“You want me to show you how I can take your mind off all your shit?”
“Yeah?” My voice went up, nerves kicking in.
His smile ticked up, wicked as he watched me. “With my mouth or something else?”
“What else?”
“Now, Boss,” he chided, clicking his tongue slightly. He folded his arms across his chest, his body leaning deeper into the desk. “Do you really need me to answer that?”
“No,” I whispered breathily.
Shaking his head too, his hand going under his chin, his thumb swiping at his lip absently. “Proof of concept, huh?”
Slowly, I nodded.
He slid his hands into his pockets, his voice still casual as he said, “Come take it then.”
I fidgeted nervously but kept his gaze. “Just take it?”
“Mhmm,” he said, watching me closely. When I just stood there staring, he gave me a smart aleck look. “Need me to show you how,Princess?”
My stare turned into a glare, that fast. And just as quick, I felt the rushing thrill of being able to glare at someone. The euphoric release of being mad, something I could only do so freely with him. Maybe he really was onto something. “I told you not to call me that.”
“You gonna do something about it?” he asked.
The full force of my indignation pushed my next movements, propelling me forward so that one second I was standing across from him and the next I was right up under him. He was tall, and even though he was leaning enough to bring him to my level, I still had to tip my chin to glare up at him.
He didn’t look fazed, not even removing his hands from his pockets in response to my advance. I started there first. Circling my palms around his large wrists and placing them down on the counter at his sides.
Thrill shot through my gut when he didn’t fight the movements, instead letting me. Next, I ran my hands up the taut muscles of his forearms. Each tattoo my fingers brushed, I wanted the story behind. But something else I wanted more guided my hands further over his body.
Harper let me step close to him. He let me press my body between his spread legs and anchor myself against his chest and lift my face close to his, and he didn’t say a word. His eyes said plenty as they burned into me, following my every move like a predator. But he did nothing to deter me from my cautious explorations with his body as my muse.
“Is this what you wanted, Harper?” I asked, hovering against his lips.
He chased my touch, leaning closer but curbing himself before he could press his mouth onto mine. “Just waiting on you.”
And wait we did. One second. Two seconds. Three, four, five. My heart raced as I was a literal millimeter away from crossing this line with him.
But I couldn’t do it.
Pulling away, I tried to take a step back. Harper was quicker, though. His large hand sliding behind my neck, cupping it and the back of my head in a gentle hold. His other hand slid along my waist, holding me to him. Pulling me closer.
“Woah, woah, woah,” he said. His voice was a murmur, his words spoken along my lips. “Don’t you dare wimp out now, Boss.”
“I—” I stopped, not knowing where exactly I was going with that. I could push him away now and I’m absolutely sure he would let me. Yet I was not absolutely sure that I wanted to. I looked up into his eyes. Brown eyes that I hated. But did I? No, I don’t think I did. Not when they were looking at me with what I now realized was respect.
It was pathetic that it had taken me so long to place it. That I didn’t even recognize it when it was hitting me in the face. But there it was, Harper respected me, and he always had. He saw all of me, not just the sweet parts and he still respected me. And that alone was the reason I felt comfortable enough to give him a tiny moment of vulnerability when before I might sooner die than show him my weak points.
“I need help,” I admitted on a bated breath.
His smile was intimate this time, like we’d already shared something. Like he already knew. “So it’s my turn now?”
“Yes,” I said.
Hands gripped either side of my waist and spun me so fast I lost my breath. Before I knew it, I was being lifted onto the counterbehind me, my legs spreading apart wide enough to allow Harper to step between them. Those hands slid from my waist, over my hips and onto my thighs where he gripped me. I had to fight to keep my legs from falling completely apart for him. And when he raised his palm to graze my face I all but shuddered.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” he said, his hand running up my jaw. “In a few seconds, I’m going to kiss you. And when I do, I want you to use all those feelings from when you’re mad, or frustrated, or just want to let it out, and let it out on me.”
