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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

HARLOW

T he rain was coming down hard as we pulled up to my house. Brooks grabbed my hand, and we bolted for the porch.

The wind picked up, howling so loudly that you could almost feel the windows rattle. God, please don’t let a tree fall on the house. That was the last thing I needed.

I kicked the door closed behind us and shook the raindrops off my shirt.

The house smelled a little musty from being under construction, but somehow it still felt like home.

Brooks ran upstairs to grab a few towels.

“Here,” he said, handing me one.

“Thanks.” I started drying off my arms, hoping my body would warm up soon. It was one of those wet, gray days when the cold seeped into your bones. It would have been perfect if the fireplace was lit. A little bit of warmth would do me good right now.

Brooks rummaged through the cabinets. “Do you have anything besides pretzels and popcorn?”

I wrinkled my nose. “No. I only bought a few snacks for when we were here working. I didn’t plan on getting stuck here.”

We were going to stop and grab a bite to eat on our way back, but when we saw how quickly the weather was changing, we decided to drive straight to the lake house because it was closer.

He glanced at the phone. “We are under a weather alert until midnight.”

I kicked my socks and shoes off. “I should probably take a hot shower.”

The house still lacked some finished walls and flooring, but at least the plumbing was fixed.

He looked out the window, where he could see the storm-fueled waves lap up over the dock. The water looked like it was ready to boil. “I’ve got a bag in my truck with a change of clothes. Why don’t you hop in the shower first?”

I bounded upstairs and quickly peeled off my wet, heavy clothes. I had a few things in the closet, so I grabbed a sweatshirt and a pair of yoga pants.

As I bent over, searching for a pair of underwear, the floorboard creaked, and I turned to see Brooks standing in the doorway.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” I pointed to the black bag clutched tightly in his hands.

His brown eyes dragged over me as if he hadn’t just seen me a few minutes ago. “Yeah.”

It was then that I realized that I was standing in front of him, completely naked.My arms instinctively flew to my chest in an attempt to cover myself. His eyes moved over every inch of me. Goose bumps broke out along my skin that had nothing to do with the cold, wet weather outside.

I should have been embarrassed, but I wasn’t. Not with the way he was looking at me.

He dropped his bag on the floor and moved forward.

“Sorry.” I swallowed thickly. “I was about to hop in the shower.”

His steps were slow and deliberate. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” he said, slipping his hand along my waist and pulling me to his chest. I could feel every muscle, every beat of his heart against mine.

I threaded my fingers through his damp hair. “I think you need your eyes checked because I am a wet mess right now.”

His hands cupped my cheeks, holding me still. I whimpered when he dipped his head and brushed his mouth along the shell of my ear. “I am about to get you even wetter.”

I barely had time to react before his mouth was on mine. Whatever insecurities I had about him seeing me without clothes on faded away. Nothing beyond these walls existed. Brooks had a way of shutting off my brain, so all I focused on was him.

My body sagged against his as the kiss turned harder.

He moaned and moved his hand to my hair, keeping me right where he wanted me. This man was the only thing in the world that ever made sense to me. I loved him since I first laid eyes on him. The past few weeks have been nothing but a dream. I didn’t deserve him. I never have.

His hand slid down my body, stopping at my core. “I could watch you like this forever.”

A noise came from my throat as he pushed a finger inside. “Brooks.”

I felt him harden against my belly. “You have no idea how perfect you look right now.”

I gasped when he shoved another finger through my folds. My hips bucked forward as he dug deeper. His pace was slow and steady, but it still worked me into a frenzy. “Nothing compares to seeing you like this.”

He dropped to his knees and planted his face right at my opening.

“Oh, God.” I panted out and gripped my fingers into his shoulders. I rocked myself into him. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t talk. All I could do was pull his face into me.The storm outside was completely forgotten.

I was going to come from the flicks of his tongue and the touch of his hands alone.

My breathing picked up when he pressed his thumb to my clit and started sliding his tongue back and forth. I was sensitive everywhere. The pressure was almost too much.

“You’re almost there, aren’t you?” His grin was cocky, but I was too caught up in the sensations he was bringing me to say anything back.

My legs started to shake against his mouth when he latched on harder. I was seconds away from coming undone.

“You’re even more beautiful when you lose control,” he said, dragging his tongue along my skin.

