Fight For Me

by Claudia Burgoa

  “I can multitask. We could add dating to the table,” I propose, winking at her.

  “Dating and working isn’t my style.” She takes a step forward, since it’s our turn to order.

  “What kind of men have you been dating, dear?” I shoot her an inquisitive gaze before paying attention to the guy behind the counter. “Hello, John.”

  John’s eyebrows furrow. I point at his name tag, and he smiles while nodding. “Welcome to Kurosawa, will this be for here or to go?”

  “To go, please.” I turn to Luna who is staring at the menu board. “Are you ready to order?”

  “Can I have a SoHo sushi plate and two amazing rolls, please,” she requests, turning back to me when she’s done.

  “Two more SoHo plates. Three orders of lobster rolls, two poke bowls with tuna, one with salmon, and one with shrimp, and five orders of tuna sashimi to go.” I read the order from my phone and then read the last text.

  Hunter: Can you bring teriyaki chicken for Willow? She can’t eat raw fish. And hurry, Hazel is going insane.

  Harrison: Why?

  Hunter: We can’t give the news until everyone is here, including you.

  News? What kind of news?

  “Can you add an order of teriyaki chicken?”

  “Name on the order?”

  I scribble it on a paper while handing Luna a cup to distract her. “Do you want water?”

  I glance down to find her busy going through her purse, ignoring my question. Once I pay for the food, I can resist being nosy, stretching my neck a little to see if she has any other hidden weapons akin to the sharp chopsticks she threatened me with on the day we met. For all I know, she could have an entire arsenal to kill a gang without breaking a sweat. Fuck. Why do I find that hot?

  My new addiction is petite girls who look harmless and can kick my ass.

  Or maybe just this one.

  “Water?” I ask again. She finally pays attention to me.

  “No. Thank you,” she answers distractedly. “I…just…”

  “Next,” John calls the person behind us, he’s done with us.

  Luna exhales, dropping her weight on one of her legs.

  “You don’t have to buy me dinner,” she says, holding a rose-pale pink wallet.

  All her things are original, handmade, and as cute as her. Disorganized, too. That wallet is full of folded receipts and papers. Does she need to save all that?

  “Is that for your daily expenses?” I lightly touch her wallet. “Because there’s an app you can use to scan your receipts and email them as you go.”

  “App?” She crooks an eyebrow, staring at her wallet. “You’re a strange person, Harrison Everhart. Can you stick to one subject?”

  “Probably,” I answer, smiling at her frustrated face. “Did I fluster you again?”

  “I could’ve paid for my own dinner,” she repeats, taking out a twenty-dollar bill and handing it to me.

  “You’re welcome,” I say, pushing her hand lightly back to her wallet.

  “Huh?”

  “That’s what one says when someone buys you dinner,” I explain to her.

  “One is talking in the third person.” The corners of her lips pull slightly. The smile brightens her face. My heartbeat accelerates as the scowl disappears. “Honestly, I should be the one paying for your dinner.”

  “Why?”

  She looks at my crotch, her eyes shining, and her face is red. Maybe because earlier she saw my dick while I was changing. Her honey color eyes remind me of one of Mom’s stained-glass windows. The one she donated to a church in Belize.

  “Well, that little incident while you were changing in the Reiki room after yoga class.” Luna bites her lip, her face flushes.

  “Dinner wouldn’t make things even—maybe you should show me yours.” I wink at her. “Just a glimpse, like the one you saw today.”

  Her angelic laugh makes my heart beat fast.

  “We need rules before things between us become blurry. Blurry isn’t healthy”—she pauses, staring at me for a couple of beats before she says—“or so I’ve heard.”

  “Twenty-twenty vision.” I point at my eyes, lowering my voice and getting closer to her. “There’s no way things can become blurry—for me. I’m a sniper. I’m trained to detect things that many can’t. I see better than the average guy.”

  The way she looks at me when she thinks I’m not paying attention combined with the way her body reacts—like how mine reacts to hers—is a big tell that she’s attracted to me. If only I could convince her that we could be great together.

