I gave a confused look upward. “Harp?—”
“Going to lunch,” he called over his shoulder. “Ger, you’re in charge.”
“Naturally,” Gerald scoffed.
“Bye kids,” Jules waved her fingers.
“Oh! My wallet!” I said, turning back for my bag.
“You don’t need it,” Harper huffed, continuing to pull me along.
“Jules!” I called. She was already ahead of me, rushing my bag over and pushing us out the door like a mom sending her kid off on a first date.
Outside, Harper let me go but stayed close as he led me around the side of the block to the little parking lot where employees kept their cars.
“Where are we going?” I asked excited again, this time at the prospect of food.
The look he gave as he peered down his shoulder at me turned my stomach over like a pancake. His eyes were smiling. His mouth was too, the corners turned up just slightly as he took me in.
And of all the ways he had touched me before, all the ways I wanted him to touch me again, the man simply leaned a playful shoulder into mine and bumped me before saying. “You’re the boss.”
And at that moment I felt okay, because I felt like he’d go anywhere with me.
The restaurant I chose was one of my favorites. I usually carried it out for lunch and ate between appointments, but being able to sit down and try something new was exciting too.
Being able to sit next to Harper, as he slid in beside me in the dark vinyl of the half-moon booth might have been even more exciting. Nervous energy bounced through me, channeling to my fingers that tapped along the table restlessly and my eyes that bounced all around not knowing where to land.
I wasn’t uncomfortable. The opposite, actually. I was only so dang nervous because I could feel the side of Harper’s muscled thigh pressing into my bare one. My sensible work skirt wasn’t particularly short, but it did ride up as I sat, allowing for that much less of a barrier between us.
I liked the feeling of him touching me. But was it weird if I touched him back? A hand on his leg would be too couple-like. But a hand elsewhere would be too forward. And what about conversation? Did I ask him about his day? Did we talk about the other night? What? I didn’t know what to do, and as comfortable as I felt with Harper, we’d stepped over an irreversible line last time. And I wasn’t sure how to act.
Warm breath hit my ear, causing me to jump.
“Why so stiff, Boss?” Harper’s husky voice spoke right into my body, causing me to shudder. “Don’t tell me you’restillnot loose after three in a row.”
Every inch of my skin lit on fire, because yep. He did just refer to how many times he made me orgasm while we were sitting in the middle of a restaurant. At least it was dark in here. The primary color they opted to decorate being black, gray a close second. The lighting was also low, even though it was the middle of the day.
And he was being a wise guy again. With much relief, I realized I could handle this Harper, because he was the same Harper he’d always been. The only difference now being that I was allowingmyself to admit that I was as attracted to him as much as I was annoyed by him.
Relaxing, I gave him a look. “And what about you Mr. ‘I won't last long’.”
He sucked in a breath, his hand going to cover his heart. “You wound me, Alta. Ease up, I told you that inconfidence.”
I giggled, feeling light again. Pulling the menu toward us, I opened it wide enough so that we could share. “I’ll make it up to you by letting you choose the appetizer.”
We contemplated between bruschetta and what could only be described as fancy mozzarella sticks and ultimately I let him have his fried cheese. Only, when the waiter appeared at our table and welcomed us by asking for our drink order, the bruschetta was ordered instead, along with a drink I had been wavering over as well. When I looked at him expectantly, thinking he’d explain, he simply poured us both glasses of water from the pitcher and said, “So?”
Sluggish, my brain didn’t seem to catch onto his meaning. “So?”
He bumped my knee with his own, leaning forward on his elbows as he looked down his shoulder at me. “So, what’s up with this thing at work? Are you doing it? Your story sort of broke off with you almost fainting.”
“Oh!” Both excitement and surprise shot through me at him asking more about it. “Well, I told them I’d have to think about it.”
His eyebrows may have touched his hairline, his head cocking back in genuine surprise. “Why the hell would you do that? You’re practically exploding with excitement for it.”
“I know…” I worried the inside of my cheek with my teeth, a sense of apprehension falling over my chest. “I want to do it, but… I should ask Ox, right? My brother, I mean. To make sure it’s okay.”
“Why?”
