Contractual Obligation

by

Tymber Dalton

DEDICATION

As always, to my Hubby, who believes in and loves me. Also, to Mr. B, who apparently has a bottomless well of patience. Thank you, guys. I don’t know what I’d do without you.

Also, to our friend, Annie, who touched us and many others in ways she’ll never know.

Chapter One

Harper Wells stormed into her office and slammed the door behind her.

Fuck. Him.

She could think it even if she couldn’t scream it at the top of her lungs so it rang through the entire floor of office suites like she wanted.

Who the hell does that son of a bitch think he is? Just because Harrison Wells was her father didn’t mean he could treat her like a little girl.

Dropping her notepad onto her desk blotter, she plopped into her cushy leather chair where she kicked off her Manolos under the desk and rubbed her feet together.

Her administrative assistant, Gorden Smith, opened her door a crack after gently rapping on it. “You okay?”

She nodded and waved him in. He stepped in, softly closing the door behind him. “Want to vent?”

“What good will it do?” she groused.

“Have you eaten lately?”

When she waved him off, he walked over to the small minifridge behind her desk, took out a cup of fruit yogurt, opened it, and handed it and a spoon to her. “Eat. Now.”

She glared at him, but dutifully picked up the spoon and started eating. He knew her schedule even better than she did.

What am I going to do without him?

She shut down that thought.

As if reading her mind, he propped himself on the corner of her desk. “Have you thought about interviewing prospects yet?”

She didn’t want to look at him. At his greying hair and the lines around his eyes. How could she even think about replacing him? He wasn’t just her right hand, he was both hands, her left foot, and three of her right toes.

She shook her head as she took another bite of strawberry yogurt. “I don’t want to think about it.”

“I’m retiring in three months. You need time for my replacement to learn the job.”

“You don’t have to retire.”

He smiled. “No, but if I don’t, I’ll have to get a divorce and move in with you. Olivia will kill me, you know that.”

She brightened. “I’ll marry you!” she offered, only half joking.

He laughed. “I don’t think that’s exactly what your father meant. Nor do I think it would satisfy him.”

Fortunately, the meeting’s attendees had only consisted of her, her father, Gorden, and one of her father’s flunkies.

“You need a personal life, Harper,” her father had chastised her. “You need a boyfriend, or a hobby, at the very least. I want to see you get married and have a family. If you don’t figure out a way to take more time for you, I’ll force you out of the company so you have no choice. You need balance in your life.”

She stewed and turned to Gorden. “What right does he have to say something like that? I’m twenty-eight. I can run my own life. I run this company pretty damn good. He of all people knows how much time and energy it takes to do well in this business.”

Gorden shrugged. “I’m sure he thinks he’s doing the right thing. If your mother were still alive, however, she would have ripped his balls off for saying it.” He stood and stretched. “Regardless, unless you file a lawsuit against him for workplace harassment, you’re pretty much going to either have to do what he wants, or quit.”

She didn’t like any of those three options. “I do a damn good job. I enjoy my job. The company has seen ten percent growth in profits every year since I took over the CEO position from him three years ago. And that’s a damn sight better than he’d been doing the past several years!”

Gorden nodded. “Did you ever stop to think maybe there’s a pinch to the old man’s pride as well?”

She stopped eating and looked at him. “What?”

He shrugged. “I think it’s one part fatherly concern. Not wanting your life to be like his, consumed with a career and your personal life suffering as a result. And another part that probably enjoys your success and feels proud of it, but maybe also feels like he’s being shown up by his own child.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m not saying I’m right. But as a man your father’s age, and someone who’s worked for your father for twenty-five years, and been his personal friend longer than that, I’m telling you it’s not outside the realm of possibility.” He stepped toward the door. “It’s something to consider.”

He reached for the doorknob when an idea hit her. “Hey, isn’t there a job fair in town this weekend?”

He paused. “There is. It starts tomorrow, and we have a booth there. We’re taking applications for the new Sebring facility. Why?”

She sat back, tapping the spoon against her teeth. “Who’s handling the booth?”

“I don’t know. Someone from human resources, I would imagine. Why?”

She smiled. “Can you do me a favor and find out who and send them up here to talk to me?”

A playful smile tweaked his lips. “Harper, what are you thinking?”

She grinned. “I’m going to teach that old dog father of mine a new trick.”

Gorden left her office, the sound of his laughter cut off by him closing her office door behind him. She finished her yogurt, washed the spoon and plastic cup in her bathroom, and dropped the cup into the recycling bin outside the bathroom door.

She opened the medicine cabinet and took out the blood sugar monitor. She should have tested it before eating, but oh well. She did well enough on her crazy schedule. She did the test—fine—then put the monitor back. Looking in the mirror, she ran her fingers through her shoulder-length hair. She was due for a touch-up at the hairdresser. Her ugly brown roots were starting to show under her streaked and highlighted dark blonde hair. She noticed dark circles under her hazel eyes and cursed that she hadn’t touched up her makeup before the meeting with her father.

That had probably contributed to her father’s insistence that she needed to balance her personal and work lives more evenly.

Gorden didn’t have to say it, but her father probably also worried about the fact that he knew she wanted children one day. Combined with her mother’s death when she was only four, it meant he sometimes had a really strange way of showing his fatherly concern.

And someone like her with type 1 diabetes couldn’t necessarily afford to wait until their late thirties or early forties to get pregnant.

* * *

Harper was back at her desk and going over sales reports when she heard a knock on her door.

“Come.” She looked up and took a moment to recall the name of the woman who walked through her door. Harper stood. “How are you today, Carmen?”

The HR manager broadly smiled. “Very good, Ms. Wells, thank you. Mr. Smith said you wanted to speak with me about the job fair?”

Harper indicated the chair on the other side of her desk as she retook her own seat. “Yes, I’d like for you to do me a special favor.”

“A favor, ma’am?”

“Yes. As you know, Gorden is close to retiring. I’d like you to keep an eye out for a…special sort of candidate. I’ll be working in my office all weekend. I’d like you to use a webcam to let me watch while you’re taking applications for potential candidates for this position…”

By the time Carmen left twenty minutes later, Harper knew her idea would work. If, that was, anyone appropriate applied for the job.

They had to be smart, no doubt about it. With a degree. But they had to be handsome, young, and most importantly, single. She wanted someone from outside the company with no ties to her father or their current corporate culture.

She smiled. Dad doesn’t know who he’s messing with.

* * *

Douglas Holt stood in the living room of his parents’ house, numb shock settling in as he stared at the paper in his hand.

Alone, every noise in the house seemed amplified. His two sisters and father were at the hospital, waiting for his mom to be discharged so they could bring her home.

He reread the paper, which had been delivered certified mail moments earlier, trying to digest what it said.

…foreclosure…

He collapsed heavily into a dining room chair and stared at the notice from the mortgage company. It looked like his parents were three months behind on their payments. From the records enclosed by the loan company, they’d had a sketchy payment history for the past year.

Ever since his mom had to quit working because of her increasing health problems.

He rubbed a hand over his face in futile hopes the information on the page would change. So great was his shock that he didn’t react fast enough when his older sister, Tina, walked in from the kitchen.

“Doug, they said they’d have to keep her at least one more—what’s wrong?”

He let out a deep sigh and handed her the paper. She read it, gasping. “Oh, no,” she whispered.

“What are we going to do?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m still paying off my student loans. I’m working two jobs, and I’m lucky if I have two nickels to rub together at the end of each month.”

Doug knew with his paltry salary working as a line cook at a restaurant in Gainesville, he couldn’t really help them out either. He’d been looking for work in the business field around the Gainesville area, but there wasn’t anything he qualified for in a better pay scale. He couldn’t justify uprooting Tate from his job when it paid decently compared to his own. In the nearly two months since their graduation, neither man had been able to secure jobs putting their MBAs to good use.

She shook her head again in disbelief. “Please turn on the TV or something. I can’t stand the quiet in here.”

He went to do it, picking up the remote in the living room and putting the TV on a local Tampa channel. Their five o’clock news was just coming on. “What were you saying when you came in?” he asked.

She looked up from the document. “They’re holding Mom another day. They don’t like her blood work results.”

He slumped onto the sofa. More money his parents could ill afford. It wasn’t fair. They’d worked hard all their lives, and now this.

Tina started walking over to him and speaking, but he shushed her and sat up, intent on a story the news anchor was teasing for later in the hour. “…and for those looking for a job in this down economy, don’t forget the Tampa Job Fair being held this weekend, starting tomorrow. We’ll hear more about it later in our broadcast from reporter—”

“That’s it!” he said, a little of his worry lifting. He looked at her. “I’ll hit the job fair tomorrow.”

“What about Tate?”

“Mom and Dad had already invited us to move back down and stay with them if I couldn’t find work up there. We can move in here and pay them rent, help get them caught up on their bills.”

“You lucky dog. Tate’s such a sweetie.”

“Yeah, I’m lucky all right. I’m lucky Mom and Dad didn’t disown me when I came out to you all.” He impatiently waited for the segment on the job fair to air. Then, he intently watched the newscast for more information. Running from Thursday until Sunday, some of the biggest employers in the Tampa Bay area and from around the state of Florida would be there looking for new hires.

Tina stared at him. “You do realize Mom and Dad need a lot more help than just you getting an entry-level job, right? It’s great you’ve got a business degree, but so have a lot of other people, and this job market sucks. I’m not trying to discourage you, but I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”

He stubbornly shook his head and stood to head for his room. “I don’t care. Somehow, I will take care of this. They’ve worked all their lives, and I will not let them lose their house!”

* * *

Doug was still in his room when his father and younger sister, Eileen, got home. Doug had fired up his laptop and brushed off his résumé. It wasn’t the best, but his grades were excellent, and he was willing to do whatever it took to get a good job. He could sell his car, and he and Tate could share rides. Hell, his parents were just a block from the county bus line. He could take the bus if he had to.

Whatever it took, he would make this work.

He had printed out yet another version of his résumé to proofread when his father knocked on his bedroom door. “Son?”

“Yeah, come in.”

His dad looked careworn, older than even when he left that morning. “So.” He sat on the end of Doug’s bed and held up the paper from the mortgage company. “I guess you know.”

He nodded. “I’m sorry, Dad. I shouldn’t have opened it.”

“Just promise me not to tell your mother, okay?”

“She doesn’t know?”

He shook his head. “Not how far behind we are. She knows we’re having trouble. I had to choose between keeping her on my health insurance or paying our mortgage. And with all the doctor bills and her prescriptions, and the co-pays for her surgeries…” He looked down at his hands, which lay twined in his lap. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Dad. I’m going to hit the job fair tomorrow and get something. I know Tate will back me up. We’ll get moved down here and pay rent to you guys. That alone will help. We’ll negotiate with the bank for more time and get you caught up.” He laid a hand on his dad’s shoulder. “I won’t let you lose the house. I promise. No matter what I have to do, okay?”

His father made a choked noise that sounded unmistakably like a sob. He threw his arms around Doug. “Thank you, son. I’m so sorry you have to deal with this.”

“It’s okay. Tate and I wanted to move down here anyway. It’s fine.”

After his dad left, he called Tate and filled him in.

“Man, that sucks,” Tate said. “So I should start collecting boxes, huh?”

“Do you know how much I love you for putting up with this?”

Tate’s normally playful voice turned serious. “Why do you think I would do anything else but move back with you? I love you.”

Doug closed his eyes and envisioned Tate’s blue gaze and blond hair. He’d met his lover in school, when they shared several business classes. Tate had been raised in St. Augustine, an Atlantic Ocean surfer boy, while Doug, a Tampa native, rarely got to the beach while growing up despite its close proximity. They’d moved in together nearly a year earlier after dating for over two years.

“I miss you,” Doug softly said. “It feels more like I’ve been gone five weeks instead of five days.”

“Well, it’s for a good cause,” Tate said. “It’s okay. And I’ll be thinking about you. You’d better get a good night’s sleep so you’re rested for tomorrow.”

They said their good-byes, and Doug settled in to try to go to sleep. He’d set his alarm for four o’clock. The job fair didn’t open until nine, but he wanted to be there by five so he could get in line early for a better shot at a spot.

* * *

Doug groaned as he approached the main entrance to the convention center. It was only a quarter after five in the morning, and already there were at least a hundred people in line. He took his place at the end of the line, most of the people dressed in their business best and carrying briefcases, folders, or portfolios. Presumably with their résumés inside, such as the fifty copies he had with him.

By the time the front doors opened nearly a half hour early, the line behind Doug had swelled to several thousand, stretching around the corner and out of sight. No telling how many others had arrived after him.

He stopped by the information desk and picked up a map. Over two hundred employers from around not just the Tampa Bay area, but the whole state, were there. As people started streaming past him to the enormous convention hall floor, Doug took a moment to scan for his best options. He wanted something in business, where his degree would be an asset, not just any old job. Wasting both his time and a prospective employer’s looking into fields he had no expertise in wouldn’t help.

He stepped to the side and used a pen to check off the most promising companies first. With his attack now planned, he headed toward the hall. His first three stops were, he hoped, the most promising. He was guaranteed an interview on Monday at the third one, for which he profusely thanked them and pocketed the appointment card.

Within an hour, he’d worked halfway through his list and accumulated three more interviews. Not going to stop now, he thought.

His next target was Wells Technology International, a company well respected in the area for their aeronautic components and hardware. They were not only looking to fill positions in a new plant they were staffing, but had one other opening, an executive administrator position, with potential to advance.

Why not? He still had plenty of résumés in hand. And even if he probably didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of landing that one position, he wouldn’t pass up a potential opportunity.

There were three women manning the booth and talking to prospects. When one, whose nametag read Carmen, finished, he stepped forward, hand out.

“Hi. I’m Douglas Holt.”

She gave him a welcoming smile. “Nice to meet you.”

He offered her a résumé. “I know I’m just out of school, but I’m interested in the executive administrator position.”

She scanned the paper, her eyebrow arching. “Oh, this is very impressive. Considering you will receive on-the-job training from the man currently in the position, we’re more concerned about ability and availability than experience for this position. It’s very intense, requiring someone with high energy and the flexibility to work long hours, do a lot of travel.”

“That’s me,” he said with a smile he hoped didn’t look too desperate. “I’m extremely flexible.” He felt his face heat. “I mean, in my schedule.”

She extended her arm, indicating he walk around the table and take a seat at one of two chairs behind the table.

She took the other, positioning a laptop webcam to face him. “Before we begin, our CEO, Harper Wells, is monitoring these interviews via video. Is that all right? The position requires working with her personally, and she wanted to listen in to the candidates.”

He hoped he wasn’t creating sweat rings in his pits. He reflexively reached up to straighten his tie and run a hand through his hair. “Sure.”

They talked for a while. Carmen gave him information on the company and a bare-bones basic summary of what his job duties would entail. He struggled to keep his eyes on her and not on the blue light shining next to the web camera port on the laptop.

After ten minutes of talking, Carmen’s cell phone rang. She glanced at it, smiled, and answered. “Yes, Ms. Wells?”

Chapter Two

Harper kept one eye on her personal laptop screen and another on the reports she was compiling on her work laptop. From the moment the first potential candidate sat down to talk with Carmen, she kept hoping someone, anyone, would fit the bill.

My age range. Single. And not a troll. Jeez, that’s all I ask.

Finally, a little over an hour into the process, Carmen sat down with a cutie with brown hair and sweet brown eyes. She couldn’t tell how tall he was, but he didn’t look like he was in bad physical shape.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

She grabbed her phone and called Carmen’s cell after listening for a few minutes. He was smart, he had a degree and good grades that wouldn’t raise red flags with her dad for hiring him, and he was easy on the eyes.

Please, please let him be single and not a douche!

“Carmen, can he come over right now for an interview?” She knew her dad was out of the office until late the next afternoon. The convention center was only four blocks from the office tower where their headquarters took up three floors.

“I’ll ask him, ma’am.” She watched on the screen as he eagerly nodded, smiling as he vigorously shook hands with Carmen. She handed him a paper with a map and directions, and he practically jumped out of his seat.

Harper smiled. He was eager, practically desperate. Money wasn’t an issue. Gorden would retire with a comfortable pension even by executive standards. She could hire in his replacement for far more than the average graduate could ever hope to make and still pay the guy less than Gorden would earn in pension.

Carmen faxed the man’s résumé to Harper’s laptop. When she received it, she scanned it with a pleased smile. On paper, he would do. She closed her laptop and headed to the bathroom. After checking her blood sugar, she sighed and dosed herself with insulin. She’d have to be more careful in the future. She wouldn’t have Gorden shadowing her, making sure she ate on time and keeping her blood sugar steady. No one else on the staff besides him and her father knew about her condition, and that’s the way she planned to keep it. She worked out religiously as part of her weight-maintenance regimen. She wasn’t gym-rat thin, but she fought to keep her body fat down and her muscles toned. She’d been a solid size twelve since graduating high school, and if her doctor was happy with that, so was she.

* * *

Holy crap! Is she kidding? Do I want an interview right now? Hell yes! He took the paper with directions to Harper Wells’ office and bolted from the convention center floor. At the front door, when the muggy late-July Tampa heat slammed into him, he paused. If he ran the entire four blocks, he’d be drenched in sweat when he got there.

After taking a deep breath, he forced himself to walk the entire way. Upon arriving at the building, he ducked into the restroom in the lobby to freshen up and check himself out in the mirror.

No dark armpit stains, good! He straightened his tie again and headed for the bank of elevators to get to the twentieth floor.

The receptionist held him at her desk while she called back. Then she hung up and smiled. “Please follow me, Mr. Holt.”

She stood and led him through a maze of well-appointed hallways to an office that appeared to be located in the far corner of the building, if he wasn’t totally disoriented. She rapped on the door, opening it when a woman’s voice on the other side said, “Come.”

“Mr. Holt, ma’am.”

“Thanks, Kim.” He walked in, and the receptionist left them alone. The woman sat at her desk, her back to him. If he had to guess, it was a typical control tactic to put him off.

He tried not to let his expectations drop a notch, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t want to be wasting time on a dead end any more than he wanted to risk losing out on a valuable opportunity.

The woman turned and smiled kindly at him as she stood. He immediately reevaluated his first impression. She was young, not much older than him, and dressed in a neat, stylish charcoal pantsuit. Her shoulder-length dark blonde hair was tucked behind her ears. Hazel eyes studied him. Maybe five six if she wasn’t wearing heels. Not chunky, but no waif, either.

“Mr. Holt? I’m Harper Wells, CEO of Wells Technology.” She extended a hand across the desk to shake, and he stepped forward and took it. Firm grip, but not like she was trying to prove something.

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Wells. Doug Holt. I really appreciate this opportunity.”

She indicated for him to take a seat across the desk from her as she retook hers. “Please, feel free to call me Harper.”

* * *

Hot damn, I’ve hit the jackpot, she thought when he walked in. He was definitely in shape, that much she could tell from the way his khaki slacks fit him and the cut of his long-sleeved dress shirt. He even had a cheap but decent-looking tie.

Style on a budget, good. She sensed more than just the normal anxiety from him.

“As you know,” she said, “I listened in on your initial interview with Carmen.” He nodded but didn’t interrupt. Good, he wasn’t overly pushy. “Now, I want to give you some background information before we start serious discussions.”

Here’s where she had to tread carefully. Carmen had told her the basics of how to phrase her questions so as not to run afoul of someone who wanted to cause trouble later. “This job, if it’s offered to you, will involve a lot of travel, including overseas. Sometimes for weeks at a time. A lot of nights, weekends, even holidays spent working, with me. Is there any situation in your life that would prevent you from being able to fulfill that obligation?”

He frowned, and she felt her gut roll. Damn, he probably has a wife or girlfriend. She looked but didn’t spot a ring on his left hand.

“I don’t have a passport, but I could apply for one. Will that be an issue, waiting for it to come through? I don’t know how long it takes.”

She relaxed a little. “That’s fine. Not a problem.” She tried to phrase the next question even more carefully. “Your position will also include you having to accompany me to social events and business functions. Sometimes overnight. Locally and out of town. Again, are there any issues in your personal life that might arise to prevent you from doing that?”

He shook his head. “No.”

She smiled again. “My current assistant, Gorden, has been with the company for twenty-five years. When I took over as CEO from my father, he was assigned to me. He’s at my beck and call, literally twenty-four-seven.” This is where it would get dicey. “He will train you on the paperwork end of things, institutional knowledge. There will be situations that come up where you’ll have to think on your feet to handle them. You’ll have three months to work alongside him until he retires. Then you get thrown into the deep end of the pool.”

She stood and rounded the desk, perching on the corner of it. “I need the person I hire to be of impeccable standards. Able to be self-sufficient, aggressive in the business world when I require it, tenacious in following orders, detail oriented, and not distracted by having to juggle any personal issues that might interfere with this position and its heavy work load. Does that sound like you?”

He nodded.

“I will also be running a very extensive background check. Not just criminal, but financial. Is there anything I need to know before I do that?”

That frown again. “What?” she asked.

He studied his hands. “How extensive?”

“Unpaid student loans?”

He laughed. “Yes, but I wish it was that simple.”

And now she suspected she had stumbled onto the source of his anxiety. She took the seat next to him, facing him. “Go ahead and tell me. I need to know anything that would be a source of distraction.”

He threw his head back and took a deep breath. “I don’t know if you want to hear the gory details.”

“You’d be surprised.” Damn, damn, dammit! She didn’t want some stupid adolescent car-hopping charge to sink the possibility of him working for her. He was neat in appearance, and he obviously had brains to graduate near the top of his class.

He looked down at his hands, which rested on the brown, imitation leather portfolio in his lap. He picked at his cuticles. “I found out yesterday that my parents are about to lose their house. My mom’s had some pretty bad health issues the last year. She’s been in and out of the hospital a lot. In fact, she just had surgery. She’s still there now, was supposed to come home yesterday, but they held her another day.”

He looked up. “I’m not trying to give you some sob story here, but you said extensive, and I’d be living with them, so it might come up. They got a certified letter yesterday from the mortgage company. They’re going to lose their house if they can’t get caught up.”

She didn’t sense a bullshit story from him. If that was the sole source of his worry, even though it was a big deal to him, she knew she could easily fix it for him.

If she hired him.

She had an idea. “How much are they behind?”

“Several months. But as hard as they worked for us kids over the years, I won’t let them lose their house.”

Bingo. Maybe it was predatory on her part, but she didn’t care. In the grand scheme of things, it would get her father off her back, it would keep this man’s family in their home, and everyone could win.

“What you’re basically telling me is you’re trying to get the best job possible so you can support your family. I think that’s very noble.” He hadn’t asked about salary yet. “So, just how flexible are you with your situation?”

* * *

Huh? “I’m sorry, I don’t understand the question,” he said.

She smiled at him. “I’m going to be quite frank. Ideally, I want the candidate to move into my house after a couple of months. You don’t have to share a bedroom with me, or even sleep with me. You see, I have a family issue of my own. If you’re willing to help me out, I will guarantee your family won’t lose their home.”

He froze, feeling a chill settle in. “Are you kidding me?”

She shook her head. “I’m dead serious, but I need assurances from you that if you walk out right now and say no to the job that there are no hard feelings, and no lawsuits about sexual harassment.”

Despite a warning in his gut, he nodded. “I’m listening.”

She leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “My father, despite being the owner and former CEO of this company, is still my father. I’m catching grief from him about not having a social life. You would, after a very short amount of time, become my cover.”

“Your beard,” he numbly said without thinking, wishing he hadn’t said it.

She laughed. “Well, I’m straight, but yes, basically. I’m too busy for a bullshit dating life. I’ve got an international business to run. That’s why all the questions about if you’d be available for travel and lots of hours. I needed a legal way to find out if you were single and unattached, so there wouldn’t be a jealous girlfriend or wife causing trouble.”

Girlfriend or wife… He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. He pushed thoughts of Tate out of his head, hating himself for even voicing his next question. “How would you guarantee my parents wouldn’t lose their house?”

“First of all, you’d sign a contract obligating you to work for me for a minimum of a year. Your salary for that first year would be one hundred thousand dollars. I would personally buy the mortgage to your parents’ house and hold on to it. I’d have my attorney set it up in a trust so they think it’s an investment company purchasing the paper. This ‘company’ will be happy to work with them on their mortgage arrangements, including stopping any pending foreclosure actions against them and modifying the terms so they can get caught up.”

Doug swallowed hard, but he kept listening, his heart pounding in his chest.

“Additionally, upon the completion of the first contractual year, regardless of whether or not you renew your employment contract, I will hand you the mortgage and mark it paid in full.”

“Even if it’s not?” he whispered.

She nodded. “You are a quick learner. Any remaining balance will be completely forgiven. They will own their home free and clear.” She stood and returned to her seat behind the desk. “And to sweeten the pot,” she added, “I will give you two hundred thousand dollars, cash, in addition to your salary. We’ll call it a performance bonus. The first fifty thousand upon completion of three months of service to me, and fifty thousand each quarter after. I’m guessing that money would help pay some, if not all, of your mom’s medical bills?”

He numbly nodded. This had to be a dream. He could, finally, take care of his parents the way they’d always tried to take care of him and his sisters.

Except…

He closed his eyes and tried not to picture Tate’s blue eyes.

“There is one other catch,” she said.

Of course there is. She probably needs me to sell my soul to her. Screw it, I’ll open my veins and sign in blood if I have to. He opened his eyes. “What?”

“You will sign a nondisclosure agreement regarding the terms of our contract. It will be binding until the end of the first year. If you renew our contract, you will then receive two hundred thousand in salary every year. Health benefits, too, of course, from the start. 401(k). Everything. But you cannot tell anyone, not your parents or other family, friends, no one, about the true nature of our agreement. If my father finds out what I’m doing, it totally ruins things for me here. I need him off my back.”

“So, basically, I pretend to work for you while I’m playing your boyfriend?”

She vigorously shook her head. “No. You will be working, no pretending about it. Gorden will be the first to tell you I’m not easy to work for. I am very demanding. I am a perfectionist. I can be bitchy and a micromanager. But I also reward my staff for their successes. So you will absolutely be working for me. But you will be moving into my home and acting as my boyfriend after a couple of months, if not sooner. I want people to start seeing us together, let word of our after-hours socialization get back to my father. After a while, depending on how it’s looking, I’ll move you into my home. From there on, the act looks good.”

She leaned back and templed her fingers. “Obviously, as part of our agreement, you cannot date anyone else, on the sly or not. After the first year, if you still want to stay on, we can talk about this point and see if we can figure out a way for you to transfer to another office or something so you can have a social life outside of me. We have offices all over this country and in four other countries.” She smiled. “One year of celibacy, and your silence, is all I’m asking for.”

“I can’t tell anyone?”

She shook her head. “No. Not your parents, not your sisters, not any friends. No one. I cannot risk this getting back to my father. I cannot and will not be flexible on this point.”

He wanted to say no. He wanted to stand, thank her for her time, and leave.

He also knew he’d kick himself in the ass for refusing it. He couldn’t get the sound of his father’s choked sob out of his head.

“So, Harper,” he softly asked, “what do I have to do to get this job?”

* * *

Inside, she was doing jumping jacks. “I’ll get Gorden in here to take you down to HR and legal, where they’ll get the ball rolling for the background checks. You can officially start Monday as long as all that checks out. Oh, and what do you drive?”

He looked confused for a moment, like he was overwhelmed. “Um, a Honda Civic. Six years old. Bought it used.”

“Still owe on it?”

He nodded.

“Just to show you how serious I am, I’ll pay that off for you, too. Any credit card debt? Student loans?”

He nodded.

She smiled. “Consider them paid in full. Bring all the paperwork with you for all that on Monday. We’ll handle it first thing. And I’ll make sure you get a corporate card for expenses. Feel free to update your wardrobe.” She picked up her phone and called Gorden to come to her office. When she hung up, she smiled at Doug. “You have no idea how glad I am that you came to the job fair today.”

He licked his lips before finally speaking. “Me, too.”

She laughed, her heart feeling lighter than it had in a while. “Seriously, you have no idea how relieved I am. This will get my father off my back, help you and your family out—we all win.”

He nodded and smiled. “Yeah.”

Gorden walked in. “You wanted me?”

She pointed at Doug. “Gorden Smith, meet Douglas Holt. Your replacement.” She’d let Gorden in on her idea yesterday afternoon, knowing he would not reveal it to her father. He hadn’t been thrilled with the idea, but agreed that he wouldn’t tell, either.

He walked over to Doug. “Nice to meet you, son.” He shook hands with Doug. “Come with me. We’ll get everything started.”

He led Doug out of the office, shutting the door behind them. Harper sat back and laced her fingers behind her head. Now, seriously, how lucky was this? As long as his story all checked out, he was the perfect candidate. And she’d be doing a good deed for someone far less fortunate than herself.

Feeling good, she went back to work.

* * *

Doug couldn’t feel his legs. Was he really considering this? He followed Gorden to the elevator, which they took down to the next floor.

Tate.

He loved him. He’d planned on spending the rest of his life, fate willing, with him.

And now he was selling out that love…for what?

He took a deep breath as he remembered hugging his father the night before.

For my mom and dad. My sisters.

Maybe it made him a royal shit, but Tate could find someone else. His parents would never have another chance like this again. He couldn’t let them lose what they’d worked so hard for over the years.

He wouldn’t let them lose their home.

Chapter Three

Tate Gillis stretched, cracking his neck and groaning as he felt his back pop from the way he’d been hunched over the computer terminal.

One of his supervisors and best friend, Jenny Taylor, laughed. “Getting pretty hunchbacked, huh?”

“You ain’t kidding.”

“You and Doug want to go out with us tonight?”

“I’d love to, but Doug’s still down in Tampa.”

“Aww. How’s his mom doing?”

“I haven’t talked to him yet today. She was supposed to go home yesterday, but they held her another day because of her blood work results. They want to give her another round of antibiotics before they release her.” He didn’t mention the other problem and that it looked like he would be leaving. No reason to talk about it until he knew for sure.

“Oh, that sucks.”

Tate nodded and glanced at the clock. A smile filled his face. “Hey, it’s four thirty. I can blow this pop stand.”

She laughed. “You sound like medical billing isn’t your dream job.”

He rolled his eyes. “Um, yeah. Sorry, but the best about it is it keeps the lights and internet on, and has health bennies. I do appreciate you getting me the job, don’t get me wrong.”

“You mean you can’t perv porn in the dark?”

He snorted in amusement. “Yeah, but I need to recharge the darn laptop eventually.” She could joke with him like that because they’d known each other since high school. Unfortunately, at the time they were hiring, they only had one open position, and Doug had insisted he go for it since Jenny was his friend. “What time and where tonight?”

“Gator Bait, at six.”

“I’ll be there.” He tried to call Doug on his way to the car. It went to voice mail.

“Hey, babe, it’s me. I’m sure you’re probably still at the job fair. Good luck with the hunt, and I hope Mom is okay. Call me when you can. Jenny and the gang invited me to go to Gator Bait with them tonight, so if you call and I don’t hear my phone, leave a message. Love you.”

He hung up and got into his car, practically wilting as waves of heat washed over him. He sat there with the door open, engine running and A/C on full blast, waiting for it to cool off. The ten-year-old car still had some life in it, but he wished they could afford for him to get a newer one. Now, plans for that would have to be put on hold. They’d have to pour every bit of money they could into Doug’s parents.

Not that he minded. He loved them as much as he loved his own family even though he hadn’t spent a lot of time with them. They’d welcomed him into their fold with open arms the first time they’d met him.

When his car finally cooled enough, he drove back to the apartment. It wasn’t much, but it was home.

Lonely though, without Doug here.

He jumped into the shower, his thoughts lingering on Doug’s tight ass and handsome smile. When his cock started to inflate, Tate stroked it with his hand, encouraging it to full length.

