Chapter 14
“I don’t need a mermaid.” ~ Kai
Kai
M iles and Zane rush into my office.
“Time to go.” Miles slams my computer shut.
“I was working.”
Zane’s head rears back. “Working? You?”
I glare at him. “I work.”
Miles taps his chin as he studies me. “Do you think he’s sick?”
I know I caused this myself by constantly being late, letting Jaxon do the bulk of my work, and generally goofing off during work hours. But I’m trying here. Failing to understand how to make a spreadsheet. But I’m trying.
“Piss off. I work.”
“Do you think this has anything to do with Harper?” Zane asks Miles.
Harper. I can’t get our kiss out of my mind. I knew the second I saw her a few months ago that it would be heaven to kiss her. And I was right. Her taste is addictive.
Too bad the stubborn woman fights me every single step of the way. It won’t stop me. I know what I want and I’m not giving up. Especially since I know she wants me. She’s just fighting me to fight me at this point.
“Ugh.” Miles feigns throwing up. “He has the same look on his face that Rhett had when he was chasing Dakota.”
“Love is in the air.” Zane shivers. “No thanks.”
I frown. Zane and Miles are such players. Zane always has been. But Miles was devoted to Hazel before he went off to become a professional surfer.
I’m different from them. I don’t enjoy chasing women and forgetting their names in the morning. I want to be loved. I want to wake up to the same woman every morning. Go to sleep with the same woman every night. After rocking her world, of course.
“Come on.” Miles flicks the lights. “We’re going to Mermaid Karaoke and you’re coming with.”
The only reason I’m going is because the Bootlegger bar, where karaoke takes place, isn’t far from Rumrunner. Maybe I can sneak over to check on Harper. Or maybe she’ll come to Bootlegger .
Thirty minutes later, I realize I’ve made a mistake. Rumrunner is completely packed with women dressed up as mermaids and men trying to chase them. It is not my scene. When I was eighteen and sneaking into the bar, it wasn’t my scene.
Miles and Zane, on the other hand, are having the time of their lives .
“What do you think of the blonde?” Miles points to a woman.
Zane’s nose wrinkles. “She has trouble written all over her.”
“Shall I order us some drinks?” I don’t wait for their reply and make my way through the crowd to the bar.
“Alaia!” I wave to the bartender to get her attention.
“Kai Raider.” She narrows her eyes at me. “Are you old enough to be in here? I need to see some ID.”
I roll my eyes. Alaia was in the same class as Eli. She knows exactly how old I am.
“What are you doing slinging drinks? Are you trying to find your next story at the bar?”
“I don’t exactly get to write stories for the Smuggler’s Gazette. ”
The Smuggler’s Gazette is the local free newspaper. It mostly contains help wanted ads, classifieds, and houses for sale.
“I thought the article you wrote about the sheep getting loose was funny.”
She sighs. “Those Harris brothers are trouble. Speaking of trouble.” She nods to the person behind me and I whirl around with a smile on my face.
“Oh.” It’s not Harper.
“Oh?” The woman scowls. “You’re going to lose my vote for sexiest man on the island if you don’t show any enthusiasm.”
She reaches for me. I raise my hands in the air and back up as much as possible in this crowded bar.
“Not interested.”
“If you weren’t interested, you wouldn’t be here.”
“Kai Raider,” Harper grumbles and I startle. Where did she come from? “You were supposed to go to the store to pick up baby formula and I find you in a bar two hours later?”
I shrug. “The store was out.”
“And you thought the proper solution was to hit up a bar?”
“It’s not my fault you can’t produce enough milk for our six babies.”
“Six babies?” The woman who was hitting on me rears back in disgust.
“I wasn’t counting our toddlers.”
“You can have him.” She whirls around and stomps away.
I grin at Harper. “Thanks, Slugger.”
“Once again, I didn’t slug anyone.”
“But you would have.” I lean over to kiss her cheek. “What are you doing here? Are you here for me to remind you of what a man I am?”
She rolls her eyes. “You don’t need me to remind you.” She motions to the room full of women dressed up as mermaids.
I stand closer to her. “But I’m not interested in any of them.” Her nose wrinkles as she contemplates me. “I’m serious, Harper. You’re the only woman I see.”
“I didn’t come here to discuss this.”
“What did you come here for? Is everything okay? Is your dad all right? Is Carl not working out?” I dig out my phone. “I have the information from the agency I found him at. They have other caretakers available. Not many men, though.”
“Men? ”
“I figured—”
“What?” She cups her ear. “I can’t hear you.”
I knock on the bar to get Alaia’s attention. When she glances my way, I mimic unlocking a door. She throws me a set of keys.
I grasp Harper’s hand and lead her across the room to the back, where the office is. Once we’re behind closed doors, I scroll through the contacts on my phone.
“I’ll reach out to the agency. I’m really sorry Carl didn’t work out. He seemed competent when I did the phone interview.”
Harper snatches my phone away before I can dial. “There’s not a problem with Carl.”
“Is it Sloane’s doggy walker? I explained Boozer enjoys humping legs. She can’t claim to be surprised now.”
