Chapter 31
HARPER
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
I should have known better. I’d been down this path before, and now I was thirty fucking years old and here again.
I had no idea why I’d thought this time would be different. I’d gone into it with eyes wide open, knowing exactly what this was and exactly what this wasn’t. But waking up in Levi’s bed, alone, my pussy still aching from what he’d done to me last night, was a sharp reminder of a past I’d spent twelve years trying to forget.
Levi McKenzie was a mistake I just kept making.
But apparently, sex made me stupid. Despite my trying to keep control of the situation, he’d turned me inside out with his fingers and his mouth and his cock. With his filthy words that had, somehow, seemed almost reverent.
Apparently, I’d just been in a dick stupor because that assessment couldn’t have been further from the truth. Not when the sheets were cold and the apartment beyond his bedroom door was still and silent.
But that was fine. This was exactly the reminder I needed. I was in Starlight Cove to do a job, nothing more. I wasn’t here to reminisce or get my world rocked harder than it ever had been before. I was here to write the best article Weekend Wanderlust had ever seen and snag that permanent position.
Which meant I still had three weeks here, living with him. But I was going to have to find a way to deal, because there was no way I was backing down now.
I tossed the covers off and slipped out of bed, ignoring the ache between my thighs and the way my skin still smelled like him. Flashes from last night came to me unbidden. It had felt like he’d gone down on me for hours, unable to get enough. He’d held off every one of his orgasms longer than I’d thought possible, only relenting when I’d begged him to.
And I had. I’d begged.
Somehow he’d reduced me to a boneless pile of nerve endings, constantly awaiting his next touch. Craving it. In the short hours we’d spent together last night…in the kitchen, in the living room, in the shower, in this very bed…he’d made me want more. And then the sleepy middle-of-the-night fuck had left me more confused than ever.
Well, no more of that.
After getting dressed and grabbing my laptop bag, I headed downstairs to the Gazette, ready to get started on the day. I wanted to dive into the weekly column Mabel had asked me to write for the paper—a visitor’s guide to Starlight Cove. Tackling a few of those was the least I could do to repay her for use of the office space. I also needed to gather my notes from my interviews I’d done thus far and start piecing together my article for Weekend Wanderlust.
The one thing that would get my mind off Levi was doing a little more digging on Stan. As soon as the bar opened, I planned to stop in and hopefully run into another one of his sons. Though I’d struck out with one, I had no intention of doing the same with any of the others.
I’d just sat down at my temporary desk when my phone pinged with an incoming text. Levi’s name popped up on my screen, and the sight sent a flurry of butterflies swirling in my stomach before I could squash the reaction. I shook my head, pissed at myself that he’d managed to get under my skin so thoroughly in so little time.
Levi:
Sorry I had to take off early. Resort meeting this AM.
I huffed out a disbelieving breath. Did he think I’d buy that? I’d been around here enough that I knew the resort schedule. Knew they had daily morning meetings. I also knew Levi rarely attended them, doing anything and everything in his power to skip. The only ones he showed up for were the ones Addison forced him to attend.
Which meant his text was complete bullshit. Which also meant he’d bailed, plain and simple.
Though, I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. And it wasn’t like I cared. It didn’t bother me that he snuck out without a word, leaving me naked and alone in his bed. As earth-shattering as last night had been, I could classify it as nothing more than scratching an itch. Just a way to get him out of my system once and for all.
But even though I tried to tell myself that, I knew it was only lies. There was a hollow ache in my chest when I pictured him sneaking out this morning. And I couldn’t deny how much I’d hoped to wake tangled up in him, his fingers trailing up and down my spine.
I knew now it was nothing more than a ridiculous fantasy, one I was silly for entertaining.
Leaving him on read, I set my phone facedown in an attempt to block it—and him—out, and I refocused on my work. This morning, I needed to transcribe my interview notes and start organizing the article. I’d pop over to One Night Stan’s a little later and work my magic with another of Stan’s sons.
But until then, the Gazette was blissfully Levi-free, and I intended to take full advantage of that reprieve.
