Under Your Influence Read online

  A wild dream.

  Harper against a wall.

  Right there in the bar.

  But the image faded to something else.

  The two of us standing next to each other, laughing like we were kids. My hand holding her hand. Her hand holding my hand. Trying to be serious but each time we looked at each other, we burst into laughter again.

  I told my mind to go back to the dream of her up against a wall.

  Me kissing her.

  Her kissing me.

  Like two horny fools on display for anyone to-

  A wave of water slammed down in the dream.

  It was so cold that my body froze, and I screamed.

  I screamed so hard that I woke up.

  I thrashed my hands and hurried to sit up.

  There was a rush of thudding pain in my head from all the whiskey.

  I touched my face and my hair and realized I was wet in real life.

  I looked around and had no idea what had happened.

  Then I heard running water in the bathroom.

  Only for a few seconds though.

  Harper suddenly appeared from the bathroom, holding a glass in her hand.

  “Did you-”

  I couldn’t get the question out before she threw the glass of water at my face.

  It was icy cold again.

  “What the hell are you doing?" I growled.

  “You let me marry you last night?” she yelled.

  She ran toward the bathroom again.

  I jumped and stormed off the bed, butt naked, my dick bouncing around like a boneless third leg.

  I made it into the bathroom just in time as Harper had the glass topped off with water again.

  She started to turn, I put my hand to her wrist and held it down in the sink.

  “Stop it,” I said.

  “What the fuck did you do to me last night?”

  I squinted.

  The lights above the mirror were blinding and hurt my head.

  “What we both did last night, darling,” I said.

  “Move your hand off me,” she said.

  “You’re not throwing water at me again,” I said.

  “I’ll do whatever I want. Let me go or I’ll call the cops.”

  “I am the cops,” I said.

  She took a few breaths.

  I slowly moved my hand from hers. She let the glass go and it spilled into the sink.

  “There,” I said. “Now we’re calm.”

  “Are we?” she asked.

  She raised an eyebrow and looked down.

  I looked down and laughed.

  I was half hard.

  My cock thickening, slowly lifting almost to point right at Harper.

  “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” she asked. “You’re hard?”

  “Half hard,” I said. “That’s not the full package just yet. But you keep yelling and looking pretty like you are and it’ll be ready in a few seconds, darling.”

  “We’re married!” she screamed.

  “So, come give your hubby a good morning kiss,” I said. “I’ll even let you choose what you want to kiss first.”

  “You know what? You can kiss my ass. And then you can tell me what happened last night.”

  I slipped a hand to her hip and she swatted me away.

  I showed my hands in defeat. “Far cry from last night.”

  “It was supposed to be a one-night stand,” she said. “Not marriage…”

  “Well, can I tell you even more bad news?”

  “Oh, what now? Am I pregnant?”

  I laughed. “Impossible.”

  “How do you know?” Harper asked. “We were both drunk.”

  I reached for her face and touched her cheek.

  My cock throbbed even more.

  “Darling, we didn't sleep together last night.”

  I followed Harper as she worked her way through my house to the kitchen. She looked around the kitchen and pointed to the small coffeemaker in the corner.

  “Is this a joke too?” she asked. “You don’t even have a real coffeemaker?”

  I laughed. “Is this our first marriage spat?”

  “When was the last time that was even used?”

  “I drink coffee at the station or on the go,” I said. “Speaking of which-”

  Harper turned, and her eyes went wide. “Will you put that thing away?”

  I looked down.

  I was still naked.

  “My house,” I said.

  “Half of it is mine now,” Harper said.

  I laughed. “Which half?”

  “The half where I leave,” she said.

  “That makes no sense.”

  “Please put clothes on.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  I went to the dining room where I had a bag on the table. Well, there was more than one bag. I had a bag for the gym. I had a bag I took with me to work. The dining room table was basically a closet without a door.

  I grabbed a pair of shorts and stepped into them.

  When I walked back to the kitchen Harper was rinsing out the small coffeepot and filling it up with fresh water. I crossed my arms and watched her work.

  The night was a blur, but it came and went in bits and pieces.

  I never expected her to show up.

  I never expected her to drink the way she did.

  Damn, this woman could take shots like no other woman I ever met.

  I guess I never expected to wake up married either.

  I looked at my left hand and shrugged my shoulders.

  “Where’s the coffee?” Harper asked.

  She turned and looked me up and down.

  “Cabinet above the coffeemaker,” I said. “You know, a woman bought me that coffeemaker.”

  “Is that supposed to make me jealous?” Harper asked.

  “Does it?” I asked.

  Harper scooped the coffee and pressed the on button.

  She turned and nestled into the corner of the counter. “Well?”

  “Well, what?” I asked.

  “Speak. Say something. Everything.”

  “What do you remember?”

  “No. I’m not playing that game.”

  “Well, then I guess I remember nothing,” I said.

  “Don’t be an asshole, Tyler.” She showed me her hand. “We’re married. This is crazy. This can’t be real. Or legal.”

