Page 55 of The Complication with the Best Man

She looks up at me with her big eyes hooded with desire. “I… I thought we could spend time together.”

Somehow, we’ve moved even closer to each other. Her breasts brush my chest with every inhale.

“Like?” I don’t know what possesses me, but I trail my finger from her shoulder, over her sleeve, and down her bare arm.

Harper’s eyes drift closed as she basks in the sensation. “Whatever we want,” she whispers.

I breathe her in as we stand in the kitchen, the tension as thick as an autumn fog between us. She tilts her head up slightly, and I dip my head down, our mouths a breath apart. When Harper places her palm on my chest, my control snaps, and I capture her mouth, my hand pushing into the long, luscious strands at the back of her head.

She opens immediately, matching my fervor with her own. When our tongues meet and I get my first taste of her again, I’m reminded of how addictive she is. How even after I left Lake Starlight that first time, she constantly floated back into my consciousness. Yearning for her thousands of miles away and wishing I could have her for just one more night.

The hand in her hair slides free and inches down her back until I reach her ass and squeeze. She groans, and I capture it with my mouth. My other hand slides up past her waist to cup her small breast, and she squeaks, a noise I’m pretty sure wasn’t pleasurable.

“Sorry, my boobs are super tender right now,” she mumbles against my lips before resuming our kiss.

It takes my brain a minute to catch up since all the blood in my body is presently rushing to my dick.

Pregnant.

Harper’s pregnant.

With my baby.

I rip away from the kiss. “Fuck.” I thread my hands through my hair. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” My chest heaves, and my dick is so hard, begging to be let free from my jeans.

A momentary flash of hurt crosses her face, but it’s gone quickly. She nods, stepping away from me. “You’re right. Anything physical between us is only going to further complicate things. We need to be clear on what this situation is.” She motions between us with her finger. “We’re never going to be together like that, right?”

I’m not sure why, but I feel as if this answer matters, maybe more than I even realize. I nod. “Right. We’re just going to be friends and coparents. Anything else is too risky.”

She gives me a sharp nod. “Agreed.”

And I agree too. But seeing her swollen lips, looking equal parts cute and sexy in her pajamas, makes me wish things could be different. But they can’t. I need to focus on building my life here, maintaining my sobriety, and getting ready to be the best father I can be. I can’t allow myself to fall into a physical affair with the woman who will be the mother to my child. There’s too much room for resentment to breed and poison what could be a healthy coparenting relationship.

“You’re right though, we should know each other better before the baby is born.”

“Maybe this weekend we can do something together then, hang out for a bit.” She walks around to the other side of the counter and opens the takeout bags.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Neither of us mentions making plans or the kiss as we dish our dinners onto separate plates. When I ask Harper whether she wants to eat at the table or in the living room in front of the TV, she tells me that she’s going to get her laptop and bring it to the kitchen table because she has some things to catch up on for work.

I take her decision for what it is—a dismissal—and eat alone in front of the TV with the sports channel. I might not get to share my meal with Harper, but I can watch her brother on the baseball field instead. Even though the kiss made things awkward as fuck, I can’t find it in myself to regret it, only the fact that there won’t be another.

twenty-two

HARPER

The awkwardness that was left behind after our kiss has abated in the week that’s followed. Finn and I didn’t end up doing anything last weekend. I was so tired, and my stomach was bothering me again, so I just laid around the house taking it easy. Unfortunately, my stomach is still bothering me. I miss those blessed couple of weeks when I was able to eat normally and feel good.

But we have plans tonight to do something, though I don’t know what. Finn insisted it be a surprise. All I know is that he told me to be ready to leave by five.

He walks through the door at 4:50 on the dot with a couple of grocery bags in his hands.

“Hey.” He gives me one of his charming smiles and heads straight to the kitchen.

I follow him. “What do you have there?”

“I know you said your stomach has been bothering you lately, and you’re finding it hard to eat, so I stopped and picked up a few things.” He pulls items out of the bags. There are saltine crackers, pickles, potato chips, chocolate, ice cream, and cheese.

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