Page 87 of Almost Ours
I bent briefly, smoothing the hem of her dress where it had ridden up, tugging the fabric gently back into place. My knuckles brushed her thigh in the process, and I caught the faint hitch of her breath before I forced myself to let go.
Straightening, I turned to leave, adjusting my jacket to hide the very real discomfort pressing uncomfortably against my zipper. Just as my hand reached the door, her fingers shot out, grabbing my arm with surprising force.
“Wait,” she said, her voice low and a little shaky. Not from uncertainty–but from something more fragile. Real.
Her cheeks were flushed, lips slightly parted, eyes shining. “That was… incredible,” she whispered, then smiled, now a little uncertain. “I probably owe you next time.”
My heart tugged.
I stepped closer again, brushing a knuckle along her cheek. “Hey,” I said gently, “you don’t owe me anything.”
She opened her mouth like she wanted to argue, but I shook my head before she could.
“I like taking care of you, Harper,” I murmured. “Not just like that. I mean it.”
Her breath caught and something shifted in her expression, like maybe she hadn’t expected me to say it. Like maybe she wasn’t used to someone meaning it.
“You okay?” I asked quietly, my hand still resting against her face.
She nodded slowly, eyes dropping for a second before lifting back to mine. “Yeah,” she said, voice soft. “I’m great.”
I leaned in, pressing the gentlest kiss to her lips.
I smiled at her, one last lingering look before slipping out of the bathroom, the sound of the party still muffled in the background.
The hallway was still dim, the fairy lights casting a soft glow along the floor. Just as I rounded the corner, one of the hockey dads appeared, heading toward the bathroom.
“Hey, man,” he said, nodding at me.
“Hey,” I replied casually, stepping in front of him. “You might want to try a different bathroom. Toilet’s not flushing in there–big mess. I was just about to tell someone.”
“Oh, thanks,” he said, wrinkling his nose and turning back toward the main area without another word.
I held in a laugh as I shook my head, walking back toward the table. Shane raised an eyebrow at me when I sat down, the corner of his mouth curving into a knowing smirk.
“Where’s your drink, man?” he teased, clearly aware I wasn’t quite as composed as I usually was.
I shrugged, keeping my face neutral. “Got distracted on the way.”
Nina shot me a suspicious look, her gaze narrowing as she glanced between me and Harper, who returned to the table a moment later, her cheeks still pink and her eyes a little too bright. She tilted her head slightly, eyes flicking over my rumpled jacket, the way I was sitting just a little too carefully. A slow, knowing smirk spread across her lips.
“You two were gone for a while,” she observed, arching an eyebrow.
Harper quickly sat down, shooting Nina a look that told her to drop it, before she picked up her drink and took a sip. “I ran into someone,” she said smoothly, avoiding eye contact with anyone, her voice too casual.
Nina hummed, clearly unconvinced. “Uh-huh. And that someone just happened to be–” She let the sentence hang, her smirk growing as she turned her gaze back to me. “Ryan, your shirt’s buttoned wrong.”
Harper stiffened, her glass pausing halfway to her lips as I glanced down. Sure enough, one button was off, just subtle enough that most people wouldn’t notice–but Nina wasn’t most people.
Shane’s eyes narrowed in exaggerated scrutiny. “Wait a second.” He leaned in, squinting at me. “Your hair looks a little… tousled. And–” His eyes flicked to Harper. “Harp, your lipstick’s looking atadsmudged.”
Harper hastily wiped at her mouth, shooting him a glare. “Maybe because Ijusttook a drink, Shane.”
Shane held up his hands, all faux innocence. “Oh, of course. That explainseverything.”He leaned back, smirking as if he’d just cracked some great mystery. “Totally normal amount of time to be gone for a run-in.”
The whole table burst into laughter, Harper choking slightly on her drink as she tried to suppress her smile. I just grinned, shaking my head, subtly fixing my shirt as Nina watched with barely concealed amusement.
The conversation around the table continued. Though, I could barely focus on anything except the image of Harper–her flushed skin, her teasing smile, the way she had looked at me. The party carried on around us, but all I could think about washow damn good she’d felt, how stunning she’d looked, and how much I wanted more.