He increased the pressure, and I clenched around him.

“That’s it, baby, give me every last drop.

” My entire body shook as he continued to draw every ounce of pleasure I had until there was nothing left to give.

I sagged against the wall, needing a minute to catch my breath. Brooks stood, a smile breaking out across his face.

I couldn’t believe this beautiful man was mine again.

He grabbed me by the waist and pressed a kiss to my lips. I tasted myself on his tongue.I should have been grossed out, but this was us, messy, raw, and imperfect.

When he pulled back, our gazes held. I trailed my fingers through his damp hair. “Do you want to shower with me?”

His lips tilted up into a boyish grin. “I thought you would never ask.”

He grabbed my hand, leading me toward the shower, when we heard a car approaching the driveway.

He stilled. “Are you expecting someone?”

I shook my head and walked to the small window to peek outside.

My stomach dropped when I spotted the familiar figure approaching the house.

“It’s Baz,” I whispered.

I knew it would only be a matter of time before he showed up. The confrontation was bound to happen sooner or later, but I was hoping it would be much later. Like never.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Brooks’ face hardened, and I scrambled to gather my clothes.

I huffed and threw my shirt over my shoulders, not bothering with a bra, and slid the leggings up my bare legs. I started moving toward the stairs, but Brooks stopped me.

“Don’t.” He clenched his jaw. “I’ve got this.”

His angry steps pounded through the house. There was a knot of dread settling in my stomach.This was a powder keg waiting to explode.

I reached the landing at the same moment he stepped inside the house.

“Baz, what are you doing here?”

His polo shirt was soaked, and his jaw tightened as soon as he saw me. “Hello, Harlow. Surprised to see me?”

“I wasn’t expecting you, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” I said, gripping the railing for support.

Brooks positioned himself between me and our unwelcome visitor. “How the hell did you get in here?”

Baz looked between us. “Her dad gave me a key,” he said, as if that explained everything.

“That doesn’t give you the right to use it and just show up here unannounced,” Brooks snarled.

His beady little eyes gave me a slow once-over, lingering long enough to make my skin prickle. “Why? Am I interrupting something?”

Brooks crossed his arms. “As a matter of fact, Bart, you were.”

I closed my eyes briefly and prayed for God to take mercy on my soul and get Brooks to shut up. Provoking Baz wasn’t going to help this situation.

“My name is Baz, not Bart,” he said through clenched teeth.

I pulled on Brooks’ arm, silently pleading with him to take it down a notch. “Baz, why don’t you tell me why you’re here.”

He wiped some of the water dripping off his arm. “I think it’s time you and I had a little chat, don’t you?”

I’d spent the last few weeks pretending that I didn’t know he would track me down. Now that he was here, he wasn’t leaving until he got answers.

“I guess I owe you a conversation.” The wedding might not have been about us, but he was the one left standing at the altar.

He watched me closely. “Do you have anything else you want to say to me?”

I twisted my hands in front of me, resisting the urge to tuck them behind my back so he wouldn’t see the diamond on my finger. Judging by the frown on his face, he already knew. There was no way my father kept that news to himself.

“I’m sorry for disappearing without a call or a text.”

He tilted his head to the side. “You’re sorry?”

“Yes.”

He stepped into the living room, his eyes sweeping over the bare floors, patched walls, and paint cans scattered around. “If you were having second thoughts, you should have said something. We could have worked something out.”

He was probably right, but it wouldn’t have changed anything. I wasn’t going through with it, no matter how much pressure he and my father put on me.

“You wouldn’t have listened to me. You would have tried to convince me to stay.”

“How do you know? You never gave me the chance.”

He was wrong, I did know. He would have said all the right things, reminded me of how much the merger benefited our families. He would have made it sound reasonable and logical. He would have made me feel small for even questioning it.

“I felt suffocated. I needed to get away and clear my head.”

He looked down at my outfit, clearly not thrilled with my messy, unkept look.

“You disappeared. Left me standing there, fielding questions from our friends and family that I couldn’t possibly answer. You have been here for weeks, and I haven’t gotten a single fucking phone call! Weeks, Harlow!”

“Watch it,” Brooks said, crossing his arms and reminding us both that he was standing right there.

“You stay out of this,” he snapped.