He imagined it was Doug’s hand on his shaft as he closed his eyes and let the warm water sluice over him.

He missed Doug so much. They’d made love the night before he drove to Tampa. Doug buried his dick deep inside Tate’s ass as Doug reached around him and stroked his cock. He loved it when Doug took charge and did the driving in bed.

Tate slicked pre-cum over the head of his cock as he leaned against the shower wall, memories of Doug playing through his mind—the feel of Doug’s cock stretching his rim as he slowly fucked him, the feel of Doug’s balls slapping against the back of his thighs at the bottom of every stroke…

Tate’s hand moved faster up and down his cock, his other hand tweaking his nipples. His breath grew faster as his mind raced. When he thought about the way Doug’s cock would grow harder and swell inside him just before he came, his own cock exploded, jets of cum landing on the shower wall in front of him.

He took a deep breath as he recovered. Physically, that took the edge off.

Mentally, he still missed Doug more than ever.

Pushing that away, he straightened up and finished his shower.

Chapter Four

Doug sat in his car in a public parking lot three blocks from the convention center. Around him, five o’clock traffic had built as people fled their offices for the day. Total gridlock. At this point, it would take close to an hour to get to his parents’ home in Temple Terrace.

He turned the air up to full and pointed the vents straight at his face. As of right now, he was unofficially hired. The preliminary background checks had all come back fine, as he knew they would. He’d met with Harper one more time. She told him her attorney would draw up the papers for her that night. He could come by the next morning at ten to meet her and Gorden for coffee in the lobby at her building and sign all the papers.

What the fuck am I doing?

By signing those papers, he was essentially saying a huge “fuck you” to Tate.

He was selling out. Shouldn’t he at least try interviewing with the other companies?

Who was he kidding? No one would give him the deal Harper Wells offered him. And if he refused and she found someone else willing to sell out in a heartbeat, he would have thrown away the opportunity of a lifetime.

Mom and Dad won’t lose their house. His younger sister wouldn’t have to leave the only home she’d ever known.

He laid his head on his steering wheel and cried. He was, he supposed, technically bisexual, but when he’d met Tate at school he’d fallen in love with him. The hardest thing he’d ever done was come home for spring break three years earlier and come out to his parents after he and Tate started dating.

They, and his sisters, had embraced him and Tate.

Welcomed Tate as family.

And now…

He couldn’t even tell them—any of them—why he had to break up with the love of his life.

He looked at his phone, which he’d put on silent earlier. He saw the missed call from Tate. The voice mail icon was displayed.

He played the message and cried again as he listened to Tate’s voice. How the hell was he supposed to tell him? Instead of deleting the message, he saved it.

He didn’t have the heart or the balls to call him back.

With a heavy heart and a sad sigh, he took a deep breath and headed home.

* * *

When Doug arrived home, he was surprised, as well as worried, to see no other cars in the drive. He got out of his car and went inside the house after collecting the mail from the box by the street. He was just about to call his father when he heard a car in the driveway. When he looked out the front window, he saw his dad racing around the front of the car to the passenger side, where—

“Mom!” Doug hit the front door at a run and made it outside to help his dad get her out of the car and into the house. She used a walker, stubbornly resisting the wheelchair the doctor suggested she use. “Where’s the girls?” Doug asked him.

“They’re in Tina’s car,” his dad said. “They’re right behind us.”

“I can make it, Carl,” his mom argued as she ineffectually tried to swat away his father’s helping hand. “You don’t have to fuss over me.” But she let the two men help her inside and get her seated on the couch, her right leg propped up on a pillow on the coffee table.

Doug was glad a thick layer of bandages hid her wounds. She’d been lucky that the doctors had only amputated two of her toes and not her entire right foot.

“Can I get you anything, Mom?” Doug asked.

She looked at him and motioned him close with a sad expression on her face. She gave him a one-armed hug. He noticed her other arm still bore an IV port for medication. She was supposed to go back to the doctor the next morning for follow-up tests and IV antibiotics. “You and Tate are welcomed to move in here if you want, but I don’t want you ruining your life over us.” She patted his cheek. “You need to live your life. We can handle ours.”

He grabbed her hand, once again shoving back his guilt. “But that’s just it. Mom, I got a job today, a good one!”

His dad stopped and turned. “You did?”

“Yeah, listen to this!” He outlined the basics, the part of the story that Harper had said could be made public knowledge. He’d be working as an executive administrator, with super-crazy hours at really good pay. He left out the cash bonuses and the part about their mortgage being taken care of. Harper had assured him she would have her attorneys send out a legit-sounding letter telling his parents that their mortgage had been bought by an investment company as part of a special program for people who had previously had good payment histories and fell behind through no fault of their own.

At their afternoon meeting, Harper had also instructed Doug to get as much information as he could about his mom’s medical bills, and she would take care of those as well.

As if he hadn’t had enough incentive to make him agree to this deal.

Now, he couldn’t think of saying no, even if he would be breaking Tate’s heart as well as his own in the process.

His mom started crying and hugged him again. “I’m so proud of you, Douglas!”

His dad wiped at his eyes, which suddenly looked too bright, before clapping Doug on the shoulder. “Me, too. That’s great news, son!”

He could almost sense the weight of his dad’s worry lifting. “Dinner’s on me,” Doug announced. “Pizza fine with everyone?”

Tina and Eileen walked in at that moment, carrying their mother’s things from the hospital. “Pizza’s always fine with me, bro,” Eileen said.

That was another worry. Eileen, a junior in high school, got good grades. By all rights she should be able to get scholarships to cover her tuition, or at the very least pick up a few grants or low-interest loans for school. She wanted to be a nurse and had already applied to USF there in Tampa. Living at home would save her money.

His job would insure he could pay for her education even if everything else fell through. And he could help Tina pay off her student loans.

This is for my family, he insisted. At the end of the first year, he’d see if Harper would let him tell Tate the truth. If Tate was even still single.

And if Tate would ever forgive him for selling out like this.

* * *

After his sisters and mother had gone to bed, Doug sat at the kitchen table with his father. It was nearly ten o’clock, and he’d taken the chicken route and called Tate earlier, when he knew his lover wouldn’t be able to hear his phone in the noisy sports pub. With his own phone on silent, he could claim he didn’t hear it. Tate was an early riser, so not calling him late would be believable. All he’d told Tate was that he’d gotten a job, his mom was home and doing well, and that he missed him.

And that he loved him. Although he was sure Tate would hate him pretty soon.

His dad smiled at him. “I’m so proud of you, son. You have no idea.”

Doug felt a little sick inside. If his parents knew the truth, they’d never let him do it. He also imagined they would most likely be ashamed of him for selling out the way he had.

“Thanks, Dad.” He took a deep breath. “Um, about me and Tate living here—”

His dad nodded. “No problem, as long as you like. Seriously.”

“It’s not that, Dad.” He studied his hands, unable to look his father in the eye. “Tate’s not going to be moving in.”

“Why not?”

“I just…” He tried another approach. He wasn’t ready to break it to them that he’d be moving out, too. “It’s not going to be fair to uproot him. I’m literally going to be on the road weeks at a time, sometimes a month or more,” he fibbed. “I’m hardly going to be home.”

“So? He’s family. We’ll take care of him.”

His dad wasn’t making this any easier on him. “I think the only fair thing to do is to take a break from our relationship for a while, at least until life settles down a little. Besides, he’s got a decent job for now, has health benefits and everything.”

“What are you saying, son? Are you breaking up with him?”

“I don’t want to—”

“Then don’t!”

“Dad, please.” He stood. “This is my life,” he said, even though it really felt like a fib now. He was beholden to Harper Wells for a year. “I don’t want to discuss this anymore.”

His dad slowly nodded. “Okay,” he quietly said. “You’re right. I respect your wishes.”

* * *

Doug walked into the lobby at ten minutes till ten the next morning. He passed the bank of elevators just as the doors to one car slid open and Harper and Gorden stepped out.

Her expression brightened when she spotted him. “Perfect timing!” She held out her hand with a cheery smile. He forced a smile of his own as he shook with her. “Glad to see you didn’t decide to chicken out overnight,” she joked.

“No, I know a darn good deal when I see one,” he said.

He held the coffee shop door open for her and Gorden and followed them inside. She picked a quiet corner booth. After a waitress came over to take their order, Harper opened a folder she’d had in her hand and pushed a stack of papers and a pen across the table to him.

He glanced through them and started to pick up the pen. Gorden laid a hand over Doug’s, stopping him. “Son, read through them, first. In fact, if you want a few hours to take them to an attorney, we’ll understand.”

He shook his head. “That’s not necessary.” He did read them, though. It took him twenty minutes, and Harper and Gorden didn’t speak or interrupt him while he did. When he finished, he signed everywhere indicated and pushed the papers back across the table to her.

She now owned his ass for a year. He supposed he shouldn’t think of it as pimping himself out, because she’d clearly said she wasn’t expecting sex from him, but it all boiled down to the same thing, didn’t it?

He still hated himself for what he had to do to Tate.

He’d even been so chickenshit as to call Tate this morning at nine o’clock, when he knew Tate was working and couldn’t take personal calls.

He studied Harper’s face as she leafed through the folder and removed another sheaf of papers. He’d found out from Gorden she was only twenty-eight, just three years older than him. She’d come to be the CEO of her father’s company because the man literally lost a bet to her. Ever since she’d graduated Magna Cum Laude from USF in Tampa, she’d bugged her father to give her a larger role in the company. She’d been working part-time as Gorden’s intern since she graduated from high school, and to shut her up more than anything, her father had made a bet with her one night in front of Gorden and several of his friends.

Harper had twelve months to turn around their newest acquisition, a struggling Miami company they’d purchased in a hostile takeover. If she did it, he’d make her CEO of their entire organization.

Her father had never expected her to be successful.

In less than eight months, the new company was not only in the black, it was turning the highest profit it had in years.

And Harrison Wells was never one to welsh on a bet.

She smiled as she handed the papers over. Doug realized that she was genuinely happy over this arrangement. She wasn’t trying to use him unfairly. He’d agreed to this crazy, albeit generous and highly profitable, deal.

Her smile made her look a little less careworn. “These are for you,” she said. “Some basics about the company. If you’re not busy today, I’d like to send you out with Gorden to get some stuff. It’s going to take us a week or so to get you a corporate credit card. My father is going to be here later today, and I want to introduce you to him.”

“You want me to look my best.”

She laughed. “Exactly.” He realized there was nothing mean or hurtful in her laugh. Even her hazel eyes had faint smile lines around them. “Believe me, you deserve it,” she added. “I’m more than happy to spring for a shopping spree.”

For a moment, it looked like her demeanor slipped before she strengthened her smile. She lowered her voice. “Doug, you have no idea how much I appreciate what you’re doing. I realize, yes, you benefit from this, but I cannot begin to tell you how much this means to me.”

Now he felt like a double shit. Here was a nice woman in a tough situation of her own. Gorden had told him her father wouldn’t hesitate to follow through on his threat to remove her from the company if she kept pushing herself as hard as she had. He suspected there was more to the story, but Gorden either wouldn’t or couldn’t elaborate further.

* * *

Harper tried not to stare at Doug from across the table. He was definitely easy on the eyes. And single. How lucky am I? Maybe she could eventually talk him into her bed.

She wouldn’t mind that in the least. Yes, she wouldn’t deny it’d be nice to have a real boyfriend instead of a vibrator or shower massager.

If she could even convince him to stay. Someone as cute as him surely couldn’t have any problems getting dates if he wanted them.

Quit thinking like that, she chided herself. This is business.

“Well, I’ll leave you two to it,” she said. She grabbed her folder and stood, shaking hands with him before turning to Gorden. “When is Dad due in?”

“Three o’clock.”

“I’ll be in my office and waiting for you.”

Gorden smiled. “You’re not wasting a second of time, are you?”

She patted him on the shoulder. “What? Even my father said I needed to get on the ball and find your replacement.”

The sound of his laughter followed her out of the coffee shop. She had the elevator to herself as she rode up to her floor. She paged through the folder. Douglas Allen Holt. Had turned twenty-five only four weeks earlier. She closed the folder, leaned against the elevator wall, and tapped the folder against her thigh. She smiled.

Dad will never know what hit him.

Chapter Five

Gorden led Doug from the coffee shop to the private parking garage that took up the third through fifth floors of the building. He showed him to a black Mercedes CLS550 sedan. Doug was almost afraid to get inside it.

Gorden looked at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Is this yours?”

“Company car. But Harper promised it to me when I retire.” He grinned. “I heard her on the phone ordering yours this morning.” Gorden slid behind the wheel, leaving Doug standing there, gawking at him.

When Doug finally got into the passenger seat he said, “She ordered me a Mercedes? You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope.” He started the car. It purred to life. Doug never knew cars really could purr, but this one did. “Harper believes in treating employees right. In return, they almost always, without fail, take on personal ownership and pride in the company. Someone believes in them, they believe in themselves, and it inspires them to keep the cycle going. She doesn’t keep employees who won’t take personal pride and ownership in the company.” He slipped on a pair of mirrored sunglasses that, for some reason, made him look twenty years younger and thirty years cooler. “She believes in you.”

Gorden drove them over to International Plaza, near the airport. Doug had never shopped here, even though he’d passed it frequently on his way to Target or Walmart. Most of the shops in the mall weren’t even in the same country as his bank balance, much less the same zip code.

“I hope you brought your credit card,” Doug quipped as they headed inside, “because I can’t even afford to window-shop here.”

Gorden laughed. “Don’t worry. Pretty soon, this will feel like slumming it.”

* * *

Three hours later, they left the mall with their arms full of shopping bags and Doug completely refitted in high-dollar office wear. As they stowed everything in the trunk of Gorden’s car, Doug stared down at his new clothes, including a pair of leather Burberry brogues, which cost almost as much as a month’s rent on their Gainesville apartment.

“I can’t believe this,” he said.

Gorden closed the trunk lid. “Believe it. And enjoy it while you can.”

“What do you mean?”

“She wasn’t kidding when she told you she can be a bitch to work for.” They got back in the car and Gorden continued. “I love her like a daughter. Hell, I’ve known her since she was born, before her mother died. My wife and I stood in plenty of times when Harrison had to go out of town on business. I can’t tell you how many Christmases she woke up in our guest room to find Santa had remembered to bring her gifts to our house. After a while, we just went ahead and decorated the guest room for her so she would feel like she had a home. She spent more time with us than she did her own father.”

Doug didn’t know what to say to that, so he thought it wise to keep his mouth shut. He’d always had his family’s love and support. He didn’t know what it was like not to have that.

He was worried he might find out if they ever knew the truth of why he had to break up with Tate.

Gorden wasn’t finished speaking his piece. “You’re going to go to bed some nights cursing her name. Until you return to work the next morning to find out her mood has shifted and she’s back to the same lovable woman you were glad to go to work for. What you have to remember is that, no matter what, you must stay calm. I’m not at liberty to discuss some things. But there are reasons for her mercurial moods sometimes that have nothing to do with you or with the quality of your work. Maybe one day she’ll be able to open up to you as her confidant. You will become her anchor, her rock. She will rely upon you to do your job and be there for her.”

Gorden looked at him before pulling out into traffic. “And if you disappoint her, I guarantee you you’ll be a thousand times harder on yourself than she will be. So don’t fuck up.”

* * *

Doug pondered Gorden’s last statement. Until the older man had dropped the F-bomb on him, he hadn’t thought Gorden would have said fuck if he was in the middle of actually doing it with his wife. One thing he’d quickly learned about Gorden, he was usually a man of few words, and what he said meant something.

Back at the office, Gorden showed him where his temporary office would be after helping Doug stash the new purchases in the trunk of his own car. Once Gorden retired, Doug would move into his office, right next door to Harper.

“Can I ask you something?” Doug said.

Gorden snorted in amusement. “I’d think you were brain dead if you weren’t constantly asking me questions. Go ahead.”

“Harper is an unusual name. Where did it come from?”

“Oh, that.” He smiled. “That was a source of contention between Harrison and his late wife, Harper’s mother. He is very fond of making deals. He said if their baby was a boy, his wife could name it.”

“Yeah?”

“He gave his baby girl a…well, it’s not just a boy’s name, obviously, but it’s certainly not very feminine, is it?”

“Not really.”

“It was her maternal grandfather’s first name. Harrison truly respected him and learned a lot about business from him. He worked for him before he married Harper’s mother. If you were to ask Harper some of her memories as a little girl of her and her father, she’ll tell you about him taking her to baseball and football games, teaching her how to fish, all sorts of things. And lots of time at the office. He really wanted a boy. Don’t get me wrong, he loves his little girl, and he’d die for her. But he wanted her to grow up tough so she could take over his business when she got older. He didn’t raise her to be Daddy’s Little Princess. She was more like Daddy’s Little Piranha. And, whether he likes it or not, he succeeded.”

“I take it he doesn’t like it?”

“Oh, he does. He’s extremely proud of her. But as she told you herself, I think now in his older age he realizes how misguided he was. He spent all these years teaching her the cutthroat world of business, and that’s all she really knows. He showed her how to work hard to get ahead, and she’s a natural at it. Now that he’s slowing down, he realizes maybe he should have stopped to smell the roses a little with his daughter instead of plowing ahead. Maybe tried a little harder to teach her to play as hard as she worked.”

“Which is why he’s now on her case?”

“Yep. Now let’s spend a few minutes before he gets here getting you prepped.”

* * *

At one point, Doug excused himself to the bathroom. There, he checked his phone for the call he knew he’d missed from Tate earlier during their shopping excursion.

“Hey, buddy,” Tate said, “it’s me. Tag, you’re it. Let me know how you’re doing. I’ll call you again after I get off work. Love you.”

Doug locked himself in a stall and allowed himself to silently cry for a few minutes before cleaning himself up. He called Tate back, knowing he’d get his voice mail.

“Hey, sorry, it’s been crazy here.” He swallowed hard. “This new job is…I’ll have to give you the details later. It’s a really intense, travel-heavy schedule at first, so hold off on the boxes for right now.” He closed his eyes. “I love you, too. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to talk much. I’m going through orientation and training. Love you, talk to you later.” He hung up, washed his face, ran his hands through his hair, and took a deep breath.

I can do this. It’s for my parents. And it’s helping Harper out.

It didn’t make him feel like any less of a shit.

* * *

Harper nervously tried to keep her focus on her work while Gorden and Doug were out shopping. She trusted Gorden to bring him back looking exactly the part. Not too flashy, not too much poor college boy. Her father was an idiot when it came to fashion, but overall appearance meant a lot to him.

She hoped if he met Doug and found him acceptable on the surface that he wouldn’t do too much digging right now. Meaning he wouldn’t raise any objections to Doug’s hiring.

Not that he would overrule her on his hiring, but she had to commit to the bit, as comedians said. And she was committed to getting her father off her freaking back.

She heard a heavy knock on her office door. Before she could say anything, the door opened and her father stuck his head in.

“Anyone home?”

She felt a mix of irritation and adoration. “Hi, Daddy.”

He smiled that handsome, winning smile of his and stepped in, closing the door behind him. “Hello, sweetheart. Is it safe, or do you still want to take my head off?” He cupped his hands in front of his groin. “Or something lower?”

“Yes, it’s safe.”

He walked over, and she stood to hug him. “I’m sorry, honey. I shouldn’t have gone after you like that at the meeting.” He held her at arm’s length, his gaze intent on hers. “But I meant it. I worry about you, sweetheart. With your health—”

She rolled her eyes. “Daddy, it’s diabetes, not cancer. I’m not dying, for chrissake.”

“I just worry about you,” he said again. “I love you. I only want what’s best for you.”

“I know you do, but I’m an adult.”

He smiled as he released her. “Yes, but you’ll always be my little girl.” Then his expression turned sad. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there more for you while you were growing up. And look, fine, don’t get a boyfriend, but at least take more time off. You and I can go travelling, or at least spend some time together.”

“Julia won’t mind?”

A dark cloud seemed to pass over him. “I don’t give a shit what she thinks.”

She arched an eyebrow in surprise. Harrison Wells rarely swore in front of his little girl, even though she was almost thirty. “Wow. What happened?” Harper knew Julia Carson had her sights set on doing something no other woman since her mother had managed—becoming Mrs. Harrison Wells.

Harper had hated her upon first sight when they met six months earlier. The feeling had been completely mutual.

He waved her concern away as he turned to sit in one of the chairs in front of her desk. “I did a lot of thinking after our meeting. I called Julia up and ended it with her. I decided I needed to take my own advice. She wasn’t a long-term prospect.” He looked at her. “Don’t think I don’t know what her angle was. I know you didn’t like her. I’m sorry I let her take so much of my attention from you.”

She perched on the corner of her desk. “Daddy, I’m not a little girl anymore. You need a life as much as I need one. I didn’t hate her because she had your attention. I hated her because she was a gold-digging bitch after a chunk of your money.”

He scrubbed his face with his hands as he sat back in his chair. This was her Daddy, the man she loved and practically worshipped. Unlike the tough businessman she ran afoul of a few days earlier. “Sweetheart, I’m an old dog. Too old to learn new tricks. I loved your mother, and she always supported me and understood when I had to work long hours. I didn’t deserve someone as loving and generous as her. But you’re young enough not to make the same mistakes I did.”

Wow, Gorden nailed it on the head. She didn’t speak, just listened.

“Let’s plan a father-daughter trip,” he continued. “Remember last Christmas we talked about taking an Alaskan cruise? It’s one place neither of us have been. We can take a long vacation. I can have it booked in an hour.”

“When did you want to do this?”

“We can leave in less than a week.” He smiled.

“You’ve been researching, haven’t you?”

He nodded as he sat up. “Yep. What do you say?”

“Well, I’d love to—”

“But.” He laughed.

“No, Daddy, it’s not like that.” She only called him Mr. Wells in front of their employees. Any other time, it was always Daddy. “I just hired Gorden’s replacement.”

That piqued his interest. “Oh? I’ve only been bugging you about that for the past year.”

“I know, and so has he. You know the job fair this weekend at the convention center?”

“Yes?”

“Well, I talked to Carmen in HR. Asked her to keep a lookout for potential candidates.”

“And she found you one?”

“He seems perfect. Young, just out of school, and eager to learn and work.” And broke as shit, she thought.

“Tell me more.”

“You’ll get to meet him here shortly.” She glanced at the clock. “Gorden’s been working with him today, getting his feet wet. His first official day is Monday.”

“Young?” A smile curled his lips. “Handsome?”

“Daddy!” She hoped she portrayed the right amount of shock. Inside, she was already laughing. He fell for it.

He chuckled as he waved her objection away. “Relax, I promise not to play matchmaker.” He sighed. “You’re right, though. That does make it a little tougher to plan a trip right now.”

She felt a little guilty. “What are you doing this weekend?” It’d been four months since she’d taken off a full day, much less an entire weekend.

His grin returned. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“How about a weekend at the Boca house?” Her father owned a beautiful waterfront house on Gasparilla Island, in a little community called Boca Grande, nearly two hours south of Tampa. “Do you think the tarpon are running this weekend?”

He jumped to his feet with a huge smile. “Probably not, but who the heck cares! We can still go fishing, right?”

She loved seeing her father like this. Happy, excited. “Absolutely, Daddy.”

He rounded the desk and hugged her. “Let me go check in to make sure no one needs me this afternoon, and we’ll leave today after you go home and pack.”

“Don’t forget to come back to meet Douglas.”

He turned at the door. “Right!” He grinned playfully. “Any chance he wants to learn how to fish and—”

“Daddy!” She pointed at the door. “Go!”

He laughed. “All right, all right. Can’t blame me for trying.” He left. She sat down and let out a deep breath.

So far, so good.

Chapter Six

Doug took a nervous breath as he followed Gorden into Harper’s office. He’d assured Doug that it was okay to call her Harper, although in front of other employees, at least in the beginning, it would be more respectful to refer to her as Ms. Wells. Inside, he found Harper talking with an older man she strongly resembled.

She stood and smiled when they entered the office. “Ah, here he is. Douglas Holt, this is my father, Harrison Wells.”

“Nice to meet you, Douglas.” He stood and offered his hand.

Doug shook with him. “Thank you, sir. Doug is fine.”

He sensed the older man sizing him up. “Since you’ll be working with Harper on such a close basis, you can call me Harrison when we’re alone like this.” He looked at Gorden. “Well, what do you think of him?”

Gorden smiled. “I think he’s going to do just fine. As long as she doesn’t chew him up and spit him out,” he added with a playful smirk in Harper’s direction.

That made Doug laugh. “I’ll do my best to hold my own with her. Or die trying.”

The two older men laughed. Harrison clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit, son. Don’t let her give you any backtalk either when—”

“Daddy!” she said, cutting him off. From the tone of her voice and look on her face, it seemed her father was about to give something away that she didn’t want told.

He stopped, looked at her, then glanced at Gorden. Doug didn’t miss the almost imperceptible shake of the head Gorden gave Harper’s father.

Harrison rolled his eyes. “Fine. I guess all women need their secrets.”

“Daaaaaddy!” she practically growled in a warning tone.

“Fine!” He turned to Doug. “I’m sure Gorden will give you a full education in everything you need to know to work with my headstrong daughter.”

“Yes, sir.”

* * *

Harper went from loving her father to wanting to strangle him. She didn’t want Doug knowing about her diabetes. She’d given Gorden strict instructions not to reveal it to him, and she knew he’d hold her confidence. It wasn’t any of Doug’s business, and the only reason Gorden knew was because he was like a second father to her. None of her employees knew it and that’s the way she wanted it.

I’ll have to have another talk with Daddy about privacy.

After twenty minutes of chatting, with her father asking Doug questions about himself, he finally headed for the door. “I’m going to go pack, Harper.” He turned, shaking a finger at her. “We’ll meet at my house at six. Right?”

She sighed. “Yes, Daddy.”

“Good. Um, any chance Doug might want to join—”

“Daddy!”

He laughed. “Can’t blame me for trying. Doug, good to meet you, and looking forward to getting to know you better. Gorden, if you and Olivia want to join us this weekend, you’re more than welcomed.”

“Thanks, Harrison. I’ll ask her. Maybe we’ll drive down for the day on Sunday, if nothing else.”

“Great! See you later.”

Harper sat and breathed out another sigh of relief as her father left. She looked at Doug. “I do believe you passed with flying colors.”

“You sure did,” Gorden added.

“But don’t be surprised if he tries to marry us off,” Harper said.

Doug let out a laugh. “Well, I guess that will make things easier for you, then.”

“In some ways, yes. I can only hold him off for so long. Fortunately, while he wants me to have a life, he also doesn’t want me to rush into the wrong relationship. My hope is that after a year, the company will be doing so well that he’ll give up pressuring me to ‘relax.’”

“Good luck with that, Harper,” Gorden chimed in. “Let me know how that works for you.”

* * *

After they finished with him for the day at a little after four, Doug sat in his car and waited for the A/C to kick in and cool it down. Monday, he’d be able to park in the private garage, in his newly assigned space. His car wouldn’t feel like an upholstered oven when he climbed into it.

That is, until his new Mercedes came in.

This still feels like a dream. Well, most of it was a dream.

Some of it was an impending nightmare.

He stared at his phone. Tate would still be at work for a little while yet. He could take the asshole way out, call him right now, leave a message, and then not answer if Tate called him back at four thirty when he left work.

What he should do was pack an overnight bag, drive up there, and face him like a man. He owed Tate that much.

Cowardice won.

His stomach twisted as he waited to see if Tate or his voice mail would pick up.

Oh, thank god.

After Tate’s voice mail message ended, Doug nearly hung up. Instead, he forced himself to talk. “Hi, it’s me. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to talk to you, but a lot’s happened in the past twenty-four hours. This job…it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance. And it’ll allow me to help Mom and Dad keep their house. So I can’t turn it down.” Visions of the nondisclosure agreement he signed danced in his head. “I can’t come back this weekend, but I will next weekend. It’s…it’s a long story. Love you. I’ll try to call you tomorrow.”

He pressed end and took a deep breath. Then he put his phone on silent and headed home.

* * *

Harper slid behind the wheel of her Mustang and closed her eyes. What a friggin’ day.

She’d called her father after Doug and Gorden left and reminded him, once again, to not give away her personal information to everyone. Especially to new employees.

He’d apologized with that condescending tone that told her he thought he was doing what was best for her, but he agreed not to say anything about her diabetes to Doug.

Why’d he have to pick now to be a doting dad? Her life would be sooo much easier if he hadn’t.

She sighed as she opened her eyes and cranked the engine. No, she didn’t want him to be distant. She loved that he was trying to be more involved in her life. She just wished he’d pick a different area than her love life.

At home, she dropped her clothes on the bathroom floor and stood under a hot shower for a few minutes to freshen up. Then she grabbed the shower massager from its holder and leaned against the cool tile wall.

Her thoughts turned to Doug as she adjusted the shower pattern to a stream and directed it onto her clit. She imagined he had talented hands that would know exactly where to touch her.

She slid her free hand up to her breasts, playing with her nipples as her breath quickened. The warm water pulsing directly on her swollen nub started pushing her toward climax.

Better yet, I wonder what his tongue feels like…

She let out a cry when her orgasm washed over her at the thought of Doug’s mouth between her thighs. As she got her shaky legs back under control, she smiled. Even if nothing ever happened between them, at least she could indulge in scorching fantasies about the man.

After another moment, she changed the showerhead back to spray and replaced it in its bracket on the wall so she could finish her shower.

Maybe one day I’ll have someone, Doug or not, who can turn those fantasies into reality.

She shut off that line of thinking. Her dad would be ready to go, and she didn’t want to keep him waiting.

Besides that, she damn sure didn’t want to get her hopes up over nothing.

* * *

Harper’s dad had his truck loaded and ready to go when she pulled into his driveway. He lived in Tarpon Springs, in the house he’d bought when he’d married her mom. An old, 1950s-style house reminiscent of Victorian homes, with lots of intricate gingerbread trim on the outside. He’d had it meticulously restored, and the lot sported three beautiful large, old oak trees. She pulled up next to his truck, which she knew he’d insist on taking. He said it was so she could rest during the drive, but she suspected it was more so he knew she’d stay the whole weekend if she couldn’t get home.

He stepped out the front door with a smile on his face that made her hate the things she’d thought about him earlier. She loved him. He’d done the best he could as a single father. She’d never wanted for care or attention when growing up, between the Smiths and her father.

He opened her car door for her. “Hi, sweetheart.” He offered her a hand as she stepped out.

“Hi, Daddy.”

He wouldn’t let her get her bags and the cooler with her medicine in it from the trunk. He insisted on doing all the loading. Resigned to spending a weekend as Daddy’s little girl, she let him without further complaint.

When they finally got on the road and headed south, Harper comfortably settled in the passenger seat with her iPhone plugged into the charger. She surreptitiously checked her e-mail when her father wasn’t looking. She couldn’t be out of contact all weekend.

By the time they hit the Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, she could tell her father was in a fine mood. He sang along with the radio and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the music.

“Should we stop for dinner somewhere on the way?” He cast a glance her way.

She knew what he was really asking. “If you want, Dad.”

“I can pull over at that exit in Ellenton. It’s just a few minutes away.”

“I’m not going to drop dead in the next few hours,” she said with a smirk. “Anywhere’s fine. I’m okay.” She knew what the conversation had really been about. His unspoken questions were, When was the last time you checked your blood sugar, and are you due for your medication? And do you need to eat?

No matter how busy he was, or how much he had on his plate, from the time her diabetes was diagnosed when she was ten, he’d rarely missed a doctor appointment until she reached her teens and she insisted he not come because it was just too embarrassing. He’d practically made himself an expert on type 1 diabetes.

