by Lauren Runow
My heart swells with admiration for this man standing in front of me. I truly see what Harper talks about when she says he’s her hero.
I stand up straight, honored he finds me worthy of her love. “I can tell you, sir, without a doubt, I feel the same way about Harper. She’s something special, and I want to stay with her forever, truly.”
He smiles from ear to ear, and I know I’d have his blessing if I asked him for her hand in marriage at this very moment. I almost get up the nerve, but Harper enters the room.
“Okay, how close are we to eating because my insides are starting to gnaw at themselves?”
“Calm your horses. The men are trying to solve the world’s problems over here,” he says before turning back to me. “Good talk, Tanner. Glad to see we’re on the same page.”
We stay later than originally planned. Harper’s dad takes me into the garage and shows me the ’64 Mustang he’s restoring. When it comes to classic literature, I could win Jeopardy. With classic cars though, I’d be scratching my head.
While I don’t know a thing about cars, Austin would love an afternoon with Kevin. Not only does Austin like to race them, but he also gets a hard-on when you talk engines and cylinders and all that nonsense.
Bryce would be impressed with the business Kevin Doyle created. While my friends were concerned Harper was after me for my money, it turns out, Doyle’s Auto in Long Island City is one of the most successful mechanic shops in the area and specializes in foreign cars. They get a ton of business from Mercedes, Porsche, and BMW because they know the systems and can beat their high-end dealership prices.
When Harper and I get on the train, I pull her into a two-seater at the back of the car. I can’t wait a second longer to show her how happy I am from our day with her parents. When the train starts moving, I pull her legs on top of my thighs and run my fingers under her hair and around her neck, and I bring her lips to mine.
She lets out the smallest of sighs in appreciation. She needed this, too. I run my tongue against hers and rub circles with my thumb on her neck, feeling her pulse beat against my skin.
Someone taps me on the shoulder, so I pull away, placing my forehead to hers as we catch our breaths before realizing it’s the conductor asking for our tickets. He punches holes in them, and I resume my position back on Harper’s lips.
At Penn Station, we transfer to the subway where I pull her into a corner. She holds on to the long pole as I stand on the opposite side of it, gripping her by her waist, bringing her to me while placing tiny kisses on her neck. The car lurches forward as she holds onto the pole, and I grab her ass, keeping her upright.
Since she didn’t bring an overnight bag—or those glasses she’d teased me with earlier—we stop at April’s building. When we step off the elevator, it’s to an absolute shit-show. A man dressed in a suit is banging on her door.
Aaron.
“Stay here,” Harper says with a pinched brow.
“No way,” I say too loud on purpose to get his attention.
He turns, and his face lights up for a second at the sight of Harper until he sees my arm around her shoulders.
The man standing in front of us now looks nothing like the man I saw at the bar the first time I met Harper. That night, he looked like your typical businessman—a take-charge attitude and a self-assured smirk. Tonight, he is a man who’s lost control.
“What are you doing here?” she asks him in a stern tone.
Aaron glares in my direction, eyeing me up and down with a sneer before saying, “I heard you were dating someone else.”
His shirt is untucked, and his tie is hanging limply to the side. He’s in desperate need of a shave and not in a good way. I’ve been growing out my beard lately, but I keep it trimmed and clean. Aaron’s not a guy who can pull off a five o’clock shadow. Instead, his face is blotchy with patches of hair growing at different lengths.
Harper crosses her arms in front of her body. “Is that why you came here?”
Aaron’s steps are staggered as he pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket. “You’re evicting me?”
I feel her body sag slightly in my arms.
“I sold the apartment. You won’t let anyone in for the inspection or the appraisal. You have two weeks to get out.”
He runs a hand through his hair and then down the side of his face. “Enough already. I get it; you’re mad. I shouldn’t have messed around with Nicole.”
“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have.” She raises her arm and steps forward.
“I’ve waited long enough. When you left, I let you do whatever it was you needed to do. You were mad. So, I let you be mad. Then, you made out with this guy to get me jealous. It worked. You’ve got my attention.”
“I told you weeks ago, I never wanted to see you again.” Her words aren’t finished before he pushes off the wall and takes a step toward her.
“You’ve made your point. I fucked up, but I’m done waiting. You need to come home now.”
“No, Aaron.”
His eyes narrow. “Ditch this loser and come home.”
“I’m not yours anymore.”
He looks like he was just told his puppy died. I almost feel sorry for the guy. If I didn’t know the true story, I’d say he was a complete wreck over losing Harper. I get it. I’d be a mess, too, if she left me, but there’s one huge difference. This douchebag deserves everything he has coming.
“He’s a fucking baby!” he sneers.
My jaw twitches. I glance in her direction to make sure she’s okay. Her slight nod tells me she’s fine, so I hold her tighter, trying to give her the strength she needs. Or to hold myself back. Harper can handle herself to an extent. If that fucker comes too close, I’ll lay him out.
“This man is none of your business,” she spits back. “You need to leave before I call the cops.”
