Harper’s [POV]
Good things are allowed to happen to me.
I replay that mantra in my mind, even as I question for the thousandth time how I was dealt this crazy hand.
And no, I’m not just saying it because Grey said so.
It’s the truth.
Good things are allowed to happen.
This is why I throw on a grey blouse and tight black jeans, readying myself for dinner with Beau.
Whatever medicine Charlotte gave me still pumps through my veins, and even though the cramps and headache are still there, it’s barely noticeable.
I feel almost back to myself.
Albeit still turned on.
But that’s expected when I’m around Alphas.
Right?
Everyone finds them attractive. Not just Omegas.
As I finish the tiniest bit of makeup, I don’t cover my scar.
I decide to let it show.
Charlotte is downstairs in the front room, sitting at the reception desk, and she grins at me.
“You look lovely, Harper. Are you feeling better?”
“Actually, yes,” I say. “I think I just needed to take some fever reducer and get it out of my system, whatever it was.”
“Good,” she says softly.
Her smile fades, but before I can ask her what’s wrong, Beau enters, his grin lighting up the room.
“You clean up well,” I say, motioning to his fitted dark blue shirt and black pants.
“Well” is an understatement. He could knock anyone off their feet with his boyishly handsome features, and it’s all I can do to not ogle him.
Not to mention, his scent, earthy and familiar, is doing things to me.
“I could say the same for you,” he replies, taking a step closer to me. He reaches out and takes my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine.
It’s not a wild and passionate touch like Grey. It’s not desperate or furious like James.
Beau has a sweetness that his brothers don’t have. And tonight, it’s just what I need.
“You ready?” he asks quietly. I take a step closer, and I fight the urge to throw myself in his arms. He looks at me with an intense devotion that both flatters and confuses me.
He’s known me for less than a week. How can he look at me like I’m his entire world?
“Absolutely,” I say. Emboldened, I stand on my tiptoes to press my lips to his freshly shaved cheek.
The smile he gives me is breathtaking.
Palateisa small sleek restaurant about two minutes of drive from the Inn, with a chic interior design with minimalist decor. It’s not flashy, but it’s sophisticated.
I love it the moment I walk in.
Our table is in the far corner, opposite the bar. Beau pulls out my chair for me, and I roll my eyes and blush as I sit down.
“Hey. It’s an upgrade from a planter bed,” he says, gesturing at the small succulent centerpiece on our table.
I laugh. “You’re right.”
Other guests are here as well, and a few turn their heads and look at us. One woman in particular stares at me with wide eyes before turning away to talk to her friends.
Have I been here before?
Or is she just looking at my unconcealed scar?
“Everything alright?” Beau asks, following my gaze.
I huff. “Yeah. I just…I think people recognize me. It’s frustrating that I can’t remember more about my time before the accident.”
Beau keeps his face blank, taking a sip of water. “That would frustrate me, too.”
“And Michael…” he blanches when I say his name, but I continue. “He lied about so much. And I feel like the longer I’m here, the more I gather clues, I can’t quite figure everything out.”
“I’m sorry, Harper.” Beau’s apology is genuine as empathy shines in his deep, soulful eyes. “Hopefully, while you’re here, you can start to figure out who you are.”
I nod. “I would like that. Geez, why couldn’t I have met you and your brothers before this?” I muse. “At least then you could help me piece together everything.”
Beau’s smile completely disappears.
“Yeah. That would have been nice.”
His eyes are haunted, and he’s wearing a similar look to the one James gave me my first night at the Inn.
But then his expression changes, and the Beau I know is back. “But now you’re here. And we can make the most of it,” he promises.
I shift in my seat, images playing through my mind of how we can make the most of my time here.
There are a lot of things I want to do with Beau.
And they don’t involve gardening.
By the end of the meal, Beau has made me laugh more times than I can count, and he’s brushed his foot up against mine underneath the table for a good hour.
He tells me stories of growing up in foster care, funny anecdotes about Wilson, and how the aurora Inn came to be.
“Charlotte said there were four owners, though,” I say as we finish dessert, and Beau raises an eyebrow. “Who’s the fourth?”
“They left. It’s just us three.”
I scoff. “Who would not want to own a place like that? It’s beautiful.”
He nods and sighs. “It is. It was always our dream to build a home for ourselves, after being in and out of so many of them.”
“Charlotte says you used to stay there, but now you have your places.”
Beau shrugs. “Yeah.”
The moment turns awkward, so I change the subject.
“Well, anyway…” I say around the last bite of ice cream, “I’m very glad I met you three.”
His eyes crinkle at the corners and his features soften. “Yeah. Believe me, baby, I am too.”
Baby.
“Not Princess?” I tease.
“Oh, of course,” he smirks. “You’re our Princess.”
“Yours, huh?”
His eyes darken. “Yes. Ours.”
His voice is the lowest I’ve heard, a deep rumble, and it sends a shockwave directly to my clit.
Yes, Alpha yes Alpha I’m yours!
My inner voice screams, but I do my best to silence it.
I can’t want things like this.
I’m a Beta.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Beau says softly. “And you have to stop.”
I swallow. “What do you mean”
“You’re enough, Harper. Just the way you are.”
My body is aflame, and my head spins at his words.
“You mean it?” I whisper, unsure, as Michael’s words replay in my mind.
Most people don’t like you, Harper.
Beau’s gaze softens, but his voice is still just as low. “Of course, Princess.”
His earthy, warm scent floods my senses, and I speak without thinking.
“Prove it to me then.”