I WATCH DANIEL CHAT A LITTLE WITH AM as we all wait for Harp. He's asking her more detailed questions about the girl who kissed me and I had kissed back only hours ago... and I'm not liking it. Harp had told me this guy wasn't serious but he's been actively pursuing her this whole night. He hasn't offered to get her anything and didn't even pay for the lanes.
"She really likes to eat huh?" Craig asks.
Emily scoots close to me and we watch Am snap her striking fierce eyes at Craig. "Is that a problem?"
Craig shrugs his shoulders and holds up his hands. "I was only making an observation. I mean she is a thicker girl."
I clench my teeth. Is this guy insinuating that Harp is fat?
I go to say something but Daniel steps in. "Craig, seriously, watch it."
Craig chuckles, "I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Chunky just isn't my type. You're more mine." He points to Am and she seethes.
Jackie jumps up. "He's not good with words."
Am flicks her sleek blonde hair back in defiance. "Let me get this straight. You think the best way to flirt with me is to mock my best friend?"
Craig swallows and jerks his thumb toward the bathroom. "I've got to go take a leak."
Daniel pats his friend on the back. "Better get going then."
The idiot leaves and I get up to stroll over to Daniel. "Your friend has a big mouth."
Daniel gives a deep sigh. "He's a good guy just an idiot sometimes."
I shove my hands deep in my jean pockets. "If he keeps it up we'll be having a problem."
He gives me a dirty look. "Is that a threat officer? He's my friend."
"Harp's mine and no one talks bad about her."
He turns his body to me. "Is she? A friend?"
I don't answer him and smack him with a different response. "For someone not really serious you're awfully interested."
He shifts on his feet. "I honestly wasn't and then I saw her. How can I not be interested? Plus, her personality is cute. She's not what I was expecting."
My arms tense. Then I saw her. How can I not be interested? I glance at the guy and size him up. He's probably nice but the moment Harp's lips touched mine there was no way I was going to hand her over to anyone else. At the thought of the kiss my neck muscles stress and I rub it.
"I told you to let go!"
My head instantly snaps up to see Harp with the asshat from earlier. She has his arm in a hold i know all to well. The one where an arm is about to be broken and maybe a wrist. I try to stay calm but the only thing I can sense, feel or know is anger. I don't even remember how I got to them. All I know is that this guy needs get away from her now. I crouch down, grab his collar and tug him out of Harp's perfect hold, making that tree trunk of a neck of his snap back.
My eyes shift to Harp who is in a defensive stance and looks like she's ready to deal him a major blow. My sight trails down to her arm where his hand print is bright red around her arm. My blood pounds and my arms itch to take a swing at him. Instead, I remain calm as my voice goes down on octave, "You're done."
He doesn't move as he whispers, "She's soft, wonder what..." I whip him to the ground, pinning him in the process. "What the hell man?!"
I take out my phone and call Luke. He picks up immediately as I keep the guy pinned with my knee and hand. I inform Luke about what's going on. "I was getting bored and luckily I'm close by. Be there in a minute."
Harp bounces and shifts her weight from one foot to the other like she's a boxer. "You should've let me have one swing at him."
I lift him up and he tears himself from my hold. He lifts his fist and his knuckles swipe at his flared nose. "I've had enough of you."
I cross my arms over my chest. 'You really think that's a good idea?"
Police lights flash and soon Luke comes striding through the doors. The guy goes completely pale. "Luke?"
My colleague's mouth twitches and there's contempt in his eyes. "Ronnie."
Ronnie swallows as Luke steps right up to him stating his rights and cuffs him. "You're coming with me old friend."
They disappear along with the flashing lights. I turn to see everyone still watching. "Sorry to interrupt your night everyone."
The quiet bowling alley becomes lively again. Harp gives me a pat on the back. "You were cool, bro."
Bro...
My jaw clenches at that. "I am so very glad you refrained from showing him your self-defense moves like you did earlier."
Her face flushes a bright red and I smirk. "You okay?"
She falters a little, which isn't like her. "I'm... I'm fine, no biggie."
I examine her and touch the arm. "We better get back to bowling. We still have a game to start."
