“Sounds like you’re kind of an expert at this stuff. What’s the deal?” When he didn’t answer right away, she said, “Come on, Deke. Really?”
He sighed before threading a hand through his hair. “I didn’t set out to get rich, if that’s what you think. I still don’t give a shit about money. I just hated feeling so insecure. After the way I grew up, it always felt like the rug could be ripped out from under me.”
“I get that,” she said, softly.
His eyes drifted to her lips and he licked his own. “I, uh, bought this building. It seemed like a good fit for my shop. The apartments were a write-off, so I fixed those up one at a time, starting with mine. When this place was fully rented and I started making some bank, I bought another building.” His cheeks were ruddy as he dipped his head. “Now I have six.”
Her jaw dropped. “Shut up! You own six buildings like this?”
He grimaced. “Yeah, sixty nine units in all. Six retail, the rest residential.”
Harper shook her head, trying to make sense of what he was telling her. The kid who’d gone to school without lunch money most days was stinking rich. “I don’t believe this. Why didn’t Jude tell me how successful you were? I mean, I knew the tattoo shop was doing well, that you were killin’ it as an artist, but she never said a thing about the real estate.”
He shrugged. “Not many people know about it.” He bit his lip. “Honestly, it becomes a hassle if women find out. You have to wonder if they’re dating you because they like you or because…”
“Of your money.” The thought of Deke dating other women seemed so strange to her. In the past, when they’d spent time together, they’d always been a couple. Now she had to accept the fact he was a single guy, who probably slept around, when Drew wasn’t with him.
“Tell me what you’re thinking.” He looked a little nervous as his eyes locked with hers. “If you think I told you this just to impress you—”
“That’s not what I was thinking.” She had no filter when it came to him, never had. “I was wondering if you sleep around when your brother’s home with Drew.”
He chuckled. “Wow, you still don’t pull any punches, do you?”
She knew she was way out of line, still she asked, “Well? You wanted to know what I was thinking, so I told you. It wasn’t a question, so don’t feel I’m expecting a response.” Though she was.
“Do I sleep around?” He seemed to consider the question before he said, “Some.”
“Huh.” Knowing that felt like a shot to the gut. “Good to know.”
He grabbed her arm when she started to walk away. “Only because I don’t have a girlfriend. Haven’t had an interest in one for quite a while.”
He was towering over her, so she had to tip her head back to look him in the eye. “Why?”
“Got tired of wasting my time with women who don’t measure up.”
She was a little offended on behalf of all the women he’d dated. “What? You have some invisible yard stick you use to gauge whether they’re worth your time?”
“Yeah, I call it the Harper.” He flattened his hand on top of her head. “It’s just about this big.” His eyes raked over her body. “Curvy. Hot.”
“Shut up.” She knocked his hand away, trying to stifle a laugh. “You can’t tell me you compare all other women to your high school girlfriend, Deke. That was a lifetime ago. We were just kids then.”
“So you’ve never compared another guy to me?”
Only all the time. “No.” She was tempted to look down to see if her pants were on fire.
“You’re such a liar.” His lips twitched as his hands landed on her hips. “You know what we had was hotter than hell, Harper. And I don’t care how old we were. Hot is hot, at any age.”
She couldn’t argue. Men like Deke didn’t come along twice in a lifetime. Sexy. Selfless. Daring. Impulsive. Ugh! She didn’t know if she was trying to sell herself on the man or the apartment.
“I guess you’re right.” No point denying it. Her reaction was evident in the way her nipples were pebbling from the mere touch of his hands. “But hot sex isn’t the only—”
“Sex with him,” he cut in. “What was it like?”
“What?” She couldn’t believe he was asking her about her ex. Was he crazy? If Deke had been engaged she sure as hell wouldn’t be asking about their sex life. “Why?”
“I wanna know how he measured up.” His lips skimmed her ear and her tummy quivered. “Did he make you lose control… the way I did?”
Never. Not once had she achieved the Big O during intercourse with him. With Deke he wasn’t satisfied until she got off before he did. Yeah, he was that selfless. And that good.
“That’s a pretty personal question, isn’t it?” It’s not that she felt the need to protect her lying, cheating ex. She just didn’t want Deke to know she’d settled for second best after he left her high and dry all those years ago.
“Yeah, and we’ve been pretty… tight… in the past. I think that means we get to cross those lines with each other, doesn’t it?”
His choice of words made her think of the night he’d claimed her virginity. It was everything she expected, and more than she ever thought possible. He’d not only rocked her world that night. He’d detonated it. Blown it apart. And she’d never been able to piece it back together since. She’d changed that night, giving herself to another person in a way she never had. He’d claimed a part of her, and never given it back.
“I think you gave up the right to take liberties with me when you dumped me.” Her words were lost on the breath trapped in her throat. His mouth was so close to hers and the promise of that kiss was lingering between them. So close all she had to do was tilt her head to claim it.
“I hate that word.” He brushed his lips across her temple. “I didn’t dump you, Harper. I let you go. For your sake and for mine.”
“Bullshit.” She was so tired of people believing they knew what was best for her. No one knew her heart the way this man once had, and for him to say he’d broken up with her for her own good was a total crock.
