, you’re tired. I think you’re imagining things. I was just nodding to the music on the jukebox. Elvis rocks,” Linc countered with such a definitive edge to his voice that Indie believed him immediately. Had I said that to her, she would have seen right through the lie.
“Maybe you’re right.”
Julie, the waitress, returned a few minutes later with burgers and Cokes for all of us.
“Oh, I’m starving.” Indie thanked her, clapping her hands in excitement.
“Work up a big appetite, Ace?” Linc nudged her with his elbow, but she was already devouring the burger.
“Uh-hmmm…” Her eyes widened, and she chewed, but clearly not fast enough. “This burger is freaking amazing,” she mumbled with a mouthful of food, pieces of lettuce falling out of her mouth, and ketchup on her chin.
Linc smiled at her while I screwed up my face in disgust. “Been eating long?”
She didn’t even bother with a response, instead choosing to stick her finger up at me while still shoving the burger in her mouth. It must have been good.
I reached for mine, and my eyes just about rolled into the back of my head. Indie and Ryder were right. Best. Burger. Ever.
We ate in silence, savouring every mouthful, and when we finished, I paid the bill. Indie was tired and wanted to leave, but Linc had a surprise for her.
“Ready to go?” I asked, shoving my wallet back into the pocket of my jeans.
“Yes. Are you ready to tell me what’s going on?” Indie stood from the booth and stretched.
I risked a glance at Linc, but he had his eyes screwed, deep in thought. He was trying get around this without telling her the truth and ruining everything. Indie had no clue that for the last three months, he’d been spending every day and night fixing up a run-down old shack on the beach, turning it into a cottage they could call home once Indie graduated.
“Nothing is going on, Ace. Your brother’s weird. You know that,” Linc answered smoothly, grabbing her hand and leading her to the door. “Let’s just go. I need to stop somewhere quickly on the way home, but it’ll only take a minute.”
“Where?” she asked, wrapping one arm around her waist to protect from the chill of the night air when we opened the door and a gust of wind whipped around us.
“Ahh, just a mate’s from work. Two seconds, that’s all it will take.”
Indie groaned in defeat before turning to me and wrapping her arms around me.
“Good to have you home, In. I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Bye.”
I rushed over to my car, hoping Linc was smart enough to stall so I could get to “The Love Shack,” as he named it—even had the plaque on the wall beside the front door—before them. I didn’t want to miss Indie’s face when she realised it was her home now.