The Workaholic and the Realist (New Hampshire Bears #2) (21 page)

“How about you and I grab a drink at the bar? As friends.”

My gaze remained fixed forward.

“Please,” he softly begged.

The bitch in me came back, and I turned to him, crossed my arms and firmly stated, “No,” and stormed off.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Keaton

In my mind I’d thought this go differently. Harlow and I should be on round three of our sex marathon. Instead, I was sitting alone at the bar, nursing my second beer.

Seeing Harlow again made my heart ache. I couldn’t believe it was possible to love her even more, but I did. I planned on doing everything and anything to get her back. The problem? I really had no
plan
. Begging and groveling were on the list, but that was about it.

I felt someone sit on my left, and shock caused my eyes to widen.

Harlow.

When the bartender came over, she ordered a white wine. Should I talk first? Ask why she changed her mind? I quickly decided to wait for her to speak.

I watched, through my peripheral vision, as the bartender sat her glass down in front of her. She took a small sip. Even though there was noise, talking and laughter around us, our silence was almost deafening.

“I’m not really a bitch all the time.”

She spoke!
“I know.”

“But it is a quality that tends to be louder than the others.” She kept tapping her wine glass stem.

“There’s a lot of
good
in you, Harlow. I’ve seen it first hand.”

“I don’t give second chances, Keaton. I never have. It’s one thing to have a tiff or an argument, but you crossed a line so far you can’t even see the line anymore.”

My mouth dried. “You’re right and I can’t apologize enough. I want to fix what happened between us.”

She swiveled on the stool and faced me, and I mirrored her pose.

“Keaton, I’m forty years old. I’ve been the exact same person since I was eight. Until you.”

I stopped breathing, just listening to her.

“You turned me upside down. None of my other relationships were like ours. I fell for you hard, fast, and I loved every moment of it. Our talks, the banter, the laughter, all of it made my heart grow more for you, but…” she trailed off and looked away from me.

“Harlow.” I reached for hand, but she moved it from me.

“No, Keaton.” She looked back at me. “You hurt me in a way I never thought I could be hurt. I cried so hard for you; I didn’t think that was possible.”

My heart broke more hearing her words. I saw her eyes well in tears, and all I wanted to do was hold her.

“I came on this trip to clear my head—”

“I’ll leave, Harlow,” I cut her off. “I don’t want to hurt you anymore.”

Our eyes locked onto each other, and I knew her hurt and sadness were all my fault.

“The dedication, was it real?”

“Dedication?” I was baffled by her question. “Oh, you mean in my book. Yes, it’s real.”

She gently wiped the tear from her cheek. “It’s sweet, thank you.” In a very lady-like manner, she slid off the stool and strolled away without another word.

I waved down the bartender for another beer and told him to add Harlow’s wine to my tab. I practically chugged the beer down, hoping it would dull the pain in my heart. Even though I knew it wouldn’t help.

I closed my eyes thinking about the dedication. Grams was my obvious choice, but since I used her name in my pen name, I went with my heart.

My honey-bunny.

I remember writing it with a smile on my face, dedicating my book to her. I opened my eyes and picked at the label on my beer, bored, hurt, and little tired.

After finishing my third beer and then the fourth one, I tapped out and went back to the cabin. The moon lit the entire ocean from the cloudless sky; even the stars were like tiny night-lights. When I walked in, Harlow was nowhere in the room. She must be on the deck, I guessed, and I got ready for bed.

On the couch.

It had a lump and wasn’t comfortable, and the worst part was my legs hung over the armrest.

It’s going to be a long week on this thing.

I turned on my iPad, opened my Kindle app, and did my best to focus on the words of the book I was reading.

About fifteen minutes later, Harlow came through the door with blood shot eyes. I gave her a sad smile, and I waited for her to come over and clock me. She might feel better.

Instead, she breezed past me and went into the en-suite to change, I suppose. When she came out, she wore a tight white tank top and thin shorts, both of which made me hard. I knew she had nothing under there, and I could clearly see her nipples. She had a banging body, and my tongue had touched every inch of it.

I set my iPad to the side and tried to find a comfortable position as Harlow turned off the lights, except the one by her side of the bed. I turned to my left and then my right, but each position killed my back. I should get on the floor; it would be more comfortable.

