Page 6

Harlee

As I walked out of room number four, I pressed my hand to my mouth, trying and slowly failing to hold my laughter in.

Things that happened in my life that didn’t make any sense.

And I had learned a long time ago that if you didn’t laugh through those moments that they would eat you alive.

I finally made it to my receptionist’s desk and stopped trying to fight it.

Unfortunately, the moment Everly’s eyes locked on mine, her lifted brow, I let it out.

Laughter came barreling out of me, so hard, I couldn’t breathe.

“He... he... asked me... if... I... wanted to come over later and... find out if hot fudge... on his back could do the same thing as the oils I had used.” I said through my laughter.

We finally got our laughter and giggles under control by the time Mr. Simpson was dressed and walking out of the room.

Normally, what we had done would have been unprofessional as hell, but thankfully, all of the rooms were soundproofed. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many times I had felt like a therapist instead of a massage therapist.

He looked at me and winked, just as the bell above the door jingled, “So, did you think about your answer?”

A gruff, raspy voice asked, “What answer?”

My head whipped in Carter’s direction, and I smiled, “Hey, what brings you by?”

His eyes trailed from me and to Mr. Simpson, giving him a once-over, then they returned to me. “What answer?”

Mr. Simpson shook his head, “Oh, it was nothing. Just asked if a different type of... of umm... You know what, never mind.” Then he looked at me and asked, “Same time in two weeks?”

I nodded.

The moment he was out of the door, Everly started laughing, and I soon followed.

Carter was looking between Everly at me, clearly at a loss for words.

I was the first to get my laughter under control and shook my head, “So, what brings you by?”

He crossed his arms over his massive chest and raised a brow.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair.

I knew what he was silently asking.

He wasn’t going to let this go, and knowing him, he definitely wanted.

I also knew that when Carter Griggs made up his mind about something, there was no changing it.

So, I did the only logical thing I could. I opened my mouth and told him, “Mr. Simpson gets our deep-tissue package. Well, he had read something and asked me about it.”

He nodded, “Okay, well, that wouldn’t cause you to laugh. What’s the rest of it?”

I let out a little growl and watched as his lips twitched.

“He invited me over to his home tonight to see if hot fudge would have the same effects as the Jojoba oil,” I said. And then I waited.

I could see him working it through his mind, and I knew it wouldn’t take long, and I was right.

His face twisted in a grimace.

And at that grimace, Everly and I started laughing again.

He shook his head, “That’s just fucking disgusting.”

Everly smiled, “Well, I mean, if it was with someone hot, I wouldn’t mind it.”

I grinned, “Neither would I. Reverse the roles...” I said.

Her eyes smiled as a blinding smile hit her face, too. “You’re totally right.”

Carter had just opened his mouth to say something when Everly said, “Damn, but I need to get laid.”

Carter closed his mouth with an audible snap.

“So, what brings you by?” I asked.

“Need a favor,” he said.

I nodded, “Okay, shoot.”

With his eyes locked with mine, he said, “Having a rewards banquet at the headquarters office in two weeks. Wanted to know if you would go with me. Hate attending that shit alone.”

I thought about it, “What date?”

“April twenty-eighth.”

I nodded, then pulled out my phone and called my mom.

She answered on the third ring, “Hey, Belly belle. What’s up?”

“Do y’all have coverage on the twenty-eighth?” I asked.

I was surprised when she didn’t have to check the calendar, “We do. Apparently, Alec did something to upset you, so he offered to help on the weekends for a month.”

I snickered. I was still doing my own payback. That little weasel.

***

It was two weeks later, and I was getting ready.

Since I’d never been to any type of banquet, I had been unsure of what to wear.

That had been where my girls had come through.

Our text thread went like this.

Badass Chick Thread

Me – Carter asked me to attend a rewards banquet with him on the 28 th . What do I wear?

Talia – One night we will go shopping.

Talia – Love my brother, but those things are kind of boring.

Talia – Also love that you didn’t ask me if it was okay with me.

Me – Shopping one night this week will totally work.

Me – And I didn’t bother asking if it was okay with you. Not when you sent me a text thanking me for agreeing to go with him when he asked me.

Lila – Just let me know what day y’all wanna go.

Me – I have a question.

Talia – .......

Lila – Shoot.

Me – Y’all okay with adding Everly to this thread?

Talia – Wait.... I thought she already was.

Lila – Right. Feels like she should have already been in here.

Added Everly to the text thread.

Everly – Umm.... should I be worried?

