Chapter 32
“I asked for backup, not boy band chaos.” ~ Kai
Kai
I open the door and smile at my brothers.
Zane rubs his hands together. “What’s up? What are you planning?”
“It’s about time we upped the stakes in the prank war,” Miles adds.
I step onto Harper’s porch and shut the door behind me. “I said I needed help with Harper’s dad.”
“Which is code for I have the best prank idea in the world, right?” Miles wiggles his eyebrows.
“Um, no.”
“Is it code for you want to have a threesome?” Zane’s nose wrinkles. “I’m not down with that. Correction. I’m down to have a threesome but not with my brother.”
“Ew. Me neither.” Miles starts to walk away but I shackle his wrist to stop him.
“No one is having a threesome. ”
“I don’t know,” Zane says. “Since you brought the idea up, I’m considering it.”
“I didn’t bring it up!”
“Keep it down out there!” Henry yells.
I motion toward the house. “This is why you’re here. I’m taking Harper out on a date but his caretaker, Carl, couldn’t make it tonight.”
Miles frowns. “I’m not a babysitter.”
“So much for brothers who are always willing to help you out,” I mutter. “I can’t ask Eli since Stephanie is still a baby. Rhett and Dakota have enough going on with Pearl and Mira. I guess I’ll ask Jaxon and Blossom.”
“Jaxon’s still at work.”
I scowl at Zane. “Blossom then.”
I dig my phone out but pause when Miles and Zane burst into laughter. “What’s funny?”
Zane points at me. “Your face.”
“He looks constipated,” Miles says.
“You’re fucking with me?”
Miles claps my shoulder. “Duh.”
I should have known. Zane and Miles are shit stirrers to their cores. “Come in.” I open the door and usher them inside.
“Hey, Mr. P.” Miles waves at Henry.
Harper enters the living room and I forget how to breathe. She’s wearing a tight, red dress that hugs all her curves. Curves I’ve touched and tasted. Curves, I can’t wait to get my hands on again.
Zane chuckles next to me. “Dude, breathe. ”
I stalk toward Harper. “You’re beautiful, Slugger.”
She blushes and I can’t resist trailing a finger from her cheek down her neck to the top of her chest. Goosebumps follow in my wake. I kiss her cheek before whispering, “I can’t wait to fuck you with this dress on.”
“It’s a good thing I didn’t wear panties, then.”
My cock springs to life. It goes from half hard to fully erect with such speed, I’m dizzy from the loss of blood flow to my brain.
“You’re a tease.” The words come out strangled.
“You told me – and I quote here – put on something sexy enough to tease a smuggler into giving up his loot.” She wiggles her shoulders, and I groan when I realize she’s not wearing a bra either.
“Mission accomplished.” I readjust my cock in my pants and she smirks. “Trouble.”
I wrap an arm around her and lead her toward the door. She stumbles to a halt when she notices Zane and Miles standing in the living room next to her dad.
“What are they doing here?”
“They’re going to watch your dad while we go out.”
Her mouth gapes open. “Zane and Miles – your brothers who think advisory warnings are for losers – are going to watch Dad?”
“Advisory warnings are totally for losers,” Zane says.
I glare at him. “You’re not helping things.”
“What?” He shrugs. “It’s true. ”
Harper fists her hands on her hips. “Okay. Here are the rules for this evening. One. No wheelchair races in the house. Or outside of the house, either. Two. No sword fights with Dad’s canes.
Three. Make sure Dad gets a healthy dinner.
And, finally, no feeding Dad Fruit Loops no matter how much he bitches and whines. ”
“I don’t bitch or whine,” Henry claims. I bite my tongue before I laugh since he’s totally lying.
Zane whips out a Boy Scout salute. “We promise to be good.”
Harper snorts. “You weren’t ever a Boy Scout.”
“I could have been, but I got blackballed.”
Miles laughs. “Blackballed? Is that what we’re calling getting kicked out for trying to start a badge for best male stripper?”
Harper groans. “Maybe we should stay home.”
I usher her toward the door. “No way. I made reservations. ”
I rush her to my SUV and drive away before she has the chance to protest further.
“Where are we going anyway?” she asks once we’re driving. “We’re driving away from Smuggler’s Rest.”
