Page 33 of Wicked

“Hmm?” he whispers near my ear.

“Don’t you think this is a little too much with kids around?”

“You’re my girl. It’s expected. And the bikini you’re wearing?” His hum of approval reverberates against the shell of my ear.

“Technically, I’m wearing a bikini top and boy shorts for the bottom.” Letting him know I’m not that affected by the heat from his sinfully hot body, I turn my head to get a better look at the kids going up and then coming down the water slide.

He takes advantage and drags his nose down the column of my neck. “The shorts don’t take away from how sexy you are.”

His breath coasts over my skin. He buries his face in the crook of my neck. The soft and coarse hair of his beard, the pressure from his nose, his intoxicating masculine scent . . . Heat licks up and down my spine.

“Why’d you cancel on me?” I ask, concentrating on slowing the crescendo beats of my heart.

“I texted.”

He continues his torment, his mouth warm on my flesh. Where he licks, my skin tingles with awareness. His mouth clamps on my shoulder, and his tongue twirls patterns on my flesh. Biting down on my moan, I back my butt closer to the heat from his groin.

“We had an arrangement.”

“How do I make up for lost time?” His fingers coast over my stomach. Soft, feather-light caresses. I tremble.

“For starters, where were you? I didn’t have a good answer for the kids other than you were busy.”

The disappointment on their faces, most of all Esther’s . . .

“Is it going to be like that, Harper?” He nips and tugs on my earlobe with his teeth. His fingers toy with the waistband of my boy shorts.

“Like what?” I rasp, afraid my eyes will roll in the back of my head at how good he’s making me feel with his fingers and his palms as he splays them on my midriff.

His hands are so big, they engulf my stomach.

“You in my business. Does that give me the privilege to dig into yours?”

“What’s that mean?”

“Answer my question first.”

In my peripheral vision, he’s tracking the kids with his eyes. He’s making sure they’re safe.

“No, it won’t be like that. I’m sorry. We’re not together.”

“Let’s be clear exactly what ‘together’ means. You as my girl, and I’m your guy?”

“Yes. What we started for the wrong reasons. We should tell the kids and their parents the truth. Your friends too.”

“Fuck my friends. It’s none of their business.”

Most of all Brett, is what I’m hearing in his tone.

“Let’s make what’s happening between us real, Harper. Give me that, and I’ll tell you my business but let you keep yours private.”

“If you’re doing this to get in my pants faster, I’m not in.”

“I would never pressure you for sex. Your free will is yours to own and never give away. Don’t use it as a bargaining chip for anything either.”

“Including love?”

“Most of all love.”

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