He smirked. “It’s true.”
“No, it’s not.” She pushed against his chest, taking a step back. “How dare you claim to know what was best for me! I loved you, you asshole.”
“Sssh.” He curled his hands around her shoulders. “I know you did, baby. I loved you too. But we were just kids and—”
“Don’t use that as an excuse!” In deference to Drew, and the half-open door, she lowered her voice. “I know plenty of people who fell in love as teenagers and are still together.” She was starting to sound like Jude. “I wanted us to stay together, to work it out, but you bailed on me. Now you think you can just walk back into my life and start asking all kinds of personal questions about the men I’ve been with since you?” She pushed his hands away. “Sorry, it doesn’t work that way.” Wanting to make him hurt the way he’d hurt her, she said, “But I can say that I now know what it’s like to have a man love me so completely he’s willing to fight for me.”
His clenched his hands at his sides. “You’re talking about that loser who cheated on you?”
“No.” Bryan wasn’t the only lover she’d had since Deke. “Senior year of college, there was this guy…” He was the sweetest, kindest, gentlest person she’d ever met. He blushed the first time he told her he loved her and made love to her like she was the most beautiful woman on earth. The two years she’d spent with him had been amazing, but when she realized he wasn’t ‘the one’ and broke up with him, he spent several months trying to maintain their friendship, hoping she would change her mind. He fought for her, was invested in her and their relationship, the way no other man ever had been. Certainly not Deke, who’d cast her aside at the first sign of trouble.
“Tell me.”
He’d asked. And he damned well deserved to hear about Peter. Maybe it would inspire him to be a better man. “He was so in love with me.” She looked him in the eye and could tell
it was taking everything in him to keep his mouth shut. “He put me first. Always. He loved me like no other man has ever loved me—”
“Bull. Shit.” He was seething now, spitting words through his clenched teeth. “No one has ever loved you the way I did, and they never will. Do you hear me? Never.”
“Talk is cheap, Deke.” She crossed her arms. “You claim you loved me, but it never occurred to you to fight for what we had. You gave up. Like I meant nothing to you. That doesn’t sound like a man in love. In fact, it sounds like someone who doesn’t even know what the hell love is!”
He took a deep breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth, before tipping his head back and closing his eyes. “We’re not going to resolve this tonight. But believe me, we will resolve it, because I’m not gonna let you go on believing some other guy could ever have felt about you the way I did.”
He was so intense. So sexy. So believable. But believing in him again would mean setting herself up for another hard fall. And after the last one she’d taken, she didn’t think she’d survive another.
“You’re right about one thing. We’re not getting anywhere tonight. Go to bed, Deke. I intend to do the same. If it’s cool with you, I’ll come over and make breakfast for Drew in the morning. Seven o’clock, okay?”
He seemed relieved she’d decided not to leave. “Perfect, thanks.”
“Goodnight.”
He raised his hand, barely touching her cheek. “Good night, gorgeous. For the record, I’m really glad you’re back.”
Chapter Five
Deke lay on his back in a bed too big, too empty for one person. He heard her voice drifting through the half-open door. She and Drew were singing the theme song to some kids’ show he recognized.
His heart ached when he thought about what could have been. Waking up to her as his wife. Hearing her sing with their kids. Making breakfast together. Reading bedtime stories. Falling into bed after a long day and making love like they’d never get enough of each other. That’s the life he’d always wanted. With this woman. Only with her.
His thoughts drifted to last night and the man she’d told him about. Her college boyfriend. The one who’d fought for her, who’d made her feel special. He closed his eyes as he imagined her making love to some nameless, faceless bastard who made her feel like his princess.
His princess. She was his. And he’d been stupid enough to let her go because he was scared and insecure.
She may have fallen in love in college, but that was only because he’d given her the freedom she’d never asked for. The freedom she’d never wanted. If he’d been half the man then that he was today, he never would have thought twice about whether he was man enough to keep her. He knew he was. Today. Tomorrow. For the rest of their lives. But he had a hell of a long journey ahead if he intended to make up for his past mistakes. And he did. Harper’s trust didn’t come free or easy, but it was damn sure worth the price. And he intended to earn it. One day at a time.
Drew poked his head in the door. “Hey, Uncle Deke. Harper made pancakes and they’re yummy! You comin’?”
Deke smiled, his heart twisting at the sight of this kid. He loved him so much. Drew gave him the best gift, whether he knew it or not. He gave him clarity. He wanted to be a dad. And a husband. Had it not been for Drew, he may never have realized that.
“Yeah, I’m comin’, buddy. Just need to grab a quick shower. Save me some of those, okay?”
“Okay!”
Deke got up and when Drew ran back to the kitchen. He stood in the doorway, watching the most beautiful woman in the world standing at his kitchen island, being entertained by tales from the zoo.
Her gaze drifted over him, widening when they dropped below his waist. He was wearing black boxer briefs and nothing else.
Drew had his back turned and was totally oblivious, but Deke was pretty sure Harper could see his arousal even from that distance. He wanted her. Bad. Had it not been for his nephew he would have found a way to lure her into his bedroom and remind her that he was, hands down, the best lover she’d ever had. No one would ever compare. He’d make sure of it. Not only did he intend to cement his position as her best, but as her last.
