Harper
Water streams down my body as Rafe soaps me up, his hard length pressing into my back. I worry about the state of his hand, but he’s not complaining, so I decide not to say anything.
He’s treating me so gently and doing everything from washing my hair to washing my legs and even up between them. I lean back against him, one arm going up around his neck, the other gripping his thigh as he starts fingering me. I’m still tired from Tomás, but it still feels so deliciously good.
“Guess I’m going to have to be gentle with my sugar,” Rafe murmurs, kissing my shoulder. “Wild night?”
“Kinda, yeah.” My cheeks flush.
He strokes my cheek. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’m glad you had fun, and someone’s got you nice and loosened up for me, so, bonus.”
I laugh. “Glad I could make your night.”
“Well, you haven’t yet. But you&rsq
Harper“Harper?” I hear Scott call from above me.A cow meanders over to the hay that just fell and begins to munch on it, giving me a glare. The others are very agitated, stomping their feet and mooing in various states from anger to fear.“Scott?” I croak.He comes down a ladder, shirtless, wearing only a pair of Wranglers. He’s sweaty, his chestnut hair plastered to his forehead. “What’s wrong? What’s the screaming about? Are you okay?”I run to him, and completely ignoring the fact that he’s drenched in sweat, launch myself into his arms, hugging him hard. “Oh, thank God. No, everything is okay. I just couldn’t find you.”He wraps his arms around me and drops his chin onto the top of my head. “Something’s wrong. I know you well enough to hear it in your voice, Harper.”“I thought someone might have hurt you,” I c
HarperI never knew how insatiable farm boys were—in more ways than one—until I met Scott. His stomach is a bottomless pit while we eat, but that makes me more comfortable in a way. I don’t feel like I have to pick and peck at my food like a little bird.After the picnic under an apple tree, we went inside and had sex again on his sofa, which ended with us laughing in a tangle of limbs on the floor. We then went to the bedroom and, after an hour or so, had sex again.By the time I think I should be getting home, I’m tired, and the sun is starting to set. “This is your fault,” I tell him as he helps me to my car, one of my arms slung over his shoulders.“Not sorry,” he chuckles.I give him a tired swat. “You know I’ll be pulling hay out of my hair for a week, right?”“That’ll just give you enough time to come back here and scoop up some more.” He is completely unrepentant. I like it.I slide into my car, wincing a little. I have really been giving my body a workout these last few days.
HarperDamien is the last to arrive, late in the evening, but then, he flew in from New York. He’s still in his power suit and, since Scott warned him over the phone about Jack, he has two bodyguards with him.Rafe, who is still on a high from the Viking’s win earlier today, has made himself at home in one of Scott’s armchairs, munching on some potato chips Scott had in the cupboard. He waves at Damien like they’re old friends.“Ah, yes. Thanks for padding my Fantasy Football score.” Damien smiles as soon as he spots him.“I told him the same thing,” Scott says with a chuckle.Rafe shrugs. “I do what I can.”Tomás leans against the wall, looking awkwardly at the others. I can’t blame him, really. I mean, Forbes Top 50, Football Star, and we’re all in Scott’s house, so… yeah. But when he looks at me, there’s determination in his eyes, and that makes my heart beat faster. He’s not rich, he’s not famous, and he’s not trying to save the world through organic farming. But he does mold yo
HarperI lie in the back of Damien’s town car with my head in his lap, keeping myself below the windows just in case Jack is lurking somewhere, watching. If he still thinks I’m at Scott’s farm, all the better. Damien left a bodyguard there to help with the situation, just in case my ex shows up again and things get ugly. The remaining two bodyguards are with us, sitting up front, serious as stone.Damien strokes my hair, letting the tendrils run through his fingers. “Everything’s going to be okay, little red bird,” he says quietly. “I’m going to take care of it. He won’t bother you anymore.”I look up at him, and his eyes narrow. He runs a thumb over the bruise on my arm. It’s an ugly shade of purple and green.“Did he do this?” he asks.With a swallow, I nod my head.“Hmm. It makes me far less amenable to letting him live,” he grumbles.&l
HarperI’ve changed into jeans and a T-shirt for the ride back to my apartment. Damien bought some clothes just for me after our first date. Honestly, I’m afraid to wear anything with easy access. Damien kept me up all night, and then had me again this morning, into the afternoon. He has an insatiable appetite for every area of his life. He’s still giving me the most wolfish grin as we ride in the town car. I frown at him. “I hope you’re proud of yourself. I didn’t get a wink of sleep!”“I’m quite proud, actually. Thank you for asking.” He chuckles.I swat his shoulder, and he captures my hand and nibbles my fingertips. Now, I’m wishing I had worn something more accessible.“Too bad you’re not wearing a skirt today. Though I must say, your ass looks great in those jeans,” he says when he releases my hand.“Thanks.” I shake my head at him. “I can&rs
