“Well, good news. This change won’t hurt you, it’ll only help you.” I will give you everything. I will prove once and for all you are the one I want—the one I will always want.
She would have to step out of her comfort zone without the aid of whiskey, but the potential payoff would make any momentary discomfort worth it. This man, and the life they could have together, was worth everything.
“Harlow—”
“No. Don’t say anything.” He’d only hurt her, dig the knife a little deeper, and he needed time to think about all she’d said. She stood and kissed his cheek. “Get out of here so I can shower. I’ve got a heart to win.” Yours.
A muscle jumped in his jaw. He cupped her shoulders, holding on so tight she’d wear the bruises for days. But then he let go, and she missed his strength. He left the room without another word, shutting the door softly behind him.
Harlow barricaded herself in the bathroom, where she brushed her teeth—twice—and showered. When she emerged, she found the clothes Beck had picked out for her hanging on the back of the door. He must have brought them in while she’d sudsed up, because they hadn’t been there when she’d entered.
Sly Beck. The glass stall had been so fogged with steam she’d missed him—but she’d bet he’d gotten a nice sneak peek at her.
Silly Beck. He’d made her next play that much easier.
The dress he’d brought was one she hadn’t yet worn. The low bustline would reveal the top edge of her scars, but maybe it wouldn’t matter. The white lace would cling to her curves.
Something she liked about Beck—even when he hoped to foist her off on other men he didn’t actually want her to be with, he still helped her look her best.
She dried her hair, applied her makeup. Just as she was putting on the finishing touches, the doorbell rang.
She sucked in a breath. The guests had already begun to arrive.
Now or never.
A knock sounded at the door. “You ready, baby?”
As I’ll ever be. She raised her chin and opened the door. Beck stood before her, showered and dressed in a sexy black T-shirt and jeans, and her mouth watered. He was casual sophistication, the man every other longed to be. The one every woman desired. As he looked her over, his gaze heated, blazed, the very air around them blistering.
Slowly she turned for him. “What do you think?”
“You are so beautiful,” he said, voice ragged. He cupped the back of her neck and dragged her close, so close, and held her against his chest. “You are too beautiful for anyone here.”
She gripped the sides of his belt loops. “Tell me something, Beck.”
“Anything.” He looked at her as if he breathed for her alone. As if his heart couldn’t take its next beat without her. As if he cherished her.
Tremors swept through her. “Did you see what’s underneath this dress while you were in the bathroom?”
“It’s all I’ve been able to think about,” he admitted.
It was a baby step, but a step nonetheless. “It’s not too late to send everyone home.” She rose on her tiptoes, brushed the tip of her nose against his. Even with her hooker heels, she needed a boost.
A predatory glimmer in his eyes. “I need you to pick someone else. You have to pick someone else.” Again his tone was ragged, quelling the hurt his words would have otherwise caused. “Pick him today.”
“What if I already have?” She kissed the corner of his beautiful mouth. “What if I pick you?”
He closed his eyes, and his breathing was as choppy as her own. “You were once the girl who only wanted what she couldn’t have. What happens when you have me?”
“I’m not that girl anymore. I keep you.”
“Will you?” His lids flipped open, revealing desperation, even anger. “You wanted me to stop deflecting and talk about myself. Well, here you go. I’m the guy who’s lost everything he loves one too many times. I’ve never been enough for the people who are supposed to love me back. How could I be enough for you?” He shook his head. “So you’ll pick someone else, and the cravings will stop for us both. We’ll remain friends.”
Heartbreaking commands steeped in more of that awful fear. Fear she couldn’t fight for him. Only he could wage that war.
A cough drew their attention, and they broke apart almost guiltily, though Beck maintained contact, locking his arm around her waist.
“What?” he snapped at the interloper.
Jase, she realized, whose smile projected only sadness. “Your friends are here, and apparently each guy assumed he would be on a private date with, and I quote, the most beautiful woman God ever created.”
That’s how Beck had described her? No pressure.
“No one realized this would be a Bachelorette situation,” Jase continued, “and everyone is a little weirded out. If you don’t get out there soon, no one will have a chance to meet Harlow because everyone will have left.”
“We’re on our way.” As soon as Jase vanished around the corner, Beck pulled her close for another bone-crushing hug and kissed her temple. “I’m sorry. I just... I’m sorry.”
Stay the course. “How did you get these men to come? Everyone in Strawberry Valley hates—”
“They aren’t from Strawberry Valley. You were fine with Dorian living in the city, so I figured you’d be fine with these guys living in the city.” He hooked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Once they see you, they’ll be willing to move.”