by MJ Summers
“You’re talking to her,” Blaire answered proudly.
“WHAT? Are you friggin’ kidding me? Blaire, I’m so happy for you!” Harper practically danced in her seat in spite of the seat belt.
“The board called me at six this morning to see how quickly I could take over after they fired her bony ass. I told them I just needed enough time to take a shower and I could be right in and ready to work.”
“Good for you! That is the best news ever!”
“Thank you! There’s a lot of pressure right now, but if I play my cards right, I can turn this ship around and put myself at the top of the industry. And guess what my first card is going to be?”
“What?”
“To hire back the best art director in the business, but as creative director now.”
“Oh, Blaire, really?” Harper asked, feeling momentarily elated, then immediately sick to her stomach.
“Yes, really! What do you say?”
Harper hesitated. She was finally being offered her way back to the life she’d spent over a decade building. This was supposed to be her dream come true. So why didn’t it feel like it should? Why did she feel queasy? “Wow. Thank you, Blaire, this is incredible . . .” her tone was flat, expressing her true feelings.
“Harper? Why do you sound so unenthused? I’m offering you the one thing you’ve been wishing for since last summer. Only much better, because it’s not only a promotion, but Hartless is gone!”
“I know. I know. I am very excited about it. It’s, um, just that I have commitments here I need to consider. Can I take a day to sort things out?” Harper answered, pulling up in front of her dad’s house.
“This isn’t about Evan, is it? Dear Lord, tell me you aren’t giving up this opportunity over some man?”
“Of course not!” Harper scoffed. “What do you take me for?”
“Oh, thank God! If I thought you’d suddenly become so pathetic I’d have lost all respect for you. Just think of how wonderful it’s going to be. It’s everything we always talked about. We’ll be unstoppable. No Hartless to put up with. We can do all those things we said we would. We can revolutionize the fashion industry, starting with using models who eat and have finished middle school! I promise you, Harper, it’s the smartest decision you’ll ever make.”
Harper shut her eyes, trying to push away that annoying heavy feeling in her stomach. “Sounds amazing. How long can you give me before I’d start?”
“In a perfect world, you’d be here tomorrow, but what if you work from Colorado for, let’s say, three weeks until you can wrap things up there? I’ve got four issues that need your expert touch immediately. They’re god-awful and I just can’t pull them together without you. I can overnight a laptop to you.”
“Okay, I’ll call you first thing tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll be holding my breath until I hear from you.”
* * *
An hour later, Harper put a large homemade pizza into the oven at Evan’s house. Her mind raced as she cleaned up the mess from making the dough. She had gone over to her dad’s after her call with Blaire to tell him about the offer. He tried to seem happy for her, even though his eyes had betrayed his true emotions. Their talk had given Harper a taste of what was to come if she decided to take the position.
Even though she’d made no secret of her plans to leave, now that it might actually be happening she didn’t like how she felt. Instead of being completely elated, she was nowhere near sure that this was the right decision. Her stomach lurched when she heard Evan open the door.
“Hey, babe!” he called. She heard his heavy boots drop to the floor as he took them off. Walking to the entrance of the living room, she leaned against the wall, watching him as he hung his winter coat in the closet. He picked up a large bouquet of flowers and crossed the room to her. “For you,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “Smells delicious in here. I was actually going to surprise you with dinner out, but I see you’ve beat me to the punch.”
Harper took the flowers. “Thank you. These are gorgeous. What’s the occasion?”
Evan’s eyes shone down at her. “I have some things to talk to you about, but first I need a quick shower.”
“Do you? That’s odd. I need to talk to you, too.” Harper stared at him. He seemed so happy and she felt sick that she was about to change all that.
He put his hand on her waist. “Really? Well, I can’t wait to hear what you have to say. Maybe we’ll have to open that wine we’ve been saving so we can celebrate. I have a feeling it’s going to be a very good night.” Giving her a lingering kiss, he pulled back a little. “Be back in a few minutes smelling good.”
