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“Need help?” I asked, my voice low and a little ragged.
Harlow sucked in a quiet breath and then nodded. “My blow dryer died,” she said quietly. “Hope it’s okay I borrowed yours.”
It didn’t really require a response, so I didn’t give one, stepping up behind her. Slowly, I dragged in a deep lungful of whatever lotion or perfume or shampoo I was smelling, and I fought to keep my eyes open.
“Thought you were Sage.” She dropped her hands from the necklace and straightened, tilting her neck to the side.
An offering that was almost impossible to resist.
“I didn’t see her when I came in.”
Harlow swallowed, her cheeks flushed a pretty pink. “She must be upstairs packing. My dad’s running a little late picking her up.”
With careful hands, I brushed all that hair off the graceful line of her neck until the strands caught in the inconceivably thin chain revealed themselves. The pads of my fingers dragged over the nape of her neck, and while I glanced up to watch her in the mirror, her eyes closed in a soft, fluttering motion.
What would she do if I leaned forward and touched my lips to that skin just above the gold? If it couldn’t be blamed on a birthday kiss or some fantasy she’d spun years and years earlier. What would she do if I slid my hands over her hips, pressing my chest flush with her back, just to see how we fit together this way?
The thoughts looping around in my brain had my muscles tight, and my big, oversized hands threatened to snap that chain, so I carefully undid the clasp on the necklace and held it firm in one hand, using the other to sweep aside the stray hairs caught in the tiny closure. When they were free, Harlow shivered, and it had my eyes closing in a brief pinch.
The necklace was easier to re-clasp now, and then I gathered the thick mass of her dark hair in my hands and gently draped it back into place, allowing one moment when my fingers coasted through the ends.
My mouth was bone-dry when I stepped back, and Harlow swayed a little where she stood, her hand coming forward onto the counter to steady herself. Her eyes opened slowly, once again meeting mine.
“You look beautiful,” I told her.
Her chest rose and fell on a deep breath, but she didn’t say anything. It would be so easy to let that last fraying shred of my sanity snap, take what I wanted, and damn the consequences, but I’d done that once, and all it caused in its wake was uncertainty and that wasn’t something we needed any more of.
“What time do you have to leave?” I asked.
Her eyelashes fluttered on a few rapid blinks. “I … soon,” she said. “Now, I guess. My dad’s not here yet, though.”
“I can stay with Sage.” I tucked my hands into the pockets of my work cargos. “I don’t have any plans tonight.”
“Thank you,” she said, her eyes steady on mine in the mirror.
Even though there was only a small space between us, Harlow turned, looking up into my face, and I tried to pretend I didn’t know what I was seeing there.
Because her confusion was more than I could bear. Her proximity was, too. My hands itched to touch her, an impulse I wasn’t sure I’d ever live without again. And swimming deep underneath everything I didn’t want to face, I could feel my own fears lurking. They swamped my more primitive urges before they had a chance to break the surface.
“You promise you’ll be home when I get back?” she asked.
We both knew I’d never promise her anything if I couldn’t do it. That once I did, I’d tear myself apart to keep my word to her.
“I promise.”
God, the way this woman looked at me. It felt like someone digging straight into my fucking soul. I wanted to know what she saw. What she’d always seen, even if I couldn’t. Or what I refused to see.
I took another step back. “Have a good time,” I told her.
Her eyes searched mine, deep and questioning. Then she gave a slight shake to her head, her chin rising an inch in the air. Determination replaced that confusion. “I’ll talk to you when I get home.”
She swept past me, leaving the lingering scent of something clean and sweet. Unable to stop myself, I filled my lungs with it again after she’d left the room. I didn’t move until I heard the front door open and then close on a quiet click.
Her car started, then everything faded into silence as she drove away.
“Fuck,” I whispered.
I set my hands on the counter and hung my head.
