Harley

“C’mon, hurry up already.” I tapped my toe as I stared at the clock, counting down the minutes until my shift at work was finally over. Time was moving slower than usual, and that was saying a lot since that last half hour was always a killer. Today was different though. I had to pick my brother up from school and drop him off at Luke’s house later...which meant I was going to see David. Or at least I hoped I was.

I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him ever since he’d told me Luke’s mom was his ex—something I should have realized all on my own since Tyler never talked about his best friend’s mom. Only his dad. His smokin’ hot dad who I couldn’t get off my mind.

“Finally,” I sighed when it hit the top of the hour. I clocked out and said my goodbyes as I raced towards the door. I had time to spare, but I was hoping I might bump into David while waiting.

With that goal in mind, I pulled into the parking lot and snagged a spot up front. Since there were only a few other cars there, I took the extra time I had to flip down my visor and apply a swipe of mascara and lip gloss. I wasn’t one for a lot of makeup, but I wanted to look my best—and a little older than usual so David didn’t think of me as just Tyler’s big sister.

“Too bad this is about as good as it’s going to get,” I muttered to myself as I climbed out of my car and spotted David standing on the sidewalk near the front doors. I felt butterflies in my stomach just looking at him. At six foot two, with a lean, muscular frame and dark, wavy hair paired with piercing brown eyes; he put tall, dark, and handsome to shame. Dressed in a gray suit and a black wool overcoat that fit him perfectly, he was so out of my league. But it didn’t seem like he agreed, not with the way his eyes lit up when they zeroed in on me and swept down my body. Those butterflies swarmed so much that I felt like I might puke.

“Keep it together, girl,” I mumbled to myself as I stepped over the curb and walked over to him.

“Harley.” His raspy greeting sent goosebumps down my spine, and they only multiplied when he slid his palm from my elbow to my wrist and tugged me close enough to press his lips against my cheek.

“Hey,” I breathed. I couldn’t get any other words out since I was trying hard not to squeal like a little girl. Then I caught the glare one of the perfectly put together moms was sending my way, and I frowned up at David. “I think someone’s trying to get your attention. Either that or she thinks she’s the female version of Cyclops and she’s going to kill me with her laser beam eyes for standing too close to you.”

“An X-Men reference?” I nodded and shrugged with a grin. “Could you be any more fucking perfect?”

“Umm, I don’t think I’m the perfect one.” I jerked my head in the direction of the tall blonde headed our way.

“Fuck,” he groaned when he looked up. Then he bent his head low and whispered in my ear, “do me a favor and go with it?”

“What?”

His brown eyes widened pleadingly. “Please.”

“Uh-huh.” I nodded. Because really, what else could I say with him looking at me like that?

I stumbled into his hard chest when he yanked me closer and wrapped his arm around my waist. He rested his palm against my lower back, and the heat of it burned into my skin through my sweater and winter coat like they weren’t even there.

“David,” the blonde cooed when she reached us. Her blue eyes iced over when she took in how he held me close, but then they warmed right back up when she smiled at him. “I’m so glad I bumped into you today. The sign-up sheet for the holiday party is filling up fast. I saved a few of the easier items in case you wanted one of them, like paper plates and plastic cups. But if you’d like to tackle something a little harder this year, I’d be more than happy to lend you a helping hand. I’ve been told that I make the absolute best cutout cookies ever, and Luke usually asks for an extra one whenever I bring them in for the class. Maybe I could come over and teach you the recipe.”

It was ridiculously obvious she had more in mind than baking cookies, and I barely resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Hard.

“Thanks for the offer, Janice.” He squeezed me tight. “But Harley and I have it covered this year. Go ahead and sign us up for cookies. We can do a trial run tonight to make sure the batch Luke brings in for the party are perfect.”

“Oh.” Her enthusiasm dimmed, but I had to give her credit for trying to keep up the façade...before she failed miserably and her gaze raked over me again. “Did you hire a new babysitter for Luke?”

“Nope.”

I stifled a giggle at David’s one-word response, which was technically true since I wasn’t Luke’s babysitter even though I’d watched him and my brother for my parents many times. “Has Tyler signed up for anything yet? If not, you can put him down for cookies, too. If my mom can’t make them, then we’ll just make a double batch and the boys can bring in the same kind.”

“Tyler? Mom?” she sputtered, her eyes getting wider by the second. “Are you—you’re—you can’t possibly be telling me that you’re dating the sister of one of your son’s classmates?”

“Right,” I snorted. “Because that’s so much worse than dating the mom of one of Luke’s classmates?”

“I never—” Her face turned beet red and it looked like she was about to explode before she turned on her heel and stormed away.

“Geesh, do you have to put up with crap like that all the time? Who knew the elementary school was the busiest meat market in town.”

“I’ve made it damn clear that I’m not interested in dating, so most of the moms have left me alone.” He shrugged his broad shoulders, but didn’t let go of his hold on me. “Janice has been the exception to the rule, but hopefully that’ll change from now on.”

“Well, if you ever need someone to shield you from her again, I’m your girl,” I offered.

His dark eyes heated as they scanned my face. “Same time, same place, tomorrow?”

“Sounds perfect to me.”

“But that doesn’t mean you’re getting out of teaching me how to bake cookies today when you drop Tyler off to play with Luke.” His head tilted to the side. “You do know how to make them, right? Because if not, I might have to email Janice and tell her to sign me up for those paper plates after all.”

“Have you ever tried the cookies at Cake Walk?”

His brow wrinkled in confusion. “The bakery down the street? Of course I have. They have the best desserts in town.”

I flashed him a smug grin. “Then prepare to be wowed because that’s where I work.”

“Well, hell,” he mumbled as the bell rang and kids poured out of the school doors. “There you go, being even more perfect than before.”