Brett, meanwhile, seems completely oblivious to the undercurrents. If he notices how his teammates are practically falling over themselves to impress Harper, he doesn't seem bothered by it.
The dinner stretches on for two hours, and with each passing minute, my mood grows darker. I want to reach across the table and pull Harper away from these men. I want to tell them to back off, that she's not available, that she's mine.
But I can't. I have to sit here and watch other men flirt with the woman I'm falling for, pretending I don't care while jealousy eats me alive.
“We should probably hit the road,” Brett finally says, checking his watch. “We've got a long drive back.”
“Already?” Harper looks disappointed. “It feels like we just got here.”
“Time flies when you're having fun,” Tyler says, standing to hug her goodbye. “Don't be a stranger, Harper.”
Jack follows suit, holding her a little too long for my liking. “Seriously, if you ever need anything, just call.”
“Are you two driving back together?” Brett asks Harper and me as we all stand to leave.
“No,” Harper says quickly, at the same time I say, “We both have our own cars.”
Brett grins at our synchronized response, but he doesn't comment. “Well, drive safe. And Harper? I'm really proud of you.”
“Thanks, Brett. Love you.”
The goodbyes take another five minutes, and then I'm walking to my car in the gathering dusk, my mood as dark as the sky.
I'm pulling out of the parking space when I notice Harper's white Audi ahead of me in traffic. We end up taking the same route back to the apartment. By the time we reach our building, I'm wound so tight I feel like I might snap.
“Oh, there you are,” Harper says cheerfully as she gets out of her car.
I’m too pissed off to respond. In the elevator, she stands on the opposite side of the small space, her arms crossed, staring at the floor numbers.
“What's eating you?” she finally asks as we reach our floor.
“Nothing,” I say curtly, fishing for my key card.
“Bullshit. You've been in a mood all evening.”
I unlock the apartment door and hold it open for her, my jaw clenched. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Really? You could have fooled me,” she says.
My control snaps. “I don't like other men hitting on you, Harper. Happy now?”
Harper’s eyes flash, all signs of her cheer gone. “They're friends, Cole. I've known them for years.”
“Friends don't look at friends the way they were looking at you.”
“And what way was that?”
“Like they wanted to take you home.”
Harper stares at me for a moment, then lets out a laugh that has no humor in it. “So what? We have no claim on each other, remember? We're just two people who happen to live together and occasionally sleep together.”
It’s my turn to stare at her. “Occasionally sleep together?”
“I don't know what this is,” she says, her voice rising. “But you don’t get to act possessive when other men pay attention to me.”
I take a step closer, my hands clenched at my sides. “Maybe I don't want other men paying attention to you.”
“Well, that's not your call to make.”
