32. Harper
HARPER
The East Side Overlook is deserted at dusk, which is exactly why I message Luke and tell him to meet me there. It was short and direct with no room for misinterpretation—only the location and time.
He’d responded immediately. No questions. No flirtation. Just agreement.
Which somehow makes this worse.
I pull my truck into the gravel lot and kill the engine, staring out at the valley below. The sun’s sinking behind the mountains, painting everything in shades of orange and purple that would be beautiful if I could focus on anything other than the fact that I just asked Luke Bennett out on a date.
In a deserted location.
On purpose.
What the hell am I doing? Obviously the fact that I haven’t gotten any in longer than I care to admit has gotten to me.
I check my reflection in the rearview mirror and immediately regret it. My hair’s flat from the long day at work, and I have shadows under my eyes that no amount of concealer is going to fix. I look like I haven’t slept in days even though it was only last night.
But I’m pretty sure I’d give up another night of sleep if it means Luke climbing through my bedroom window and making me come so hard I see stars.
“Jesus, Harper,” I mutter. “Focus.”
I get out of the SUV and lean against the hood, crossing my arms over my chest. The air’s cooling fast now that the sun’s going down, and I should’ve brought a jacket.
But I didn’t, because my jackets are all utilitarian and some stupid part of me wanted to look...
I don’t know. Pretty. Feminine. Like more than a deputy sheriff.
“Idiot.” I shake my head.
I hear his truck before I see it—the low rumble of the engine cutting through the quiet. My stomach flips as he pulls in beside me and shuts off the ignition.
Luke steps out, and I start to drool.
It’s so unfair, how good he looks. Jeans, black T-shirt, boots. His dark-blond hair slightly mussed like he’s been running his hands through it. He has that easy confidence that makes me want to either punch him or kiss him.
I know which impulse is winning, and that’s a problem.
“Officer Hot Stuff,” he says as he comes around to face me. His voice is low and warm, but his gaze is absurdly hot as he does a slow sweep of me, from the tips of my boots to the top of my head. “You summoned me.”
I roll my eyes, but my heart’s pounding. “Don’t make this weird.”
“Too late.” He leans against his truck, mirroring my posture. “You look nervous.”
“I’m not nervous.” The butterflies in my belly are morphing into pterodactyls as we speak.
He looks around us. “Well, I’m nervous. Did you bring me out here to kill me?”
I roll my eyes again. “I asked you here because we need to talk.”
“About?”
“Last night.”
His grin steals across his too handsome face slowly, his green eyes lighting his devilment. “I’m going to love this topic.”
I take a deep breath. “About the van—”
“We’re not here to talk about the van.” He pushes off his truck and stalks toward me.
“Um—” I’d back up but I’m already against my vehicle. Besides, I don’t want to scurry off like a scared bunny. “Yeah, we are.”
He smiles as he approaches slowly. “You know that’s not the part of last night you’ve been thinking about all day.”
Swallowing thickly, I hold my ground until he’s standing right in front of me, so close his chest brushes mine, making my nipples whimper with want.
His big hand takes my chin, angling my head up. “Is it?”
“I—” I look at his mouth and can’t remember how to say anything.
“Regrets about last night?” he asks, searching my face.
I open my mouth to say yes, but I look into his eyes and I can’t say it. Usually Luke’s so cavalier, but there’s something there right now—something raw, like he’s waiting for me to break his heart and trying to pretend he doesn’t care if I do.
I blink. Luke’s not like that.
Is he?
“You’re thinking so hard I can see the smoke.” His words are light and joking but his expression remains probing. He rubs my chin with his thumb. “This is easy, sunshine.”
“Don’t call me that,” I order. Then I frown. “How is this easy?”
“Because what’s got you tied in knots right now isn’t me.” He lowers his head and nuzzles my temple, inhaling audibly like he wants to fill his senses with me.
“What is it, then?” I’m breathless, and he’s barely even touched me.
“It’s the fact that you liked it.” He lifts his head and smiles. “See? Easy?”
I want to hit him. I want to kiss him. I want to shove him in his truck, climb on top of him, and ride him till next month.
But I hold on to what little sanity I have. “What are we doing, Luke?”
His expression shifts, something flickering in his eyes. “What do you want to do, Harper?”
His sudden seriousness catches me off guard. I’m so used to him being charming and flirty that I forget about that serious, focused special ops side he must have somewhere underneath the charm.
“I don’t know what I want to do,” I admit. The honesty feels like peeling off a layer of skin.
His lifts my chin higher. “Don’t you?”
With him looking at me like this, I can’t give him anything but the truth. “Okay, I want to do you. A lot. But I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’m in law enforcement and you’re prone to doing stupid things.”
His eyes narrow. “Define stupid.”
“Going rogue.” I throw my hands in the air. “Chasing people. Flying over railings. Blowing things up.”
His expression lightens, and a smile teases his lips. “You worried about me, sunshine?”
“Yes,” I snap, and the word comes out sharper than I intended. “I’m worried about your sanity, and I’m worried that we’re about to cross a line we can’t come back from.”
“Like what?”
“Like blowing up a van,” I say pointedly.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” He shakes his head. “I admit I do plenty of stupid things on my own, but don’t pin things on me that I had nothing to do with. I didn’t blow up that van.”
“Uh-huh. That van’s gas tank suddenly just exploded, because that happens.” Does he think I was born yesterday?
He shakes his head. “The van was already rigged to blow.”
I’m about to pooh-pooh that when I realize he’s earnest. “The van was rigged to blow, and you ran toward it?”
“I ran away from it.” He cups my face tenderly. “To make sure you weren’t near it when it blew. I won’t let anything hurt you.”
Even himself? I frown. “Who rigged the van?”
He silently assesses me. Finally, he says, “I’ll tell you what we suspect, but then I get to kiss you.”
My lips part as if they’re eager to agree to his terms. I clamp my mouth shut. Then I imagine kissing him and know it’s not going to be enough.