All Because I Met You (Morgan's Bay, #2)

by Theresa Paolo

  “I’ll be in the garage.” He had no idea why he felt the need to say that, but he did.

  She looked at him strangely. “I’ll be here working on Sofia’s glasses.”

  “You still on schedule?”

  “As of today, yes. Ask me again tonight, and it might be a different story.”

  She always doubted herself, but he never did. She had a way of making everything work out, and he knew that she’d get those glasses done with plenty of time to spare. “Have a little faith in yourself.”

  “That’s asking a lot.”

  “If you could only see yourself through my eyes.”

  Her brow lifted, and she smiled. “The annoying pain in the ass who always needs a favor?”

  He appreciated her attempt at a joke and changing the tone of the conversation. “I was thinking more like the nosy brat who manages to get more paint on her hands and arms than on her canvas.”

  She turned her arms and stopped when she spotted the dab of black paint on her forearm. “Damn it.” She licked her thumb, and he closed his eyes to avoid the onslaught of thoughts that vision would create. When he opened his eyes, she was rubbing at the spot of paint.

  “I’ll leave you to it.” He turned away and hurried for the door.

  “Hey Mi?”

  He stopped and turned to her.

  Her hair fell over her eye, and she tucked it behind the delicate curve of her ear. “You okay?”

  “Yeah why?”

  “I don’t know.” Her eyes darted to the ground and she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. “You seem…” Her hazel eyes met his. “Tense.”

  If she only knew the thoughts racing through his mind every second of every day, how her body was on a never-ending reel in his mind. Only then could she understand the restraint he needed to keep himself from acting on his desires in order to preserve their friendship. “I’m fine,” he said, and it was the first time he lied to her.

  Guilt tugged at his gut, but he ignored it and kept walking.

  ***

  Harper had no idea how many glasses she’d painted or how many she had left. She had a goal of four a day, and she knew she was well beyond that number. After her encounter with Milo in the kitchen, she focused her attention on work, letting herself get completely consumed with each stroke of the paint brush.

  Her back ached, shoulders were tight, and her neck was stiff. She turned her head from left to right, stretching the muscles. What she could really use was a massage. Normally she’d pester Milo until he caved. He gave the best massages and always was able to work the knots out of her neck. Except he’d been acting strange. His own shoulders seemed to be filled with tension, and she didn’t know why. Maybe it had to do with the surprise he wouldn’t tell her about. She’d thought about sneaking into the garage, but he seemed so adamant about keeping whatever he was working on a secret. He never asked her for much, so she ignored the pesky voices in her head, telling her to go sneak a peek, and kept working.

  She finished another glass and glanced at her cell. She had a new notification on the dating app, and she clicked into it. It was a simple message, and she clicked on his profile picture. From the looks of it, he wasn’t her type, though he wasn’t bad looking. She just preferred a guy who didn’t look like he spent more time getting ready than she did. Looks weren’t everything though, and she couldn’t judge a person solely on their profile picture, so she sent him a reply.

  He responded immediately, and she settled into the couch as she continued the conversation. He still lived at home, but only because he was saving for a townhouse, he liked to cook, go to the beach, and check out new restaurants. He sounded promising, so she agreed to a date for Friday night. It’s not like it could be worse than all the others she’d been on. Besides, she wasn’t going to find Mr. Right by sitting in her living room.

  The door opened and Milo, Jasper, and Shane burst through the doorway. Milo’s eyes caught hers for the briefest of seconds, and she smiled only for him to snap his attention away from her and onto Jasper who was arguing about dynamics or something. She wasn’t exactly sure since his voice faded as he turned to the kitchen, and she no longer could hear him.

  “Hey Harp,” Shane said, coming into the living room and plopping down on the loveseat. Dark stubble lined his jawline, and he ran a hand over it.

  “What have you three been up to out there?” She nodded in the direction of the garage. If Milo wouldn’t tell her, maybe she could get one of the other guys to spill.

  “Sorry. I was sworn to secrecy.”

  “Fine.” She sat up a little straighter and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll just ask Liv later.”

  “Assuming I tell her.” He always was the smart one.

  “Exactly.”

  “Which is why I’m not telling her.”

  Harper mocked shock, grabbing her chest and gasping. “You’re going to lie to our girl? I think that’s grounds for an ass kicking.”

  “Settle down.” Shane laughed. “You both will understand when it’s all done.”

  What could he possibly be doing that he had to keep it from both Harper and Olivia? Then again, it was Milo. He loved surprises and would go out of his way to pull one off. There were times he was cooking, and she wasn’t allowed in the kitchen because he wanted the meal to be a surprise.

  Shane slid his phone out tapped the screen a few times and a smile bloomed on his face, revealing a single dimple. By his reaction, Harper assumed he was texting with Olivia. He put the phone in his pocket and tossed a glance in her direction. “You’ll find out on Friday if all goes according to plan.”

  Damn it. It would have been convenient to know that twenty minutes ago. “I won’t be around Friday.”

  “Why not?” Milo’s voice echoed through the room. Curiosity and disappointment flashed across his handsome features. He came into the room with deliberate steps, stopping abruptly in front of her.