He laughed. “I’m sorry. You’ll always be my little girl. You know that, right?”

She tried not to roll her eyes. “Yes, Daddy.”

It’s going to be a loooong weekend.

Chapter Seven

Friday afternoon, Tate was about to leave for the day when Jenny stopped him. “Boss wants to see us in the office.”

“Crap,” he grumbled. “This can’t be good.” He’d felt unsettled all day. Maybe he was overreacting, but it was totally out of character for Doug not to try harder to get in touch with him when visiting his parents.

Then again, he was usually with Doug when he visited his parents.

She smacked him on the shoulder. “Why do you always have to assume the worst? Come on, it could be good news.”

“On a Friday afternoon? Not likely.” They walked to Albert Holder’s office. The president of the company didn’t usually call people into his office for a fat-chewing session.

Holder smiled at them when he spotted them in the doorway. He waved them in. “Go ahead and close the door behind you,” he said.

“See?” Tate whispered in Jenny’s ear. She quietly shushed him as they both took seats in front of his desk.

“Well, I guess you’re wondering why I asked you in here.” He smiled. “I won’t keep you hanging any longer. I’m promoting both of you.”

Jenny grinned as she smacked Tate on the arm again. “See? Told you it wasn’t bad.”

“I received two weeks’ notice from Barbara Davis a little bit ago. Her husband is being transferred. The next logical person for her job is you, Jenny.” He looked at Tate. “And the only person I want taking Jenny’s place is you. You haven’t been here very long, I know, but you’ve proven yourself, and you’ve become one of my best workers. You’ll both be getting raises, obviously. The reason I brought you both in here at the same time was because I didn’t want to drag it out. Jenny, you’ll need to help train Tate while Barbara is training you to take her position. I’d like as smooth a transition as possible.”

“Um, how much of a raise are we talking?” Tate asked. “Not that I’m looking a gift horse in the mouth. I don’t care if Jenny knows. I’ll be telling her anyway.”

“Well, okay. You’ll be making what Jenny’s making now, forty thousand a year.”

Tate thought he misheard him. “Forty grand? Four-zero?”

Mr. Holder smiled. “Yes.” He looked at Jenny.

“Ditto,” she said. “Might as well tell me now. We’ll compare notes later.”

“You’re getting a bump to Barbara’s pay scale, which is forty-eight thousand.”

She let out a happy whistle. “You have no idea how much I appreciate that.”

“Well, I want to keep both of you happy and working for me.”

Tate started to say something, then kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want to do anything to blow this in case Doug’s job fell through.

Holder sent them down to human resources before they left for the day. On the way, Jenny grinned. “Want to go out to celebrate?”

“Sure.” He hadn’t told her about Doug’s new job or the problems his parents were going through, not that he knew all the details anyway. Doug’s family was very private when it came to financial matters, and he wanted to respect their privacy.

Ironic, I get a promotion and a great raise, and I’ll probably be leaving in a few weeks anyway.

When he finally got out of the building at five thirty, he saw the missed call from Doug. He called him back and reached Doug’s voice mail. “Hey, babe. Sorry I’m playing phone tag with you,” he said. “Guess what? Holder just gave me and Jenny promotions and kick-ass raises. Wait’ll you hear, it’s nearly double my pay. Give me a call when you can. Jenny wants us to go out and celebrate, so I’ll try to catch you later. Love you.” He hung up and looked at his phone.

Neither one of them had ever been clingy, mopey men. And not jealous ones, either. They enjoyed doing things together, but had friends and interests outside their relationship as well. Both of them agreed that was healthy.

He just wished in this case it didn’t feel quite so lonely. It was the longest stretch he’d been without Doug for months, and he was really missing him and wishing he could celebrate with him tonight instead of Jenny.

* * *

Doug felt like a real shit when he played Tate’s voice mail. His first thought wasn’t for how fantastic the opportunity was for Tate, but how it gave him a potential opening to suggest Tate not move down right now.

I should grow a set and just tell him.

He didn’t want to let go, though. He loved Tate.

Telling Tate about the details of his job tempted Doug nearly beyond reason. But every time he thought about doing it, the nondisclosure contract flashed through his mind, followed by the sound of his father’s choked sob over the possibility of losing their house.

He closed his eyes. Eileen deserved stability. His mom had been through enough healthwise. Moving was an additional stress she did not need. His father…

Well, now his father could finally look at retiring in a couple of years instead of having to work until he dropped to pay their mounting medical bills.

He took a deep, pained breath. He wasn’t sure how to break it to Tate, but he knew he’d have to.

His parents didn’t want to go out to dinner, but his sisters did. Another chickenshit move on his part, he suggested they hit a movie, too. While getting ready, he called Tate and reached his voice mail. Taking a deep breath, he left a message. “Hey, that’s great news about your promotion. I’m taking the girls out to a movie tonight to give Mom and Dad some breathing room. If I don’t talk to you tonight, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you.” He hung up before he could start crying.

Tomorrow. I’ll do it tomorrow.

Dinner and the movie ran late. Tate had called while they were in the theatre, and since they didn’t get home until nearly midnight, Doug took the opportunity to avoid calling.

He spent a mostly sleepless night tossing and turning and thinking about Tate. The first time they’d gone out.

The first time they’d made love.

Doug was more than nervous, he was scared witless. He’d never slept with a guy before, and Tate was only the second guy he’d gone out with after finally admitting to himself he was bi.

They ended up at Doug’s place, because his roommate at the time was gone for the weekend. Tate had been with guys before, although like Doug, had experience with women, too.

Tate pushed him back onto the couch and straddled him, kissing him, crushing his mouth with his.

Doug’s cock throbbed inside his slacks as they made out. Being with Tate was so different than being with a girl. He could be rough and forceful with Tate, and the man asked for more. Tate ended up on top of him and yanked his slacks down, swallowing Doug’s cock before he could think about it.

Nothing felt better than the sensation of Tate’s hot, wet mouth engulfing his shaft. His talented tongue worked from balls to glans and back again, tracing every vein along the way, driving him crazy with passion.

Then Tate cupped his balls with one hand as he licked and sucked them. No woman had ever done that to him before.

He grabbed Tate’s head in his hands, roughly taking fistfuls of hair as he jammed his cock deep inside Tate’s willing mouth. Tate chuckled around the mouthful he had. When Doug looked down, Tate’s sultry blue gaze met his, and that finished him.

With a loud grunt, he shot his load deep into Tate’s mouth. The other man swallowed, not releasing Doug’s cock until it finally grew limp in his mouth.

Tate sat up with a pleased grin. “And that, my dear, is how you give a blow job.”

Doug had never gone down on a guy before. They moved to his bedroom, and Tate obviously took great joy instructing him in the finer points of fellatio.

When they had both recovered, Tate pushed Doug onto his back and buried his face between his ass cheeks, giving Doug his first rimming. He’d thought the blow job was great, but that proved no comparison to the feel of Tate’s tongue probing and exploring his virgin hole. Then Tate wet a finger and gently pressed it against his tight ring of muscle while he sucked Doug’s balls into his mouth. Doug moaned, his cock painfully throbbing again, straining to explode.

Tate wrapped one hand around the base of Doug’s cock and held on tight, helping Doug hold back his climax. “Not yet,” Tate muttered. “Not until my cock’s inside you.”

“Do it, please!”

“You have lube?”

Doug pointed at the bedside table and moaned with disappointment when Tate got up. He quickly returned with a condom and the bottle of lube. “Roll over.”

He did, and Tate playfully slapped his ass. “I can’t believe I get to be the first to tap this.” Doug felt cool lube drizzle down the crack of his ass. Then the feel of Tate’s fingers as he rubbed it in. A moment later, he felt Tate’s cock pressed against him.

“Breathe out, baby. I’ll take it slow. Relax.”

It felt uncomfortable at first, and he almost asked Tate to stop. Then Tate reached around him and played with his cock. Suddenly, he felt himself loosen up, and Tate’s cock slid all the way home.

His cock exploded in Tate’s hand, covering him with his juices.

Tate laughed and slapped him on the ass again. “My, my, aren’t we anxious. I can’t wait until you’re recovered and can fuck me good and properly.” He grabbed Doug’s hips and thrust. “I like it when a guy takes charge.”

Doug moaned as the feeling of Tate’s cock bumping against his prostate triggered yet another erection. Holy crap, he’d never felt this horny in his entire life!

“Get ready,” Tate gasped. The sound of their fucking filled the room. Doug loved the warm, musky scent of their sex mixing together. Tate’s fingers dug into Doug’s hips and he slammed home one final time.

Doug felt Tate’s cock swell and throb inside him as the other man grunted, “Fuck, yes!”

They collapsed onto the bed together, exhausted.

After they recovered and grabbed a shower, they ended up in bed again, with Doug on top this time. He didn’t need much coaching to slide his condom-clad cock inside Tate’s ass.

He had to stop once he was all the way in. He’d never felt anything as good as Tate’s tight channel gripping his cock. Even the earlier blow job paled in comparison.

Tate’s fists balled the sheets. “Fuck me, baby. Please!”

Doug took a couple of deep breaths to regain control. “I will. Hold on. I don’t want to blow.”

Tate tried to arch back against him, and Doug slapped his ass with more than a little warning sting. “I said hold still.”

Tate whimpered, but complied.

Something inside Doug came alive. “Did you like that, baby?”

“Yes!” he gasped into the pillow.

He smacked Tate’s other ass cheek. “You really do like it when I take control like this, don’t you?”

Tate squirmed against him. “Fuck, yes!”

Doug grinned as he spanked Tate. As the man’s ass cheeks turned red, Doug felt his own cock throbbing, rock hard. He leaned forward, buried his hand in Tate’s blond hair, and yanked his head back. “This ass belongs to me, do you hear me?”

“Yes! Please, fuck me!”

Doug slowly withdrew before slamming his cock home again. “I’ll fuck you all night long, baby.” He smacked Tate’s ass with his free hand. “Tell me who owns this ass.”

“You do!”

“That’s right.” Smack!

It only took three more strokes for Tate to come like that. Doug let go of his hair, dug his fingers into Tate’s hips, and fucked him as hard as he could.

Tate happily moaned. “Yeeesss!”

Doug let out a cry as his climax felt like it would rip his cock right off his body. It started deep inside his balls, bigger than any he could remember, swelling and bursting from him and taking the strength from his muscles.

Sweaty and spent, he collapsed on top of Tate. They rolled to their sides, and Tate clutched Doug’s arm around his chest.

“I think I love you,” Tate mumbled.

Doug kissed the back of Tate’s neck. “Me, too.”

In his bedroom at his parents’ house, Doug took a deep breath as he quietly came. Masturbating to memories of their first weekend together never failed to get him over the edge.

He just hoped that would be enough to sustain him after he lost Tate.

* * *

On Saturday, Doug waited until midmorning to call Tate. Tate liked to sleep late on the weekends since he had to get up early during the week.

His heart pounded when Tate answered with a sleepy-sounding, “Hello, handsome. Long time, no talk.”

“Hey. Sorry, it’s been a wild couple of days.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.” He heard Tate yawn. “So, tell me about the new job.”

Doug didn’t want to. It meant another step on the road to saying good-bye to the man he loved. “I want to hear about yours, first.”

Tate laughed. “No, you don’t. Same job basically, only now I’m taking over Jenny’s supervisor duties, and she’s being promoted to take over for someone else who’s leaving. Come on, tell me.”

“Well, I’m training to take over for the assistant to the company’s CEO.”

“What company?”

“Wells Technology. Aerospace stuff. Her assistant is retiring.”

“Wow. That sounds like big bucks.”

“It is.” He resisted the urge to clear his throat. “The bad part is, I’m going to be working really long, crazy hours and travelling a lot. Especially at first.”

“Ah.” Tate fell silent.

“You okay?” Doug’s stomach twisted into a painful knot.

“How’s Mom?” he finally asked.

Doug took the out. “She’s aggravated the doctors won’t let her do more right now. She needs to let her foot heal first.”

An awkward silence descended. Tate finally broke it. “Let me guess. You’re trying to tell me I shouldn’t move down right now.”

Dammit. He wanted to deny it, but he couldn’t. “Well, we weren’t expecting you to get that promotion. I’d really hate to pull you from that. And after a couple of months, once I’m settled in my job, we can figure something out.”

“Ah.” More silence. “So when do I get to see you again?”

Doug closed his eyes. “I’ll be up next weekend.”

“Okay. I miss you.”

“I miss you, too.” More than you’ll ever know.

“Life’s going to get pretty crazy for a while, isn’t it?” Tate asked.

“Yeah. Looks like it.”

“Okay.” Tate’s silence told Doug more than he wanted to know. “I’ll let you go. I need to get up and get moving. I’m supposed to meet Bill and Kevin at noon to help them move.”

“Okay. Love you.”

“I love you, too, buddy.”

Doug stared at the phone in his hand, tears running down his face. Tate wasn’t an idiot. He cursed himself for being a coward.

Next weekend, he promised himself. I’ll do it next weekend.

He just hoped he could do it.

Chapter Eight

“Seriously, Dad, you realize I’m not an invalid, right?” Harper griped as her father refused to let her help unload the truck. They’d stopped for groceries in Englewood before heading across the toll bridge to Gasparilla Island. Once the truck was unloaded, they’d most likely only use the golf cart he kept for toddling around the small town of Boca Grande.

“I gave you a job to do, sweetie. Go turn the A/C down cooler in the house and mix me up one of your great virgin margaritas.”

She rolled her eyes as she grabbed her keys and purse and headed up the stairs. It wouldn’t do any good to argue with him. The Boca Grande house sat perched on twelve-foot concrete pilings due to local building codes against tidal surge flooding should a storm hit the island. She felt badly that her dad would make several trips back and forth up the stairs when she was perfectly capable of toting her fair share.

She unlocked the door, turned off the alarm, and headed immediately to the thermostat to turn the air down. By the time her dad made it upstairs with the second load of bags, she already had the blender full of ice and her own special margarita recipe. When he finished unloading, they sat out on the screened lanai with the ceiling fans lazily stirring the cool evening sea breeze. The sun slowly sank into the Gulf of Mexico, painting the sky in vivid oranges, reds, and purples as it dipped below the horizon.

“Red sky at night,” he said as he sipped his drink. “That’s a good sign, sweetie.”

She smiled. “Sure, Daddy. It’s a good sign.”

“No, really, it is. You know the old saying. ‘Red sky at night, sailors’ delight.’” He pointed down, toward the canal, where his twenty-four-foot Carolina Skiff hung from davits under a covered dock. “I had George come over this afternoon and crank the boat, make sure everything was okay. He said we’re ready for tomorrow. Just need gas, ice, and bait.”

“And sunscreen.” She smiled. And patience.

“So, what do you think of your new guy?”

“He’s nice. I think he’ll work out well.”

“He’s young.”

“I prefer someone young. I’m hoping he’ll want to stay with the company for his entire career so I don’t have to replace him.”

“Nice-looking young man.”

Aaand there it is. She gave him credit, it took him several hours, a long drive, and dinner together before he broached the subject. “He’s my employee, Daddy. Don’t even go there with the matchmaking.”

He held up a hand in surrender. “Of course. My apologies.” He took a sip of his drink. “Besides, knowing how stubborn you are, if I like him you’d refuse to date him just to spite me.”

“Would you like me to pay him to sleep with me?”

“Whoa!” As she’d hoped, that kicked him back into reality. He might want her to settle down, but she knew in the back of his mind he hoped she’d do it immaculately, like the Virgin Mary. “Okay, I surrender. You win.” He shook his head. “You play hardball, honey.”

She smiled. “I learned from the best.”

* * *

The next morning, Harper arose at daybreak. She had the coffee brewing and was in the process of making them omelets when her dad emerged from his bedroom.

“Morning, sweetheart.” He kissed her on the cheek on his way to the coffee maker.

“Morning, Daddy. Did you sleep well?”

“Of course.” He grinned. “Dreamed about tarpon all night long.”

“We’re really not going to fish the pass, are we?”

He gave her a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me look. “What do you think?”

“Well, you mentioned tarpon yesterday.” Fishing Boca Grande pass this time of year was like trying to score a fifty-dollar laptop at a Black Friday sale. Crowded, obnoxious, and probably unsuccessful due to the large number of boats.

“George told me about some reports around Useppa Island, where the fishing’s hot. Don’t worry, sweetheart. I know what I’m doing.”

She couldn’t argue with that. He definitely knew what he was doing. They had scrapbooks full of pictures of successful fishing trips.

While she ate breakfast and made them sandwiches to take with them, she thought about Doug. Actually, she wouldn’t be averse to something developing between them. Then again, that wouldn’t be very professional of her. It definitely would keep her father off her case, though.

Her father behaved himself until later in the afternoon, while they were sitting on the boat and eating their lunch after a morning of hot fishing in the harbor.

“Gorden and Olivia are driving down tonight. They’ll spend the night and go out with us tomorrow. Maybe I should have him extend an invitation to Doug.” He cast her a sideways glance.

“Okay, Daddy, seriously, will you please stop?”

He grinned. “I love yanking your chain like that. But no, seriously, I wouldn’t mind seeing you indulge in a little after-hours association with him. Gorden seems to like him.”

“Daddy!”

“Hey, I’m just saying.” He laughed. She didn’t protest too hard, because her father might find it suspicious later if she appeared to retract these protestations about seeing Doug on a social level instead of a strictly professional one.

“You’ve said more than enough.”

“Can’t blame a man for trying. Hey, I’ve been pretty good about not harassing you about it today.”

When Gorden and Olivia arrived later that evening, Harper managed to get Gorden alone for a few brief moments. “Did Daddy pump you for info on Doug?”

“Yes, and don’t worry, I stuck to the story. I can’t help it if your father is determined to marry you off so you can live happily ever after. Your plan seems to be working too well.”

“As long as it works, that’s all I care about.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” he cautioned. “Trite but sage advice.”

“I just want my dad off my back.” She quickly scanned her e-mail on her phone. If she did it around her dad, he tried to take her phone away from her, scolding her to relax. “I have a business to run, you know. And it’s a pain in the ass to try to do it with him riding me to take time off for a personal life when I’m perfectly happy with the business being my personal life.”

She heard her father approaching the kitchen from the living room, and she dropped her voice. “And just because he’s feeling guilty for not taking more time off doesn’t mean I am or will!” She finished her hurried diatribe as her father emerged through the kitchen door.

“What’s going on, sweetheart? You’d better not be working.”

She held up her phone. “Gorden was just giving me grief for checking my e-mail, Daddy. Don’t worry.”

Her father laughed. “Good for him. You’re not supposed to be working.”

Gorden shot her a knowing look. “She’s her father’s daughter, Harrison. In more ways than one.”

She stuck her tongue out at Gorden. She knew he wouldn’t spill the beans, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t give her hell about it in other ways, either.

* * *

On Sunday, they had another great day out on the water following breakfast. By late afternoon, Harper was ready to go home.

Her father, on the other hand, had other ideas.

“Let’s have a long, three-day weekend, honey,” he said. “You and I both need it.”

“I have meetings tomorrow, Daddy. And don’t forget, it’s Doug’s first day.” She looked to Gorden for help. “Right?”

“I’m sure Gorden doesn’t need his hand held,” her father countered before Gorden could answer. “If he can keep you in hand, he can certainly take Doug through his first day unassisted. And you’re the boss. You can reschedule your meetings.”

She didn’t fail to spot Gorden’s amused smile and shot him a glare. “Daddy, who’s running this company now? You or me?”

“Oh, fine. Can’t blame a father for trying.”

“She is right, though, Harrison,” Gorden finally said. “Her morning meeting is with a DoD client. She can’t blow that one off.”

“Department of Defense, huh? Maybe I should sit in on that one, too.” He grinned.

She glared at him. “Oh, no you don’t. My company to run. Remember our deal?”

He let out an exaggerated sigh. “I think you learned too well from me, sweetheart. All right, fine, we’ll go home.” He waggled a finger at her. “But next Friday, be prepared. You’re coming back down here with me for the weekend.”

“Fine. No problem.” It was easier to give in than it was to argue with him on the subject. The truth was, of course, she didn’t mind coming with him to the Boca Grande house. And she loved their fishing trips together. What she didn’t want to do was deal with him pressuring her to relax. That took all the relaxation out of their time together.

Hopefully, in a few weeks, that wouldn’t be an issue any longer.

Chapter Nine

Monday morning, Doug arrived at Gorden’s office ten minutes early. He didn’t want to make a bad impression on his first official day of work. They had meetings in the morning that didn’t mean a whole lot to Doug, but he paid attention and took notes anyway. He didn’t see Harper much outside of the meetings, but he learned about her by observing her. She was all business, professional, friendly, but definitely no pushover. She expertly maneuvered people into the positions she wanted. She could have been in business decades instead of years.

By lunch time, he was ready for a break and glad that Gorden suggested going out. Gorden took him over to Ybor City, to the Columbia restaurant.

“So,” Gorden started after the waitress took their orders, “any questions so far?”

“Millions. But I see what you meant about her being really intense.”

Gorden smiled and nodded. “Yes. She is a natural for this business. Why do you think her father turned the company over to her without a fight when he lost the bet? It wasn’t a lucky win on her part. She took calculated, well-educated risks that paid out.”

“And yet she wants me to play a role in this charade. Why doesn’t she just stand up to her dad?”

Gorden grinned. “She could, but she’s got a stubborn streak as wide as her father’s. She could also easily go to another technology company and make the same or more than she’s making here. He knows that. She really doesn’t want to engage in a game of boardroom chicken with him to see if he’ll blink first. Instead of playing by her father’s rules, she’s changing the game and playing by her own. The trick is, she’s done it without him knowing he’s now in her court instead of his own.”

“That sounds like a lot of passive-aggressive gamesmanship to me.”

“Not really. She did need a replacement for me. She wanted someone who could, conceivably, work with her during the span of her entire career here. Someone close to her own age, so she wouldn’t have to have someone else trained. It’s a bonus that she can shut her father up in the process.”

“But my contract is only for a year.”

“Oh, don’t worry. She’s counting on you liking the job so much, as well as the pay, that you’ll want to stay on.”

“She’s that confident?” Something about that irritated him a little.

“No, she’s that hopeful.” He leaned forward and dropped his voice. “Just be honest with her. Play straight. Don’t lead her on. Feel free to disagree with her. But if you think you’ll pull one over on her and turn her into a meal ticket, think again. She’ll rip your balls off in the process.”

Doug hoped he hadn’t looked guilty at Gorden’s accidental choice of phrase. Play straight. “No problem.”

* * *

Harper worked through lunch in her office answering e-mails and reading reports from the other offices. It kept her mind off Doug.

She liked the way he paid attention and didn’t look bored throughout the morning meetings, although he had to be almost completely lost at this point. Still, it was only his first day. She hoped after a couple of weeks, once he knew his way around and had settled in, that Gorden would report to her that he’d been a good choice all around.

And if her father grew to like him even more, all the better.

The next morning, Harper had just sat down at her desk when Gorden walked in. “Sorry to bother you, but I need to add a last-minute lunch date to your schedule for today.”

She silently grumbled to herself as she pulled up her calendar on her computer. “Who, when, and where?”

“Bill James, one o’clock, at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor.”

She sat back in her chair, frowning. “Bill James? As in Keisler Aeronautics?”

“Yes, the one and the same.”

“What’s he want?”

Gorden shrugged. “I don’t know. He called me a little while ago. He’s in town and asked if you had room in your schedule today to see him.” He gave Harper a pointed stare. “Knowing you, this way at least I’ll be sure you’ve had lunch.”

She rolled her eyes and waved Gorden out. “Okay, fine. I’ll be there. Do I need to bring you a receipt as proof of what I ate?”

“No,” Gorden said before he walked out the door, “just take a picture of some food porn and post it on your Facebook wall.”

She laughed. He almost always managed to get the last word in.

Still, she made it through her morning meetings and was at the Columbia restaurant fifteen minutes before the scheduled time. She left her name with the hostess and sat down to wait in the foyer.

Bill James arrived a few minutes later. She vaguely remembered what he looked like from a picture she’d seen in a magazine article about him three or so years earlier. Based out of California, they weren’t exactly a competitor because they made different kinds of aeronautics system parts than Wells Technology, and didn’t deal in software at all except in how it related to their specific components. But they were a big name in the aeronautics industry, although a much smaller company.

He obviously recognized Harper, because he walked over to her with a smile that just screamed, I have plans to screw you, literally and metaphorically.

“Harper Wells?” he asked as he extended his hand.

She stood and shook with him. “Mr. James.”

“Please, call me Bill.”

She was tempted to shoot back, “Please, call me Ms. Wells,” but she didn’t. “All right. Bill.”

The hostess seated them and took their drink orders. “I’ll have to admit,” Harper said once they were alone again, “I’m curious. Why the last-minute meeting?”

He smiled again. This time, Harper detected shades of shark-infested waters behind his guise. “I’ve heard a lot about your company. Seen it on paperwork more times than I can count on a lot of our government contract projects. I wanted to get to know you better.”

Yeah, right. She believed that statement about as much as she believed in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. What he obviously didn’t know was she’d already done some research on his company and knew the only things about it that mattered to her. What she needed to discover was his angle. So she didn’t reply and instead simply looked at him as if she expected him to stumble on along.

Which he finally did when he realized she wasn’t rising to any kind of bait. “Ah, uh, you see, our businesses have a lot in common—”

“Not really.”

That threw him for a loop. “Pardon?”

She was liking him less and less by the second. He was obviously after something and didn’t have the balls to just come right out and state what that something was. She hated people like that. She also didn’t like his manscaping—manicured fingernails, complete with clear nail polish, hair that was perfectly coiffed to best disguise the fact that he was starting to thin on top and held in place with copious amounts of hairspray and other products.

She also didn’t like his cologne. She wasn’t sure what it was, but he wore too much of it. Despite the man’s expensive clothes and a wristwatch that screamed “penis envy,” she suspected inside he wasn’t any better than a shady used-car salesman.

“You guys are a publicly held company,” she said. “We’re private.”

“Well, I meant we both deal with aeronautics—”

“We deal with directional and navigational components and systems. As far as I’m aware, your company doesn’t.”

She couldn’t help it. It was like the doof had brought a knife to a nuclear war. If Gorden had been there, he probably would have already kicked her under the table a few times to get her to ease up. In fact, she realized she’d drawn her legs up under her chair and safely out of kicking range from sheer force of habit.

One of the few times she ever let Gorden get away with pulling the almost-your-dad card with her during work.

Bill James stared at her like he’d just realized the cuddly little puppy he thought he was dealing with had rabies and a bad attitude.

She took a sip of her water to give him time to step in and try again, but he didn’t, so she cut him a little slack. “Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? What are we here to discuss today?”

That time, he was saved from answering by the waitress coming to take their lunch orders. When she left, Harper stared at the man across the table from her.

“I’d like to discuss a business deal,” he eventually said.

“All right. Shoot.”

“We’d like to buy your company.”

Good thing she hadn’t got the glass of water up to her lips yet or she’d have been doing a spit-take across the table and all over him. She laughed. “Say again?”

“This is a serious offer.”

“Seriously out of the clear blue sky,” she said. “We’re not for sale. Sorry.”

“Your company holds several patents that—”

“Aha,” she said, smiling. “You think it’d be cheaper to buy us out than to lease the rights to use whatever it is you want to use. Sorry, no.”

“You haven’t even heard the offer!”

“And I don’t have to.” She put on her best business smile and tilted her head as she studied him. “We are not for sale. Your legal department can talk to our legal department about the technology licensing. We have an entire division devoted to it.” She was beginning to wish she’d brought Doug with her, but he was with Gorden, attending staff meetings back at the office.

“Maybe your father should hear what I have to say. I asked to speak with him in the first place.”

Oh, the asshat couldn’t have said anything more wrong than if he’d called her sweet cheeks and made a pass at her. “He isn’t involved in the day-to-day operations of this company, Mister James. And even if he was, he’d give you the same answer I’m giving you now. What part of no don’t you understand?” Crap, at this rate they wouldn’t even get to eat. And she’d really been looking forward to a plate of their picadillo and a side order of fried plantains.

He lowered his voice and scowled. “Do you have any idea who I am? How much power and influence I have?”

“Yes, no, and no. The yes being I see before me a guy who is used to getting his way regardless, and who hates dealing with women in general unless they’re painting his fingernails, or possibly giving him a blow job.” She nodded at his hands, which he suddenly drew back and hid under the table.

She guessed he was trying for a dangerous or threatening tone. “I could fix it so you never get another government contract again, do you realize that? I could ruin your company.”

“Oh, so now it is my company.” She threw her napkin onto the table and leaned in, her own voice equally low and dangerous. “Let me tell you something about myself, Mr. James. I am not some pushover. I am not someone who will stand idly by and put up with threats. And I am, in general, one cantankerous bitch, or so I’ve been told by my staff. But they will also be the first to tell you that I am not someone whose bad side you want to get on. You aren’t alone in your high-level contacts, believe me. So before you start running around with a hard-on for revenge because I dared tell you no, you might want to consider the consequences of your actions.”

She flagged down the waitress, handed her a credit card, and said, “Please put mine in a to-go box. I’m sorry.” She turned to James. “And by the way, I don’t know how you expected your company, which is only valued around the ninety-two-million mark, to even think about being able to afford our company, which currently is worth one-point-two billion. And that’s before we make our latest acquisition for which we’re in talks now.” She stood and picked up her purse. “Have a nice lunch.”

She wanted to say more, like call him a fucking moron, but that would just be rubbing salt in his wounds. She walked over to the staging area near the kitchen where the waitress was ringing up her order on a computer terminal. After signing the slip and getting her card back, as well as her lunch order, she walked out without so much as a look at James, who she saw from the corner of her eye was still seated at the table and now on the phone. He glared at her all the way out the door.

A while later, she was finishing up her lunch at her desk when Gorden knocked before walking in. “Ah, I see you had lunch at least.” He closed the door behind him, then settled in one of the chairs in front of her desk. “And?”

“And what?”

He nodded at the take-out carton. “I’m guessing you told him to go to hell, or something similar. What’d he do to piss you off?”

She smiled. “Oh, besides bitching that he didn’t get to talk to my daddy?”

Gorden winced. “He didn’t?”

“He did.”

“Oooh. Yes, what’d he do besides that?”

“You know I can’t stand someone who pisses on my leg and tries to tell me it’s raining. Besides, the guy was a douche.”

“Douche, enema, colostomy bag, I don’t care. What did he want?”

“To buy us out.”

At that, Gorden’s eyebrows rose. “What?”

“See? Yeah, but I don’t know what kind of magic capital he thought he’d use to buy us out with. His company’s net worth, holdings and all, isn’t enough to leverage that kind of deal.”

“Hmm.” Gorden looked thoughtful. “I suspect I know what he was after.”

“Patents.”

“You never cease to amaze me.”

“Didn’t take an expert or a psychic. Unfortunately for that brainiac, an expert he isn’t.” She finished off the last few bites of her picadillo and took the carton over to the garbage can.

“He didn’t even last past the first course, huh?” Gorden asked.

It wasn’t the first time she’d ended a business meeting early because of terminal asshattery on the part of the other party. “He barely lasted past the drink orders.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah.” She returned to her desk, thoughtful. “Get me as much deep info about him and his company as you can. Including anyone in government he might be a little too cozy with.”

“Did he huff and bluff?”

“Until I blew his house in.” She thought about it. “This might be a good assignment for Doug to help you with.”

“I’m ahead of you, dear. This will be one of his jobs later on, so he’ll need to know how to do it.”

“Think he’s up for it?”