  “We signed the papers,” I said. “We both said I do. And here we are, darling.”

  “Thought you said you don’t remember anything…”

  “It’s slowly coming back to me,” I said.

  “You took advantage of me. I told you about Brian. My heart is broken. And you…”

  I walked into the kitchen and went right to Harper. I put my hands to the counter and had her blocked in.

  “Let me make one thing clear,” I whispered. I hovered a foot over the lips I kissed the night before as we were declared husband and wife. “This whole marriage thing… it was your idea.”

  9

  (Harper)

  “How was this my idea?” I asked.

  My head was spinning, and my heart was racing.

  And Tyler’s stupid little coffeemaker dripped so fucking slow.

  I needed coffee. And a divorce.

  Ohmygod… a divorce…

  Two days ago, I was in a happy relationship. Or so I thought. Yesterday I was heartbroken over finding out Brian was engaged. And now today I was married. And it wasn’t to Brian.

  I rubbed my forehead.

  “You need something for the hangover?” Tyler asked. “I can get you some medicine.”

  “Coffee is fine,” I said. “If it ever fucking finishes.”

  “I love when you curse. That’s one of my favorite things about you.”

  “You don’t know anything about me!” I yelled.

  Tyler laughed. “Well, I can tell you something about me.”

  “What?”

  “I have to lea
ve for work.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I have to go to work. I’m a cop. Remember?”

  “You’re kidding me.”

  “You know that I’m a cop, darling.”

  “Not that,” I snapped. “You can’t leave right now. I woke up in bed with you. We’re both naked. And married. And now you’re leaving?”

  “Not leaving,” Tyler said. “Going to work.”

  He stood there shirtless and cocky. The perfection of his chest and the cut of muscles down into his gym shorts made my knees weak and my panties beg to be ripped off.

  I had to find a way to turn off the sex.

  Tyler was so fucking hot, he was probably used to this kind of thing.

  Maybe I wasn’t the first person he ever married after a one-night stand.

  I put my hands up to block the view of his gorgeous body.

  “How many times have you been married?” I asked.

  He laughed. “You’re my first. I swear.”

  “Oh, that’s even worse,” I said.

  “Why?”

  “It just is. Both of us have never been married.”

  “And now look at us,” he said.

  “Why are you not freaking out?” I yelled.

  Tyler reached for the cabinet and opened the door.

  He brought down a coffee mug. It had a stage badge in the middle proclaiming the user to be the world’s best police officer.

  I wanted to roll my eyes, but it was kind of cute.

  Then again, who the hell bought that for him?

  “Get some coffee and we’ll talk when I get back home,” Tyler said.

  He made a daring move and kissed my cheek.

  I jumped back and swung my hand, wanting to slap him across the face. Only I hit his shoulder. It left a red mark, but my hand took the brunt of it.

  “Okay, no kiss goodbye,” he said.

  “Never anymore kisses,” I said.

  Tyler grinned knowing it was a lie.

  Fuck, why is he so hot?

  “See you later, darling,” he said.

  In a bold move, he left the house.

  His house.

  He left me there in the kitchen with the cop mug and what was sure to be crappy coffee.

  He left me as his wife.

  My husband was gone to work.

  “No,” I said. “Hell. To. The. No.”

  I turned off the coffeemaker - like a good wife - and I ran to the door.

  Tyler was walking down the sidewalk with a bag slung over his shoulder.

  A sexy bad ass.

  I shook my head.

  He wasn’t getting away that easily.

  I Ubered back to my car.

  There were two other cars in the lot, along with a big truck. The look of the truck screamed Tyler.

  I wanted to smash a window but then I remembered that wanting to smash a window got me into this situation in the first place.

  After I got into my car, I raced home so I could shower and change.

  The hot water was supposed to clear my mind but all it did was flash images of Tyler holding me against the wall in the bar. The way he tasted. The way he kissed me. The uncontrollable urge to want to fuck him. The wildest of desires… and I somehow ended up marrying him.

  “And you didn’t even sleep with him,” I said to myself as I turned the water off.

  Well, I did sleep with him, or next to him.

  But we didn’t fuck.

  How did that work?

  He married me but didn’t fuck me on our wedding night.

  Our marriage was already off to a rocky start.

  Marriage.

  I was angry by the time I got dressed.

  I stormed out of the apartment and got back into my car.

  The next thing to do today was to find Tyler.

  I drove all over town, looking for cops. I sped on roads, hoping he would pull me over. But no such luck. I had no idea where he was or what he was doing. Or what kind of cop he was. Just patrolling? Maybe working undercover?

  The longer it took me to find him, the more and more pissed off I became.

  Then my luck finally hit on Johnson Ave.

  I saw Tyler standing outside a little, red sports car.

  He was so fucking tall.

  And this guy was looking out of the window at Tyler with a worried look on his face.

  Tyler was so serious, standing cautiously.

  Me, I wasn’t so cautious.

  I parked behind Tyler’s cop car and got right out.