Her adorable red pinched cheeks flame and her eyes go straight to her cheesy fries. "Such a waste." She mutters.
Daniel comes running up followed by everyone else. Am pushes him aside and grabs Harp's shoulders examining her. She whip's out her phone and takes a picture of Harp's arm. "Evidence. Tell me right now if you want a case and I'll work tirelessly at seeing that guy behind bars." Am takes a moment, gathers herself by straightening her blouse. "Sorry, are you okay?"
"Of course I am!" Harp replies hotly. "If Owen hadn't come I would've been the hero of the night."
I chuckle lightly and shake my head. This girl. Daniel bends down picking up Harp's fries. He says nothing as he throws them away and his eyes quickly dash to her. "Why don't we call it a night?"
My fists curl at that. Harp isn't the type who goes home whaling if anything she needs a stupid bowling game. "Harp paid for these lanes. You guys can go though. Am and I will stay." I glare at him and he gives one in return.
My arm slides around Harp with my hand sitting right on top of her perfect plush hip. "Why don't I get you some more fries?" I whisper while eying Daniel the whole time. He shakes his head as my arm slides away while my hand purposefully glides over her perfect curves slowly and torturously. I see her body visibly flinch and her cheeks dust pink. I smirk and head to the counter to put in the order.
Daniel signals to Craig and Jackie and he turns to Harp. "Ready for round two?"
The group walks away but Harp says something to them then jogs over to me. "Thanks."
I raise a brow. "I don't need thanks it's part of my job."
She rolls her eyes. "Uh yeah no, I mean about you getting me more food. I could've handled macho man."
"Harp." She turns at the seriousness in my voice. "I know but that won't ever stop me from protecting you."
She smiles and tucks some of her hair behind her ear. "Then... thanks."
I jerk my head back and put my hand over my heart. "Miss Independent Harper Collins is thanking me for coming to her defense."
"Don't ruin it."
I chuckle, "We're on the same team this time. How about I teach you how to bowl."
She grumbles, "I know how to bowl."
My hand goes to her back and I bring the fries over her head. She reaches for them but I bring them up higher. "Let's make a deal. You earn a strike then you get your fries."
Her eyes widen. "You monster!"
I push her toward the lane. "Come on Harp, this is the same method I used to get you to hit correctly in middle school."
She pushes me as we get to the group and Daniel watches us closely. Harp is oblivious but Am takes notice and she lifts a brow at me. I give her the same brow lift and she leans back giving me a protective sister look.
Harp tries grasping for the fries again but I'm quicker than she is. "Remember how you used to drop your shoulder when you would swing?"
She crosses her arms. "No."
I grin wickedly at her. "You did, and the only way I could get you to not do it was to hold your chicken teriyaki hostage."
Harp fights a smile and puts her hands on her hips. "If, I were to say I remember, what makes you think it will work this time?"
I bring the Styrofoam box of fries right under her nose and then up to mine. "Because you'll do anything for food. Now, let's make mincemeat of the other team, shall we?"
Jackie steps in. "Um, we switched the team. Harp is with Emily and Daniel and you're with me, Am and Craig."
I want to scowl but I give her a charming smile instead. "No problem." I bend down to Harp's ear whispering, "I'm still holding them hostage."
Jackie clings to my arm and tugs me away from Harp. "You were really awesome back their Owen. Why did you decide to become a cop?"
I watch Harp sit next to Daniel who gets irritatingly close to her. "My dad."
"Your dad's a cop?"
Am interrupts, "Yeah, he arrested me once."
I laugh at the memory. Am was a little daredevil back in the day and went cow tipping with some shady kids. Dad caught them and gave Am a long lecture about how she could become more.
He had been right.
Craig perks up at the information. "Really? Doesn't seem like you."
Am tilts her head and gives a forced, yet sweet smile. "I'm a little bit of a paradox."
Perfect way to describe herself.
The game begins and Harp's up getting more gutter balls. I pry Jackie off my arm and yell to Harp. "Your cheesy fries are getting cold maybe I should start eating them."
Jackie clears her throat, "Have you always lived here?"