Harper“You should really get some sleep, mi preciosa,” Tomás advises kindly, sitting down next to me on the sofa. “I think maybe Damien kept you up for a long time, no?”I lean against his shoulder. I mean, he’s not wrong, but…. “What about McKenzy?”“I will wake you up if I hear anything,” he says, taking my hands in his. “Maybe her parents wanted to take her somewhere else, and she forgot to check in. Now, cariña, you must get some rest.”He stands and pulls me up with him. Then he wraps an arm around my shoulders and guides me to my bedroom.I look at the carefully made bed and think of McKenzy’s messy one. It just feels so uncomfortable not having her here. “Maybe I should stay up a while.”“No. I promise I will wake you if I get any information,” Tomás insists firmly as he pulls my covers back.The bed does
HarperI don’t think he’s serious. I really don’t. Until I see his eyes darken.“Oh shit.” I scramble over to the other side of the bed, putting it between me and Tomás.“Cariña, I’m not going to duct tape you to the bed,” he sighs.“Uh-huh. I don’t believe you,” I respond, still keeping the bed between us.Tomás rolls his eyes. “I would have used something far less abrasive.”“What?” I yell.“I’m kidding. But if me standing here will keep you from trying to leave the apartment, all the better,” he says.I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re on, Profe.”With a slight smile, he stands in front of the door with his arms crossed. “And just what do you think you can do?”He’s not Rafe, so he’s not built like a football player, but that doesn’t
Damien“Well, this is inconvenient,” I say as the four of us stand out in the parking lot like fools, looking at the spot the car should be parked as though staring at it will make it reappear.“Inconvenient? Man, you need to up your vocabulary. This is a disaster!” Rafe sighs, shaking his head. “What the fuck happened anyway?”“Marco says she got a call from her mother,” I reply. “Of course that was a lie. She got a call from a burner phone. Doubtless it was Jack. She kicked him and ran away. ”Tomás groans. “I must agree with Rafe. This is a disaster.”“How are we going to find her? Where do you think he sent her? Is the burner phone still on?” Scott asks.I pull up Harper’s location on my phone. “It would appear,” I say, holding my phone up for them to see. “She is heading south.”“Oh, so she didn’t t
*Rafe*Harper is here. In my city. In her own apartment. In my arms.I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet. The past few weeks have been a blur–a new team, new city, new life–but now, finally, it feels like I can breathe again. She’s actually here, curled up against my chest like she belongs there, like she’s always belonged there. And she always has. Her hair’s a little messy from where she fell asleep on me earlier after our first round of sex, strands sticking up in every direction, and I swear I’ve never seen anything more perfect. She’s got on one of my old sweatshirts, her bare legs tucked under her, scrolling through some takeout menu like it’s the most important decision of her life.“I’m getting you the spicy basil chicken,” she announces without even looking up.I raise a brow. “Not even gonna let me pick?”“Nope.” She grins, so bright and cheeky it should come with a warning label. “I know you too well.”She’s right. She does. And I love her for it.The food arrives faster t
*Harper*Damien’s jet is my new favorite place in the world. I mean, I love my apartment, I love everywhere I go with my guys, and I even love my tiny little Prius back home. But this is luxury wrapped in silk, dipped in champagne, and handed to me on a silver platter.Scott is playing with the massage chair, testing every setting like a kid on Christmas morning. Tomas, ever composed, reading something on his tablet, pretending like he’s not secretly enjoying the five-star treatment. And Damien? Damien is lounging like a king, sipping whiskey in a glass that was probably hand-blown in some exclusive European workshop.“I could get used to this,” I say with a sigh, stretching my legs on the reclining seat.“You should get used to it,” Damien says, swirling his drink. “This is your life now.”I snort. “Oh, is it? Just like that?”“Just like that.” He smirks. “I refuse to let my favorite people travel like peasants.”Scott groans, adjusting his chair. “Damien, I don’t know how to tell y
*Harper*My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I nearly knock over a half-empty mug of coffee trying to grab it.Damien: Pack your bags, little red bird. My jet leaves at 10:00 A.M. on Friday.I grin, biting my lip, and another message pops in before I can reply.Damien: And bring the other two along. I suppose they can sit with the peasants in the back.Scott: I’m taller than you.Tomas: And I’m more charming.Damien: But I’m richer.I can’t stop laughing as the group chat explodes with the kind of snarky chaos that has somehow become my new normal.Scott: Don’t care. I’m bringing snacks.Tomas: Do not let Scott choose the snacks. I beg you.Damien: Fine. I’ll stock the jet myself. Only the finest artisanal chips and caviar-flavored popcorn.Rafe: Wait. What’s happening?I snort. Rafe’s been so laser-focused on training camp he’s missed half the group texts lately.Me: We’re all coming to your first home game, baby.Rafe: What? How? Who’s “we all”?Damien: Me, little red bird, her f
