Harper Laurence.
“And these are Logan’s parents, Dustin and Edie James,” Bennett continued with introductions. “His sister, Adele, and his brother, Liam.”
The shock in Harper’s eyes was giving way to something else that he wasn’t quite sure of. Where he was pretty sure he hadn’t breathed since he saw her, he thought she was about to hyperventilate.
“Liam James,” she whispered.
Ahh, so she’d just figured it out.
“You want an autograph?” Well, he’d apparently found his breath and his voice. But he couldn’t help himself.
“Liam!” his mother gasped. “Don’t be impertinent.”
“Don’t worry, Mom, Harper and I know each other.” He tilted his head to the side as he looked at her, the smile on his face not one of amusement. “We met a few weeks ago.”
This time it was Mel choking on her drink, coughing hard as she tried to catch her breath. He knew the look in her eyes had nothing to do with him being a singer. Apparently Harper had mentioned him, and that weekend, to her friend.
Liam didn’t have to look at his brother or his sister to know that the two of them were playing a tennis match, looking between him and the woman in the blue dress. He couldn’t bring himself to look away from her again, afraid that if he did she’d disappear.
“You look magnificent as ever, Harper.” His eyes dipped, taking in the rest of her. Her mouth was painted a deep red, and her black hair was up, all piled on top of her head. She was wearing a form-fitting midnight blue dress and those damn bronze strappy heels she’d had on the second night…the last night…the night she’d knelt down on the floor between his legs wearing nothing but those heels and lace.
A blush started to creep up her chest, maybe because the word magnificent had her thinking about his mouth on her breasts. Or her completely naked underneath him. He knew that’s what it made him think of.
“Holy shit,” Logan whispered low enough for only Liam to hear, but even at that volume he could clearly hear the surprise in his brother’s voice.
Well, he could just join the fucking club.
“Small world, isn’t it?” he asked.
“You two know each other?” Abby looked between the two of them, and then her eyes went wide. Apparently she knew a little something about the situation, too. Liam wondered for a brief second if Logan had mentioned something or if she’d heard about it from Harper herself.
Then he realized he didn’t care. He didn’t care who knew what. All he cared about was the fact that she was here.
What he didn’t know was how he felt about it. Yeah he was angry, there was no doubt about that, but a sense of relief was running through him, too. And then there was the need to touch her. He wanted so much to grab her and pull her close. Take her mouth again because it felt like forever since he’d gotten to taste her.
“When did you guys meet?” Bennett asked, looking a little bewildered. He obviously didn’t know what was going on, and the only other people in his boat were the two boys, and Liam’s parents.
“In Nashville,” Harper answered.
“I had no idea you knew Abby or Logan,” Liam said.
“We met through Abby’s best friend Paige. She lives in our hometown and is married to one of our very close friends.” Mel was speaking now, probably trying to take some of the attention off her friend. It didn’t work. The majority of the eyes in that circle were on Harper. “We’ve known Abby for years.”
“Well, isn’t that fascinating?” Edie asked, and there was something in her tone that made it clear she was picking up on the tension as well. She might not know what had happened, but she did know her son, and Liam was hiding nothing. He couldn’t.
“Yup, fascinating.” He downed the last of his bourbon.
“Where are you guys from?” Dustin asked.
“Mirabelle, Florida,” Bennett answered. “It’s a tiny town on the beach about three and a half hours west of here.”
“And the world just keeps getting smaller,” Adele said.
“No kidding.” Harper tipped back the last of her drink.
She’d barely finished it when a waiter came up, taking the empty glasses from the group. Not a second later there was another waiter, offering up some filled glasses.
“No, thank you.” Harper shook her head. “Actually, I need to get some air. Liam, do you have a second?”
His instincts were at war with each other. Part of him really wanted to be the arrogant bastard he knew was in there and not give her anything she wanted. She hadn’t given him the courtesy, so why should he give it to her?
But that part of him was small in comparison to what the rest of him was screaming for…to get her alone and get some answers.
“Sure.” He nodded his head, finding that he wouldn’t have been able to say no, pissed or not.
Harper gave a friendly smile to the group, one that he knew took everything in her to achieve. She reached out as she turned, grabbing Mel’s forearm and squeezing tight before she let go, her hand shaking.
* * *
So, that just happened.
The last three minutes weren’t really processing fast enough. Harper was in shock, so unbelievably unprepared for seeing Liam. And not only that, but meeting his entire family.
It’s lovely to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. James. And oh, by the way, I’m carrying your grandchild.
Her step faltered at the words that echoed in her head, and she stumbled a little bit. A hand was suddenly at her side, another at the small of her back. And just like that she had the sure and steady weight of Liam’s palms on her body, his fingers gently pressing into her and holding her firm.
“You okay?” His mouth was at her ear and she turned instinctively to look at him.
He was so close. Those green-gold eyes of his focused on hers, eyes that hadn’t hid anything from her before. But now…now she couldn’t decipher them to save her life. There was a hardness to them she didn’t recognize.
Hardness she had no doubt put there.
“Harper?”
Just the sound of her name on his lips had her back in that cabin, no one but him and her. Nothing but the feel of his hands on her skin, his mouth at her ear as he moved inside her.
Making love to him had been so real. So raw and bare, everything stripped away besides the two of them.
But that was gone now.
“I’m fine,” she forced herself to say before she turned away from him.
She had no idea how she was going to get through this. She wasn’t ready, was supposed to have the rest of the weekend to figure things out, and then even after that there still should’ve been more time until she was doing this. Until she was face-to-face with him and telling him…telling him that she was going to have his child.
There was supposed to be more time.
But she’d known the second she’d seen him there wasn’t going to be any more waiting. She couldn’t do it. Couldn’t possibly be around him for any length of time and not have him know the truth. And she wouldn’t be able to walk away without telling him, either.
He deserved to know and she wasn’t going to be a coward. Not this time around. She was going to bite the bullet, ready or not.
His hand didn’t move from the small of her back as he came up next to her and guided her through the crowded room. His hands on her body were killing her, splitting her heart in two. But she didn’t want him to stop, because it was probably going to be the last time he ever touched her like this.
The familiar ache she’d known for the last few weeks settled over her, and her chest tightened for about the eighty-sixth time since she’d seen him. The second they were outside and away from the crowd, his hand disappeared from her body.
Oh, look at that, her chest tightened for the eighty-seventh time.
The ballroom of the Brogan-Meyers Hotel was located on the roof of the building, which just so happened to be the thirtieth floor. There were a few people out on the terrace that ran around the floor, and Harper kept walking until no one was near them.