But she really, really wanted him to.
In any case, she shouldn’t have looked. At least she hadn’t given in and clicked on the articles about their break up.
Pushing those thoughts away, she concentrated on fluffing out her hair a little. Suddenly, the worst thing ever occurred to her.
Austin didn’t have her address. Worse, he didn’t have her number. It hadn’t occurred to her to give him either.
Her heart slammed against her chest. “Lemon,” she nearly shouted as she hurried to the living room.
Lemon’s perfect brows drew together. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s no way Austin will go out with me tonight.”
Lemon blinked up at her, her eyes narrowing. “Only if he’s stupid, he won’t.”
“Thanks, but what I meant... I forgot to give him my number or my address. He has no way of—”
“Tristan gave it to him—your number and your address.”
“He did?”
“Yes. Your number was already programmed into his phone, remember? You were our realtor and helped us buy the most perfect house ever,” Lemon dreamily said.
Harper laughed awkwardly. “I remember.”
Her phone dinged. She rushed to pick it up, her hands shaking. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the screen.
Hey, this is Austin. I can’t wait to see you at six.
Butterflies took flight in her stomach.
Harper: Me, too.
Gah. That sounded lame.
Austin: Gotta get off the phone and drive now. See you soon.
Harper: Be careful!
“Was that Austin?” Lemon asked
“Yes. He’s on his way.” Nervous energy zinged through her body. She began to pace the room. Realized she didn’t have on any shoes, she hurried to her closet to grab a pair.
Lemon’s lips twitched. “You’re not going to wear those, are you?”
“What?” Harper glanced at the pair of heels in her hand, only to realize they were a pair of Crocs decorated with numbers and letters. “Geez Louise. That’s what I get for grabbing things in the dark.”
This time, she made sure to turn on the lights and pick out a pair of heels, as well as a scarf and coat. Late January could be blistering cold at night.
“Better?” she asked, twirling around for Lemon’s final inspection.
However, before her cousin could give her pronouncement, the doorbell rang. Her pulse leapt at the sound. “He’s here.”
Libby jumped up, circling Harper. “Go lay down, sweet girl.”
Automatically, Libby did as she was told while Harper continued to just stand there, frozen.
“Answer the door. Go on,” Lemon said encouragingly. “Remember to smile.”
With a nod, Harper opened her front door. Austin stood there, wearing a cashmere sweater that made his eyes a startling color of blue and a pair of jeans that fit him just right.
Forget remembering to smile; she had to remember how to breathe.
“These are for you,” he said, holding out a bouquet of flowers.
“Oh my,” she said, taking them from him. She buried her nose in them, halfway surprised at their fragrance. The ones in the grocery store never smelled like this. Only the ones from the garden, and it was winter. Nothing was growing right now.
“Hope you like them.”
“Where in the world did you get them?” she couldn’t help but ask.
“Place up in Greenville.”
“They deliver that quickly?”
He grinned, sending her heart into overdrive. “Nah. I drove there to pick them up.”
“You drove an hour there and back just to bring me flowers?” she asked, dumbfounded.
“Yes,” he simply said, as if it wasn’t anything to him.
But it meant the world to her.
Lemon cleared her throat. “Say thank you,” she whispered.
Harper’s eyes widened. How rude she must sound to question him like she was. “Thank you. They’re beautiful. If you’ll come inside, I’ll just put them in water and then we can go.”
“I’m ready when you are,” he said, stepping inside.
But was she ready for him? That was the question of all questions.
Chapter Three
All it had taken was a thirty-minute car ride to the beach for Austin to realize that he was utterly charmed by Harper. It was like she’d put a spell on him. There was no other way to describe it.
Once again, when she smiled, he couldn’t help but do the same. When she walked inside the restaurant, he made sure to keep one hand on the small of her back. He hung on her every word, even while she talked about things he had no idea about, like lesson plans and common core curriculum. Apparently, the latter was the bane of teachers, students, and parents’ existence everywhere.
But what he did know... she loved her students. The way her eyes glowed and her voice softened when he’d asked about the kids in her class. The way the corners of her mouth would curve into a sweet smile when she described their triumphs in reading and math.
Where had she been when he’d been in school?
“Excuse me?” Harper asked, blinking up at him.
He set his beer down. Shit. He’d actually voiced his question. “You’re so pretty and nice... and I’m know you love your students. I didn’t have very many—who am I kidding—I didn’t have any teachers like you when I was in school. Pretty sure I would have paid attention better if I had.”
An auburn brow rose. “Pretty sure that wouldn’t have made a difference for you.”
He was taken aback from a moment. “Really? Do tell.”
She grinned at him over her drink. “You strike me as the type who did as you pleased and that was that.”
Narrowing his eyes at her in a mock glare, he asked, “Have you been talking to Mrs. Bakerson?”
Biting her lip, she shook her head. “Didn’t have to. It’s obvious you’re a flatterer.”
“You don’t like it when I mention how gorgeous you look tonight?”
Her cheeks bloomed with color. “Compliments make me uncomfortable.”
