Stealing Harper (9 page)

The pressure was gone from my throat, but before I could breathe deep enough, his fist went into my stomach; I swung my right arm, but the dumb-ass moved directly into the path of my left hook, like he always did.

“Oh my God, stop!” Harper’s worried voice was probably the only thing that could break through at a time like this, but the confrontation was long overdue.

Brandon’s leg came up, but before he could plant it in my stomach, I swiped his other leg out from under him. I only got in one more hit that wasn’t blocked before Brandon’s fist met my jaw, and my mouth filled with blood. I spit it onto his face and pulled my arm back, but was grabbed from behind before I could follow through with the crack to his temple. My arms were suddenly pinned behind my back, and I was pulled off Brandon at the same time Derek used his body weight to keep Brandon from getting up.

I struggled against Brad and Zach as they walked me to the other side of the living room. “Calm the fuck down, Chase. Seriously, I am so sick of this shit.” Brad huffed and pulled me back another few feet until the three of us were in the master bedroom. “You have got to cut this shit out! He didn’t do anything to you, and you’re ruining your friendship with him over a girl who doesn’t want you.”

“Like hell she doesn’t; you don’t see her when she’s with me.”

“Whoa, wait.” Zach blurted out, his eyes wide. “What?”

Brad pushed him out of the room before slamming the door shut. “I don’t care if this is your house, Chase, you’re done with this. Leave Harper and Brandon alone. They’re good together, and you know that.”

“No, I don’t fucking know that! She was a virgin, and not even a month and a half into their relationship, she’s not? He’s supposed to take care of her and he’s not!” I opened the door to leave, and he planted both hands on it and slammed it again.

“Like you wouldn’t do the same given a chance with her? I doubt you two would have even lasted this long, and you probably wouldn’t be half as decent about it! Brandon doesn’t let any of the guys talk about her like that, and he never talks about what they do. Whether they’re screwing or not is between them, and he’s keeping it that way. You should at least be thankful for that. He’s not making her out to be some whore; he’s protecting her still despite what they’re doing! You’re the king of talking about all your conquests. I can’t see you being tight-lipped about someone like Harper.”

I shoved him away from the door and pointed in his face. “You don’t know
anything
about her or what she is to me. You got that? I’m not giving up until she’s mine.”

“You’re ruining any chance with her by trying to fight her boyfriend almost every day!”

I heard Brandon, Derek, and Drew all yelling from the other side of the house and flung the door open, stomped down the hall, and pushed against Zach when he tried to stop me from getting out in the living room. Derek and Drew were doing the same with Brandon, and he looked pissed.
Good.

“So, I heard you know now!” I called over to Brandon. “She feels real good underneath you, doesn’t she,
brother.
”

Zach and Brad started yelling at me to shut up while Brandon was saying he was going to kill me, and Derek and Drew were yelling at him to calm down. He tried to charge again, and the guys took that as their opportunity to force him back down the hall and to his room.

“Go!” Brad shoved me toward the front door. “Get out of here until you calm down!”

Leave, or sit here and listen to them screw each other? Yeah, no thanks.
“Gladly.”

I wasn’t scheduled, but I went to the shop anyway and told Brian the whole thing. He was siding with Brad. Bastard.

“Chase, bro, you’ve got to fight for her, but fight smart. You’re taking a step forward with her every Sunday, but then you do shit like this and take two steps back.”

“I just can’t stand the thought of them being together, it—God it just pisses me off all over again thinking about it.”

My phone rang, and I answered without looking, “Yeah?”

“Chase!” Bree screeched. “What the hell did you do to her?!”

I sighed deeply and leaned against the counter at Brian’s station. “I didn’t do anything to
her.
”
Brandon, on the other hand. . .

“Brandon just showed up here at the dorm, looking for Harper. She’s not here, and obviously she’s not with him, and he was ranting about you when he left. So what. Did. You. Do to her?”

“Shit, she was at the house with Brandon when I left! Where would she go, Bree?”

“I don’t know, Chase! What did you do to her?”

I ran out of the tattoo parlor and shoved my keys into the ignition of my truck. “I didn’t do anything to her, I did—shit, I said something to her.”

“What did you say?”

“I was being an ass, she was mad because I was ignoring her, and I said something about the fact that she has a list of guys, and I’m just one of them, but I’m not getting the benefits of fucking her, too.”

