Decisions of Desire 1: Fiction or Fantasy

WALKER

It had been three days, and Harper was still on my mind. Which was why I was at the studio with no actual reason to be there. I had no idea why I couldn’t stay away.

It was pathetic, really.

Walker Donovan pining for a woman he hardly knew. I didn’t pine.

Do I want her? God, yes!

Do I want a relationship? God, no!

I hated using my parents as an excuse for my fucked-up understanding of relationships. Although I did blame them, it couldn’t be completely their fault. Kelli and I grew up in the same household. She was happily married, so clearly, they didn’t fuck her up.

I knew a lot of it had to do with the ideas I’d created in my head over the years. People loved money, and now that I had it, it was hard to trust anyone. I’d seen people do some seriously messed-up shit for money.

I refused to be taken for a fool. If I didn’t fully let anyone in, they couldn’t stab me in the back. Harper didn’t seem like someone who would do that, but people could surprise you.

So, I did what I did best.

I avoided her.

I went out to the clubs and talked with beautiful women. I even had a couple of them meet me at the hotel. On purpose, of course. I wanted Harper to see them.

I wanted to show her who I really was before I sucked her into my trap and spat her out. It was what I did, and she didn’t deserve that. I didn’t sleep with any of them, though. I’d never had an issue before. I could easily block things out and focus on the beautiful woman with me, but I just couldn’t—not without thinking of Harper.

That scared the shit out of me.

With that, I made the executive decision to see her. If I saw her, maybe I could get her out of my head. Maybe avoiding her was making me think I wanted her more than I did. It was highly unlikely, but I convinced myself it was a good plan.

When I saw her talking with Asher Anderson, my stomach dropped. It didn’t appear as though they were flirting, but I knew men like Asher. Hell, I was one of them. Her innocence was one of the things that made her so desirable. He probably wanted to corrupt her, and I couldn’t have that. If anyone was going to corrupt her, it was going to be me.

Wait, that didn’t sound right.

I didn’t hesitate to confront her the moment he walked away. Surprisingly, she responded with a bit of attitude. I had to resist the urge to smile. She was clearly upset, but I found it adorable as fuck.

There was an undeniable sexual attraction between us. The way I felt when I touched her left me speechless. So, when she walked away, I let her.

Since I was already there, I decided to take Kelli for a late lunch. Or early dinner, depending on how you looked at it. Which meant grabbing something from the food truck right outside the studio and picking her brain about Harper.

“So, how is everything going?” I took a bite of my sandwich.

“Why are you here, Walker?”

“Can’t I visit my sister without some type of agenda?”

She let out a sarcastic laugh. “No.”

She knew exactly why I was there. Ever since we were kids, she’d been able to read me like a book.

“I wanted to make sure everything was going okay with the new writer. This isn’t really her scene.”

She squinted her eyes and tilted her head. “Are you saying you don’t trust my judgment?”

“What? No…”

“That I don’t know what I’m doing by bringing Harper here?”

I shook my head. “That’s not—”

She burst into laughter, and my face immediately showed my disappointment. She was messing with me. I couldn’t believe it. Well, I could, but I wasn’t really expecting it.

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my soda. “Are you done?”

She raised her hands in surrender. “Sorry, but you should have seen the look on your face.” When I didn’t respond, she continued, “It seems like Harper has really gotten to you, hasn’t she?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know why.”

She smiled. “Yes, you do. She’s different from the usual socialites you’re used to. She’s kind, caring, smart, beautiful. Plus, she doesn’t seem to take any of your shit.”

“I just can’t get her out of my head, Kel.”

“So, what’s the problem?”

I huffed. Is she serious?

“You said it yourself. I’m an ass. I don’t do relationships. I’d make a terrible boyfriend. Harper deserves someone who will take care of her.”

She looked at me for a minute before responding. “Yes, you can be a real dick. You can be selfish.”

I nodded as if to say duh!

“But you’ve never been with someone who treated you well. Someone who didn’t just want sex or money from you. I think it would be different with Harper.”

I sighed. “And if I hurt her?”

“I highly doubt you are the first man who has been interested in her. Harper is a big girl. She can decide for herself if you are worth that risk.” She grabbed my soda and gulped down the rest.

“Seriously, Kel! You said you didn’t want one.”

She shrugged as she stood up. “I changed my mind.”

As she walked away, I resisted the temptation to stick my tongue out at her like we did as kids.

Apparently, lunch is over.

As I was throwing away the garbage from lunch, I spotted Harper waiting outside the studio. I couldn’t hold back the mischievous smirk that took over my face.

I quietly stepped up behind her. Her body went stiff immediately. She knew I was there.

“I always wondered something.”

She responded but didn’t turn to look at me. “What is that?”

I bent down, speaking softer in her ear. I could see her body react to my breath on her skin. I wasn’t going to back down—that was for sure. “People who write romances—are they based on actual events?”

“Hardly.” She blushed and continued, “At least, not in my case. It’s just fiction.”

Asher walked toward us from the trailers, but I needed to say one more thing before I left.

“Fiction? Or fantasy?”

She didn’t answer or look at me. She gripped her laptop tighter, and her chest rapidly rose and fell. I stepped in front of her to see the expression on her face. It silently told me exactly what I wanted to know.

With a mischievous grin, I spoke as I began to walk away. “That’s what I thought.”

It shouldn’t have mattered that she was going to be spending time with him. It did, though, and I hated the jealous feeling forming in the pit of my stomach.

Asher Anderson.

He was a playboy. He had money, looks, charm, and entitlement. Normally, I wouldn’t care. I’d never step in on another man’s game. But the idea of his hands on Harper made me sick. His line about discussing the character, while creative, was bullshit. I couldn’t believe Harper fell for that.

Maybe she didn’t fall for anything. Maybe she does actually want him.

No. I refused to believe that. Harper wasn’t dumb, and she sure didn’t sleep around. Not that we’d discussed that, but after being with the women I’d been with, I could tell. She was sweet. What I wouldn’t have given to break that sweet exterior and let out what was hiding underneath.

Shit.

That was probably exactly what Asher was thinking. I couldn’t let him do that. If anyone was going to break her, it was going to be me.