“I’m sorry your show wasn’t picked up,” Violet said. “But you also mentioned something about bad dating experiences. Does someone need his LA ass kicked? Because Andre and I are here for the summer. We can take a quick trip out West to put a guy or two in their places if need be.”
Andre draped an arm over Violet’s shoulder and said, “Have I told you lately how much I adore when your claws come out to protect your friends?”
“Nobody needs to be beat up,” Harper said, and she was pretty sure if they did, Gavin would be happy to do it. “Although the guy I sat next to on the plane might disagree. The poor guy was just trying to be nice, and it was like I’d taken bitch pills that morning. I was so angry and anxious, I chewed him out. It was pretty ugly.”
“He’s a guy. You probably made his day,” Serena said.
“He did give me his number,” Harper said, noticing a slightly jealous look in Gavin’s eyes. “He said if I ever decide to write, to give him a call.”
“Maybe he likes bitchy women. What are you going to do now?” Chloe asked.
“For now I’ll be writing articles for the newspaper and trying to find my next muse.” Harper looked at Gavin and mouthed, Thank you. He was good at pushing her in ways she never thought she needed. He did it casually, with a slight nod and a satisfied look in his eyes, as he was now.
Violet eyed the two of them and said, “Looks like you might have already found him.”
Yeah, I think I might have.
“I’m sure you’ll find your groove again,” Serena said. “For what it’s worth, I’m really glad you’re back and that you and Gavin are hanging out together.”
“Oh my gosh, you guys!” Emery set her phone on the table and said, “I just got a text from my brother Ethan. He invited us out on his yacht to watch the fireworks for the Fourth. No pressure or anything, but if you want to go, he’ll be at the Provincetown Pier and the yacht leaves at six o’clock.”
“The Fourth is weeks away, but we’ll go, right, Drake?” Serena said.
Drake nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
“I still can’t believe my brother owns a yacht,” Emery said as she snagged a piece of Dean’s pastry.
“That’s what happens when you’re Showtime’s biggest competitor,” Gavin said. “The guy’s come a long way from our little hometown. I think it sounds great. What do you say, Harp?”
“Sounds fun. I’m slated to write an article about the Provincetown parade for the newspaper, so I’ll already be there.”
As the girls made plans for the holiday, Gavin leaned closer to Harper and said, “Then so will I.”
Chapter Seven
GAVIN SHOWED UP Sunday on a shiny black motorcycle, wearing jeans, black boots, and a look that said he’d missed Harper almost as much as the scorching-hot kiss he’d given her did. It wasn’t even a French kiss, just a firm press of his lips as he held her in the circle of his arms. Before they’d met, she hadn’t known it was possible for a kiss or an embrace to send tingles from her head to her toes, but ever since they’d agreed to take things slowly, the intensity of her desires had magnified.
From the moment he’d arrived, Gavin had made himself at home, flipping through her notebooks, reading old scripts she’d taken to LA in case the inspiration to finish them hit while she was there. He’d read some of them aloud, which was embarrassing, but it had been an excellent lesson in revision practices. Hearing someone else read her work made it easier for her to spot the flaws. He’d joked about some of her lines, and at one point they had tears in their eyes from laughter. It wasn’t just her sexual desires that were intensifying. Her emotions toward Gavin as a trusted, admired friend were deepening. She was even feeling different about herself. Now, after hours of unpacking, as they tossed cardboard boxes into the recycle bins at the other end of her development, she was thinking about that hello kiss, wanting so much more.
“Did you ever think unpacking would be so much fun?” Gavin asked.
He took her hand and they headed back toward her cottage, the gravel crunching beneath their feet. The first thing he’d asked her when he’d arrived, after the kiss and before letting her out of his arms, was how her visit with her parents had gone. He’d held her until she’d answered, like he’d wanted to make sure he was there for her in case it had gone badly. She told him that her visit had gone well, and his relief had shown in his eyes. He was genuine in his affections. Everything he did helped her let down her guard. She was pretty sure that with Gavin she didn’t need to be guarded at all.
“What I think,” she said as they passed her neighbor’s cottage, “is that you make everything better.”
He put his arm around her and kissed her temple. “Glad to hear it’s mutual. I like your community, by the way. It’s cute.”
“I like it, too.” She even liked living a hop, skip, and a beat from transient renters. There were always new people to chat with and kids playing in the yards, as they were now. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed the casualness of her lifestyle when she’d been in LA. There, her days had been rushed and stressed. Gavin made her forget her worries about what might come next or where her career was headed enough to remember how much she enjoyed life.
She looked up at his handsome face and said, “Every time I’m with you we laugh.”
“See, Harp? You wasted all that time in LA trying to fit in with people who weren’t your tribe, when you could have been here getting to know the newest member.”
“You were wrong about yourself, Mr. Wheeler. You are quite a wordsmith.” And she really liked the way he used those words. He pushed just enough to make her want to be closer. She looked down at her side pressed against his and realized it’d already become natural for him to hold her.
“Think of all the time we have to make up for,” he said as they came to her yard.
His gaze moved to the gardens she’d cultivated over the years. “You have quite a green thumb.”
“I’ve always loved gardening, and flowers make me happy.” She walked over to his shiny black motorcycle and ran her hand along the seat. “Probably like this makes you happy. Can I sit on it?”
He put his hands on her waist, pulling her closer, his eyes darkening seductively as he said, “You want to straddle my hog?”
Her heart raced. “That’s a loaded question if I ever heard one.”
He didn’t say a word as his grip tightened around her waist, and he lifted her off her feet like she was light as a feather.
“Gavin!” she squealed, grabbing his shoulders as he moved her over the center of the bike, her long skirt waving around her feet.
“Spread ’em, sweetheart.” He lowered her to the seat with a look of sheer satisfaction. “You’re officially the first woman to sit on my bike.”
That made it even more thrilling. She grabbed the handlebars, feeling strangely powerful. “It feels even bigger than it looks.”
He climbed onto the bike, wrapping his arms around her middle, and kissed the side of her neck, sending goose bumps skittering over her flesh.