He sounded so reasonable and his explanations so good. Which made her feel churlish on top of everything else. He had a way of making her feel totally out of control, whether it was over Jeremy, or on the hood of his car, or while practically naked on her living room sofa.
Honestly, at this point, she wasn’t sure there was much Will wasn’t seeing. Not when it sometimes felt as though his dark eyes could see all the way through every wall she’d built up.
Finally, she told him, “I’m just afraid of seeing Jeremy hurt.”
And yet she hadn’t been there to rescue her brother today. Will had done that. And then he’d come up with a solution. One that she knew she had to consider, especially if there was a chance that what he offered might truly be the best thing for Jeremy.
Harper had always been afraid change wasn’t good for her brother. But what if she was wrong about what Jeremy needed? And what if the problem was more that she wasn’t fond of change herself? Especially after all that had happened in the wake of his accident and then their parents’ deaths.
She worked to swallow the emotions threatening to rise up in her throat and strangle her. And as her head of steam finally began to peter out, she realized the injustice of what she’d been saying. Will had only ever been good to Jeremy. He was endlessly patient as he showed her brother how to do each new task on the car. He was never short with him on Skype. He was always considerate of his feelings. And he was the one who’d discovered the problem at the store.
That was why she’d gone off on him. Not just because he’d screwed up by not checking with her first about the new job, but because she was so damned guilty over her own failures. It was humbling to realize she needed to put her own ego aside—the decision had to be about what was best for Jeremy, nothing else.
“I might have been a bit hasty just now,” she admitted. “You’re right that a new job might be good for him. And that it might expand his horizons.” But she’d still ask if Jeremy wanted the job as badly as Will needed to give it to him.
“It might be good for you, too, Harper.” He came close again, his body heat enveloping her. Cupping her face in his hands, he held her steady, captured her with that dark, commanding gaze. Mesmerized her. “Your brother has you to protect him. But who looks out for you?”
“I do.” But she honestly didn’t know if she was any better at that than she was at taking care of Jeremy.
“Let me help.” His voice was just short of a whisper.
She felt herself weakening, bending, needing, longing. But if she allowed Will to take over even a little, what if she lost herself completely?
And then, when he was gone, what if she couldn’t manage to find her way back?
“You’re doing enough already for Jeremy,” she said softly. She had to draw on the iron will she’d developed over the past few years to force herself to step out of his arms. “Thank you for picking him up and feeding both of us. Thanks for cleaning up my house, too. You went above and beyond tonight, Will, and I appreciate it. But it’s been a long day, so...”
He stared at her for a long moment, one where she got the sense he was trying to decide between kissing her—or letting her kick him out again. She knew it was bad that she was secretly hoping for the former...and that she was so disappointed when he chose the latter.
“Say good-night to Jeremy for me.”
“I will.”
“You won’t be coming to work on the car this weekend, will you?”
How could she when she desperately needed to take a long, hard look at what she was doing? Because it was one thing to tell herself she was having a fun, sexy affair—and that she deserved to have something so delicious for once in her life. But it was another thing entirely to watch how easily Will could take over if she wasn’t careful. Especially when the only thing that had held Harper and Jeremy together for the past several years had been her tight grip on their lives.
“I think it would be best if we skipped this weekend.”
Will’s eyes were as dark and intense as she’d ever seen them. Full of disappointment, and something that looked like regret, too. “I know I screwed up,” he said softly, “and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you.”
Before her conflicted brain could even try to think of a reply, he was gone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Will didn’t blame Harper for pulling back to reassess things—he had completely screwed up by forgetting that she was the boss when it came to her brother. Will might be able to make suggestions, but he’d never again make the mistake of taking decisions out of Harper’s hands. She was too strong, too smart, for that kind of behavior. He knew he had a lot to prove, and a lot of ground to make up, but he wasn’t giving up.