Page 47 of The Pilot

It didn’t take Linc long to pack. He threw in a pair of jeans, some shirts, a sweatshirt, underwear, and socks. Grabbed what he needed from his bathroom, pausing for a beat as he stared at the bottle of cough medicine, then aggressively zipped up his toiletry bag.

No. He wasn’t going to bring that bottle. If he didn’t sleep, at least he’d get to appreciate holding Harper as she slept.

It was time. Time he figured out a way to get the sleep he needed to be able to function. If the next two nights didn’t change anything, if it turned out sleeping with Harper in his arms was a one-time fluke thing, he’d call his doctor and make plans to discuss his options. He’d probably do that no matter what happened. He couldn’t go on like this. It wasn’t healthy. Physically or mentally.

And he never wanted Harper to take on the burden of his insomnia. If having her near helped him sleep, great. But he didn’t want her to ever feel obligated, or like his health was on her shoulders. The crash and subsequent flight through the jungle to keep from being captured was in the past. Over. Done. He wasn’t going to let it keep affecting him any longer. He’d worked too hard to get where he was today to let those assholes who’d hunted him win.

Harper was waiting by the front door when he came out of his room. He walked around the house, making sure everything was secure. He turned the heat down a notch or two, then, satisfied that everything was good, he shrugged into his jacket.

Finally, he smiled at Harper. “Let’s do this.”

“Let’s do this,” she echoed with a huge smile.

They walked out together, and after Linc locked the door, he picked up her suitcase and led the way to the garage. He had a feeling the next two days would completely change his life. He could only hope it was changed for the better, and he didn’t screw anything up between them. He wanted their relationship to work. More than he could express out loud.

The thought of losing Harper, and Kash in the process, was too painful to think about. He’d do whatever it took to show this woman that he was the kind of man who’d always be there for her. Someone she could count on. Who she could respect and admire. Because she was all that for him, and so much more.

Chapter Ten

Harper was extremely relieved she hadn’t overstepped when she’d made the reservations for the two of them. Something was wrong with Linc. He was on edge, and he had dark circles under his eyes. Kash had confirmed that he didn’t sleep well, and it was becoming more and more obvious to Harper that it was a serious problem, not just a night here and there.

She wouldn’t be surprised to learn he had PTSD from his crash. She didn’t know much about what happened, just enough to know it had been extremely harrowing, and that he’d almost been captured. Post-traumatic stress would certainly explain his sleep troubles.

Whatever the reason, instead of resting, he’d been going completely overboard in the kitchen. He might not be as good a cook as Zach, but the man could bake. Every morning when she woke up, the house smelled like cookies, or some kind of bread, or a casserole he claimed to have made for his brother Knox . . . who was completely hopeless in the kitchen.

And then there was the look in his eyes. A haunted look. Hopeless. Defeated. As if his demons were winning. And it tore at her heart, made Harper desperate to do something to help him.

She’d felt that way herself. Like she couldn’t last one more day. As if everyone looked through her instead of at her. Didn’t notice how hard she was fighting to keep Kash safe and happy.

Life was hard. Damn near impossible at times. And for that reason, it was the fleeting moments of kindness she remembered most. So she wanted to give one of those moments to Linc. She thought a few days away would do them both a world of good. And in the process, would hopefully nudge their relationship to the next level.

Because she wanted that. Badly. Holding hands and kissing was great, awesome, but she wanted more. She wanted all of Linc. The good, bad, and ugly. She wanted to feel as close to him as a person could get. Naked. Raw. Completely open.

In order to do that, she felt as if she needed to open parts of herself that she’d kept locked away for years. That she hadn’t ever shown anyone. Share things she hadn’t wanted to tell anyone . . . until now.

The desire for Linc to know her was overwhelming. He might reject her. Might decide she had too much baggage . . . but she didn’t think so. If he hadn’t kicked her out of his house by now, she didn’t think he ever would. If for no other reason than he loved Kash, of that she was sure.

She didn’t think learning the truth about how her son came into the world would change that.

But would it change his feelings toward her?

Harper wanted to sleep with Linc. Wanted to feel him moving deep inside her. Wanted to experience lust and sexual satisfaction again. It had been forever since she’d had any kind of desire to be with a man. But she wanted Linc. It was why she’d booked a room with only one bed. To make sure he understood that she was choosing him. Choosing to sleep with him. Giving consent. Because that was very important to her . . . and he’d know why before too long.

Thankfully, he seemed quite pleased with her taking control of their physical relationship. With making the first move. Harper felt more like the woman she used to be. Someone who knew what she wanted and did whatever it took to get it. She’d lost her way for a while, but she was getting back to that woman . . . thanks in part to Linc.

Before night fell, he’d know everything. All her deep dark secrets. He’d either turn out to be the man she needed, or he’d turn his back on her. They could still be just friends, if that was what he chose.

But if he slept with her, gave himself to her fully, and then decided he just wanted to be friends? Wanted to go back to just being housemates? It would destroy her.

Harper was taking a huge risk with this trip. It wasn’t just to ease some kind of sexual desire on both their parts. It would be either a new beginning, or the end of what could be. She hoped and prayed it would be the former, but she’d accept whatever his decision was. She’d take the first step, after that it was up to Linc.

The trip to Boothbay Harbor was fun. They decided to stop in Damariscotta, a cute little town along the way, not far from Rockville. It didn’t take long to walk through the downtown area and browse the shops that were open.

They ate lunch at a place called King Eider’s Pub, named after the duck that was iconic in the area. Harper had the seafood pot pie, which was amazing, and Linc had the untraditional fish n’ chips. She wasn’t sure why it was called untraditional, but he assured her it was delicious. They also shared a serving of the firecracker green beans, which had her lips and tongue tingling even after they left.

They considered going to the Maritime Museum in Bath, but decided to leave it for another day. The trip down to the coast was peaceful in terms of traffic, and Linc told her it would be a much different trip in the summer when all the tourists were around.

She gave him directions to the small B&B and was thrilled with how cute the place was when he pulled into the driveway.