by Wilder, L.
When I pulled up into the parking lot, he was already waiting for me at one of the park benches. He was wearing dress khakis with a heavy, burgundy wool sweater, and his hair was perfectly combed to the side. I got out of the car, and he stood up and smiled as I headed in his direction. “Hi, Daniel.”
“Man, it’s good to see you,” he told me as he reached for me, giving me a big hug.
I pulled back and gave him a half-hearted smile. “Let’s sit down for a minute.”
He nodded and after we were both seated, he said, “I’m glad you called. I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about me.”
“I should’ve called sooner, but …”
“I know you’ve been busy, sweetheart. I understand.”
When the word sweetheart came out of his mouth, my entire body cringed. I was done with the chitchat, so I let out a deep breath and said, “We need to talk.”
“Okay.”
“I think you’re a really great guy, Daniel. You’ve been so good to me, and you mean a lot to me … But this thing between you and me isn’t going to work.”
His green eyes filled with worry as he asked, “What do you mean?”
“It’s time for us to go our separate ways. I know it’s hard, but in my heart, I know it’s the best thing for both of us.”
“No. You’re wrong. It’s not the best thing for us, and it’s certainly not the best thing for me,” he pouted. “I love you, Harper. I’ve done nothing but love you for months.”
“I know that, and I’m really sorry. I just don’t feel the same way about you.”
“No.” He shook his head frantically as he reached for my hands, gripping them tightly. “You’re not thinking clearly right now. You have so much on you right now with the book and all the deadlines. I know it’s overwhelming for you.”
I eased my hands from his grasp and shifted in my seat, trying to make a little distance between us. I took a deep breath, and tried to remain calm. “I’m thinking perfectly clear, Daniel. It’s over .”
“No.” He stood up and looked down at me. “Just give it a few days, and then we can talk.
“There’s nothing for us to talk about, Daniel,” I snapped. “I don’t want to see you anymore.”
“I can’t believe you’re really doing this! After everything we’ve been through.” A determined look crossed his face as he shouted, “It’s that guy, isn’t it? You’ve never been able to get over him!”
“You’re right. I’ve never gotten over him, and I don’t think I ever will.”
“He’s gone, Harper. It’s been ten fucking years. He’s not coming back. You need to get that through your thick head!”
I knew he was hurting, and I didn’t want to make it worse by arguing with him. “I know it’s hard right now, but some day you’ll see that this was the right thing for both of us, Daniel.”
As he stood there staring at me, I could see the anger building inside him. His cheeks flushed red and his voice trembled as he glared at me. “You’re going to regret this.”
I stood up and looked at him directly in his eyes and replied, “No, Daniel. I won’t. I could never regret doing the right thing.”
With that, I turned and walked back to my car. I could feel his eyes on me as I started my car and pulled out of the parking lot. I knew I’d hurt him. I just hoped in time he’d be able to see that I’d actually done him a favor. I could never love him, or anyone else for that matter. My heart belonged to Max. It always had, and it always would. When I got back to the cabin, I still felt a little anxious, so I decided to use my nervous energy to my advantage. After I cleaned up the cabin, I pulled out my laptop and spent several hours writing. I felt really good about how the book was coming along, and once I was done, I sent Claudia a message. I thanked her for my sweet gifts and let her know that I would be emailing her my latest chapters.
By the time I was done, it was getting late. It was well after dark, and I still hadn’t heard anything from Max. He’d said he didn’t know how long it would take, and I didn’t want to bother him, so I decided to relax with a hot bath, hoping that I’d hear from him before I went to bed. With my new bath soaps in hand, I headed for the bathroom and enjoyed a nice, long soak. After noticing my fingertips looked pruned, I lifted myself out of the tub, dried off, and put on my pajamas. As I headed back into my bedroom, the cold air caused a small shiver to run down my spine. The fire had gone out, but I was simply too tired to do anything about it. When my teeth started to chatter, I slipped into my soft, cozy bed and pulled the covers over me; once I was nice and toasty under the down comforter, my exhaustion set in and I couldn’t help but fall asleep.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been sleeping when I heard a knock at my door. The noise startled me, especially since it was after one in the morning, but only for a moment. Thinking that it must be Max, I threw the covers back and rushed towards the door. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I peeked out the window and was relieved to see Max staring back at me. As soon as I opened the door, I could see how exhausted he was.
There were dark circles under his eyes and his voice was low and raspy when he spoke. “I’m sorry. I know it’s late and I shouldn’t have come, but …”
“Yes. You should’ve come.” It was freezing outside as I reached for his hand and pulled him inside the house. After I locked the door, I led him to the bedroom. “C’mon, get undressed and get in the bed.”
Once he was undressed and settled in, I curled up next to him. His arm slipped around me, pulling me close, and he let out a deep breath. “I’ve been waiting all day for this.”
“Me, too.”
“I want to spend every night …” His words were long and drawn out, like he was drunk out of his gourd. “Just … like … this .”
