Page 50 of Score to Settle
The sound of Harper’s whimper is enough to send me hurtling over the edge, emptying myself in her as I welcome the heat flooding my body.
My head is still spinning as I catch my breath and twist us around so we’re lying side by side, my dick still inside her, not wanting this moment to end. Her hand reaches up, pushing a strand of my hair away from my forehead as I press a tender kiss to her shoulder.
As we lie there, hearts pounding, I savor the feel of Harper in my arms. The scent of her hair, the softness of her skin. My thoughts are scattered, still buzzing from the release. I never thought this would happen with us, but now it has I swear in this moment, right now, I’ve never felt so close—so connected—to another person in my entire life.
Harper’s fingers trace along my jaw, her touch feather-light but still sending shivers through me. I gaze down at her, studying the curve of her lips and the lines of her body. There’s something about Harper that draws me in, makes me feel more awake—more alive—when I’m around her. The women I’ve dated or spent time with in the past have always stroked my ego and kissed my ass. But not Harper. If I’m being an idiot, she’ll call me on it without hesitation.
And damn is she sexy as hell when she’s arguing with me, cheeks flushed and eyes flashing with passion. I thought I wanted easy and fun and uncomplicated, but there’s a reason none of my relationships have lasted longer than a few weeks or the occasional month. Harper challenges me in ways I never thought possible. More than that though, she has a way of stripping away all the hype that comes with being a pro athlete. The fame, the gossip stories, the fans—none of that matters to Harper. And the more time I spend with her, the more certain I am that none of that matters to me either.
She lifts her face to mine. Even with bed hair, skin glowing from what we’ve just done, she’s radiant. A shy smile brushes her lips as she runs a hand across my chest. “That was… wow.”
I grin back at her. “I’m slightly offended by the surprise in your tone, Cassidy. You thought football was all I was good at?” I quip.
She rolls her eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”
“That’s not what you were saying a few minutes ago when you were screaming my name.”
“Shut up!” She huffs a laugh, burying her face against my neck. I love being the one to make her laugh. Hell, I love being the one making her scream my name now too.
I trail my fingers up and down the smooth expanse of her back. “I agree, that was incredible,” I say softly. “You’re incredible.”
We stare at each other in the darkness of my room and I want to whisper in Harper’s ear that tonight—us, this—is just the tip of the iceberg with how things will be between us. The thought surprises me and scares me in the best possible way.
But even with only the dim light of the moon streaking through the window, I see something change in Harper’s eyes, like her walls are going up. I take her hand, entwining her fingers with mine, wanting to tell her she can be vulnerable with me, wanting to reassure her, but Harper gets there first.
“I mean…” She smiles but there’s a harder edge to it now as she lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “Obviously this is just sex,” she says casually. “Really, really good sex. But you’ve got your games and I’ve got my feature to write. And we’ve only got twelve days left…” She trails off, searching my face as her words land.
I feel like a bucket of ice water has been dumped on my head. Realization washes through me. I’ve just blown any chance of showing Harper I’ve changed, that I’m not the player she thought I was. How could I have expected her to want anything more from me than just sex, when she thinks it’s all I’m capable of?
I force a smile, ignoring the hurt and frustration radiating from my chest. As always, I fall back on humor. “Sure. But just remember, that was two orgasms you had. If you’re adding it to the feature, I mean.”
She barks a laugh and swats my chest with her hand before heading for the bathroom. She returns wearing one of my white tees, the material grazing the tops of her thighs and looking so goddamn sexy I want my mouth on her all over again.
We move around each other and it’s awkward. We’ve crossed a line and now we have to find our way back. However much I want to stay this side of the line, Harper has made her feelings crystal clear. And maybe she’s right. Maybe it is better this way. The hard lump of disappointment in my gut tells me otherwise.
For an awful moment, I think she’s going to go back to her room to sleep. I can see her thinking about it. I drop back to the bed and pat the covers. “Come here,” I say.
A soft smile touches her lips. “Just sleep now. You’ve worn me out, Sullivan,” she says, slipping into the space beside me, her body warm and firm next to mine.
“Did I not mention I’m a stallion?” I quip with a wink, wishing away the disappointment.
She rolls her eyes and snuggles into the crook of my arm. “Goodnight, Jake.”
“Night, Harper.”
I lie awake for a long time, staring at Harper’s face, wanting to pull her closer, never let go. But I don’t. I have no claim on her. This didn’t mean anything to her and I have to respect that.
When I wake the next morning to bright sunlight streaming through the window, my hand finds cold, empty space in thebed beside me. Harper’s gone, leaving only the soft scent of her perfume on my covers and a night I won’t forget in a hurry.
I flop onto my back with a heavy sigh, thrown by how much it hurts that she left without a word. The truth hits me like a shoulder barge to the gut. Last night might’ve meant nothing to Harper, but it meant something to me. More than something. It meant everything.
TWENTY-FOUR
HARPER
MIA:Should I take it as a good sign that you didn’t come back to my place last night?
HARPER:Did you know Jake was going to be there?