Gorden nodded as he stood and stretched. “I have a feeling your new lapdog is going to prove himself to be a regular pit bull where you’re concerned. Unless I’m totally wrong about my gut feelings.”

Gorden was never wrong about his gut feelings. If he thought Doug was good, then he was. “Train him well, Obi-Wan. You’re his only hope.”

He gave her a mock bow. “Just don’t go all Vader on him too soon. Let me get him trained first so he can stand up to you. And buy him a stainless steel cup.”

Chapter Ten

Doug’s first week went relatively well despite feeling he’d jumped in way over his head. Gorden assured him he was doing fine, and his few brief meetings with Harper went well.

Unfortunately, come Friday afternoon, he knew he had unfinished business to take care of. He’d only spoken to Tate a few times throughout the week. He dreaded the drive up to Gainesville. He knew how it would end—how it had to end—and why.

It didn’t make it any easier to do. He didn’t want to hurt Tate.

He didn’t want to say good-bye to Tate.

The fact that Tate had received the promotion was, ironically, an out for him. Not a final good-bye, just a break for a while so he could get his career off the ground and save his parents’ home, and an opportunity for Tate to settle into his new job responsibilities. Long-distance relationships were a bitch and a half to maintain.

This was an opportunity neither of them could pass up.

He’d even take every bit of anger or abuse Tate wanted to deal out. He deserved it and he knew it. He just wished he could tell Tate the full truth. Ask him to wait.

He also knew that was even more selfish than taking this job for the money.

Tate was watching TV in the living room when Doug let himself in late Friday night. Without a word, Tate jumped up and kissed him.

Everything Doug had planned to say and do flew out of his mind. Tate was dressed in nothing but running shorts. Doug ran his hands over his body, hooking his fingers in the waistband of Tate’s shorts and yanking them down the man’s hips.

Tate dropped to his knees and unzipped Doug’s slacks. He pulled out his cock and sucked it into his mouth, reaching around Doug and digging his fingers into his ass, holding him tightly.

Not that Doug would escape if he wanted to. There wasn’t much better than the feel of Tate’s blow jobs.

Before he could come, Tate released him, stood, and grabbed his hand. Doug followed him to their bedroom and kicked off his shoes and socks before pulling off the rest of his clothes and joining Tate in their bed.

Somewhere in his brain, a little voice screamed at Doug that this was wrong, this was callous, that it was horrible to use Tate like this.

His cock and balls told that little voice to take a hike when Tate rolled onto his hands and knees and wiggled his cute ass at Doug.

“Fuck me, baby. I need you.”

Doug grabbed the bottle of lube off the bedside table, slathered his cock and Tate’s ass with it, and buried himself balls-deep inside his lover’s tight, hot channel.

He held still a moment, enjoying the sensation and knowing it might be the very last time he ever felt it. When he started moving, he knew it wouldn’t take long for him to blow his load. He reached around and grabbed Tate’s cock, which was already leaking long ropes of pre-cum all over the sheets.

“Come for me,” he hoarsely said. He wanted this one last time to feel Tate’s ass squeezing his cock as he came. Tate’s hips bucked against him as he fucked himself back and forth between Doug’s cock and hand. Doug used his free hand to smack Tate on the ass. “That’s it, show me how good it feels,” he said.

Tate’s back arched as he let out a loud moan. At the same time, Doug felt Tate’s cock explode in his hand as his ass went wild around his cock. He let go and grabbed Tate’s hips, fucking him deep and hard, driving him up the bed as his own climax washed through him. They ended up in a sweaty tangle in the sheets.

Doug was afraid to break the silence. After a while, Tate finally spoke. “You’re moving to Tampa, aren’t you?”

Doug swallowed hard. “Yeah. I’m sorry.”

In the dim light, Doug couldn’t see Tate’s expression. “I had a feeling,” he softly said.

“I’m sorry. I don’t want to, but this job—”

“It’s okay.” In the darkness, Tate found and squeezed his hand. “You need to do what you need to do for your folks. I understand.”

Doug felt even worse, if it was possible. “I don’t want you to lose this opportunity, either.”

“I know.” Tate went silent for so long, Doug thought maybe he’d fallen asleep. “Just tell me the truth. Is there anyone else now?”

“No,” Doug said, his voice nearly breaking up as he choked back tears. “I love you.”

Tate let out a sad sigh. “Okay.” He patted Doug’s arm. “Friends with bennies then, for now?”

Doug kissed the back of his neck. “Okay.”

* * *

Tate had suspected this was coming. If it hadn’t been for Doug’s family’s problems, he knew it would have gone differently. Tate couldn’t blame him. Put in the same position, he might have made the same choice.

He couldn’t fault Doug for wanting to help them, even if it broke his heart in the process.

They made love again before falling asleep. The next morning, after their shower and breakfast, Tate helped Doug pack and load his car. Before Doug left, they hugged.

“I’m always going to love you,” Tate softly said. “And if there’s ever a chance, I want it.”

He heard the sorrow in Doug’s voice. “Me too, babe.”

They kissed one last time before Doug finally climbed into his car and left. Tate watched him until he pulled out of their apartment complex.

One day, he thought. One day, I’m going to come after you.

He just hoped that day would be sooner rather than later.

Chapter Eleven

Three weeks into Doug’s employment, Harper had an assignment for him. She called him into her office on a Monday morning. “You’re going to a conference in Miami with me this week. We’ll leave late Wednesday afternoon, and stay over Wednesday and Thursday nights. Make sure to pack business casual for the meetings, and a swim suit for the hotel, if you want.”

He was ready to go Wednesday afternoon, on time as usual. She’d brought her travel bag with her, and hid a soft cooler in her suitcase with ice packs in it for her medication. Her room would have a fridge in it, and since they weren’t sharing a room, she didn’t need to worry about him discovering her secret.

He put his bags in the trunk of her Mustang, and she climbed behind the wheel. “I hope you don’t mind my driving music.” She thumbed through her iPod and found her playlist, a mix of everything from Warren Zevon to Aerosmith, Seether to Adele.

She couldn’t read his expression through his dark sunglasses. “I like a lot of different kinds of music.”

“Good. Then we’ll get along just fine.” She took the Crosstown Expressway east to I-75, then headed south. She would take Alligator Alley and then hop onto the Florida Turnpike. They’d reach Miami in a little under four hours, in time to grab dinner there.

She hadn’t had too many opportunities to just sit and chat with Doug. She wanted to learn more about him, become genuine friends with him, and not just have a working relationship. “Were you raised here in Tampa?”

He nodded as he stared ahead at the road. “Born and raised here. You?”

“Close enough. Born and raised in Tarpon Springs and in Tampa.” She didn’t want to force the issue, but she was finding herself quickly running out of small talk. Of course, she knew she was no master of that skill in the first place, unless it had to do with business. “So, what are your hobbies, what do you like to do in your spare time?”

* * *

Is she kidding? Spare time? What the hell is that? He hadn’t had much resembling spare time. He’d been too busy taking stuff home to work on, information about the company Gorden gave him to study. He shrugged. “I like to read. I used to play amateur hockey, but I had to sell my equipment. I didn’t have time or money to do it anymore while I was in school.”

“I love hockey. Go Bolts!” She laughed. “I have season tickets. On the glass. My dad really isn’t into it, so I’m usually trying to give away the extra or I end up going alone.”

“I’d like to go.” Sports, good, a safe topic. He prayed she didn’t ask him about relationships. He didn’t want to tell any more lies than the ones he already had.

Well, not lies, exactly. One lie, and a whole lot of omissions.

Who am I kidding? She finds out, she’ll can me.

They discussed music and reading and movies. The longer they talked, the easier it was for him to settle in and see her as a person, not as his rich boss who wanted him to play her boyfriend. By the time they stopped for gas in Ft. Myers, she had him laughing at her dry humor.

He realized he was having fun.

As they rolled across the desolate expanse of Alligator Alley, he studied her profile as she drove. He’d asked her a work-related question, and couldn’t help but notice the instant change in her demeanor. She was all business, knew her stuff.

It wasn’t hard to see why she’d managed to secure herself the top position in the company. It wasn’t because her father’s name was on the letterhead. She’d definitely earned it.

And anyone who forgot that would most likely get their head handed back to them.

In his short time at the company, the people he’d interacted with besides Gorden loved working for Harper. They all agreed she could be one tough bitch, but that she treated her employees and customers fairly.

He also suspected that, with the exception of Gorden and her father, she had no one she let her guard down around.

He felt sorry for her. He had a loving family he could turn to. Harper had walled herself off, perhaps in some ways justifiably considering her business dynamics, and didn’t seem to know how to let anyone in. When he’d asked Gorden about screening her calls, if there were any friends or family who took priority other than her father, he’d shaken his head and told Doug there wasn’t anyone.

If nothing else, he decided he would be that person for her. He wouldn’t let her down. He would show her she could trust him.

Maybe that would, in some small way, atone for how shitty he felt about himself and what he’d done to Tate.

* * *

She liked talking with Doug. He was a good listener, but he could also hold up his end of a conversation without “yes, ma’aming” her repeatedly. He wasn’t afraid to disagree with her.

He was funny and smart and personable, and she was glad to find that she liked him.

She only hoped he liked her as much. For her, and not for the security this job afforded him and his family.

Only time would tell.

She knew she’d have to tell him her secret eventually. Intellectually, she knew most people wouldn’t give a rat’s ass about her diabetes. Still, she’d grown up learning that in business, you don’t let people see your weakness. It was bad enough being teased about it in high school.

She swore she’d never let that happen again.

As a young woman not even thirty, she was already swimming upstream against their biggest competitors who would seize any advantage, real or imagined, to leverage against her. As her father had drilled into her at a young age when it came to business, show no weakness.

They had dinner at a small Cuban restaurant across the street from the hotel. By the time they returned to their rooms for the evening, Harper was convinced she’d made the right choice hiring Doug. If nothing else, the time they’d spent together that day showed her they could at least become good friends.

The next morning, he accompanied her to their meetings, paid attention, and asked intelligent questions of her during the breaks that showed her he was not only paying attention, but that he’d been doing his homework about their company. Gorden was a good teacher, but Doug was proving to be an even better student. By the time they headed out for dinner that night at a restaurant over on Miami Beach, Harper felt at ease with Doug.

The restaurant had a live band playing on the patio, and several couples were dancing to the sultry Latin beat.

Doug looked at her after they’d placed their orders. “Want to dance?”

She did, but his question almost spooked her. She’d been watching the couples with longing, wishing she could be out there, carefree and enjoying herself. “Really?”

* * *

He wanted to laugh at the look on her face. Like she couldn’t believe he wanted to dance with her.

I wonder if she was a wallflower in high school. “Yeah, really. You look like you want to dance.”

He knew he didn’t imagine the blush that filled her cheeks. “I’m not a good dancer.”

“Good.” He stood and held out his hand. “Neither am I. I stink at it. I’ll make you look good.”

He finally coaxed her out onto the dance floor. She felt right in his arms as they swayed around the floor to a poorly done rendition of a Carlos Santana song. “See? Nothing to it,” he said.

“I didn’t even dance at my senior prom,” she softly admitted.

“Why?”

She shrugged. “No date. I couldn’t bring myself to go out there and dance alone like some of the other kids. It was all I could do to make myself go stag.” She looked up at him. “I’m not making an ass out of myself right now, am I?”

“No. You’re not.”

* * *

She’d meant about opening herself up to him a little, revealing some of her past. He’d rightfully assumed she meant about her technique.

That was okay by her. She needed practice being with someone, and Doug was the logical candidate.

They danced a few more times by the time they finished their dinner. He was a gentleman, offered his arm to her as he walked her to her room. When they stopped at her room door, she didn’t want to let go of him. He was handsome, nice, and intelligent.

“Well, thank you for a very nice evening,” she finally managed so she wouldn’t look like a total idiot standing there.

I could stare into his brown eyes all night long.

He offered her a playful smile that melted her panties. “Well, thank you, Harper. You’re the one that picked up the check.” He blushed a little. “I’m not a mooch, I want to make that clear.”

Dammit, she wanted to kiss him. Really wanted to kiss him. “It’s okay,” she reassured him. “This was a business dinner.” She promptly kicked herself in the ass. It was more than that, who was she kidding? “Knock at seven in the morning, so we can go grab some breakfast?”

“I’d like that.” He seemed to pause, as if hesitant to leave.

Kiss him. Kiss him, you stupid bitch.

She couldn’t force her body to move. She fumbled her room key out of her pocket and managed to get her door open. “Well, I’ll see you in the morning.”

He nodded. “In the morning.” She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, then waited until she heard his door open and close next door. She leaned against the door and smiled. He was so sweet.

She started for her bed when she spotted the mini fridge and groaned. She needed to check her sugar. Finally, after doing it and completing her bedtime routine, she slipped under the covers, closed her eyes, and replayed how nice it felt being in Doug’s arms.

* * *

Doug dropped his clothes on the floor and climbed into bed with the TV remote. He’d enjoyed himself way more than he wanted to admit. At one point, he was glad their dance had ended because he was afraid she’d feel the hard-on struggling for release. She felt good in his arms, as if made for him.

She was also a much better dancer than she claimed to be, although he suspected she really thought she sucked at it.

He didn’t want to think about Tate tonight. He wanted to close his eyes and think about Harper. Because he knew in his soul that’s where his future lay, even if she’d bought him to ensure it.

Tonight, however, despite how badly he felt about Tate, and how much he missed him, he realized he didn’t mind Harper being the focus of his immediate future.

No, I don’t mind at all.

* * *

By the end of their meetings that week, Harper knew she could call Doug a friend. While she still hadn’t revealed her diabetes to him, she had opened up to him a little. He talked about his family. She loved hearing stories about him growing up with his sisters. As an only child, despite her close relationship with Gorden’s kids, it wasn’t the same as having her own flesh-and-blood siblings.

She even let Doug drive her car back to Tampa. She enjoyed the smile on his face as she encouraged him to open it up on I-75. “You only live once, right? Go ahead,” she said. “Enjoy it. That’s why I bought it, to drive it and have fun. Don’t baby it.”

“Why not get a Mercedes?”

She shrugged. “I wanted a Mustang. Always promised myself growing up I’d buy myself one, and that’s what I did.” She realized she could relax with him driving, something that rarely happened when someone other than her father or Gorden was driving.

She settled back in her seat. “This was fun. Thank you for coming with me.”

“I enjoyed it.” He smiled. “Do we get to do this a lot?”

“Once a month at least. Before you know it, we’ll be getting you over to my dad’s house on Boca for weekend fishing trips. I hope you don’t get seasick.”

“Not usually, but I haven’t been out on a boat much.”

“No problem. My dad will be happy to teach you the basics.”

“Do you think he’s going to buy this act?”

They hadn’t spoken about their contract at all until now. “I think,” she said, “that he’ll keep his mouth shut.”

At least, I hope he will!

Chapter Twelve

Doug settled into the job. As his knowledge grew, so did his duties. He was already going to meetings on his own without Gorden there holding his hand. One Tuesday afternoon, Harper knocked on Doug’s open doorway.

He looked up from his computer. “Hey.”

She stepped in and closed the door behind her. “Any plans for tonight?”

“No, why?”

“I want you to accompany me to a Chamber of Commerce meet and greet after work. Starts at seven o’clock, so we need to leave here by six thirty.”

“Do I need to change clothes?”

“Nope, you look fine. We’ll leave from here.” She grinned. “Your first chance to get out and meet people. Time to plant the first seeds. You’ve been working here over four weeks. Time to start showing you around.”

He smiled. She couldn’t get over how sad he sometimes looked. She wished she could walk over and hug him and make him feel better. He was such a sweet guy.

“What about dinner?” he asked.

“We’ll eat there. Lots of goodies to suck up. Cash bar, though.”

He shrugged. “I’m not much of a drinker.”

“Yet another thing I like about you. We’ll take your car.” When he gave her a quizzical look, she added, “I want people to see me getting out of your car.”

“You don’t think that’s giving people too much credit to notice something like that?”

“You have no idea. The speed of gossip in this group is pretty much the same amount of time it takes people to start bitching about Facebook changes. I have no doubts my father will ‘coincidentally’ drop by tomorrow to check in. ‘And, oh by the way, guess what so-and-so called me today and told me.’” She laughed. “And it’ll make it even better when Rebecca Castor starts trying to feel you up after she’s had a few appletinis and I elbow her out of the way.”

That earned her a genuine laugh from Doug. “Sounds like I need hockey gear to survive this.”

“Don’t worry. I’m a damn good goon. I’ll protect you.” She left the office to the sound of his laughter. She liked that she could make him laugh. That was good, especially since he’d seemed so sad the past couple of weeks.

He was ready to go a few minutes early. She also liked that about him, that he didn’t keep her waiting, yet he wasn’t trying to suck up by beating her to work by an hour. They rode the elevator down to the parking garage in companionable silence.

Yet another thing she liked about him, that he didn’t nervously chatter to fill dead air. He talked and asked questions if needed, but he didn’t have to.

He had a soothing presence to him, a calming presence she also relished. Gorden gave her the same feeling of serenity.

She told him where to go, a clubhouse at a ritzy golf club in New Tampa. They walked in together, and she immediately felt swarmed upon by people. She reflexively grabbed Doug’s elbow, and he offered no complaint or resistance as she steered him around the room and through the throngs of people.

* * *

Doug couldn’t help but notice how Harper’s anxiety ratcheted up from the moment they walked through the door and she was besieged by people. It startled him at first. Then, as she grabbed his arm, he realized another role he was playing for her whether she’d admit it or not.

I’m her security blanket.

He didn’t mind. He liked being useful like that to her. It made him feel less like a lying shit. After their first circuit of the room and making a run at the buffet table, they found a relatively unoccupied corner.

“So,” he said, “how many of those people are hoping for donations from you to their favorite charities?”

She snickered around her carrot stick. That was another thing he liked about her, that she took care of herself and ate healthy but wasn’t some sort of proselytizing bitch about it with everyone else. “Bingo.”

“On the nose, huh?”

“I hate to say it, but yes. The few that aren’t are either looking for some sort of corporate sponsorship for something or other, or they’re wanting an in with our company as a vendor or supplier.” She shook her head and lowered her voice. “I hate this part of the job.”

“You do?”

“I despise it with a passion.”

A little more of her mask slipped, allowing him to glimpse the vulnerability she took great pains to hide behind a concrete veneer three feet thick. “Then why do you do it? Why come to these?”

“I have to. Dear old Daddy said that when I took over, I took over. Meaning I have to go to these things. I have to make an appearance, because he used to make an appearance when he was CEO. And since he’s still technically my boss, I have to do it.”

“Feel free to use me as a human shield, m’lady,” he joked with a small bow.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take you up on that more than once, believe me.”

* * *

Harper liked him more with every minute they spent together.

Don’t be stupid. This is business, and that’s all.

But boy, she wished it could be more.

A lot more.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sight of a woman making a beeline toward them.

Oh, fuck.

Harper stood, and so did Doug. “Now’s your chance,” she muttered to Doug.

“What’s that?”

“I’ll give you the story later. Just have my back.”

She sensed him step behind her, close enough she could feel heat off his body through her clothes. Well, okay, she hadn’t meant it literally, but whatever, she’d take that, too.

Julia Carson put on a viper-worthy smile as she sashayed up to them, a nearly empty cocktail glass in her hand. “Well hello, Harper,” she purred. “Nice to see you here.” Harper didn’t miss the more-than-curious glance Julia gave to Doug.

Harper also didn’t understand why it made her bristle and want to deck the bitch. “Julia. What brings you here?”

“I was hoping to run into your father. Is he here?” She spoke at Harper, but looked at Doug with appraisal.

Harper forced a laugh. “Now, Julia, you know he doesn’t cruise the business card–exchange circuit anymore. That’s my job. Quit pissing on my leg, honey.” She heard Doug choking back a laugh behind her.

Julia sneered at her. “You never did like me, you spoiled, little daddy’s girl,” Julia slurred. “He told me when we broke up that you were more important to him than any woman ever could be. What kind of sick freak are you?”

Harper started to step forward when she felt Doug’s hand on her shoulder, not just holding her back, but moving her out of the way and behind him as he stepped forward.

“Listen, lady, you are way out of line,” he said in a deep, dangerous-sounding voice that instantly made Harper’s panties wet. “Just because Mr. Wells figured out you’re a drunk, gold-digging bitch and kicked you to the curb is no reason for you to go all boiled bunny on Harper. So why don’t you just trot your little Botoxed face out of here before you end up looking like the sloshed little tramp you are.”

If Harper had an empty bed within reach, she’d have Doug stretched out on it. Julia’s mouth flapped open and shut a few times in indignation before she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. Doug didn’t move until she’d left. Fortunately, only a few people had been close enough to hear the exchange.

* * *

When Doug turned and looked at Harper’s stunned face, his first thought was, Oh, crap, I just lost my parents their house.

Then Harper threw her arms around him and kissed him, on the lips.

Not wanting to be rude, he kissed her back.

I kissed a girl and I liked it…

When she finally looked up at him again, he couldn’t read the expression on her face. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to say something like that to her! I don’t need to give you the backstory, because you pretty much pegged her dead-on.”

“Playing slap-a-golddiggin’-ho is just one of the many services I offer.”

She laughed and kissed him again. This time, he was ready for her and gave her a better one in return. When she melted into his arms in a hug, he kissed the top of her head.

“Not that I’m not enjoying this,” he said, “because I am, but people are looking.”

“I don’t care,” she mumbled from where she had her face pressed against his shirt.

He smiled. “Okay, then. As long as we’re clear on that.” He hugged her to him until she was ready to step back. “I take it this isn’t exactly what you had in mind by news getting back to your dad.”

“No, but it’ll do. Believe me.”

* * *

Boy, would it. In fact, she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket just as they were getting ready to leave an hour later. She’d kept Doug close for the rest of the evening, and he seemed more than happy to fulfill the role. She pulled her phone out to see who was calling.

“Great.” She answered as they stepped outside. “Hello, Daddy.”

“Hi, sweetheart. Anything interesting happen this evening?”

“Oh, you mean like your ex-girlfriend being a royal douchey bitch to me in front of Doug, and him stepping in and putting her in her place? No, just the same ole same ole.”

She heard him sigh on the other end of the line. Doug was smiling and trying to keep his snickering to a dull roar as he listened to her side of the conversation.

“Honey, you can’t act like that in public,” her father gently chastised.

“What? She came over to us. She sought us out. And she’s the one who came fully loaded for bitch slapping. She deserved everything she got and a hell of a lot worse, believe me. She’s lucky we were over in the corner and not in the middle of the room when it happened.”

“What am I going to do with you?”

“Daddy, I’m sorry, but I don’t care who it is. I won’t be treated like that, and Doug isn’t about to stand by and let it happen, either.” She gave him a playful wink that he returned, sending another wave of heat pulsing through her.

“And that’s another thing.” Her father cleared his throat. “Something about you kissing him?”

“Well, he’s my boyfriend, Daddy. And he’d just stood up for me, defending my honor.”

Her heart rejoiced to see Doug’s face light up in a smile.

“Boyfriend? Since when? He’s only been working for us for a few weeks!”

“You were the one who wanted to invite him to the Boca house before his first official day of work. I thought you’d be happy for us.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end. “I am happy. I just want to make sure you’re not rushing into something.”

“Oh, you just aren’t happy regardless, are you?” she teased. “I’m single, you want me to date. I’m no longer single, you think I’m rushing it.”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“When in my life have you ever seen me rush into something without careful consideration?”

Another pause from his end. “I will admit you do have a very sensible head on your shou—”

“Then we’re in agreement that I’m both old enough and capable enough of picking my own boyfriends?” She shot another wink Doug’s way and was happy to see him return it.

Her father sighed, knowing he’d lost the argument from the start. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I am a concerned father, you know.”

“I know, and I love you for it, believe me.” She looked at Doug. “But this is what I want.”

* * *

He’s my boyfriend. He wouldn’t lie and say the idea was abhorrent to him. He liked Harper.

Really liked her.

He just wondered if she felt what her kiss had done to him while she was in his arms. If she hadn’t felt his erection pressing against her, it would be a major miracle. If she had, she apparently didn’t mind.

After Harper finally got her father off the phone, she linked her arm through Doug’s as they walked toward his car. He opened her door for her first. When he turned to walk around the car, she snagged his arm and pulled him to her again.

It felt natural and right to slip his arms around her and kiss her. He stepped into her, pressing her against the back door of his car, and she practically melted in his arms as she ground herself against him.

So, that’s what she likes, hmm? It made sense. She was totally in charge all day, every day. Why wouldn’t she want to give up control in at least this area of her life?

His hands slid down her waist, over her hips, to cup her ass through her slacks. He crushed her lips with his, his tongue tasting and exploring her as her fingers twined in his hair, holding them together as if she was worried he’d let go.

After a few minutes, he finally lifted his head despite her protests. “Why don’t we continue this in private?” he hoarsely suggested. His cock throbbed, pounding, desperate to get inside her.

“Good idea. My place or yours?”

“I live with my parents, so I’d say yours is better.”

She laughed but didn’t let go of him. “Um, yeah, I guess you’re right. Let’s go.” She pulled him in for one more kiss. This one was feisty, demanding, her teeth nipping at his lower lip when he tried to let go of her.

He finally won his freedom, helped her in, and hurried around the car to the driver side. “I need directions.”

“That’s right, you’ve never been there, have you?” She sat back with a playful smile, her hand creeping over to settle on his right thigh.

She gave him directions. It was a nice place, a large, two-story house in old Carrollwood, but smaller than he would have anticipated someone of her stature owning.

She offered him a smile. “Let me guess, you expected me to own a McMansion or something?”

He laughed. “You pegged me right.”

“I don’t need anything that huge.”

He got out and opened her door for her. He wasn’t surprised when she caught his hand and laced her fingers through his. Then a frown crossed her face. “You’re not just doing this because of our deal, are you?”

* * *

Now that they were home, she was beginning to doubt herself. Was this really such a great idea?

The damp spot between her legs thought it was a dandy idea.

He pulled her to him and kissed her, hard and deep, melting her bones all the way to the tips of her toes. “I won’t deny I took the job for the money, but believe me, I wouldn’t be doing this if I wasn’t interested in you. And if you want me to sign some sort of amended contract to that effect, I will.”

She shook her head and kissed him again.

She unlocked the door and shut the alarm off. They finally made it inside before they ended up ripping their clothes off in the driveway for the neighbors to watch. A fit of giggles nearly overtook her when she realized she needed to get a spare key made for him, as well as get him the alarm code.

Shit! She’d also have to figure a way to hide her insulin from him. She wasn’t ready to reveal that to him.

In the living room, she kicked off her shoes and stepped into his arms again. His hands felt sooo good on her. It’d been too long since she’d slept with anyone.

He cupped her ass with his hands, pulling her tightly against him again. In the dim light, his brown eyes took on an even deeper intensity. She draped her arms over his shoulders, his hair soft in her hands as she ran her fingers through it.

“You make it hard for me to say no to you, Harper. Not because I have to say yes, but because I want to.”

She smiled. “Then don’t say no.”

They kissed again. “Where’s your bedroom?” he rumbled against her throat as he picked her up and headed for the stairs.

“Upstairs, first door on the right.”

“I hope you weren’t planning on going to bed early.” He nibbled the side of her neck as he mounted the stairs. She felt pleasant shivers run through her.

“Not anymore.”

He chuckled as he pushed her half-open door with his foot. “Good.”

Chapter Thirteen

He couldn’t believe he was doing this. He carried her over to her bed and laid her on it before crawling on top of her, his body pressing hers into the mattress.

This side of Harper he didn’t know, and he wanted to get acquainted with very well. He suspected this was Harper without her façade, without her protective walls in place. Probably someone very few—if any—people ever knew.

He knew it was stupid and wrong and probably one of the worst ideas on the planet after maybe Betamax and the Edsel, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted her.

He wanted to make her happy.

She wrapped her arms around him, eagerly returning his kisses and devouring him with her hunger. He managed to sit up and get rid of his shirt and undershirt, tossing them onto the floor next to the bed. He reached down and started unbuttoning her blouse, kissing her as he did and enjoying the feel of her short nails raking across his bare back when she held on to him.

After her blouse joined his shirt on the floor, he released the front fastener on her bra and tossed it over his shoulder.

In the dim light thrown through the window by the streetlamp outside, her breasts looked beautifully pale and glowing. He cupped them in his hands, running his thumbs over her nipples.

She gasped and arched her back toward him. “Yes, please!” she begged.

He bent his head to first one, then the other, plucking at her nipples with his lips and tongue, gently grazing them with his teeth and drawing more happy moans from Harper.

“I bet you’re wet, aren’t you?” he asked.

Another wordless moan from her, and it sounded positive.

He chuckled as he worked his way lower, to her slacks. When she tried to reach down and unfasten them, he pushed her hands away, over her head, where he lightly pinned her by the wrists.

“No,” he said, smirking at her. “I’m driving.”

Her chest heaved with every breath she drew, and she squirmed against him. Not trying to get away, but trying to get closer.

He kissed her on the lips before releasing her hands. “Stay,” he softly ordered.

His cock ached, straining against his pants, screaming at him to fuck her, and fuck her right this goddamned minute!

She didn’t move when he sat up and started working on her pants again. And as he slid them down her hips, that’s when a thought hit him.

“Um, do you have any condoms?”

Her eyes widened then she groaned in frustration. “Shit! You don’t have any?”

He shook his head. “I wasn’t expecting this. Sorry.”

“But…” She threw her head back with a frustrated sigh. She looked like she was about to cry. He wanted to comfort her and laugh at the same time. He got out of bed, dropped his slacks and his briefs, and climbed back into bed.

“Don’t worry, I have an idea.” He knelt between her legs and pushed them apart. “I won’t leave you hanging. I’ll never leave you hanging.”

He chuckled again as he felt her nails graze his scalp as she grabbed his head. When his lips brushed against her outer labia, she let out a happy moan.

* * *

Holy fuck! She’d nearly burst into tears at the thought of not getting any relief after managing to make it this far. He had no idea what an effort of will it had taken her to let go and give in to him. Even though it was what she wanted more than anything, to have someone she could trust to be like that with, doing it was another thing entirely.

And if they didn’t go all the way now, she didn’t know when she’d be able to get the guts to try it again.

Then he pushed her legs apart and her world nearly dissolved at the delicious feel of his warm, wet mouth on her pussy.

“Yesss!” she hissed as his tongue flicked out and stroked her clit. She plunged her hands into his hair, holding on, praying he didn’t stop. She’d only received oral one other time, and that was the summer between high school and her first semester of college.

Hell, she’d still been in college the last time she’d gotten laid.

She held on to him like a soon-to-be bride at a Filene’s Basement sale scoring a prized designer wedding gown. He buried his tongue deep inside her, fucking her with it, driving her out of her mind. Then he replaced his tongue with two fingers, using his tongue to flick her clit again.

She exploded. Crying out, she held on tightly as she rode his face through several orgasms that felt better than any she’d ever had in her life. When she tried to tell him she was done, he wrapped his hands around her thighs and continued going after her oversensitive clit. She squirmed and writhed to get away from him, but then she felt yet another orgasm sweep through her, rendering her practically senseless.

Finally, he relented and sat up with a pleased smile on his face. “Good?”

“Uh-huh!” She crooked a finger at him, urging him close. She grabbed him and kissed him. She could taste her own juices on his lips, musky and sweet, and for some reason it pleased her more than she wanted to admit.

Marking my territory.

Maybe that was exactly it. She rolled him onto his back and straddled his legs. At least his efforts to get her off hadn’t diminished his own desire. His rock-hard cock stood at attention, a good seven inches long, cut, and thick enough to make her happy.

He crossed his arms behind his head so he could watch her. For some reason, that pleased her, too.