“ Hideaway Haven Resort .”
She gasps. “We can’t go there.”
Hideaway Haven is an exclusive resort built by Hudson Clark, a former NFL player who grew up on the island. It has a restaurant, various pools, a private beach, as well as a hotel and secluded cabins.
“Why not? Is there a disturbance in the universe preventing us from driving there?”
She slaps my shoulder. “No. It’s too expensive.”
“It’s my treat.”
“Your paying doesn’t make it cost any less.”
“I want to celebrate.”
“Celebrate what?”
I place my hand on her thigh and squeeze. “How much you love me. How much I love you.”
“I think we celebrated when you ripped my panties off me.”
My cock twitches at the reminder of the other day. When Henry was away at physical therapy, we got some time to play.
No panties to rip off of her today. How I’d love to pull over to the side of the road and explore. But Harper deserves a special night out. She works incredibly hard and doesn’t get a chance to do fun things often enough.
Good thing I’m here to ensure fun things are on the agenda more often.
“I’ll replace your panties,” I growl.
“You don’t need to replace my panties. You don’t need to spend money on expensive dinners for me.”
I guess I’ll be pulling over after all.
Once I’m parked at the side of the road, I pinch her chin and force her to meet my gaze. “I don’t need to do jack shit. I want to spend money on you. I want to spoil you.”
“Spending large amounts of money makes me uncomfortable.”
This is a big admission for Harper. It warms me how much she’s coming to trust me .
“I understand. And I promise not to burn money unnecessarily. We won’t go out for fancy dinners every week. But when we have a reason to celebrate, you can bet your ass I’ll be treating you to a fancy dinner at a fancy restaurant.”
“I’m not with you for your money.”
My head rears back. “I never said you were. Did someone say you are? Who are they? I need their contact details.”
“No one said anything…” She trails off with a sigh. “I want you to know I’m with you because of you.”
“I know you are.” I waggle my eyebrows. “You couldn’t resist my charm.”
She groans. “Drive to the restaurant before I change my mind and insist we get burgers at Salty Siren. ”
“Your dad would kill us for getting burgers without him.” I put the car in gear.
“Stop!” She flings her door open and jumps out. I chase after her.
I slow down when I realize the reason for her fear. Sammy.
The seal barks at me and I wave in return. “Hey, Sammy. You scared my woman.”
He barks again. I swear, if seals could talk, he’d claim there’s no way Harper could be my woman.
“I know,” Harper says. “I can hardly believe we’re together either.”
I snatch her wrist and pull her closer to me and further away from Sammy. He’s a friendly seal but he’s still a wild animal. She shouldn’t get too close .
Sammy barks and Harper wags a finger at him. “No backtalk. Now, get off of the road before we call the dog catchers.”
The seal growls but he does scoot off of the road, so he won’t get run over. We wave goodbye to him before getting back into my vehicle and recommencing our journey to the resort.
I park in front of the restaurant but Harper makes no move to get out of the SUV. She stares at the building with her mouth gaping open.
“I thought we were going to Smuggler’s Cove to eat. I don’t think I’m appropriately dressed.”
“Are you kidding?” She narrows her eyes on me and I hold up my hands. “Sorry. I meant to say. You look gorgeous and I’m proud to walk into this restaurant with you on my arm.”
She smooths down the skirt of her dress. “If you’re certain.”
“I’m more than certain. Every man in there is going to be envious of me tonight.” I grasp her hand and kiss her knuckles. “But if you’re uncomfortable, we’ll leave.”
“And miss our celebration?”
My blood heats at the taunt in her voice. “There’s more than one way to celebrate.”
Her breath hitches. “I have the ripped panties to prove it.”
“What’ll it be, Harper?”
She clears her throat. “I’ve always wanted to eat here.”
“Your wish is my command.”
I jump out, hurry around to open her door, and offer her my hand. The slit in her dress parts, showing off her curvy legs as she stands. I groan .
My cock is hard and heavy. It’s going to be a long dinner if it doesn’t calm down.
She smiles at me, her dimples make an appearance, her blue eyes light up, and I no longer give a fuck how uncomfortable I’m going to be.
I want all of her smiles directed at me.
I want to give her things she hasn’t had before.
I want to give her the world.
And I will.
One day at a time.