"People are sick f.u.c.ks," he agreed.

"Do you talk that way around your mother?" Finley snapped.

"Nope."

"Then don't do it around me."

"Yes ma'am."

She waved a hand his way. "Better. Anyway, what's this nonsense about Harper?"

"It's not nonsense to want out of this public-image boost."

"You haven't told her?" Finley brought her fingers to her temples and began to rub. "What are you waiting for? She will see that video, and then you will be up the creek without a paddle. Or a boat. Just one big river of p.o.o.p."

"Nice visual," he said wryly.

"Look, you want her out, she's out. You're old news anyway." Her phone began to vibrate around on the table. "Oh Lord. Not another one," she groaned.

Austin wanted to fist punch the air in celebration, but he figured Finley wouldn't appreciate his celebration while she was in the middle of putting out fires. Instead, he left the event and drove straight to Jessamine without stopping.

The weeks pa.s.sed by quickly as Austin spent every waking minute with Harper. He loved being with her, loved volunteering in her cla.s.sroom in the morning... loved kissing her at night before he went home. He loved having her over at his place and under him while they lay on his sofa, like she was right now.

"We really have to stop this," Harper said, giggling into his mouth. "You've rented like five movies, and we've only watched half of one."

"Let me worry about my money," he said, pressing her down into the cushions. "I have plenty to spend on you."

She blinked up at him, her smiling face turning serious. "I don't care about your money, and I still think that no matter how much you have, you should always spend less than what you make."

"Thanks, Dave Ramsey," he joked, but he was touched by her concern, by her need to a.s.sure him that she wasn't with him for what he could offer her in material things.

"Unlike you or Dave, I don't have a beard. Or millions." She stuck out her tongue at him, and he captured it with his mouth.

Letting hers slip slowly out of his mouth, he said, "But you do have the most delicious tongue."

Instead of replying with words, she leaned up a little and traced his bottom lip with her tongue. He groaned as she began to rub up against him, her lush curves driving him almost out of his mind.

Be good, he reminded himself. No s.e.x. No s.e.x. Not until she knew the truth.

Only, he still hadn't told her the truth, and by some miracle, she hadn't seen the video. However, he knew his luck wouldn't hold.

In the meantime, he could keep her distracted... and satisfied.

He settled himself more firmly between his thighs and began to rock against her. Her mouth dropped open, and he captured his lips with his. One of his hands stole under her to grip a full b.u.t.t cheek and press her tightly against him.

"Think you can come like this?" he asked, his blood roaring in his ears.

She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Want some help?" He didn't wait for an answer. Sliding down her body, he pulled her leggings down and nearly groaned at the sight of her. She was bare, wearing nothing underneath. Touching her, his fingers slid through her s.e.x with ease. She was so... "d.a.m.n wet."

"You would be too, if you were me," she said, using her elbow to sit up a little.

He grinned, and then lowered his head, his tongue searching for just the right-her hips shot into the air. "Tell me when to stop, sweetheart."

"Don't stop," she ordered, spreading her thighs wider.

Right before he touched her again, he gazed into her eyes. "This isn't a hookup or a rebound." Her eyes rounded and her mouth opened, but he forestalled her with a tongue kiss to her c.l.i.t. "Let me take care of you."

She nodded and fell back to the cushions.

Austin lay on his side, one hand propping up his head while the other explored the lines of her nude body. It never ceased to amaze her how comfortable she felt around him, especially after knowing him for only a few weeks. She guessed their nightly dates that ended in mutual o.r.g.a.s.ms were the cause of it. And the fact that a few weeks with him felt more like months because they spent every bit of their free time together. Seeing him at work was pure torture, but she managed to remain professional.

Except that one time when she pulled him into the janitor's closet to kiss him until they were both panting while her cla.s.s was in enrichment. They'd almost gotten caught, which was why she didn't do it again. However, Austin was planning on it. She just knew it by the wicked look that gleamed in his eyes.

"I want to keep seeing you," he said, pulling her from her head.

She smiled at him. "You can see me all you want."

"No more games, Harper. No more pulling me into the janitor's closet and then ignoring me for the rest of the day."

She squirmed a little. "I wasn't ignoring you. I was trying to control myself."

He gave her a yeah-right look. "I'm all in, and I want you to be, too."

"For how long?" She had a hard time concentrating when he touched her.

His fingers stilled for a moment before resuming their trajectory to the curve of her hip. "As long as you want."

She rolled to her back, dislodging his hand, and stared up at him. "Why is this dependent on what I want?"

He tilted his head to one side, that s.e.xy smile of his making b.u.t.terflies form in her stomach. "Because you might not like being the girlfriend of a football player."

"Girlfriend, huh?" she lightly asked, but on the inside... Holy. Crud.

Nodding, he dusted his thumb over her bottom lip. "We should make it official."

"Are you making a play for me?" she asked with a flirtatious grin.

He kissed her, his lips moving over hers in such a way that she couldn't imagine not kissing him every day of her life.

She froze. That sounded a lot like what someone in love would think or say. Not someone, but a woman in love. Her.

Oh no.

He lifted his head. "Cold feet?"

"Cold everything," she admitted, but he took it to mean that she was literally cold.