  As I approached, he looked at me. There was a slight movement of him reaching for his weapon, but he stopped when he realized it was me.

  “What are you doing here?” he called out.

  I snapped my fingers. “We need to talk. Right now.”

  “Who the hell is that?” the man in the car asked.

  “That’s my wife,” Tyler said.

  “I’m not his wife,” I called out.

  Tyler showed his hand. “We got married last night.”

  “Oh, well, congrats,” the man in the car said.

  “Hey, you, buddy,” I said. “Bite your tongue.”

  “This is weird,” the man said.

  “Why’d you pull him over?” I asked Tyler.

  “Speeding,” Tyler said. “Sixty in a thirty-five.”

  “Did you give him his stuff back?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Tyler said.

  “Good,” I said. I looked at the man. “You’re free to go.”

  “What?” Tyler and the man asked at the same time.

  “It’s your lucky day,” I said. “Now go!”

  The man hesitated and looked at Tyler.

  “You heard the boss,” Tyler said.

  “Oh, sweet Jesus,” the man said. “Thank you. Thank you both.”

  “Slow the hell down,” I said to him.

  “You got it.”

  The car peeled out.

  Tyler put his hand up. “See that? Fucker is laughing in my face.”

  “Yeah, that’s nothing compared to what I’m going to do in your face,” I said.

  Tyler smiled big. “Is that dirty talk? You could definitely ride my face, darling.”

  “Will you cut it with the sex talk?”

  “Can’t,” he said.

  “Why?”

  “You teased me so much last night,” he said. “I’m backed up. I need… relief.”

  “So, go jerk off in a bush and come talk to me.”

  “I’d offer to jerk off in your bush, but you don’t have one.”

  I gasped and put my hands between my legs as though I were naked.

  He’s seen you naked, Harper. It’s okay…

  But it wasn’t okay. Nothing was okay.

  “You can’t follow me around and fuck up my job,” Tyler said.

  “Why not? You apparently fucked up my night.” I showed him my hand. “And my life.”

  “You really think that?”

  Tyler frowned.

  I melted.

  I fell for it.

  “Tyler…”

  “Be waiting for me at home,” he said. “I’ll tell you everything that happened.”

  10

  (Tyler)

  “Since when do you just leave after your shift?” Kordell asked me as he wiped sweat off his face.

  “Long day,” I said.

  “You sure about that?”

  “I’m sure,” I said. “What’s it to you?”

  “Nah, nothing. You just seemed off. You know… I know shit is hard this time of the year for you…”

  “Oh, fuck this,” I said. “We’re not best friends. We’re not even friends at all. I’ll back you up and you back me up. I’m leaving.”

  Kordell reached for me and tried to hit my stomach. “Don’t get all flabby.”

  I swung my elbow and swept my foot and took Kordell to the ground.

  “What the fuck is this?” a voice boomed.

  It was Cap.

  “Kor
dell tripped,” I said.

  “Help his ass back up,” Cap said.

  “He’s strong enough to get up on his own, Cap,” I said.

  “You, leaving?” Cap asked.

  “I’m done.”

  I got the hell out of the station and felt everyone staring at me.

  They knew something was up.

  So did I.

  I had gotten wasted on Valentine’s Day and got married.

  Now I needed to go home and explain myself to the old ball and chain.

  It made me chuckle as I thought that.

  But I quickly stopped when I realized I wasn’t just going home to talk to Harper about what happened.

  I had no desire to get a divorce.

  “What’s for dinner?” I asked as I dropped my bag to the floor and opened my arms.

  Harper stood a few feet away in jeans and a hoodie, looking sloppy yet sexy. The way she hid herself was fucking beautiful to me. I knew what her body felt like. What it tasted like. I knew how perfect her tits were and how they felt in the palms of my hands. But what I didn’t know… what her pussy felt like. Wrapped tight around my cock, yet trying to stretch, pumping against my shaft. Her wetness begging for my cum to fill her up.

  “You want dinner?” Harper asked.

  “I’m starving, darling,” I said. I patted my stomach. “Can’t wait to see how you cook.”

  “Order a pizza,” she said.

  “That’s fine by me.”

  “You owe me a conversation.”

  “You owe me a dinner,” I said. “I worked hard all day. I’m not coming home to no food.”

  “Is that grounds for divorce?” Harper asked.

  “Could be.”

  “Good. Then starve. Then I could fix this mistake and pretend it never happened.”

  I stepped forward. “How do you know you regret it? You don’t remember it?”

  I closed in on Harper and she didn’t move back.

  We were just a few inches apart.

  I could smell her hair and her skin.

  I wanted to fuck her so bad. I wanted to take my wife to bed and forget about the day. Forget about everything.

  “Talk to me,” she growled.

  “Then will you cook me dinner?”

  “Maybe,” she said.

  “I love when you get like this, Harper. You’re adorable when you’re defiant.”

  “How about I go all crazy wife and stab you with a fork?”

  “I’d like that,” I said. “Making memories together.”