by E. L. Todd
“I’m going to sleep good tonight.”
“Sleep?” I asked. “Who said anything about sleep?” I stayed inside her, and with a minute I was hard again. “We’re going to be doing this all night.”
Her eyes leapt up in flames again. “Then let’s.”
Harper
I was so fucking happy.
Troy and I were together, and we were starting a new relationship together. I was grateful I was patient with him even though it took forever for him to come around. Now I had what I always wanted.
Whenever I watched Sebastian look at Kara, it was with a look full of adoration. She was his entire world and it showed on every feature of his face. Now Troy looked at me that way, and I was glad I finally found the one.
For the longest time, I didn’t think I would ever find the one. It was too difficult and unlikely. And when I met Troy, I definitely didn’t think he was the one. Not only was he pessimistic and sarcastic, but he had more baggage than a cargo train. Dating a guy still confused over his ex wasn’t my idea of a good relationship. But I did it anyway.
When I fell in love with him, it was against my will. I never expected it to happen. But I saw all the qualities that made him irresistible. He was loyal and honest, and in reality, he was extremely sweet and sensitive. He purposely tried to hide the best in him, obviously thinking it would keep people away.
That didn’t work on me.
And now we both had what we wanted.
When we returned from Hawaii, we were inseparable like always. But now we were making love all over the place. Every couch and counter was defiled. And Troy always made me come twice, making me curl my toes because it felt so good. I’d always wanted to end up with a man like that, and I was grateful that I had.
He slept at my apartment every night, and when he wasn’t there, I was at his place. Like two best friends joined at the hip, we were inseparable. Now I had a dreamy boyfriend that everyone was jealous of.
There was one problem, however. He was still an escort.
“I’m not going to quit,” he said firmly. “You knew this about me before we got together. I can’t just walk away from this.”
“I told you I was the jealous type.”
“Then be jealous,” he said. “But there’s nothing to be jealous of. I’ve been doing this for years and I’ve never gotten involved with a client. Honestly, a girl or guy who has to pay or a date obviously has serious issues. You think I’m into that?”
I knew he wouldn’t be but that wasn’t the point. “I don’t want you touching them.”
“It’s just handholding or an arm around the waist. Do you not trust me?” he demanded.
“Of course I do. But that doesn’t mean I’m not jealous.”
“People are jealous because they don’t trust their partner. I’m the one with trust issues but I don’t stress about it at all. You need to trust me too.”
“Trust isn’t an issue,” I argued. “I just don’t want girls to drool over my boyfriend all the time!”
He sighed and scratched his head. “Harper, this is my career. I’m not going to change it for you. I’m a partner in this.”
“Why don’t you hire someone to replace you? It’ll be an extra expense but you’re still pocketing the money.”
“And I’m splitting my salary with someone,” he argued. “Forget it. I worked hard to build this company, and I don’t trust someone else to follow the rules and not get me sued. It was a promise all the guys made. I’m sorry, Harper. I love you but you’re going to have to let this go.”
I knew I was being unfair but that didn’t stop me from acting like a brat. I sat on the couch and crossed my arms over my chest.
He sat beside me then rested his hand on my thigh. “Baby, you have nothing to worry about. I promise.”
“I’m sorry I’m being weird about this…”
“Aspen doesn’t have a problem with it.”
“I know.”
He turned my face toward him. “Please trust me. Harper, I love you and I would never hurt you. You know that, don’t you?”
The look in his eyes and the words out of his mouth made me melt involuntarily. “Of course, I do.”
“Then let it go. I give you my word that there’s nothing to be jealous about. I like helping people and getting them through their problems. That’s the part of the job I enjoy. But that’s it.”
“I know, Troy. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, baby.” He kissed my forehead. “It’s reasonable. I know my job is unusual. If the roles were switched I know I would struggle with accepting it. But then again, the situations would be different.”
“How so?”
“A guy can take advantage of you. A girl can’t take advantage of me.”
That made sense.
“So…are we okay?” he asked. “Keep in mind I won’t be doing this forever. I invest most of my money in real estate so when I get too old to do this I can just retire at a young age.”
“That’s smart,” I said. “How young?”
He shrugged. “When clients no longer want to pay me.”
“You’ll have to sale the business to someone else or hire people to run it.”
“Yeah…I’ll deal with that when the day comes.” He put his arm around my shoulder. “So, got plans for the weekend?” A mischievous look was in his eyes.
“I assumed I’d be spending it with you.”
“How about at the beach house?”
“You know how much I love that place.”
“It’s a great way to land chicks.” He winked at me.
“Or just one chick.”
“One and only.”
***
When we arrived, there were two other cars in the driveway.
“Uh…did you rent it out for the weekend and forgot?” I asked.
“Nope. We have guests.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Let’s go inside and see.” He grabbed our bags from the trunk then walked inside.
I followed behind him then went to the back. Four people were lounging by the pool, and on closer inspection I recognized them. “Aspen?”
