Chapter 16
“Who knew drunken mermaids could be useful?” ~ Kai
Kai
I pause at the entrance to the alley that leads to Rumrunner. Maybe I should give Harper a break. After all, she ran away last night after what happened at Bootlegger.
My cock twitches at the reminder of how sexy Harper was when she let go. When she was in the throes of passion and forgot all her worries and her grumpiness, she was the sexiest creature I’ve ever encountered. More bewitching than any mermaid could ever possibly be.
I’m at the door to the speakeasy before I realize my legs have moved. Harper is impossible to resist. And I have no desire to resist her.
Trent opens the door with a smirk on his face. “I was wondering if you’d show up.”
I frown. He must know what happened last night. Crap. Does the whole island know? Harper will lose what little hold she has over her temper if she finds out everyone on Smuggler’s Hideaway is gossiping about her.
“You better not be giving Harper a hard time.”
He snorts. “She’d have my ass in a sling if I teased her.”
That’s my girl. Keeping everyone in line.
“Good. She’s…” I trail off when I catch sight of Harper. Trent laughs behind me but I ignore him as I make my way to her.
“Hi, Slugger. How is your day going?” I kiss her cheek in greeting.
She tucks her chin into her chest but not before I notice the blush spreading from her cheeks down her neck to her chest. My cock hardens and lengthens at memories of her flushed face when she climaxed.
“I’m fine.”
I nearly chuckle at how cautious she sounds.
“How’s your dad?”
Her head whips up. “My dad?”
“Did you forget you have a dad?” I tease.
“It’s hard to ignore a man who snores loud enough to challenge any earplugs in existence. I don’t know how Mom ever put up with him.”
“Love makes you do crazy things.”
“Have a lot of experience with love, do you?”
“Not yet. But I’m working on it.”
I meet her gaze. Does she realize I’m referring to her? That I want to experience how it feels to love her. I started falling for her the second I laid my eyes on her .
Her eyes widen, and she retreats a few feet. Patience, I remind myself. Harper, the prickly pear, is not going to fall at my feet and declare her love after one sexual encounter. I need to wiggle my way into her life. Make myself indispensable.
“Harper!” the bartender yells.
She wrenches her gaze from mine to glance at the bartender. “What is it, Dave?”
He motions to the line of patrons waiting to be served. “Could use some help here.”
“I can help,” I immediately offer.
“I think you’ve done enough.”
She doesn’t give me a chance to answer before she rushes off. Why is Harper always rushing away from me? Granted, I enjoy ogling her ass as she walks. But I’d prefer her to walk toward me instead of away.
I join the line of clients waiting to be served. As I wait, I study the bar. It’s a Wednesday night but it’s packed in here. I don’t understand how Harper can have money problems when the bar is always packed. Does she need to raise her prices?
I reach the front of the line and smile at Harper. “A Five Fathoms Summer Saison Beer, please.”
She grabs a mug and pours beer into it.
“Did Blossom and Dakota stop by yesterday?”
She glares at me. “You know they did. You sent them to spy on me.”
“I didn’t ask them to spy. I asked them to check up on you.”
“I’m a grown woman, Kai. I don’t need anyone to check up on me. ”
I point to the overflowing beer in the mug. “It’s full.”
“Damnit,” she mutters before flipping the tap shut. When she sets the beer down, it splashes over the sides onto her t-shirt.
“I’m not usually a klutz.”
She gathers the bottom of her t-shirt and wrings out the fabric. A tantalizing amount of smooth skin is exposed. Skin, I touched yesterday. Skin, I long to touch again. And taste.
My cock presses against my zipper in a bid to get to Harper. I curl my hands on the edge of the bar before I reach for her. Before I jump over this bar and throw her over my shoulder.
She plonks the beer down on the bar in front of me and I manage to lift my gaze from her bare skin to her face.
Her brow wrinkles. “You’re not making a sexual innuendo.”
Because I’m afraid, if I speak, I’ll drool and make a fool of myself.
“Maybe—”
“Boss!” Trent yells and cuts her off.
I spin around to face the bouncer and notice he’s holding off several women dressed as mermaids.
“I got this,” I tell Harper before marching toward the door.
“You don’t work here,” she hollers after me.
“Stay where you are,” I holler back.