Bree gasped and relayed everything to someone she was with, “Chase Grayson! You are such an asshole! Why would you even say something like that to her? You know she’s a virgin! No wonder she left! You embarrassed her
again
!”

I huffed a laugh, “Virgin. Right.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Was, is more like it. I heard all about her and her friend from back home, and how she’s screwing Brandon.”

“I don’t care what you heard, you’re wrong! She doesn’t even like Carter! He kept trying to kiss her, and she was pushing him away and telling him to stop! And she’s not having sex with Brandon, you dumb-ass! She and I talk about everything, so I know exactly what they are and aren’t doing, and I can assure you she is
not
having sex with him! You are such an asshole, I can’t believe I’m related to you. Find her and make this better!”

“What do you mean she’s not having sex with Brandon?”

“I mean exactly what I said. What does it matter to you?”

I pulled the phone away from my ear and cursed loudly. “Bree, if he finds her, let me know. I have to go.” I ended the call and dropped it into one of the cup holders. “Son of a bitch!”

“H
ARPER.”
I
BREATHED
and bit back a groan when those gray eyes flashed their hurt before she could turn to walk the other way.

I’d already gone back to my place by the time Brandon called Derek to see where he’d taken her Thursday night, so I knew she was safe, just like I knew she had spent an entire weekend in a hotel room with Brandon. But I wasn’t going to keep assuming anything about her. She’d spent entire weekends with Brandon in his room, and according to Bree, she was still a virgin. So I was praying a hotel room didn’t change that. Bree called out Harper’s name, and I knew I only had a few minutes before she would be gone for most the day. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop.

“Princess, stop walking and just talk to me.”

“Why? So you can let me know again how much of a slut you think I am?”

“I don’t.” God, could I have been more of a dick to her? “I don’t think you’re a slut. You just caught me on a bad day.”

“Let me guess, Chase; you hurt me because you were just so damn mad . . . am I right?”

Her bruises flashed through my mind when she threw that line back at me, and I felt sick. I backed her into the wall and brushed the hair that had fallen in her face back so I could look at her stormy eyes. “This is why I told you I would never be good enough for you, all I do is hurt you, Princess.”

“This isn’t about your being or not being good enough for me. I just want to be your friend, and you’re making that impossible.”

“Friend.” That one word hurt so much, I could barely make it out to be more than a whisper. Could she not see that I needed all of her or none of her? Because being friends with her just left me with the hope that I could change that, and I was aware that, for her sake, I never could. Her eyes did that pleading thing again, and I knew I was gone.
Anything for that look. Always.
I grabbed a fistful of hair in exasperation and spoke on a rough exhale. “Okay, fine, we’re friends. But I need you to stop approaching me around my house and at school.”

She recoiled like I’d slapped her. “What? Then that puts us exactly where we’ve been the last three weeks; that doesn’t change anything.”

“It needs to be that way.” I turned away as I tried to force myself to say something to make her run.
Let her go man, just let her go.
The ache that instantly speared my chest halted my thoughts, and I turned to face my world again. “Sundays are the only day I get you. Those are the only days when you’re here with me.” She started to speak, but I stopped her, “No, I know you’re not here
for
me . . . but you’re here. And he’s not; I need these days with you, Harper. But every other day, you’re his, and it’s not a good idea for us to be around each other then. So stay away. Please.”

“Chase . . .”

“If you think acting like you don’t exist isn’t the hardest thing I’ve ever done, you’re wrong. I hate not talking to you, I hate not bickering like we’re an old married couple, and I hate not spending every day right next to you. But this is how it has to be. Brandon hates me, and, Princess, trust me when I say he has every reason to. So if after everything I’ve done to you, you’ll still even consider being my friend, then it has to be Sundays only.”

“Brandon won’t care if we’re friends.”

Ah, Princess, you are sassy and sweet as hell, but you aren’t dumb.
“I know you’re not that naïve.” Mom and Bree walked out the front door, and I sighed, knowing the majority of my only day with her would be spent
without
her. “Now go have lunch with Mom and Bree, then get your ass back here so I can have my few stolen hours with you.”

“Chase?” she asked after walking a few feet toward the entryway, her back still to me.

“Yeah, Princess?”

She took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder, capturing my eyes with hers. “Will you please stop hurting me . . . in every way?”

