Pretend You're Mine: A Small Town Love Story Read online

  She hoped she wouldn’t snore.

  The bathroom door opened. He stood in the doorway in nothing but untied flannel pants that rode low on his hips. Harper wet her lips and tried not to stare at his cut abs. Every visible inch of his torso was carved, muscled, and freaking hot. There was another tattoo, a phoenix, over his heart.

  Oh my God. She was going to sleep with that.

  No! She was not going to fall down the rabbit hole of crappy life choices again. She had promised herself that she was turning over a new leaf. Starting fresh, focusing on herself.

  Harper was failing at not focusing on Luke’s naked chest. Her fingers itched to trail over the tattoo, across his chest and down those abs to the indecently low waistband. She fisted her naughty-minded hands in the quilt. There was no way she was going to sleep a wink. Not next to that perfect body.

  He was staring at her, too, but his eyes weren’t bugging out of his head like hers. Harper thought she heard him sigh. But he moved towards the bedroom door and wordlessly flipped the light switch.

  In the dark, Harper was relieved she had nothing to stare at. Until she felt his weight on the other side of the bed.

  He seemed to have the same idea she did, hugging his side.

  “Good night,” she whispered into the darkness.

  “Night.”

  “Luke?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Thanks for letting me stay here.”

  He sighed. “You’re welcome.”

  “I really appreciate it.”

  “Harper?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Shut up and go to sleep.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Luke woke suddenly in the middle of the night feeling warm. He didn’t even remember falling asleep. He heard breathing and remembered he wasn’t alone. Harper’s head was resting on his shoulder, her hand splayed across his chest. Her thigh was drawn up and across his legs.

  It had been a very long time since he woke up to a woman draped over him. He automatically squashed the memory. He was good at that. Staying focused on the present. That’s how he got through every single day.

  Harper made a little sound like a sigh and nuzzled closer.

  The woman was a disaster. She had invaded his night and now his bed. It was taking an act of supreme willpower not to roll over and wake her up in the way his body was demanding.

  Harper. It was an old-fashioned name for such a free spirit. He had already been heading in Glenn’s direction when he saw the blonde blur launch herself at him. It was incredibly stupid of her to get involved like that. Anyone with common sense would have just called for help.

  But not Harper. She went in swinging. If tonight was any indication of how she lived her life, it was a miracle she was still alive.

  There was no doubt that she was beautiful. Those wide gray eyes didn’t miss a beat and her full mouth always seemed to be smiling. And judging from the feel of her body plastered against him, she was built with the soft curves that commanded a man’s hand to follow them. She had an energy that seemed to be trying to explode out of her at every second.

  She was not a restful, careful person. He had known her for only a few hours and was already concerned for her safety.

  No job. No home. No money. According to Soph, Harper was screwed. She probably didn’t even have a plan. Someone who stormed out of her own life with nothing but car keys didn’t sound like much of a planner.

  He would talk to her in the morning. Find out what she was going to do and then talk her out of whatever ridiculous scheme she came up with. He’d help her whether she wanted it or not.

  Luke clenched his jaw in the dark as Harper slid her leg higher up his thighs and murmured something into his neck.

  ***

  Harper woke up to sunlight streaming through the window onto her face. She tried to stretch but found her arms trapped.

  Luke.

  Hot and hard against her, he was spooning her. His breath was warm in her hair. An inked arm was thrown possessively over her, hand cupping her breast through the t-shirt that was now bunched up around her waist. Her ass was pressed against some impressive morning wood.

  Now this was the way to wake up. Warm, safe, and wrapped in strong arms.

  She pressed her lips together to stop the laughter that bubbled up inside. She had been the one worried about not controlling herself.

  He twitched in his sleep, squeezing her breast.

  Harper bit her lip. She didn’t know Luke well, but she was fairly certain he wouldn’t like waking up in such a … vulnerable position.

  She was going to have to sneak out. After she enjoyed this for another thirty seconds.