“Let us in.” A mermaid shoves Trent. He holds up his hands and backs away.
“I think you’ve had enough to drink,” the bouncer tells them.
“I want moonshine!” Another mermaid – this one’s wearing a wet, white t-shirt over her seashell bra – shouts .
“Moonshine! Moonshine!” The other mermaids – there are five in total – begin to chant. At least, I assume they’re chanting moonshine. They’re slurring their words and are unsteady on their feet. Trent’s right. These women have had enough to drink.
“Where are you staying?” I ask.
The first mermaid rakes her gaze over me. “Why? You wanna come with us?”
“We canna share,” another one slurs.
“No, thanks. I’m not into sharing.” And my balls are ready to shrivel up at the way they’re looking at me. Kissy duck faces are unattractive enough but when you’ve had too much to drink and end up slobbering all over yourself, they’re the height of unattractive.
“Where are you staying?” I repeat my question. “I can book you a ride to your hotel.”
“But I don’t wanna go back to the hotel,” one of them screeches loud enough to make my ears want to bleed.
“There’s a taxi waiting at the end of the alley,” Harper whispers to me.
“All right, mermaids. It’s time to go.” I begin herding them out the door.
“I got this,” Trent says before taking over and leading the women away.
I shut the door behind him. “I can handle the door while he deals with the women.”
“Actually,” Harper says but doesn’t continue.
“What? ”
She studies me for a long moment. I lock my limbs before I begin to squirm under her scrutiny.
“We need to talk.”
Damn. I thought I was making progress with her. But I can handle whatever bullshit she throws at me to push me away. I’m not giving up.
I wasn’t planning to give up before yesterday. But after yesterday? There’s no way in hell I’m giving up after she allowed herself to let go in my arms.
“Okay. Lead the way.”
She forces her way through the crowd until we’re on the other side of the bar. She opens her office and motions me inside.
My cock twitches. It wants a repeat of what happened yesterday in another office in another bar. I inhale a deep breath to get myself back in control. Harper wants to talk. It’s not time to get naked.
I settle into the chair across from her desk. “What do you want to talk about?”
She perches her ass on the desk. “You weren’t hitting on those mermaids.”
I rear back. “Of course not. They were drunk. They needed help, not a man leering all over them.”
“And you didn’t make a sexual innuendo when I lifted my shirt.”
“I did not,” I reaffirm since I don’t know where she’s going with this .
“And you didn’t tell everyone what happened in the office at Bootlegger. ”
I growl. “I would never tell anyone about what we do behind closed doors. Unless you’re into being watched.”
“I’m not into being watched.”
“Thank fuck because I don’t want any other man having the privilege of witnessing your face when you come.”
Her eyebrows lift. “The privilege?”
“Hell yeah, the privilege.” I stand and prowl toward her. “You are beautiful, Harper Poole. The most beautiful woman on this island. Any man would be lucky and privileged to be with you.”
“You don’t have to flatter me anymore. I’m already going to agree to date you.”
I smile. “You are?”
She holds up a hand. “But I don’t share.”
“Slugger, I haven’t so much as looked at another woman since the first time I laid eyes on you.”
She rolls her eyes. “You were eleven the first time we met.”
I palm her neck. “I meant the first time I really saw you. The first time I realized what a beautiful and amazing woman you’ve grown up to be.”
“Oh. The first time you hit me with a sexual innuendo.”
I growl but I’m merely playing since she’s smiling. Even her dimples have come out to play. I trace one with my finger.
“I love these dimples. I don’t see them often enough.”
She scowls and they disappear. “I have a busy life. I don’t have time for fun. ”
“Wrong. You’re making time for fun starting now.” I kiss her nose. “I’ll pick you up at eleven tomorrow for our first date.”
“A date at eleven in the morning?”
“You need to work in the evening, or have you forgotten?”
“But my dad—”
I silence her with a finger on her lips. “I would never ask you to leave your dad alone. I’ll ask Carl if he can come in early tomorrow.”
“You’ve thought of everything.”
She has no idea how much I’ve thought of her and her life. She’d go screaming straight into the ocean if she knew.
I press my lips against hers in a quick kiss. “Until tomorrow, my sweet Harper.”
I leave before she can change her mind. I’ve managed to put another crack in the ice around her heart and I’m not giving her a chance to repair it.