This woman was it for him. Always had been. Always would be. Fate may have brought her back into his life, but it was his job to keep her there.
“Um, you keep working on those pancakes, Drew,” she said, ruffling his hair as she walked past. “I just need to have a quick word with your uncle.”
He smirked when she pushed him back a step before closing the door. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She gestured to his state of undress. “You can’t walk around like that!”
“Why not?” He loved seeing her all riled up. Her cheeks pink with embarrassment, trying not to let her eyes drift below his waist, though they both knew she wanted to. “It’s not like you haven’t seen me in a lot less.”
“But you were my boyfriend then,” she whispered. “Now you’re my… boss. And my landlord. Maybe.” She bit her lip. “I still have to talk to Jude about that part. Anyway, you’re not my boyfriend anymore, that’s the point. And if this little arrangement of ours is going to work we need to have some rules.”
He opened his arms and her eyes traced the ink decorating his shoulders and biceps. He spent a lot of time in the gym, lifting weights, working abs, and he knew it showed. He’d spend every damn day for the rest of his life on a weight bench if she’d keep looking at him at him like she wanted to jump him.
“Lay it on me, Harper. What’re your terms?”
“Huh?” She shook her head. “Right. My terms are simple.” She ticked them off on her fingers as she went. “You must be fully clothed at all times. You can’t make me all flustered in front of your nephew, making suggestive comments he wouldn’t understand.”
He rolled his tongue in his cheek. “You really think I would do that?” She knew him too well. Even after all these years.
“I know you would.” She flattened her palm on his chest. “Now be quiet and listen. We don’t have a lot of time before Drew finishes eating. No kissing, no touching—”
“No deal.” He had to draw a hard line at not being able to touch her. She was too much of a temptation. A goddess made just for him and she expected him to keep his hands off? She was delusional.
“Excuse me?”
He glanced at the small hand on his chest. “You’re already touching me, babe.”
She dropped her arm, her cheeks coloring again. “Ugh! You drive me crazy. Just put some clothes on and get your ass out in the kitchen before breakfast gets cold.”
He saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.” Before she could get away, he snagged her wrist and whispered in her ear, “Do we have any whip cream for those pancakes?” Whip cream conjured up a sticky experience they’d once had that involved a lot of tongue action and a steamy shower afterwards.
She groaned softly. “I’m gonna kill you, Deke.”
He laughed as she slipped through the door and closed it behind her.
Deke showered in record time, anxious to be a part of their little domestic scene before the party ended.
Having Harper back in his life, his home, developing a relationship with his nephew was more than he ever would have expected when he heard she’d rolled back in to town, but it was the perfect arrangement. Having her as his next door neighbour, being able to offer her a job, it was the beginning of what he hoped would be the reconciliation he’d been dreaming about for years.
When he stepped out of his bedroom Drew was watching his favorite cartoon and Harper was tidying the kitchen, but there was a big platter of flapjacks in the middle of the island with strawberries… and fresh whipped cream.
He grinned as he claimed a stool. “Fresh whipped cream?” He winked at her. “You didn’t have to go to all that trouble for me, but I’m glad you did. Thanks.” He wanted to offer to reward her for her hard work later, but was sure that would be crossing one of her invisible lines.
/> She shrugged. “No big deal. You had the ingredients on hand and it only takes a few minutes.” She dipped a spoon into the bowl and took a scoop. Her eyes locked with his as she licked it off the tip. “I normally like to serve it chilled, but this will have to do.”
He cleared his throat before shifting in his seat. His jeans were a hell of a lot tighter than they’d been a few minutes ago. Something about seeing her lick the whip cream stirred up memories that had been locked away for years.
“I hope you don’t mind that Drew’s watching a bit of TV while I tidy up?” Her eyes strayed to the boy and she smiled. “We’re going to swing by my apartment and pick up a few things, then I promised I’d take him to the park, out for lunch, and then to the library.”
He was jealous of his nephew, getting to spend the day with this beautiful girl. “Sounds good, send me your banking info. I’ll do an etransfer for weekly expenses and deposit the cash upfront for this week.”
She watched him stack pancakes, berries and whip cream on his plate before drizzling it with syrup. “You don’t have to pay me upfront. I can wait until the end of the week. And what expenses would I have?”
“Taking him places, buying him things, gas for your car.” He popped a bite into his mouth and moaned appreciatively. Damn. He could get used to this. “Hmm, this is amazing, Harper.”
“Glad you like it.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the counter across from him. “But you don’t have to cover my expenses. I’m happy to take him for outings on my own dime.”
She was too sweet, but he planned to make it so easy for her to look after Drew that she’d never want to stop. “Got it covered.” He slid a juicy strawberry through the cream and popped it in her mouth, smiling when she had to choose to open her mouth or end up with cream on the tip of her nose. “How does twenty-five bucks an hour sound?” They hadn’t discussed her salary last night, but no matter the figure she threw at him, he’d be happy to pony up.
Game Over (On the Wild Side #1) Page 4