She sat at the edge of the pillow and let her feet soak in the water. “About time you got here.”
“Troy is a slow driver,” I said.
Rhett released a chuckle. “Maybe when you’re in the car…”
I came closer than looked at Kyle. He didn’t have any marks on his face and he looked back to normal. “Hey. How are you?”
“Great.” He was sitting beside his boyfriend Mark. “My brother finally invited us over to enjoy his investment. I heard through the grapevine you’ve been here often.”
I shrugged. “Guilty.”
Aspen turned to Rhett. “You should get a beach house.”
“You’re the CEO of a billion dollar oil company,” he countered. “You get one.”
Aspen chuckled. “Touché.”
Troy came out in his swimsuit. “Hey, I’d like to introduce you guys to my new girlfriend, Harper.” He sat beside me then put his arm around my shoulders.
Rhett nodded in approval. “So, it’s official now?”
“Yep,” Troy said. “She’s my lady.” He rubbed his nose against mine.
“Awe,” Aspen said. “I knew you guys would make it work.”
“You’d be an idiot if you didn’t make it work,” Kyle said seriously.
Troy splashed water on him.
“Whoa, watch the hair,” Kyle said. “It takes me an hour to make it look like this.”
“You’re such a girl,” Troy said.
Kyle pulled his leg back to splash him.
“Don’t you dare get my lady wet!” Troy threatened.
Kyle relaxed. “I’ll get you back eventually.”
Troy turned to me. “Now I’m going to be stuck to you like glue.”
“Sounds good to me.”
***
After spending the day at the pool we headed to the beac
h for a bonfire when the sun was gone. We roasted marshmallows and drank beers while we sat around. Troy made a smore and his entire face was smeared with chocolate and marshmallows. When he didn’t wipe it away, I assumed he didn’t notice.
“Dude, you got shit on your face,” Rhett said.
Troy wiped his mouth but he missed most of the mess.
“Forget it,” Rhett said with a laugh.
I grabbed a napkin and cleaned him up. “There, you’re handsome again.”
“I was more handsome before,” Troy said with a grin.
“That’s up for debate,” Rhett said. Aspen was in his lap and she was curled up under a blanket.
“Want one?” Troy asked as he handed me a smore.
“No, that’s a slippery slope, my friend.”
“How so?” he asked. His eyes held his amusement.
“If I eat one, I’ll eat five.”
“That’s sexy.”
I rolled my eyes. “And I don’t want to get it all over my face.”
“Hmm…” He stared at the smore for a moment, and his eyes narrowed in bad intent.
“Don’t even think about it—”
He wiped it across my face and got it everywhere.
“You son of a bitch!” I tried to smack him but he moved out of the way.
Everyone laughed.
Troy stood up then ran into the house, trying to avoid me.
I chased after him then through the house. When we made it to the kitchen I cornered him. “You’re dead meat.”
He smirked while he leaned against the counter with nowhere to go. “It’s hard to take you seriously when you look like that.”
“Aghh!” I ran to him to smack him.
But he pushed me back into the opposite counter and kissed me hard. Chocolate and marshmallow got all over him but he didn’t mind. Our kiss was sweet—literally and it got heated and heavy instantly. He left me on the counter then pulled my underwear aside under my dress.
“Troy, no.” I tried to push him back.
Like a mountain, he didn’t move. He undid his trunks and pulled out his dick. Then he slipped inside me and stretched me.
“Someone could come inside,” I said with a weak voice.
“Yeah…” He thrust into me hard and fast. “Me.”
Troy
My life was awesome.
I had the girl of my dreams, the nightmares were gone, and I felt whole for the first time in years. Sex with Harper was only getting better, and now I had a woman who was also my best friend. My parents were getting along with Kyle and they were really making an effort to accept him and Mark.
I had absolutely no complaints.
Harper wasn’t thrilled about what I did for a living, but what woman would be thrilled about that. I couldn’t quit even if I wanted to. I had five other guys to think about, and if I dropped from the ranks, how would they fill in the hole. I loved Harper and would do anything to make her happy but I couldn’t do that. Thankfully, she let it go.
I spent the next few weeks spending every spare moment with my girlfriend. I took her out to dinner, the movies, and my bed—repeatedly. Being close to another person was extremely enjoyable, and I forgot how good that felt. I never wondered if she was lying to me or if she was doing something behind my back. I trusted her, and I honestly didn’t think I could trust anyone again.
But Harper changed my life.
***
When harper was at work during the day, I lay around the house and watched TV. Since I worked nights, my only time to relax was when the sun was out. I made breakfast then I watched TV until my phone rang. I knew it was Harper, asking me to go to lunch.
When I looked at the phone to answer it, I stilled.
It was Alexia.
I sat up quickly and almost fell over.
Why was she calling me?
What did she want?
Should I answer it?
Why was I panicking?
I shouldn’t answer it. What could she possibly have to say to me? But I answered it anyway. “Hello?” My voice was steady and slightly angry, the usual tone I made when I spoke to her.