Harlow signed dramatically, and I saw her toss the covers off her and stomp over to me. “Get up.”

“Huh?”

“You’re rocking the entire boat by tossing and turning. Now, get up and lay in the bed.”

“What?” Did I hear her right? “Where are you going to sleep?”

“We’ll sleep in the bed, but if you touch me, I’ll cut off your favorite appendage.”

“I promise.” I sat up, removing the blanket I’d stolen from the bed, and I saw Harlow check out my body. Since Grams’ death, I’ve been working out a lot.

“Enjoying the view?” I held back my smirk this time.

She crossed my arms. “I never, ever said you weren’t hot with an amazing body. I said you were an asshole.”

“But I’m your asshole.” I couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t punch me now since I was playing a little too close to the fire.

Harlow rolled her eyes and went back to her side of the bed. “Just remember what I told you.” She jerked the covers up to her chin and put her back to me.

“I promise,” I repeated, sliding in next to her, facing her back. “Goodnight, Harlow.”

She replied by turning off the light.

The sun blazed into the room through the window, and when I opened my eyes, I realized why my arm felt asleep. Harlow was curled up next to me.

I reveled in our closeness. I knew she wasn’t awake yet as she softly snored. Some guys would have been turned off by the sound, but Harlow’s wasn’t loud.

It’s cute.

I gently pulled her closer to me and tenderly kissed her cheek. “I love you, honey-bunny,” I whispered in her ear.

“Mmm…puppy.”

My heart sped up at the pet name she’d given me. Yes, it was dumb, but I missed her saying it. I glanced at the clock and remembered from the itinerary, we were about to dock at Dubrovnik, Croatia. I had plans for us today, but I’d have to wake her first.

“Harlow.” I stroked her cheek. “Honey-Bunny.” I ran my fingers up and down her arm.

She stirred, grinding her ass against my already hard cock. I did my best to stifle the moan, but damn, she felt good. She stretched her arms out and blinked awake.

God, she’s beautiful.

She gasped and quickly moved out of my arms. “Keaton,” she chided.

“Hey,” I held my hands up in defense. “I just woke up too.”

She leapt out the bed and rubbed her eyes. “Whatever,” she growled.

I knew she hated mornings, but she looked so cute standing by the bed, trying to wake up.

“Do you want me to get ready first so I can grab you some breakfast?”

She nodded and crawled back into the bed. I chuckled and headed to get ready.

I opened our door, balancing two cups of coffee and a bagel with butter and jelly; I knew how Harlow ate them, even though it was gross.

I set everything on the dresser and noticed the en-suite door open. Harlow stood in front of the mirror, with her auburn hair in a high ponytail, finishing up her makeup. She had a dark blue capped sleeve shirt and white shorts.

Damn, she has the best legs.

“I have coffee and a bagel for you.”

“Thanks. I’ll be right there.”

I went back to the couch, sipping my coffee, nibbling on my doughnut. I watched Harlow come over and take a seat next to me. I handed everything to her.

“Thanks, Keaton,” she said again.

“No problem.”

We sat in silence for a few moments before I spoke. “I have some sightseeing stuff booked. I’d like you to come with me.”

She took another bite of her bagel, chewing slowly, stalling along the way.

“Sure. Yeah. I’ll hang out with you.” She seemed too casual about the answer.

“Okay.” I tried to act the same, but my insides jumped up and down with excitement.

We finished our breakfast just as we docked. Harlow and I then headed into the town of Dubrovnik.

We took the cable car tour, which seemed to be quite long and beautiful. Several other patrons from the cruise were there too. Harlow seemed chatty with them, but she had always been friendly.

When we finished, we did a tour of the ancient city walls and old town. I’d never been a huge history buff, but our tour guide was extremely informative. I was intrigued. Even Harlow commented on how interesting it was.

As we headed back to the boat, we stopped at a couple little shops. Harlow picked out a few things for the girls. I even grabbed something for Felicia.

Even though we didn’t talk a lot, I thought we both had fun. At least, I did. Harlow brushed against me a few times on our way back, and I desperately wanted to hold her hand, but I carried the bags instead.

“There’s a formal dinner tonight with a show. Do you want to go?” I asked as we walked into our room.

“Well, I didn’t eat yesterday, so I guess.”

