Chapter 7 - Harper
The burger is fantastic, but I'm more interested in Colt.
He looks so handsome sitting across from me, so carefree, so genuinely happy to be here as he munches on his burger like it's the best thing he's ever tasted. There's grease on his fingers and a smear of sauce at the corner of his mouth, and he looks completely at ease. Completely himself.
When was the last time I felt this cherished? When was the last time I went on a date, if this even is a date, and felt like the person next to me actually enjoyed my company? Actually wanted to be there instead of just going through the motions?
Derek never looked at me like this. Never smiled like this when we were together. He always seemed distracted, checking his phone, looking at other women, counting down the minutes until he could leave.
But Colt is here. Fully present. Focused entirely on me and this moment, and it doesn't even matter that we're in a run-down burger joint with peeling paint and questionable health code compliance.
It's not the most romantic place. But he's honest with himself, honest about what this place means to him, and I can take honesty above everything else. Especially after being lied to for God knows how long.
"So," Colt says, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Are you thinking about staying in Blackwater Falls for a while? Or is this just like a six-month break before you go back to Denver?"
The question catches me off guard. I haven't really thought about the future beyond getting through each day. Beyond putting distance between myself and everything that happened.
"I have no idea," I admit, dragging a fry through ketchup. "I didn't exactly have a plan when I came here. I just... needed to get away. To be somewhere that felt safe."
"And does it? Feel safe?"
I consider this, looking around Murphy's. The grease-stained walls, the ancient jukebox in the corner, Murphy himself flipping burgers with the efficiency of someone who's done it a million times. The two MC members who finished their food and left without incident.
And Colt, sitting across from me with those dark eyes that make me feel seen instead of invisible.
"Yeah," I say softly. "It's starting to."
"Good." His smile widens. "Blackwater Falls has its own charm. Once you get used to the people, the pace of life, the fact that everyone knows everyone's business, you'll never want to leave."
I'm not sure if he's right. This town is so different from everything I've known. So small and quiet and intimate in a way that should feel claustrophobic but somehow doesn't.
But right now, sitting here with him, I'm not thinking about leaving. I'm enjoying every second of this. The food, the conversation, the easy way we fall into talking like we've known each other longer than a day.
I keep eating, savoring the perfectly crispy fries and the last few bites of my burger. Another couple walks in: older, probably in their sixties, and Murphy greets them by name, already knowing their order before they say a word.
"That's what I mean," Colt says, nodding toward them. "Everyone knows everyone. It can be annoying sometimes, but mostly it's just... comforting. Knowing you're part of something bigger than yourself."
"I think I'd like that," I murmur. "Being part of something."
We finish our food, and Colt pays despite my protests. Murphy waves us off with a knowing grin that makes me blush again, and then we're back outside in the cool night air.
"Want to see one of my favorite places in town?" Colt asks, his hand finding mine again like it's the most natural thing in the world.
"Sure."
We start walking, our shoulders brushing with every step. The street is quiet, most people either at home or still at the bar. Above us, the moon is so bright it casts shadows, and I can see more stars than I've ever seen in my life.
"Can I ask you something?" I hear myself say, even though I know it's probably too soon, too personal, too much.
"Anything."
"Are you afraid of relationships?"
He doesn't answer right away, and I immediately regret asking. Too rushed. Too invasive. We barely know each other, and here I am asking about his deepest fears like we're in therapy instead of on a late-night walk.
But then he speaks. "I'm not afraid of relationships exactly. I'm more afraid of commitment. Of giving someone that kind of power over me." He pauses. "People tend to disappoint. They leave, they cheat, they decide you're not enough anymore. So I just... prefer to keep things simple. Casual. Safe."
His honesty makes my chest hurt. Because I understand it, even if I'm wired differently.
"I'm the opposite," I confess, looking up at the stars instead of at him. "I love being with someone. Love the idea of building a life together, of having that person to come home to. But maybe that's an issue too. Maybe I don't know how to be happy alone."