  She nuzzled in and breathed in his scent. His chest rose rhythmically against her back, his hard thighs cradling her.

  She deserved a medal for leaving this bed. She held her breath and gently pried his hand off her chest. Holding up Luke’s arm, she inched away from his perfect body. And cursed herself as she did it.

  Maneuvering to the edge of the bed, she eased into a sitting position.

  Even in his sleep, Luke was sexy. Inky long lashes brushed his sculpted cheekbones. Except for those lashes, there was nothing delicate about him. He was built with power and strength. She let her gaze linger on the lines of his arm. The sinewy muscle of his biceps gave way to the sensual ink on his forearm.

  She would have to ask him what it meant. A little conversation on their trip would help keep her mind off the memory of waking up with him pressed against her.

  Feeling like she had been hit by a small car, Harper gingerly snuck down to the kitchen where she started a pot of coffee before opening the fridge. Considering the state of the rest of his house — there was nothing but a stack of boxes in the dining room — she didn’t have high hopes for a bachelor’s kitchen inventory, but was happy to find eggs one day away from expiration, milk, cheese and the remains of a loaf of bread. Scrambled egg sandwiches would start the day off.

  The swelling in her face had gone down, thankfully. But the bruising had gotten uglier. Everything else ached. She had even discovered a baseball-sized bruise on her butt cheek. Hopefully that ham-fisted asshole was crying like a baby in a cell somewhere and Gloria had gotten her first good night’s sleep in years.

  Harper found Luke’s laptop on the counter and, as the eggs cooked, checked Craigslist for job listings in Fremont. There were a few that would do, at least temporarily. It was almost a shame that she didn’t know someone here in Benevolence. The sleepy town and its nosy residents gave off a good vibe. No one could be lonely here.

  But the job market was probably nonexistent. Besides, Harper thought as she rummaged for sugar, if she stayed, she would make a fool of herself over Luke.

  And who wouldn’t? He was hot, protective, and those eyes. “Definitely a bad idea,” she murmured to herself.

  “Do you always talk to yourself when you cook?” The room got warmer and the air cracklier when Luke walked in.

  She glanced up from the frying pan to where he stood near the refrigerator, studying her. He still wore the pajama pants, but had added a t-shirt. Damn.

  “Good morning,” she said cheerfully, trying to shove the carnal thoughts out of her head.

  “Morning. What’s all this?” He nodded towards the stove.

  He looked guarded. Harper handed him an empty mug.

  “Breakfast. It’s a thank you for letting me stay here.”

  He took the mug and after a second’s hesitation made his way to the coffee.

  She watched him out of the corner of her eye while he poured and she plated. What would it be like to have this view every morning?

  ***

  “I really appreciate this,” Harper said, sliding into Luke’s truck.

  He waited until she fastened her seatbelt and then started the engine. “You already said that.”

  “Well, I didn’t want you to think I’d gotten less grateful since breakfast.” She looked out the window as they backed down the d
riveway and pulled onto the street. The town rolled by, neat and tidy. Well-maintained houses hugged the main street and historic brick buildings housed businesses with cute names like Common Grounds and the Sparkle Shop.

  Growing up, she had dreamed of a town like this. A place to belong. They drove past the high school with its wide green lawn and football stadium. She wondered how different things would have been for her had life begun here.

  “You’re quiet.” Luke observed, glancing at her.

  “Just thinking. Did you play football? In high school, I mean.”

  Luke stopped for a red light. “Yeah. And ran track.”

  “Very athletic.” Harper commented.

  “You?”

  “No, I never played football.”

  “Smart ass.” Luke said it mildly, and Harper caught a glimpse of dimple.

  Harper smiled. “No other sports either.”

  “Why, because your school didn’t have boxing?”

  “Funny.” She wrinkled her nose at him. “It was mostly circumstances. I moved around a lot.”

  “Skipping out on arrest warrants?”

  “I’m starting to think you have a slightly skewed perception of me, Lucas.”

  “Can you blame me?”

  “Hey, you’re the one who picked me up at a bar.”

