Chapter 14

No! Oh hell no.

There was no way I was letting her walk out like this. Pushing my way through the frolicking patrons I rushed to the door through which Harper had just disappeared. With every step I took the sounds of the bar were replaced with the thundering sound of my heart.

In my whole life, I’d never been as relieved as I was the moment I spotted her on the sidewalk. Hugging herself, she just blankly stared at the passing traffic. I knew that whatever I did next would either bring her closer to me or push her away entirely.

“Harper,” I kept my voice soft and steady as I approached her. When she turned to face me, the war she was fighting with herself was clear as day on her face.

“Everything.” Her voice sounded as broken as she looked and wrapping her up my arms was all I wanted to do. But first, we needed to get on the same page.

“Come again, Sugar?”

Her shoulders rose and fell in a deep sigh. “You asked what I was afraid of. I’m afraid of everything, Logan.”

I needed to touch her; I wrapped my fingers around her upper arms and stooped so I was able to look directly into those green pools of doubt. “I get it. But you never have to be afraid of me.”

“How would I know that’s the truth? People are good at deceiving each other. Good at making you believe it’s okay to let your guard down and when you do, they hit you where it hurts the most.”

I’d always had a suspicion that a man had been responsible for Harper being as skittish as she was, I was just proven right. I didn’t like being right.

As I stared into her eyes, all of her doubts and fears became visible, I knew what I had to do. I just prayed that it didn’t chase her away for good.

Moving my hands, I cupped her cheeks in my palms and tilted her head. “Then don’t believe what I tell you, believe what you feel.” Before I had time to rethink it, I dropped my lips to hers and fused our mouths together. For the longest second, she remained stiff and unmoving.

My heart plummeted.

But just as I moved to pull away, a small breath blew over her lips and her fingers dug into my waist. Her lips became soft and yielding. I’d fantasized about kissing Harper so much; it had become my hobby. But no fantasy could ever compare to the real thing.

By tasting her lips, though, I’d screwed myself in the worst way possible. One little taste and already I was addicted.

I needed more.

Careful not to consume her, I ran my tongue across the seam of her lips. Another little sigh escaped her as she allowed me entry. I wasted no time in coiling our tongues together. Beer, spice, and Harper assaulted my taste buds, driving me crazy.

Everything about that moment swallowed me whole. Nothing but me, Harper, and that kiss mattered. The small sounds coming from the back of her throat was like music to my ears and I’d do just about anything to keep hearing it.

Breaking the kiss took all the strength I could muster, but I knew if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to stop. When I pulled back her lips were swollen, and they glistened in the moonlight, her eyes were big, wide and dark.

Beautiful!

My hands were still cradling her face and for the life of me, I couldn’t find the strength to remove them. Her tongue—a tongue I craved even though I’d just tasted it—darted out and slid along her bottom lip.

“Logan.” My name came out as a breathy whisper, but I swear it felt like she’d shouted it from the rooftops. Any other man would have probably apologized for grabbing her and kissing her silly.

Not me.

I wasn’t sorry for tasting her and I wasn’t about to lie to her either. But whatever happened next was one hundred percent up to her. I had no idea how I managed to do what I did next.

My hands dropped from her face and I took a step back. Instantly her brows dipped into a frown. With inexplicable strength, I took another step back.