Quinn steps forward. “No. He’s my brother.”
“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but the police are here.”
“What?”
Steven’s face hardens. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ll go with him,” Chase says.
“Me, too,” Noah adds.
“His hand is swelling badly. He needs medical attention,” I cry out.
“It’s fine,” Steven claims.
“No, it’s not.”
“I want to talk to your boss,” Jamison says.
The next hour is a mess. Steven has to give a statement to the police, and the restaurant wants to kick him out, but Jamison gets them to agree to let Steven stay since Mitch is gone.
Anna is nowhere to be seen.
When Steven comes in, he looks at Quinn. “I’m so sorry.”
She puts her fist out. “I’ve never liked Mitch. Glad someone finally gave him what he deserved.”
He looks at the sky and blinks hard.
She hugs him. “Everything is fine. Go have a drink and shake your booty.”
He nods. “Okay.”
“Steven?”
“What?”
“When I look at the pictures, I better see you tipsy and having fun.”
He smiles. “Got it.”
She leaves, and he closes his eyes again and tilts his head toward the sky.
“Hey.”
He slowly looks at me.
I pick up his hand. “Does it hurt?”
“It’s fine.”
“Maybe you should stop saying things are fine when they aren’t.”
He releases a big breath.
“Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“To clean you up.”
I take him into the women’s room, check no one is in the stalls, and lock the main door. I point to the counter. “Sit.”
I gather wet towels and step between his muscular thighs. “Hold your hand up for me.”
He obeys, and I carefully remove all the blood from it. “Looks like it was just Mitch’s blood.”
“That guy is such an asshole.”
“Yep. Reminds me of my husband.”
He freezes. “You have a husband?”
“Sorry, ex.”
I feel him stare at me, but I concentrate on his hand.
“What happened?”
Shame rises and heat creeps in my face. “After ten years, I found out he cheated on me. But then I went digging and learned the real truth.”
“What was that?”
“He wasn’t even faithful for a month of our marriage.”
Silence fills the air.
At least he knows what a loser you are now. In case he had any doubts.
I finish cleaning his hand, throw the paper towels in the bin, and finally look at him.
His neutral expression is back on his face. I step back to leave, but he crosses his legs around my body, pulling me closer to him. He holds my cheeks. “Any man who would do that to you never deserved you in the first place.”
I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.
He shakes his head. “No. They don’t deserve you. There isn’t any excuse.”
Tears fill my eyes.
He wipes his thumbs under my lids and leans forward so his mouth is inches from mine. “I want to kiss you,” he mumbles. “Really kiss you.”
I sharply inhale.
“Can I?”
I swallow hard and nod.
His lips come toward me, but he kisses my forehead, and cheekbones, and nose. Every touch is a zing of heat, and he travels across my jaw and neck and the other side of my face. His breath sends shivers down my spine. His tongue tortures my senses. And when his lips finally meet mine, I’m whimpering, and my insides throb as I moan in his mouth. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. He consumes me, devouring me as if he’s trying to get every part of me he can, while his erection pushes into my stomach.
Someone bangs on the door, and he pulls back. The blue in his eyes flickers with heat, and I pant, trying to find air to fill my lungs.
There is more pounding on the door.
He releases me and stands. Bending down and kissing my head, he guides me to the door and opens it.
“Why was the door locked?” Quinn asks and raises her eyebrows.
“Harper cleaned up my hand.”
“And the door needed to be locked?”
“Do you need to use the bathroom?” Steven asks.
“Yeah, I’m going to pee my pants.”
He swings the door open farther. “Have at it.” He leads me out of the room. The waitress has a tray of shots, and he pulls two off. We clink glasses and down them. He tugs me onto the dance floor, and we spend the rest of the night drinking, pressing our bodies against each other on the dance floor, and hanging out with our friends.
At the end of the night, everyone gets into the cars waiting for them. He pulls me into his, and as soon as the door shuts, he takes me back into the world of Steven Sinclair.
When the car stops, we get out, and he keeps kissing me, guiding me into the building while I walk backward. He holds my thumb on a security screen, never removing his lips from mine. We get in the elevator, and when it opens, we’re in Jamison and Quinn’s place. “What are we doing here?”
“I’m dropping you off.”
My heart drops. “Why?”
“Because I’m drunk, and you might be drunk, and this is where you’re staying.”
I grasp the top of his pants and pull. “Come in, then.”
“Harper, is that—”
The elevator doors shut, and he hits the stop button. He moves me against the wall, and his lips take another tour of my neck, jaw, and lips. “You drive me crazy, Harper.”
“Then why are we here?”
“Shh.” He consumes my mouth again, burning up my loins.
He hits the button and pulls back. When the doors open, Cathy is standing in front of it with her arms crossed and eyebrows raised.
“Have a good night, ladies.” As soon as I step out, Steven presses the button and vanishes for the night. But the scent of him and the feel of his lips haunt me.
6
Steven
Tearing myself away from Harper’s lips is like putting a dripping ice cream cone in front of me while on a starvation diet and asking me not to lick it.
I’m feeling pretty good when I leave Quinn and Jamison’s place. I’ve drank more than usual. I’m not a big partier and don’t usually consume so much alcohol in one weekend, but since it’s Quinn’s wedding, I let it slide.
And Harper no longer hates me. She wasn’t too happy I dropped her off, but she will be tomorrow when she wakes up. I was tempted to take her to my place, but she was tipsier than I was, so I didn’t want to take advantage of her state.
I’m pretty sure I have a perma-grin on my face when I walk into my condo. I don’t turn on the lights and go straight to the window, staring out at the skyline.
“It’s about time you got here.”
My gut drops. I spin and angrily bark, “How did you get into my house?”
Maximillion Evinrude rises and walks toward me. He’s close to the same height as me and keeps in shape, but he’s not as built as I am. “You got into a fight at your sister’s wedding.”