“That meansDamon didn’t…”
Zarya didn’tfinish, but Harper knew what it meant.
She reached forher handbag and ferreted inside for her phone. On the screen weremultiple missed calls and messages. Her hand trembled as sheclasped it to her mouth. “I think I’ve made a terriblemistake.”
“We both jumpedto the wrong conclusions, Harper.”
“Damon hadnothing to do with stealing Magik Dates, did he?” she asked, asthough saying it out loud would help to clarify things. Guiltwracked her. She’d been so ready to believe Damon could dosomething like that to her, but he hadn’t. This was all Conner’sdoing. He’d stolen her ideas and set up the business on his own.Hell, it even said on the website that Conner was the owner andCEO—nothing to connect the dating agency with Damon whatsoever.
How could shethink it of Damon? What they had was special, she knew it in herheart. She’d tried to fight it, convince herself she hadn’t fallenhead over heels in love with a charming vampire in such a shorttime, but she had.
She brought upthe text messages on her phone. Almost every one was from Damon.Her heart ached as she scrolled through them; mainly messages ofhow much he was missing her. “What am I going to do, Zarya? I’vemessed everything up. Damon will never forgive me for accusing himof stealing my business.”
“You have yourphone back now. Ring him.”
“I… Ican’t.”
“Harper, theguy is in love with you.”
“He is?”
Her friendstroked her hair. “And you love him, don’t you?”
She nodded.
“Then ringhim.”
Her stomachtied itself into knots. What if he didn’t want to speak to her?What if he refused to forgive her? “I will, soon, but I need timeto process everything.” She glanced at her phone again. Twenty-oddvoicemail messages, all from Damon, presumably while he was inFrance. “I need to be alone for a while, okay?”
“You meanyou’re going to your bedroom to listen to Damon’s no-doubtschmaltzy voicemail messages?”
She smiled.There was no fooling her ocean priestess friend.
* * *
Harper satcross-legged on her bed, listening to Damon’s voicemail messages.The messages tugged on her heartstrings, and he’d clearly missedher while he was away, but she still couldn’t get the images she’dseen on the internet out of her head, of him with those otherwomen.
Someone knockedon her bedroom door.
Zarya openedthe door, grinning from ear to ear. “There’s someone here to seeyou, Harper.”
Harper gaspedas her friend stepped back and Damon entered the room. She switchedoff her phone and threw it onto the bedcover.
Damon shiftedfrom one foot to the other. “Hi… err, Zarya let me in. I hope youdon’t mind?”
She repliedwith an uncertain, “Hi.”
Awkward silencefollowed.
Zarya hoveredby the door. “Would you like a cup of tea? I could make a pot?”
“No, I’m fine,thanks,” Damon answered.
“Harper?” herfriend prompted.
Harper blew outa breath. She really had to have a word with Zarya about herconstant offers of making tea. “No, thanks.”
Zarya stillhovered by the door with a concerned expression on her face. Shegave her a nod.
“Okay then,”her friend said. “I’ll leave you two to it.”
Silencedescended again.
Ribbit.Ribbit.
Damon glancedover to the glass tank. “How is the handsome Prince?”
“He’s fine.”Did he have to mention her pet frog? Prince hadn’t forgiven her yetfor covering him with a throw when Damon had nipped her barebackside… Her cheeks warmed.
“How are you,Harper?”
“I’m fine.”Not.
“So… everyoneis fine.” He regarded her, his chocolate-brown eyes catching thesunlight streaming through her window.
She sighed.“We’re not fine, are we?”
He shook hishead.
“I’m so sorry,”they both blurted out at the same time.
Damonhalf-smiled. So did she.
“We need totalk, Damon. Come and sit down.” She patted the bed beside her,then realised it wasn’t her best idea.
He stared atthe bed, as if in a trance. “I’m so sorry for everything, Harper.”He raked his hand through his hair. “I swear I never had anythingto do with what Conner did.”
“I know.”
“It’s all myfault. If I hadn’t convinced you to give him a chance, none of thiswould have happened.”
“It’s not yourfault, Damon, it’s mine. I jumped to the wrong conclusions. Can youever forgive me for thinking you were behind stealing mybusiness?”
He closed hiseyes for a second. When he opened them again, he crossed the roomand sat on the edge of her bed. He took her hand, his touch gentle.“I would never do that to you. I know how much Magik Dates meant toyou, and how hard you’ve worked to try to make it a success.”
She stared athis hand. “But I was so ready to think the worst of you…”
“Harper, stop,please. I forgive you.”
She looked himin the eyes.
Damon tucked acurl behind her ear. “So, where do we go from here?”
“That’s up toyou, Damon.” She swallowed. “I… kind of googled you, and… and I sawthe pictures of you with all those beautiful women. Is that all Iwas to you? Another woman to drape on your arm?”
“Oh God, no.”He shook his head. “Those women were from a past I’m not proud of,and they meant nothing to me. None of them ever bothered to get toknow me, who I really am. It was never like that with you, Harper.You have to believe me.”
The sincerityin his eyes left her in no doubt he was telling the truth.
“I kept callingyou while I was in France. I damn near lost my mind when you didn’treply.”
A smile foughtto break free. She’d listened to his messages, and read the texts,smiled as he’d relayed his day and the vineyards he’d visited, andhis confessions of how much he couldn’t wait to see her again.
“I thought younever wanted to see me again, and it broke my heart. What we hadwas special. Surely you know that?”
“I tried tocontact you. I called the restaurant and your office, but no onewould give me your phone number.”
“My faultagain. My employees have strict instructions not to give out myprivate number.”
“Good employeesto have,” she commented. “I did leave a message with yoursecretary, though—didn’t you get it?”
“No, sorry, Ihaven’t been to the office yet, or looked at my messages from Joan.Anyway, I don’t care about that right now. I care about you, aboutus.”
“Is there anus, Damon?”
“I want thereto be, but—”
Butnothing. Throwing caution to the wind, she kissed him. Damonresponded, his kiss everything she remembered and more.