“The flowers didn’t,” he pointed out.
“The flowers were beautiful and unexpected.” Taking a sip of her wine, she sat back and glanced around the interior of the restaurant. “Having dinner at The Magnificent Dunes was also unexpected.”
The stately resort built practically on the dunes facing the Atlantic Ocean was a favorite of his. A place he liked to go in the off-season to relax and get away from it all. There was something about the ocean that called to him. Beside, whenever he was here, no one cared who he was. The staff left him alone while paying attention to his needs, and the other guests minded their own business as well.
“I didn’t bring you here to impress you.”
Harper jerked her gaze to his. “Thanks?”
“That’s not what I meant.” He leaned forward. “I came here because no one cares who I am. Back home, everyone would have stared at us and interrupted our dinner. To be honest, my brothers would have kicked my ass for taking a woman out to a bar for a date.”
“I wouldn’t have minded, but I understand your need for privacy.” She glanced to one side. “This might sound a little silly, but when I go out, all eyes are on me. It’s like I’m not supposed to be anywhere but in my classroom. And Lord help me if one of my students spots me in the grocery store buying toilet paper.” Wincing, she sighed. “Not that you needed to know that.”
“Trust me. I know all about that. Once had a reporter follow me right into the men’s' room. Damn near came into the stall with me,” he griped. “Had to do a one-eighty and drive home just to take a pi—well, you get the picture.”
And that’s how we get women to fall at our feet.
Hey! She brought up toilet paper first.
What are you—twelve?
Harper laughed, a clear, lilting sound that made his gut clench. “Sorry, but that’s very...” She cleared her throat. “
Very... awful?”
“Inconvenient,” he supplied, not bothering to hide his grin.
The server brought their entrees, baked salmon for him and stuffed flounder for her.
Just as she was about to leave, Austin grabbed his phone. “Do you mind taking our picture?”
Smiling, the woman said, “Of course not.”
Austin scooted in closer to Harper, wrapping his arm around the back of her chair. She turned to him, the scent of her shampoo mouthwatering.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure I don’t forget how beautiful you look.”
Her lips formed a perfect O, and he had to fight the urge to kiss her. Never in his life had a woman made him feel so out of control. With great effort, he turned to face the camera and smiled. Hopefully, Harper had done the same.
“You two are a very cute couple,” the server said as she handed him his phone.
“Thanks.” Pocketing it, he scooted his chair back to his side of the table and gestured to Harper’s plate. “Ladies first.”
“I really hope this tastes as good as it looks and smells,” she said before taking a small bite. Her eyes closed. “Heavenly.”
He stared at her for a moment, wishing like hell he could be the one to put that much pleasure in her tone. Be the one to make her eyes close and—
Stop it. Remember what you said to Tristan. Remember what you said to yourself. One date and then all business on Tuesday.
Harper’s beautiful eyes opened and fixed on him, their light grey depths turning silver in the candlelight. “I was really nervous about going out with you tonight. But you are really easy to talk, which is surprising.”
“Because I’m an athlete?” He hoped like hell she didn’t think he was a dumb jock.
She shook her head. “A little, but I don’t know... Okay, I do know. Most guys who look like you and have your success don’t bother noticing women like me. They don’t bother bringing her flowers or taking her to a place like this. You brought your A-game tonight.” Her eyes widened and one of her hands flew to her mouth, loosely covering it before she sighed and let it fall away. “I’m going to stop drinking now. Honesty is not the best policy while on glass number three with an empty stomach.”
Son of a gun. She was perfect. She was exactly what the publicist ordered. “I disagree. When most women go out with a guy like me, they have nothing but dollar signs in their eyes. They ask about contracts and bonuses. How many famous people I’ve met... you get the picture. Yet, you haven’t asked one thing about that aspect of my life,” he said quietly.
She covered her eyes with her hand, and then spread her fingers to peer out of them. Damn, she was adorable. “Now I feel bad.”
“Why?” Actually, he was more amused than anything else about her lack of interest.
“Because all I’ve done is talk about myself. I’m so sorry for being rude.”
Reaching across the table, he grabbed her hand and gently pulled it away from her face, male satisfaction spiking as she gasped. “You are the exact opposite of rude. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you tonight. Hell, I want to know even more about you.”
“I am? You have? You do?” she practically squeaked.
“I know this might be presumptuous of me, but would you like to go out again tomorrow night?” he asked, even as warning bells were going off in his head. Even as his brother’s image appeared in his brain, glaring at him.
Long seconds passed as Harper stared at him. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she finally answered with one word.
“Yes.”
*
The rest of dinner flew by and before he knew it, they’d eaten dessert and paid the bill.
“I had a really nice time tonight. Thank you for dinner,” she said as they walked outside to wait for the valet to get Austin’s truck.
“I’m glad, and you already know how I feel about tonight,” he replied.
She nodded. “I do.”
The valet pulled his truck to the curb. Austin helped Harper into the passenger side, tipping the valet before jogging over to his side.
“What time will you be available tomorrow?” he asked.
“I have my standing date with Libby, and then I’m free.”
