“Ready?” I question him.
“Yeah, my bags are already in the truck,” he says as he grabs my rolling suitcase.
I turn around and lock the door. I made sure I kicked the air conditioner off, knowing taking these three days off will have me making it up somewhere. Life is about living though and it’s something I haven’t done in such a long time and I knew I needed to jump at this opportunity. I want Evan and me to work, I want us to have a future, and I know the longer I’m around him the more I fall for him. Each and every day there’s something new I learn about him. He’s multifaceted, and I can’t wait to know every nook and cranny.
20
Evan
I can’t get this shit eating grin off my face. It’s something I don’t want to leave if I’m being honest. When Harlow opened the door to her house and was all smiles and I was in a pit of doom and gloom my stomach sank. I didn’t want to disappoint her. Shit, I didn’t want to leave her. Not for one single minute.
So, when she told me she was going with me. It took all I had not to walk inside her house and completely make her mine. She slept the whole ride on the plane. Her head on my shoulder and my arm firmly wrapped around her. I never changed from my everyday office wear when Daniel told me Diego called and said our liquor license was in danger of getting pulled. I wasn’t letting that shit happen. Not now and not ever. I prided myself with these restaurant’s, but the more I think on it, the more I know I’m going to look for a buyer on the East Coast. I like being in a sleepy little town away from the city, and if I’m being honest with myself, Harlow will never leave her house and I don’t blame her. Her house is perfect and the memories she has in it, I’d never take that away from her.
The lot that surrounds her house is big enough that we can build up or even out and I find myself wanting to see her pregnant with our children. I look down at her sleepy face, hating to wake her up. But we’re about to land and I don’t want her jarred awake.
“Wake up, sleepy head,” I tell her as I slowly rub my hand up and down her side.
“Evan,” she moans out as she slowly wakes up.
“Can’t make those noises out in public when I can’t take care of you,” I grouse.
She blushes as I lean down to kiss her forehead. When she sits up the signal goes off for us to buckle our seatbelts.
“You ready to spend some time relaxing?” I ask Harlow.
“Yes, I can’t wait to actually sit outside and enjoy the sun on my skin and just soak it all up,” I see the joy in her face and I know, without a doubt, I’m somehow going to figure out a way for her not to work herself to death, so we can enjoy each other and live a little.
I hold her hand as the plane lands and I know I’ll be busting my ass for a few hours a day and knocking heads to get shit right to see Harlow in all of her beauty surrounded by something she loves so much, the beach.
Our plane lands and we grab our carry-on bags, neither of us wanting to really deal with checking in our luggage for a short stay.
We leave the airport without a care in the world.
“Shit,” Harlow mumbles under her breath.
“What?”
“All of this packing and leaving right away. I have no idea where we’re staying. I forgot to book a hotel,” she huffs out messing with her bun, something I notice she does when she gets nervous.
“I have it taken care of, and Daniel knows that. We have a condo right on the water and only a three minute walk away from the restaurant,” I tell her as I take her hands away from her hair and grasp her neck, holding her there. We’re both wearing sunglasses, but by the intense way she’s looking up at me I know we’re both on the same page. I lean down and nip at her lips, wanting to take our kiss deeper. Unfortunately, if we do that we’ll never leave and I’m not scheduled to be at the restaurant until tomorrow. I plan on taking full advantage of having a night off with Harlow.
21
Harlow
We make it to Evan’s condo and it’s gorgeous, the view, and open floor plan, I can’t deny that, but it’s also sterile and nothing like I ever envisioned that would be his style. Though, I’ve never been to his other beach house. He just seems so comfortable at my place that, that’s where we always end up.