* * *
Evan scrubbed shampoo into his hair vigorously, wanting to shower and shave as quickly as possible. Today, he’d decided without a doubt that he wanted to start his life with Harper, and he didn’t want to wait another minute. He would take her for a drive up to the property and tell her everything right in the spot where it had all started so many months earlier. He’d left a bottle of champagne in the back of his truck to stay cold and had hidden the ring in his coat pocket when he got home, so that the surprise would be complete. He just needed to figure out a way to smuggle two glasses out of the house without her noticing, but that shouldn’t be too hard. Everything would turn out beautifully.
Their time together had shown him that they were perfect for each other. He was in love with her and he knew in his heart that nothing was going to change that.
* * *
Evan walked into the kitchen with damp hair and that fresh-from-the-shower look he wore so well. When Harper handed him a glass of wine, he rewarded her with a kiss on the neck.
“I must be the luckiest guy on the planet to get to come home to you and this wonderful meal.” He pulled her to him for a long, deep hug.
“Mmm, you smell pretty delicious yourself right now,” Harper murmured, experiencing that sinking feeling in her stomach again. “Let’s eat before this gets cold.”
Evan was the picture of happiness as he scooped salad into bowls for each of them. Harper added two slices of pizza to their plates and returned to the table. Sitting across from him, she fanned her napkin onto her lap and then watched as he took his first bite of pizza.
“Wow, that’s good. How is it you’ve never made this for me before?”
“I kind of forgot about it.”
“This might have to replace Friday night steaks.”
Her heart squeezed at the thought of him talking about their future together. Suddenly she had no appetite. She took a sip of wine, wanting to postpone the inevitable.
“So, what’s your big news?” he asked, looking up at her expectantly.
“I was just about to get to that,” she replied, putting her glass down. “Blaire, my friend from Style, called today. Cybill got canned this morning and Blaire’s been hired by the board to replace her on a temporary basis.”
Spearing some salad with his fork, Evan said, “Wow. That is a crazy turn of events. I bet everyone there’s pretty thrilled.” He looked a little puzzled.
“They are. And you’re wondering what this has to do with me.”
Putting his fork down, Evan gave her a serious look. “I think I can guess.”
“Blaire asked me to come back as the creative director. It would be a big step up.” Seeing the shock on his face, she quickly continued. “I haven’t given her an answer yet but if I take it, I’d have to leave in a few weeks.”
Evan took a long gulp of wine before answering. “So what are you going to do?”
Harper hesitated, trying to read him, but his expression gave nothing away. “It’s really everything I’ve ever wanted. I’d be at the top of the entire fashion industry. Well, one step from the top. I’d be a fool not to take it,” she said, her eyes boring into his. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized that she wanted him to ask her to stay. Very badly.
Evan’s gaze shifted from her for a moment to the camera he’d bought
her. It was still sitting on the counter, waiting for him to return it. He looked back at her. “It’s your dream, right? It’s been the plan all along, so I guess you should take it.”
Harper swallowed hard. So that was that. He didn’t want her to stay. And the reality of it filled her with pain. Doing her best to pretend it didn’t matter either way, she nodded. “It would be the smart thing to do.”
Evan opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, a smile crossing his lips but not touching his eyes. “If it’s what you want, you should do it. Good for you, Harper. Congratulations.”
He stared down at his dinner, cutting a small piece of pizza using his knife and fork.
Harper blinked back tears, glad he wasn’t looking at her. Taking a swig of wine, she fortified herself. “I guess I’ll call Blaire back in the morning and accept.”
“Well, that’s settled then,” he answered in a cavalier tone. “How soon will you be leaving?”
“Why? You in a rush to get rid of me?” She asked it as though she were merely teasing but the edge in her voice told a different story.
“Not at all.” He narrowed his eyes at her a little. “Just thought it would be good to know so I don’t make any plans you won’t be around for.”
