The Key West Anthology (29 page)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Harper

“How are you feeling, sweetheart?” my mother asked as she sat down on the couch beside me.

“I’m fine, Mom, really,” I assured her. “You can stop worrying. I just had a girl moment. Everything hit me at once, and I’m okay now.”

“Talking about it sometimes helps.” I knew she was pushing for details, but I still wasn’t sure myself about exactly what had led up to the fallout between Easton and me.

I guess secrets—or in my case, avoidance of the truth behind the mask—always lead to trouble.

“I know you don’t like to talk about it, Harper. I know you like to pretend it never happened, but look where that has gotten you. You’re angry and closed off. You judge every man you come into contact with before you even give them a chance to prove their worth.”

I looked up at my mother and remained tight-lipped. The last thing I wanted to do was lash out at her and prove her point.

“Why haven’t you told Easton about your past? You know he knows something happened.”

I took in a deep breath to calm my churning stomach. Every time he brought up my past when we were together, I would change the subject. I didn’t want to do anything to taint his image of me. I didn’t want him to look at me like I was a victim. The way he treated me now was too good to let go of. I feared after he knew everything, things between us would get strange.

“I’m scared to. I don’t want to tarnish the way he feels about me or how he looks at me,” I confessed.

My mother gripped my chin and turned my head in her direction. Her eyes focused on mine as she gave me the most loving look. “Sweetheart, you need to give that man some credit. Being honest with him, confiding in him, and sharing what has made you into the woman you are today…” She leaned in a little closer to brush the hair from my face. “All of that is only going to assure him that his initial perception of how strong you are was accurate.”

I closed my eyes tightly and nodded. It was all I could give her at the moment. I knew she was right. If I wanted to move forward with Easton, if I wanted the possibility of a future with him, I had to let go of my past.

***

I spent the afternoon at my parents’ house, tucked away in my old bedroom. I just wanted some time to get my head on straight, to regain my bearings.

Jett had called my mom and told her that he had Brutus. My heart ached, knowing that Easton had pushed him off on someone else. Maybe that was his way of saying he was over what we’d had. I tried to push the thought out of my mind. Until I heard him say the words, I would not accept them.

A light knock on the bedroom door had me curling into the mattress. I just wanted a little more time to myself before I had to face the world.

As the door creaked open I focused on my breathing, hoping to give off the impression that I was sleeping.

When the bed dipped behind me, I held my breath. I could smell him, and why that made my chest tighten and tears prick at my eyes, I wasn’t sure.

Easton placed his hand on my hip and squeezed gently. “Harper,” he whispered, and my throat burned. “Baby, wake up.”

I was pissed at myself the moment my lower lip began to tremble. I opened my eyes and twisted just enough to look back at him. He looked torn, unsure of what his next move should be. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”

I nodded, and he instantly leaned over, wrapped his arms around me, and held me close. “I need to fix this,” he said against my neck before kissing me softly. “There’s some things I need you to know.”

“Me too,” I said in return. It was time.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Easton

Harper and I sat outside my condo in the backyard. I had convinced her to come home with me. I knew tonight was going to be rough for the both of us. But if we wanted to move forward together, we both had to do this.

“My aunt’s stepson took advantage of me,” she said, and a burning sensation hit me deep in my gut. “When I was visiting her the summer before I started high school.”

I tried to reach out for her hand, but she shook her head and forced a smile. “If you touch me right now, I won’t be able to finish. I’m barely hanging on here, and I don’t want to cry.”

“Okay.” That didn’t stop my urge to hold her, but I understood. I had to fist my hands in my lap to keep them busy as she continued.

“He was older, and at first the attention was flattering. I was still in my nerdy phase.” She rolled her eyes, as if to make light of her emotions. “Each night, he would sneak into the room I was sleeping in. Mostly he would just kiss me or occasionally touch my hair or my face. It was new to me, but I never minded it.”

Harper lifted her beer and took a sip before lowering it back to her lap. “One night, the last night before I was supposed to go home, he took things further than he ever had before. When I tried to stop him, he only got angry. He overpowered me, and there was no one else at home to stop it.”