“Don’t strain yourself,” I mumbled at her vague answer. “I thought since we had a nice day, we could keep it going.”

Harlow deflated. “You’re right; we did have a nice day. I will go to dinner with you. Thank you.”

My heart slammed into my chest. I felt as if I’d made it through the first part of a very long obstacle course.

This might be a successful trip after all.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Harlow

Keaton pulled on his suit jacket and adjusted his tie before turning to me. “Wow!”

I glanced down at my dress. It was red with an enormous amount of beading that stopped just above my knees. It came up like a turtleneck, but the arms and back were bare. I slipped into my matching red heels, making me level with Keaton’s blue eyes.

“I take it you like it.” I gave him a spin. I could tell he enjoyed it a lot, but I’d be lying if I didn’t like torturing him too. “Is it
hard
for you right now?” A small smile played on my lips.

“No more than how
wet
you are,” he teased.

I took a step up closer to him. “I’m pretty dry right now.”

Keaton raised an eyebrow and didn’t back down. “Oh, I’d
love
to see if I could change the situation.”

I shrugged, putting on my fake megawatt smile. “Too bad you can’t; I won’t allow it. Ready to eat?”

Keaton seemed sad and shook his head. “Let’s go, honey-bunny.” He put his smirk back on.

I know I shouldn’t taunt him. Nothing would happen between us, no matter how good it felt to wake up in his arms this morning. Part of me enjoyed the comfort of his warmth and his hard on, but my realist side told me to get the hell up and run away.

I did.

Today, we’d had a lot of fun. The guide seemed knowledgeable and fun, the cable car was a blast, and I met nice people. Even though enjoyable, the day happened between friends.

Keaton held out my chair for me, and I noticed more than a few people turning their heads to gaze at us. Though I never turn down attention, the look in some of the women’s eyes turned on the jealously inside of me as they stared at Keaton.

Why? We’re not together. Anyone can stare at him.

“Thank you,” I politely said when he took the seat to my left.

The waitress came up and took our drink and food order. She continually gazed at Keaton, and it made my emotions bloom more. It shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help it.

The show was amazing. It was about music around the world. The whole thing was spectacularly captivating. There were a lot of regions depicted, and even Keaton remained transfixed on the entrainment as well.

When it finished, our food arrived and small talk ensued, mainly about the food, which was mouth-wateringly delicious.

“How are you and Felicia doing?” I pushed my now empty plate away.

“Um…hard to explain, but it’s good. She’s really helped me.”

“Is she at your Grams’ house?”

“I told her to stay until she finds something on her own or stay and pay the bills.”

“That’s nice you’re letting her stay.”

“I’m not a huge asshole, honey-bunny.”

I wanted to tell him not to call me
honey-bunny
, but I let it slide. “Have you cleaned out Grams’ stuff yet?”

Keaton’s face turned sad, and I knew I’d gone too far. “I’ve not touched a thing yet.”

“You will when you’re ready.” I gripped his wrist, trying to show him some comfort.

“How’s the new job?” He sipped his scotch, but neither of us moved our hands from each other.

“Actually, pretty great. It’s more work, but Dacey is a dream and a huge help. I honestly don’t know what I would do without her.”

“Vance seems happy with her.”

“I still find their situation so strange, but they’re supposed to marry before the season starts.”

Keaton chuckled. “At least, I won’t have to buy a gift for Remington and Maxima since theirs isn’t real.”

“True, but Maxima is serious about making it work and as real as possible. She told us the ex is a real bitch.”

“She’s a piece of work for sure.”

“Do you know her?” I snapped.

“Remington’s ex?” He shook his head. “Not personally, just from what he has told me.”

My jealously needed to get under control because I almost bit his head off thinking he knew Remington’s ex. I removed my hand from his wrist and rubbed my temples.

“You okay?” he asked with much concern.

“Yes.” I took a deep cleansing breath and dropped my hands into my lap. Over the loud speaker, the announcer told us the dance floor was now open.

Keaton stood and held out his hand. I stared at him as if he grew a third eye.

“Come dance with me, honey-bunny.”

“You?” I hid my laugh. “You dance?”

“I do. Come on.”

I threw caution to the wind for the first time in a long time and took his hand. Feeling his arms around me, holding me, was the only thing on my mind.

He placed one hand very low on my back, pulling our bodies flush with each other. His hard body easily made me wet, and I was grateful I could hide it.