  “I have a date.”

  If she wasn’t mistaken his eyes did a quick roll before settling on her. “Let me guess, another swipe right connection.”

  “If you mean another guy from the dating site, then yes. He seems nice.” She only talked to the guy for a half hour tops, so she didn’t have much to go on, especially since deciphering online messages wasn’t as easy as having a face to face conversation, but still.

  “They always seem nice.” There was an edge to his voice that had her shifting uncomfortably. “Yet they wind up to be a waste of time and a big disappointment. Every. Single. Time.”

  She didn’t need him to remind her of her horrible track record in the dating pool. “Your point?”

  “Cancel.”

  “What? No. Up until two seconds ago, I didn’t even know you made plans for me. Why don’t you reschedule?”

  “Because it’s supposed to rain on Saturday.”

  “Then take it up with Mother Nature. I’m not canceling my date.” What if this guy was the one, and she canceled, missing out on her chance to finally meet her soulmate?

  Liv met Shane on a train after the worst night of her life, so who was to say this wasn’t fate stepping in and bringing Harper together with the guy she was meant to spend the rest of her life with. Who knew, maybe after all the bad dates, she’d finally get a bone thrown her way. If she canceled, she would never know.

  “Or you can just tell me what the damn surprise is then I won’t have to wait for the big reveal.”

  “You’re impossible.”

  “Me?” She jabbed a finger into her chest. “You’re the one sneaking around in the garage, refusing to tell me what you’re working on, then expect me to drop everything with no explanation.”

  “Um… guys?”

  “What?” They both snapped.

  Jasper cleaned the lens of his glasses with his t-shirt before putting the black frames back in place. “You’re arguing like an old married couple.”

  “Are not!”

  Shane sat up, leaning his elbows on his knees,
and gave a quick glance between Harper and Milo before landing on Jasper. “I’m going to agree with Jasper on this one.”

  Harper took a breath, settling the frustration tightening her muscles. Jasper and Shane might have had a point.

  Milo scratched the back of his neck and smiled, washing away the irritation that had been prevalent in his brown eyes. He laughed, awkward and unsure. “Sorry, Harp. I should’ve told you about my plans and not assumed you were free. I’ll figure it out.”

  Fighting between them was rare, and this little back and forth felt more charged than any disagreement they had in the past. She heard Milo’s words, but she could still see the stiffness in his shoulders and the unease in the downward curl of his lip. She was tempted to go to him, press her mouth to his, and feel as the tautness soothed away under the soft pressure of her kiss.

  He hadn’t as much touched her since the day they got hot and heavy in the kitchen. She missed his touch, craved it, and with how uptight he’d been, maybe it was her turn to lay out an offer. Something was causing him to be wound tight, and maybe a release would help.

  “We need to finish in the garage.” Milo moved for the door and opened it. Jasper and Shane didn’t hesitate to run out the door and away from whatever tension had been building between them. She swore there were burn marks on the floor from their feet.

  “Maybe we can watch a movie when you’re done?”

  His eyes casted downward. “I’m working tonight.”

  “I thought Hal was taking your shift?”

  “Looks like it’s going to be a busy night. I need all hands on deck.”

  “Oh, okay. Next time then.”

  “Next time.” The weight of his tone lingered long after he was gone. Harper fell into the couch cushions, wondering what the hell was going on with her best friend.

  Chapter 15

  Milo finished his shift, passed the calls on to Hal and headed home. His head hurt, and his brain was tired. He’d spent his entire day thinking about Harper and her date. This evening they should have been at the beach together, but instead she was out with some yahoo she met on the internet.

  He pulled into the driveway and was surprised to see her Jeep. Not that it was exactly early. It was a quarter after ten, but it was a Friday night, and she met up with the guy at seven.

  The house was quiet, no lights on in the living room or even the kitchen. The lights in the hallway were off as well. Harper must’ve already been asleep. She’d been working extra parties thanks to the flyers he had been handing out, and still working hard to finish Sofia’s glasses. He tiptoed, not wanting to wake her.

  He eased his bedroom door opened and kicked his shoes off. His hand found the light switch, and the room illuminated the figure on his bed. Harper looked beautiful with her hair down around her shoulders, falling in ocean blown waves. Her arms were wrapped around her bare legs that were bronzed and he guessed freshly shaved.

  “What are you doing in here? I thought you had a date.”

  “Another dud.”

  He secretly threw his arms in the air and celebrated. Not that he didn’t want her to find happiness; he just didn’t want her to find it with anyone else. “Shame.”

  “Also…” She toyed with the hem of her shirt then blinked up, meeting his eyes. “Since my night freed up, I thought… I mean. I used you for sex. I figure I could return the favor.”

  Did she really think that’s what he wanted? It was the last thing he wanted. What they shared went beyond any sort of friends with benefits arrangement. The freaking skies parted, and the angels sang while riding unicorns—that’s how amazing the sex was. Having sex with her again would only farther complicate things. “I don’t want to use you, Harp.”

