Page 4 of Caramel Apple Cupcake

And the right amount of time for her to fall head over heels for Anders—a man who gave no sign that he felt the same.

When she was here, Anders never treated her differently than any other customer. When she was here, she wasn’t the Bluestone Ridge Princess, daughter of one of the founding families. She was just Harper. Someone here to enjoy the food and drinks. Just another patron. No one special.

It felt good. She enjoyed being here without all the pressure. Since the night she walked out on the family dinner, her mother had been making small overtures to her. Leaving brief messages every other day over the past couple of weeks. Surprisingly, they weren’t pressuring her to reconnect and talk with her father. It was Harper’s own resolve that was breaking down.

Maybe she needed a bit of advice. While Anders was off taking care of his customers, Harper pulled up the Messy Mandy page to see what gossip was going around. Sometimes people wrote to Mandy’s page asking for advice on relationships andfamily. The advice was always good, but it could occasionally be presented in such a way that she couldn’t help but laugh. She would shake her head in disbelief more times than not, but she enjoyed it too much to stay away.

So engrossed in reading about the shenanigans on Messy Mandy’s page, she didn’t hear Anders come back over to her.

“Do you have a taste for anything tonight?”

A smile lifted her lips. If only he knew. Harper wanted to tell him the only thing she wanted to taste was naked skin as she rode his dick into oblivion. The man would probably run in the other direction if she let her thoughts out. Maybe this was proof that she needed to date again. Her bed was getting lonely at night, and her battery-operated boyfriend could only do so much.

She wanted a man to hold on to at night. Not that she needed a man, because she didn’t. But she missed the feeling of having strong arms wrapped around her body, holding her close. Harper wondered how it would feel to be wrapped in Anders’ arms after a night of sweaty sex. Would he perform the way he did in her dreams?

Hell, she shouldn’t even be thinking about her friend this way. Well, maybe that was a question that needed to be answered first. Were they friends? Or did he only consider her a paying customer? The sudden wave of sadness that flowed through her at the thought made her entire body deflate.

“Hey, Harper. You okay, sweetheart?”

Now why did he go and call her that? Then again, maybe he called all the women that. “I’m good. Just had an uncomfortable thought.”

Hands on the bar, he leaned over, putting his face within inches of hers. “Anything I can do? You know I’m here to help, right? If you need something, all you have to do is ask me.”

She couldn’t take her eyes away from his lips. They looked… succulent, as if he knew how to use them to give mind-blowing pleasure all night long. When she realized he had stopped talking, her gaze shifted from his mouth to his eyes. “Oh, hey. What were you saying?”

Anders let out a laugh. “Oh, darling. You are something else. You have no idea.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m going to choose your dinner for you tonight. You need to eat, and it’s my duty to take care of you.”

“While I’m here in your bar?”

Anders said nothing in response. He simply smiled at her, did his signature rap against the bar with his fist, and walked away.

“Now, what the hell am I supposed to do with that?”

For the rest of the night, he would stop by and talk with her in between taking care of customers. With the heavy traffic, she knew he must be doing well financially. There were other bars and restaurants, but people seemed to flock to this spot. Since she had been coming here, she learned Anders was a local. Well, from one town over, but he had spent enough time here, and from playing sports throughout middle and high school, everyone knew his name. Plus, he was a military hero. At least, that’s what everyone said. The one time she asked him about it, he downplayed his service. Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, she dropped the subject.

“Are you going to let me pay for my dinner tonight?”

He laughed. “No, so you should just stop asking.”

Harper smiled at him as she gathered up her stuff. “I’m going to head out. Early day tomorrow with a new client coming in from Winchester.” She hated to admit that leaving Anders’s bar and going back to her empty apartment was not high on her list. But she couldn’t stay here all night. Even if she wanted to.

After a few seconds, Anders spoke up. “Want me to walk you home?” He wanted her to say yes. Needed her to say yes. But he was also trying to be a better man. A patient man. More than anything, Anders wanted her to choose him. That’s the only way this would work.

“No, I’m good. You need to stay here and do your thing. It’s not far.”

He looked over his shoulder at the busy room and came to a decision. “Nah, it’s all good. Let me walk you home. I don’t like you being out there by yourself.”

She shook her head. “I’m fine. Please, Anders. Stay here. Take care of your customers. Plus, you can watch me from here.”

Harper enjoyed having someone like him in her life. He made her feel safe. Protected. If only that feeling would turn to desire. That’s what she really wanted from him.

As she walked out the door, she saw Anders standing behind her. “Text me once you get into your place. Make sure to put on your deadbolt.”

Harper simply smiled and continued walking.

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