“Con?” I asked, wanting to understand.
“With,” she supplied
“Chorizo?” I asked.
She gave me a look, her mouth splitting in an amused smile. “Harper, you had it in your fridge.”
I winced. “I just grab stuff out of habit.”
“It’s basically a spicy sausage.”Ah, see I thought I smelled that. “Go sit down and I’ll let you try some before everything’s done.”
I grunted, hesitating, but ultimately sauntered over to the dining table and took a seat. Minutes later, she stood over me. I probably needed to get her some socks soon. If she kept walking around in my way-too-big slippers she would fall, though it was really cute to look at.
“Here,” she said, holding out meat on a folded up napkin. “Taste.”
I did, even though I knew what it tasted like. It somehow tasted better coming from her. On top of adding new flavor, she’d added something else intangible to it too. It made my swallow go down hard and my smile turn wary. “Really good.”
She frowned. “What’s wrong?”
I watched her hand, grabbing onto it and playing with her fingers as I stalled.Just ask her, Aug. “Do you need any help?”
“Not really,” she said slowly. My silence must have caused her to dip her head sideways, searching for my eyes. I gave them to her willingly. I’d give her a lot, I was finding. “Harp?”
“I want to help,” I admitted. “I don’t want to sit off to the side.”
She smiled easily, her hand turning in mine and giving it a squeeze. “Okay.”
Why was she acting like this was so damn easy after a year of making it so damn hard? Did I dare ask for more?
She moved, using our connection to pull me with her, but I stopped her and turned her back my way. Tucking her in between my spread legs, I brought my hands behind her thighs, keeping her near me. I was happy to meet the storm of her brown eyes looking down at me with that slightly furrowed brow.
“I want you to stay too,” I added. “Here. After breakfast, I mean. For the weekend, maybe. If you can… If youwant.”
“Okay.”
I didn’t think I had trust issues. But the easy look that once again fell over her features seemed too good to be true.
“You don’t have to if you have other things to do?—”
Cool lips that tasted like mint and citrus touched my own.Did I even have oranges?Her kiss proved I did. It also proved I’d had a concerning amount of hope thrown into that request, judging by the immense relief her agreement washed over me.
As a whisper on my lips, she insisted, “I’ll stay, Harper.”
“Okay.”
“Okay,” she said with a smile. “Now, unhand me this second. You’re letting our hard work burn.”
After breakfast, Energizer Alta insisted on needing to move. And by move she meant go on afour-milerun in the freezing cold.
“You said it would be short!” I huffed as we finally made it back up the beach to the townhouse.
“Thatwasshort!” she said. “I usually do seven, and anyway, I thought you said you could run.”
“I said I could do ashortrun,” I said, cold hands feeling numb as I attempted to stick the key in the door for the third time. “I run a mile tops before I lift. No muss, no fuss.”
She snorted, following in after me looking like a spring chicken in her black leggings and long sleeve workout top that she pulled from the gym bag in her car. I’m gladsomeonewas feeling good. I was feeling like I’d need to be wheel-barreled anywhere further than the living room, where I promptly collapsed onto the rug.
A cautious foot toed at my leg and I peeked up to see her looking down at me. She was a dream even now, her sweet face red from being windblown, hair flying away from her high ponytail in every which direction. If I had the energy to move, I’d pull her on top of me and kiss her senseless. But my body protested that before my mind even proposed the idea.
