His Naughty Lessons

** Harper **

"I still can’t figure out how Chelsea knew about the web novel thing," Harper mumbled as she set down her phone, looking up at Eli from where she lay in his lap. "I just told Tyler that we’re gonna go get dinner together this weekend, and I’m bringing my friend Chelsea along. He clearly didn’t recognize the name at all. So if that’s not who she got the news from, how did it happen?"

Eli’s hand, which had been lazily tousling her hair all evening while they watched whatever random midweek entertainment show it was on TV, paused. "So he really is coming this weekend?" he asked. "Damn. I think I have more to worry about in a couple of days than catching the mysterious whistleblower. Since when has this guy gotten so efficient?"

Oops. Right, she had forgotten that her boyfriend still needed time to fully recover from the brotherly trauma that hadn’t quite resolved yet.

Speaking of efficiency, Tyler was undeniably impressive indeed. It had only been two weekends ago that they heard about his interview success. For something as important as a life-changing job offer from a different city, ten days should probably be barely enough time for most people to even make a decision. But for him, it was somehow more than he needed to accept the offer, quit his current job, pack up his things, arrange a mover, and book a flight to his brand new home right away.

What was he in such a rush for? Was he that eager to move over and start pestering his little sister about her unwise relationship choice again? No wonder Eli was wearing such a gloomy look on his face.

"Have you talked to him since the last time he was here? Or told him that me not talking to you in college was for a completely different reason than what he thought?" Harper asked. "I mean, he hasn’t nagged me to break up with you this whole time, so I assume whatever objections he has against us isn’t as dire as it was at the beginning anymore. If we clear up with him on that wrong assumption, then I’m guessing he won’t have many reasons left to still be so adamant about it."

Eli shook his head. Before she could suggest that they do so right away, his hand was stroking her hair again, brushing her loose curls with a tender fondness that she found hypnotizing. "I don’t want to tell him," he said slowly. "I want to be selfish on this for once, Harper. What you told me that day was such a beautiful fairytale unlike anything I’ve ever heard, and I don’t want to share it with anyone else. I want it to stay a little secret, between only the two of us."

... Aww. Just how did this guy manage to turn such a matter-of-fact statement into something so sweet and romantic that it almost melted her heart?