Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
Bastian
BASTIAN TOSSED HIS pager to his desk and took his phone from the top drawer. At the end of the week, he was more than ready to submerge himself in Sweet Harper again.
She’d forced them out of their suite Tuesday morning. Much against his will. Those four nights with her meant more to him than any of his own birthdays. Given his own way, they’d still be there. Maybe he’d sneak her back tonight and see how long she’d let him keep her this time.
That day, he’d tried to get her on the phone but she’d been unavailable.
Unavailable? No one was unavailable for him.
Except Harper. Typical that the person he wanted to speak to most didn’t reciprocate his need.
Business was important, but not more important than her.
Though he had a squad of people to take care of his, Harper was on her own.
In that way, her responsibility was greater than his.
Friday night meant they’d made it through another week. As soon as he finished up, he’d go to her place. All week she’d resisted getting together. He was no stranger to a hectic schedule, sustaining that took a lot of effort and dedication. Good thing he was the right guy to ease her burden.
“You have a visitor,” Tina’s voice came through the intercom.
“I’m on my way out. You should get going too.”
His office door opened and his mother came in. No saying no to Carolyn Hunt.
“What happened?” Carolyn demanded.
That didn’t narrow the field of possibilities. “Give me a clue, Mom.”
“I thought you were going to marry that girl.”
“That girl?” he asked, retrieving his wallet from the drawer to slide it into his pocket.
“Harper! She was beside herself. She’s a strong one—”
“What’s wrong with Harper?”
Urgency drove him around the desk to bear down on his mother.
“I knew something was wrong at lunch on Tuesday, Harper wasn’t herself. If there was a problem, you should’ve told us. Your sister cried! She’s beside herself. It took me an hour to calm her down.”
“Tell me what happened!”
A knock interrupted.
Harper peeked around the door. He’d never seen such an incredible, and relieving, sight.
“Tina told me to come in,” Harper said. “She’s heading out.”
“Thank goodness you’re here,” Carolyn said. “Yes, you two should talk.”
“Mom…”
Ignoring his warning, Carolyn pulled him down to kiss his cheek. “Please talk.”
His mom crossed the room to kiss Harper and say something in her ear. God, the woman didn’t know when to stop. The door couldn’t close behind the matriarch quickly enough. Though he wouldn’t put it past her to be loitering in his executive foyer.
“Saved me a trip,” Bastian said. “I was on my way to yours.”
“This office is bigger than my father’s house,” Harper said going to the vast windows. “I bet you can see my office from here.”
“You had lunch with my mother?”
His mother wasn’t known for overreacting. The fact she’d raced over to berate him didn’t bode well.
“On Tuesday,” she said over her shoulder. “I told you that on the phone.”
“And today?”
“We met for a drink a couple of hours ago.” All exuberance, Harper bounded across the room to drop into his chair. “I should’ve come here sooner, we could’ve added your desk to the list of places you’ve acquainted me with.”
“What’s wrong with right now?” he said. “Come here.”
“If only,” she said. “I’ve got somewhere to be.”
“We have a function tonight? Thank God I’m free.”
So sad that even if he wasn’t, he’d clear the calendar for her.
But she wasn’t teasing.
She pulled herself in at the desk and spread her hands on it. “You are free. Completely free,” she said. “You’re officially off the clock. Permanently.”
Alarm tightened his gut. “Meaning?”
“We should’ve spoken about it at the hotel, but it was my birthday and I… suppose I enjoyed the illusion.”
“Illusion?”
“I love spending time with your mom, and your sister, they’re incredible people. We can’t lie to them anymore, Bastian. It’s not fair. My mother wants you over at the house. Adara’s talking about you in the wedding party like it’s a done deal. We’ve filled our allotted time.”
“Our allotted time?”
“We’ve done everything we said we would. My birthday was a cherry on top. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. Everything.”
“What are you saying?”
“You’re off the hook. We’re done.”
“We’re done?”
“We said we were together for a month. A month is over. It’s pumpkin time.”
“Over?”
“Your mom and Keely wanted to make arrangements for the vacation in August. I had to tell them we were done. I would’ve anyway, but… I couldn’t let them make arrangements with me, or for me, when I knew I wouldn’t be around.”
She got up to come join him.
“Just like that?” he asked. “We’re done?”
“You’re free, Bastian,” she said, widening her smile.
“Go out there free and single, have some fun. Get back to your life without the crazy chick you met in a basement.” She held out her hand.
“Thank you, Bastian. I’ve had the time of my life.
You’re an incredible human being and the best man I’ve ever known. Thank you.”
He bypassed her hand to touch her temple and ducked to kiss the top of her head.
“Thank you, Harper.”
What else could he do but accept her position? Superficially at least. Done didn’t mean done. Not to him.
“We want different things.” They want—“That’s what I told your mother.” Slowly she lifted her hand to his face. “Show me,” she whispered.
The smiling, bouncing woman revealed a flicker of something behind the impervious exterior.
If he pushed, she’d run a mile. His instinct was to grab hold and tell her every truth within him. It wouldn’t help. This was the long game. And he’d play it through, even if she didn’t know it.
Obliging her, he smiled, and her thumb moved against his cheek. “Goodbye, Bastian.”
“Call me if you need anything,” he said, taking her hand from his face to kiss her knuckles.
She nodded but her smile faltered. Immediately she turned away as if to hide it. Too late, he’d seen it. Never one to draw out discomfort, she went straight to the door and… though she paused, she didn’t look back, just slipped out of his life.