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“Harper…” he got up, following after me.
“No,” I snapped. I forced myself to calm down. “No, it’s okay. I get it. I’m new to this casual thing and I’m still trying to figure out how it works. I wasn’t trying to–” I shook my head and smiled. “Have a good night, Greyson.”
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “You, too.” He took a step closer, and I wasn’t sure if he was going to hug me, kiss me, or something else. But at that moment, I knew I couldn’t handle his touch.
I dodged out of his grasp, then winced. “Sorry, I just–” I sighed, then shook my head and rushed out into the night. As soon as I was outside, tears stung my eyes, and I got even more mad at myself for crying.
He was right. He’d told me exactly what this was when it started, and I was the one who already wanted it to be more after just a couple days. I was acting pathetic, and I needed to put on my big girl pants, toughen up, and enjoy the sex like he said. I could do that. I could take the opportunity he was offering, take the amazing sex, and leave it at that.
I could definitely do it.
24
GREYSON
Harper came by every time the kids wanted to hang out with Zack. We were going on our fourth day straight, and I was starting to feel a little guilty. Sure, I was fathering the hell out of them for the majority of the day, but they kept wanting to go to the rehab center and play with the animals. What kind of dad would I be if I told them they couldn’t?
Then again, I could’ve gone more often with them instead of staying back and texting Harper to come over.
Soon. I just needed to get her completely out of my system and then I’d be able to get things back to normal. Katie would be back soon with Matt, too. That’d mean I would only get the kids on weekends, and I wouldn’t need to work so hard to keep what we were doing a secret.
The last few times she came over, we’d gone straight to tearing each other’s clothes off. Sex with her was like nothing I’d ever experienced. It left my entire fucking body buzzing for hours afterwards.
But this time, we’d both unspokenly agreed to grab beers and turn on a movie.
“You know I actually hate the taste of these,” Harper admitted when we were about twenty minutes into some cheesy Hallmark movie she picked out.
“You could’ve said something. What do you like? I’ll get some in the fridge.”
She pursed her lips and nuzzled against my shoulder. We’d been cuddling like this the whole time, and it felt dangerously nice. “How considerate of you. I’m actually more of a wine kind of girl. The sweeter, the better.”
“Noted,” I said.
“Grey?” she asked softly
I grinned to myself. I’d heard her call me “Grey” a few times now, and I guiltily enjoyed that she was already giving me a sort of pet name. “What’s up?”
“Do you think we’re really going to be able to balance this? The whole casual sex thing and me working for you? I mean once the restaurant is actually open and I’m doing more than stopping by to give you some feedback on which butcher shop we should source.”
I ran the pad of my thumb down my stubble. “No. Why would it be a problem?” Truthfully, I had piles of doubts, too. But she didn’t need to know that.
“What happens if we piss each other off? Or what happens if you decide to start dating some hot new woman who comes through town, and she doesn’t want you seeing me anymore?”
I grinned. “I’m not in Fairhope to date, Harper. Three months, remember? Well, more like two now. I’m yours as long as I’m here.” I bit the inside of my cheek. That was an unfortunate choice of words.
Harper’s eyes twinkled a little at that. “Oh, yeah? Hm. Well what happens if I decide to start seeing some gorgeous young stag? Are you going to fire me?”
I grinned. “What is it you really want to hear, Harper?”
“I don’t know. I just… Navigating this whole casual thing is weird. I don’t want to be needy or scare you off, but I don’t want to pretend I’m not enjoying spending time with you. It feels like I have to, though. Or else I’m not being casual enough.”
“You’re over-thinking it. This can be whatever it has to be, so long as we’re both able to end it in two months. I’m too fucking old for long distance relationships, and you’re too young. You’ve got your life ahead of you, Harper. You don’t need me around your neck like an anchor.”
“Yeah,” she said, but her tone wasn’t entirely convincing. “A big, old, rusty anchor,” she added with a twist of her lips.