  “I notice the way your skin flushes. Or the way you bite your lip when I say something that excites you. You call it frustration, but I call it sexual tension.”

  Mumbling in her ear, I say, “Your condition is pretty obvious.”

  She chuckles, closing her eyes briefly as she shakes her head. “I have a condition? Is there a cure to what I have, Dr. Everhart?”

  “Luna Hottie Everhart, your order is ready,” they call when the order is up. “Luna Hottie Everhart.”

  Luna gasps, looking around the restaurant. “You have a death wish, Everhart.” She’s back to scowling at me.

  “Yes, you have sexual frustration. And I know how to treat it. We can make rules around… your problem.” I smirk, leaning down to murmur in her ear before I head off to grab our food. “Since you seem to like roleplay, we can play doctor and I’ll take care of that itch.”

  She gapes at me. If we were keeping score, I’d say Harrison one, Luna zero.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Luna

  Doctor, roleplay. Itch.

  What itch is he talking about?

  This entire conversation doesn’t just blur the lines, it erases them. As we walk toward Hazel’s house, I think about the conversation. He grabs my hand, again. With Harrison Everhart, there are no lines. With so many people around us, I can’t stop and talk some sense into him. Maybe during his last mission, something happened and he had a concussion.

  “Did you hit your head while you were working?” I walk close to him, making sure that he can hear me. “Should we take you to the doctor?”

  He chuckles but ignores me.

  Will another hit on the head fix whatever is wrong with him?

  Violence shouldn’t be the answer, but I’m ready to experiment with it. I try to reclaim my hand, but Harrison holds it tighter. His steps are longer, faster. I have to almost jog to keep up with him. I wish he would slow down so we can talk, but we continue walking in silence. My question remains up in the air. We shouldn’t take things too far.

  You’re fearless, Luna. Why can’t you let yourself do something different with him? I glance at Harrison.

  He’s keeping a close eye on the streets, but every time I steal a glance, he catches me and rewards me with a smile. Once we reach a stoplight, he grabs at my hand, pulling it to his lips for a sweet kiss.

  “Don’t overthink what could happen between us. This has to be simple, easy,” he explains.

  We are close to the building where I’m currently staying. He pulls us to the side and exhales. “Have you ever had a one-night stand?”

  “Yes, but the day after I’m gone.” I lift one shoulder, slumping it right away. “We never see each other again.”

  “Okay, we apply the same concept. The difference is that you’ll continue to see me every day.”

  “So, you want to have a no-strings-attached relationship?” I ask, perplexed. Didn’t I just tell him to cool it? “You’re joking, right?”

  It’s our turn to walk. He pulls me toward him and ignores me. As soon as we get closer to the Neo-Gothic old building where the Beesleys live, I know the conversation is over.

  “Mark, how are you tonight?” He says brightly, greeting the doorman as we enter.

  “Miss Santillan, Mr. Everhart, good evening.”

  “Hey, Mark.” I wave at him as we walk to the elevator.

  I wait until the elevator doors shut to respond to
him. “I refuse to sleep with my partner. Not that you’re my partner.”

  He ignores me and pulls out his phone. “I propose that we take full advantage of the situation and spend the next weeks doing what couples do,” he reads last night’s text.

  “We’re not a couple,” I remind him.

  “Yet.” He smirks.

  “We are partners,” I correct him.

  “Partners?” He wiggles his eyebrows. “I like that. Live-in partners have more fun than your average couple.”

  “You’re insufferable.”

  “But you already accepted that.” He stares at his phone. “You agreed by saying, ‘It might work, we’ll have to talk about ground rules,’” he mocks my voice.

  “It’s right here, in writing. You want ground rules. We only need one.” He pushes me against the metal wall, caging me with the breadth of his body.

  Harrison nuzzles my neck, murmuring. “We don’t tangle our actions with emotions. I offer you steady, monogamous sex while we work together.”