Fuck. I can spend the rest of my life making up for everything I’ve done to her, and I still won’t forgive myself for the shit I’ve put her through.
I walked quickly up to her and pulled her into a tight hug, trying to memorize the way she felt in my arms. I inhaled her vanilla scent and wished I could promise her that I would never do anything to hurt her again, but we both knew that would be a promise I could never keep, “Go eat, sweetheart.” I squeezed her tight before releasing her and turning to walk up the stairs.

Chapter Seven

“H
I, HONEY!
I
wasn’t expecting to see you tonight. Aren’t your friends having a party?”

“Uh, yeah? Why wouldn’t you be expecting me? It’s New Year’s Eve.”

Mom’s eyes went wide, and she gave Dad a quick glance, “Well, you haven’t been around much. We only saw you for about an hour on Christmas . . .” She trailed off and looked at me for an excuse.

I didn’t have one; well, I did, but I didn’t feel like sharing with them. Brandon had taken my princess to Arizona for the first half of winter break. He’d taken her
home.
I knew he loved her, and I knew they were serious. But I wasn’t ready for them to be this serious. I’d spent every free moment surfing or at the tattoo parlor these last two weeks, so I could try to do anything
but
think of Harper. And as soon as Mom started crying on Christmas because Harper’s presents were still under the tree, I was gone. I already had to deal with the fact that they were gone and falling more in love with each other, and I didn’t need my family reminding me of that. But she was coming home tonight, thank God, and my sister had made her promise to be here for New Year’s. I’d have her for two weeks without Brandon, and I couldn’t wait.

Looking back up, I noticed that Mom and Dad were still waiting. I shrugged. “I’ve been busy, but I’m not anymore.”

They hugged some more people who walked in, and I did the polite
hellos,
but I didn’t care about everyone showing up tonight, just one.

“Are Bree and Harper back here yet?”

“I don’t even know if they’re coming here; I thought they were going to your house.”

My house. I didn’t want to spend New Year’s Eve with Harper and a bunch of wasted coeds. “I’ll text Harper. I don’t want them going to that party tonight.”

You gonna be at the house tonight?

“Chase, honey.”

“Hmm?”

“You know, she and Brandon are getting really serious, do you think . . . maybe?”

I looked up to my mom and cocked my head, “Maybe what, Ma?”

“Maybe you should stop waiting for her? What you’re doing to your friendship with Brandon, over a girl who’s in love with someone else—it isn’t worth it, honey.”

My phone vibrated, and I looked down,
Princess: Nope, going to hang with the family.

Perfect. I smiled to myself and looked back up to my parents. “When it comes to that girl, Mom, nothing else matters. So no, I don’t think I should stop. Love you.” I kissed her cheek and went upstairs to find Harper’s present.

I grabbed the wrapped box that held the ring I’d passed walking to my truck a few weeks ago, and hoped like hell she’d accept it. Other than hearing her tell Mom and Bree about how much she loved orange lilies, this trinity symbol was the only thing I knew Harper loved. I didn’t know what it meant to her, but no matter where we were, if she had something to write with, it ended up somewhere. Napkin, paper, her wrist . . . anywhere. So finding a ring that entwined into a trinity symbol on top was the perfect gift for her. Or so I hoped.

I paced my floor for what seemed like hours until I heard Harper, Bree, and my parents talking excitedly in the room next to mine. I sat down on my bed with a huff and closed my eyes as I listened to her voice. God, I’d missed that voice. I’d missed everything about her. Ever since Thanksgiving week, when I’d almost given in and kissed her, and she’d asked me not to, I hadn’t even touched her, and the distance was making me crazy. These last two weeks had been the longest I’d ever gone without seeing her, and I didn’t know if I’d be able to keep my distance when I finally saw her again.

As soon as I heard my family say they’d give her time to get settled in, and the door closed, I took one last deep breath and headed to Bree’s room. I knocked softly as I pushed open the door, and I swear my heart stopped when I saw Harper sitting on the floor.

“Hey, Princess.”

Her eyes went wide when she looked up at me. “Chase, I didn’t think you were going to be here.”

Shit, I should’ve told her I’d be here, too. “I asked if you were coming to the house.”

“Right, I just figured you meant your house.”