Her eyes never left his as she gently wrapped her fingers around his cock and lowered her lips to the head. She swept her tongue over the glans, along the slit, and collected a few drops of pearly pre-cum that had already gathered there.

Doug let out a soft moan, his bottom lip caught under his upper teeth as he watched her. She teased him, spending several long, slow minutes lavishing attention on the head of his cock while it throbbed and twitched in her hand. She loved the taste of him and took great pleasure lapping up every drop her efforts rewarded her with.

“Please,” he urged, “don’t torture me.”

She smiled and went a little lower, taking him deeper into her mouth. His pleasured groan rewarded her, and she spent several more minutes teasing and tormenting him until she finally swallowed him all the way to the base. She hadn’t given head in several years either, but she was glad to see that she still remembered the skills of one of her favorite activities.

Doug was apparently glad, too, from the way he bucked his hips, trying to get her to move.

She cupped his balls with her other hand, softly kneading them with her fingers and earning her a few more happy moans from her partner.

“Please,” he hissed, “do it!”

She chuckled around his cock. It felt good to have a man begging her for pleasure.

Hell, it feels damn good to have a man, period!

She started going down on him in earnest. She lapped at his shaft with her tongue as she worked his length with her lips. Just as he let out a loud cry, she felt his cock grow even harder, swelling and throbbing before his load exploded into her mouth.

* * *

Dammit! He hated to admit it, but she was every bit as good as Tate with her mouth. He’d planned on giving her a good show, at least, even if she wasn’t very good at it, satisfied that he’d gotten her off several times. But no acting was needed on his part. Harper’s eager, skilled mouth took control of his cock and drained his aching balls dry.

He pulled her up into his arms, cuddling her close. When he kissed her, he tasted himself on her.

“Good?” she asked, sounding almost tentative, as if the self-assured woman who’d just given him one of the best blow jobs of his life was now worried if he’d liked it or not.

He laughed. “Good doesn’t even come close to describing it.”

Holding her felt so different than holding Tate. He didn’t want to make the comparisons, but he couldn’t help it. Her soft, rounded curves fit nicely against him. He hadn’t been with a woman since before he met Tate, but he was happy he could make her feel good.

At least I can do one thing right and make someone happy.

“That was…amazing,” she whispered against his chest.

“Ditto.” He kissed her forehead. She tipped her face back so he could kiss her properly, on the lips. Now that they’d gotten that first burst of energy out of their system, he stroked his free hand down her belly to settle between her legs. When she tried to protest that she didn’t think she could come again, he shushed her with another kiss, not letting her go as he parted her labia and found her clit. After a moment, she melted against him. She threw her arms around him and didn’t let go, kissing him back forcefully as he drove her to another orgasm.

Something about the sound and feel of her moans in his mouth as he kissed her turned him on even more than the feel of her lips on his cock earlier.

When she came, she tried to sit up to go down on him again, but he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down on top of him in a sixty-nine. With his fingers digging into her sweetly plump ass cheeks, he buried his face between her legs again and licked her pussy as she moaned around his cock.

It didn’t take long for them both to explode, the feel of her screaming out her climax around his cock setting him off.

And she swallows! Wow…

* * *

She climbed off him, turned, and curled up next to him, drowsy, sated, and feeling genuinely happy for the first time in she couldn’t remember how long. She loved the way he played with her hair, twining it around his fingers.

“How was that?” he asked.

She happily sighed. “That was amazing.”

“I don’t mean to be a buzzkill, but I’m going to have to leave in a little bit.”

She looked up at him. “Why can’t you stay here tonight?”

He smiled and kissed her. “Because I don’t want to have to have a conversation at nearly midnight with my mom that I’m not coming home because I’m in bed with my boss, that’s why.”

“You don’t have to call her.”

“Um, yeah, I do. If I don’t, she’ll be worried. If I told her I wasn’t coming home to start with, that would have been different.”

She rolled on top of him and kissed his chest. “When can we move you in here?”

He shrugged. “It’s your house. That should be your call.”

“I’d say tomorrow, but I’m sure you’d have a perfectly logical reason why that wouldn’t be a good idea.”

He stroked her hair again. “We have a bunch of meetings.” He scrunched up his face. “Dammit. You don’t have a way to get to work tomorrow if I’m not here.”

She kissed him. “Come pick me up.”

“You don’t mind people seeing you ride in with me?”

“Why not?” She kissed him again. She couldn’t seem to stop doing it. “I promise I’ll behave myself in front of others.”

“Like you did tonight?”

“That was different. That was—”

“Crazy?” He smiled playfully.

“I was going to say impulsive, but crazy works, too. I never claimed to be perfectly sane.”

“So she was a gold-digging hussy, huh? I was just guessing about that.”

“Good guess.”

“Easy guess from the looks of her and knowing your father even as little as I do.” He looked into her eyes. “He doesn’t tolerate fakes or fools. And neither do you.”

“I am my father’s daughter.” She settled in more comfortably, wishing he didn’t have to leave but not begrudging him for it. She respected him for caring about his family as much as he did. As much as she loved Gorden and Olivia, she missed having a mother of her own growing up.

“Your family is very lucky to have you,” she added.

“I do need to leave soon,” he softly said.

“I know.” Snuggling with him felt perfect. His body nestled hers as if that stupid cliché was meant for them, that they fit like a couple of spoons.

“You don’t want to let me up, do you?” She heard the smile in his voice.

“Not really.” She yawned and slowly sat up so he could move. “But I guess I have to.”

He leaned in and kissed her again, slowly, gently.

Tenderly.

“What time do you want me to pick you up in the morning?”

“Seven thirty, please.”

“Okay.” He planted one more kiss on her forehead, which was so sweet it nearly made her cry. He started hunting for and found his clothes. She grabbed a robe and walked downstairs with him and helped him locate his shoes and socks.

“Lock the door behind me,” he chastised before giving her one final good-night kiss and stepping outside.

“I will. Drive safely.”

“I will.”

“Text me when you get home.”

He smiled. “I will. Good night.”

“Night.” She closed and locked the door but watched through the window until his taillights disappeared down the street. Then she reset the security system, found her phone, and wandered upstairs to bed with a happy smile on her face.

After receiving his text that he’d made it home, she drifted to sleep with their evening replaying in her mind. She couldn’t decide if this was one of the best or worst decisions in her life.

Chapter Fourteen

Doug knocked on her door promptly at seven thirty the next morning. She was ready, and he looked yummy. He gave her a broad, beaming smile when she opened the door.

“Good morning,” he said.

She stood on her toes and kissed him. “Good morning.”

“How did you sleep?”

She set the alarm and locked the door behind her. “I had some very pleasant dreams.”

“So did I.”

He opened her car door for her. She loved that about him. She’d never had to ask him to do it and didn’t know if it was something Gorden prompted him on or not, and she didn’t care.

He was a gentleman.

They rode in comfortable silence until an accident on the interstate slowed them to a crawl. “I stopped by the drugstore on my way home last night,” he said.

She caught the pleased smile on his face. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

She laid her hand on his thigh and felt a warm thrill course through her when he laced his fingers through hers. “Good. Maybe we can try again tonight.”

He squeezed her hand. “I’d like that very much.”

“So would I. How about I cook you dinner? I don’t get many chances to cook for anyone other than my dad.”

“I’d like that.” He glanced at her when he had to stop for more traffic. “I brought an overnight bag. And told Mom I probably wouldn’t be home tonight.”

She grinned. “Hot damn.”

At the office, she wasn’t behind her desk more than three minutes before Gorden walked in, shut and locked the door behind him, and turned on her, his arms crossed over his chest

Oh, crap. Here we go. “Yes?”

“I had an interesting call last night from the head of security who wanted to know if you’d meant to leave your car in the garage all night, or if there was something wrong.”

Crap. “You what? And why would security call you?”

“Because your father has left explicit instructions over the years to pay close attention to your comings and goings around here in case something ever happened.”

“What? He’s spying on me?”

“No, but if your car is still in the parking garage and you’re lying unconscious on your office floor in a diabetic coma, it’d be nice if someone found you before you died.”

She had no idea her father had done that. “Why didn’t you tell me he’d left security those orders?”

“Because you’d be as pissed off then as you are now.”

Dammit, she hated when he was right.

“Well?” he asked.

“Well, what?”

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t give me that crap. Where were you all night?”

“I was at home.”

He glared at her. “And who was with you?”

“Don’t you start with me.”

“You weren’t the one getting calls all night, and three so far this morning, wanting to know if I’d heard what happened at the business card exchange. Including one from your father!”

She should have known the gossip network would cast its reach over Gorden, too. “Daddy called me last night before we even left there. Why would he call you, too? He knew I was fine.”

“To ask me if I knew anything about Doug being your boyfriend.”

“Yeah, well, what did you tell him?”

“I told him I keep my nose out of your private business. And no, I didn’t rat you out. But what’s going on?”

“Julia started it, Doug finished it, and…” Her face heated. He was like a father to her, and she wasn’t comfortable discussing her sex life with him. “Let’s just say Doug and I genuinely are close now. I didn’t intend it to happen like this, but it did. Neither of us are complaining about it, either. By the way, he’ll be spending the night at my house again tonight. So can we just drop the subject?”

“I sure hope you know what you’re doing, Harper.” He unlocked her door and left, closing it behind him.

So do I, she thought. So do I.

* * *

She had a difficult time trying to concentrate on her work. Now that Doug knew where she lived, he would meet her there after work. She wanted to get a workout in and hit the grocery store before she went home. As she left for the day, she stopped by his office. He looked up and smiled when she appeared in the doorway.

“Hi.”

She smiled back. “Hi. I’m going to hit the gym and the grocery store before I go home. Is seven okay for you?”

“Perfect. I need to join a gym.”

A thrill ran through her. “I’ll get you a corporate membership at my gym. Gives us another excuse to be together.”

He laughed. “I have a feeling you won’t have any trouble coming up with excuses.”

“You’re absolutely right. See you at seven.” She headed down to her car. At the gym, she thought about Doug and their night together while she warmed up doing a mile on the treadmill. She wouldn’t deny he had consumed her thoughts to the point of distraction all day. She couldn’t wait to take things to the next level with him. If last night’s preview of his talents was any indication, she had a feeling tonight would be one she’d remember for a long, long time.

By the time he arrived at seven, she had showered, prepared shrimp scampi and a spinach salad, hidden her medication in the fridge out in the garage, and hidden her blood sugar monitor in the back of a drawer in her bathroom cabinet, behind a box of tampons.

She suspected he’d never look there.

She greeted him at the door with a kiss. Damn, could he kiss! She wanted to skip dinner and go right to serving herself as his dessert.

From the feel of the bulge in his slacks pressing against her, she suspected he wouldn’t mind in the least.

Focus! Must eat. She’d taken her medication before he got there and needed to eat or there would be a problem. “Glad to see you remembered how to get here.”

“Not that I could forget.” He smiled. She wanted to kiss him again, right then and there. “Go ahead and put your stuff down in the living room for now,” she said instead. “Dinner’s ready.”

“It smells delicious.”

She couldn’t help preening over the compliment. “Thank you.”

By the time they finished eating, she was ready for him to take her right there on the dining room table. Instead, he insisted on helping her clean up the dishes before he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

“Now we can enjoy ourselves,” he said.

She nodded, feeling giddy as well as horny. “Absolutely.” She felt herself melting against his body as he took charge, kissing and nibbling her lips, stoking her passion until she begged him to take her to bed.

He chuckled. “Are you horny, sweetie?”

“Yes!”

He slipped a hand inside her shorts and panties. “You are a very wet girl.” He pulled his hand out and touched his fingers to her lips. She opened, sucking them in and laving her tongue over them.

Intense lust burned in his deep-brown gaze. “You’re such a good girl. I have a reward for you.” He pushed her down to her knees.

Without any further coaxing, she unzipped him and sucked his cock into her mouth. Part of her let go of any semblance of control, content to be under his direction. She didn’t want to think, she just wanted to feel, to let go to him, to do nothing but let him have his way with her.

He stroked her hair. “Such a good girl,” he hoarsely said. After a few minutes, he fisted a hand in her hair and urged her to stand up. “Let’s go,” he said, guiding her in front of him with a hand still firmly in her hair.

He marched her to the bedroom, pushing her face down onto the mattress. Her clit throbbed, pulsing, her panties soaking wet from her juices. She’d never felt like this before.

She’d never let anyone take charge like this before.

“Don’t move,” he said. She didn’t, listening as he removed his clothes and dropped them to the floor. Then he grabbed her arm and pulled her back up to him, kissing her roughly as his fingers dug into her ass, kneading her through her shorts. “Get these off,” he said then he smacked her on the right butt cheek.

She scrambled to strip, seconds later standing before him completely naked.

“Good,” he said with a playful smile. He pushed her back to the bed and spread her legs. “I want to hear you moan before I get down to the business of fucking you properly.”

His tone as much as his words melted her. When his lips closed around her clit, the first orgasm exploded through her seconds later, taking her totally by surprise. He seemed to know exactly where to flick her with his tongue, when to nibble, and when to lightly suck on her, knowing perfectly what to do to drive her wild. It wasn’t until he’d coaxed two more out of her that he relented and sat up.

Before she could even catch her breath, he was sheathing his rigid cock in a condom and pressing the head of it against her wet cunt. He felt even bigger like that, and she couldn’t wait to feel him inside her pussy.

“You ready for the ride of your life, baby?”

She threw her legs around him as he plunged home. He held still at the bottom of his first stroke, his gaze boring into hers. She loved the way he pleasantly stretched her, pressing against her G-spot in a way no toy ever had. He felt hot and hard inside her.

“I’m going to fuck you good, baby,” he softly said.

This side of Doug was nothing like the quiet, easygoing man she was used to working with. This dominant man had her melted into a submissive puddle, and she had no desire to get away.

“Beg me to fuck you,” he whispered.

Unbidden, the words fell from her lips. “Please, fuck me!”

He nibbled on her neck, nipping just hard enough she suspected she might have faint marks there in the morning.

She didn’t care.

“You can beg better than that,” he chastised.

She squirmed against him, her swollen clit also rubbing against the base of his cock where it was buried inside her. “Please, fuck me good! I need a good, hard fucking.”

“That’s better.” He took a hard, deep stroke, making her gasp. “Much better.”

She held on as he picked up speed and force. Her nails raked down his back as she felt another orgasm, smaller than the others but emotionally more satisfying, roll through her. She’d never come from being fucked before.

“I felt that,” he playfully teased as he sat up. He grabbed her ankles and slung them over his shoulders. Pressing forward, he drove his cock even more deeply inside her. “Let’s see if you feel this.”

With that she felt him grow bigger inside her. He let out a cry as his whole body stiffened as his own orgasm washed through him. His cock throbbed inside her. For a brief moment, she wished he wasn’t wearing the condom.

As he recovered, he pulled her into his arms and rolled to his side, kissing her. “You okay?” he asked, his tone back to the Doug she knew.

“Yeah. I’m better than okay,” she said with a smile. She loved curling up in his arms. “So will you still respect me in the morning?” she teased.

“Absolutely. Maybe even tomorrow night, too.” He smiled.

“You’re just full of flattery, aren’t you?”

“I’d rather be full of flattery than flatulence.”

She laughed so hard she snorted, making her laugh even harder. Doug joined in with her. When she finally regained her composure, she sat up and looked at him. “How about you move in this weekend?”

“What?”

“Yeah. Why not?” Threads of doubt ran through her. He wouldn’t back out now, would he? Not when she realized she really wanted him around?

“Um, I just wasn’t expecting it this soon,” he said. Her heart nearly stopped while he took a couple of breaths. “Okay. My mom will be bugging me to meet you, though.” He grinned.

Her turn to gulp. “Why?”

“Yeah, if you’re supposed to be my girlfriend, and I’m moving in with you, she’s going to want to meet you.”

Oh, shit! Panic struck. She wasn’t ready for this, to meet his family. On her own terms, sure, but not now. Not yet.

Her mind raced. “Tell her you’re going to be house-sitting for me while I’m out of town for a while.”

“Are you going to be out of town for a while?”

“I’m going to Boca, to my Dad’s, for the weekend. I leave on Friday after work. We just don’t have to tell her when I’m coming back, right? Then you can tell her I offered to let you stay at my place permanently since we already spend so much time together. It’s not like I don’t have plenty of room. We don’t have to tell her I’m your girlfriend yet.”

He propped himself up on one elbow and studied her. “What’s going on?”

“I just don’t want to put you on the spot with your parents. This way, it sort of eases you in. We’ve already travelled together. This won’t be much of a stretch for them, right?”

“Yeah, sure. Okay.” He didn’t look convinced. She suspected he’d revisit this topic later.

She curled up next to him again. “So, this weekend?” She’d already had an extra key made, and programmed an alarm code in for him. In the morning, she’d go through all of that with him.

For tonight…

He stroked her hair. “I hope you believe me when I say I’m doing this because I genuinely like you. If we’d met under other circumstances, I’d still want to be with you.”

She closed her eyes and smiled, content, as she inhaled his scent. “I believe you.”

* * *

They drifted to sleep. At some point in the middle of the night, he awoke to find Harper’s mouth engulfing his cock. He reached over to the bedside table, where he’d left the other condoms, and grabbed one, handing it to her.

“How about you put this on me.” He crossed his arms behind his head and tried not to laugh as she eagerly ripped the pouch open, tossed it to the floor, and rolled it onto him. She straddled him.

Before she could put him inside her, he stopped her. “Uh-uh.” She looked up at him, startled.

“What?”

“Ask me for it. Good girls ask for things. They don’t just take them.”

A sultry smile replaced the shock on her face. “I want to fuck you.”

“I said ask for it.”

She grinned even wider. “May I please fuck you?”

“Hmm.” He wanted to toy with her. “Have you been a good girl?”

She eagerly nodded. Then she started rubbing her clit up and down the underside of his cock. She was already soaking wet, he could tell from the way she slipped and slid across the condom.

“I guess you can, then. But I want you to put me inside you slowly, all the way in, and wait until I give you permission to move.”

She softly moaned as she did, the hot walls of her cunt feeling great even through the thin layer of latex separating them as she obeyed him, taking her time slowly impaling herself on him.

He grabbed her hips and firmly dug his fingers into her flesh. “Start moving. Slowly.”

She braced her hands on his chest as she did. In the dim light, he loved the look in her eyes, the barely constrained passion. This was the side of Harper he knew only he got to see.

He realized, with not a little bit of surprise, that he would do everything in his power to keep it that way, to keep her as happy as he could, for as long as she’d have him.

He lifted her up as he thrust into her. She let out a soft gasp. “Do you want me to fuck you, baby?”

She nodded. “Yes!” she whispered.

He let his hands travel up her sides, to her breasts, where he played with her taut nipples. He tweaked them, causing flutters in the muscles of her vagina that nearly caused him to blow his load right there.

“Are you my good girl?”

She nodded.

“Will you do what I tell you?”

“Uh-huh!”

“Then start moving and fuck me, baby.”

* * *

She’d never felt anything this good, this right. She wanted to spend the rest of her life in bed with him. It scared her that she was so willing to cede control to him.

She’d analyze it later.

Right now, all she wanted to do was get her brains fucked out. She closed her eyes as she rode his cock, every touch of his hands sending hot sparks through her flesh and straight to her clit. She didn’t have many partners to compare Doug to, but as of now, he was by far the best lover she’d ever had. And no one had ever been able to make her come by fucking her before.

“You like my cock, baby?”

“Yes!” It felt like she had no strength to do anything but ride him, to feel his cock stroking against her clit with every thrust.

Then his hands glided down her body to her swollen clit. He gently pinched and rolled it between his fingers. “Show me how much you like it. Come for me.”

She sobbed as her orgasm hit her. He waited a moment, then rolled her over onto her back, her ankles over his shoulders and her wrists pinned over her head. “Come for me again,” he growled in her ear as he slammed into her.

She didn’t think it possible, but her body responded as the sound of his flesh slapping against hers filled the room.

He chuckled. “Such a good girl.” He thrust hard and deep as waves of pleasure assaulted her. Then he sank into her one last time, deeper than the others, with a loud grunt, and she felt him coming.

Silence descended upon them. He lowered his forehead to hers and kissed the tip of her nose.

She burst into tears.

Alarmed, he rose off her and gathered her into his arms. “I’m sorry! Are you okay?”

She clung to him, sobbing harder. “I’m…fi–fine!” she cried. “Th–that was g–great!”

After a moment, he pushed her just far enough away he could look into her face. “Those are good tears?”

She vigorously nodded, unable to speak anything else right then.

“It’s okay, sweetie.” He gathered her tightly against him, stroking her hair. “It’s okay.”

* * *

It had scared him at first when she started crying. Then it took everything in his power not to laugh at her when he realized they were happy tears. He held her tightly until her sobbing subsided and she had regained her composure.

“Are you all right?”

Sniffling, she nodded.

He gently brushed tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. Nothing’s wrong. I don’t know why I cried like that.” She snuggled tightly into his arms.

He rubbed his chin against the top of her head. Her hair felt wonderfully soft against his flesh. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere unless you want me to.”

She held on tighter. “I don’t want you to.”

“Okay, then. We’re in agreement.”

* * *

No, she didn’t want him going anywhere. It scared her a little how much she didn’t want him to leave.

Okay, scared her a lot.

She knew she would come to rely on him in the working aspect of their relationship, but now that things had progressed much faster than she’d anticipated, she fought against the niggles of worry that wanted to creep in and steal her joy. It felt so good—beyond-description-good, she’d say better-than-sex-good, except that it was sex—to let go of control to him for a little while. It didn’t matter he was a couple of years younger than her. He had a calm and comforting air about him that had worked through her usual defenses.

And she didn’t want him out. She wanted him there, beside her. Better yet, she wanted to curl up in his lap and close her eyes and enjoy the peace she felt when she was with him.

She snuggled up with him, pulling his arm around her waist as she ground her backside against him. “This feels good.”

He kissed the back of her neck before untangling himself. “Yes, it does, but I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going?”

He pointed down at his drooping cock, which still had the condom on it. “Unless you want me to make you take care of this.”

She smiled. “Hurry back.”

“Don’t worry.” He was gone only a minute before he slipped back under the covers with her, resuming their previous snuggle configuration. “See? I’m back. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good.”

She immediately dropped into the best sleep she’d had in years.

* * *

They spent Thursday night together at Harper’s house. After making love, they snuggled in front of the TV and watched the late news. He’d again taken control in bed, melting any defenses she might have still had against him.

“This feels good,” she softly said.

“Yeah, it does.” He nuzzled the top of her head. “I mean it, I’m doing this because I like you—”

She gently shushed him. “I know. I believe you.”

She loved his smile. Hell, who was she kidding? She loved him, even though she wouldn’t dare admit it to him yet.

“Thanks, Harper. For everything. Especially for trusting me. I won’t let you down.”

“I know.” She closed her eyes and deeply inhaled. He didn’t wear cologne, it turned out. Just his body wash and deodorant and naturally good smell.

If her days never got any more perfect than that moment, she realized, she would be a happy woman.

Chapter Fifteen

Harper escaped to Boca early on Friday afternoon, taking her own car so she wouldn’t have to endure her father’s questions there and back, and could leave whenever she wanted to. Doug would move in that night after he got off from work. Her father was already at the house when she arrived. She didn’t miss his quizzical glance when she walked in with her bags.

“What?”

He crossed his arms. “Sources tell me you’re suddenly very close to one of our newer employees.”

“Duh. I told you he’s my boyfriend.”

“After working for us for a few weeks?”

She lost the battle not to roll her eyes at him as she trundled past him with her stuff. “Spit it out, Dad.”

“What’s up with you and Doug? I want the truth.”

She turned. This is what she wanted, being able to tell her dad this and get him off her back. She just didn’t understand why admitting it now made her feel uncomfortable. “He’s moving in with me this weekend.”

He stared at her. “Are you serious? What the hell?”

“Hey, you’re the one who told me to get a personal life.”

He stepped forward and took two of her bags from her. “I didn’t say move your assistant into your house!”

“Why not, Dad? We work well together, we enjoy each other’s company, and he is my boyfriend. It makes things easier on us because right now he’s living with his family, including his younger sister.” He followed her to the bedroom she used when at the house.

“I’m just worried. You can’t blame me.”

“Worried about what, for chrissake?”

“That he’s after more than just you.”

She dropped her bags onto the bed. “Dad, he’s not Julia, if that’s your concern. He and I have already had a talk that I’m not interested in getting married right now. But I’d be lying if I said we didn’t have fun in bed together—”

He threw his arms up. “All right! No more! I don’t want to hear this!” He shook a finger at her. “I do not want to hear about your sex life!” He turned, scrubbing his face as he let out an aggravated scream before turning on her again. “Just make sure you don’t do something stupid like marry him without a prenup, all right?”

She grinned. “No problems there, Dad.”

“Good.” He stomped out, grumbling, as she fought the urge to laugh.

Hook, line, and sinker.

When she returned home late Sunday, Doug was already moved in. He met her with a hug and kiss. “What’d your dad say?”

“That you’re coming to the Boca house with me next weekend. How about your parents?”

He grinned. “You are formally invited to my mom’s birthday party in three weeks. I’m under orders to get you there even if I have to tie you up and blindfold you to make it happen.”

“Great.” Well, three weeks, she could work up enough nerves by then.

Couldn’t she?

“Let me see your room,” she said. Then she threw her arms around him. “Not that you’ll spend a lot of time there,” she teased, kissing him on the side of the neck.

“I hope you let me get some sleep. You’ll wear me out.”

“Maybe that’s part of my evil plan, did you think about that?”

“Not really, but if it’s death by sex, sign me up.”

He led her upstairs, and she followed him into his room. “Ooh, you are a reader.” He had books ranging from classics to sci-fi and horror stacked on the formerly empty shelves.

“I have a lot more on my Kindle,” he admitted. “These are some of my favorites that I just didn’t want to let go of in print format.”

“I know what you mean. I have a ton of books on my Kindle.” No way in hell would she ever let him see the kind of books that populated her Kindle, however. She walked around to the pictures. “Is this your family?”

She didn’t think she imagined his expression darkened slightly. “Yeah. Mostly.”

One of them was a picture of Doug with a man about his own age, blond and blue-eyed, cute.

“Do you want dinner?” he asked, interrupting her before she could ask who the people in the pictures were.

“No, that’s okay. I ate on the way up.”

“Okay. You realize my family’s going to love you, right? I know you’re nervous about it, but don’t be. Seriously.”

* * *

She smiled. “I know. I…just need to adjust, that’s all.”

Doug sensed Harper was nervous about meeting his family. Understanding her background the way he did, he couldn’t blame her. But he knew they’d love her. All he had to do was convince her of that fact. What bothered him was the fact that he had to cozy up to Harper’s father. He’d seen him a few more times at the office, but nothing more than a few minutes of chatting here and there, usually with Gorden or Harper present.

What if Harrison didn’t like him?

Before he could talk to her about it more, she coaxed him to bed, and soon neither one of them were talking about the other’s family. As Doug held her in his arms later and watched her fall asleep, he hoped he didn’t disappoint her.

He wanted to make at least one person happy.

* * *

The week crawled. Harper let Doug drive them down to Boca in her car. She spent the trip reassuring him. “Daddy likes you. Don’t worry, you’ll see. Everything will be just fine.”

“I hope you’re right.”

When they got there, Harrison gave them a few minutes to get unpacked and settled into their bedroom before they went out onto the lanai to sit and relax before dinner.

“So, what do you make of this?” her father said as he handed an envelope to Harper.

“What is it?”

“Read it.” He sat down on the other side of the lanai and watched her.

The return address was…

“Bill James.” She scowled. She pulled out the letter, handwritten on Keisler Aeronautics letterhead. Basically trying to go over her head to get to her father personally, and accusing her of being rude and unprofessional. He also told her father he didn’t believe Harper had the “necessary business acumen” to do their corporation justice.

“Are you shitting me?” she yelled after she read it.

Her father laughed, nudging Doug. “See? Knew she’d do that. I love it when she gets all fired up. That’s why I showed it to her.”

She shook the letter at her father. “I had a lunch appointment with this rude bastard. I told him no then, and in no uncertain terms.”

He waved away her irritation. “Honey, don’t get your blood pressure up. I’m not about to sell out to that idiot. I don’t even know where he’d begin to find the capital to meet our price tag. Don’t worry.”

She settled back in her chair and gave the letter another once-over before balling it up and sending it sailing into the garbage can in the corner. Nothing but net.

“Not to mention,” her father added, “he didn’t earn himself any brownie points by slamming you in the letter.”

“What did you say in your reply?”

“I e-mailed him back and said that you spoke for the company, and that I knew you’d already refused his offer. Oh, and to fuck the hell off in that direction.” He pointed west, in the direction of the Gulf of Mexico. “Regards, have a nice day, eat shit and die, all that good stuff.”

That mollified her. She should have known her dad would have her back. He always did. The fact that he was swearing in front of her told her how upset the letter had made him as well, even though he did a better job of disguising it with humor than she did. “Did you tell him he’s also a lousy, weasely prick?”

“No, I believe I said something along the lines of ‘fucking asshole,’ but I might have been more polite than that.” He took a pull off his beer. “No one tries to use me to run an endgame around my little girl.” He looked at Doug, tipping the bottle in his direction. “Remember that, son. That’s one of your jobs, to have her back.”

He nodded. “Believe me, sir. I won’t let her or you down.”

Her dad clinked bottles with Doug. “Good man.”

* * *

By the time the weekend ended and they returned home to Tampa, Doug knew he wanted far more than just a friends-with-benefits relationship with Harper.

He loved her.

He didn’t know exactly when his feelings for her changed, but Saturday night when they lay in bed after making love, he realized the thought of walking away from her after his contract ended ripped holes in his heart.

But did she feel the same way about him?

He’d have to wait and see. He didn’t want to freak her out by admitting it too soon.

It also meant he’d have to put the feelings he still had for Tate on a shelf. He missed him like crazy, would love him forever, but it wouldn’t be fair to Tate to string him along.

If Tate hadn’t found someone else already.

In her sleep, Harper snuggled tightly against him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead as he smiled. He would make her happy. He could make her happy.

Maybe, in some small way, it would atone for breaking Tate’s heart.

Chapter Sixteen

Harper beat Doug to the trunk. She grabbed the casserole dish and wouldn’t turn loose of it.

Truth be told, she was scared witless. She wanted something to hold on to since showing up with a security blanket—or a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in her hand—probably wouldn’t put forth a good first impression on Doug’s family.

He smiled. “You’re not going to let me carry it, are you?”

She vigorously shook her head.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. She had to fight not to swoon. Dammit, he was so sweet. She only hoped he really felt about her the way she felt about him. There’s no way in hell she’d admit it until she knew for sure. She didn’t want to look like an asshole and get her heart broken, even though the past few weeks with Doug had been perfectly matched teamwork in the boardroom, and fiery, passionate perfection in the bedroom.

They’d even gone shopping three days earlier for a present for his mom. She’d insisted on buying a necklace with a heart-shaped diamond pendant for her. Doug admitted she didn’t have anything that nice, and when he worried about the price, she shushed him. “She deserves to have something nice from her son. She sounds like a wonderful woman. I want to do this.”

She didn’t want to admit she also hoped the gift would make Doug’s mom overlook any issues she might have with their whirlwind romance.

He put both hands on her shoulders and made her look him in the eye. “They’re going to love you, baby. I promise.”

She nearly dropped the casserole dish right there and threw her arms around him. One of the things she loved about him was his ability to accurately read her mood and offer up just the right thing to say or do to put her at ease.

“I’ve never done this before,” she painfully admitted.