Me – Negative. This is our only girls’ text thread.

Everly – Gotcha. And I just scrolled up. I can come with.

Me – Perfect. I love your opinions.

Talia – Totally read that in a sarcastic voice.

Lila – You have four brothers. It’s a given.

Me – What she said.

At the sight of the dress we had all agreed on, I felt something in my stomach do a little flip.

It really was gorgeous.

I’ve never owned a black cocktail dress... I may have developed an addiction.

It sat just above my knees, fitted at the bodice, and then flared out at my hips, with one shoulder, making my exposed shoulder look sexy.

I had already plugged in my hot rollers and was doing my makeup when my phone vibrated with a text.

And when I looked at the notification on my phone, I felt my brows furrow.

That was a new one.

Lil Sis Text Thread

Garrick – The only person you have to be super nice to is his boss, Caulson.

Alec – Don’t accept drinks from anyone other than Carter.

Ethan – If there’s a dish called Happy Mello, avoid it.

Garrick – What they said.

Me – So this is a new text thread...

Garrick – You’re practically family.

Totally not missing that they hadn’t included Carter in this.

What the hell did that mean?

Me – But I’m not.

Garrick – Semantics. Suck it up, buttercup.

Me – I just snorted at hearing you say that aloud.

Ethan – what she said.

Alec – What they said.

Me – Where’s Talia?

Garrick – She has her own text thread with you. This is ours.

Me – Gotcha.

Me – Thank you for all the advice. I’ve gotta finish getting ready.

Garrick – You’ll knock him on his ass.

Garrick silenced notifications.

Alec – What Garrick said,

Ethan – Just have a good time. Anything goes wrong, call us.

I was shaking my head at them. And I was thanking my lucky stars that not only did I have Talia in my corner, but I also had them.

Made a girl feel super special.

Once the hot rollers were ready, I put them in my hair and started on my makeup.

I’ve become very adept at applying straight lines, and I was thankful for it.

With a smoky eye to enhance my mossy-oak-colored eyes, and dark eyeliner... it made them pop.

Once I had my dress on, my phone received another notification.

Carter – Be there in 15.

Me – Okay. I’m almost ready.

Carter – See you then.

Once my hair was ready, I sprayed a few things in it, and then flipped my head over, and shook my head five times.

Then, when I flipped it back over, it fell around my shoulders and down my back perfectly.

A pair of earrings I had gotten from Misty the year prior for Christmas went into my ears.

Spritzed some perfume on and then slid my feet into a pair of black peep-toed, three-inch heels.

Looking at myself in my full body mirror set up in the corner of my room, I gave myself a once-over.

This was perfect.

Then, I heard three knocks.

Taking in a breath, I turned my bedroom light off, then strode down my little hallway and walked to the front door.

Leaning up on a tiptoe toe I checked the peephole.

And at Carter’s face, I lowered back down, flipped the locks, and opened the door.

When his eyes caught mine, he smiled, and then when he looked down, I watched as that smile faded from his face, his throat bobbed as he swallowed, then I watched as he shook his head, “You’d think I was raised as a caveman. Sorry, Harlee. You look beautiful.”

Then he bent his neck and pressed a kiss on my forehead.

I smiled up at him, then said, “You’d think that about me, too. You look nice.”

I had said that, but all I wanted to say... well... ask... If I could climb him like a spider monkey and block anyone else’s view of him.

His dark brown hair was styled back and out of his face, from where it sometimes fell in front of his forehead.

The black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up on his forearms made his oceanlike-colored eyes shine.

A pair of dark jeans and black shoes fitted his look.

He didn’t need anything more than that.

But... would it be wrong to picture him with his shirt off for the rest of the night... I mean... I knew what it looked like.

I’d seen it often whenever they’d worked on something in the summer, or the family vacations I sometimes went on when they went to the lake.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” he teased.

I grinned, “Oh yeah, care to be photographed with me?”

He nodded, “Yeah. Anytime. Pretty sure there are quite a few at my parents’ house.”

I smiled, then, thanking my lucky stars, when I left my room, I had grabbed my phone.

I spun around as I brought my phone up, opened my camera app, and handed it to him. “You have longer arms.”

He took the phone from my hand, then held it out.

Then... he made me shiver as his arm wrapped around my waist as he moved closer, feeling his chest against my back, feeling his heat.

And then I felt it. A press of a kiss on my temple.

I hadn’t meant to close my eyes at the sensation, but I had.

And then he lowered the phone and handed it to me while asking, “You ready?”