His Naughty Lessons

** Eli **

Eli was lightheaded. Never in his life had he felt so shocked, confused, and overwhelmingly elated all at the same time.

She said it was a true story. She said she was ... in love with him. But how could that be possible? Even before Tyler, even back on the day of their mutual confessions at that swimming pool in Hawaii, he had assumed that her interest in him was a recent swoon. A passion of the moment that he was prepared to see waning with time, a precious but temporary blessing he would lose once the nature of his true self caught up with them. But how could she have already had those feelings for years ... for over half a decade?

"H-Harper," he stumbled over his words as she pulled away, ending the ethereal kiss and the beautiful story he couldn’t even dare to envision in his dreams. "I—"

He didn’t know where to start. His mind was such a garble of thoughts that he was at a loss for words.

Thankfully, she saw it, and she was patient with him. Flattening both her palms against his chest, she gave him the softest, warmest smile. "You can tell me anything," she offered. "I won’t judge. Even if you say you don’t like the story and that the main character is simply being silly."

"What? Don’t assume that’s even possible," Eli blurted. "I ... Damn. I only wish I knew. But apparently I am an idiot. An unforgivably stupid one. How did I— When did it— I never—"

Harper chuckled at his embarrassing incapability to finish a sentence. "You look so surprised," she said. "Surely you should be used to women vying for your attention all the time. Perhaps you shouldn’t have assumed I was that different."

"But you are!" he blurted again. At least it was easy to figure out what it was that he had to tell her now. "Harper. You are the most beautiful, intelligent, kindhearted woman I have ever met in my entire life. Even if I couldn’t have been with you four years ago, it would never have been because of anyone else, because no one — no one at all — could ever outshine your light. You don’t need makeup because you’re gorgeous and flawless the way you are, and no one else can make a simple pair of canvas shoes or even pajamas look so casually perfect like they’re made for fashion shows. I would’ve told you all of this that day if I had known what you were thinking."

He meant every word of it. Harper had always been lovely in his eyes, although in a slightly different way when she was younger. Not that he wanted to compare her to his exes, but if he did, none of them would ever hold a candle to her, and the fact that she had once thought less of herself because of his college fling made him feel immensely guilty.

A spark gleamed in Harper’s eyes. And oh, yes, look at that. Look at how mesmerizingly stunning those emerald green eyes were, especially with those warm rays of light shining through their depths.