“Mind if I tag along?” he asked.
She gave him a look of disbelief. “You want to go with to the park with me and my dog?”
“I’ve been told I have a great throwing arm for the game of fetch,” he deadpanned.
Harper snorted, and then giggled. “I bet you do.”
Putting his truck into drive, he grinned. “I’m not bragging, merely passing along useful information.”
“And I truly appreciate that.” She exhaled.
His grin turned stupid. There was no other way to describe it. He could chalk it up to the fact that he hadn’t been on a date with a woman in months, not since he and Bianca had broken up. While he had access to a ton of women in the meantime at parties and clubs, he hadn’t been but so interested. That had translated into many lonely nights.
But maybe he’d needed that time in order to fully appreciate a woman like Harper. Maybe he needed it so he didn’t screw up again and date a woman who would cause more problems for him than Bianca ever did.
He glanced at Harper right as she began to silently sing along with the radio.
No way in hell could any woman he would have met in the meantime have helped his PR nightmare that was going on now.
At the next light, he quickly texted a picture of Harper and him at dinner to Finley. The server had taken several. At least two of them looked downright intimate.
Unease coursed through him, but he sent those as well. It had to be done. No matter how good of a time he had with Harper, he needed to get back in the good graces of Coach and Finley. They determined what kind of career he had, not the beautiful woman at this side.
Although, she could help him. A lot.
Shit. He had to tell her.
“This was the best night I’ve had in a really long time, Austin.” Harper glanced at him, a shy smile on her face.
Fuck. He couldn’t tell her, not after that pronouncement.
“Know what? This is the best night I’ve had in a really long time, too,” he admitted.
“Really?” she softly asked.
Mercifully, the light changed before he could do more damage. “Yes, really.” He was going to hell. So going to hell, but at least it wouldn’t be for totally lying to her. And why shouldn’t he enjoy spending time with her? Why shouldn’t he treat her in a way that came natural to him?
She made him feel good about himself and he for damn sure wasn’t lying when he complimented her. Part of being a good quarterback was making snap judgments based on the information available. He knew enough about Harper to want to spend more time with her, regardless of why he needed to spend more time with her.
Yeah, that might be a little sketchy, but he really wasn’t using her if he truly was having a good time with her and making sure she was having fun as well. Was it anyone’s fault that he happened to find her attractive? Was it anyone’s fault that he knew damn well she found him attractive too?
Either way, before things go too serious, he would tell her all about his situation.
*
Harper was dreaming. She had to be, because not only had she gone out on a real date, but Austin had also asked for a second one. He might be regretting that already since she’d barely said a word the entire drive home.
He hadn’t seemed to mind, however, and his lack of pushiness when it came to her comfort zone surprised her. Maybe he was a mind reader, or maybe he was just really good with women.
She frowned. The thought of him being really good with women was rather unsettling.
“You’re mighty quiet,” he said as they pulled into the drive of her house.
Startled, she gasped and smacked her hand against her chest.
“Didn’t mean to scare you.”
&nb
sp; “I was in my head,” she said honestly, turning to him.
He cut the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Was I in there, too?”
She flushed a little. “That’s for me to know.”
“Oh, I think I know.” He gave her a familiar, cocky grin before getting out of his truck.
Unbuckling her seatbelt, she waited while he walked around to her side and opened the door. “Let’s get you inside, pretty lady, before you freeze.”
She took his hand, the size of it engulfing hers. “I’m hot natured.”
“Good to know because I’m not.”
The heat he was throwing her way said otherwise. “Do you expect me to share my body heat with you?” Lord. The things coming out of her mouth! And on a first date to boot.
He gathered her in his strong arms, leaning her against the seat. Every so often, a gust of cold air would blow over them, but the heater still going at full force kept her toasty. And his body—dear Lord, his body. Austin towered over her. The muscles that touched her... if she were the swooning type, swoon city would most definitely be ahead.
Thankfully, she wasn’t that type because she’d made enough of a fool of herself over him tonight. Although, he certainly had made her feel like the exact opposite of a fool.
“What if I get caught in a snowstorm and the only way I would survive is by you sharing that body heat with me? You wouldn’t let me die, would you?” He winked at her.
She playfully rolled her eyes. “I’d let Libby warm you up.”
“That’s mighty kind of you, Ms. Bell,” he said in a familiar Jessamine drawl that made her simultaneously want to laugh and take him to bed.
Pressing her lips together, she tried in vain to keep from laughing.
“Oh, go on, I like that laugh.”
“Would you stop? There is no way you’re that charming in real life.”
He shook his head, the look on his face solemn. “’Fraid so, ma’am.”
She dissolved into a fit a giggles.
“I’d like to kiss you goodnight.”
Abruptly, her laughter stopped and her breath got caught in her throat for a moment. “You’d like to what?”
“You don’t have to say yes, but I sure would like it if you did,” Austin murmured. “Just one kiss and if you don’t like it, I swear, I’ll never kiss you again.”
Love So Perfect (The Lawson Brothers #5) Page 3
