AllFreeNovel
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“I know what you mean. Dallas and I started performing at a young age, as you know. Some of the only times I got to be a kid were when we would ride our bikes to the beach and play in the sand. It felt like the best place on earth back then, but when I went back as an adult, it didn’t feel special anymore.”
“It’s funny how much you and I actually have in common,” he said.
“I was thinking the same thing.”
After a while, he asked, “Are you close with your parents?”
“Not anymore. We keep in touch, but all they ever want to talk about is my career and what I need to do to turn it around. I feel like I’m just constantly letting them down, which doesn’t exactly encourage me to try to make them a part of my life.”
“I totally get it.”
I asked, “Do you think your dad will ever come around?”
“No, but that’s okay. I’ve made my peace with it. In a way, it’s actually a relief. Now I get to live my life on my terms, and I don’t have to worry about his constant disapproval.”
“That’s definitely a good thing.” After a moment, I asked, “Do you think your brother is in the closet?”
“I’m not sure. Why do you ask?”
“Because I’ve seen him and Kel have these little moments, but I always thought he was straight.”
“Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if Hud was gay and felt he had to hide it. He’s never really dated much, and he’s still trying his damnedest to be the perfect son for our dad.”
I said, “You don’t mention your mother very often.”
“I know. We’ve never been close. She had kids because my dad wanted them, but she was never all that interested in being a mom. We were basically raised by our housekeepers, and every time one of them quit or was fired, it felt like losing a family member.”
“I’m sorry, Harper. That sounds really painful.”
He pulled up a smile and climbed out of the hammock. “How did this conversation become so serious? Today’s supposed to be about having fun together, and here we are, rehashing my shitty childhood.” He gestured toward the bay and changed the subject. “It looks like we’re just minutes from another rainstorm. Let’s pack it up and head back to the house.” Sure enough, huge gray clouds were rolling in. I hadn’t even noticed.
Harper packed up his electronics while I took down the hammock. As the first drops of rain fell, I wrapped the hammock around my guitar case to keep it dry. The sky opened up a few seconds later, and we both started running.
By the time we got back to the house, we were soaked. We stripped off our wet clothes on the covered porch, and I shivered as we went inside in just our briefs. “I really expected Hawaii to be warmer,” Harper said, as he turned up the thermostat.
“I’m sure it will be if we come back this summer.” I put my guitar case on the coffee table, then opened the bedroom door for the chicken, who came running into the living room in her sweater vest. She cocked her head, then ran back into the bedroom, and I followed her to get some towels.
After Harper and I dried off, we stretched out on the bed. We were on our sides facing each other, both with a hand propping up our head, and he lightly traced my jawline as he said, “You trimmed your beard.”
“Good timing, too, since it turned out my boyfriend had plans to introduce me to a few million people today.”
He ran his fingertips down my neck as he said, “I like hearing you call me your boyfriend.”
“It definitely has a nice ring to it.”
He continued that slow, gentle exploration of my body, tracing my shoulder, then the length of my arm. “My beautiful Phoenix,” he murmured, as his fingers slid up my chest and grazed my collarbone. He leaned in and kissed me, and it was as soft and gentle as his touch. “I want to give you the whole world. Will you let me?”
“Yes.”
I would have agreed to absolutely anything right then. He filled my senses, from his clean scent, now laced with rain, to the softness of his skin, the warmth of his body, the soothing sound of his voice.
He kissed my temple and asked, “Are you just saying that because your four hours of agreeing with me aren’t up yet?”
I grinned at him. “Maybe.”
Harper chuckled and dotted a row of kisses down the side of my face and neck. I tilted my head back to give him better access to me, and he licked the sensitive space below my earlobe.
I sighed with pleasure and let myself relax. I’d never experienced anything like this, and it was a revelation. It was tender and loving, and it made me feel cherished, more than I ever had in my life.