  “I picked you up off the parking lot.”

  “Details, details,” Harper waved her hand.

  Luke turned into a small parking lot next to a barn-red office. Dunnigan & Associates.

  “Damn it, Luke. I told her I would see my doctor when I could.”

  “Suck it up, sweetheart. It’s the price of a ride to the city.”

  Harper pouted. “I feel fine.”

  “Bullshit. You can barely move. Now be a big girl and get out.”

  She took her sweet time following him up the ramp.

  “If you’re in that much pain I’d be happy to carry you in,” he threatened.

  Harper quickened her pace and slunk in the door behind him.

  “They’re not even open yet,” she hissed at his back.

  “Doc opened early just for your pretty little ribs.”

  Dr. Dunnigan hustled into the empty waiting room clutching a tall coffee. “Right on time, Luke. Ouch,” she said looking at Harper’s face. “How ya feeling today?”

  “Just great,” she said. “In fact, I think we’re wasting your time —”

  Luke reached out and poked her right on the bruised butt cheek. Harper yelped. He either had spectacular bruise radar or had caught a glimpse of her ass when she had escaped bed this morning.

  “Yeah, I think we still need to do an exam. Come on back. Luke, you might as well come, too. While Harper changes I’ll show you where I’m thinking of doing the addition. Bra off, underwear on,” she called over her shoulder to Harper.

  Harper glumly pulled on the paper gown and tucked it under her for as much modesty as possible. She was not the biggest fan of doctor’s offices. Time was what provided the best healing. She was just a little banged up. This didn’t even make it into her top five injuries list. As far as she was concerned, everyone was overreacting.

  A knock at the door was followed by Dr. Dunnigan’s frizzy curls. “Decent? Are you okay if Luke comes in?”

  Harper shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

  She stared at her bare feet while they entered. Luke sat in the visitor’s chair while Dr. Dunnigan wielded her penlight in Harper’s eyes.

  “I still don’t have a concussion,” Harper sighed.

  “Speaking from experience?” the doctor asked, switching eyes.

  “One or two. You don’t forget what they feel like.”

  “So no nausea, vomiting?”

  “Nope. And no blurred vision either.”

  Dunnigan laughed. “Well, in this case I’m going to agree with your self-diagnosis. I think you’re concussion clear. Which makes you very lucky or very skilled at taking a punch. Glenn has fists of concrete.”

  Harper remained silent and avoided Luke’s gaze.

  “Okay, let’s take a peek at those ribs.” She tugged the paper gown open to check Harper’s side. “Wow, that’s a mess. We’re definitely going to do an X-ray.”

  Harper winced at the gentle probing around the bruising. Dr. Dunnigan pulled the gown open a little wider and Harper saw Luke’s jaw clench. Wordlessly, he shoved out of his chair to pace.

  Ignoring him, Dr. Dunnigan moved on to Harper’s arm.

  “Okay, Contusion Queen, let’s get a couple of pictures for the police report and a few X-rays and you can be on your way. I’m going to grab the camera.”

  Harper sighed and gingerly flopped back on the table. The police report. A very loud part of her wanted to decline, but she thought of Gloria’s terrified face as that ham-fist had closed around the slim column of throat. She’d do it. Besides, maybe if she got called to come back and testify she could see Luke again.

  Harper closed her eyes and tried to pretend she was on a beach somewhere wearing a floppy hat and bikini instead of crinkly paper.

  “Harper.” Luke was standing next to her. He spoke softly, but his expression was hard. “Can I see?” He held the edge of the gown between his fingers.

  She nodded. Why the hell not? This was as close to getting naked with him as she was going to get.

  He draped the material over her, careful to keep her front covered.

  “Baby.” He trailed his fingers over the side of her rib cage, around to just under her breast.

  Harper felt her heart rate kick up several notches. An awake Luke touching her was even hotter than being groped by the asleep one.

  He gently splayed his warm palm over the bruising, the tips of his fingers just brushing the curve of her breast.