“What, go to dinner at someone’s house?”

“Meet someone’s parents.”

He frowned. “Are you serious? But you’ve probably dated…”

She looked down as she shook her head. She felt her body tremble as he gently turned her chin so her gaze met his. “I’m really not good at this, Doug,” she softly admitted.

His eyes searched her face. She didn’t know what he was looking for, but she hoped whatever it was, he found the answer he wanted. He leaned in and gently kissed her on the lips. As he did, his hands closed around hers, keeping the casserole dish from dropping to the walk and shattering all over the place. As he lifted his mouth from hers, he pressed his lips to her ear.

“They will love you almost as much as I do.”

She couldn’t feel her feet. She realized he, somehow, now held the baking dish.

She swallowed hard. “What?” she whispered.

“I. Love. You. Harper Wells, I love you. And I’ll sign whatever prenup you want me to just to prove it. I don’t want your money. I only want you.”

She wanted to seriously jump his bones right then and there. “I love you, too,” she managed through trembling lips. No one but her family had ever said that to her.

Then he was looking into her eyes again. Those sweet, deep-brown eyes of his that melted her right to the center of her core.

He smiled. “Let’s go introduce you to the family.”

* * *

Carl and Sarah Holt were generous and gracious hosts. She was immediately reminded of Gorden and Olivia. Tina and Eileen were also very nice and welcoming, although she couldn’t help but notice a few odd looks Tina gave her brother from time to time.

She blanched when she saw Sarah’s bandaged foot. She realized with some shame that she’d never probed Doug for details about his mom’s illness.

Sarah smiled. “It sucks getting old,” she joked. “I suppose, as everyone keeps telling me, it beats the alternative. The doctors and everyone around here are on me to lose weight, so I’ve started exercising. Dropped ten pounds so far, but it’s hard until that heals.” She pointed to her foot.

“What happened?”

“Diabetes. Fortunately, they only had to take a couple of my toes.”

“You’re lucky, Mom,” Eileen scolded. “What are we supposed to do without you?”

Harper had to fight not to run from the room. She had worked so hard to keep her secret from Doug, and here it was, laid out before her.

I have to tell him, she realized. I have to tell him tonight. Guilt ate at her that she hadn’t revealed it to him sooner, yet she also felt like an idiot for taking great pains to hide it from him. She struggled to not start giggling with relief right then and there. She couldn’t tell him in front of everyone, because it’d be difficult to explain to everyone why she hid it. He would understand, though.

She knew it, even though she felt guilty for holding back that last, miniscule in the grand scheme of things, bit of trust.

Their meal was wonderful. After eating, Doug helped his father get his mother out to the lanai. Harper went into the kitchen to help Tina and Eileen with the dishes. They were talking when she heard a knock on the front door. She couldn’t see what was going on from the kitchen, but she heard Doug’s voice and another man’s voice. Then they disappeared as Doug apparently stepped outside. She heard the front door close.

She was putting away a baking dish in a cabinet when she glanced out the window that looked onto the street. She saw Doug talking with another, familiar-looking man, slightly shorter than him. Blond, probably blue eyes from the light cast to them. She watched as they talked for a moment, then hugged.

Then Harper realized he was the man she’d seen in one of the pictures in Doug’s room.

Tina, who’d stepped behind her, gasped before she whispered, “Oh, no.”

The other man reached up to his face and brushed his hands across his eyes. He’s crying. “Who is he?” Harper asked.

Her expression turned sad. “That’s Tate Gillis. Doug’s ex-boyfriend.”

Shock churned her gut. “What?”

“Doug’s ex. He’s bi.” She looked puzzled. “Didn’t he tell you? He broke up with him when he took the job. They were together for a couple of years. We all figured they’d settle down together. Doug told us he didn’t want to put Tate through the crazy schedule he’d have to work.” She sighed as she glanced out the window. “He was a real sweetie.” Then she seemed to remember who she was talking to. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound like that. Tate got a promotion right after Doug got the job with you. He said he didn’t want to take Tate from that. They parted friends.”

Harper thought fast through the sudden flurry of emotions racing through her. “Oh, oh yeah. Right. Tate. Sorry, I…just couldn’t place the name at first.”

Tina turned back to the sink. Doug returned inside, but Tate sat in his car parked on the street, not moving, his head resting on the steering wheel.

Tina and Eileen walked out to the dining room to get more dirty dishes. Before she realized she was doing it, Harper quietly slipped out the side door and raced around to the front yard. She must have startled Tate, because he jumped when she tapped on his window.

He sat up and rolled the window down. Before he could speak, she took a business card from her pocket and pressed it into his hand. “Tomorrow, four o’clock, this address. Ask the receptionist for me, she’ll bring you to my office. You and I really need to talk about Doug. Please.”

Her heart racing, she didn’t give him time to refuse. She ran back to the house and made it into the kitchen before Tina and Eileen returned with another load of dishes and cutlery. When she glanced through the front window again, she saw Tate had driven away.

Already, her mind had formed a plan. She needed to get Doug out of town, and fast. This was too much for her to handle at once. Anger and guilt warred within her. He’d told her he was single. He’d damn sure never mentioned Tate.

Had he broken up with Tate out of greed, or sacrificed the love of his life to save his parents’ home?

Then again, he wasn’t the only one with secrets, although in retrospect hers now pinged a lot lower on the guilt scale than his.

* * *

Doug felt like he’d been sucker punched. He’d never expected Tate to show up.

He also didn’t expect the surge of emotions he felt upon seeing Tate. He wanted to pull him into his arms, kiss his tears away, and confess everything, even though he knew doing so would jeopardize everything he’d sacrificed so much for.

Not to mention he really had fallen in love with Harper. There was something so vulnerable about her buried deep behind the stone-and-iron façade she showed the world.

Then there was the pain in Tate’s eyes when Doug had opened the door and seen him standing there.

The feel of Tate’s arms around him as they hugged by the car.

“I wish I could tell you everything,” Doug had whispered, coming as close to breaking his agreement as he could, “but I can’t right now. I couldn’t let Mom and Dad lose their house. I’m so sorry I hurt you, but I had to do this for them.”

“Can we meet later and talk?” Tate had asked.

“I can’t. I’m sorry. I don’t blame you for hating me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Tate softly said. “I love you. I’ll always love you. I just wish you could confide in me.”

Doug had wanted to walk away from the house, his parents, and even Harper. Just climb in Tate’s car and leave with him. Instead, he stepped out of Tate’s embrace. “I’ll always love you, too. I’m under a nondisclosure clause for a year. If I talk, I will lose my job and my parents will lose their house.”

Tate wiped his eyes. “I wish I could say I understand, but I don’t.”

Doug had returned to the house and forced himself not to stare out the front window. He walked out to the lanai, praying Tate would just leave, praying he didn’t knock again and force him to make a choice between the love of his life and the woman he realized he might possibly have a future with.

He hated himself. He had to be the most selfish bastard on the face of the planet.

I don’t deserve either of them.

* * *

Harper felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. After the dishes were finished, she excused herself to the bathroom, grabbing her purse on the way. There, she checked her blood sugar, took her meds, and read through her e-mail.

There was another message from the manager of the London office, needing her input on the impending deal there to acquire another local producer of aeronautics hardware in Manchester. She’d thought about going herself to handle it, but didn’t want to take the time away from dealing with the new Sebring plant.

Then it hit her. The answer to her problem, buying her time and getting Doug out of the Tampa office ASAP.

Harper tapped out a reply to the London office, then joined everyone else on the lanai. She put on her best fake smile despite feeling like her heart was breaking and hoped Doug would buy the act.

“Guess what?” she said to Doug, praying her voice sounded normal. “You get to break in your new passport tomorrow.”

He looked confused. “What?”

She held up her phone. “The Manchester deal? The London office needs some guidance over there. I’m sending you.”

“Me?”

Sarah looked impressed. “That’s incredible! I’m so proud of you, Doug.”

“Are you sure you want to send me?” he asked Harper.

“Yes. I know you can handle this. I have confidence in you.” She noticed he had yet to mention they’d had an unexpected visitor at the house, much less that it was Tate.

How many other secrets did Doug hold in his heart? And how could she trust him now when he told her he loved her?

* * *

Doug felt stunned. First Tate showing up, now this. “I don’t know if I’m ready to handle something that big on my own.”

“Of course you are. You’ll be working with our attorneys over there. I wouldn’t send you if I didn’t have confidence in you. Besides, I’m just an e-mail or phone call away.” She dropped the next bomb. “You’ll be over there for at least a month, possibly two. You should be home by the holidays, though. We’ll get you packed and get your ticket booked as soon as we get home.”

“Um, all right.” Why did he get the feeling she was suddenly trying to get rid of him?

Fear set in. Had she seen him with Tate? Then he dismissed that. Harper wasn’t one to run from a conflict. If she had, no doubt she would have been outside introducing herself and asking him questions.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. His mom opened her presents, and he forgot everything else when he saw the tearful joy in his mom’s face as she opened the necklace.

“Harper picked it out,” he said as he put an arm around Harper’s shoulders. She didn’t draw away from him. In fact, she snuggled closer.

Must be guilt eating at me, he thought. Nothing’s wrong, I’m just imagining there’s anything else behind the sudden trip.

His mom reached over and hugged Harper. “Thank you, sweetie. It’s gorgeous.”

Harper smiled. “I’m glad you like it, Sarah.”

His mom patted her on the cheek. “Call me Mom, for crying out loud.” She smiled at Harper. “You’re as good as part of the family, right?”

More guilt swept through him. She’d insisted Tate call her Mom the first time she’d met him, too.

Harper’s smile widened. “Thanks, Mom.”

* * *

Harper wanted to cry as she helped Sarah put the necklace on. Mom. She hadn’t had a mom in so long…

She wanted to believe with all her heart that Doug hadn’t acted out of greed, but out of generosity and loyalty to his family. Before she confronted him about it, however, she needed to talk to Tate and get the full story. Yes, extreme measures to get Doug out of the way, but she didn’t get to where she was by not doing her research and getting all her ducks lined in a row.

Later, in the car on the way home, Doug reached over and patted her thigh. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She scrolled through her phone, reading e-mails. “Why?”

“You just seem a little distant.”

She laid her hand over his and squeezed. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting this deal to come through so quickly. Lots to do. I’m back in business mode.”

“No problem.”

When they returned home she immediately booted her laptop and booked his flight. She printed out the boarding pass. “I had to fly you into Gatwick, sorry. I couldn’t get you a direct flight to Heathrow.”

He took the boarding passes and looked through them. “I’ve never been overseas before.”

“Piece of cake. I’ll make sure someone from the London office will meet you.”

She helped him pack. He had to be at Tampa International at six in the morning, yet another excuse for making it an early night.

She coaxed him into making love to her, not wanting to give up the feel of his arms around her. No matter what, she’d take advantage of that. There was a little comfort in feeling a warm body snuggled next to her.

And she wanted all the comfort she could get since she didn’t know what the future would hold for them.

Chapter Seventeen

The next morning, Harper kissed Doug when he left for the airport. She managed to hold back her tears when he told her he loved her.

“I love you, too.” Although she wished she didn’t, now she knew the truth. She did love him, and the last thing she wanted to do was lose him.

Unfortunately, she had to find out the truth before she could go any farther.

She arrived at the office nearly an hour early. Without Doug there, and with Gorden now happily retired all of three days, Harper tried to focus on her work and couldn’t. She couldn’t stomach the thought of food and skipped breakfast. The clock crawled. By noon, she realized she wasn’t accomplishing anything and took off for the gym to get her workout in early. It allowed her to burn off some tension and time to think without obsessively checking for messages.

She didn’t know what she wanted to do. If she met with Tate and decided Doug had acted in the best interest of his family, she’d back away, no matter the damage to her heart. She couldn’t live with herself if she’d come between them.

But that was Doug’s choice to make, the voice in her head argued. That voice wanted Doug in her bed for the rest of her life.

It doesn’t matter. I can’t live with that.

And what if he acted out of greed? the doubtful voice asked her. What if she decided everything he’d done had been merely an act?

Her heart ached at the thought. She didn’t want that to be the truth. She’d rather walk away willingly than find out she’d been duped. It would be much easier to bear.

She wanted to believe the best of Doug, not the worst. She didn’t want to believe she’d been lied to, deceived, led along.

Wearing herself out in the gym didn’t help quell her racing thoughts. She showered, returned to the office, and set about catching up with e-mails. She still had an hour before Tate was due.

If he showed. If that happened, well, then she’d figure out what to do later.

* * *

Tate stopped at a gas station a few blocks from the Holt house and stared at the business card in his hand. He should just return to Gainesville tonight. He shouldn’t spend the money on a hotel room for the night.

But the woman seemed agitated, anxious to talk to him. Maybe she could shed some light on why Doug had done what he did.

Tate found a cheap hotel in a not-too-bad section of town. The next day, he spent his time wandering over to Pinellas County and walking the beaches before making his way back to Tampa. He hoped this Harper Wells lady didn’t mind he wasn’t dressed in fancy business clothes. He hadn’t anticipated meeting with anyone other than Doug. He wasn’t too ashamed to admit he’d been stalking Tina’s Facebook feed and knew Doug would be at the party. He’d been willing to take that small chance to talk to Doug.

He arrived at the building fifteen minutes early and found the receptionist.

“I’m Tate Gillis.” He held up the business card. “I’m supposed to meet with Harper Wells at four.”

“Sure.” She placed a quick call, then stood. “Right this way.”

He wasn’t sure what to expect. He glanced around as he followed her, half hoping to see Doug somewhere. When the receptionist knocked on and opened an office door for him, he found himself face-to-face with the woman from yesterday.

“Thanks, Kim. That’s all,” Harper Wells said.

The receptionist closed the door behind her when she left.

The woman looked as nervous as he felt. She offered him a smile and stepped over to him, holding out her hand. “I didn’t have a chance yesterday to properly introduce myself. Harper Wells.”

He shook. “Yeah, I figured from your business card. Tate Gillis.”

They stood there for a moment in awkward silence before she finally indicated a comfortable-looking leather sofa. “Let’s sit and talk.”

He followed her and sat. “Are you Doug’s boss?”

“Yes. How much did he tell you yesterday?”

“He didn’t. He said he’d signed some sort of nondisclosure contract and couldn’t talk.” He studied her. “You’re not just his boss, are you?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know when I hired him that he had a boyfriend.”

Tate fought back bitterness. “Great.”

* * *

Harper was afraid of losing his attention before she even had it. “I asked you here today because I don’t want to pass judgment on Doug without knowing all the facts.” She told him about how and why she’d hired Doug, leaving out the more personal parts of the recent developments of their relationship. “From the way I understood it, his parents were drowning in debt and about to lose their house to foreclosure,” she said. “They were swamped by medical bills. When I heard that, I—forgive the cliché—made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”

Tate sat there for several long, silent minutes, obviously digesting what she’d told him. “I love him,” he finally said. “And yeah, he loves his family. That sounds like something he’d do to help them out.”

“So what do we do?” she asked.

He snorted. “What do you mean? It sounds like there’s nothing I can do. He signed a contract to work for you. I know damn well he’ll uphold his end of it. Especially if it means it’s for the good of his family.”

“But you love him,” Harper softly said.

He nodded. “Yeah. I always will.” His sad expression nearly broke her heart.

They sat there in uncomfortable silence for a moment. She felt horrible, fidgety. “I’m sorry this happened to you, Tate. I had no idea.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Yeah, it is.”

* * *

Something pinged Tate’s intuition, niggling at him. Harper didn’t look well at all, and in the half hour or so he’d spent with her, she was looking progressively worse. When she got up to pace, he wondered if she was on drugs or something. “I mean, I feel this is all my fault,” she insisted. “I never meant for this to hap…” She stopped pacing.

He stood. “Are you okay?”

She looked at him, swaying on her feet. Before she hit the ground, he raced to her side and caught her, carrying her back to the couch. He headed to her desk to grab the phone and call for help when he spotted a blood sugar monitor, one of the compact all-in-one kinds, lying on her desk, next to her purse.

He grabbed it and raced back to her, holding it up so she could see it. “Are you a diabetic?” She didn’t appear to be wearing any kind of medical alert bracelet or necklace.

She tried to sit up but couldn’t. He steadied her as he used the monitor to check her blood. She tried to push him away, mumbling incoherently, but he wrapped an arm tightly around her as he waited for the results. “Hold still.” Then it flashed her sugar level on the screen.

“Dammit, you’re at fifty!” He glanced around and spotted the minifridge behind her desk. Rummaging through it, he found not only her insulin, but several bottles of apple juice, as well as some other, healthy snacks. He grabbed a bottle of juice and quickly brought it to her, forcing her to drink it as he sat next to her, one arm around her shoulder, his other hand holding the bottle to her lips.

After a few moments, she quit fighting him, took the bottle from him, and sat up under her own strength. “Thank you,” she muttered.

He breathed a deep sigh of relief. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“I’m sorry.” She looked embarrassed, red in the face.

“It’s okay. You need to be more careful with that, though.”

“I usually am. I didn’t feel like eating, and I exercised at lunch time instead of at night.” She finished the juice and looked at him. “How’d you know what to do?”

“Doug’s mom’s a diabetic.”

“Oh. Right.” She laughed harshly.

“What?”

She shook her head. “You aren’t going to believe this. He doesn’t know about my diabetes.”

“Who?”

“Doug.”

“How is that possible?”

“I never told him.” She carefully stood, picked up the monitor, and took it back to her desk. She got a couple of string cheese sticks from the fridge and slowly ate them. “I hid it from him. None of my staff knows. Only my father and Gorden, my former assistant. And he’s like a father to me.”

“What’s the big deal?”

“It’s a big deal to me.” She turned to him. “I value my privacy. I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me.”

“Yeah, but if you drop in front of a meeting full of—”

“I am normally much more careful than I was today.” She took a deep breath. “Sorry. I shouldn’t snap at you. It’s my own damn fault for not eating.”

“Well, if you’re involved with Doug, you should tell him. He’s going to find out eventually.”

* * *

She stared at Tate. He had to be an extraordinary man to not hate her right now.

That only made her feel more guilty.

That’s when an idea hit her. “I sent him over to London this morning on business. He’ll be gone at least four to six weeks, possibly longer.”

“Oh.”

She perched on the corner of her desk. “So tell me about yourself. What do you do?”

“I underwhelm my parents by not pursuing a better job that utilizes my MBA. I was promoted at the place I work at after Doug left. I make enough to live by myself.” He shrugged. “I just haven’t felt the urge to better myself lately.” He sighed. “I guess now I can move on.”

“How would you like to make a hundred grand a year?”

He laughed. “Um, yeah, I’d love to. Unfortunately, I don’t make half that.”

“You can. If you come work for me.”

He stared at her. “What are you saying?”

“I’ll hire you.”

“What about Doug?”

She shrugged. “What about him? I was going to have to hire someone else to help out sooner or later.”

He held up his hands. “Hold on. I thought you said you and Doug were involved with each other?”

“Yeah, well, I don’t feel right about that now that I know about you. Here’s the deal. I’ll hire you, and when he gets back, the two of you can pick up where you left off. I still need Doug’s help with my situation. But…” This already hurt. She knew she’d regret giving Doug up for the rest of her life, but she couldn’t live with her guilt, either. “No one needs to know he and I aren’t an item. Let everyone think we still are.”

“What about his nondisclosure agreement?”

“I’ll get everything modified. You sign on, with a nondisclosure agreement of your own, for the remaining term of his contract. When it’s over, the two of you are free to do whatever you want.”

* * *

This was crazy. Unbelievable. He wanted to punch himself in the thigh to make sure he wasn’t imagining it.

He also couldn’t say no. “Okay. You just hired yourself another assistant. When do I start?”

“Today.”

“What?”

She nodded. “Today. I’ll get everything set up with human resources, call Gorden in to help train you in a crash course, and you’ll start immediately.”

“But I need to quit my other job. And I need to move.”

“Fine. Call them and quit. Tell them it’s an emergency. I’ll pay to move you down here. Hire movers.”

“Where will I live?”

She smiled. “With me, of course.”

* * *

Tate felt like he was being bounced around in the middle of a crazy tornado. He couldn’t believe what was happening to him, much less that he might have a chance of getting back together with Doug. He felt bad having to break the news to Jenny. He called her as he drove home to Gainesville that evening. Fortunately, she understood, and he didn’t have to go any further than telling her it was a chance to get back together with Doug.

As he surveyed the apartment, he realized there really wasn’t a lot he wanted to take. Except for their bed, which they bought new out of fear of bedbugs, everything else in their apartment in the way of furniture was second-hand or cheap-ass discount-store crap. And if he’d be living at Harper’s, he wouldn’t even need the bed.

By the time he finished packing his clothes and personal belongings, he still had room to spare in his car. The next morning, he called a couple of his friends he knew were hurting for cash and let them pick through and take what they wanted before they helped him move the rest of the stuff outside to the sidewalk, where he put up a “Free, Take Us!” sign. By the time the apartment had been emptied, most of the items they’d put outside were gone.

Tate felt close to dropping from exhaustion as he drove back to Tampa after midnight. He called Harper, and she gave him directions on how to get to her house from the interstate.

It was nearly four in the morning when he reached her driveway. He decided to leave the unpacking for later. She led him to his room, which had its own bathroom.

He collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next afternoon, Tate awoke with a start, feeling disoriented.

What the fuck?

Then it all came back to him. He was at Harper’s.

He hadn’t really had a chance to look around when he came in. Now, as he sat up in bed, he spotted familiar items that made his heart ache. Doug’s favorite books, pictures of his family.

The three dragon sculptures he’d given Doug on each of his past three birthdays.

That made him choke up. He got out of bed and walked over to the shelf. Displayed prominently next to pictures of his family.

Then he saw another picture. Of the framed pictures of them together that Doug had taken when he left, the only one he had out in the open was one of him and Doug sitting next to each other at a friend’s barbecue party. This was the only picture where they weren’t hugging or kissing or had their arms around each other.

In other words, innocent looking.

He remembered the Saturday afternoon when it was taken, soon after they’d started seeing each other. They’d gone back to Doug’s that night and made love until dawn, slept all morning, and spent Sunday naked in Doug’s apartment, watching movies and making love.

Pushing the memory away, he headed to the bathroom. When he emerged, he heard a knock on the door. “Yeah?”

Harper opened the door and peeked in. “I heard you were up. Do you want breakfast or lunch?”

“What time is it?”

“Two. I’m working from here today, said I wasn’t feeling good. I wanted to be here to go over stuff with you and help you unpack.”

“You don’t have to help me.”

“I want to.” They stared at each other for a moment. “Look,” she said, “I know this has to be weird for you, but I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. And I’m sorry.”

“Quit apologizing. You didn’t do anything wrong. Because of you, Carl and Sarah won’t lose their home. They’re good people who hit a bad patch.” He looked around the room. It was bigger than the bedroom he and Doug had shared at the apartment.

Hell, it was nearly as big as their whole apartment. “I would like to ask a favor, though.”

“Sure.”

He looked her squarely in the eye. “When Doug gets back, tell him about your diabetes.”

Her expression clouded. “He doesn’t need to know.”

“Listen, his dirty little secret—me—was a lot bigger than yours. He has a right to know. You barely know me and you trust me with it.”

“I didn’t really have a choice.”

“It doesn’t matter.” He walked over to her. She was pretty. Not runway-model-gorgeous, but real. The kind of woman who had a kind heart, but who thought she needed to keep a steel wall up to protect it whether she wanted to or not. “Whatever kind of act you think it is you have to put on for everyone else, when it’s just you and me, I want to see the real Harper. No bullshit. You’ve had to deal with a lot in the past few days, and so have I. We’re on the same team here, and I think the least we can do is be totally honest with each other.” He held out his hand to her. “Deal?”

She nodded as she took his hand and shook. “Deal,” she softly agreed.

He gave her a smile and finally got a sad one in return.

Damn, he wanted to take that sadness away from her. Just the short amount of time he’d spent with her showed him she was a good-hearted woman. It wasn’t her fault Doug had deceived her, and as upset as Tate felt at Doug, he could understand his former lover’s rationale.

He could also see why Doug would fall for Harper.

They ate pizza in the living room that night in front of the TV. They talked about themselves and about Doug. By the time they bid each other goodnight and headed for their separate bedrooms, Tate had the beginning seeds of an idea just crazy enough to possibly work.

First things first, he’d have to learn the job and get Harper to trust him.

Chapter Eighteen

Crazy didn’t begin to describe the next several weeks of Tate’s life. With no secrets between them, Tate and Harper became fast friends. Tate was glad he didn’t have to explain their deal to Gorden, because Harper told the man in no uncertain terms that the topic of discussion was totally off the table.

Permanently.

He’d met Harrison Wells a few times and liked him. He didn’t have any doubt the odd sideways glances the man gave him had to do more with trying to figure out what Harper’s game was than anything personal against him.

After hours, Tate and Harper spent a lot of time talking. Aside from a few business social functions, they usually ate in every night in front of the TV, working as Harper did her best to help Tate get up to speed.

His initial opinion had been right, that Harper was self-insulated. Worse, she was lonely and now doubting her judgment in the wake of Doug’s secret being exposed. He could tell she wanted to open up more to him, but now she felt gun-shy.

Despite not having any contact with Doug, Tate gave him the benefit of the doubt about his actions when he found out the full extent of Sarah’s medical bills. He knew darn well what Doug’s dad made in salary, and that even with insurance, the expenses on the family would have been crushing.

He couldn’t imagine Doug doing anything but taking the job to help them out. All he had to do was convince Harper that Doug’s keeping him a secret wasn’t her fault.

Gorden, however, proved himself a constant source of friction. Tate liked the man, but found himself butting heads with him at every turn, so much so Harper frequently had to step in and referee. One afternoon Harper was out of the office at a doctor’s appointment when Tate and Gorden got into it.

Tate knew damn well Gorden felt loyal to Doug, and Harper hadn’t enlightened him about the reason for Tate’s arrival and apparent taking over of Doug’s place in her affections. Finally, when Gorden nearly caused him to miss an important meeting with one of their suppliers, Tate called him out on it later in Gorden’s office.

“Look, I know you don’t like me,” Tate said, “but quit trying to dick me over, dude. You’re trying to make me look bad.”

Gorden scowled at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Tate could only say so much without breaking Harper’s confidence, something he refused to do. Doug had to deal with Gorden while he was overseas, and Gorden wasn’t happy about being forced to maintain the illusion with Tate. “You know exactly what the hell I’m talking about. We are on the same side. Team Harper. I know you like Doug and think I’m some sort of douche, but put the passive-aggressive bullshit to rest, would you? You don’t know what’s going on.”

“You don’t know her the way I know her.”

“Yeah? Well, maybe I know some things you don’t know. Did you ever think about that? So maybe you should just keep your opinions to yourself and do your fucking job and let me do mine.”

Tate fought the urge to slam the door behind him when he stormed out. His loyalty was to Harper. As he started for his office, he pulled up short.

I love her.

Fuck!

He did. He’d fallen in love with her. The fact that Gorden wasn’t happy with her over the Doug situation only made Tate feel even more protective of her.

Crap. Now what the hell am I supposed to do?

* * *

They ate in that night as they usually did. Later, they sat on the couch and watched TV. Well, Tate was watching TV with Harper’s feet in his lap, while Harper was reading her Kindle. She’d never given Doug a look at hers, a little embarrassed to admit some of the content.

“Whatcha’ reading?” Tate asked.

She hoped her face didn’t turn red. “A book.”

Before she could stop him, he pulled the Kindle out of her hand. “Ooh, look at this.”

She tried to reach for it, but he held it out of reach. “Give it back,” she protested.

“Not before I find out a few of Harper’s favorite authors.” He managed to hold her off as he scrolled through it. “And look at some of these titles.” He eyed her. “Naughty little girl.”

A wave of heat washed through her, surprising her when it pooled between her legs and started her clit throbbing. The way he’d said it reminded her so much of how Doug used to take charge in bed. She grabbed her beer and finished it, heading for the kitchen since she knew trying to get the Kindle away from Tate until he finished was useless. “You want another?” She held up her empty beer bottle.

“Sure.” He laughed. “Look at these authors. I’ve heard of some of them. Cooper McKenzie, Sophie Oak, Stormy Glenn.” He grinned as she brought him another beer, his third. “You are a wicked little girl.” He finally handed the Kindle back.

“Okay, so I like erotica. A girl’s got to get her fun somewhere.”

“That’s not just erotica, sweet stuff. That’s just downright pervy. I think I luuurrrve you. I’ve read a couple of books by some of those authors. Guy on guy, guy on guy with a girl. Two guys on a girl. Oooh, dirty.” He grinned.

Harper knew she shouldn’t have had the second beer, because she had a low tolerance for alcohol and the first one already had her tipsy, but she was beyond the give-a-fuck stage. She’d had another argument with Gorden that afternoon after returning from her doctor appointment. She suspected Tate and Gorden had another run-in, but neither man would admit it if they had.

Time for a new subject. “Since you’re so interested in talking about sex, how was Doug in the sack when you two were together?” she asked Tate after she put her Kindle on the coffee table.

Tate’s lopsided smile was more than enough to tell her his third beer had also pushed him over the edge of sobriety. “Fucking great. Hope he didn’t disappoint you.” A frown flashed across his face. “Is this an inappropriate conversation for me to have with my boss?”

“Nope. I think we’ve already crossed that threshold. Doesn’t bother me if it doesn’t bother you.” She took another swig of her beer. “The boy could give great head.”

Tate belched and held up his bottle in a salute. “Amen, sister!” He took another drink. “He could suck cock like nobody’s business.” Tate grinned. “Then again, he had a great teacher.”

“Who?”

“Me.” He giggled. “I was his first guy.”

“So how are you at giving a girl head?”

He shrugged. “Been a while, but the couple of girls I was with didn’t complain. Why, are you asking?”

“If you’re offering.” What the hell am I doing? I’m drunk!

“Why the hell not. Serves him right for leaving me and lying to you. You deserve better than that.” He set his beer bottle down on the coffee table and moved over to sit next to her on the couch. “We gonna do something we’re gonna regret in the morning?”

She laughed as she also put her beer down. “I sure as fuck hope so. Since we already have Doug in common, we might as well become friends with bennies.” She fell into Tate’s arms, softly moaning as he kissed her. “You kiss good,” she whispered when she came up for air. She felt a little guilty for what they were about to do.

Then again, Doug had lied to her and hurt Tate. She’d deal with the fallout later. For now, all she wanted was for Tate to make her forget.

And make amends to him for the pain she’d caused him. “You kiss really good,” she added.

“So do you,” he said. “Does this mean what I think it means, or am I really, really drunk?”

“I think we’re both drunk, but this means I want you to fuck my brains out. I want to see if I can give you head better than he did.”

He grinned “Fuckin’ A! I haven’t gotten laid since he left. Do you have any idea how horny I am?” He pushed her down and stretched his body out over hers. He felt different than Doug, a little shorter and lighter in build, but his warm weight pressing her into the cushions was a welcomed comfort. So he wasn’t Doug.

She didn’t care.

For tonight, she’d pretend he was the love of her life, and he could pretend she was whoever the fuck he wanted in his arms.

For tonight, she wanted her heart to hurt a little less.

Okay, a lot less.

She threaded her fingers through his hair and welcomed it when his tongue pressed for entrance between her lips. They kissed for what felt like forever as she felt her panties grow damper by the second.

He kissed his way down her jaw, to her throat, nibbling and gently biting until he reached the neck of her T-shirt. He pulled it to the side and nuzzled the crook of her neck. She hooked a leg around his, trying to rub against him as her clit began to throb.

“You horny, sweetie?” he rumbled into her ear before nibbling on her earlobe.