  His lips brush against mine. The fire they evoke leaves me weak. A low, throaty moan escapes.

  The wait for more is almost too much for my heart to take, and I pull his face to mine for a kiss before he can tease me more. My skin catches fire as his hands slide down my bare shoulder and land just above my ass. He presses me closer to him and I can feel the walls I’ve been building around myself fall away at the warmth of his touch.

  “You can’t fight this,” he says, breaking our kiss.

  My breath hitches, shivers traveling from the nape of my neck all the way to my toes at the desire in his voice. I can feel myself go weak in the knees and I squeeze my thighs together, hoping he hasn’t noticed the way he’s affecting me.

  “That’s unprofessional,” I whisper.

  “There’s no professional link between us, Luna,” he reminds me, straightening his back, and stepping away from me.

  His face is serious as his gaze holds mine. “There’s chemistry between us. We’re both consenting adults, why not take full advantage of our situation?”

  “Situation?” I sigh out, taking the opportunity to catch my breath. “There’s no situation. We shouldn’t be…”

  Wait, Luna. Why are you saying no to steady sex? He’s sexy, and the ache between your legs could use his assistance, I hear from the devil on my shoulder. She’s the one I try to ignore when I’m trying to make a decision about a man.

  The elevator doors open and I hightail it to my room, not giving Harrison a second glance. My head is such a cluttered mess that I find myself wanting a second opinion. Mom’s journal doesn’t have much in the way of advice on no-strings-attached sex, so my only option is my phone. I sit down on my bed, hurriedly accessing my daily horoscope.

  Dear Cancer,

  With the Moon so close to Jupiter, you are searching for more comfort than usual. But with a Mercury-Jupiter play, there’s a part of you that wants to do things differently. Get out of your shell and try something new. Combine the old comfort with the new aspects happening in your life. Try on that new feeling you’re trying to avoid. Work doesn’t have to be boring, you can experiment with a new method.

  Your personal life is about to receive its own makeover, be open to change. Let the ordinary become extraordinary. That might lead to pleasant surprises if you know what I mean, my dear crab. Have more courage and welcome a new associate into your professional life. That might be the key to success. Don’t forget that this is a great month to make some new connections that might lead you to love.

  Good luck my lucky crab.

  Sure horoscope, but what if my comfort is not sharing feelings? Should I assume that the “new” is Harrison Everhart’s bed? He said emotion free, but can I even be emotionless while my body is responding so strongly to his attention? I know that there’s no future for me in love, but I can’t help the way I like to make real connections. How do I handle this? How do I handle him?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Harrison

  Family comes first, always.

  It was my father’s mantra, one that stuck with me from the very first time I heard it. I lived by it every day, and that feeling only got stronger when he died Scott and I became the parental figures of the household immediately, and even though our youngest brother is almost thirty, we still look after him. Hunter says he has some big news for us, and it’s my duty as his big brother to be there for him.

  I wanted to go out with Luna, spend some time with her, and try to have a discussion around our new arrangement that she’s trying to avoid. We had a great time together last week; our chemistry was off the charts and I could tell all of the little ways she reacted to my slightest touch. We never talked long over the phone, but our conversations were enjoyable, her irritated texts brightening my weekend.

  She denies there’s a connection, but I know she feels the spark between us, the way our hearts race when we kiss.

  I want more of her, more of us.

  I have to convince her that this is a good idea. We can keep the wick ignited until the candle burns low and our time comes to an end. I want her to feel safe with me, but after what I learned from her father and Tiago this evening, I’m not so sure I’m safe with her. Apparently, she has a hidden agenda.

  “I can’t stress how important it is that you keep her away from anything that doesn’t pertain to her current case, Everhart,” Cristobal Santillan said to him, his tone conveying his conviction—and his worry.

  As soon as I’m done with this family affair, Luna and I will have a lot to talk about it.

  Hunter claps, silencing the room and pulling me from my thoughts. “Now that everyone is here.”

  “Where is Luna?” Hazel looks around.

  “Who is Luna?” Willow raises an eyebrow, pressing her lips together.