My heart fucking ached. I knew what she’d gone through had to be bad, but hearing it and watching her as she told me, shattered me.

“He told me not to tell anyone. He said they wouldn’t believe me because I allowed him to come to my room every night. At first I believed him. He was right, I did let him touch me, night after night. But I never asked for him to hurt me. I never asked for him take it that far. In fact, I told him to stop more than once that night.” She quickly took another drink.

“I didn’t say anything until my parents showed up to get me with Jett. He was home from college, and so as soon as I saw my brother, something in me snapped. I rushed to him, and right there in the middle of my aunt’s living room, with everyone standing around, I told Jett all that had happened.

“Everything went crazy at that point. You know my dad, he’s not the aggressive type. But he ran for Mark, and Jett had to pull him off.” She set the beer on the small table to her left and began twisting the ring on her finger.

“Mark paid for what he did. He was charged and served time, because he was legally an adult. But what he did still changed me. I became angry and distant. I built up the attitude to mask the devastation. It was easier to be sarcastic and pissy than to admit I was falling apart on the inside.”

Harper shrugged and once again forced a grin. “So I became this version of me. The girl who accepts that men are liars, cheaters, and nothing but disappointment because you can’t trust them.”

Her eyes glistened, and I could sense her fighting back the need to let go. I wanted to hold her; I needed to hold her.

I slid forward and knelt on the ground before her, wrapped my arms around her waist, and pulled her forward. We stayed in that position, me just holding her close, breathing her in. We never spoke, just felt.

There was so much I wanted to say, but I had to have this moment first.

“I don’t want you to look at me differently. I can’t handle you changing the way you treat me,” she confessed.

I pulled back enough to be able to look up into her gorgeous eyes. “You mean so much to me,” I said. “The relationship between you and me may be new, but I’ve always known you were a strong woman. That will never change, I promise you.”

She placed her hands on each side of my face, leaned forward, and pressed her lips to mine. She rested her forehead against mine and took a moment to calm herself. “I should have told you about this already,” she whispered.

“You told me now. That’s all that matters.”

***

I held her close for the next hour as we sat curled up on my couch, just enjoying taking comfort in each other.

I knew it was my turn now to tell her what I had been hiding. I just hoped she would be able to handle the possibility of my life changing forever.

“I hate to burst this bubble we’re in, but um…” I took in a deep breath. “I think you deserve to hear what I’ve been fighting too.”

“Yeah, I know.” She curled in a little tighter, burying her face against my chest. “I’m ready.”

I chuckled. “Are you gonna stay like that the whole time?”

“Yep, it feels safe here.” She spoke just above a whisper. “Like no matter what it is you’re about to tell me, this is the spot I need to be.”

I kissed the top of her head and kept her close. “You are safe, always. That spot is yours, forever if you want it.”

“I want it.” Her reply made me feel like I was on top of the world. Even if it would be short-lived, I loved the rush.

“I just hope you feel the same way after I tell you what I need to. But I need you to listen all the way through before you stop me.”

“Okay,” she replied

“You remember the girl from Ricochet, the one that was running her mouth?” I asked, and she nodded against me. “We dated for a while. Before my dad passed away. And maybe two and a half or three months ago, we had…just…well…”

Harper saved me from finishing. “You had sex.”

“Yeah. It never should have happened, but it did, and I can’t change that. But after that night, I swore it would never happen again. She came to me a couple weeks ago.” Harper tensed against me. “It’s not what you’re thinking, so don’t go there.”

She relaxed slightly and I continued. “She was never faithful during the time we were together. It was a lapse in judgement that I even gave in that last night, but it happened and now…” I paused, preparing myself for her reaction. “She told me she’s pregnant.”

Harper rose up and looked at me. She didn’t appear angry. What surprised me was that she looked more concerned.

“How do you feel about that?” she asked.

