“Staring at my ass isn’t going to butter me up, sweetheart. If you want me to kiss you again, you’re going to have to ask,” Harper said out of absolutely nowhere.
Well, I guess not nowhere since Iwaslooking in that vicinity. That’s probably what I got for wanting to know if he was serious. There’s that sick sense of divine intervention coming for me yet again.
“I was not looking at your—that!” I said. “And don’t bring it up here!”
He tipped a look over his shoulder, his eyes looking accusing, his face lookingpouty. “C’mon, Alta. I’m not some slab of meat.”
“Harper!”
He laughed, his face brightening and allowing one of his full smiles to overtake his expression. Moving in front of me, he dropped to a crouch at my knees and handed over my report, mischievous eyes glowing. I shoved him with it, which only made him laugh more.
“See,” he said. “Easy to mess with.”
“Well, excuse me for actually trusting the words that leave your mouth. I’ll be sure not to do that in the future.”
“Now don’t say that,” he said softly. “I joke around, but there are times that I mean what I say.”
I rolled my lips into my mouth, running my eyes along his face. Easy going, but also serious. Our eyes connected and my courage spiked out of nowhere. “Like when?”
“I think you know when.”
“Harper, about that?—”
“Which reminds me, I need your answer boss,” he said, eyes zeroing in on me.
“Now?” I asked, suddenly nervous.
“Yeah,” he said slowly. “I haven’t been able to tattoo right without it.”
I frowned, my head tipping to the side in slight confusion. “You haven’t been able to tattoo because you were thinking about… that thing you wanted?”
His eyebrows pinched together for a second and then his face grew so soft, I almost wanted to touch it to make sure it was still him. He smiled gently, grabbing my hand and giving it a small squeeze. “I need your answer about thetattoo. The one you said you’d find a phrase for. I’ve had to do incomplete pieces all day.”
“Oh,” I said. I think I would just resign myself to permanently burning at this point. “That’s what you meant.”
“That’s what I meant,” he echoed in agreement, but he couldn’t keep the smile from pulling over the side of his face, lopsided and goofy.
“Give me a second, please?” I sighed, moving to stand. “I just need something cold first. I’ve got to get my head on straight.”
Harper stood first, holding a hand out to stop me. “Nah, you sit for a bit. You seem tired. I’ll go get you something.”
“Harp no, you don’t have to—” I started.
He stopped me. “Sit down and relax. You’ve been running around this place all day like it’syourfestival. Just read your report and breathe for a sec and I’ll get you what you like.”
I bit my lip. “Really?”
“Really, Boss.”
I felt a little pull in my gut as I sat up straighter, nodding out past the booth walls. “There’s a juice stand over there. I’d like that, please.”
“What flavor?”
“Lime,” I said easily. My favorite.
He nodded, “You got it. Watch the front for me?”
I nodded, then I realized something, thankfully thinking quick enough to catch him before he left, “Harper, here! You get something too! My treat.”