“Uh-huh!”

“You want me to take care of that for you?”

“Please!”

He pulled his shirt off, then pulled hers off, too. Warm skin against warm skin, he kissed her again, the blond curls on his chest rubbing against her nipples. He sucked on her nipples and worked his way south to her shorts.

“I’m going to make you scream, baby,” he promised as he slid them down her hips.

“Yes!”

He didn’t remove his shorts. Instead, he pushed her legs apart, draping them over his shoulders as he burrowed between her thighs. When his lips found and parted her labia, she grabbed him by the hair and didn’t want to let go.

He had a different technique than Doug. She couldn’t explain the difference, but he eagerly circled her clit with his tongue, flicking at it and driving her to the brink of madness. “Do it,” she begged. “Please!”

“Do what?”

“You shit, make me come!”

He stopped and sat up. “Ask me nicely, you dirty little girl.” The mischievous grin on his face turned any resistance she might have had to melted butter.

“What?”

“I saw the kind of stuff you had on your Kindle.” He slipped two fingers into her now soaking wet cunt and slowly thrust. “You’re no prim and proper lady. You’re a kinky little girl who wants me to fuck the shit out of her.”

She swallowed hard, no longer able to speak. She eagerly nodded.

He pulled his fingers out of her and crawled up her body. He kissed her, then pressed his fingers into her mouth. “Can you come by being fucked, baby?” he asked in a tone somewhere between amused at her eager sucking and sounding like he was two seconds from blowing his own load. He pulled his fingers from her mouth and grabbed her chin.

She felt her face heat. “Sometimes,” she softly admitted. “Doug was the first man to ever get me over like that.”

“Oh, we can’t have that,” he said in that same amused tone. “I can’t have him outdoing me.” He stood and grabbed her hand, pulling her up to her feet. “Let’s go.” He gave her a gentle shove to move her in front of him, and slapped her ass on the way. “I have a little something to prove.”

They resumed their tryst in her bedroom. He shed his shorts, and she was pleased to find not only did he go commando, but that his cock was nearly as long as Doug’s, and a little thicker around. Without any formality, he pushed her down onto the bed and resumed his position between her legs. His tongue found her clit again with pinpoint accuracy, and it wasn’t long before he had her coming.

He looked up. “Did he ever fuck this sweet ass of yours?”

Her head popped up. “What?”

“Your ass. Did. He. Fuck. It?”

She knew she was blushing. It felt like her face had suddenly gone supernova hot. She shook her head.

“Have you ever been fucked there?”

She shook her head again.

His smile broadened. “Oh, baby girl, we are sooo going to take care of that.” He sat up and pointed at her. “Do not move. I’ll be right back.” He bolted off the bed. She heard him down the hall, rummaging around in his room before he came running back and dropped something onto the bed. Then he disappeared into her bathroom and came back with a couple of towels.

“Up,” he said. She complied, and he spread the towels out under her before he pointed back to the bed.

She felt an almost physical click in her soul as she realized if he wanted to truss her upside down from the ceiling fan, she’d let him. Different than with Doug, and yet the same. She trusted Tate and was willing to let him do whatever he wanted to her. She laid down on the towel and watched as he started rummaging through her bedside table.

“Where’s your toys, baby?”

“What?”

He crawled onto the bed, grabbed her hair, and kissed her. “Don’t play shy with me. Never play shy with me. Your sex toys. You’ve got to have at least one vibrator in here. Where are they?”

She felt her face grow hot as she pointed at the other bedside table. His eyes lit up as he leaned across her and yanked the drawer open. “Oh, you nasty little girl.” He pulled out the two vibrators she had, one a battery-operated rabbit style, and an electric Hitachi. He also pulled out the two dildos she had.

“Hmm.” He held them up. Both of them were smaller than Tate and Doug’s cocks. In fact, once Doug had moved in, she hadn’t used any of her toys.

He put the larger of the two dildos back in the drawer and kept the vibrators out. He plugged in the Hitachi, checked it, and grinned when it sprang to life. “Not yet,” he said as he clicked it off again. “Roll over.”

“What?”

“Roll. Over.” His voice deepened. “Don’t make me ask again.”

Heart racing, she did. Her clit still throbbed from his previous attention as much as it did from anticipation and his masterful tone. She felt him push her legs apart and kneel between them. Then he spread her ass cheeks, and she felt his tongue slowly begin to rim her virgin ass.

“Oh!” She fisted the sheets, squirming, loving the sensation.

He repositioned himself, hooking his arms under and around her thighs so she couldn’t squirm out of his grasp and he could still reach up and hold her cheeks apart as he laved his tongue over her ass, pussy, and taint.

She loved it. She’d never felt anything like that before. After a few minutes of that, she felt him press a finger against her rim.

“Relax, baby.” He massaged her, not working inside yet. When he apparently felt she was ready, he sat up and she felt cool lube drizzling between her cheeks. His finger returned, and this time he did start slowly pressing for entrance.

“How’s that feel?”

She buried her face into the pillow, ashamed to admit she loved the sensation. Then she felt the sharp sting of a slap on her ass. She yelped and tried to sit up, but his firm hand between her shoulder blades wouldn’t let her.

“I asked you a question, darlin’. Answer me.”

She felt another flood of juices soak her already wet pussy. “Good,” she whispered.

He rubbed her ass cheek, where he’d smacked her, soothing the residual sting away. “Good girl,” he cooed.

She wondered if he’d be this assertive in bed after he sobered up.

Scratch that, she prayed he’d still be this assertive in bed. She loved it.

Loved him.

Her eyes popped open as the revelation hit home. I love him.

Then his finger breached her tight ring of muscle, stealing coherent thought from her as he slowly began to fuck her ass with his hand. She ground her hips in time with his movement, earning her a pleased chuckle.

“Such a good girl you are. You want me to fuck this sweet ass, don’t you?”

“Yes!”

He reached up and grabbed her hair, firmly pulling her head up and back so he could look into her face.

“My cock’s the only one to ever fuck you there?”

His intense blue gaze mesmerized her. “Yes!”

He leaned in and kissed her. He owned her, and he knew it.

“I’m going to fuck you so good,” he whispered, “that you’re never going to want another cock in you again, you hear me?” He buried his finger even more deeply in her ass, wiggling it around and making her moan.

“Yes!”

“Such a good girl you are,” he cooed. He gently lowered her head to the pillow and released her hair. She felt him withdraw his finger from her ass, add more lube, then start over with two fingers.

“Oh!” She couldn’t think. It felt good and weird and pleasant and nearly painful all at the same time. A pinchy burn as he slowly worked both fingers into her, which gave way to more pleasant sensations once her body grew used to him.

Then she heard the smaller vibrator click on and felt him press it against her cunt. It slid in, and she raised her hips enough he could fully insert it in the right position.

She exploded, screaming into the pillow and trying to fuck his hand and the vibrator at the same time as her world unhinged. It felt like the core of her being had been ripped apart by an explosion she never wanted to end.

He laughed. “Ah, I found what you like, didn’t I? Yes, you just wait, I’m going to turn you into a good little ass slut for me.”

One orgasm rolled into another, and she was barely aware of it when he withdrew his hand and then added a third finger, pressing in. The aching as she stretched to take him triggered yet another orgasm.

She tried to escape him, to get a momentary respite from the intense, relentless pleasure, but he swung around and straddled her waist, pinning her to the bed. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re not going anywhere until I say so. I’m not done with you yet.”

She felt him remove his fingers, then add more lube. Then something else, cool and firm and round, pressing against her ass.

The dildo.

“It’s too big,” she tried to protest.

“You want me to stop, it all stops,” he firmly said. “Just say ‘red,’ and I’ll stop everything.”

She fell still.

“Good girl,” he said.

She melted, inside and out, at his pleased tone even as another orgasm made her sob.

“See? You love this. You just needed someone to trust enough to make you lose control.” She felt her face burn as her hips took on a life of their own, trying to fuck his hand and take the dildo in.

He lightly slapped her ass. “Hold still, baby. There will be plenty of time to shake that thing later when it’s my cock going in there…”

She lost track of what he did and said as dizzying pleasure took over. The vibrator wiggling inside her, as well as the little appendage on the front perfectly hitting her clit, in combination with him fucking her with the dildo, took her to the edge and held her there, overloading her senses.

Tate finally pulled out the dildo and switched off the vibrator. He removed it, too. She felt empty as her senses tried to coalesce into something resembling coherency.

She heard him rip open a condom pouch. Then he grabbed her hips and nudged her up onto her knees into the position he wanted her. “Last chance to say no, baby. Tell me what you want.”

She licked he lips. “I want to feel your cock in my ass.”

He feathered his lips down her spine, sending shivers through her. His voice sounded low and throaty, sending more waves of need through her. “I’m going to make you come until I’m ready to stop, baby. I want to feel that sweet virgin ass of yours sucking my cock deep inside you. I’m going to make you realize how good it is to let go to someone else.”

“Yes, please!”

She felt still more cool lube on her ass, then he knelt between her legs and pressed the head of his cock against her loosened rim. “No going back.”

“Do it!”

He slowly pressed forward. She gasped, and he paused, waiting for her to adjust to the sensation. When she relaxed, he continued until his entire cock was buried inside her and she felt his thighs pressing against hers.

“Take a deep breath,” he instructed.

She did. Then she heard the Hitachi click on and felt him reach around her waist and press it between her legs.

Her already swollen clit responded as an earth-shattering orgasm ripped through her. Her back arched and she cried out.

He held her in place with his other hand around her waist. “That’s it,” he grunted. “Let me feel you come for me.”

The pleasure bordered on pain, more intense than anything she’d ever felt before, robbing her of all strength. Her body held her prisoner even more than Tate’s reassuring grasp as she trembled in his arms. He pulled the Hitachi away for just a moment, giving her a chance to catch her breath before he firmly pressed it against her pussy again. He did this over and over, softly talking to her, encouraging her to let go for him.

After what felt like forever, he started moving, sliding his cock out until just the head was buried before sinking home again, the pleasure-pain in her ass only intensifying each orgasm until she could do little more than lie there and gasp for air between moans of ecstasy.

He began to thrust faster, harder, deeper. “You’re such a good girl, and such a hot ass, I’m ready to come. Give me one more, baby.”

Her body responded, her fingers clamped around fistfuls of bedding as she moaned into her pillow.

“Good girl.” He shut the Hitachi off, dropped it to the bed, and grabbed her hips. He fucked her hard and fast, his cock swelling and throbbing inside her as she felt him come. He collapsed on top of her, then rolled to his side with his arms around her, his softening member still buried inside her.

She burst into tears.

Immediately, Tate’s voice changed, concerned, back to normal. “Honey, are you okay?”

“Yes!” she wailed, clutching his arms tightly around her, praying he never let go.

She felt his body stiffen, his uncertainty evident. “Are you sure? Did I go too far?”

She vigorously shook her head as she sobbed. “That…was…fantastic!”

He finally relaxed, chuckling a little. “You sure?”

She nodded, tipping her head back so she could kiss him. He responded, gently nibbling on her lips and working his way back to her ear. He sucked her earlobe into his mouth and flicked it with his tongue.

“I love you,” he whispered.

She sniffled as a smile curved her lips. “I love you, too.”

He hugged her tighter, and like that, she crashed into sleep.

* * *

Tate waited until he knew Harper was sound asleep before carefully pulling out and untangling himself from her. He cleaned up in the bathroom, moved the toys off the bed, then crawled back in next to her.

He’d sobered up, and as Harper rolled against his side, tucking her head in the crook of his arm in her sleep, he knew he would do whatever it took to keep her in his life. He loved Doug, but tonight he’d fully seen the vulnerable side of Harper, the woman who wanted someone to love, to be loved, someone she could trust to let go with.

He would never take that away from her. Not even for Doug.

He would, however, do his best to convince her and Doug that, contract be damned, there was room for three in this relationship.

* * *

The next morning, he awoke before she did and watched as she stirred, then slowly opened her eyes.

He stroked her cheek and kissed her good morning. “How do you feel?”

She blushed, but nodded.

He gently grasped her chin in his hand and made her look him in the eye. “Don’t ever be embarrassed around me, baby, got it? You enjoyed that as much as I did, if not more. It’s between us, and we can do that as much as you like.”

She stared at him for a moment, then threw her arms around him and kissed him. “I love you,” she whispered.

He stroked her back as he held her. “I love you, too. I meant it.”

She closed her eyes, laid her head on his chest, and cried. It nearly broke his heart, hearing her sobs, but he sensed this was something she needed to do, a pressure relief of some sort, a cathartic cleansing of her soul.

When she regained her composure, she sniffled. “Thank you,” she softly said.

“For what?”

“Forgiving me.”

He sat up. “Forgiving you for what?”

“For taking Doug from you.”

He gathered her into his arms again. “Let’s get one thing straight,” he said as he cuddled her to him. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Stop feeling guilty. It’s in the past, it’s not your fault, and there’s nothing to forgive. Got it?” He nuzzled the top of her head. “And frankly, look at what happened. We never would have met. Right?”

“Right.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Shower and then we go out to eat for breakfast. Okay?”

She nodded. “Okay.”

“Go check your sugar.”

She sniffled as she nodded and slowly climbed out of bed. She stopped, turned, leaned in, and kissed him again.

“Hey, give me a smile,” he teased.

She did, and it twisted his heart in a pleasant way. He reached out and stroked her cheek. “There’s my sweet girl.”

Her smile widened. She turned and headed for the bathroom.

He watched her go. He sighed, happy, before getting up to join her.

* * *

Two weeks after her initial tryst with Tate, Harper knew she did love Tate every bit as much as she loved Doug. She just didn’t know what to do about it. The London office reported that the deal would be finalized within the next couple of days. She’d barely spoken to Doug the entire time he was out there, e-mailing with him but doing everything in her power to avoid actually talking to him on the phone.

She knew Tate still loved Doug despite their own new relationship status. With nothing to hide between them, she’d made Tate open up and talk about Doug. No matter what Tate said to the contrary, she couldn’t ditch the guilt she felt over taking them from each other.

She sat down at her desk, pulled up the travel site they usually used, and booked Doug’s flight home. Before she hit enter to finalize the ticket, she hesitated. Doing this would end the newly found happiness she had with Tate. It would also end the past happiness she’d had with Doug.

After a moment, her finger pressed the key and the flight confirmation information appeared on the next screen. She printed it out, forwarded a copy to Doug, and then locked herself into her bathroom to cry.

In three days, he would return.

In three days, she’d be saying good-bye to her new life.

Chapter Nineteen

Harper stood at her office window and stared out at the Tampa skyline. No more delays, no more putting off the inevitable. Doug was finally winging his way home. Part of her wished she could have permanently reassigned him to London. It would delay facing him and saying good-bye to Tate.

How selfish of me.

Rubbing her stomach, she winced. Last time I eat at Morocco’s. Tate had picked the restaurant the night before, but apparently it wasn’t setting well with her. She’d had an upset stomach all day. It couldn’t be something else, because she’d religiously checked her blood sugar the past several days. It was right on the money.

Not that Tate would let her forget to check. He acted as annoyingly attentive about that as Gorden and her father.

Probably the falafel chattering at me.

Then again, maybe it was the beginnings of an ulcer over what she knew she had to do.

She went to her desk and arranged for a car before she called Tate into her office. When he arrived, she handed him an itinerary and another sheet of paper.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“That one is Doug’s flight info. There’s a car waiting for you downstairs. You’ll go meet him. His flight will be here in less than an hour.”

“What?” He looked shocked, but she didn’t give him time to recover.

She pointed to the other paper. “That’s a release from your contracts,” she softly said. “For both of you. I want the two of you to be happy.”

* * *

Tate felt a huge lump blossom in his throat. “What are you saying?”

“You heard me. If it wasn’t for me offering Doug this job, you two would still be together and happy.”

“I thought you and I had something together. What about that?”

She expertly dodged his statement. “You two belong together. I’m just getting in the way.”

“I never said you were in the way! And where exactly does this leave you and me?” he asked again.

“You and Doug can still work for me,” she softly said, refusing to meet his gaze. “I will uphold my end of both your contracts. But I want to do what’s right. I want you two to be together. You deserve to be happy.”

“So, just like that, you and I are done?”

“I want to be fair—”

“Stop with the bullshit, Harper,” he angrily said. “I love you. You told me you loved me, too. What am I supposed to do with that? Was that all an act?”

“I do love you. That’s why I have to do what’s right. Because I love both of you.”

She looked like she was close to tears, but he also sensed she’d shut down if he kept coming at her right then. He felt the wall, almost a visible presence, between them. Her body language, her tone. Pushing her would only make her mad. Yes, he still loved Doug.

But he also loved her. “Okay, I’ll go get him, but you and I are going to talk about this later when you get home tonight.” If she didn’t think he would, she had another think coming.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” He wished she’d get mad and quit using that soft and sad tone of voice. “I have to do what’s right for both of you. I need to step aside.”

He grew aggravated at her refusal to discuss it despite his resolve not to press her. “How heavy is that cross you’re nailing yourself to, Harper? Don’t Doug and I get a say in this? If I’m not mistaken, he’s crazy about you, too.”

“You’d better go. His plane will be here soon.”

Infuriated with not being able to get through to her, he leaned in and kissed her cheek before he left. He did love her. The more she tried to push him away, the more determined he grew to show her how he felt about her.

And the fact that he loved her, and loved Doug, still didn’t change. He didn’t feel the slightest bit of jealousy when he thought of her and Doug making love.

What he thought was how hard his cock grew at the possibility of having them both in bed with him at the same time.

Maybe that was the true source of her resistance, that she couldn’t accept a ménage relationship even though he suspected she secretly wanted it. He thought about some of the books on her Kindle.

Yes, she definitely enjoyed the fantasy or else she wouldn’t have so many erotic novels on the topic.

As he hurried down to meet the car, he started to plan. If Harper thought he’d give up on her that easily, she wasn’t as smart as she thought.

* * *

Doug couldn’t quell his nerves. On the eight-hour flight, he barely touched the food offered to him. He feared he’d get sick if he ate.

He’d spent less than ten minutes on the phone with Harper in the past few weeks. He understood that she had a busy schedule, but this just felt wrong despite Gorden’s assurances to the contrary.

He couldn’t get past the feeling Gorden was hiding something from him. Maybe it was his own guilty conscience, but he couldn’t help but make the comparison to when he gave Tate the brush off before he broke up with him. Was that what this had been about? Getting him out of her way so she could let him down easy?

He didn’t want to think that about her. As much as he still did and always would love Tate, he realized while in London that he loved Harper nearly as much. Her tough outer shell that he knew hid a very vulnerable woman. Her passionate side.

He only hoped Tate could move on. He wanted nothing but happiness for the man who would always hold a special place in his heart.

Doug tried to stay calm while making his way through customs at Tampa International, but the fact that Harper wasn’t answering his texts or calls since his plane landed also spoke volumes. She wasn’t in a meeting right now, that much he knew from checking her calendar, but his calls to her cell went straight to voice mail.

Again, shades of how he’d treated Tate. Avoid, avoid, avoid. How well he knew that trick.

He scoured his memory, tried to think about anything he’d done wrong that would make her mad at him. Everything had been fine up until he left for London.

Had she seen him with Tate at his parents’ house? She hadn’t mentioned it. He discarded the thought. That couldn’t be it.

Then he thought about her statement before they went inside the house that day, that she’d never met someone’s family before.

But why would that freak her out?

She’d said she loved him. She wasn’t the type to lie about anything.

He’d find out soon enough. He’d head to the office first, and if she wasn’t there, he’d have the car take him home. But he would see her sooner rather than later.

Finally, he cleared customs and made his way to arrivals. He spotted the driver, the same man who’d taken him to the airport weeks earlier. The driver opened the rear door to the limo for him and then took his suitcases to stow in the trunk.

Doug climbed in before he realized someone else occupied the backseat. When he looked up, he felt like the wind had been knocked out of him.

* * *

Tate nervously watched through the tinted windows as Doug emerged from the terminal at arrivals. The driver immediately jumped out and met him, opening the door for him. Doug slid in, then froze when he saw him as the driver closed the door behind him.

“Tate?”

Tate nervously smiled. “Hey there, stranger.”

After a long, silent moment, Doug stammered, “But…what…what are you—”

Tate leaned in, grabbed his chin, and kissed him. “Shut up.”

Doug grabbed him, taking over and kissing him hard, the way Tate had missed and longed for all these months. Making love to Harper was fantastic, but during those times, he was the one in charge, making Harper swoon the way Doug now had him longing for more.

“I don’t understand,” Doug finally gasped when they came up for air.

“Long story. Shut up and kiss me again.”

Doug obliged. He apparently didn’t realize they were almost to the house until he looked up and recognized the neighborhood. “Why are we here?”

“We’re going home,” Tate said. “Kiss me again.” His cock throbbed, desperate to feel Doug’s mouth or ass engulfing it. He didn’t care which as long as he could blow his load, and soon. He knew Doug felt nearly as horny from the feel of the iron-like bulge tenting his expensive slacks.

Doug managed to hold him at arm’s length. “Home?” he gasped.

“Yeah, home. Our home. Yours and mine.” He tried to kiss him again, but Doug held him off.

“What about Harper?”

“What about her?” He didn’t want to talk about Harper right now. He wanted to fuck Doug’s brains out, have Doug fuck his out, and then they could talk about how to get that sweet woman into bed between them.

In that order, preferably.

“I’m serious, Tate. What the hell is going on?”

“Long story,” he said as the car slowed to pull into the driveway. “Do you really want to talk, or would you rather hop into bed for the rest of the day first?”

“I–I—”

“Exactly.” He grabbed Doug’s tie and pulled him on top of him, one hand digging into Doug’s ass as Tate ground his hips against him. “You feel that, baby? That’s the better part of six months of wanting you. I hope you’re ready for a long, late night, sweetie.”

Doug groaned as his tongue plunged into Tate’s willing and eager mouth.

They managed to climb off each other as the car came to a stop. Tate and Doug piled out of the car before the driver could even make it to the back door. “Just bring the bags in and leave them in the living room,” Tate said as he led Doug inside by the hand.

* * *

Doug didn’t even stop to ask Tate why he had a key to Harper’s house, or why he had the alarm code. They were ripping each other’s clothes off on the way upstairs, until they were both naked by the time they fell into Doug’s bed. He’d thought about detouring to the larger bed in Harper’s room, but decided maybe that wouldn’t be a good idea if she came home and found them like that in her bed. He knew he owed her an explanation, as well as a few rounds of begging her forgiveness. All that would go over better if she didn’t walk in on them in her bed.

Then again, maybe she’d enjoy that. He decided to store that in the “To Consider After Getting Laid” file.

Doug straddled Tate, grinding his stiff cock against him. “I missed you so fucking much. I’m so sorry. I couldn’t say anyth—”

Tate grabbed him and pulled him down, cutting off his words with his lips crushed against Doug’s. When Tate finally let him up for air, he said, “I know all about what happened. She told me. Now shut up and fuck me, dammit!”

Doug grinned. “Will do.” He started to reach for the drawer where he kept the lube and condoms, but Tate rolled the other way and got them from the top drawer of the other bedside table.

He handed them to Doug. “Sorry, I rearranged a little.” He grinned as he rolled over onto his hands and knees, wiggling his cute, tight ass at him.

Doug groaned as he stared at the sight. His hands shook as he ripped open the condom pouch and rolled it on over his rigid and dripping cock. He squirted lube down Tate’s crack, running his condom-sheathed cock up and down over the seam of his lover’s ass until he pressed it against his rim.

“Do it!” Tate desperately whispered. “Fuck me, dammit.”

Doug slowly pressed forward, the tight muscles of his lover’s ass squeezing him in an almost painfully delicious tight, hot grip. When his thighs were pressed completely against Tate’s, he leaned forward, curling himself over his lover’s back. He reached around Tate with his right arm and grabbed his cock. Pre-cum already leaked from his swollen head. He used his thumb to smear it around, lubing it as he slowly stroked him.

“You gonna come for me, baby?” Doug asked.

“Ooohhh, fuck yeah!”

Doug slowly withdrew until just the head of his cock remained inside Tate before he plunged home again. Doug wanted to cry from how great it felt. He loved Harper, nothing would change that, but he loved Tate, and he loved being able to fuck the hell out of him without worrying about hurting him.

More pre-cum leaked from Tate’s cock until Doug’s hand was sliding back and forth like he’d poured a bottle of lube on him. Doug matched his fucking to his strokes with his hand, slapping Tate’s ass with his other hand. “Come for me, baby,” he growled. “Quit fucking around and show me how good it is.”

Tate cried out as his cock exploded in Doug’s hand. Doug felt the muscles in Tate’s ass squeezing him as his orgasm hit, triggering Doug’s climax as he quit holding back. It felt like molten energy exploded from his balls with white-hot intensity, engulfing him with the force of his release.

They collapsed to the bed, Doug on top of Tate, both of them panting and sweaty from the brief but frenzied effort. Tate reached back with one hand, found Doug’s, and laced his fingers through his.

“Welcome home,” Tate whispered.

Doug roughly laughed as he slowly rolled off Tate. He stepped out of bed and into his bathroom to clean up. When he returned, Tate was lying on his back, hands laced behind his head and his stomach a gooey mess from where he’d collapsed into the puddle of his own juices on the bed.

He pointed at his abs. “You made a mess, buddy.”

Doug grinned as he pounced, his cock already twitching with interest as he crushed his lips over Tate’s. Their bodies slid against each other.

“You made the mess,” Doug teased. “I just helped.” He rose to his knees, then bent over Tate’s abs. He ran his tongue down his lover’s flesh, swirling it around his navel and down his treasure trail to Tate’s cock. “You know I’m a helpful kind of guy.” He eagerly laved his tongue up and down, across Tate’s abs and back down again to his cock. Back and forth, until both their cocks were again hard and ready.

“You’re helpful, all right,” Tate said. He pointed at the bed. “You, ass in air. Now.”

Doug laughed as he got into position. Tate took his time, teasing and tormenting Doug with his fingers until Doug could barely stand it.

“Would you please fuck me?” Doug said.

“My, you’re awfully pushy, aren’t you?” Tate laughed and put on a condom before nudging into position. “I’m going to fuck your brains out.”

Doug moaned at the pleasant feel of Tate’s cock stretching and filling his ass. Dammit, he’d missed this more than he ever wanted to admit to Harper.

Tate took his time, sometimes fucking him fast and hard, at other times slowing down and making Doug beg him to do it. When Tate hit the limit of his ability to hold it back, he grabbed Doug’s hips. “If you want to come with me, you’d better grab your cock.”

Doug did, frantically stroking himself as Tate’s balls slapped against his ass with every thrust.

“Yes!” Tate slammed home one final time as Doug’s cock exploded in his hand. They again collapsed onto the bed, slower to recover this time.

Tate eventually peeled himself off Doug and went into the bathroom to clean up. He brought Doug a damp washcloth and towel upon his return. Then they snuggled together in bed, Doug glad to have Tate back in his arms again after so long of thinking it would forever remain a wistful fantasy.

Doug lay back and stared at the room. It felt the same, yet different. He saw Tate had brought some of his personal items with him, some of his books and pictures.

Pictures of them.

When he finally heard Tate yawn, he looked at his lover. Doug propped himself up on one arm. “Okay, so talk.”

Tate smirked. “Don’t take a tone with me, baby.”

“I’d like to know what the hell you’re doing here.”

“Why? Are you complaining?”

“No, dammit. I’m serious.”

Tate rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “The day of your mom’s birthday? Harper was in the kitchen and saw you and me talking out front. She snuck out, gave me her business card, and said we needed to talk. Told me to come to her office the next day.”

“Dammit. I knew it. She sent me to London out of the blue.” He wanted to be mad at her for it, but he couldn’t.

“Yeah, she asked Tina who I was, and Tina spilled the beans.”

He frowned. “Tina never mentioned she talked to her about it.”

Tate shrugged. “I only know what Harper told me.” He wouldn’t meet Doug’s gaze.

“What’s wrong?” He studied his lover’s face when he didn’t answer. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“She told me about the two of you,” he softly said.

Doug closed his eyes. “Fuck. Tate, listen, I—”

“It’s okay.” He still wouldn’t look Doug in the eye. “I have a confession of my own to make.”

“What?”

Tate finally turned the full force of his blue gaze on Doug. “I love her, too,” he softly said. “The first time we sort of fell together I think to make ourselves feel better, and because we were a little drunk. Well, okay, a lot drunk, but it’s become more. A lot more.”

Doug thought his heart would stop. “What?”

He nodded. “I don’t begrudge what you did with her because I’m just as guilty.” He sat up. “But I see why you did it because I love her. Let’s be honest, she’s a pretty remarkable woman. She hides her vulnerabilities well. She can make you hate her guts and want to be her knight in shining armor all at the same time.”

Doug felt his face heat, yet he nodded. “Yeah. She does.” They sat there in silence for a while. “I’m sorry. I had to do this for Mom and Dad.”

“I know. It’s okay. She showed me all the paperwork.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “I can’t honestly say I wouldn’t have done exactly the same thing in your shoes. Now there’s only one thing left to do.”

“What?”

Tate grinned. “Convince her that she can have two guys for the price of one. I don’t know about you, but there’s no way in hell I want to let her go.”

Doug felt the smile slowly take over his face. “You’re serious?”

“Fuck yeah, I’m serious. Why can’t we make it work? You and I both have individual relationships with her now. I’ve spent a couple of months with her, you’ve spent a couple of months with her.” He laughed. “Actually, I’ve probably slept with her a hell of a lot more than you did. Besides, I’ve seen what she reads on her Kindle. She likes the kinky stuff. Being with two men won’t shock her in the least. I think she secretly wants it.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope.”

“You don’t hate me?” Doug asked.

Tate’s face softened as he reached for Doug and pulled him close. “No, baby. I could never hate you. Not for loving your family as much as you do.”

Doug relaxed against Tate’s chest. He’d missed this even more than the sex. “Just one problem.”

“What?”

“How the hell do we explain this to my mom and dad?” Doug asked with a laugh.

“Your mom and dad? How the hell will we break this to Harrison!”

Chapter Twenty

Harper didn’t want to go home that night, and she damn sure didn’t want to go to the Boca house and face her father’s questions. She stayed late at the office, her door locked and all phones turned off, including her cell.

Finally, after midnight, she realized it was stupid to stay away. The men would most likely be asleep anyway. She winced as another pain pulsed through her abdomen. Damn periods. She’d done the math and was due within a week. It wasn’t unusual for them to sometimes be a few days off in one direction or another. Maybe it was cramps and not the falafel.

Once the pain subsided again to a low roar, she packed her stuff and made her way to the elevator. Inside, she gasped and leaned against the wall as another surge of pain caught her off guard.

Fuck.

Okay, if it still hurt this bad by tomorrow, she’d go to the damn doctor, as much as she hated to admit it. This was annoying. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and checked it, just an e-mail. But that reminded her to turn the ringer back on. When she reached her car, she tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and pulled out of her parking space.

She slowly drove home and didn’t bother putting her car in the garage. She parked next to Tate’s car and quietly let herself in. The house was dark and silent around her as she slowly mounted the stairs to her room, passing discarded men’s clothing in the process.

She thought about walking down the hall to listen at the closed bedroom door, but then thought better of it.

Why torture myself?

She closed and locked her bedroom door behind her, then dropped her clothes on the bathroom floor before grabbing a warm shower. She checked her blood sugar—normal—and headed for bed after taking a couple of Motrin.

* * *

Doug awoke with a start the next morning. Grey light crept in around the horizontal blinds covering the window. After weeks spent sleeping in a hotel room, he had to think to remember where he was.

Home.