Before I had a chance to respond, the rhythm of his breathing became slow and deep, letting me know he’d fallen asleep. I turned to look at him and smiled. The worry lines were gone from his face, making him look so young and peaceful. I thought back to when we were kids, when I thought that we would always be together. Back then, I thought nothing could come between us, and together, we could survive any storm. Some might say I was wrong for believing that, but as I laid there next to him and felt the warmth of his body next to mine, I realized I was right—our love had survived the storm.
CHAPTER 17
Max
I woke up with Harper sprawled out on the bed next to me, and the minute I laid eyes on her, I had to have her. Her eyes remained closed as I eased up on all fours, and even though I felt guilty for waking her, I couldn’t help myself. I hovered over her for a moment, appraising her gorgeous body, and watched as her beautiful, full lips curled into a smile. I slid my hands under her and reached for her lace panties, easing them down her long, sexy legs. “Good morning, beautiful.”
She never opened her eyes as she replied, “Good morning, handsome.”
I lowered my head between her legs, and with my mouth just inches from her, I asked, “Did you sleep well?”
“Umm-hmmm.”
I brushed my tongue across her and watched with a sense of satisfaction as her back arched off of the bed. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”
Her eyes opened as she looked at me, shaking her head no.
I eased my fingers deep inside her, massaging the spot that drove her wild. “I can’t get you out of my head. With every breath I take, you’re right there with me.”
A pleasured moan vibrated through her chest as I started to move my fingers faster and harder, and her breath quickened as I covered her with my mouth. With the sounds of her soft whimpers echoing through the room, I placed my hands on her thighs, holding her in place as I continued to work her over with my mouth. Her taste had my cock throbbing with an uncontrollable need to be inside her, and when I couldn’t wait any longer, I quickly removed my boxers and settled myself between her legs.
I placed my mouth close to her ear and whispered, “You’re mine, Harper Campbell, and I’m go
ing to spend the rest of my life making up for the time we lost … Every hour … Every minute … Every fucking second.”
Without saying a word, she pressed her lips to mine in a possessive, demanding kiss as she wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me towards her. We spent the better part of the morning in bed making love and talking, and we would’ve stayed longer if my phone hadn’t started ringing. I forced myself out of bed and took the call from Big.
“Any news?”
“I’m working on it. Wondered if you could get something for me?”
“Sure. What do you need?” I asked.
“Can you go by Frankie’s and get the freight log for the past couple of weeks?”
“Yeah, I can do that. Any particular reason why you need it?”
“Just checking into a few things,” Big replied.
“Okay. I’ll head over there now to get it. Where are you going to be?”
“I’m out with Josie right now, but we’ll be heading home in a couple of hours. Could you put it in my mailbox, and I’ll grab it when I get back?”
“You got it.”
As soon as I hung up the phone, I turned to Harper and asked, “You up for getting out for a bit? I’ve got something I need to take care of, then we could grab something to eat when I’m done.”
“Sure. Just let me take a quick shower.”
Giving her a playful smile, I agreed. “Sounds good. I’ll join you.”
Our shower took a little longer than expected, but it was worth it. We were just about to walk out the front door when I noticed another small square package sitting on her doorstep. She reached down and picked it up, studying it for a moment before she said, “It must be another gift from Claudia. I’ll open it when we get back.”
I nodded and watched her take it inside. Once she was done, we got in the car and headed towards town. It was a beautiful day, and Harper was quiet as she stared out the window and took in the scenery. When we pulled up to Frankie’s warehouse, she had a puzzled look on her face.
“Is this where you work?”
“Not exactly. My boss does some work through them,” I answered as I pulled around back to the dock and parked. Just as I was about to get out, Derrick, the loading manager, started walking towards my car. He’d worked there for years, and I’d always found him to be a hard worker, never complaining about anything. As he approached, I rolled down my window and said, “Morning, Derrick. How’s it going?”
“Hey, man. Doing good, I guess. You know how it is. Work is work. Just out here trying to make a dollar.” He peered inside and gave Harper a smile. “Who you got in there with ya?”
“Just a friend of mine.”
“Must be some kind of friend.” He snickered. “Never seen you with a pretty lady like this before.”
“Hi, Derrick.” She leaned forward and smiled. “I’m Harper.”
“Nice to meet you, Harper. You new in town?”
“Yes and no. I’m really just visiting.”
“Is that right? Well, I hope you’re having yourself a good time here.”
“I am. I’ve been staying out in one of the cabins out at Whiskey Creek. It’s really beautiful.”
“It sure is. Maybe you’ll decide to stay awhile.”
Derrick had always been friendly, and he could talk your ear off if you let him. Before he got carried away, I looked at him and said, “I need a favor … I need the freight log for the past couple of weeks. Do you think you could get that for me?”
A curious look crossed his face as he said, “Yeah. No problem. I’ll go grab it.”
“Thanks, Derrick.”
He went back into the building, and a few minutes later, he returned with the log in his hand. As he offered it to me, he asked, “Any particular reason why you’d be needing this?”
“Not sure yet. Just checking some things out.”
“Okay. Just let me know if you have any questions.”
“Will do. I appreciate your help.” I put the car in reverse as I said, “Enjoy your Sunday and don’t work too hard.”