“Oh, of course. I have to find out for sure, but I think I can take maybe three weeks to wrap things up before I move back. I’ll work from here in the meantime.”
“Alright. Good to know.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes, Harper pushing the food around on her plate, unable to bring herself to eat. She hoped changing the topic would help ease the tension. “I almost forgot that you had something you wanted to talk with me about.”
“Oh, that. There was a ridiculous mix-up with some paperwork for the city, so I need to head back to the job site for a while tonight. I didn’t want to make Lacey stay and do it.”
Harper stared at him. “You got me flowers because you have some paperwork to do?”
He cleared his throat. “Those were just because. I actually don’t know why I even said I had news for you. It’s more of an update. Lacey’ll be going off on maternity leave soon, so I’ll be working a lot more than usual.”
“Oh, right. I guess that makes sense.” Harper did her best to sound casual.
Glancing at the clock, he announced, “I better get back to work. Anyway, good for you. I’m really happy for you. Really.” He wiped his mouth and stood up, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.
* * *
Evan drove straight to his office, then sat at his desk for the next few hours trying in vain to concentrate on his work. It was useless and he knew it. He just stared off into space, thinking about what had happened. The image of the camera sitting on the counter kept coming back to him, reminding him of why he couldn’t go home and tell her the truth. Just when she’d asked whether he thought she should go, his eyes had landed on that damn camera, reminding him of her reaction to it on Christmas Eve. The mere hint of him wanting to make things permanent had sent her running to the bathroom to get away from him. She’d thrown up her guard again.
But then had come New Year’s Eve, when he realized he had what it took to go the distance, and he’d decided he wanted to do that with her. He thought things had felt different between them, but maybe it had all been in his head. He stared down at the engagement ring in its box, feeling like an idiot. What had he been thinking, buying her this? Over the past few days he’d managed to fool himself into thinking she might want to marry him, and now he knew full well that her thoughts couldn’t have been further from marriage. She was leaving him, just like she had told him she would. He had no one to blame but himself for letting it get this far. But that didn’t make it hurt any less.
Evan got home long after Harper had fallen asleep. As he crept into the bedroom and stripped down, he could feel the loneliness settling over him already, in spite of the fact that she was there in his bed. What he felt and had let himself believe wasn’t her doing. She had been honest with him the whole time, but he’d let himself fall in love with her anyway. And now he was going to have to face the pain of letting her go.
He slid under the covers behind her, pressing his body to hers and inhaling the scent of her shampoo. She made a happy little sigh in her sleep as he held her close to him. Sadness overtook him. “You awake?” he whispered.
He listened for a moment. Her breathing was steady, so he knew he could risk it. He felt his heart quicken in his chest. His voice was almost inaudible. “I’m in love with you. I want you to stay. I want to marry you.” He hoped the words that came straight from his heart would find their way to hers.
Thirty-Two
Grande Lisboa, Portugal
“That’s it, everyone. It’s a wrap! Thank you all for your hard work,” Harper called out, motioning to the production crew to begin breakdown. For a moment, she stared out at the incredible view from the top of the Sintra Mountains, wishing Evan was with her. He would love it here. They had captured some gorgeous shots at the medieval Castle of the Moors, making the trip a complete success, but Harper now felt completely drained.
It had been two weeks since she had accepted the job and instead of working from Colorado as Blaire had promised she could, Harper had somehow let herself be talked into a whirlwind trip to Portugal. As she began gathering up her things, she realized that after only a few months away from the magazine, she now found it hard to imagine that she used to do these forty-eight-hour location shoots so often and would be doing so again from now on.
“That might be some of our best work together, Harper. I’ve missed you,” Assaf said, coming to stand beside her and admire the view.
“It was great, wasn’t it?” Harper agreed.
Their conversation was interrupted by her cellphone ringing. A picture of Evan lit up the screen. “Excuse me,” Harper said, stepping away. “Hey, you. How are things?”
