“Hi, I’m Noah,” I say, shaking the hand of Harper's brother, Aaron. “Nice to meet you.”

           “Same to you.” The blonde-haired male with bright blue eyes smiles. He’s short. He can’t be any taller than five feet five. He’s built. And he’s quiet.

           In the five minutes that I’ve been standing here, he hasn’t looked at me or said anything until now, as I forced him to do so.

           I look at Harper, her eyes pleading for me to say something. I nod at his shirt. “California? Is that where you are from?”

           He scoffs amusingly. “No. I just tend to frequent there. How about you? You’re from here, but what do you do for a living?”

           Harper steps in front of me. “He owns three businesses…”

           “Smart,” Aaron says and flashes his eyebrows unamused.

           “I wasn’t done talking.” Harper snaps with a hint of anger in her tone. Is she defending me over her brother?

           If her eyes can yell at him, that is exactly what she is doing right now. “Noah Adams is his full name.”

           “So?” Aaron says, not seeming to care. “And?”

           “The dirty little things.”

           He looks at her and then back at me. His eyes seem lost. “Oh, shit!” He exclaims like a light bulb pops on in his head. “You’re that author! YOU are THAT author! And you’re banging my sister?”

           I can’t fight back my laugh. Harper quickly raises her finger with a look that only seems to want to scold Aaron.

           “No!” She commands. “Don’t get any ideas, Aaron. Noah and I are…assessing the waters. But it’s not whatever you think it is. Nowhere near what you think it is.”

           “How?” He roars with a confused expression. “Dude’s book is based on his sex life. I’m normally an asshole but even I worship this man. My friends want to be him, and every girl I know wishes they could meet him. And according to the outline in his jogging pants when he moves his size is correct to what the book describes and holy shit I’m talking about another dude's dick. My friends would say it’s an honor.”

           “Thank you…” I say, pausing. “I think?”

           “Take it,” Harper interjects. “I love my brother but he’s an asshole for a reason. If he’s saying this to you, then he means it. So, take what he says and be grateful.”

           “Fair enough,” I say and look toward the door. “I should be going, though. I still have a few things I have to do today…or this evening.”

           Harper narrows her eyes while analyzing Aaron. “Why are you here so late? And why are you here at all?”

           “Thanks, little sis. You make me feel welcomed.”

           She opens the door for me, sliding her hand along mine, almost like she’s hiding whatever we have from her brother, even though she just told him our intentions.

           “I didn’t mean it like that.” She says to him, but brings her face closer to mine.

           Talk about the unexpected.

           She’s quick to land her beautiful and welcoming lips on mine, sending instant arousal to my core and sliding her tongue into my mouth. My hands can’t stay away and attract to her hips like a magnet as I return her kiss.

           She kisses me with such passion, and for me, it’s unexpected but welcomed. She slides her hands along my back and up to the back of my head.

           She pulls away. Both of us catch our breaths as our eyes gaze deep into each other. She looks at me intently. “We aren’t dating, Aaron. But as of now, Noah is exclusive with me…Right, Noah?”

           I nod, feeling like I am being controlled by her. I want to answer her with whatever answer she expects from me. I can’t explain the feeling I have, but it’s controlling me, and she’s the one who gives my body that feeling. She is in charge of me, and no woman has ever been in charge of me.

           What the fuck is happening to me?