Wide Open Read Free Page B

second. “I guess you’re right.”
    A silence draws out between us as the conversation lulls. She doesn’t pick up her book. I don’t reach for my phone. Neither of us looks away.
    It should be awkward, but the weird thing about it is how natural it feels. How comfortable I am under her stare, intuitive and intelligent, tearing me down and digging deep. I don’t let people look at me this closely. I’m always dodging, always weaving, an indistinct blur they can’t get a read on. But now, with Harper, I feel pinned by her eyes. Settled in a way that’s utterly unsettling.
    “You have beautiful eyes,” I tell her honestly.
    She grins. “So do you.”
    “If you like those you should see my feet. They’re spectacular.”
    “I bet your calves are better.”
    “That’s a fool’s bet. I’d never take it.”
    “I’ve seen your calves. I’d bet the farm on it.”
    I smile. “When have you seen my calves?”
    “Any given Sunday,” she sings lightly.
    “Now that right there feels like a dodge.”
    “You should know. You’re the expert.”
    “And another one.” I eye her shrewdly. “What brings you here today, Harper?”
    “Business.”
    “Lawyer?”
    “No.”
    “Agent?”
    “No.”
    I blatantly rake my eyes over her body; from her plain white Adidas three stripes to her perfectly styled hair. “Cheerleader?”
    She snorts derisively. “No.”
    “Jehovah’s Witness?”
    “Do you have a moment to talk about our Lord and Savior, Tagalong?”
    “You’re a Girl Scout leader?”
    She smiles slyly. “No.”
    “That was misleading.”
    “It was a real question.”
    “You really want to know how I feel about Tagalongs?”
    “I’m on the edge of my seat.”
    I grin. “They’re overrated.”
    Harper laughs, the sound rolling over me in a warm wave that gives me chills. The sound is so sexy, setting something off inside me because I did that, I made her laugh. It’s a primal response and I don’t give a shit. She does something to me. It’s not just her body that has me hooked. It’s her mouth. Her mind. Her words and her intelligence emanating from her eyes. She’s the whole package, a gift from fate that I never knew I wanted, but dammit do I want it. I want her .
    “Can I get your number?”
    She calms, her smile fading but never disappearing. Not entirely. “That’s a bad idea.”
    “Why?”
    “It just is.”
    “You have a man?”
    “No.”
    “My calves aren’t pretty enough?”
    She chuckles despite herself. “No. They’re gorgeous.”
    “Then why is it a bad idea?” I press.
    “It’s, uh—“
    “You didn’t say ‘no’. A ‘no’ I could take and walk away from, but ‘it’s a bad idea’? That was designed to make me curious, wasn’t it? You meant for it to slow me down but keep me swinging.”
    Harper shuts her mouth firmly but her eyes are wide open. They’re watching me closely. “You’re pretty clever yourself, Kurtis.”
    “Ms. White?”
    I turn in my seat to look back at reception. Coach Allen is standing behind the desk next to Crystal.
    He hesitates when he sees me. “Kurtis, Crystal told me you were here. I have a meeting with Ms. White, but if you stick around I’ll have time for you after.”
    “Thanks, Coach.”
    “Everything okay?”
    “It’s great.”
    “Good.”
    Harper steps past me, leaving her citrus scent in her wake. She slows to look down at me. “I’ll see you around.”
    I lift a skeptical eyebrow. “Will you?”
    “More than you know.”
    “I’m looking forward to it.”
    She smiles sadly. “Try to hold onto that feeling.”
    I watch her walk away with Coach Allen. She’s taller than I thought she’d be, probably only a few inches shorter than me, and that hour glass is storing more minutes than I imagined. Her ass is round and high, taunting me as it disappears from view. I’ll remember it, though. I’ll remember her every curve, every sound she made, every word she said, whether I want to or not. I know without a doubt