Covering her with a blanket, he pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry, Ms. Bell. I'll keep you warm until I have to go home."

But could he keep from breaking her heart?

Chapter Eleven.

After a long week at school that involved pretesting for end-of-grade tests that her students wouldn't be required to take until third grade, Harper was thanking G.o.d it was Friday as soon as the dismissal bell rang.

Austin had left early to attend a conference call at his house. While she missed him, she was looking forward to her usual afternoon walk home. However, she was not looking forward to tomorrow's monthly McCoy luncheon. She could only imagine the gossip about her and Austin. Bad enough another McCoy was dating a Lawson. Worse, that it was her of all people.

The Plain-Jane one.

The world's oldest virgin.

Yeah... she hadn't told Austin about that technicality, but she wasn't quite sure what to say. While she didn't want to lie to him, and he would for sure find out during s.e.x, she didn't want to have the inevitable questions that would make her feel like a freak for waiting for so long.

Locking the cla.s.sroom door, she checked the handle and then made her way outside. For February, it was unseasonably warm. However, she also lived in North Carolina, a place where one never put up clothes because the season was over. Seasons seemed to never be over. Once, when she was little, it snowed in May.

Before she knew it, she was home and letting Libby out into the backyard. While Libby did her business, Harper changed into a wrap dress with a plunging neckline. Austin had made reservations for them to have dinner at The Magnificent Dunes, and she wanted to look her best for him.

Sliding her panties off and tossing them in the laundry basket, she grinned. She also wanted to surprise him.

Like he always did, Austin let himself right in. Libby barked excitedly and ran around the room until he paid attention to her. It was their routine, one that made Harper feel all warm and gooey inside.

"Sweetheart, you home?" he called out.

"Back here." She smoothed her skirt down as soon as he walked in her bedroom.

His blue gaze roamed over her. "You look too good to take out. I won't be able to stop myself from punching the first guy who looks at you."

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she said, "We could always stay home tonight."

Cozying up to her, he placed his hands on her hips and leaned down to kiss her. "Did you have a hard day?"

"The hardest."

One of his hands began to bunch up the material of her dress. "I'll take care of you-take the edge off so you can enjoy dinner."

He went on his knees, and her s.e.x clenched in antic.i.p.ation. "No panties?" His gaze flicked to her face. "What did I do right?"

Her cheeks heated. "You brought breakfast to me this morning and drove us to work."

"But I do that every morning," he said, leaning closer.

"I really like bacon."

"Swear I won't forget that." He kissed her thighs, making them quiver. "I'll bring you bacon every day of the week if it means no panties to get in my way." He slid a finger inside of her, making her head fall back. "You're so wet."

"Bacon," she said with a snort and a giggle.

"Thought oysters were aphrodisiacs." His hot breath touched her intimately, and she shivered.

"Nope, it's bacon." When the rough softness of his tongue rubbed against her c.l.i.t, she moaned and delved her hands into his silky hair, holding him close. In no time at all, he brought her to the brink of o.r.g.a.s.m and then sent her over the edge with a curl of his finger.

Licking that finger, he stood up, his erection clearly outlined in his jeans.

Panting, she said, "I can take the edge off for you, too."

He smiled and began to strip out of his clothes until he stood there in front of her, gloriously naked. "I want your mouth on me, Harper." He grabbed his c.o.c.k, squeezing it at the base. "Need you so bad."

"I'll take very good care of you." She grabbed his hand, leading him to the bed. "Lay down."

He lay down on the bed, his erection bobbing in the air. While he watched, she slowly untied her dress and let it fall to the floor. "You are so d.a.m.n beautiful."

"You make me feel beautiful." Her bra was next to go.

He crooked his finger at her and she climbed on the bed, hovering over him until he grabbed her and wrapped his hot mouth around a nipple. She jumped as he began to suck hard, his tongue and teeth alternately soothing and causing little bites of pain.

She straddled his lap, rubbed shamelessly against him while he gave her other breast just as much attention.

Pulling away, she turned slightly and kissed the head of his c.o.c.k, then licked the length of him. He let out a strangled moan. Emboldened, she attempted to fit as much of him as she could into her mouth.

"Harper," he gasped, his hands coming to rest in her hair.

She peered up at him. His eyes were heavy lidded and his neck was taut. "Yes?"

"Don't stop. Don't stop," he pleaded. "Need you so bad. Need to be in you."

Sitting up, she straddled his lap again. "I want you in me too."

"Then put your mouth back." He smirked at her. "I'll give you all you want."

She rose on her knees, taking his erection between her hands and pushing it against her s.e.x. The upper most part of his head slid inside, and she gasped. "This is how I want you. This is what I want. I don't want to wait any longer, Austin."

"Holy s.h.i.t. What... what are you...? d.a.m.n, that feels good." Austin's eyes rolled to the back of his head. Never had he felt anything as tight as she was. He grabbed her hips and thrust up, making her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s bounce. Their rosy tips were glistening from his attention. He wanted them in his mouth again.

Rolling Harper to her back, he latched onto a hard nipple and began to suck. Hard. His hips thrust against her, sending his c.o.c.k deeper, but son of a b.i.t.c.h, she was so d.a.m.n tight that he wasn't making much progress.