something enjoyable.”
Rubbing at her temples, Harper tried not to break down. “I better go. I’ve been in the bathroom for ages. Bye, you two.”
Flicking her phone closed, she placed it in her bag, and stared down at her clothes. She wore a pair of jeans that were torn at the knees, and the shirt she wore belonged to one of her brothers, and hung off her fuller figure.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, to find Abel sitting on the bed that they had both collapsed in only a few hours ago. They had ridden to the airport, gotten onto a flight, found the nearest chapel, gotten married, partied, and crashed right here in this hotel.
“Hey,” she said.
Abel looked up. “You regret marrying me?”
She groaned. He looked so sad, which just didn’t make her feel all that great. “I … I don’t know what I’m feeling.”
“You don’t need to lie. I thought this was about us taking a risk.”
“We got married, Abel. I don’t know you. I don’t know your middle name—”
“I don’t have one.”
“Oh.”
“You know, I asked you in the car on the way here if you would have any regrets.”
“I don’t have any regrets.” She winced, seeing as that was what she told her two best friends.
“It doesn’t sound like that’s the truth from where I’m standing. In fact, it sounds to me like you have a whole lot of regrets,” he said.
Hazel eyes stared back at her, and Harper didn’t know what to say.
“You’re not even going to give this a try?”
“Abel, we made a mistake—”
“You don’t know that!” He yelled the words, getting up from the bed, and advancing toward her. “You’re too damn scared to even see how good we can be together.” He stopped right in front of her, not reaching out to touch, just standing there, waiting.
“What do you want from me?” she asked.
“To give me—and to give us —a chance. Don’t go running away because it’s easier. Stay. Be my wife. Don’t just get our damn marriage annulled. You can’t deny that we have chemistry. Did you have fun last night?”
She nodded.
“Give us a chance, Harper. I won’t rush you.”
He ran his fingers down her arm, taking hold of her hand.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just kind of had a freak out moment there. I woke up, and you had your arms wrapped around me. Everything came flooding back, and I just freaked out. I guess it’s the curse of being young.”
“Tell your friends to stop calling me the old guy. I’m not that old.”
She chuckled. “You heard that.”
“I heard it all, Harp.”
“What else did you hear?”
“You’re a virgin?”
Dropping her gaze, she nibbled her lip. “You heard that.”
“I heard it all. I’m not some horrible person. You’re a virgin.”
“I know you said you wanted to be all my firsts, and you will be.”
Silence fell between them, and she looked up. She took a step back when she saw how intense his gaze was.
“I’m going to be your first?”
“I don’t know.”
He held her hand, running his thumb across her knuckles. “You don’t have to be afraid. I’d never force you.”
“I know you wouldn’t.” Abel wasn’t a bad guy. He was nice, and she liked him. Really liked him.
“My parents want to meet you,” he said.
“I haven’t told mine.”
“There will be time to tell them.”
“We’re going to meet your parents now?”
“Yes, we’re going to meet them. We’ll be back home by tonight. Mom has a dinner planned. All of my brothers will be there, and of course you’ll get to meet my sister.”
She smiled.
The plan for an annulment went out of her mind, and instead, she focused on what was important right now.
Taking a deep breath, Harper hoped she could handle whatever was about to come from her little adventure.
Chapter Six
“So, Harper, what are you studying?” Charlotte Denton asked. Abel stared across the table at his wife, and he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. She was sipping water, and
Rubbing at her temples, Harper tried not to break down. “I better go. I’ve been in the bathroom for ages. Bye, you two.”
Flicking her phone closed, she placed it in her bag, and stared down at her clothes. She wore a pair of jeans that were torn at the knees, and the shirt she wore belonged to one of her brothers, and hung off her fuller figure.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, to find Abel sitting on the bed that they had both collapsed in only a few hours ago. They had ridden to the airport, gotten onto a flight, found the nearest chapel, gotten married, partied, and crashed right here in this hotel.
“Hey,” she said.
Abel looked up. “You regret marrying me?”
She groaned. He looked so sad, which just didn’t make her feel all that great. “I … I don’t know what I’m feeling.”
“You don’t need to lie. I thought this was about us taking a risk.”
“We got married, Abel. I don’t know you. I don’t know your middle name—”
“I don’t have one.”
“Oh.”
“You know, I asked you in the car on the way here if you would have any regrets.”
“I don’t have any regrets.” She winced, seeing as that was what she told her two best friends.
“It doesn’t sound like that’s the truth from where I’m standing. In fact, it sounds to me like you have a whole lot of regrets,” he said.
Hazel eyes stared back at her, and Harper didn’t know what to say.
“You’re not even going to give this a try?”
“Abel, we made a mistake—”
“You don’t know that!” He yelled the words, getting up from the bed, and advancing toward her. “You’re too damn scared to even see how good we can be together.” He stopped right in front of her, not reaching out to touch, just standing there, waiting.
“What do you want from me?” she asked.
“To give me—and to give us —a chance. Don’t go running away because it’s easier. Stay. Be my wife. Don’t just get our damn marriage annulled. You can’t deny that we have chemistry. Did you have fun last night?”
She nodded.
“Give us a chance, Harper. I won’t rush you.”
He ran his fingers down her arm, taking hold of her hand.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I just kind of had a freak out moment there. I woke up, and you had your arms wrapped around me. Everything came flooding back, and I just freaked out. I guess it’s the curse of being young.”
“Tell your friends to stop calling me the old guy. I’m not that old.”
She chuckled. “You heard that.”
“I heard it all, Harp.”
“What else did you hear?”
“You’re a virgin?”
Dropping her gaze, she nibbled her lip. “You heard that.”
“I heard it all. I’m not some horrible person. You’re a virgin.”
“I know you said you wanted to be all my firsts, and you will be.”
Silence fell between them, and she looked up. She took a step back when she saw how intense his gaze was.
“I’m going to be your first?”
“I don’t know.”
He held her hand, running his thumb across her knuckles. “You don’t have to be afraid. I’d never force you.”
“I know you wouldn’t.” Abel wasn’t a bad guy. He was nice, and she liked him. Really liked him.
“My parents want to meet you,” he said.
“I haven’t told mine.”
“There will be time to tell them.”
“We’re going to meet your parents now?”
“Yes, we’re going to meet them. We’ll be back home by tonight. Mom has a dinner planned. All of my brothers will be there, and of course you’ll get to meet my sister.”
She smiled.
The plan for an annulment went out of her mind, and instead, she focused on what was important right now.
Taking a deep breath, Harper hoped she could handle whatever was about to come from her little adventure.
Chapter Six
“So, Harper, what are you studying?” Charlotte Denton asked. Abel stared across the table at his wife, and he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. She was sipping water, and
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