  “Hi,” Luna steps into the room, coming into view.

  She changed her yoga pants and backless tank top for a short, flouncy mini dress, accessorizing with her all too familiar bracelets. Her hair is tied up into a messy bun and her bare feet draw my attention to her ankle where she has a tattoo of a small elephant holding a heart with his trunk as if it was a balloon. Fuck, I think to myself, even her ink is cute.

  “Luna, let me introduce you to my family,” I say, taking her by the hand and pulling her to me, kissing the top of her head when she’s within reach.

  “Everyone, this is Luna. I’m sure Hazel will bring you up to date later. Luna, meet my family. From left to right, we have Scott and Hazel.”

  “We’ve met before,” she says, looking up at me. I lower my head and kiss her lips lightly.

  She doesn’t kick me in the nuts. Progress.

  “To Hazel’s right is Fitzhenry, the middle child,” I introduce him. “He’s our special little brother.”

  Fitz shows me his middle finger. “That’s because I’m the best of the four, sweetheart. Don’t let him fool you.”

  “Next to Mr. Grant Beesley, who you already know are Hunter and Willow. He’s my youngest brother, and she’s his girlfriend, who happens to be Hazel’s sister.” I eye the solitaire diamond she wears on her ring finger, arch my eyebrow and gaze at Hunter. “Or should I call her your fiancée, Hunt?”

  “As usual, your observational skills don’t fail you, big brother,” he responds, taking Willow’s hand and kissing it.

  “That’s not the big news,” Hazel announces, clapping her hands.

  Willow rolls her eyes, smiling at her little sister. “We’re pregnant,” she reveals. Her voice is calm, sweet, and joyful.

  Grant Beesley stands up to hug his granddaughter. She cries while he murmurs things to her. “Love you too, Gramps,” she says, kissing his cheek.

  “I’m going to be an aunt.” Hazel stands up giving her a tight hug too. She is over the moon, though not at all surprised.

  “You told her first?” I feign resentment as I walk closer to them and hug them both. “Congratulations, little brother.”

  Willow shakes h
er head. “She guessed, I can’t hide much from her.”

  “Congratulations to you both,” Luna smiles, walking closer to Willow and Hunter. “Nice to meet you by the way.”

  Scott hugs them both and smiles at Hunter. He glances at me and I know he’s thinking the same thing I am: we did good. We’ll never stop taking care of our little brother but seeing him happy, with his own family? We couldn’t ask for more.

  “Mom and Dad would be as happy as we are for the two of you,” I tell Hunter, patting his shoulder.

  “Their first grandchild,” Scott agrees. “Mom would be over the moon, Hunt.”

  “You think so?” He looks at both of us.

  The news couldn’t have arrived at a better time. It’s almost the anniversary of their death. Scott and I smile and nod at him. My parents were happy when we were happy. I bet they are watching from heaven and celebrating too.

  “We aren’t sticking to Mom’s desires, are we?” Fitz asks suddenly, eyes wide. “Twenty grandchildren is a difficult request to fill, especially when I can’t have children of my own.”

  Hazel glances at him, blinking in confusion. “There’re options. Surrogates, adoption, fostering. You can have as many as you want.”

  “I’m not having five children,” Willow protests, then she turns to Luna. “Are you planning on having five mini-Everharts?”

  Luna raises her hands, shaking her head. “Ummm—”

  “We just started dating, Willow.” I cut her off before she can ask any more questions.

  “She’s not there yet. Don’t scare her, please,” Hazel warns her.

  I frown at her, but she ignores me. What is going on with little Hazel? I’ll have to find out later, it’s time for me to go. At this rate, they’re going to scare Luna away, and we are in the middle of some very important negotiations. Walking toward the bags of takeout I grab her food, my food, and some chopsticks for the road.

  “Do we have any special plans for…” Hunter looks around the room.

  “Our parents’ anniversary?” Scott finishes for him. “I have a conference. Hazel and I are leaving tomorrow.”