Then he collapsed.
––––––––
DANIEL SIPPED HIS COFFEE, watching the guests surface from the unsettled, stormy night. Many had bags under their eyes and looked worse for wear.
Opposite him, Harper glowed as she demolished her eggs benedict. Fuck, she was gorgeous. And sexy. He already wanted her again.
“What?” she said, her fork halfway to her mouth.
“I’m just enjoying watching you eat.” He laughed when she frowned. “Women in New York...never mind.”
He realized his error as soon as he’d said the words.
“Are you calling me fat, Daniel Dufort?” she teased.
“No. I think you’re the most sexy and gorgeous woman I’ve ever had breakfast with,” he said, lifting his coffee to his lips and meaning every damn word.
Harper kept eating, clearly more concerned with her hunger than his attempt to compliment her. He liked her even more for it.
Because he did like her. He liked Harper way too fucking much. In fact, this was the first breakfast he’d ever shared with a woman he’d had sex with and found he didn’t want her to go.
Anywhere.
Daniel wasn’t sure what Harper wanted or where she saw this going, and he felt slightly powerless.
This was unfamiliar territory for him.
And the timing was fucking terrible.
He’d told her he was single, and he was. It had been the truth. There was no need for Harper to know about the shit storm back home. He had no wife, no girlfriend, and no lover.
And had no intention of having one either, but while he was in Hawaii, he wanted more of Harper. He wanted to fuck her. Many more times.
And talk to her.
And listen to her laugh.
And stare at her.
No doubt all this was an irrational reaction to potentially losing his bachelor status.
As far as Daniel was concerned, the two situations were completely separate.
Harper was his while in Hawaii.
The Mackenzie bullshit would be dealt with one way or another.
Daniel swirled his coffee.
Yeah, okay it probably wasn’t that black and white. If it did progress, for some inconceivable reason, Harper would hear about it. It would probably hurt her, as she’d believe he was with Nadia while they had been together. Which was a fair assumption. A man rarely got engaged overnight.
Of course, her assumption would be wrong, but by the time she heard it, she would be back in New Zealand and trying to explain or justify it would be impossible. If he ended up having to marry Nadia, he would be unable to tell anyone the truth.
But right now he had the opportunity to fix this, and fuck yes, he was doing everything he could to ensure he remained an unmarried man and exposed this corrupt Senator.
Even with the risk to Harper, Daniel found he could not walk away. He wanted more of Harper in every single way.
She glanced up at him as she placed her utensils on the plate. “You okay?”