Keaton laid his cheek against mine, and his aftershave made my toes curl. His warm breath tickled my skin, and I held back the shiver that wanted to race through me.

“I’m sorry, Harlow. I’m sorry I didn’t take you out more. I should have sent you flowers every day to show you I cared. When I figured out I loved you, I should have shouted it from the rooftops, put it on billboards, and told every person I passed on the street. I never treated you right, but if you give me a second chance, I’ll spend every moment of every day showing you how worthy I am to be your boyfriend again.”

Each syllable he spoke hit my heart and soul hard. He said everything I wanted to hear. I closed my eyes to keep the tears from falling.

“I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but just tell me what you want from me, and I’ll do it to prove to you.”

I never lied in my life. Sure, the small lies didn’t count; age, weight, that I actually watched the news, shit like that, but big stuff like this…no. I believed in one hundred percent honesty.

Keaton and I swayed to the music. Our bodies still close to each other, cheeks still touching, and I said it. “I need time.”

He stopped and pulled his head back; his eyes wide in shock.

“You hurt me. I told you this. A relationship with me will never work if you don’t communicate with me, don’t trust me, and treat me like shit.” The tears slid down my face.

Keaton softly wiped them away. “I’m sorry, Harlow. I don’t want you to hurt over me. But take all the time you need.”

I thought I heard his voice crack, but I rested my head on his shoulder, and we danced through another song until I said I was growing tired. Keaton led me back to the table and handled the bill. I allowed him to hold my hand as we strolled back to the cabin.

I took my shoes off the second I reached inside the door and dumped them and my clutch in the corner.

“Harlow.”

I turned toward his sexy voice. “Yes?”

“On a proper date, the guy usually gets a kiss at the end of the night.” His eyes bounced happily over my body.

“If the date had been satisfactory, sure, a kiss would be in order.”

“And tonight?” He eyed me again.

I stepped up to him, placing my hands on his biceps and easily rested my lips in his cheek. “Thank you for a great night.” I knew he wanted a real one, but not tonight.

“What’s the plan for beautiful Kotor?” Keaton asked as we stepped of the boat.

“There’s a beautiful castle called the
Castle of San Giovanni
. I booked a tour and after it’s over, I’m going back to lay pool side and relax.”

“You in a bikini will be the highlight of my life.”

“Your life?” I scoffed. “Aren’t you reaching a bit?”

“Oh no, I’m not, honey-bunny.”

We held hands as we made our way to the castle. The tour guide’s attitude was quiet dull compared to yesterday’s guides, and surprisingly, much shorter. On our way back to the dock, we stopped at a small café for coffee and pastries. We found a nice bench outside to sit and enjoy the day.

“It’s a getting a little cloudier.” Keaton gazed up at the sky. “You’re still getting in your bikini, right?”

I smirked. “Maybe,” I teased a bit.

He chuckled.

We started people watching, casually commenting on the clothing, bags, and shoes. Well, I commented more on the accessories than Keaton. This morning had seemed perfect, and after finishing our food and drinks, we strolled hand-in-hand back to the boat.

The comfort and familiarity was there between us, and I embraced it, but only a little bit. I needed time, mainly to make sure Keaton could handle being in a relationship with me. Age never bothered me, but Keaton was twenty-five, and a workaholic with a long hockey career in front of him. These were important factors in giving him my heart back.

I was a realist in every way.

We made it back to our cabin, and I grabbed my bathing suit before heading in to the bathroom to change. Keaton had been right about me being in a bikini. Sure, I was forty, but my body didn’t look bad. There was some cellulite on the back of my thighs. My boobs drooped a bit, and my stomach wasn’t as tight as ten years ago, but I felt good about all those little imperfections.

As long as I felt good, that’s all that mattered.

I slid on my cover up and walked into the room, only to stop in my tacks. Keaton stood in the middle of the room in red trunks, hanging low on his hips. His abs were more defined, and his pecks hard.

Damn him and his blue eyes.

“I think you’re drooling, honey-bunny.”

“Nope.” Even though I clearly was eyeing him like a snow cone as I walked in the desert.

“Well, then,” he held out his elbow. “Are you ready to hit the pool?”

I gazed at his body one more time and took his elbow, heading back out in the fresh air.