  “Why not? You’re stressed out, and don’t tell me you’re not. I can see it in your face, in the tense way you’ve been holding your shoulders.” She got on her knees and crawled to the edge of the bed. He swallowed when he realized all she was wearing was a tiny thong and a white cropped top with no bra. Her nipples pebbled beneath the material, leaving little to the imagination.

  She looked like the bright light in his life she’d always been—a beautiful sun goddess who helped wash away the darkness. Even battered and broken in a hospital bed after his accident, all she had to do was smile at him, and every horrible thought that was running rampant in his mind would settle and dissipate.

  “Not tonight,” he said, his voice defeated and weak.

  She reached out, taking his hand, and he closed his eyes against the onslaught of desires forcing their way to the surface. After years of putting everyone first, she was finally making strides in her business and her life. He would not get in the way of that.

  Harper said it was just sex, but he wasn’t stupid. She wanted a forever romance, and by letting her into his bed, he was keeping her from finding what she wanted most in life.

  He loved her, and he always would, but he wasn’t the man of her dreams. If he was, she would have noticed him sooner. There was a reason they were best friends and nothing more. The thought of her with another guy set his teeth on edge.

  It was why he couldn’t continue a no-strings arrangement. He refused to be her side piece, the guy she used when she couldn’t get what she was looking for elsewhere. If he couldn’t be her main choice, then he didn’t want to be a choice at all.

  She blinked up at him, familiar eyes filled with lust and compassion. “Don’t kick me out.”

  He drew his hand away from her. “What are we doing?”

  “I’m trying to seduce you, but obviously I’m failing.” Her head dropped, and she scooted to the edge of the bed, wrapping her arms around her body.

  Defeated, he plopped down beside her. “You weren’t failing. I’m being stubborn.” He nudged her with his shoulder. “You know how good I am at that.”

  “Too good.” There was a hint of humor in her tone, but disappointment overshadowed it.

  He motioned his hand between them. “I don’t want us to become this. I feel like it cheapens what we’ve always had.”

  “Then what do you want? For us to go back to the way things were?”

  “I don’t know if we can.” He’d seen her naked, touched the soft skin on her inner thighs, tasted every inch of her body. How could they go back to just being friends after that? Every time he looked at her, he was reminded of all the ways she moaned, how his name fell from her lips as she succumbed to her orgasm. The reckless abandon in that moment and how her body tightened around him in every way.

  “What does that even mean?”

  He ran a hand over his face and inhaled deeply. “I don’t know.” He didn’t have an answer, all he knew was that sex between them couldn’t work. He was wired in the way he needed to be in order to not get too deep. Hell, he was already too deep.

  She nodded in understanding anyway and stood up. “Okay.” She didn’t make eye contact with him as she headed for the door.

  It literally hurt to watch her walk away. “Harp?”

  She turned back, eyes filled with hope, lust, and everything he’d ever wanted. He went to her, snaking his hand around her waist and pulling her to him. Her hands landed on his chest, and she blinked up at him.

  “I want more,” he said.

  “More what?”

  “More than friends with benefits. I want it to be all in. All or nothing.”

  She tapped her hand against his pec, her fingers curled into themselves, and she gripped his shirt. Her chest rose and fell as she met his eyes. “You’re the one good thing in my life. If we do this, really go for it… What if it ends badly? What if we wind up hating each other?”

  He tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled. “I can never hate you.”

  “But what if you do? What if being with me is totally different than being my best friend? I can’t go through life without you, and maybe I’m selfish, but I don’t want to risk it.”

  “That’s not selfish. If anyone is selfish, it’s me. All I want is you
, and I don’t care about what that means for the future when I just want you in my bed and no one else’s. I want it to be all or nothing because I can’t bear the thought of you being with another guy.”

  “It’s never bothered you before.”

  His finger dragged along her neck, stopping just at her collarbone. “That was before I had you.”

  “You make me sound like dessert.”

  “Only the best dessert.”

  “A brownie with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and a cherry.” She licked her lips, and as seductive as it was, he knew that look.

  “You want a brownie now, don’t you?”

  She bit her lip and nodded. “I really do.”

  “Why don’t you put some pants on, and we’ll go make a run.”

  “Or.” She hooked her finger into the loop of his shorts. “You can take yours off, and we can have each other for dessert.”

  “But you want a brownie.”

  Her eyes hooded, and red stained her cheeks. “Not as much as I want you.”

  “I told you…”

  Her hand creeped up his chest. “All in or nothing. I heard you, and this is me telling you I’m all in.”

  “Really?” He didn’t even care that his voice squeaked.

  Harper laughed. “Really.”

  He picked her up and spun her around. As he came to a stop, his hands slid to the soft skin of her ass, and he squeezed. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and he brought her to the bed, placing her down gently. She smiled up at him, and his heart clenched then expanded, filling with pure joy.

  For years, he went out of his way not to look at Harper as anything other than his best friend. He forced any feelings deep down until he felt nothing but friendship between them. Now as he looked at her and unlocked those feelings from the vault in his mind, he let them flood him, consume him, overpower him.

  He ignored all the red flags he’d listened to for so long, and he opened his heart to the girl he knew he could fall in love with, if he hadn’t already.

  She blinked up at him. “Promise me.”