I’d just finished transcribing my notes from my interview with Aiden when my phone rang, and I hated the tiny part of me that hoped it was Levi. But I flipped it over to find Weekend Wanderlust’s editor in chief’s name flashing on the screen.
I sat up a little straighter in my chair and ran a hand down my blouse, as if she could see me, before answering. “Naomi, hi.”
“Harper,” she said, her voice crisp and cool as always. “I wanted to check in and see how the piece is coming. How’re things going up in Maine? Have you nailed down an angle yet?”
I leaned back in my chair, glancing at my scattered notes. It didn’t look like much yet, but it never did. This was all just part of my process. “I think so. I’m digging into the secret allure of Starlight Cove…whatever it is that draws so many high-profile people here, not just to vacation but as permanent residents.”
She hummed thoughtfully, and I held my breath, waiting for her reaction. While she hadn’t given me many—or any—parameters for this piece, at the end of the day, she had to approve it. Not just for it to be published, but for a good shot at that job offer I was chasing. “I like it,” she said finally, and I breathed out a sigh of relief. “And I think our readers will, too. Anything standing out so far?”
“Maybe,” I hedged, not wanting to divulge too much, especially if the Stan angle didn’t pan out. “I’ve got a few paths I’m exploring, but I don’t want to get into specifics in case they end up being dead ends.”
“Fair enough. Just keep me updated on how things are going. And let me know if you need anything from me.”
“Will do.”
After ending the call, I was cautiously optimistic. I like it was practically a ringing endorsement from Naomi, who kept her emotions locked down tighter than Fort Knox. While the Stan angle was still up in the air, I wasn’t giving up yet. I just needed one of his sons to open up, and the odds I could make that happen with four of them were pretty good.
I stuffed my phone into my laptop bag as I headed over to the bar. I’d tried the casual pop-in last time—something the son I’d spoken to may have assumed had been fake—so I was leaning into the whole journalist thing this time, making it a bit more official.
It was late afternoon, so the bar wasn’t crowded, only a few scattered patrons around. A man stood behind the bar, talking to a customer who sat at one of the stools. This guy was leaner than the man I’d spoken to last time, but there was no missing the resemblance to Brick Wall. Fortunately, though, this one’s wide grin and unrestrained laughter hinted at a better reception, something I was eternally grateful for.
The guy shot me a warm smile and sauntered over to me as I settled on a barstool. “What can I get you?”
“An iced tea would be great.”
“You got it.” He knocked twice on the bar top before fixing my drink, his attention split between his task and me. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around. You just visiting?”
“I’m here for a few weeks, working on an article. I’m Harper.”
“Nice to meet you, Harper,” he said, extending his hand to me. His grip was warm and firm, his hand encasing mine in a way that should’ve sent electricity coursing through me. Unfortunately, all I could think about was how a single brush of Levi’s finger against my skin sent more heat crackling through me than this.
He set the iced tea in front of me and braced his hands on the bar. “So…an article? About Starlight Cove?”
“About the secret of Starlight Cove. Why it seems to be a magnet for the rich and famous.”
He huffed out a laugh. “And let me guess…this is about my dad.”
Well, this turned out to be easier than I thought.
“Not entirely, but he’s definitely part of the overall story. Starlight Cove has seen its fair share of celebrities, in various capacities. A New York Times best-selling author, a former pro hockey player. An astronaut, a Nobel Prize winner…a rock star.” I took a sip of my tea and shrugged. “I’ve already interviewed the first four, and now I was hoping to get some information on your dad. Starlight Cove’s a far cry from a world tour. What brought him back here?”
“You’d have to ask him that.” He braced his forearms on the bar top and leaned toward me, shooting me a lazy grin. “But enough about my old man. I’ve got a beautiful woman at my bar, and I don’t intend to waste that opportunity.”
After more than an hour of nonstop flirting on Charmer’s part as he expertly avoided any and every question I lobbed his way, I finally admitted defeat and headed out. No further along with this article than I had been when I’d stepped through the door earlier. On top of that, I’d forgotten to get something for lunch, and my stomach wasn’t happy about it.