“I’m not sure it’s even mine. She said she wasn’t with anyone else, but I find that hard to believe. We always used protection, so it doesn’t seem likely, but I just don’t know for certain.”

Harper placed her legs over mine and slid her hand along my chest. “I don’t want to sound like a bitch here.” She smiled and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know, since when do I care if I come across as a bitch, right?” I smiled in return and let her continue. “I just want to know, if the baby is yours, what are your plans? I mean for us, you and me?”

“I want you, that isn’t gonna change. I just need to know that you can handle me being a father to a child with someone else.”

“I’m going to be honest. I don’t like the fact that you could be raising a baby with another woman. It’ll be hard, but the baby would be a part of you, and I would love ’em because of it.”

A sudden relief filled my chest, and I was thankful for the woman at my side. If I didn’t know it before, I sure as hell knew it now. I loved her. I was in love with Harper.

“So does that mean you love me?” I asked with a smirk.

“Maybe.”

I gripped her waist and lifted her onto my lap. “Because I love you.” I placed my hand on the back of her neck and pulled her down closer. “I think I already knew it, but you just helped me confirm it. You’re truly amazing, and Harper Jameson, you’ve captured me.”

She lowered her lips to mine, and all the shit that had overtaken our lives slowly faded away. I knew in that moment that things would be okay. No matter what way everything turned out in the end, if she was by my side, we would make it through.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Harper

“What do you girls have planned?” Jett asked with a scowl.

I couldn’t help but laugh. He was literally pouting like a toddler. Callie and I had just arrived to pick up Avery and Quinn for a girls’ getaway—sort of a bachelorette party.

Jett and Quinn had decided to have a small wedding, and it was moving in on us fast. With my mother and her magical planning abilities, the wedding was set for three months after the engagement. Since the last two had flown by in such a blur, we only had a little less than four weeks until the big day.

Jett had been pretty adamant about not having any dirty parties, but seriously, had he forgotten who his sister was? Like I was truly going to pass up the chance of being able to torture him. Quinn stood to his side laughing at the sour look on his face, and I was enjoying it tremendously.

Of course I had to keep digging at my brother. “It’s just one weekend, Jett. Two nights away with the girls. You’ll survive. Don’t you have a bottle of lotion around here somewhere, or some sort of lube?”

Avery snickered at my comment.

“You have that picture right there.” I pointed toward the wall. “Quinn in her bathing suit. Use that. Focus on nothing but that picture, three pumps of lotion in the palm of your hand, and voila, instant pleasure.”

Jett was looking more pissed off by the second.

“Or they have these things at that sex shop just three doors down from my salon. I’m not sure what they’re called, but they’re a pretty close resemblance to a real vagina. We could run by there real quick and grab you one.” I winked and he lost it.

“Seriously, Harper, no fucking strippers,” he growled. “No guys, period.” He looked over at Quinn, and she cleared the smile from her face. “I mean it. We agreed, no fucking strippers. The guys haven’t even planned anything, and now you all decide to run off for the weekend doing what the fuck ever, and I’m stuck wondering what the hell you’re up to.”

Quinn slid her hand around his waist, stepped in front of him, and raised up on her tiptoes. “You are the only man I want,” she said. “I promise you my hands will only touch you.”

He slid his hands down her back to cup her ass. “It isn’t your hands I’m worried about.” He looked over her shoulder and glared at me. “I swear to God, Harper, if any guy touches my girl, I’m gonna kick your ass after I break them.”

“Yes, sir,” I said, saluting him. This only earned me another glare. He was such a brute. And I truly loved firing him up.

Jett did not need to know I had planned to drive his fiancée to Tampa. He didn’t need to know we would be staying in a suite at a resort there as a gift from the husband of my best client from the salon. And he definitely did not need to know that Avery, Callie, and I had paid for not one but two very talented strippers to visit said suite tomorrow evening.

I would suffer the consequences of my actions later, but this weekend I planned to enjoy the show.

