Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 94639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94639 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
I run my hand along her back and down her arm. I feel like I need to keep touching her, to remind myself she’s really here with me. Back in my arms, in my life.
I glance over at the clock on her nightstand and see it’s still pretty early. Harper is probably exhausted. After it was decided I would be spending the night, we ordered Chinese delivery and spent hours talking and getting to know each other again, catching up on our families and lives. She told me a little about her marriage and a lot about her kids. I knew Harper would make a wonderful mother, but as she talked about them, it was more than that. They’re everything to her. The moon and the stars and the entire atmosphere. Her world literally revolves around them, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s the reason she was afraid to get divorced. The reason she hasn’t dated. She’s been too focused on being a mom while Richie is off getting married and divorced like it’s a sport.
After it felt like we were almost completely caught up with each other’s lives, we spent a couple more hours getting to know each other’s bodies some more. I couldn’t even tell you how many times last night and early this morning I had the pleasure of being inside Harper, or when it was we fell asleep. But it couldn’t have been too long ago. Luckily, her kids are gone for the weekend, and I have nothing I need to do, so we can stay in bed all day if we want.
Needing to take a morning piss, I gently move Harper off my body. She stirs slightly but doesn’t wake up. After doing what I need to do, I consider waking her up for some morning sex, because fuck if I can’t get enough of her. But before I do, I remember she mentioned it’s not often she has time to do anything for herself and that Richie rarely takes the kids when he’s supposed to. So, I imagine it’s been a long time—if ever—she’s slept in and gotten breakfast in bed.
I head out to the kitchen and take a look at the food she has. There’s mostly kids’ foods like Fruity Pebbles and dinosaur oatmeal—whatever the hell that is. Playing professional baseball for the last twelve years has forced me to learn how to cook and eat healthy. You can’t live off of shit food and expect to be the best. Your body needs the proper fuel to function and excel.
I find the ingredients I need and go about making us breakfast to share—a ham, egg, and cheese omelet and pancakes with syrup and whipped cream. I plate it all up, then find a tray in her pantry. I pour us a glass of milk and orange juice, then carry it all into her room.
When I walk in, I’m shocked to find Harper is sitting up in bed, awake. “Good morning,” she says with a breathtaking smile on her face. “I heard you out there, but I wasn’t sure what you were doing.”
“I was making us breakfast,” I tell her, setting the tray up on top of her lap.
She takes it all in and grins. “This looks delicious. Keep this up and I might never let you leave.” Her words are meant to be taken as a joke, but I don’t laugh because the thought of Harper keeping me here forever sounds damn good.
“I’ve never had breakfast in bed like this,” she says, setting the drinks on the nightstand and then cutting a piece of the omelet with her fork and bringing it up to my mouth. Her action of giving me the first bite shows once again the type of person she is. “Once when Hunter was like seven or eight, he made me breakfast in bed.” She smiles as she recalls the memory. “It was only cereal, and of course, he was too little and spilled it all over the floor in the process.” She laughs. “But he was so proud of himself.” She cuts another piece, this time taking a bite for herself.
After we finish the omelet, she starts in on the pancakes. After she’s done cutting them, she reaches over and gives me a bite. It’s really fucking sweet, but good. When she takes her own bite, she lights up. “This is delicious.”
“I was lucky you had the ingredients I needed.”
“So, what do you want to do today?” she asks, taking another bite of the pancake.
“I don’t know about during the day, but tonight I want to take you out on a real date.”
She laughs. “Really?”
“Why do you sound so shocked?” I ask, confused.
“Umm… maybe because you’re a super-hot professional athlete who never dates. I can’t even believe Simon got you to go on that blind date in the first place.”