“You think this punk isn’t going to fuck someone else, too? It’s what guys do.” He tries to act nonchalant, and it pisses me off.
I step in front of Harper and glare down at him. “No, Aaron, that’s not what men do. Especially when they’re in love.”
“Ha!” He laughs out loud. “Are you seriously telling me you’re in love with her? You don’t even know her.”
“I know she wakes up every morning and stretches three times, once with her arms in the air and then on each side. She loves pinot noir, and her least favorite Friends episode is the one ‘where Rachel and Joey kiss because it’s too forced, and Rachel was always meant for Ross.’ Her words, not mine. I know she teaches fifth grade because her fifth grade teacher is the one who inspired her to be a teacher. The students in her inner-city public school mean as much to her as if they were her own children. I know she loves with her whole heart—so deeply that she let an asshole sleep around behind her back and didn’t question him because, in her world, your word is your bond. I also know the difference between you and me.”
Aaron gets right up in my face. “Besides the amount of money we make?”
I laugh. “I know how to love a woman for who she is and not who I want her to be.”
My words go way over his head.
“How much do they pay at American Eagle these days? Isn’t that where all the kids work? With her teaching salary, you guys will live on April’s couch forever.”
Unfortunately, there’s only one way to April’s door, and that’s right past him. I take Harper’s hand and pull her toward the apartment. This scum isn’t worth our time.
“She wanted me,” he calls out. “Don’t forget that. Just because I didn’t think she was a good enough fuck to satisfy me doesn’t mean I don’t love her.”
Oh, fuck no.
I reach my hand back and swing as hard as I can, smacking him directly across his nose. He instantly covers his face, yelping in pain, before coming at me with rage written all over his face. I swing with my other hand before planting a left hook directly to his stomach. He falls back against the wall.
I glance over to
Harper, whose mouth is open wide, and her face is white as a ghost.
I look back at the sorry sack of shit. “Stay away from my girl. And get the fuck out of her apartment building. Believe it or not, they pay really fucking well at American Eagle, and I have attorneys that will eat you alive if you come within ten feet of her. You hear me?”
Aaron wipes his nose with the back of his hand and smears the blood on his shirt. “She’s not worth it.”
I raise my fist again at his comment, causing him to jerk away and scurry down the hall.
April’s door opens, and she stands there with a shocked expression. “I was watching through the peephole. He came here earlier, and I told him about Tanner to piss him off. He left for a while but came back about a half hour ago. I texted you to let you know he was here.”
Harper looks down at her phone. She probably didn’t have service while we were on the train.
April glances down the hall at Aaron as he gets onto the elevator. “Do you think he’s going to press charges?”
I chuckle under my breath. “Not worried in the slightest.”
I turn to Harper, but she’s already inside, rushing right into the bathroom.
April places a hand on my arm. “Give her a minute. She’s probably processing everything that just happened.”
“She should be happy that he’s officially out of her life.”
“Agreed. But she thought she loved him. Now, he’s saying she was never good enough. I’m sure that hurt more than you or I can understand.”
She closes the door and then asks me if I want a drink. I decline and wait on the futon for Harper.
She emerges a few minutes later, her toiletry bag in her hand. She doesn’t acknowledge me as she gathers her things. Her movements are slow, and I can tell she has more on her mind than packing.
When she’s ready, she stands by the door. I don’t ask any questions.
I request an Uber before we leave the apartment. It’s outside by the time we’re at the lobby. The ride to my place is quiet. She stays on her side of the car, looking out the window. When I lay my pinkie next to her hand, she laces hers with mine. I blow out a large breath and give her space.
She looks so pretty. Her profile is in silhouette. If I had charcoal, I’d draw her just like this—a beautiful woman looking out a car window onto the streets of New York City. I wouldn’t need an image of her to copy. I’d know her face by memory. The curve of her cheek and the way her nose dips up slightly at the end. Her lips puff out a little, and her tendrils fall at her slender neck.
When we get to my apartment, I take her bag and open the front door. She’s silent on the way up. When we’re inside, she stands by the window and looks out. She’s still lost in her own head, and I’d do anything to ease her worries.
“Harper.”
Her back is to me. Her arms are hugging herself, but she’s silent and still, so I know she’s not crying.
“I’m not a violent man. I just couldn’t let—”
“Don’t.” She holds her hand up.
“Are you mad at me?” I ask hesitantly.
Her head shakes slowly. I sigh in relief.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hit him. I know you once cared for him, but when he said—”
“Don’t say it.” Her words quake.
I get closer. My body is so close to hers, yet I don’t know if I should touch her. I’m afraid of what she might say.
“Please don’t tell me you still have feelings for him.”
“No.” She spins around, shock written all over her face. So are the tears. Her body wasn’t showing signs they were there, but her eyes are red and burning with them.
“Then, why are you crying?”
With her head tilted down again, her eyes glance up to meet mine, the pain evident. That asshole has her doubting who she is as a woman and a lover.
I could fucking beat the shit out of him again.