"Maybe neither of us has it quite right," he says quietly.
We walk in silence for a moment, and I love having his hand in mine. The warmth of it. The calluses on his palm. The way his thumb occasionally strokes across my knuckles like he's not even aware he's doing it.
"You want to know something I've never told anyone?" Colt says suddenly.
"Yeah."
"Sometimes I think I'd be happier in a relationship.
With someone who completed me, you know?
Someone I actually wanted to talk to instead of just fuck.
" He laughs, but it sounds hollow. "It gets tiring, going to the bar almost every single night, trying to find someone to spend a couple hours with.
It gets exhausting. And I'm afraid I'm only doing it now because I got used to it.
Because it's easier than risking something real. "
His vulnerability catches me completely off guard. This man who seems so confident, so sure of himself, admitting that maybe he's not as satisfied with his life as he pretends to be.
"Maybe you're growing up," I suggest gently. "Maybe you're not satisfied with just that anymore. With the shallow stuff."
"Maybe," he agrees. Then he stops walking and points ahead. "There. That's what I wanted to show you."
I follow his gaze and gasp.
Hidden behind a cluster of tall trees is a tiny park I would have walked right past without noticing.
There are benches arranged around a small pond that's reflecting the full moon perfectly, making it look like there are two moons, one in the sky and one in the water.
Fireflies dance around the edges, their little lights blinking on and off in a pattern that seems almost choreographed.
It's absolutely gorgeous. Like a scene straight out of a movie. The kind of place that doesn't seem real.
"Colt," I breathe. "This is beautiful."
"Come on." He guides me toward one of the benches, and we sit close enough that our thighs touch. "What do you think?"
"I love it." I can't stop staring at the fireflies, at the moonlight on the water, at the way everything seems peaceful and perfect. "I can't believe this place has no one around."
"Most people end up at the bar on Friday nights instead of walking around," he explains. "But if we'd come around sunset, this place would be crawling with parents and little kids. It's where everyone brings their families."
"I think I'm going to enjoy this town," I whisper, and I mean it. For the first time since arriving, I can actually picture myself staying here. Building a life here. Finding peace here.
"Coming to Blackwater Falls might end up being your best decision," Colt says, and there's something in his voice that makes me turn to look at him.
He's even more beautiful under the full moon. The silver light catches the sharp angles of his jaw, the curve of his lips, the intensity in those dark eyes that are fixed on me like I'm the only thing worth looking at.
His lips are slightly parted, wet from licking away the last of the burger sauce, and they look soft. Inviting. Almost like they're calling me.
I remember how those lips felt against my ear last night, whispering for me to stay quiet. Remember the feel of his breath on my neck, hot and urgent. Remember wanting to taste him, to kiss him properly instead of just letting him touch me in a bathroom stall.
"My eyes are up here," Colt says playfully, pointing at them with a teasing grin.
I laugh, feeling my cheeks heat. "I know. But it's not my fault your lips look prettier right now."
"Come closer."
I know I shouldn't. We said we'd take things slow this time. Said we'd actually get to know each other instead of rushing into the physical stuff. But I can't resist him. Can't resist the pull between us that's been there since the moment we met.
I lean in, and he does too, until our lips are just an inch apart. Until I can feel his hot breath right above my upper lip, mixing with mine. Until the anticipation is almost unbearable.
I want to kiss him so badly it hurts. But there's no way I'm taking the first step. I'm not confident enough for that. Not brave enough to close that final distance.
I look up at his eyes, and he just smiles like he understands exactly what I'm waiting for. Like he knows I need him to make the move.
He closes his eyes and goes for it.
I close mine too, and then our lips meet, and oh God, it's perfect. Soft and firm at the same time, gentle but demanding. His mouth moves against mine with confidence, like he knows exactly what he's doing, and I melt into him.
My pussy throbs immediately, a pulse of need so strong it makes me gasp against his lips. I know right away, a kiss won't be enough. Not with him. Not when every touch feels like fire on my skin.