***

“Oh my, there is a God,” Avery whimpered as she sank down on the plush couch. Her mouth was hanging open in awe, and I was sure by the look of pleasure on her face that she was rocking on the edge of bliss. Callie had not yet spoken, but the look of lust filling her eyes and the small amount of drool pooling at her lips were a sure indication that she too was loving the view.

Quinn was still frozen against the doorframe of the balcony. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were the size of saucers.

These three alone were entertainment enough. The two strippers that were shaking their goods in the middle of our hotel room were just a bonus to a long night of fun. We had done it all—dinner, dancing, and more drinks than we probably should have had, but no one was there to stop us, so why not? I knew what we were walking in on when I slid the key card in the lock. After all, I was the one that set it up with the agency I hired the guys through. It was harmless fun, but I knew Jett would flip out when he found out. Who was I kidding? I was more than sure Easton would have something to say about it as well. But it was worth it to see the girls’ reactions.

After about an hour the very young and drool-worthy men were glistening with sweat. Both Avery and Callie were worked up and showing extreme attention to the more-than-willing strippers. I had a feeling I would have to call the evening to a close. The last thing I wanted was for either of them to do anything they would regret tomorrow.

“Okay, ladies, I’m sure these guys have things they need to get to.”

The blond guy winked at Callie, and I swear she whimpered. Avery, on the other hand, was slipping what looked like a twenty into the other guy’s waistband. That girl was lit, and right now she looked like she was floating on the edge of being willing to do just about anything.

“We really had a great time, guys, but it’s time my girls here called it a night. Alone, boys,” I added when Mr. Seductive Green-Eyed Guy’s face lit up. “Don’t get too excited. It appears you’ll be leaving tonight without any happy endings.”

Quinn still stood back, buzzed and maybe a little shaken up by the two gorgeous men who were still half-naked and more than willing to give us all an encore.

A light knock on the door had the two men turning around to look behind them. I hadn’t planned on anything else for the night, so I wasn’t sure who it could be.

Avery reached out and yanked the door open without thinking twice. “Come on in, the party’s in here.”

On the other side of the door stood Jett, Easton, and Kade, all three of them glaring straight ahead at the two men in our suite.

“What the fuck?” I spun around and looked at Quinn, and her eyes once again grew wide. “Did you call him? How the hell did you guys know where we were?” I asked as I placed my hands on my hips, turning back to face them. “One weekend away and you Neanderthals had to show up and kill the buzz.”

Jett glared at me as he rushed past me straight for Quinn. I watched as he gripped her hand and dragged her off to one of the rooms, where he slammed the door behind them.

“Well, men,” I heard Easton say in a deep, demanding voice. “Looks like your night just ended. You had a job to do, and I would say that job is complete.” My eyes connected with his, and he narrowed his eyes at me. “Close the door behind you,” he said to the guys without taking his heated stare from mine.

His lips were tight, and there were no traces of a smile. I looked over his shoulder to find the two men slipping away without a word.

Easton stalked toward me with that same look of determination, and maybe a slight touch of aggravation covering his beautiful features. “Did you enjoy the show, Harper?” he asked when he was standing so close I could feel his breath on my face. “Did it turn you on?”

“No.” I glared back at him. “You need to stop acting like you’ve never watched a stripper before. If memory serves me correctly, you, Mr. Black, own two strip clubs yourself.”

“Two strip clubs that I haven’t visited in a very long time. Two clubs that I am also in the process of selling.”

That was news to me. He hadn’t mentioned it. “Are you jealous?” I pushed back, taunting him. I was poking a sleeping bear, but the excitement of what might happen if I did made me keep going.

“Jealous, no,” Easton whispered as he placed his hands on my hips and backed me toward the second room of the suite. “Do I feel like I need to remind my woman of exactly how good I can make her body feel? Oh yeah,” he said as he began kissing along my jaw.

“That sounds like jealousy to me,” I whispered in return.

“Call it whatever you want, but in about ten minutes the only thing you’ll be able to comprehend is my name.” Before I could say another word, he had me lifted up over his shoulder and was dragging me off to stake his claim.