“Good. I just wanted to apologize for not calling you yesterday. I got caught up at work and when I finally had a moment, I was sure you’d be asleep already.”
“No problem. I completely understand,” Harper answered, trying to sound breezy. But she didn’t feel breezy. She felt a little hurt. In the weeks since she’d started back at Style, things with Evan had felt strained and awkward. The end was hurtling toward them at a furious pace and neither of them knew exactly how to handle it. They’d taken to pretending things were back to being very casual but it now felt hollow.
“How’s Portugal?”
“Things couldn’t have gone better, actually. We’re just wrapping up now, so I’ll be back tomorrow night.” Harper gave a wave to one of the models as she left. “Listen, if you’re busy, I can just catch a cab. You don’t need to pick me up.”
“No, I should be able to make it. I’ll see you at eight?”
“Only if you’re sure. If anything changes, just text me.”
Boulder, Colorado
Warm water rained onto Harper’s face and chest as she stood in the shower at Evan’s. She was torn between relief at being back where he was and a sense of doom knowing that things were drawing to an end. Closing her eyes, she tried to shut out what was to come. The feeling of Evan’s hands on her naked skin had her disappearing into his world again. Harper’s melancholy started to subside as his hard body pressed against hers. Longing overtook her as Evan’s lips skimmed along the nape of her neck. He sucked carefully in that little spot he knew drove her wild. Working his way up to her earlobe, he nipped gently with his teeth. “You’re”—kiss—“completely”—kiss—“amazing.”
Turning, Harper met his lips with hers, kissing him hard, letting her body relax and lean against the shower wall. She arched her back so that her chest met his. Evan’s hands glided over her ass and back up again. He ran his fingers up her tummy to her chest and, cupping her breasts, he rubbed her nipples with his thumbs before lowering his mouth over them, one at a time. Sucking, kissing, rolling his tongue over the pink buds until they were firm. Letting
one hand drop down to her core, he rubbed the sensitive skin. “I’ve missed you, missed this.”
“Me too,” Harper whispered. Her heart tugged at the thought of missing him, but the pain was soon overridden by what he was doing to her body at the moment. He was going to make her forget.
Running her hands over his wet skin, she wanted to feel every inch of his powerful body. She stopped when her hands found his rock-hard length. She gripped it, rubbing him while gently twisting her fingers at the same time. A moan escaped Evan’s throat as he lifted his face to hers again, crushing his mouth over hers. Thrusting his tongue between her parted lips, he showed her what he wanted to do with his cock. Letting one hand slide down to her outer thigh, he lifted her leg up along his body, giving himself full access to her. Harper wrapped that leg around him, arching her back even more so they could finally join together. She took his cock and brought it to her, rubbing him against her wet heat in deliciously slow, long drags. “Yes,” she said, her eyelids lowering.
Evan bent his knees, then slowly slid himself inside her throbbing core, feeling each inch as she drew him in further. Sighs. Kisses. Moans. Thrusts. The intensity and pace grew as he pulled away and thrust himself back inside her. Gripping her ass with both hands, he lifted her onto his cock so that her full weight was now resting on him. She could feel him filling her completely as she neared her own climax. She tensed her core, squeezing him, feeling him hit her in that perfect spot. This was everything she’d been wanting for so many nights. She didn’t know how she would ever give this up. Opening her eyes, she gazed at him, watching him as he lifted and lowered her over himself. His expression was one of possessiveness, of need. It made her feel wildly feminine and beautiful. “Yes, Evan, just like that,” she whispered as she felt that first wave overtake her. It was a million sensations at once. The incredible release of her orgasm, his lips on hers again, his tongue dancing with her tongue, the warm water rushing over them, her back pressed against the cold tile, her front pressed against his warm, hard body. And that moment, that perfect moment when she could feel him pulse inside her, each wave bringing her more and more pleasure.
