Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
I set my beer on the table and stepped toward her. Harper turned, and when she looked up at me with those big, hauntingly beautiful eyes, I nearly fell to the floor.
“You thought I was perfect, but you never said anything?”
“You were younger than me, and I knew I’d be leaving for the Marines. It wouldn’t have been fair of me to expect you to wait around.”
She shook her head slowly. “I’m still younger than you.”
I grinned. “True…but if I make love to you now, I won’t get thrown in jail.”
A bubble of nervous laughter slipped from her mouth, and her cheeks turned red. God, I wanted to do things to her with my hands and mouth that made her whole body turn that shade.
“I…I thought I felt something between us, but I was too young to know for sure. Then this whole stupid thing with your brother, and I…”
Cupping her face in my hands, I pressed my forehead to hers. “I have something to tell you, as well.”
“Yeah?” she whispered.
“Sean and I got into it at my parents’ house earlier today…and I punched him in the face.”
She stepped back. “You did? Why?”
“I told him he didn’t deserve you. And honestly, I’ve been wanting to hit my brother since he first asked you out years ago.”
Harper laughed. “Did you make up?”
“Um, no. I stormed out. And I’m sure my mother will have a barrage of questions.”
Groaning, Harper turned and went back to the sofa and sat down. “I texted Sean and told him I couldn’t do this anymore. I didn’t tell him why, but…it’s because I wanted to be honest with you about my feelings.”
“How’s that going to work? Will you break up your fake relationship?”
“I think Sean needs to tell your mom and dad the truth. I told him if he doesn’t, I will.”
I sat down across from her. “Do me a favor, will you?”
“Sure.”
“Be sure I’m there if you’re the one to do it. I don’t want to miss this.”
Harper
I couldn’t help but laugh at Declan. “You want to be there when I tell your mom it was all for show?”
“Hell yeah, I do.”
Frowning slightly, I asked, “Don’t you think it’ll make your mother feel bad to know that one of her sons is so afraid to stand up to her, that he’d actually rather lie than be honest?”
Declan’s smile faded. “I never thought about it that way.”
I gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I don’t want to be the one to tell her, but I have a feeling Sean isn’t going to say anything.”
“And in the meantime, if Caroline ends up breaking up with her guy, Sean won’t hesitate to cut you loose.”
“I know! He already humiliated me with the real breakup. I’ll be damned if I let him do it with a fake one.”
Declan sighed. “I’m starving. Do you want to go get something to eat?”
“Do you like pizza?”
He raised a brow. “Does anyone on this Earth not like pizza?”
I grinned. “My sister Amanda hates pizza.”
“That’s not right.”
Standing, I reached for his hand and guided him back into the house and down to the kitchen. “How about we make pizza instead of going out?”
“And miss the town gossips questioning why you’re out with me and not my brother?”
I glanced over my shoulder. “Can you even imagine the gossip?”
He laughed. “I can. What do you need me to do?”
Jerking my chin toward the counter with the cookbooks, I asked, “Can you grab the one with the red spine?”
“Sure.”
I took out the ingredients I needed from the pantry and set everything on the counter. “Have you ever made pizza dough?”
“I have. One of my buddies I lived with loved to cook. The guy was good at it too. If he ever gets out of the Marines, he needs to open his own restaurant.”
“That good?”
“Oh man, the guy could cook, Harp. He’d make some crazy different dishes, too, just experimenting. And he made a killer pizza dough.”
“Wish I had his recipe.”
“Do you have one in here?” he asked, holding up the cookbook.
I nodded. “Yeah, there’s one in there.”
“Wait…you know what? Let me call him and see if he’ll give us his recipe.”
Declan set the cookbook down and took his cell out of his pocket, stepping away. A few moments later, he was talking.
“Hey, Lenny, how’s it going?” He laughed at something before saying, “It’s going great. It’s different. Quiet, which is a good thing. Yeah, it’s nice, that’s for sure. Listen, do you happen to have your pizza dough recipe on hand? I’m making pizza with…”
When his voice trailed off, I glanced over at him. He was standing in the middle of the living room, staring at me. I smiled, and he returned the gesture.
“I’m making pizza with a friend, and I told her you had the best recipe. Yes, she is. Very. No, we’re not. It’s complicated.”