Page 78 of He Has Charm

Harper stands there, her luggage behind her and a big uncertain smile on her face. My heart blows up and I pull her and her bags inside.

“Since when do you knock?” My chest tightens as I realize I may not like the answer to that question and I back up a step to give her space. What if she came to her senses and came to say good-bye?

“Since I don’t live here anymore.” She tries to maintain her smile. “But I wanted to see you.”

“Do you know how fucking much I wanted to see you? How much I miss you when you’re not here?” Fuck it. I pull her in for a kiss because I can’t resist those lips and I watch her sparkling eyes flutter closed as I touch my lips to hers. The soft cushion of her mouth against mine soothes the longing and reassures the fear. But I have a lot to say to her, so I lift my head after a few seconds and step back.

“That was the kind of welcome I was hoping for, dreaming about, if I’m honest,” she says. “But I know I had some work to do to prove that I love you, so I wasn’t sure.”

“What are you talking about? You’ve been nothing but loving and giving every day since I met you, even when you didn’t like me or respect me or—”

“I’ve always liked and respected you, Maddox. I didn’t want to.” I laugh. “But I knew you needed more than words to understand how I feel. So I wanted to prove by my actions how much I care, how I feel.”

“You negotiated the option deal to buy the townhouse for me.” She nods. “And you convinced the Brawlers to keep me on until the end of the season.” I’m blown away by how much she’s thinking about me, taking care of me and that it has nothing to do with her job. There’s no money, nothing in it for her.

“I’m the one with something to prove to you, Harper, but I swear to god, if you choose me in spite of my damaged heart and my damaged genes, I will love and cherish you and make you the most important thing in my life every single day for the rest of my life.”

“You had me sold at hello and that kiss,” she says, her green eyes glistening, her passion glowing like she’s about to burst into flames.

“You know I love you and want you more than anything, including hockey.” She smiles and leans in, her face against my chest listening to my heart.

“I’m so sorry you lost hockey, my love. If I could fix your heart and get it back for you, I—”

“Don’t be sorry, sugar buns. I’m over hockey.” The flood of heat that runs through my body has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with the realization that I truly mean it. “Hockey is nothing compared to you. You mean everything to me.”

She lets her tears escape and kisses me, devours me with her mouth as she laugh-cries, murmuring how much she loves me. Holding her tight, I return her kisses, with deep hungry exploration and the hunger turns to hot need. She feeds my heart and soul and my body chimes in with a vengeance and I groan with need as my cock stiffens and all the blood travels away from my mind.

Harper separates from me, her plump kiss-swollen lips enticing me as she speaks.

“I have news, a surprise for you.” Excitement lights her face and I pull her hips against mine to make sure she knows where I’m at.

“I already heard from Delaney about the townhouse, sugar buns. Sorry to spoil your—”

“No, that’s not it—I mean that’s not the only surprise.” She says the words, but I’m unable to take them in as I run my hands up and down her body and she leans into me, letting out the kind of moan that tells me she’s with me.

“Let’s talk in the bedroom,” I say, but I don’t wait for an answer as I scoop her up.

“We won’t end up talking,” she laughs and wraps her arms around my neck. “Is this carrying me to the bedroom a thing with you?” I laugh.

“It can be if you want it to. But I have a few other things to do with you in mind.” I carry her to my bed and fall onto it with her, kissing her, running my hands over her body as the hot rush runs through me, the thrill that she’s mind, that she wants me, maybe as much as I want her.

“You know I’m madly in love with you, right?” I rasp the words as I stare into her eyes.

“I think so,” she says, tongue-in-cheek, “but it would be helpful if you could show me, maybe do something to demonstrate it.” My cheeks strain with the wide grin that pops automatically.

“What do you have in mind?” I growl. “You know I’ll do anything you ask, anything you want.” She takes a deep breath while I hold mine.

“I want you to…” she pauses like she’s unsure, shy.”

“Don’t get shy on me now, sugar buns. I want you to trust me with anything and everything, in the bedroom and out.” She nods and her face glows.

“I want you to re-enact that time in my hotel shower so I can watch this time.” My eyes widen and my cock jumps with the unexpected erotic as hell request. My answer is to stand and undress while she watches, her eyes hungry and on me, tracking every movement. When I pull off my boxers, she licks her lips and my hard, throbbing cock jumps to full attention, upright, thick and ready.

“Exactly as you did it that day,” she says, then pulls her sweater over her head. I close my eyes and groan.

“I don’t know sugar, it might be difficult. I didn’t have you staring at me half naked that day.

“Do your best,” she whispers as she shimmies out of her pants.