I turn my attention back to the cute girl. She's got a nice short haircut and pretty eyes, but all I want right now is to look into bubbly Coca-Cola ones. "I lived in Alabama for a while. Just moved back."
"Oh! I've always wanted to go to Alabama. Why would you come back to the mitten?"
It's my turn and I hold up my finger to stop her interrogation for a few minutes. I grab my bowling ball and Emily is on the other side of the lane. She giggles a little and my brow goes to my hairline. "What?"
She picks up her bowling ball. "Nothing, it's just obvious that's all. I mean, it was back at my work too."
We both stand center to our lanes. "What do you mean?"
She goes first and earns a strike and I nod smiling at her. She wipes her hands in victory and leans in whispering, "You love Harp."
My back tenses and I give her a perplexed look. "Of course I do. She's one of my best friends."
Emily shakes her head walking away. I go and miss a few but then get a spare on my second turn. I glance at Harp as she smiles and laughs at something Daniel said and I can't help but notice how she seems more relaxed around him now.
I scowl and sit back down next to Jackie answering her question as I do, "Wanted to be home, my dad and mom need some help." I raise my voice so a certain someone can hear me. "Harp helps them out often but I can't have her showing me up."
Harp's eyes flick to mine and grins playfully at me. "They did practically say I'm their favorite today."
Daniel nods at that in an irritated gesture. "His parents are the ones you weeded for."
A coy grin breaks across my face. "I'm the one who assigned her to weeding duty."
Daniel gives me a smug look. "Sad when a guy can't take care of his own parents."
That one stung.
It's not me who speaks up but Harp and Am in unison. "Hey!"
Harp goes first. "Owen brings his mom her favorite flowers every time he visits her."
"Yeah." Am pipes in wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "And he moved his life here just to help them out. You don't hear a lot of guys who are willing to pick up their lives and move for their parents."
Daniel holds his hands up. "Sorry that was out of line. Looks like Craig and I both have foot in mouth syndrome today."
I squeeze Am's hand in thanks and she slides her arm off. Harp jumps up and smacks her hands together rubbing them vigorously. "Strike, all I have to do is get a strike, then those..." she points at the fries, "our mine."
She picks up her ball and I note how her form is completely wrong. I can hear her muttering to herself and chanting, "You can do this, you can do this."
I bite my finger as the ball hits the floor hard and goes straight into the gutter. My laughter can't be contained and Am joins in along with the rest. Harp looks at us with a cute puff between her brows. I get up. "Okay Harp, let me help you out."
She points at me. "No!"
"No helping the enemy Samuels." Am say with a shake of her finger.
I poke Am's forehead as I stride toward Harp. "We're creaming them and it's boring. I'd like a little more of a challenge." I smirk at Harp as I tower over her while she glares at me.
Before she can object her ball comes back and I grab it putting it in her hands. My hands go straight to those amazing hips and I quickly turn her around. "First, you're holding the ball wrong."
She quirks a brow. "How so?"
My hands leave her hips and I grab my bowling ball showing her. "You're supposed to use your two middle fingers to hold the ball, like this."
I hold the ball up and she squishes her face in disagreement but follows my instructions. "Doesn't feel right."
"Well it is."
My eyes shift to Daniel to see him watching us intently. Harp centers herself with the lane and I smirk at him as I put my hands back on her hips. "You're stepping is off as well. You take four steps and then a half step at the end."
We step together and stop before the line. Harp nods and turns looking up at me and I can see she's fighting back a blush. "Okay what's next?"
I tap her ball. "You hold it up at waist level, and just let the ball drop when you swing, don't give it too much, let your shoulder do the work."
"Okay."
She is way too serious about this.
My hands give a light squeeze on her hips making her jump a little. "Now give it a try."
She gives a deep breath and moves forward swiftly. She drops the ball and swings it like a perfect pendulum and our group watches in anticipation as if we're watching our kid ride a bike for the first time. The ball rolls perfectly straight and pushes through the pins knocking them all down.
I smirk and clap as everyone jumps up cheering for her. Harp sharply turns and jumps over to me enveloping me in a hug. My arms squeeze tightly around her picking her up, spinning her around.
