Page 44 of Harper

We’ve traveled and worked, made friends, and lost family members.

We’ve grown up.

Or have we? Here we are, pulled over on the side of old Dyea Road, kissing each other recklessly, just like we used to in high school.

I unbuckle my seat belt first, then reach over and release hers, although I don’t know why. There’s a fucking bolster between us that keeps me from getting closer to her. I want her straddling my lap, her pussy flush against my swollen cock. Even if our clothes are a barrier between us, I want her to feel what kissing her does to me.

Her tongue slides against mine, slow and soft, and I groan into her mouth. I’m going to lose my mind if we keep going. I’m going to pull her into the back seat and make love to her on the side of the road like a couple of teenagers who can’t wait until they get home.

This is Harper, man.

Harper.

Slow down.

My brain gets the message through the fog of my arousal, and I open my eyes, my lips lingering on hers for an extra second before I pull away. I’m still cradling her face in my hands when she opens her eyes to look at me. They’re heavy-lidded and dilated, the way they used to look right after she orgasmed. And fuck, I remember exactly how that felt, too.

“Joe,” she whispers.

“I love you, Harp,” I tell her, leaning forward to brush her lips one last time. “Always have. Always will. That’s never going to change.”

She clenches her eyes shut for a second, and when she opens them, they’re glassy with tears. “You can’t say stuff like that to me.”

Her cheeks are rosy, and her lips are pink and swollen. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

“Why not? Whether I say it out loud or not, it’s still the truth.”

“And the truth’s important to you,” she murmurs.

“Another thing about me that’s never going to change.”

She makes a strangled sound, then tightens her jaw. When she lifts her chin to look at me, her expression is shattered. “I think you should take me home.”

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

I’ll be damned if I let one kiss fuck up the whole night.

Fix this, Joe. Fix it now.

“Come on, Harp. It was just a kiss,” I say as lightly as I can, dropping my hands from her face and re-buckling my seat belt. It takes a lot of self-control to act like it was no big deal, but I can’t bear the thought of taking her home.

She doesn’t say anything, so I press my advantage.

“You agreed to go on a date with me, right? As far as I can tell, the date hasn’t happened yet.” I hold my breath, waiting for her to reply. When she doesn’t, I glance at her to find her eyebrows furrowed and mouth turned down. Time for the big guns. “You know, I went to the trouble of making reservations, and you’re going to—”

“Wait. What? Reservations? What are you talking about? Where do we need reservations in Skagway?”

Fine dining. It’s her Achilles’ heel, and I know it.

“You’ll see,” I say.

“If you want me to go, tell me where we’re headed, otherwise I want you to take me home.”

“You’re going to make me wreck the surprise?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Fine. The Silver Nova’s in port until nine,” I say, offering her a tentative grin. “I got special permission from the captain to bring you on board for dinner tonight.”

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