His hand comes to rest on my leg, big and warm, squeezing gently before slowly sliding up to my inner thigh.
The closer he gets to the V-seam of my jeans, the wetter I become.
I can feel it, the arousal soaking through my panties, and I wonder if he can smell it.
If he knows how badly I want him, how much I need his cock.
I didn't suck him last night, but there's no way I'm not doing it today. More than wanting it, I need it. Need to make up for running away yesterday when he fingered me so good. Need to show him that I'm here, that I want this, that I'm not going anywhere.
We keep kissing, deep and hungry, and I move my hand to his lap. His bulge is massive, straining against his jeans, rock hard and ready. I palm him through the denim, and he groans into my mouth.
We break apart, both breathing hard, and he chuckles. "Today we lasted longer than yesterday."
I laugh breathlessly. "I don't think we could have gotten to this point any faster than last night. But Colt, I know we talked about going slower, but... maybe it's best if we just get this out of the way. Get it out of our systems."
"You'll get no complaints from me." His voice is rough with desire. "I loved yesterday, and I'm gonna love today even more. Your place or mine?"
I'm shy suddenly, can't believe I'm about to say this, but I can't wait. I want him now. Right now.
"This park is perfect," I whisper. "Way better than last night's dirty bathroom."
And then I reach for his zipper.
His mouth falls open in surprise, but he doesn't stop me. Doesn't say a word. Instead, he just spreads his legs slightly, giving me access.
I unzip his jeans and reach inside, finding him hot and hard through his boxers. I pull him free, and fuck, he's beautiful. Thick and long, the head already glistening with precum. He wraps his own hand around himself and strokes slowly, showing off for me, and I've never seen anything hotter.
I can't help myself. I lean down and wrap my lips around his cockhead, tasting the salty precum, lapping my tongue around the crown before sliding down his length.
"Fuck," he grunts, tilting his head back. The sound is so masculine, so primal, it makes me even wetter.
I bob my head back and forth, sucking him the best I can.
He's almost too big. I can't take him all the way without gagging, but that doesn't stop me from trying.
I push down further, feeling him hit the back of my throat, and I gag, saliva trickling from the corners of my mouth and dripping onto his jeans.
But I don't care. Don't care that I'm making a mess, that we're in a public park, that anyone could walk by and see us. All I care about is the taste of him, the weight of his cock on my tongue, the masculine groans he's making above me.
His cock seems to grow even thicker in my mouth, and I'm completely stuffed, jaw stretching to accommodate him.
But I can't stop. I want to keep giving him this blowjob until my jaw hurts, until I'm absolutely sure he's happy and satisfied.
And if he comes in my mouth, so be it. I'll gladly swallow every drop.
"Harper, stop," he gasps, and I feel his hand in my hair, gently pulling me off. "Fuck, you're crazy good at that. But you did your job. Now it's my turn."
I look up at him, lips swollen and wet, chin covered in saliva.
"I want to fuck you," he says roughly. "Right here. Right now."
Those words. God, those words make my pussy clench with need. I love hearing them, love knowing that this handsome man can't get enough of me. That he wants to be inside me and doesn't care where we are. He just wants me. And he'll have me.
I waste no time unbuttoning my jeans and pulling them down along with my panties, spreading my legs for him. His hand immediately slides between my thighs, finding me soaked.
He smirks. "Are you always this wet?"
"For you, yes."
"Fuck, I love that." He pushes two fingers inside me easily, and I'm so ready for him that they slide in without resistance. "So fucking wet for me."
He starts fingering me, and just like last night, it's perfect. But this time we're truly alone under the beautiful full moon with fireflies dancing around us. His cock is standing upright, throbbing, my saliva still glistening on it, and I can't wait to get fucked like never before.
I've never fucked in public before. Not for lack of trying.
I love the adrenaline, the danger, but Derek was too vanilla for this.
Too worried about getting caught, too concerned with propriety.
But not Colt. Colt will fuck me in this park.
Colt will fuck me everywhere. He's that type of man, and that's exactly what I need.