I watched her watching me and tried to figure out if she was happy to see me or not. The room got thick, and my eyes flashed down to her chest, which was rising and falling quickly; this couldn’t just be me. I wasn’t dumb, I knew she was in love with Brandon—anyone in the room with the two of them knew that. But the way she reacted to me definitely wasn’t the way she reacted to Brad, or Bree’s boyfriend, Konrad. She bit her bottom lip softly, and a light blush covered her cheeks. God, she was beautiful. I finally noticed all the presents lying around her and remembered why I’d come in here in the first place. Pushing away from the door, I walked over to her and sat down close enough that I could feel her body heat but not so close that I was touching her.

My hand shook as I handed her the ring, and my voice was rough and low, “Merry Christmas, Harper.”

I’d been holding my breath while she stared at the tiny, wrapped box, and huffed a small laugh when she finally asked, “Why?”

“Because you’re my favorite, remember? When I saw it, there was no way I couldn’t get it for you. Please open it.”

With the way my heart was pounding against my chest, I had no doubt she could hear every beat as I watched her face when she lifted the lid of the box. She gasped, and her eyes went wide as she studied it. When she looked up at me, I was relieved to see the awe there as she shook her head, and asked, “How did you know?”

“You doodle it on everything put in front of you.”

She nodded, and choked out, “Chase . . .” Her head dropped, but not before I saw the tears falling down her face. Damn it.

“Don’t cry, Harper. If you don’t like it, or you don’t like that it’s from me, I’ll take it back.”

“I love it; please don’t take it.”

Then why are you crying and breaking my heart?
“Then what’s wrong?” I placed two fingers under her chin and tilted her head back so I could look into her eyes and brush away her tears. My breath caught at finally touching her again, and my heart started hammering when her eyes fluttered shut for a few seconds.

“I’ve never had this before. Not just the presents . . . the love that your family has for me. I’ve never had it until now, and it’s so overwhelming. I don’t know what I did to deserve it, and I don’t know if I show them that, too.”

“You do. Trust me.” I looked at her beautiful, tear-streaked face and wiped away more tears that escaped her stormy eyes. There were so many things I wanted to say to her right then.
I love you. I want you to be mine.
“You’re special, Harper, it’s not hard to love you.” I had to leave before I said more, which would send her running from me again. Without another word, I stood up and left the room.

I went back to my room and tried to talk myself into leaving now that I’d given her the ring, but then the shower turned on, and I groaned as I flopped onto my bed. I raked my hands over my face as I tried to do anything but picture Princess in the shower, but that wasn’t happening. I wanted to thank my sister for getting Harper to wear bikinis and thought of the handful of times I’d seen her at the beach or lying out by the pool at my place. Those suits didn’t leave much to the imagination, and those images mixed with the running water were making my already painfully hard erection, throb. It’d been months since I’d been with anyone, and even before then, Harper had starred in every one of my fantasies. This one wasn’t any different. I quickly undid the button and zipper on my jeans and nearly groaned again when I finally grabbed myself.

“Chase”—someone pounded on my door—“your dad said you’re in here, and he needs our help bringing some stuff into the house.”

You’ve got to be shitting me.
I liked Konrad, he was good to my sister, and he fit in our family well. But I was going to knock him the fuck out for this.

“Chase, buddy,” Dad’s voice came from the other side of the door, “c’mon. Got a lot of ice chests and food that need to be brought in.”

Well, that killed any fantasy of Harper I might have been having. I adjusted myself and fixed my pants before opening the door. “All right, let’s do this.”

The last load was small enough for two, so Konrad went to find Bree as my dad and I went back to finish bringing the last of it in. I’d decided leaving was my only option if I wanted to have any sort of control around Princess, but then I saw her standing there behind Bree and Konrad at one of the poker tables, and I knew I wasn’t leaving anytime soon. She looked amazing, even more so than usual; a brief flash of how I’d been picturing her not ten minutes earlier went through my mind, and I fought with the idea of grabbing her and taking her to my room to actually live it. My eyes snapped up to find her watching me, and her cheeks went red as she dragged her gaze back to the poker table.

I noticed an empty seat at the table and made my way toward it, slowly taking in every inch of her on my way over. I caught a flash of silver and looked at the hand closest to me to find my ring on her finger. My chest swelled, and I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing her right hand to run my thumb over the ring before dropping her hand and going to sit.

The games were passing quickly—I wasn’t winning, but, thankfully, I wasn’t losing much either. Splitting my time so the majority was spent watching her, and the rest was actually focusing on the hand I had, and the bets people were placing was a sure way to lose everything I’d just put down. But it was worth it just to be able to look at her for the first time in two weeks.

