Gently, he slipped out of her. Then, with an arm around her back and waist, he lifted her from the pool table. His jeans were undone, his shirt unbuttoned, while her clothes lay strewn over the floor of the bar, but he ignored all of that as he carried her up the stairs toward the apartment. Instead of going straight into the bedroom, he went into the bathroom and gently placed Harper on her feet as he reached around her and turned on the shower.
She just looked up at him, still naked, complete trust in her eyes. Damn, she undid him.
Quickly, he removed the remainder of his clothes before lifting Harper once again. This time, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She fit so well against him. Like this was exactly how they were designed to be. Together. Connected.
He stepped under the warm spray of water, and immediately she tightened her hold on him, her head lifting as her gaze bore into him.
“Did you mean what you said? About falling in love with me?”
Fuck yes, he meant it. If he was honest with himself, he’d probably been falling in love with the woman since the day he set eyes on her.
“Yes.”
“No one’s ever said that to me before.”
Some of the warmth in his chest cooled, an icy anger taking its place. But he made sure to keep it off his face.
“Never?”
She shook her head. “My family never said it. And my relationships never got to that point.”
The anger coiled in his gut. This woman should have been told every day, multiple times a day, that she was loved. That she was easy to love. That she wasmadeto be loved.
He lowered his head, his mouth grazing her lips. “I’ll tell you every day, Storm. Every. Damn. Day.”
CHAPTER 25
Harper climbed out of the car, and Cody was immediately by her side, his hand slipping to the small of her back. She glanced up at the Misty Peak Visitors Center. It looked different at night. The windows of the building were illuminated with light while the moon cast a dim glow over the trees and mountains that surrounded the center.
“This place is beautiful,” Harper said quietly as they made their way toward the building. “I can see why Kayden likes to come here every day.”
“He likes the peace and quiet. Not so much the tourists. I’m honestly not sure why he works with people. He’s too low on patience and I think he’d be better suited to a job where he worked on his own.”
“Maybe he just pretends he doesn’t like people when really, he enjoys the company.”
Cody laughed, a full belly laugh. “I’m not sure that’s it. I always suspected my brother could live on his own in the mountains and be perfectly happy.”
Harper shook her head, not believing that for a second. Of course, there were some people who’d suit that lifestyle. But most people needed at least somecompany, and by the amountof time Kayden spent visiting Cody at the bar, she suspected he was one of them.
“Will many people be here tonight?”
“Yeah, I think quite a few locals from around town were invited. Linda made it more of an open invitation so that anyone who wanted to celebrate her retirement with her could.”
“When does she finish?”
“A couple weeks. I hear she’s going on a big vacation after.”
She nodded as they stepped inside the building. Sure enough, the visitors center was filled with people. A table of food sat against the back wall, including a giant cake, with a banner hung above that read Happy Retirement Linda. Music played throughout the room from ceiling speakers, with chairs and a few tables positioned around the space.
Cody’s hand slid around her waist, tugging her into his side. He’d closed the bar for the night so they could attend, but despite his smile, he’d been tense most of today. Possibly because a roomful of people meant threats could come from any direction. But surely they were safe when he and his two former special ops brothers were also in attendance?
He guided Harper toward Eastern and Avery. The small girl immediately ran over to Cody. He lifted her into his arms and threw her up in the air. “Hey, beautiful girl.”
“Uncle Cody, have you seen the cake? It’s vanilla and strawberry!”
“What? Vanilla and strawberry? That’s my favorite.”
Avery giggled. “No, it isn’t. It’smyfavorite.”