We left there, and I drove out to Big’s. I put the paperwork in his mailbox, and as we pulled out of his driveway, I asked, “Do mind if I run by my place?”
While I’d taken a shower, I was still wearing the same clothes I’d had on the day before, and I was hoping to put on something more comfortable. “Sure. I’d like that.”
As I started driving towards my condo, I found myself becoming nervous about Harper seeing it. I’d never considered myself a condo type of guy, especially considering where I’d grown up. I’d only moved there because Nitro not only owned the place, but he also lived on the top floor in the penthouse apartment. Considering the kind of work I did, it made sense for me live close by. Over the years, I’d never really had company—my sister stayed with me for a couple of weeks, and Tristen and Nitro stopped by, but they never stayed for long. For all I knew, the place wasn’t all that great. Hell, I’d spent two years sleeping on dirt. After that, anything was a step up, but I just wasn’t so sure she’d think so. I wasn’t much on decorating, and on top of that, it had been days since I’d been home for more than a few hours. I had no idea if the maid had been there. I led her upstairs to my condo and as I opened the door, I let out a small sigh of relief when I noticed that the carpets had been vacuumed.
Harper walked in and paused at the kitchen, before heading into the living room. All of the condos had basically the same set up, especially in the kitchen, so it was nothing out of the ordinary. My living room, on the other hand, was a bit different. It was very manly with dark gray upholstery on the sofa and chairs, and black furniture around the room, including a large flat-screen that was mounted to the wall. I glanced over to Harper, trying to check her expression, but her back was to me. My nerves were a bit rattled, but they quickly settled when she finally turned to face me and I could see her beautiful smile. “It’s amazing, Max.”
“You like it?”
“Are you kidding? I love it. I’d always hoped you’d have a place like this.” She ran her hand over the back of my oversized chair as she walked over to the painting that hung over the fireplace. I’d never been one for art, but when I saw it, I knew I had to have it. It was a picture of fall-colored trees that outline an old, winding road, and as she stood there staring at it, I wondered if she knew why I’d bought it. After several seconds, she finally said, “It’s so beautiful … It kind of reminds me of the road that leads up to my parents’ house.”
Remembering the warm feeling I got every time I drove up under those old oak trees, I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. “It’s the road that led me to you.”
There was no missing the emotion in her eyes as she turned to face me. “You really are my goose, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.
I really am,” I told her and quickly pressed my lips against hers. “Are you ready to see the rest?”
She nodded and followed me down the hall to my bedroom. Again, it was fairly masculine with all the dark color tones, but she seemed to like it. She walked over to look at the picture frames on my dresser. Anna Kate had brought them to me when she came for her last visit. “I can’t believe that your little sister already has two kids.”
“Yeah. Her husband is older, so they decided to start having kids right away. Thomas just turned one, and Bree is almost three.”
“Her kids are just adorable.” She picked up the second frame and studied it for a moment before saying, “This is a really great picture of your folks.”
“Yeah. It was taken a long time ago.”
There was a slight hesitation in her voice when she asked, “How are they doing these days?”
“Mom’s still working too much, and Dad is still driving her nuts. But after his heart attack, he finally quit drinking. So, there’s that. And he’s been volunteering down at the Veteran’s Center. I think he’s trying.”
“I’m really glad to hear that. I know it hasn’t always bee
n easy with him, but you must be pleased to see that he’s trying to do better.”
“I am.” My stomach growled, and when I looked over at the clock, I noticed that it was after twelve. I started towards my closet and called, “I’ll change clothes, and then we can go grab something to eat.”
“Okay. Sounds good to me. I’ll wait for you in the kitchen.”
I walked into the closet and changed and after I did, I threw some clothes into a duffle bag, thinking I could just keep it in my trunk in case I needed it. Once I was done, I headed back into the living room and found Harper waiting by the door. “Hungry?”
“Yes! I’m starving, so I’m probably going to chow down. You might want to prepare yourself.”
Laughing, I told her, “Consider me prepared.”
After we ate a big lunch, we decided to do a little sightseeing and drove out to Cape Flattery. As we drove along the trails, we talked about anything and everything, and when she mentioned her disappointment with the ending of Lost , I surprised her by saying, “I haven’t seen it.”
“What? After watching for so long, you didn’t watch the ending?”
“I just couldn’t … not without you.”
“Well, now I feel bad. I mean … it sucked not being able to talk to you about it, but I had to know how it ended.” She laughed. “But you’ve gotta see the ending. It’s crazy.”
“Okay. I’ll watch it.”
“I know you will, because we’re watching it as soon as we get back to the cabin.” She teased.
“Only if you’ve got popcorn.”
“I’m sure I can scrounge some up.”
“Then, it’s a deal.”
It was almost dark by the time we started back towards her place. It had been a good day, and I was looking forward to having an even better night with her. I could see that she felt the same way when I saw that spark of excitement in her eyes as she got out of the car. When we stopped on her front steps, she reached into her purse for her keys and went to unlock the door, only to find that it was already open. “I thought I locked it.”
