Page 98 of Unmasking Love
I called her immediately and assured her I wasn’t upset in the least. I just missed her.
And I can’t wait to see her all dressed up.
Harper always looks polished, even when she was snoring softly on my shoulder at Teamsgiving she looked flawless. I’m going to have trouble keeping my eyes, and my hands, off of her while we’re at the party tonight.
***
“Hey handsome!” Harper’s smile is blinding when I open my apartment door. I step back to let her in but I don’t let her get far. I pull her close to me and press a kiss to her lips. When I pull back I run my thumb along the edge of her lips to tidy up the just darker than nude lipstick she has on.
She reaches up and wipes it from my lips too.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” I tell her as I try to take her in all at once. The soft makeup on her skin, the gentle curls of her hair that’s pulled over one shoulder, the sparkle of her jewelry, and this dress.
This fucking dress.
It’s sinful.
Harper toes the ground and a slit opens up to expose her thigh and I need to bite my fist to stop myself from biting her.
“You like?”
“Harper, yeah, I like you in that dress.” And I’m going to like her out of it too. She smiles and twists her foot a little and I am treated to another inch of her thigh. “We better go before we don’t leave at all.”
Her laugh is musical and I lock up behind us before taking her arm in the crook of mine and walking us down to her car.
On the ride to the event she tells me about her clients today and the two closings she had. I tell her about practice and a little more about the gala. This is for season ticket holders and sponsors and there is a silent auction portion of the event. The proceeds go to the Children’s Hospital.
We spent an hour before practice yesterday signing photos and jerseys and other memorabilia. The sponsors put together different experiences for people to bid on too. I’ve been to enough end of year holiday galas for all my different teams to know how these things go.
We valet Harper’s car and I escort her inside the hotel. She takes a glass of champagne off a tray and walks into the room. I wave off a drink and follow her.
“Oh wow, this is really nicely done.” She says with a small sip.
“Yeah,” I nod, impressed by the decor in the room. White twinkle lights cover the ceiling and the only other lights in the room are votive candles on the tables. The bars and display tables are accented with poinsettias and it’s fucking romantic.
I guide us over to the back wall, hoping to keep us sequestered from the rest of the party. Where I turn to face one of the walls I see Harper’s eyes actively scanning the room.
“I think that’s Marcus Andersson. He owns Delta Engineering and I heard they’re opening another office in Baltimore. I wonder if he’s moving there and needs to sell his D.C. area property? Or if he’ll want to keep it and buy a second home?”
I shrug, because, hell if I know.
I wave at a few of the guys as they come in. Crosby has a blonde on his arm and Duncan walks in next to Otis Sullivan the star pitcher for the D.C. Monumentals. They both wave our direction and after they visit the bar they join us at the side of the room.
“Harper Daniels! Don’t you look hot!” Duncan says as he leans in to give Harper a kiss on the cheek. She laughs out a surprised “thank you” and I suppress the urge to kick him in the shin.
Yes, she looks hot. No, he doesn’t need to announce it. That’s something just for me.
“Do you know Otis?” He asks.
“No, I haven’t had the pleasure,” Harper says in her professional voice. She reaches out a hand and they shake. He doesn’t linger long which I appreciate. “I’m Harper Daniels,” she says as she turns to Crosby’s date.
“Nice to meet you Harper,” she says and they shake hands too. “I’m Crosby’s cousin, Caroline.”
“I knew Cros couldn’t get a real date!” Bryson jokes as he steps up to the group. “What girl would date a guy who wears crocs?”
“I’m not wearing crocs tonight!” Crosby insists as he lifts up the hem of his pants to show us his Gucci slides.
“Don’t get him started,” Caroline says. “I gave him laces in his Christmas stocking one year and he wouldn’t even touch them.”