I lean down, gripping her by her waist and picking her up, motioning for her to wrap her legs around me, and I walk toward my bed. Not letting her go, I slide my hand up her face, moving her hair away from her eyes.
“Do you know why I’ve fallen head over heels for you?”
She bites her lower lip and shakes her head again.
“Then, I’ve failed you. You should be reminded every day why I’m crazy about you.”
I set her down on the bed, and she willingly leans back on her forearms. Standing tall at the foot of the bed, I take off my shoes.
“I never was one for relationships. I enjoy being the wallflower in the bar and watching people fall in and out of love on a nightly basis. I knew the right one would find me when I was ready. And you did. You came walking into the bar and knocked me on my ass. Your beauty was staggering, your kiss intoxicating, and when you followed me onto that subway, your words were life-altering.”
I unbutton my jeans and enjoy the sight of her eyes on me and not the movement of the zipper so I decide to leave them on for a moment. “I’ve been painting walls and abandoned doorways for years, looking to fill a void inside me. I was like the wick of a candle, blown out in a rain storm. A part of me was dead, singed. The fire that burned in your eyes the night you painted here, in this room, lit something inside me I hadn’t known existed.”
Leaning down, I untuck her shirt and run my hands under it, sliding it up her body and over her head.
“Even when you ghosted me, I still knew you were the one for me. I just needed to wait for you to realize it, too. I never had a doubt in my mind, and I never will.”
I place my lips on her forehead, her nose, and then her lips, working my way down her neck to her breast and biting through the fabric. She lets out the sweetest moan.
“You are the woman of my dreams.”
I slide my hands down her shoulders, lowering the cups of her bra so that her breasts are free. I run circles around her nipple with my tongue and knead the other with my hand. Her legs open with her cries.
“Your body drives me crazy.” I tilt my head to the side, so I can see her and lick her nipple at the same time. “One taste of you, and I knew I could never have enough. That’s why I didn’t have sex with you the first night. I was afraid you’d ruin me for any other women. The way your body ignited under my touch was enough to get me off for the rest of my life.”
I move to the other breast while I reach around with my right hand and unhook her bra from the back, pulling it forward and removing it completely.
“The first night we had sex was the best night of my life.” I run my tongue down her stomach, gripping her panties with my teeth. “I would have walked across broken glass just to touch you again. I almost got hit by a car, chasing after you the night you left me at the bar.”
Her head springs up, her eyes wide in surprise at the news until her head rolls back when I move my thumb daringly over the fabric covering her clit.
“Yes, I ran after you, but I was too late. God”—I slide her panties down her legs—“I was so mad at you, but most of all, I was distraught when the thought of never touching you again clicked in my brain. I didn’t care what you had just done or what you’d said. I knew I had to have you back.”
Her eyes soften, and she bites her quivering lower lip. I reach behind my neck and pull my shirt over my head.
“But you know what I have come to love most?”
She shyly sways her head.
I kneel down beside the bed, a man praying to the goddess before him. “You, Harper. I love you.”
Tears fall down her face again, but this time, they’re not in vain. I kiss them away.
On my right hand is a ring I wear every day. I take it off and place it in the palm of her hand. “This is my father’s wedding ring. He removed it the day after my mother’s funeral. When I asked him for it, he didn’t ask why. But, if he had, this is what I would have told him. He’d failed her. This ring symbolizes eternal love, something he did not provide for her. I wear it to symbolize the love so
meone was supposed to have for my mom forever. I swore to myself that I’d keep it until I found someone worthy, someone I could make the promise I scorned my father for not keeping.”
She inhales with a swallow. “What are you going to do with it when you meet that woman?”
Lifting the ring from her hand, I slide it on the ring finger of my left hand. “I’ve found that woman. One day, I promise, I will make you my wife. Until then, I don’t want anyone to question if my heart is taken. You own me in every aspect of the word.”
She takes my hand, kisses my ring, and then lays it against her cheek. “You surprise me at every turn. You asked before why I was so upset. I was angry with myself. Angry for thinking anything other than what we have is true love. I know it’s cheesy, but what we have is the thing romance novels are written about. I love you. It almost hurts to admit it out loud because, if anything were to ever happen to you, I would never be able to recover. My heart and soul are yours, Tanner Sexton. So, when you say I own you, I get it. You own me, too. All of me. If you want, I’ll tattoo your name on my finger to show everyone that you’re mine and I’m yours. Forever.”
If words could move heaven and earth, hers just did. I take my love into my hands and kiss her deep and long. She’s already gloriously naked, writhing underneath me.
I lean up, loving the feel of her hands as they run over my chest and down my stomach, following the path of the denim as it falls off my legs. I let her tug on the elastic of my boxer briefs and shed those as well.
I slowly slide inside her while my forehead rests against hers, looking her directly in the eyes. “I love this. I love the way your body welcomes me in, like I was made to be here. I love the way your touch makes me want to curl my toes and lose all control. I love the way my mind clears of everything but you when you’re around.”
I could go on, but Harper wraps her arms around my neck, pulling her lips to mine and kissing me while I glide in and out, making love to the woman I know will be my forever.