“Troy?” Her deep voice echoed over the phone.
“Present,” I said like a smart-ass.
She paused for a moment. “How are you?”
“Why the fuck do you care?” I snarled.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t,” she said. “And you must care about how I’m doing otherwise you wouldn’t have answered the phone.”
I ground my teeth because I knew she was right. “How can I help you?” Condescension was in my voice.
“I was hoping we could talk.”
“I’m confused…what are we doing now?” I would never stop being an asshole to her. It was physically impossible.
“In person,” she said.
“About what?” I barked. “There’s nothing to say.”
“I beg to differ,” she said calmly. “Please just meet me. Dinner tomorrow night.”
“Why do we have to have dinner?” I asked.
“Fine, coffee. Whatever you want. I really think you’ll want to hear what I have to say.”
I rubbed my temple because I was irritated I was still on the phone with her. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“We aren’t friends, Alexia. We never will be.”
“The conversation has nothing to do with friendship.”
Her words echoed in my mind long after she said them. I hated this woman for what she did to me, loathed her, but yet, I was curious as to what she had to say. Perhaps it would give me closure. Perhaps it would help me understand why she hurt me so much to begin with. I could ask her when our relationship fell apart and what led her to find someone else. They were questions that plagued my mind for years and now I could finally reach the truth. “When and where?”
***
The impending conversation with Alexia plagued my mind all day. Stress weighed on my heart, and I felt nervous with every passing hour. What would I say and what would she say? What should I wear? How should I act?
And then there was Harper.
I told her everything. Should I tell her about this? I feared if I did she would get the wrong idea. She might assume I was meeting Alexia because I wasn’t really over her. I was over her, and Harper was the woman in my heart. Would she understand my need for closure? Or would she push me away? I didn’t know what to do.
Maybe I should tell her about the conversation after it happened? But would that piss her off even more? I didn’t know what to do. I considered blowing off Alexia altogether. If it affected my relationship with Harper it wasn’t worth it.
I decided it was best if I didn’t tell her at all. I wasn’t doing anything wrong and I loved only Harper but I had questions that needed to be answered. That was understandable, right?
But then the guilt would plague me. How would I feel if she saw her ex and she didn’t tell me about it? I think that would hurt more. If I explained why I was meeting Alexia, Harper would understand. There was no romantic intention at all.
So I decided to tell her.
Harper understood me. She would know why I wanted the conversation to happen. She was my best friend. There was no reason to be jealous.
When Harper came over that night, I wasn’t myself. I was dreading the conversation because I feared it wouldn’t go over well. My body was tense and I felt skittish.
Harper picked up on it. “Are you okay?” She eyed me from her side of the couch.
“I’m fine,” I lied. “Just a little tired.”
“Well, you don’t seem tired. You seem terrified.”
Dammit, why did she have to know me so well? “Actually, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“Okay…” Now she seemed terrified and tense.
“It’s nothing bad,” I said quickly.
“Well, it’s got you all worked up…”
“I’m more worried about your reactio
n, that’s all.”
“Can you just tell me?” she demanded.
“Okay…” Here it goes. “Alexia called me earlier today and she wanted to meet tomorrow night to talk.”
Her eyes widened. “That bitch has a lot of nerve. You told her to go fuck herself, right?”
So, she was going to be pissed off. “I did…in the beginning. But she said she wanted to talk and wouldn’t say what it was about.”
Her eyes lit up in flames, and if she had a gun, she would shoot me. “What difference does that make?” Her hands went to her hips and she gave me a look of menace. She was tiny, but she terrified me sometimes.
“I want to talk about our relationship and where it went wrong. I want to know so I can have some closure.”
She gripped her skull. “You’re unbelievable.”
“What?” What did I say?
“You shouldn’t care about why your relationship ended. She cheated on you. The end.”
“But I—”
“If you’re over her, what does it matter?”
“It matters because I spent three years of my life with her. You don’t think I haven’t wondered what went wrong every single day since she dumped me? Don’t you think I want to know?”
“Oh my god…you aren’t over her.”
“I am over her, Harper. I love you.”
She covered her face for a moment like she couldn’t bare it if I looked at her. “The only reason you’re going is because you know she wants to get back together. What other reason could it be?”
“I don’t care if she wants to get back together,” I argued. “I want answers.”
“Fuck you, Troy. I can’t believe I trusted you.”
This was going south. “Harper, calm down. I don’t want her anymore. I only want you. Listen to the words coming out of my mouth.”
“Your actions are more important,” she hissed. “You shouldn’t want to see her.”
“It’s not that I want to see her,” I argued. “You’re totally blowing this out of proportion.”
“Am not!”
“Harper, if I was really a sleazebag that wanted to get back together with my ex I wouldn’t have even told you about it. I told you why I wanted to see her. There is no other reason.”
“You are in denial.”
I tried to remain calm and not scream. Harper had a right to be a little uncomfortable. “Harper, I told you I loved you. Does that mean nothing to you?”