I grabbed a salad from a food truck on the corner and headed back to the Gazette. So far, I was 0 for 2 on my Stan inquiries, and that was beginning to chip away at my confidence in getting some answers. I was reading over my notes, nearly done with my salad at this point, when I remembered I’d never responded to Levi’s text that morning. I was in a better place mentally, having firmly shifted back into professional mode—a reminder of why I was here in the first place—so I pulled my phone from my bag and typed out a quick reply, not allowing myself to dwell on it.
Harper:
Don’t worry about it. I have other things to focus on today.
The dots from his end popped up immediately, and I kept one eye on the screen while I finished off my lunch.
Levi:
More interviews?
Harper:
Several, including Stan’s sons
I couldn’t stop myself from including that bit of information, a petty part of me wanting to prove to Levi I wasn’t sitting around, hung up on him. Not like I’d been the last time he’d left me.
Levi:
You better not be wearing what you wore last night.
Heat burned in my cheeks, irritation swamping me at his demand. The fucking audacity of this man. He couldn’t have it both ways. He’d been the one to bail. Was it possible that I would’ve done the same thing if I’d woken up first? Well, I guess we’d never know.
Harper:
Remind me why that’s any of your business?
Levi:
How about the fact that it was my cock you were coming all over just a few hours ago? Or maybe the fact that I made you come so hard on my tongue, I still tasted you this morning?
I stared at his message, irritation and arousal warring within me, my thoughts consumed by memories of last night and early this morning. His filthy words and the reactions he’d managed to coax from my body…making me feel things I’d never felt before.
Clearing my throat, I absent-mindedly scratched the column of my neck as flashes whipped through my mind. The harsh scrape of his beard against my jaw, between my breasts, on the insides of my thighs. Then, directly on my pussy, the roughness of it perfectly contrasting with the soft glide of his tongue against my clit.
Annnnnd that was enough of that. My body was already overheated, the flush on my cheeks spreading down my neck until I felt hot all over.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts, debating how to reply. I typed and deleted several responses, none of them quite right. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d gotten to me. Not after this morning. Not after he’d left. Again.
My skin felt hot and itchy, no doubt in response to the pain in the ass who could rile me up without even trying. I took a sip of my water, hoping to clear the tickle from my throat, but it persisted. I scratched my neck again, trying to focus on my text to Levi, but the tingling sensation was spreading, now crawling up my neck and over my jaw. My lips felt swollen, my tongue too big for my mouth.
Realization slammed into me a second before I reached for my purse—somehow, I’d ingested walnuts. I’d been here before, so I knew, without a doubt, I was having an allergic reaction. The salad I’d grabbed from the food truck must’ve been cross-contaminated with them. I rummaged through my purse for my EpiPen, knowing I needed to stay calm. I was fine. Everything was fine. I knew from experience my seeming decrease in oxygen was from panic and not a closed airway.
Not yet anyway.
Frustration getting the better of me, I dumped the contents of my purse onto my desk and rummaged through everything, frantically searching for what I already knew in my gut wasn’t there because it wasn’t in the pocket it always was. Before hopping on the plane to Starlight Cove, I’d double-checked to make sure I had my pen with me—I never went anywhere without it. That meant it must’ve fallen out at some point in the few weeks I’d been here.
Knowing time was of the essence, I shoved everything back into my purse and took off outside and to the entrance to the apartment. I ran up the stairs, fumbling with my keys, my hands shaking as I attempted to unlock the door. Maybe it was stupid to come up here instead of flagging down someone on the street or just calling 9-1-1, but things weren’t that bad just yet. And chances that my EpiPen was inside the apartment were exponentially higher than happening by someone who had one with them.
Once inside, I tossed my purse on the counter and hurried to my room, riffling through my items with urgency. All the while doing my best to ignore the increasing tightness in my throat, the overwhelming panic gripping my chest. And wondering how much time I had before I passed out.