Stealing Harper(13)
Before I could say anything else, he hung up, and I gripped my phone tightly as Harper’s laugh reached me from the other end of the hall.
Chapter Four
I HEARD SOMEONE saying my name and lifted my head slowly from Natalie’s neck. Normally, I didn’t spend so much time with one person, and this was the fifth time in two weeks I’d spent time with her. But we still had our agreement. She still had a boyfriend, and she knew there were too many girls wanting to see if they could tie me down since school had just started. It was just easier when the girl already knew all the rules.
“What?” Harper’s voice broke into my already too-tipsy mind, and my eyes easily found and narrowed in on her and Brandon. I’d told him to back off.
He leaned slightly toward her and spoke softly. She looked shocked, and her eyes flashed to mine and briefly reduced to slits. I winked and saw her cheeks redden as Natalie looked over her shoulder at my princess before claiming my mouth with her own. She bit down softly on my bottom lip, and I leaned farther into her.
“So that’s her, huh?”
Just as I started to ask, who? her tongue met mine, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. Harper laughed, and my fingers dug into Natalie’s hips. What the hell was he saying that was so damn funny? I started to pull away, but Natalie kept me close, only removing her lips enough to whisper against mine.
“She’s driving you crazy, Chase; might as well give her some of her own medicine.”
I leaned away and looked at her like she was insane. Is she a damn mind reader? “Natalie, what the hell are you talking about?”
She batted her blue eyes like there was something in them and spoke in a sugar-sweet voice, making her sound like Kristen had that afternoon. “Little miss thing over there with your boy. You’ve been acting all kinds of weird these last two weeks, and it’s starting to make sense.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Chase”—Drew nudged me, and I let go of Natalie with a shake of my head to start looking for my gray-eyed princess again—“table’s set up, you ready for beer pong?”
“Yeah sure—” I instantly took off toward the living room and saw Harper and Brandon sitting on one of the couches. They were close, too damn close. They both started leaning in toward each other, and I was glad she’d sat on this side of the couch. I leaned over the arm, grabbed her around the waist, and hauled her away from him and over my shoulder. “LET’S GET THIS BEER PONG TOURNAMENT STARTED!”
“CHASE! Put me down!”
“No way! The princess needs her throne!” And besides, I was enjoying having her ass directly next to my face and my hands high up on her thighs.
I swear she growled, and I couldn’t help but laugh, especially when her tiny fists started pounding on my back and her whole body wiggled as she tried to get down. I couldn’t resist anymore, it was right there and shaking; I smacked her butt, and she froze for all of two seconds before pounding both fists at the same time, all the while yelling, “If you don’t put me down, I will make good on my previous threat!”
Brandon walked into my line of sight and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched us, and my laughter died as I set Harper down. I hated seeing that possessive and concerned look in his eye when he looked at her. I hated that he was looking at her at all. I pulled her away from everyone in the kitchen and waited until we were in the entryway before turning around and pulling her close to me. “I don’t want you with him.”
“What is your deal with him? Is there something he did that you’d like to share?”
He looked at you! “He’s not good enough for you.”
“How do you know what is and isn’t good for me? You don’t even know me!”
All of a sudden, Brandon’s hands were on her shoulders, and I realized I’d been holding her against me. I dropped her arm and took a step away as my eyes burned holes in his hands, which were by then going up and down her arms.
“I thought I told you to back off, man?”
“I don’t really think that’s up to you.”
No, but God I wish it were. I glanced up at Harper’s innocent face as I fought with myself over what I wanted and what I knew she needed. “You hurt her, I swear to God, I’ll break your neck.”
I stalked past them and into the kitchen, grabbing a new bottle of Patron and walking over to one of the many hallways off the main room. I didn’t bother with a glass; there wasn’t much of a need at this point. That girl in the entryway with one of my best friends was driving me absolutely insane, and I hated it.