Page 6 of Caramel Apple Cupcake

“You were where? With who?”

At the look on his face, Harper paused. “It was someone I thought would be good for me, but he wasn’t. It was doomed from the start. How could I date someone else when…” She stopped talking because she was about to give away more than she intended.

Anders had not felt this pissed off in a very long time. How could she? “Who was he?” He could hear the harsh tone of his voice, but there was no way in hell he would back down. Not after what she had just told him. Plus, this conversation was long overdue. He wanted to know who the hell she had been out with tonight, and he wanted to know right fucking now. “Where did you meet him?”

“Just a guy I met. I’m on a dating app,” she said with a deprecating laugh.

He couldn’t believe his ears. “You’re on a dating app? To meet men? So you can have a relationship with someone?” Which meant she didn’t see him as that someone. Then again, why would she? He was a bar owner. She was an attorney. His family depended on thrift stores and the kindness of others to eat when he was growing up. Hers was filled with generationalwealth who never had to want or worry about anything a day in their lives.

That didn’t stop the disappointment from coursing through him. Since the day she came into his life, he had waited for the right moment to tell her how he felt. He had been in relationships in the past that ended on bad terms. In every single situation, he had moved too fast. Jumped into bed with them the first night, or shortly after.

This time, with Harper, he wanted to try something different. Be a different man. When—if—they started a relationship, he wanted it to be based on more than how much he wanted to fuck her. More than just how many orgasms he could give her each night. And yes, he definitely wanted to do all of that. Every day, every night, and the moments in between. But she was so much more to him than that.

And to hear that she had been talking to another man, planned a whole fucking date, and was looking at others to fulfill her needs, made him question what the fuck he was doing waiting so damn long. Clearly, his new approach had not worked. Unless…

Harper spoke up again. “It was stupid. I should have known better. But I’ve learned my lesson. Never again. All I need is right here,” she said and smiled up at him.

He wanted to know more about what the look meant, but his feelings were too raw right now. “Is that right?”

“Yes.” She looked around the full bar. “Good drinks. Good food. Good people. And even better friends.” Harper paused and stared into his eyes. “I just hope I’m not wearing out my welcome.”

Anders wanted to tell her how he felt. That she would always be welcomed here. That her place was with him. By his side. But he also knew now was not the right moment to share his feelings. Soon, but not tonight. Because once he told herhow he felt, that would be it for them. Nothing else would come between them. She would belong to him, and there would be no going back to the lives they had before.

“No, sweetheart. You could never wear out your welcome. And whoever that guy was tonight who didn’t see the absolute goddess in front of him, that’s his loss. And you shouldn’t worry about it anyway. When the time is right, you’ll find the right person. The one you’re supposed to be with. Just focus on what’s right in front of you. You’ll figure it out soon enough.”

If she could read his mind, Harper would know she was looking at the right person. All she had to do was open herself up to him.

“You’re too good to me,” Harper said with a smile. A feeling of butterflies fluttering in her stomach overcame her. Maybe it was time to stop fighting the feelings she had for Anders. Just talk to him. Tell him she wanted to be more than friends. What’s the worst that could happen?

“Want a drink?” Anders asked after a moment of silence.

“Yes, please. I think I need a strong one. Mine if I hang out with you tonight?” Harper needed to be in a place with the one person who could make her smile after a hard day. And he was something pretty to look at as well.

“Harper, you never have to ask. You belong with me… here. You belong here.” While he corrected his words, Anders knew he meant what he said the first time. “Yeah, this is where you belong.” That time, he stared at her in the eyes and refused to look away. When he did, it was to grab her a drink and put in an order of her favorite snack, fried pickles with ranch sauce. It was the one thing on his menu he would never eat, but since others loved it, he made sure it was a staple.

A smile covered her lips as she watched him walk away. His every move was smooth. Long strides took him from one side of the bar to the other in mere seconds. Arms thick withmuscle flexed and shifted with every movement. He was pure sex in human form, and Harper enjoyed the show every single time.

She wondered what he would do if she hopped over the bar, grabbed his face, and kissed him in front of his staff and customers. Would he pull her closer and deepen the kiss? Maybe he would push her away? Harper shook her head to clear out those thoughts. Dreaming about what would happen between her and Anders would do no good. Either she was going to do something about it, or she wasn’t. But sitting on her ass and daydreaming had never been her way.

She was a grown woman, almost thirty years old. There was no need for her to be shy about what she wanted. If anything, she had gained enough life experience to demand what she needed. And right now, that was Anders Callahan.

Harper sipped on the drink the server placed in front of her. After her horrific date, the only place she wanted to be was here. The only person she wanted to talk to was Anders. Maybe the world was trying to tell her something.

Life was funny, and she could see the irony in finding solace in a place and with a man who she should never have connected with. But she was happy right where she was. No more dating others. If she wanted someone to fill her heart and her bed, only one person could do that.

She’d gone through every emotion possible tonight. Eagerness. Disappointment. Excitement. Contentment. Acceptance.

But with that new awareness came determination. Harper would make Anders hers. And now that she had a mission, it was time to set her plan in motion.

Chapter 4

Harper spent all night thinking about Anders and how he made her feel. Being around him made her smile. Butterflies would take flight in her stomach. Words would sometimes fail to form when he turned that gorgeous blue gaze toward her. There were many nights when she fell asleep to the vision of his face. In her dreams, he would hover over her, his body sliding against hers as his thick cock stretched her wide.

Sometimes, she wondered if she was allowing her imagination to run a bit too wild.

Yes, he flirted and smiled, making her feel as if she was the only person in the room, but she’d seen him flirting and interacting with others. Was she treated any differently? Looking back, she believed she was. When she walked into his bar, he spent more time with her than anyone else. If anyone tried to interrupt their conversation, his gaze would turn dark and steely, as if daring them to say another word.

A smile came over her face as she climbed out of bed to get ready for the day. It was time to put Operation Cupcake into effect. Since he loved those decadent caramel apple delights so much, she wanted to make it so that he craved her more than he did those treats.

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