“I was seven when I went into foster care. The majority of adoptions are for babies and toddlers. The older kids just can’t compete with that. I think some people worry that the older ones are too damaged.”
Luke put his arm around her. “You’re not damaged.”
Harper smiled. “No, I’m not now. But I was then. You have to be someone really special to want to tackle a project like that. But I, like all kids, was resilient. Someday I’ll have my own family and it’ll all be worth it.”
Luke squeezed her shoulder.
“Do you ever think about having kids?” Harper asked.
He was silent for a long moment. “I used to.”
“Do you ever get lonely?”
Luke sighed. “Yeah.”
“Me, too.”
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “You’re going to have everything you want someday.”
She dropped her head to his shoulder. “Until then this isn’t so bad.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Harper had an extra spring in her step the next morning. She had slept like a rock, once again ending up in Luke’s arms at some point during the night. And Luke’s part-time bookkeeper was coming back to work today.
Harper was excited about the prospect of some company around the office and an extra pair of hands to help tackle the work.
Ready for a shower, Harper tugged the t-shirt over her head and dropped it on the floor next to her shorts. Luke was out for a run, his long one. No one was going to witness her mostly naked streak downstairs to grab the new body wash she had left in her bag in the kitchen.
She crooned along to Bruno Mars wailing through her ear buds and busted some serious moves down the stairs. She grabbed the body wash and, since she was in the kitchen, decided she’d pour herself a glass of juice to enjoy after her shower.
She found the juice behind a bag of salad mix and the steaks Luke was going to grill for dinner that night. In her opinion, the fridge’s contents had vastly improved since she moved in. Harper stood on tiptoe to reach for a plastic cup out of the cabinet. Damn it. Couldn’t quite reach.
She levered herself up onto her knees on the counter and grabbed the cup. Just as she moved to hop back down someone grabbed her.
She screamed loud enough that she could hear it over the music thundering in her ears and threw an elbow. She flailed and kicked as she was plucked off the countertop. Her heel grazed solid flesh and together they went down in a heap.
She crawled forward, scrambling frantically. A hand grabbed at her hip and came away with a fistful of the waistband of her underwear. She shrieked before a hand clamped over her mouth.
Her ear buds were yanked out.
“Jesus Christ, Harper! Stop kicking!”
“Luke?” Harper tried to look over her shoulder and found his face looming an over her. “Oh my God! You scared the crap out of me! I thought you were some crazy rapist.”
“What the hell were you doing? I come in and you’re shaking your ass on the counter.” He was shouting.
“I was getting a cup for juice,” Harper shouted back. “I thought you were out for a run.”
“I was,” he gritted out. “I have an early meeting.”
“Oh.”
“Why don’t you have any clothes on?”
Harper realized that her bare breasts were smashed into the kitchen floor and her underwear was halfway down her thighs.
“Oh my God!” Harper tried to wriggle free.
“For the love of God, Harper, stop wiggling.”
“Just let me — Oh.” He was hard. She felt him through the incredibly thin gym shorts, nestled against the juncture of your thighs. “Luke?”
“Just give me a minute,” he muttered.
“You sound mad,” she whispered.
“Harper!” He barked her name and she felt him twitch against her. He sighed. His breath was a warm breeze on her neck. “Okay. Get up.”
He pushed himself off the floor and pulled her up by the elbow. Harper set about yanking her underwear back into place with one hand while trying to cover her breasts with the other arm.
“What’s the point, Harp? I’ve already seen it all.” He looked annoyed.
“Fine.” She dropped her arm and put her hands on her hips. “You’re this mad because I climbed up on the counter?”
His gaze flickered up to her face and back down again. Harper set her jaw. “Eyes up here, buddy.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”
“Why are you so pissed?”
“Fuck it.” He grabbed her — again by the waistband of her underwear — and yanked her against him. They stood that way, mouths a breath apart, for a second and then another one. Harper moved first. She brought her hands to his shoulders. When he didn’t move, she rose on tiptoe and slowly brought her lips to his.