She Loves Me (Harmony Pointe #3) - Melissa Foster Page 0,27
now. But this isn’t for me. Sophie wants to find a book for her mom, but you know, I have no clue what I’m looking for. My romance comes in the form of a football game, a cold beer in my hand, and a bunch of guys to bet on the game with. Do you have any idea what authors Delaney likes?”
“You’re in luck. I have just the thing. We just got in two of her favorite authors’ new releases: Charlotte Sterling and Emma Chase.” As Aurelia searched the titles on the shelves, she said, “I heard Harley hurt himself and that you were helping him with the girls. How is he feeling? How’s everything going?”
“He’s doing okay. His ankle’s pretty bad, but the girls are great. I just hadn’t counted on seeing Harley naked.”
Aurelia whipped her head around, eyes wide. “You saw Harley naked?”
“Yup, and everything Heaven Love said about him is spot-on. The man’s got a beast of a blissmaker between those thick thighs.” A streak of jealousy shot through her. Piper had grown up with Heaven and her siblings, Everly, Echo, and Magnolia, in Sweetwater. Heaven had once made out with Harley, and she’d deemed him the Muff Marauder.
“Damn. You shouldn’t have told me that. Now I’ll blush every time I see him.”
“Tell me about it,” Piper mumbled.
Aurelia pulled a book from the shelf and said, “So have you two . . . ?”
“No. What is with everyone wanting me and Harley to hook up? He fell in the shower and I had to help him up.”
“Yikes. Is he okay?” She handed Piper two romance novels, and just as Sophie had suggested, they had hot guys on the covers.
“Yes, but I’m not. I think seeing his pocket rocket broke me or something.” She glanced at the books without really seeing them, because the image of Harley sitting on his bed and the towel slipping off his waist blurred her vision. “I’ve always had a fond appreciation for lust. It’s the most amazing feeling in the world. It belongs on a pedestal right beside orgasms. But now the big, burly oaf has ruined that for me.”
“Wait, wait, wait.” Aurelia waved her hands excitedly. “Are you telling me that you’re lusting after Harley Dutch?”
“No! Yes? Ugh!” She pressed her lips together and looked across the store at Sophie, who was sitting on the floor reading. “I don’t know what happened,” she said in a quieter voice. “But I think whatever switch he flicked inside me was flicked last night, before I saw him naked, and seeing him naked this morning just made it irreversible. But it’s more than that. Do you know what he said to me?”
“No, but I’m dying to!”
“Stop it. You can’t get all excited about this. It’s not a good thing.”
Aurelia laughed. “Says who, exactly?”
“Me! Harley said he didn’t want to cockblock me from the only man in the room—and it was just the two of us.”
Aurelia grinned so hard Piper was sure she’d pop a blood vessel.
Piper gave her a deadpan look. “I can see you’re not going to be any help.” She handed Aurelia the books and the diary and said, “Just ring these up. And don’t say a word to my brother about this.”
“Wait. You can’t leave me hanging! And don’t worry. I’d never tell Ben any of this, but he knows Harley’s been after you for years.”
“He has not been after me,” she said for what felt like the millionth time. “This is new, trust me.”
“Why are you upset over this? You guys are great together.”
“Because we’re great together. Never mind. Nobody understands what it’s like to be me.”
Aurelia eyed her and said, “Hot, smart, and tough can’t be too difficult of a way to go through life, Piper. You’re not getting any sympathy from me.”
“Seriously? You know men are intimidated by me, and the ones who aren’t think they can change me.”
“Not Harley.”
“Because we’re not dating,” Piper explained. “Just don’t say anything, okay?”
“Okay, but I have to say this: I think you’re being foolish. Don’t shut him out.”
Piper arched a brow. “That’s great advice coming from a woman who bought a bookstore and moved out of town to escape her crush on my brother.”
“That was different. I’d loved Ben forever and I didn’t think he was interested. You aren’t in love with Harley. Wait. Are you?”
“God, everyone’s lost their minds. No, I’m not. I never even thought about him like that until he hurt his ankle. He’s a freaking switch flicker!”