She shouts happily, "I did it! I did it!"
It's a tense and happy embrace, like the time I had helped her perfect her swing and she slammed a homerun or when she would congratulate me on my wins.
Even when it meant her brother lost.
I drop her but still cradle her in my arms as she smiles up. "You've always been the best coach."
"I know, I have this ability to take the most talentless people and make them great." My arm wraps around her shoulder and she punches me.
Her eyes land on the fries and she runs to them. "You're mine!"
Daniel laughs then pulls her over to sit next to him. "If you talked to men like you do to food, I don't think you'd be single right now."
She gives an honest laugh with a flirty smile, which makes my blood boil. I plop down next to Am who watches me curiously.
"What?" I ask.
She shrugs. "Nothing, just that this guy has a real shot. She's actually having a good time with him and they have similar interests."
"And why are you telling me this?" I sip my drink and hold it in my hands twisting the bottle with my fingers.
Am taps her finger against her chin looking up at the ceiling as if contemplating something. "No reason."
My eyes flick back to them and Harp pats his knee when he makes a joke. I do my best to ignore them as we continue bowling. Daniel whispers in her ear earning a little blush from her and I growl a little.
The next hour is pure torture for me. Any contact Harp makes with Daniel makes me want to get up and kill the guy. We finally get to the last frame and my hands cup over my face. "I've created a monster."
Am throws daggers at me with her eyes. "You should've known better. Once Harp learns something she freaking excels at it! Especially when it comes to anything remotely sporty."
Harp has gotten yet another strike. If I had taught her right in the beginning, it's possible she could've bowled a perfect game. I wipe my hands down my face as Harp starts dancing over to me. She does her victory dance, which looks like a chicken having a seizure.
"I am beating you, I am beating you."
I stand to my feet and push her gently aside making her seizure chicken dance come to a close. "I still have one turn left Harp and if I get a strike we win and I will have the highest score of the night."
She stretches to her tiptoes her nose inches from mine. "Bring it on Chicken Butt."
Matt and I have a rivalry, but so do Harp and I, and sometimes it's worse. Especially right now. I'm already fuming with jealousy and now having her possibly beat me only adds to my frustration. I cross my arms and smirk at her. "How about a bet then."
Her eyes light up at that. "I'm listening."
Harp can never resist a bet.
"If I lose, I'll buy your favorite breakfast and bring it to you every day this week."
She beams at that and then her eyes narrow. "And if you win?"
I lean in whispering, "Maybe have another self-defense session... I don't know we'll see."
Her whole body stiffens and her face turns multiple shades of red. I haughtily stride away and pick up my ball eyeing the pins. As I station myself at the center Harp comes beside me staring at me. I don't move and hold up the ball like I had shown her.
"You really want that kiss huh?"
She wrinkles her nose and stutters out, "N...no, I want free breakfast so I thought I could try distracting you."
"Some would call that cheating."
A switch turns on in her as she slowly and purposefully bites on her bottom lip making it redden as she fiddles with the hem of my shirt. She looks up with smoldering almost black eyes that have lost of their bubble being replaced with something sultry.
Leaning in to me she whispers, "I just like to pull out all the stops." She kisses me on the cheek but it was anything but a friendly peck.
My blood thrashes in my veins and I give a low grunt. All it would take is for me to turn my head and those lips would be mine. Resisting, my attention shifts to the pins and I move. Everyone watches the ball glide down and hit the pins as they all fall down.
All.
But.
One.
Emily shouts, "Harp wins!"
Harp cheers and begins punching my arm in victory. "I win! I win!" She wiggles her finger at me and starts her victory dance again while singing, "I get free breakfast for a week bitches!"
Daniel gets up and high fives her and she immediately stops dancing. We all get out of the bowling shoes and into our own and are soon by the door. Daniel bends down and kisses Harp's cheek.
He pats her shoulder and motions to Jackie and Craig. "This has been really fun but we better get going . Here." He hands her some cash. "For the lanes."
She tries objecting but he stops her. "I was planning on paying anyways. Also, let me know if you're ever interested in going rock climbing sometime."
