32. Harper
32
I t rained all the next day so all outdoor activities and facilities were closed. I didn’t feel like joining my new friends at the spa, so I bought some pencils and a new sketch book in town and went back to the indoor lounge.
I wanted to ask the office if August had left or if the bar was just closed because of the rain, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask about him.
Instead, I snuck my phone to the lounge and read and reread his messages. Already missing him.
I made the right choice.
He couldn’t just follow me to the Bahamas, tell me he’d made a mistake, and expect me to throw myself at him.
I couldn’t think of a bigger gesture than all the things he’d already said and done, but somehow—it wasn’t enough.
Either that, or I was truly moving on.
The sun was out most of the following day and even though I stayed in again, my vanilla latte found me when a staff member brought it over. "From an admirer—cheers."
I sat up, accepting the double-sized drink. Annoyed but also relieved he was still here—stupid heart. "Thank you."
There was a beach party on Friday night since it was the last night for a lot of the guests. After dinner I changed into a pale green spaghetti strap dress that hung just above the knees, a pair of low heel sandals and left my hair down. I was only here for two more days and needed to make the best of it, so I dolled up a little and planned to enjoy myself.
Respecting my wishes, August kept away from me the last few days, so I doubted he was going to be around tonight. Especially since the tiki bar was closed for this event.
I walked down to the deck and the steps that followed onto the beach. There was a stage set up and a dance floor. Chairs and tables with beverages and barbeque spread around. The sun was setting and I breathed in salty ocean air, knowing it was only moments before my hair started to curl in random places from the humidity.
The DJ started with light music as the thirty to forty guests gathered. I sat on a bench set up along the back and grabbed a beer from the cooler, watching the sunset. Beth and Jill were also leaving in the morning, but I was staying until Sunday. Part of me wished I was leaving tomorrow too. I was done here. I needed more time than I could afford to get past the emptiness.
A handful of single women and some couples started to sway on the dance floor to familiar music, and I watched them, knowing everyone had their own reasons for being here and would all leave with a little more peace.
Will any of us ever be truly and completely healed?
“So how do you know our mysterious bartender?” Jill asked.
I stared at her.
“I’m a lawyer, discovery is a big part of my job.”
When I wasn’t quite convinced, she went on. “You can also cut the tension with a knife when you two are together. Not from his side though…he’s all peaches and roses. You’re the one with the issue.”
I released a breath. “He’s the twin.”
“Ha.” She clapped her hands. “That’s too good. Give the guy a break, Harp, life’s too short.”
I knew that better than anyone.
“He’s not the one, Jill.”
There was a loud mic shriek from the stage, and everyone turned.
My eyes went wide when I looked over. August was standing center stage, wearing a white linen shirt that hung loosely over khaki pants. His hair was beachy and his confidence strong.
“Oh look at that, it works, hi everyone.” August smiled at the crowd as he shifted the mic off the stand.
“Oh my God, what is he doing?” I mumbled.
“Hope you all don’t mind my stepping up here for a bit.”
There were several cheers, no doubt of his regular customers over the past week.
“Awesome, thanks for that. So I know we’ve got a little bit of an older crowd here, hold your tomatoes and eggs for the morning, I’ve got a point, I promise.”
The crowd laughed. I wasn’t surprised; they were all good-humored.
“I wanted to sing a song. If you all knew me from two weeks ago, I wouldn’t be caught dead up here offering to sing or do anything but work for that matter, but I’ve got a song…it’s borrowed, but I think it suits.”
He glanced back at the band with a wink and they nodded. “You all ever watch The Little Mermaid?”
There were a few cheers just from the women, but I stood frozen.
Jill snuck up beside me, slipping my beer out of my hands. “I’mma take that.”
“Well, a few years ago, I was walking the halls of my high school…yes, I’m that young. Anyway, I see this beautiful girl. She’s new, never seen her before and God, I really wanted to talk to her. Help her with that damn locker she couldn’t for the life of her open.”
My features involuntarily softened.
“But I was no ladies man. No, that…that was all my brother—but we won’t get into that. Anyway, I tried and tried until…well, someone else tried better, so I never got a chance to talk to her. But I realized I was going about it all wrong.”
There was some inaudible feedback from the audience that sounded like curiosity.
“I should have just kissed the girl.”
Cheers roared and my lips twitched as I watched him maneuver the mic as the band started playing a modern-day tune of the familiar song.
To my utter bewilderment and quite possibly contentment, August sang the entire song. Word for freaking word. Stealing glances with gravity at me with each lyric. While I stayed incredibly still—despite the fact that he was singing what I considered the most romantic song in the world.
I shivered when he looked at me with sadness as he sang the last lyric that he’d miss the girl.
A combination of cheers, whistles and women screaming out other Disney requests came from the dancefloor. August blushed, thanked the band, and jumped off the stage, heading directly toward me.
“August,” I whispered when he reached me, his arms wrapping around me instantly without hesitation.
“I’m done trying to talk to you,” he murmured before sweeping his warm hands under my jaw and pressing his lips to mine—in what was quite possibly the best kiss of my life.
The cheering around us seemed endless and I wanted to bury my face in his neck to hide from it all. Instead, August took my hand and led me to the middle of the dance floor.
I leaned against his shoulder, swaying to a slow nineties song. “You’re a terrible singer. But that was the most beautiful thing I ever heard.”
He kissed the top of my head but didn’t say anything.
I pushed off his chest to look up at him. “How do you know all the words?” I perked a brow.
He grinned down at me. “I may have watched it once or twice in my lifetime. And a few times by myself this week in my hotel room. Listening to that song, I thought—man why the fuck didn’t I just kiss her?”
I shook my head and couldn’t help but smile up at him. And as if it was contagious, he smiled back, pulling me in close. “You’re so mean and I hate you,” I pouted.
“Your body language is making a liar out of you.” I looked down but he lifted my chin. “So was I wrong?”
I knew what he was talking about and shook my head, pressing myself deeper into him.
“God, I can’t believe how close I was to losing you forever. Especially after life handed me another chance with you.”
His words made me look up at him. “I’m so in love with you, Harper. I hurt you because of some deep-rooted insecurities, and I’ll do anything for your forgiveness.”
He was becoming blurry behind my watery eyes, but I didn’t care. I smiled up at him knowing tears would fall in the process.
Swiping at them, he cupped my jaw and moved in to kiss me—but stilled when thunder rolled in the distance and the music stopped. Drops of rain started coming down one by one and a flock of women raced under cover. It was about to pick up—and hard.
August took my hand and led me under a wide tent. “Wait here.” He raced off to help a few of the older guests get under cover and then back out to assist the band in packing up their equipment.
He didn’t have to do any of it, they had a staff, but he wanted to. He was enjoying himself here and happy to be a part of it all.
When it started to come down, the wind blew toward us under the tent, and it was likely going to give out soon. From the stage, August tossed me a flashlight before running off to help load the band truck while I helped lead everyone back to the hotel.
By the time most of us reached the building, we were soaked and freezing in the air-conditioned lobby.
When everything looked about settled with the older guests, I returned to the deck to try and find him.
Before I got too far, August found me, taking my hand and spinning us in the other direction.
“Where are we going? I’m cold.”
“My room is in the north wing.”
We went up one flight of stairs before he led me down the hall to his room. Swiping his keycard, he pulled me in and immediately turned up the heat for me. He removed his wet shirt and tossed it to the side.
I raised a brow when he turned and scanned my soaked dress.
Missing the point, his brows snapped. “Oh, right.” He moved to his suitcase and pulled out a set of clean clothes, throwing them on the bed for me. I recognized the mismatched set immediately. They were the same clothes I wore when I snuck into his apartment.
I laughed. “August.”
He pulled down the straps of my dress and kissed me softly. “I love hearing my name from your lips.”
I winced and shook my head, burying it in his chest.
His laugh was a low rumble of thunder on a warm night, sending a shiver down my spine. “I know, baby. I loved it then too. It’s been all I could think about for the past three weeks.”
His declarations were all too much. I needed time to absorb it all. But then again, I didn’t want to be away from him for another minute.
“Can we…talk later? I need to wash the sand off my feet.”
He stepped back. “Right, of course.”
I bit my lip, missing the closeness. “Can you…help me?”
A wicked grin formed his tanned face. He led me to the small bathroom and released my hand. “Can I trust you not to walk into doors while I turn the shower on?”
I shrugged and he hesitated before moving toward the knobs.
He went in first, testing the water and waiting until it warmed before pulling me in. We held each other under the spray for a long while before he started to lather soap over my hair, neck, and arms. His hands were everywhere on me and I was lost in his embrace.
After rinsing my backside, he leaned down to my ear. "I'll never take you for granted. I'm not done making it all up to you. Not by a long shot."
I turned with a fresh sting in my eyes. "I want you, August. I'm not holding you at arm's length because of what happened. I'm ready for everything as long as we can be just who we are."
He swallowed hard, a grateful expression etched on his face. "Come here." He lifted me and I wrapped my legs around him—our bodies starved for each other.
“Fuck, Harper.” He pressed me against the tile and I nodded when he paused to look at me, giving him permission to take me with everything he had. I gasped when he filled me. No hesitation, no inching in to give me time to adjust. He went in full force, only pausing for a moment when he was fully inside me until I relaxed.
I was so content I wanted to cry. This was it. There would never be anyone else I’d ever want to feel this close to or this powerful connection with.
He was it.
“I love you,” I whispered, knowing the timing was less than ideal. "I know you already know, but I just wanted to tell you.”
He pulled back and held the back of my head with one hand, the other under my ass. Grinning at me intriguingly, he pushed into me again, slower. “What other secrets can I get by driving into you?”
I bit my lip. “Only one way to find out.”
“Did you quit your job because of what I said to you in my office?” He stroked my damp hair across the pillow as we talked on the bed. It must have been long past midnight. I’d told him about my time off work before I came down here. My plans to work freelance for now and he thought it was a brilliant idea but insisted one of his attorneys review my pending contract with Frankie.
I hummed. “What did you say to me in your office?”
“Never mind.”
I raised a coy brow at him.
“Because I was wrong, you know, serving coffee? It’s quite gratifying, I may never go back,” he joked.
“Everything is more gratifying when you’re in Paradise,” I pointed out.
He moved in on top of me. “Is that so? Because I remember your screams being louder back in my apartment.”
“What, you mean compared to the shower? I’ve seen more action from an eggplant,” I teased.
He laughed and rolled me over him, pulling on his cock. “Show me again how you check to make sure it’s ripe and ready.”
I covered my face laughing and shook my head as he continued to tease and torture me slowly until he had me begging for more. Then finally proving that everything was, in fact, more gratifying in Paradise.