*Harper*The painting is massive, much bigger than anything I’ve ever sent to a gallery before. It’s propped against the wall, and every time I glance at it, my heart does a weird little flutter. This is the piece I’m sending to The Whitney Gallery. If I overthink it, I’ll keep making changes, trying to make it perfect. But art isn’t about perfection, right? I don’t know if it’s good enough. I don’t know if I’m good enough. But I know I’ve poured every piece of me into it… my chaos, my love, my fear, my hope. It’s all there, dripping down the canvas in colors that feel like my soul spread wide open.What I do know for sure is that I can’t shove something this big into the back of an Uber. And the car McKenzy and I share is barely bigger than a shoe. So, naturally, I call Scott, the only person I know with a pickup truck.“Hey, babe.” He answers on the second ring, his voice warm and relaxed. “What’s up?”“I need a favor.”“Name it.”“Can you bring your truck over and help me take my
*Harper*The afternoon sun pours through the studio windows, spilling delicate golden light across the floor. My latest painting is sitting on the easel, half-finished, all the colors still swirling together, but I’m not satisfied with the result. I dip my brush into my favorite cobalt blue, dragging it over the canvas, blending it into the burnt orange sunset I’m trying to capture.It’s almost there. Almost perfect.I’ve been at this for hours. My back aches, my fingers are speckled with dried paint, and I’ve barely moved since lunchtime. I’m so focused until McKenzy texts me a meme about a disastrous DIY project. At that I laugh, stretching out my stiff shoulders before turning back to the painting.That’s when my phone rings.I consider ignoring it, until I see Tomas’s name flashing across the screen.I bite my lip, warmth spreading through my chest as I answer. “Hola, Profe.”“Hola, preciosa,” Tomas’s smooth, accented voice flows through the line like a slow dance, making my pul
*Harper*I wake up to the sound of Rafe singing very off-key to some ‘90s alt-rock song in the kitchen. It takes me a second to remember where I am, why my legs are tangled in a sheet that smells like him, and why my heart already aches before my feet even hit the floor.Today’s the day.I sit up, blinking at the sunlight pouring in through the half-open blinds. Rafe’s room is packed up, a cardboard box labeled TROPHIES + RANDOM SHIT sits by the door, and his dresser drawers hang open, mostly empty. It feels wrong, like the room itself is bracing for the goodbye we’re both pretending isn’t coming.I pull on one of his T-shirts, feeling vulnerable and pathetic, and follow the smell of coffee into the kitchen. Rafe is standing at the stove, shirtless, flipping pancakes like a domestic god who doesn’t know his own biceps should be illegal.“Morning, sleepyhead.” He grins, flashing me that too-charming smile that got me into this mess in the first place.“You’re making pancakes?” I ask,
*Harper*Three months. That’s how long it’s been since my life became a balancing act between love, ambition, and enough sexual pleasure to power a reality show. I’m basically the poster child for chaos, except now it comes with a wardrobe upgrade and a much better skincare routine. Unfortunately, it hasn’t come with a bigger closet.These days, I basically have to shove myself into my closet head on just to squeeze through the tight space between the rows. With all the designer dresses Damien’s sent me, I’m having a hard time finding space. McKenzy says I should just get rid of all my old clothes, but it’s not like I’m going to lounge around in our apartment in Dolce and Gabana.“Rich people problems,” she always says with a sigh whenever I complain about the closet space.Of course, I’m still far from rich. But I’m definitely in a better place than I was when this all began. My paintings have sold so well, I’ve been able to put aside rent money for the rest of the year. It’s such
Two weeks later…Harper“WHOOOOOO! GO RAFE, GO!” I scream from the private suite where we are watching Rafe’s game.“Maybe we’re supposed to call him Bullet?” Tomás asks, eating off a plate of catered food next to me.“I figure if you’re sleeping with the man, you get to call him whatever you want,” Damien says dryly. He sips something expensive—scotch, I’m assuming—from a tumbler, but loses all sophistication when Rafe gets sacked. “Roughing the passer!”“They can’t flag the play every time Rafe gets sacked. This isn’t touch football,” Scott chuckles. He’s munching popcorn, more a fan of that snack than the buffet fare.Damien purses his lips. “I wonder how much it would cost…”I reach past Tomás to slap his shoulder. “Don’t even think about it.”
HarperAfter my MRI, the doctors finally let me go see Rafe. I shuffle down to his room in hospital socks and a gown. Tomás has gone to pick up some pizza for us all. Damien is on his phone, leaning on the technicians and whoever else is involved to get my MRI reviewed. Scott stepped out to call someone to check on his animals since he’s been gone so long.I knock lightly on the door to Rafe’s room. When I hear Jen, Rafe’s mother, call “Come in!” I push open the door and go inside.Jen is sitting next to the bed, holding Rafe’s hand. His father, Skip, is leaning against the windowsill with his arms folded. When they look up, neither of them are particularly happy to see me.“Harper,” Jen says in a clipped tone.“Mrs. Maloney,” I reply respectfully. “Mr. Maloney.”Skip eyes me with deep-seated anger.“You could have ended his football career, you know?