“There’s not a problem with Sloane’s doggy walker, but Boozer does hump a few too many legs.”
“Are you mad about the payment plan? Rhett agreed it was a good idea.”
She grunts. “This is exactly why I’m here.”
“I promise I didn’t tell Rhett anything about your money problems. He already knew you wanted a payment plan. I would never betray your trust.”
“Can you stop being sweet and allow me to thank you?”
I freeze. “Thank me?”
“I’m not a heathen. I thank people when they help me out.”
I smirk. “Even when you don’t want them to?”
She narrows her eyes at me. “Don’t push your luck.”
“I’m merely pointing out how it’s okay to accept help. ”
She grunts. I shouldn’t find it adorable, but I can’t help it. Harper is more prickly than jellyfish larvae in your swimsuit. But once you get past the prickly part? I’ve glimpsed the woman hiding beneath her stubborn, grumpy outer layer, and I’m certain she’s worth it. Worth everything.
I brush her hair from her forehead. “You know. You haven’t actually thanked me yet.”
“It was implied.”
“Come on. You can say the words. Kai, sexy demon of a man, you are the best and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
“Sexy demon?” She grumbles but her lips are twitching.
I clutch my chest. “You don’t think I’m sexy? Ouch.”
“Bragging about yourself is not attractive.”
“If you won’t give me compliments, I need to give them to myself.”
“You are beyond silly.”
“But sexy silly?” I waggle my eyebrows. She chuckles. “Aha! I got you to smile.”
“I smile.”
I palm her cheek. “Not nearly enough, Slugger.”
“Who’s keeping score?”
“I am.” I massage circles into her neck with my thumb and her blue eyes flare in response. I grasp her hip with my free hand and draw her near until her body collides with mine. Her breath hitches when my hard length presses against her stomach.
I can’t resist her any longer. I press my lips to hers. When she sighs, I don’t hesitate to thrust my tongue into her mouth. I need another taste of her. One taste wasn’t enough. I will never get enough of this woman.
Harper is not a silent participant. She presses her tongue against mine until we’re dueling for supremacy. I growl – I’m in charge here – and squeeze her hip. She doesn’t give in. Of course, she doesn’t. She’s my slugger. Always ready for a fight.
I shove my thigh between her legs and she rubs herself against me for some friction.
“Is there something you need?” I ask against her mouth.
She nods. I don’t force her to speak. I don’t want to break the spell.
I pick her up and place her on the desk. My cock presses against my zipper. It wants out. Too bad. I’m not fucking Harper for the first time in an office in the back of a bar.
I pause with my hand on the button of her jeans. “Is this okay?”
“Yes,” she hisses as she kicks off her sandals.
I snap the button open and lower the zipper. “Up,” I command and she lifts her ass to allow me to draw her jeans down her legs.
I groan when her baby blue silk panties are revealed. I expected Harper to wear plain white underwear. Not sexy panties, I want to rip off of her. She continues to surprise me.
I glide my finger along the hem of her panties. Goosebumps form in my wake.
“These have to go.”
She reaches for them but I stop her. “Allow me.” She motions for me to get on with it .
I pull her panties down her legs. I’m tempted to get to my knees and taste her, but I don’t want her first memory of me going down on her to be in an office in a bar.
“Spread your legs.”
She doesn’t hesitate and my cock twitches in response. I inhale a deep breath to get myself under control before parting her lips and pressing my finger against her swollen clit. She moans in response. It’s all the encouragement I need.
I circle her opening with my finger while I trail kisses along her jaw. I nibble her ear and she clutches my biceps.
“Kai,” she moans.
“Yes?”
“You know.”
I want to make her desperate and begging for me. But I don’t dare extend our time in this office any longer.
I slowly sink my finger into her. Her walls convulse around me. I add another finger and begin thrusting into her while my palm presses against her clit.
She arches into my motions. “You like that?” I growl into her ear.
“Yes,” she breathes out.
“You going to come for me, Slugger?”
“That’s the plan.”
I smile at her grumpy response. My slugger. Even when she’s in the throes of passion, she’s grumpy. But not for long.
I sneak my free hand under her t-shirt to find her breast. I massage it as I continue to plunge in and out of her pussy .
Her nails dig into my biceps as she arches to meet my thrusts. Her walls tighten around me.
“Time to come, Slugger.”
“I.. I…”
I pinch her nipple and she explodes. Her head drops back in a silent scream as her hips thrust up. I continue to work her until she collapses.
“Hey!” Alaia knocks on the door. “You nearly done in there? I need the computer.”
Harper’s head whips up and her eyes widen. “Shit. I should…”
She doesn’t finish her sentence but she doesn’t need to. Her regret is plain to read on her face. I sigh as I reach down to grab her jeans and panties and hand them to her.
I give her my back to allow her to dress in private. Seems strange after what we just did together, but it’s what Harper needs.
The door flies open and my shoulders slump. Harper’s gone.
Whereas, I want to shout from the rooftops about how wonderful she is and how much I want her, she couldn’t get away from me fast enough.
So much for chipping away at the ice around her heart.