“I’m running to the bathroom.” Konrad stood up and stretched. “Take my place, Kid, but please God don’t lose any more of my money.”

I’d never understood why he called Harper, “Kid,” but it’s not like I was one to judge when it came to giving her nicknames. I watched her sit down, and her eyes glazed over as she looked at the cards. God, she was horrible at any card game, but it was cute to watch her try.

“You better just hand over all his chips now, Princess; they won’t be here by the time he gets back anyway.” I smirked at her and loved the way her ever-present blush crept back up her cheeks.

Bree leaned in to whisper in her ear, and I watched closely as she and Harper spoke quietly. My smirk died when Harper’s face drained of color, and a murderous glare followed by a deep ache filled her eyes. What the fuck had Bree said?

Konrad came back before we even got around to showing our cards, and I watched Harper avoid looking at me as she quickly got up and walked away from the table. What the hell? I glared at my sister as she flirted with her boyfriend. She was sitting there having a good time when she’d clearly just hurt Princess? I looked for Harper and found her talking to my parents before slowly making her way toward the kitchen.

I put my cards on the table, tossed my chips at Konrad to make up for what Bree was losing, and got up quickly. “I’m out.” Harper placed five beers on the kitchen island from one of the coolers, and I just shook my head. “Nu-uh. If I’m not drinking, you’re not drinking.”

Her eyes darted in my direction before going back to the beers. “Well then, why don’t you have one?”

“Because I don’t drink anymore.”

She put a hand on her hip and finally turned to face me. “Since when?”

Since when?
I stopped looking around the kitchen and looked directly at her.
Has she not noticed everything I’ve changed for her since meeting her?
“Since I was a jackass and hurt my princess.”

Her eyes went wide, and I heard her next intake of breath, “Huh . . . I didn’t realize.”

“You’re the one that told me I should stop.”

“But I didn’t mean you had to, Chase. You’re grown; you can do whatever you want.”

“I know. Nothing good ever came from drinking, though.”
And if I kept it up, I’d never get you.
Not like I had her then . . . but it would have pushed her even further away.

She blinked quickly and looked back down to the beers she’d been collecting. “Do you want to split one? Nothing will happen from half a beer, right?”

Nothing would happen from three, but there wasn’t a point in starting anyway. I smiled at her and tried to mimic her voice. “I guess my little body can handle half a beer.”

“You’re so dumb. Help me with these, I’m hanging out at your mom’s table.”

We went back to their table, and I pulled up a chair right next to Harper’s, so we were always in some kind of contact. I watched as she leaned in to my mom, and I thought about how perfect she would be in this family, as my wife. That thought slammed into me, and I had to lean back as I let it wash over me. Every feeling Harper had stirred up in me was beyond anything I’d ever experienced, but I’d never once thought about marriage until just then. Even so, I knew that if I could marry Harper, I would in an instant. I watched her laugh with my mom, and her eyes flashed over to catch mine for a few tense moments before going back to the table.
It’s official. I’m completely gone on
this girl.

Everyone started leaving the numerous poker tables set up around the house to find a spot where they could see one of the TVs for the countdown to midnight, and I frowned when my princess got up without a word or glance in my direction and found her way toward Bree. I saw her take one look at Bree and Konrad making out with each other and laugh to herself as she shook her head. She brought her right hand up to look at the ring I’d just given her, and what happened next was what finally made up my mind. She bit down softly on her bottom lip, her cheeks barely turning pink, and smiled the sweetest smile as she looked at it before dropping her hand and glancing back to the TV. I’d just had one of those freakin’ lightbulb moments when I realized I would give anything to marry her, and I still hadn’t kissed her. But after watching that, I wasn’t waiting any longer.

I walked up behind her, grabbed around her waist, and pulled her back into the dark hallway. She gasped but slammed her mouth shut when I turned her so her back was against the wall and her eyes looked up to meet mine. I cupped her face in my hands and allowed my thumbs to brush over her cheeks as I studied her dark eyes. Her mouth opened slightly, and even with everyone in the house counting down to midnight, I could hear her intake of breath before I finally,
finally
pressed my mouth to hers. She locked her body up for a few seconds before relaxing and wrapping her arms around my neck. When she began moving her mouth against mine, I knew I could die happy.