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my eyes found her legs again. Before I could stop myself, I was crossing the room, picking up her feet, and sitting on the couch. I laid her legs back onto my lap and had to force my hands not to run up and down them. Princess had stiffened momentarily, but she didn’t move her legs, and her body slowly relaxed back into the couch. I had to bite down on my cheeks, so I wouldn’t smile.
    I looked slowly up her body and over to her red cheeks, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. I zeroed in on one of the new piercings I’d been catching a glimpse of all afternoon and suddenly wished I hadn’t put her legs in my lap. I’d have to thank Bree for her hand in that Monroe piercing, but I couldn’t see this girl letting someone talk her into something like this. “So I see my sister is already influencing you poorly.”
    “Do I even want to know what you’re talking about?”
    “This.” I touched just above her lip and had to bite back another freakin’ groan when she shivered against me.
    “What, you don’t like it?”
    “I never said that, it’s hot as hell.” That was an understatement. “But I’m disappointed you’d let her start talking you into stuff already. Figured you weren’t one to give in to people like that.”
    She roughly withdrew her legs from my lap, and I’d turned to ask what her problem was when I saw her expression, and the question died on my lips. “Not that it’s your business, but I was the one who wanted them and brought it up. I didn’t know at that time that she would want to get them, too, and I certainly wouldn’t let someone talk me into something like that. Glad to know you think so highly of me.” Without another word, she hopped off the couch and went down one of the halls toward my room.
    What the hell? Why does she do things like that? Like with Kristen earlier, why does she have to look like I’m hurting her rather than just pissing her off even more. I thought I needed her to stay away; I’d already come to terms with the fact that I couldn’t stay away from her even if I tried, so I needed her to leave. When she looked at me like I was hurting her, it just proved that everything she was showing me was just that—a show; and it was killing me.
    I stood up to go after her when my phone rang. Brandon. I sighed and answered as I walked outside. “Yeah?”
    “All right, I’m not going to ask you again after this, you’re like a brother to me so I need to know. Is there something going on with you and Harper?”
    “I’m getting seriously tired of this shit. No. She’s just a girl.”
    He laughed hard once. “Then why did you keep looking at me like you wanted a round with me?”
    “I wasn’t,” I said through gritted teeth.
    “Fine, then is she there?”
    “What?”
    “There you go again, brother.” He sighed, and I heard his Jeep start up. “I want to talk to Harper; can you give her your phone?”
    I kept my mouth shut and ground my teeth together as I opened the sliding glass door, only to find her on the couch again. I held the phone out as I neared her, and she jumped slightly when I said, “It’s for you.”
    She looked at me with confusion, and mixed in there was some of the same hurt from earlier, “He-hello?” Her eyes widened, and she glanced at the screen of the phone before bringing it back to her ear, a smile crossing her face as she relaxed into the couch. “I don’t mind, what’s up?” That gorgeous smile of hers got even wider before she could bite down on her lip to try to contain it. “I’d like that. Did you want me to meet you somewhere . . . ?” She sat up quickly before talking again. “See you.” She practically threw my phone back at me before taking off down the hall and pounding on what could only be my door.
    “Brandon’s coming to pick me up for coffee!” was the last thing I heard before stalking out of the house and to my truck.
    A COUPLE HOURS later, I had just finished setting everything up for the party