Harp gives a wide smile. "I will, thanks."
Ever muscle in my body screams and tenses at the way she smiles... that's my smile.
Jackie comes up to me handing me a card. "I'd like to see you again sometime too. Give me a call when you're free."
I put the card I'll never use in my pocket.
The three leave and Harp, Am, Emily and I stand there for a few moments until Am breaks the silence. "You going to call him?"
Harp shrugs her shoulders. "Maybe, I'm not sure. He was different than I was expecting. I can see why Patty thought we'd get along."
I pinch my shoulders together at that and open the door for them. Am glides over as Harp prances still glowing from her victory. Am fishes out her keys and points to her right. "I parked over there. You ready Em?"
I raise a brow at that. "I can take her home."
Emily pats my shoulder. "It's okay Owen. It was good to see you again and thanks for coming to my rescue. Harp, I'll see you around."
Am gives a visible wink to Harp but I pretend to ignore it. The two walk away and I turn to her. "Thanks for inviting me."
She smirks. "Thanks for losing to me."
I roll my eyes. There are times I let Harp win but this time wasn't one of them. I lazily stretch my hand to the parking lot. "Where'd you park?"
She starts walking to our left and I follow her. She turns around walking backwards. "You park this way?"
"No," I say smugly.
She fights a smile but I see it. We get to her car and she unlocks it as I watch her. The image of her biting that apple red bottom lip comes back to my mind at full force. My chest swells and I step into her space.
My chest hits her back. "Harp." I whisper into her copper locks that smell like pumpkin. She spins around, her breathing off and her eyes glazed with hope. I take this moment to pin her against me and her car.
Her hands shoot to fist my shirt and she whispers my name making every part of me burn. My mind is filled with her scent and the curiosity of how her lips taste now. Curiosity is a strange thing, and here with Harp, it's like a sweet temptation. An irresistible pull that's trying to overcome the logic telling me not to kiss her.
My lips trim her cheek and she gives a beautiful sigh. All I want is to put my mouth on hers again. To feed this hunger burning inside me. A type of hunger that surpasses starvation. As I slide to her lips my nose brushes hers and logic desperately tries to bulldoze through me. My breathing is heavy against her irregular breaths. All I want is to kiss her but if I continue to do this then everything between us will change. I don't know if I'm willing to give up a lifetime of friendship for curiosity.
My hand goes to her neck and grips her soft tresses as my chest hit hers. I'm fighting, warring with myself. Harp is so incredibly important to me and I don't want to lose her but this need is trying to bend me into submission, to give in.
But I don't.
I pull away from her. "Good night Harp."
She takes a minute to collect herself and I see confusion and hurt flash through her eyes. She holds herself and gives the smallest smile I've ever seen her give. "Night Owen."
She goes to open her car door but the face she's making, the hurt I see pushes my logic out because I see it then. I see it in her eyes. I slam her door shut and turn her into me, securing her between me and the car. "Please don't make that face."
She grabs my shirt and yanks me down kissing me with such emotion that I press her hard into me. Her fingers slither up my arms as my muscles respond to her uncharacteristic gentle touch. I fist her magnificent locks and fill the passionate hunger in me. I physically ache from this bliss as I taste the orange citrusy soda. She's grasping onto me with need that I answer with burning desire.
I'm in trouble.
I want to kiss her until I'm drunk and intoxicated.
Is this worth the risk? Yes.
We lose ourselves in each other and I have no idea how long but each passing second my world becomes more tilted and spins on its axis at a dangerous speed. I kiss her everywhere I can and tease her then indulge her. The sound of a car door shutting yanks us away from each other our breathing heavy.
"I should go." Harp murmurs.
All I can do is give a low hum in return. Her warmth leaves me and it takes everything I have not to pull her back and take her home with me. She drives off into the darkness but I stayed planted until her taillights are no longer in sight. I rub my neck and clench my jaw in irritation.
What am I doing?
I stroll over to my truck and laugh as I open the door. Get yourself together Owen. I turn on my truck and feel as if I've turned my world upside down and inside out. I'm in love with my best friend's sister.
A/N: