Page 73 of Sins of the Father

My body fills with dread.

You’re such an asshole.

I try to call her, but her phone goes to voice mail.

I text her. “I’m on my way home. I just got your messages. I’m a dick and I’m sorry.”

The thought of Harper waiting for me to get home with dinner in the oven makes me feel ill. The self-loathing I always feel races back.

And there’s no way I’m going to be able to convince Harper to move to Chicago when I can’t even pick up the phone and tell her I’m going to be late.

11

Harper

Lightning and thunderexplode in the sky, waking me up. I look at the clock. It says it’s after midnight. I turn, but the other side of the bed is still untouched.

He’s not home yet?

I should have been angry at Steven for not calling me, but instead, I’m worried about him.

He went to work later than he usually does, instead spending time with Hope and me. I’m not sure how that affected his day. And instead of working over the weekend, he devoted every free minute to me. Before he left, he wanted me to have his number. And Hope is here, whom he loves with all his heart and wants to spend time with. So I don’t believe he would stand me up without a good reason.

I don’t do well with uncertainty, Harper. I grew up with it, and I just... I can’t do it. It throws everything in my life off.His words play on repeat in my head, and the more time that passes, the more I worry about him.

After ten, I gave up waiting and went to lie down in bed. I hadn’t slept a lot the night before, and I must have fallen asleep. I put my robe on and go out to the family room. After my eyes adjust to the darkness, I see his head above the back of the leather chair.

He holds a glass with a dark liquid in it. He taps his finger on the cut crystal and stares out at the blinking city skyline, as if in a trance. The suit jacket he wore is draped over the couch. His tie hangs loosely, the knot over his sternum, and several buttons on his shirt undone.

He looks so stressed again.

“Hey,” I say and stroke his cheek. “What are you doing out here?”

He closes his eyes momentarily, as if in pain, and when he opens them, they’re glassy. His voice is hoarse. “You were sleeping and... God, I fucked up already.”

I straddle him and cup his cheeks, breathing in his leather, roasted almond, and lavender scent.

He takes a deep breath and clenches his jaw. “I’m such an ass.”

“Shh.” I lean forward and kiss him. His tongue tastes of Scotch, and his hand slides into my hair.

“Harper...”

I slide my tongue back in his mouth, and he sets his glass on the table and wraps his arm around me, tugging me closer. His hand glides under the fabric of my panties, and he palms my bottom, stroking the slit of my ass, sending shivers down my spine.

“Rough day?” I murmur.

“Yeah.” His blue eyes are bloodshot from a lack of sleep and are full of guilt. “I can’t believe I missed dinner and your messages.”

“Shh.” I stroke his hair. “You need sleep.”

“Tell me what you did today.” He tugs my hair back and licks my neck from my collarbone to my jaw then slides his teeth across it to my earlobe.

The exquisite ache I never knew before him tugs at my core, spinning in my loins. “Hope and I went exploring.”

He sucks on my ear. His hot breath is like a fan blowing tingles on my skin. “Where to?”

“Michigan Ave. and the Riverwalk.”

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