  Harper looked into his eyes and wondered how she could see both simmering anger and tenderness in them.

  “All right,” Dr. Dunnigan said, pushing the door open. “Let’s get this show on the road. Luke, can you help Harper up? We’ll take these standing against the wall.

  Luke’s hands closed around her arms and eased her into a sitting position. Harper gritted her teeth as hard as she could to avoid wincing.

  She held his forearms to steady herself as she stepped down onto the hardwood floor. When she craned her neck back to look at him she saw a war of emotions tangle in his gaze. He brushed his knuckles gently across her cheek. “It won’t happen again.” The whispered promise was threaded with steel.

  He stepped back and let the doctor take several shots of Harper’s ribs, arm, and face.

  “Okay, that should be plenty. Let’s get a couple of X-rays down the hall,” Dunnigan said, putting the camera on the desk.

  Luke held the back of Harper’s gown together for her as they made their way to the room. She tried to imagine a hundred different scenarios where his hand would be skimming the bare skin on her back that didn’t involve treating her like an elderly invalid.

  Sometimes life just sucked.

  What if she had rolled into town in a cute sundress and her damn wallet? She could have bought him a drink, instead of requiring saving and charity. If this wasn’t a wake up call about how it was time to start behaving like an adult, she didn’t know what was.

  Dunnigan led them to a small, windowless room and had her lie down on the table. She adjusted the position of the camera over Harper’s ribs and draped a heavy lead cover over her.

  “Just hold still right there and this will be over in a minute.” The doctor had Luke step back with her behind the protective curtain and Harper heard the whir of the camera.

  Dr. Dunnigan rearranged her and took a few more shots of the ribs and one of her arm before letting her sit up again.

  She brought a laptop over to Harper. “Okay. Let’s check these out.”

  Luke joined them, leaning against the table. His arm rested against Harper’s.

  Dunnigan zoomed in on an image. “Hmm.”

  “What does ‘hmm’ mean?” Luke demanded.
<
br />   “This spot right here,” she tapped the screen, “is a healed fracture. So either you have super human healing powers or you broke your ribs before.”

  “I think I had a fracture there years ago,” Harper said, crossing her arms over her chest. It was embarrassing reliving her medical history with two virtual strangers.

  Dr. Dunnigan looked at Harper over her reading glasses and waited. “Hmm.”

  Harper ignored her. She could feel Luke’s gaze weigh heavily on her. She squinted at the screen. “No new fractures?” she asked cheerfully.

  Dunnigan flipped through the series of images. “It looks like you’re in the clear. This time.”

  “Told you,” Harper smirked at Luke.

  “You’re awfully cocky for someone covered head to toe in bruises,” he reminded her.

  “Same story with your arm,” Dr. Dunnigan said tapping the screen. “Old break. This one looks like it healed better than your rib.” She looked pointedly at Harper.

  Harper shrugged and didn’t respond. Time had healed those physical hurts a long time ago, and with them the mental ones as well.

  “Any new ones?”

  “Nope,” the doctor swiveled in on her stool and put the laptop back on the counter. “A little swollen, a lot of bruising. But overall not nearly as bad as it could have been. I’ll write you a script for some pain meds to help you sleep and I’m telling you that rest is the best medicine.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  They rode in silence after leaving Dr. Dunnigan’s. Each lost in thought. Harper was finally the one to break the silence.

  “So do your tattoos mean anything?”

  He kept his eyes on the road. “Why?”

  “Do you not want to tell me what they mean?”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “You’re answering questions with questions. It’s like a therapist trick.”

  “Is it?”

  She sighed loudly. “I feel like I’m playing Jeopardy when I talk to you.”

  Luke grinned and said nothing.

  Harper let it drop. She watched the road signs flash by, heading back to the city she had called home for the past two years. She had called a lot of places home, but it was for the lack of a better word. She had never really felt at home anywhere. Not since she was a little kid, in a postage stamp-sized house with a mom and a dad who now were more ghosts than memories.