She pulled back just far enough to look at him, her eyes searching his face before she rested her forehead against his chin with a sigh.
“I said, ‘I’m so sorry you’re here.’ I’m sorry he was awful, I’m sorry he made you feel less than you are. I’m sorry for the little boy that grew up with that kind of dad. I’m sorry you have this pain and I’m sorry you have to go through this because of him. And because of your mom. They shouldn’t put this on you.”
“Oh, Harps.” He ran his lips over her hair, breathing in her scent. “I’m not sorry.” She let out a disbelieving huff. “I’m serious. If not for all of that, I never would have met you.”
Harper moved to look up at him. Different emotions passed behind her eyes before Dan could read them.
“That doesn’t make up for doing something you hate. You should do something you love, something that you’re excited about every day. Having to carry that baggage…”
Dan smiled and kissed the frowning corner of her mouth. “Knowing you makes up for it more than enough. I’ll figure the career out, don’t worry. I’ll make it work.”
They held on to each other, breathing in the other’s scent, calming the other’s storms. Dan took an unsteady breath. The urge to tell her the truth of how much he felt for her overwhelmed him. He pulled back, looking into her eyes.
He formed the words slowly, letting each one fall from his tongue. “Harper, I think I lo—”
A wild glint flashed in her eyes right before she crashed her mouth against his, kissing away the words with frantic energy. Dan blinked a few times before returning the kiss, loving on her mouth with calming strokes.
She wasn’t ready to hear it; not sober at least.
And that was okay.
Dan could wait however long she needed. The words didn’t matter as long as he could be with her. He knew how he felt, and he’d show her every day until she was ready for the words.
Harper’s hands moved to the elastic of his waistband, scrambling and searching. He smiled against her mouth. A hiss escaped his lips as she moved her hand up and down his length.
“Are you trying to give me a pity hand job?”
Harper pulled back and met his eyes, sadness and lust mixing in their depths. “Hand job, blow job, any job. Put me to work. Whatever makes you feel good.”
Dan laughed and rubbed his nose against hers, circling her wrists with his hands and pulling her arms to rest on his shoulders.
“While I really, really appreciate the enthusiasm, I think I’d pass out from exertion if we did another round without some nourishment.” Harper’s stomach growled again as if to emphasize his point. “And you might too. Let’s eat and then we can discuss your employment.” They laughed and Dan moved to fix them both a plate.
Dan handed her a pile of chocolate chip pancakes, which she drowned in syrup.
“I could die, this is so good,” Harper said through a giant mouthful, her eyes rolling back in her head as she chewed, making Dan bust out laughing.
“That’s nice, but your sweet tooth doesn’t seem particularly difficult to please,” he teased, pressing a kiss to her hair, the dark memories pushed away for another day.
CHAPTER 28
HARPER
Harper glanced at the clock and groaned.
“It’s five a.m. We have to get up in an hour for school. There isn’t enough coffee in the world,” she said, rubbing her eyes.
A messy to-do list whirled around in her head while her anxiety kicked up to a rate that would substantially contribute to the global energy crisis if she didn’t get it under control. Turning her face to her pillow, Harper let out another loud groan. “Why did we stay up so late?”
The bed vibrated with laughter, and she felt Dan shift closer to burrow his face in her neck. A tickle of pleasure traveled down her spine, making her sigh.
“We were studying anatomy,” Dan said against her skin.
“Oh yeah?” Harper giggled into the sheets. “That’s what you call it?”
“Harper, it was extremely scientific.” He nudged her onto her back and grinned at her. “Obviously some visual inspection. Physiological demonstrations. Experimentation. All in the name of academia.”
Harper clapped a hand over her face as she snorted with laughter.
“Please tell me you aren’t going to publish the data,” she said, running the pad of her finger over his dimple.
Dan grabbed her hand and kissed it. “No, the world isn’t ready for my findings. But I’m not even close to done with my research, so it doesn’t really matter.”