Next to him, Tate shifted in his sleep, snuggling tighter against his side.

Doug thought the smile on his own face might break his jaw. Now, if the two of them could just convince Harper that this crazy arrangement could work for all three of them, life would be perfect.

After a few minutes, Tate slowly awoke, stretching and yawning before rolling over into his arms. “Did you hear Harper come in last night?”

Doug shook his head. “No.” He got up to use the bathroom and peeked through the blinds. “Her car’s in the driveway.” He glanced at Tate. “Whose car is that next to hers?”

He grinned. “You mean the Mercedes? Oh, that would be mine, dear. Yours is still in the garage. I tried to talk her into just letting me drive yours, but she wanted me to have my own car.” His smile faded. “She feels damn guilty. I tried to tell her it wasn’t her fault.” He arched an eyebrow at Doug.

Doug felt his face redden. “Yeah, well, had I told her about us, none of this would have ever happened. And Mom and Dad would be out of their house.”

Tate stood and walked over to him, throwing his arms around him. “I know. I’m not blaming you.” He thought for a moment. “Wait, I am blaming you, but knowing the whole story, I totally forgive you.” He kissed Doug. “Let’s get a shower. I have a meeting at nine.”

“Meeting? For what?”

“Who do you think’s been doing your job since you’ve been loafing in jolly ole England?” He slapped Doug on the ass before heading to the bathroom. “I’ll have to get my razor out of Harper’s bathroom.” He stopped and glanced at the time. “Crap, it’s after seven. I need to make sure she’s up anyway. I haven’t heard her moving around.”

He grabbed his robe and headed for the door. Doug retrieved a pair of boxers from the drawer and followed him out into the hall.

He didn’t miss the worried look on Tate’s face as he stood at Harper’s door. “What’s wrong?”

He pointed toward the stairs. “Coffee’s not on yet. She’s not up. And her door’s locked.” He knocked. “Harper? Honey, it’s after seven. Time to get up.”

* * *

Harper spent a miserable night in and out of pain. About the time she’d get to sleep, another round of misery would overtake her, leaving her weak and trembling. She’d ask Tate to take her to the doctor in the morning. There was something wrong with her, and she was in too much pain to worry who the fuck knew.

Finally, she managed to drift into a fitful sleep. At some point she awoke to Tate knocking on her bedroom door and calling to her. She was going to answer when another wave of pain took the breath from her. She tried to sit up and only succeeded in rolling out of bed, landing on the floor on the far side, where she lost consciousness.

* * *

Tate didn’t like the worry in his gut. Harper hadn’t looked good the day before, but after hounding her to check her sugar, he assumed it was just emotions from Doug’s impending arrival. He knocked again. “Harper? Are you okay? Come unlock the door, please. I need to get in there.”

Doug stood next to him. “Harper, please? We also need to talk to you.”

They listened and got no response.

Tate walked down the hall, found where his pants had landed at the top of the stairs, and fished his cell phone out of his pants pocket. He returned to Harper’s door and dialed her cell. Inside the room, they heard the muffled tone of her phone ringing several times until it stopped, and on Tate’s end it went to voice mail. He hung up and tried again with the same results.

This wasn’t right. He balled up his fist and pounded on her door, deep worry setting in. “Harper! Open this door right now, goddammit, or we’ll break it down! Answer me! Are you okay?”

“Why wouldn’t she be okay?” Doug asked.

Tate ignored the question as he handed him his cell and tried wrenching the doorknob open. No good. He took a couple steps back and slammed into the door with his shoulder. The door shook, but didn’t give.

“What the hell are you doing?” Doug asked.

“She’s in there, and there’s obviously a problem. Are you going to stand there or help me, dammit?”

Together, they hit the door two more times, and the lock finally gave, splintering the doorframe. They rushed in. Tate spotted her first and rushed to her side.

“Oh, fuck. Honey, are you okay?” He cradled her in his lap and gently patted her cheeks.

Doug stared, shocked. “Should I call 911?”

“Get her monitor first. I need to check her blood sugar. She might just have forgotten to eat.”

“What?”

Tate looked up. “Her blood sugar monitor. It’s on the bathroom counter. Go!”

The frantic tone of Tate’s command seemed to spur Doug to action. He found it on the counter and hurried back with it, handing it to Tate, who immediately checked her level.

“Since when does she need that?” Doug asked.

“She’s had type 1 since she was a kid.” He didn’t look up from the monitor while it calculated her level. “She didn’t tell you. Didn’t want anyone to know. Dammit! It’s normal. Call an ambulance.”

Doug apparently tried to process all this information. “She’s diabetic and didn’t tell me? Why didn’t she—”

“Doug!” Tate screamed, looking up at him. “We can talk about this later. Call 911!”

Doug grabbed the phone while Tate carefully picked her up and laid her on the bed. When Doug hung up with 911, he said, “They’re on the way.”

Tate didn’t look away from her. “Good. Go get our clothes out of the hall and open the front door. Bring me my clothes. I’ll ride with her. Take my car since it’s already in the drive and follow us.” When Doug left to do it, Tate grabbed her hand and stroked it. She felt hot, feverish. “Come on, honey. Wake up and look at me.”

Doug returned with his clothes as they heard an ambulance approaching. Tate quickly yanked on his clothes and grabbed her purse. “Go down and meet them. Then hurry up and get dressed.”

Tate had Harper’s purse and phone by the time the EMS crew made it upstairs. Tate told them as much as he knew about her condition and how they’d found her.

“I’m going with you,” he said as they transferred her from the bed to the gurney.

“What’s your relationship to the patient?” one of them asked.

“I’m her boyfriend,” he said.

He was vaguely aware of Doug standing near the door and silently watching.

“Okay,” the paramedic said. “Let’s get her transported.”

Tate followed them as Doug trailed behind. “What hospital are you taking her to?” Doug asked before Tate climbed into the back of the ambulance.

“Tampa Community,” one of the EMTs replied.

She briefly regained consciousness in the ambulance. Tate grabbed her hand and kissed it. “Hey, sweetie.”

“What’s…going on?” Her voice sounded weak.

“We found you passed out in your bedroom. Your blood sugar was okay. They think you’ve got some sort of infection.”

“Hurts. Stomach…”

One of the paramedics took over. “Miss Wells, what kind of pain are you having?”

“Stomach.”

When he tried to palpate her abdomen, she cried out in pain.

Tate stroked her hand. “I love you, baby.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. “I love you, too…” Her eyes fluttered closed again.

At the hospital, Tate got out of the way while they rushed her into the ER. He had to handle her admissions paperwork, and was finishing up with it when Doug arrived. A nurse led them back to the room, where Harper lay unconscious, hooked up to IVs and monitors.

A doctor carrying a clipboard walked over to them. “Are you family?”

Doug remained silent as Tate spoke up. “I’m her boyfriend.”

“Looks like she’s got acute appendicitis. We need to operate immediately in case it’s ruptured.” He showed Tate the surgical forms and where to sign. “Is she allergic to anything?”

Tate took the pen and signed where indicated. “No, she’s a type 1 diabetic, though.”

“Yes, the paramedics told us.” He handed the men off to a nurse. “She’ll take you to the waiting room. Once we know more, we’ll either call the waiting room or send someone out to talk to you. Any questions?”

“Is she going to be okay?”

He didn’t like the hesitation on the doctor’s face. “We’ll take good care of her, sir.”

In silence, the men followed the nurse to the waiting room. “I’ve got to call Gorden and Harrison,” Tate said. He felt horrible, guilty. If he’d checked up on her the night before, he could have gotten her help sooner. “Dammit, why didn’t I get up and go check on her?”

“Why didn’t she tell me about her diabetes?” Doug softly asked again. Tate felt a little sorry for him. He looked shell shocked.

“Because you know how she is. She is fiercely protective of her privacy and doesn’t like showing weakness. No one else at the office knows except me, Gorden, and her father.”

“I lived with her. I love her. How could she not tell me?”

“You know how she is,” Tate offered again.

“Then why did she tell you?” Doug looked hurt. “Why didn’t she trust me enough with that secret?”

“Probably because of the same damn kind of thinking that led to you not telling her about me,” Tate said, exasperated. He realized Doug was trying to wrap his mind around everything, but he had to deal with telling her dad. “And she had no choice but to tell me, because at our first meeting her blood sugar tanked and I pulled her out of it.”

He looked up Harrison’s phone number first and called him. As he expected, he reached the man’s voice mail. He left him a message and called Gorden next.

He took the news well, but understandably sounded upset. “I’ll meet you there at the hospital. I’ll keep trying Harrison for you. He’s more likely to pick up if he sees it’s me calling.”

When Tate hung up, he leaned back in his chair and stretched. He didn’t want to worry, wanted to believe everything would be okay and turn out fine.

Doug sat, elbows on his knees, head hung low.

Tate didn’t have the patience to deal with his worry about Harper and Doug’s bruised ego at the same time. Harper would always take precedence. “Look, I know you’re not used to hearing stuff like this from me, but suck it up. When she’s out of surgery, she’s going to need us.”

* * *

Doug knew Tate was right, but he couldn’t stop beating himself up over this. He’d outright lied to Harper about himself from the start. He had no business feeling hurt over the fact that she hadn’t told him about her diabetes. When Gorden showed up, he pulled up short when he spotted Doug.

“Hello, Doug.”

He nodded to him. “Gorden.”

Gorden looked from him to Tate and back. “Well, I’m sure there’s going to be an interesting story to hear later, but for now I’ll settle on knowing how Harper’s doing.”

“We haven’t heard from the OR yet,” Tate said. “They said they’d let us know. Did you get in touch with Harrison?”

Gorden took a seat across from them and shook his head. “No. He’s down at Boca, probably out on the boat and can’t hear his phone.” He crossed his arms and stared at Tate.

“Don’t start with me, Gorden,” Tate said, sounding weary. “I’m so not in the mood for it today.”

Gorden arched an eyebrow at him. “I didn’t say a word.”

“You gave me the look.”

Doug watched the interplay like a Ping-Pong match. Obviously, Tate had a different relationship with Gorden than he’d had. And that was another thing. “Why,” Doug asked Gorden, “didn’t you tell me about Tate?”

Gorden shrugged. “I was ordered not to. Do you honestly think I’m going to cross her? And don’t even start with me, son. I don’t know the whole story, but I can guess what it’s going to be. Your glass house isn’t rockproof.”

Doug shut up. He knew he deserved that and more. Every bit of it.

Fifteen minutes later, a nurse came out to talk to them. Harper’s condition was stable. The problem was her appendix, but despite the infection, it hadn’t ruptured yet, so that was good. Had it been a couple hours later, however, it might not have ended well. Surgery would take a while longer, and then she’d be moved to recovery.

The men thanked her and sat down to wait some more.

Four hours later, Harper was out of recovery and in a private room. The men gathered around her bed once they were allowed to visit her.

Doug felt a little jealous that her first pained, sleepy smile was for Tate. He swallowed that back.

Tate leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. “Hey there, sleepy. How you feeling?”

“Been better,” she whispered, but the faintest of smiles curled her lips. She turned her head to look at Doug. “Welcome home.”

He forced a smile and also leaned in to kiss her forehead. “Sorry it wasn’t under better circumstances, sweetie.”

Gorden stepped in, forcing Doug to move out of the way. “Hey, sweetheart. I’ve been trying to call your dad, but I think he’s on the boat.”

She nodded. “It’s okay. Don’t let him freak out too much when you talk to him.”

“I promise nothing. You know how he is.”

She offered up another weak smile. “Can I talk to Doug and Tate alone, please? Just for a couple of minutes.”

Gorden glared at the men and then nodded. “All right. I’ll be outside the door if you need me.”

When the three of them were alone, she looked at Tate, then Doug. “I guess he told you what happened.”

Doug stroked her hair. “Yeah.”

“I want you two to be happy.”

“We’ve got news for you,” Tate interrupted. “We’re changing the terms of the contract.”

“What?”

Doug nodded. “You’re getting a two-fer. We both love you, and neither of us is giving you up.”

She looked confused. “What?”

Tate took her hand in his. “If you think you’re getting rid of either of us, or of both of us, think again. The only way the two of us will leave you is if you order us gone.”

* * *

Maybe it was the aftereffects of the anesthesia. “What are you saying?” She couldn’t comprehend it.

“What we’re saying,” Doug said, “is that the three of us”—he pointed at Tate, her, and then himself—“are going to have a happily ever after together.”

“But what will people say?”

Tate snorted. “Since when has that ever factored in anything you’ve done? If you want, we can still go along, at least for now publicly, with the charade that it’s just Doug that’s your boyfriend.” He stroked her cheek. “At home, however, be prepared for your social calendar to be full. Because you are stuck with us.”

This couldn’t be happening. Sure, she’d fantasized about it, especially after all the erotica books she’d read and then falling for Tate, but she never dreamed it would be something they’d want to do, too. “You mean it?” she whispered.

Both men nodded. “Damn straight we mean it,” Doug said. “And we’ll show you exactly how much we mean it once you’re better and out of this hospital bed. You’ll be lucky if you can walk straight.”

She laughed, then moaned over the pain it caused. “Please don’t make me laugh.”

“Sorry,” he said. He gently squeezed her hand. “And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Tate. I just wanted to help my family. I didn’t do it trying to take advantage of you. I really do love you.” He looked at Tate. “And Tate. If you both still want me after all this, there’s no way in hell I’ll walk away from either of you ever again.”

Maybe it was the pain meds. Maybe it was the fact that, due to the surgery and the pain, she felt more alone and vulnerable than she ever had in her life.

Maybe she was just certifiably insane.

She nodded as she started crying.

The men gathered around her, trying to reassure and calm her. “It’s okay,” Tate softly said. “We’re here. You’ll never be alone again, baby.”

“Yeah,” Doug agreed. “We’ll take care of you. We promise.”

She was still crying and holding both of their hands when Gorden returned a few minutes later. When he saw her tears, he exploded. “What the hell have you two assholes said to her?”

He started toward the men, but Harper found the strength to sit up. “No, Gorden, it’s okay,” she reassured him even as she pulled the men’s hands more tightly to her. “I want them here. I love them.”

He pulled up short. “Them?”

She nodded. “Them,” she softly repeated.

“What the hell is going on?”

Tate brushed the hair away from her forehead. “It’s a long story, and I’m sure you’re not going to like parts of it, but rest assured, Doug and I promise we’re going to take good care of her.”

“Forever,” Doug emphasized, his sweet brown eyes never leaving hers.

Gordon stood there, silent, for a long moment. “You’re trying to tell me it’s going to be the three of you, together?”

“Yeah,” Tate said. He looked at Gorden. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“I have a problem with the fact that you two seem to be playing some sort of game with her heart.”

“It’s no game,” Harper said, struggling to speak up and make herself heard despite her weariness and pain. “I love both of them, and they love me. You’ll have to get used to the fact that our family business really is now a family business.” She lay back, the men helping ease her onto her pillows. “If I’m to run this company, I insist on them being part of it.”

Gorden heavily sat in one of the chairs. “I’m not explaining this to your father. You get that pleasure. He’s going to shit himself. Do you honestly think he’s going to be okay with this arrangement?”

“I don’t care if he’s okay with it or not. He has no choice but to be okay with it or keep his opinions to himself if he wants to be part of my life.” She looked from Doug to Tate, then back to Gorden. “No, I didn’t know Doug and Tate were together before Doug started this job. It’s okay. I understand his rationale. He didn’t do it to play games, he did it to help his family. I’m just lucky enough that both these guys love me as much as I love them.”

Gorden started to reply when his phone rang. He let out a joyless laugh. “Great. That’s your father.” He answered, started to speak, then Harper motioned for Gorden to hand the phone to her.

“Hold on, here’s Harper.” He brought her the phone.

“Honey? What’s wrong? What’s the matter?” Her father sounded frantic.

“I’m okay, Daddy. I’m in the hospital.”

“What!”

“It’s okay. I had surgery. Appendicitis. I’m going to be fine.” She couldn’t say anything else because of the flurry of questions on the other end of the line from her father. When he settled down, she continued. “Daddy, everyone tried to get hold of you. I’m okay. I’m out of surgery and in a—”

“What hospital? I’m on my way right now.”

“Daddy, it’s okay. I don’t need you rushing up here and getting yourself hurt.” She glanced around the room, her gaze ending up on Tate. “I have Tate and Doug and Gorden here with me. I’m okay. Please promise me you’ll take your time.”

He was silent for a moment. “Doug’s back?”

“Yes.”

“But what about Tate? I was under the impression that you two were—”

She sighed. “Please, Daddy, we can leave that for later. They’re okay, we’re okay, everything’s okay, I’m okay. Okay?”

He finally let out a snort. “Okay. Now where the hell are you?”

“I’ll let Gorden tell you that. Love you.”

“I love you, too. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

“Get a shower before you come up here or you’ll stink like bait.”

He laughed. “Yes, ma’am. Now I know you’ll be okay if you’re handing out orders.”

She handed the phone back to Gorden, who gave him the info and then hung up. “Well, he warned me we’re going to have a long talk.” He waggled his finger at Harper. “I’m pointing him straight back to you, young lady.”

She closed her eyes as she nodded. “No problem.”

Gorden was going to say something else when the nurse came in. “Sorry, guys, I need to get her vitals, give her more meds, and she really needs her rest.”

Harper didn’t open her eyes, but squeezed Tate and Doug’s hands before releasing them. “Go get something to eat and get your own showers. Someone please bring my phone and laptop.”

Doug leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Phone, yes. Laptop, not until you’re feeling better. I’ll bring you your Kindle and you can research.”

Her eyes popped open. Both Doug and Tate were smirking. Gorden shook his head.

“I don’t want to know. Don’t tell me.”

“No problem,” she agreed.

Tate leaned in and kissed her, too, then Gorden. “Get some rest, sweetheart.”

“I will. I promise.”

* * *

Tate knew Gorden wouldn’t wait long. He turned on them in the hallway, down by the elevators. “Spill it. Now.”

Tate and Doug exchanged glances, before Tate took over and gave Gorden the short version while Doug suddenly found his shoes very interesting to stare at. When he finished the story, Gorden stared at him, then Doug.

“Let me tell you both something,” Gorden said, his voice low and angry. “If the two of you fucking hurt her, I will fuck the two of you up so badly you’ll wish you’d never even met her. And Harrison, I’m sure, will help me. Do you both understand me?”

Tate stepped in, toe to toe with him. He dropped his voice, too. “Let me tell you something, Gorden. We love her, and we will never hurt her. If you or Harrison give her a hard time about her choice in this, then you’ll deal with us. Do you understand me?”

Doug nodded his agreement.

Gorden studied the two of them for a moment before nodding. He didn’t back down, however. “Fine. But both of you have to prove yourselves to me that you’re looking after her best interests.”

“That’s fair,” Doug said. “I hope you stop feeling that way at some point before our fiftieth anniversary together.”

Gorden rolled his eyes, but he laughed. “You two idiots are just stubborn enough to make this work, aren’t you?”

Tate and Doug both nodded. “And considering how stubborn Harper is, you know there’s no way in hell this won’t work.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Harper napped for several hours before Doug and Tate returned that afternoon. She was happy to see they’d arrived before her father.

“How you feeling, sweetie?” Tate carried an overnight bag she assumed was for her and set it on the floor next to her bed.

“Tired. Hungry. They said I can’t eat yet, but if I feel up to it, I can have clear liquids tonight.”

Tate, then Doug, leaned in and kissed her. “We’ll start bringing you good food,” Doug said, “as soon as they clear you to eat.”

“I’d kill for a cheeseburger.”

“We’ll see,” Tate said. “Maybe I can wrangle you one.”

“Or a milkshake.”

Doug shook his head. “No way.”

“What?”

“No. I’m not letting you have one.”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “Did you say ‘let’? I know I didn’t hear you right.”

“You have diabetes. You have to watch your diet.”

She glared at Tate. “I’m sorry,” he said. “When we found you, duh, the first thing I did was check your sugar. Kind of obvious.”

She sighed and returned her attention to Doug. “I’m not your mom. I’ve lived with this since I was a kid. I manage it.”

“How did you hide it?” he grumbled.

“The same way you hid Mr. Blue Eyes, here,” she said. “I just didn’t tell you.”

“I mean your meds and stuff.”

She shrugged. “I used the fridge in the garage and the one in my office. It wasn’t that hard.” She poked him in the chest. “Don’t you go all mother hen on me, now. I’d say me hiding that ranks a lot less than you hiding Tate.”

“Yeah, I have an ass that’s too cute to hide,” Tate snarked in an obvious attempt to lighten the tone.

She somehow avoided laughing. “You’ve got that right.” She finally got a smile out of Doug.

“Yeah, it is a cute ass,” he agreed.

She squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry. You’re right, I should have told you about my diabetes, and yes, it was stupid of me to hide it.” Looking back, she couldn’t understand or explain why she didn’t tell him sooner. It was pretty childish of her. “I was going to tell you the night of your mom’s party, when I saw her and found out about her diabetes.” She felt herself blush. “Then I found out about Tate.”

“Well, I’m not complaining,” Tate teased. He glanced at the open doorway to make sure they were still alone before leaning in and dropping his voice. “I got to fuck her ass first. So nyeh.” He stuck his tongue out at Doug.

Harper couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing, as did Doug. It hurt, and she held a pillow to her abdomen as instructed by the nurse while she tried to stop laughing. By the time she had herself under control again, tears of laughter and pain were rolling down her face. “Stop, please, you’re killing me.”

Doug smiled. At least he didn’t look sad anymore. “He just has this thing about being first, Harper,” he said. “He got to be the first to fuck my ass, too.” He leaned in and kissed her, then whispered, just loudly enough Tate could also hear, “But I’m calling dibs on your ass right now for the first time the three of us are in bed together.”

How could she be in so much pain and yet her pussy had suddenly gone totally wet, her clit throbbing at the thought of making that fantasy come true? She swallowed hard. “Okay,” she whispered.

Tate grinned. He reached across the bed and smacked Doug hard on the shoulder. “See there? You’re a fucking sadist. You just made the poor girl horny. Hell, you just made me horny.”

“Don’t mind me,” she said with a smile. “I wouldn’t be offended if you two wanted to give me a show.”

“Oooh, she likes to watch,” Doug joked.

“You just wait until I’m feeling better,” she shot back. “You two better hope you can keep up with me.”

“I like a challenge,” Tate said. He stroked her cheek. “And there’s the Harper I wanted to see, my sweet, feisty girl.”

She blushed as she looked from him to Doug and back again, then burst into tears. Both men leaned in close, holding her, trying to get her to tell them what was wrong. How could she put it into words that, despite the fact she’d just gone through major surgery, nothing was wrong? In fact, she’d never felt like things were going more right in her life.

Except—

Her father swooped into the room, surrounded by a cloud of several dozen Mylar balloons nearly obscuring him. “Where’s that goldbricking little girl of mine?” he boomed from inside the mass.

She tried not to laugh. “Hi, Daddy.”

His head popped out of the balloons. She didn’t miss the glare he briefly shot at both men before his smile returned. Tate and Doug stood and moved out of the way as Harrison took over her bedside. He handed the balloons off to Tate. “Take care of these, please. And welcome back, Doug.” He sat next to her bed and grabbed her hand. “How are you?”

“Daddy, I’m fine, really. They said I can go home in a couple of days as long as I don’t have an infection. They caught it before it ruptured. I’m on antibiotics…”

He wore her out. Doug and Tate stayed out of his way, in the corner, watching the TV and trying to remain invisible. She didn’t miss when her father occasionally shot dark looks their way.

When the nurse came in a little later to give her another round of meds and check her vitals, Harrison grilled her for all the information. Harper rolled her eyes and told the nurse he was her father. Before the nurse would answer any of his questions, she filled out a form with Harrison’s name and made Harper sign it. As Harper took the pen, she noticed additional spaces for people allowed to access her information. She filled in Gorden, Doug, and Tate’s names.

Her father watched but didn’t comment.

As the nurse talked with Harrison, she changed out Harper’s IV meds and took her vitals. She updated the chart. “Any more questions, sir?”

Now satisfied Harper wasn’t dying, he’d apparently been appeased. “No,” he said, his tone gentler than before. “Thank you, nurse.” He returned his attention to Harper. “You sure have a way of scaring the crap out of me, you know that?”

“Considering this is my first hospitalization since I was a kid, I think you’re exaggerating just a little, Daddy.”

“Maybe,” he groused. “But you’re still my little girl.”

“You should go get something to eat,” she said, more to get him out of there than anything.

He looked at Doug and Tate, but didn’t say anything to them. “You’re right,” he said. “I’ll stop by again before visiting hours end.” He kissed her. “Love you.”

“Love you, too, Daddy. Thank you for the balloons.” When he left, she noticed Tate and Doug visibly relaxed. “You two will have to face him at some point. You know you will.”

“Just not today and not here,” Tate said as he glanced at the time. “But he’s right, we need to go take care of some stuff at the office and let you get some sleep.” He kissed her. “We promise we’ll play nice.”

Doug agreed as he leaned in to kiss her. “Yes, we won’t get into it with him or Gorden. We’ll come back later.”

“I love both of you.”

Both men smiled. “Love you, too,” Tate said.

Doug laughed. “Me, too. You realize when we get you home we’re going to show you, right?”

“I hope so.”

When she was alone again, she closed her eyes and listened to the TV as she tried to sleep. She’d gone from being virtually alone, to having two men in love with and devoted to her.

How’d I get so lucky?

Maybe she’d have to start rereading some of her Kindle books to find out how those heroines handled having two hunky heroes at their disposal.

* * *

They discharged her two days later. With no sign of infection and her surgical incision healing well, the doctor signed off on letting her go home. Her father tried to get her to come home with him, but she gently refused both his and Gorden’s offers to host her during her recovery.

She wanted to be alone, at home, with her men.

Tate and Doug got her settled on the couch in the living room with the remote and, yes, her laptop. They finally relented and said she could use it as long as she didn’t wear herself out. That first night back at home, sleeping snugly nestled between both men, Harper began to realize maybe her dreams could come true, that she could have it all. Love and a career. Even better, a career working hand in hand with the men she loved.

Despite their flirting and teasing that seriously stoked her libido and her ego, neither man made a serious attempt to seduce her over the next several days. Both feared injuring her and wanted to wait until she had healed and the doctor cleared her to safely engage in sex again.

They did, however, take great pains to purchase and load new erotic books onto her Kindle. They also took great care of her, one of them staying home with her while the other went in to work, switching off every day so she wasn’t left alone.

After the third day at home, she couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m going stir-crazy. I want to go out.”

The men grumbled a little, bound and determined to keep her home and healing, but agreed to go out for dinner. She picked a sushi place not too far from the house. Once they were settled at a table, she said, “You two realize I’m not going to break, right?”

The men exchanged a glance. “We’re not taking any chances,” Tate said.

Doug agreed. “We already feel guilty enough. If we let anything happen to you, your dad and Gorden will kill us and dump our bodies in the Gulf.”

That was a revelation. Not the body dumping, she expected that, but their guilt. “Guilty over what?”

The men exchanged another glance. Tate said, “That it took us so long to find you the other morning.”

She sat back. “Beep beep, back the truck up. I thought it was like around seven when you found me?”

“It was,” Doug said.

“You make it sound like I laid there all night or something.”

Both men blushed. “If we had gone to talk to you sooner,” Tate said, “instead of…Well, we feel badly about that.”

She fought the urge to both laugh and roll her eyes at them. She leaned in and motioned them to do the same so she could drop her voice. “Listen to me, you two. I’m only going to say this once. You two have nothing to feel guilty about. I didn’t lay on the floor all night. I was getting up that morning when I heard you two. I should have gone and knocked on your door and woken you up in the middle of the night and asked you to take me to the hospital, but I thought I could tough it out until morning. Had you come to check on me, I still wouldn’t have asked to go to the hospital. Okay? So dump the guilt. That’s an order.”

She grabbed an order pad from the holder on the table and started putting her order together. Part of her fumed. While she liked being taken care of, she didn’t like being treated like an invalid. She wasn’t used to it, and it rubbed against the grain to the very core of her being.

They needed a distraction.

As her pencil hovered over a selection, a smile curved her lips. Distraction.

She knew exactly the distraction they needed.

* * *

When they returned home, she herded the men upstairs. In the bedroom, she kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed. She pointed at them. “You two. Strip. Now.”

The men looked at each other, grinned, and started removing their clothes.

Harper leaned back and watched with a smile. “That’s right. Give me a show.”

“Oh, she wants a show,” Tate said. He grabbed Doug and kissed him before they both had their shirts off.

Harper felt her clit throb at the site. She’d seen them kiss before, but not like that. Always quick “love you” pecks in passing or at bedtime.

This was damn sexy.

“That’s real good,” she said. She peeled off her underwear and dropped it on the floor. Then she pulled up her skirt and started playing with herself. When the men saw her, they froze, enthralled by the sight. “Did I say you two could stop kissing?” she asked. “And why aren’t you still getting naked?”

The men laughed and continued kissing, working on each other’s shirt buttons until they were both naked from the waist up.

“Excellent,” she said. “Now your pants.”

They kicked their shoes off and started working on each other’s belt and slacks until they were both standing there naked, their stiff cocks rubbing together as they kissed.

She pulled her shirt, bra, and skirt off and scooted back on the bed. She patted the mattress in front of her. “Come here, boys.”

Smiling, they complied, crawling up the bed like they were stalking her.

“Uh-uh,” she chastised, shaking a finger at them. “I’m in charge tonight.” She knew she wasn’t up for a full-on fucking, but she wanted relief and wanted to see them together. She spread her legs and pointed down at her swollen clit. “Take care of me first, and then I’ll let you take care of each other.”

The men practically dove on top of her. She didn’t know whose fingers ended up inside her pussy and ass or whose tongue exactly was on her clit, and she didn’t care. They each reached a hand up to play with her nipples as she lay back with a happy moan. She stroked their hair as they serviced her, bringing her several hard orgasms that left her shaking and trembling on the bed.

“Okay,” she finally said. “That’s good, boys.”

The men sat up and took turns kissing her. From the taste of her juices on both of their lips, she realized they’d taken turns. “Now what, sweetie?” Doug asked.

She let out a happy sigh and laced her fingers behind her head. “Whatever the two of you want to do, as long as it’s a good show.”

Doug pounced on Tate, pinning him to the bed, kissing him hard. She empathized with Tate’s passionate moan. That was damn hot. She’d spent nights pinned just like that under Doug. And Tate.

She couldn’t wait until the doctor fully cleared her for sex again. She’d wear these two out.

Harper reached over and pulled a bottle of lube and several condoms out of the bedside table drawer. She deposited them next to the men, then lay back to enjoy the show.

Ahhh, and what a show.

Doug worked his way down Tate’s body with his mouth, nipping and biting and sucking his lover. When he reached Tate’s cock, he cast a quick glance up at Tate, flashed Harper a winning smile, then swallowed Tate’s cock all the way to the root.

Tate threw his head back as he shifted his hips, trying to fuck Doug’s mouth. Unable to help herself, Harper changed positions so she could get a closer view of the fun. Doug glanced at her again. She didn’t miss the smile trying to curl his lips even as his mouth was full of Tate.

“Take him deep,” she muttered to him. “Swallow every drop when you make him come.”

Both men moaned. Tate buried his hands in Doug’s hair, holding on tight and now truly fucking the other man’s mouth. Doug apparently gave up trying to keep time with him and instead opted to let him do it. Harper reached in and cupped Tate’s sac with her hand, gently rolling his balls and stroking his flesh.

“Fuck, yes!” Tate grunted as he took several thrusts harder than the others before falling still.

She grabbed Doug by the hair. “Hold on. Let me see before you swallow.”

He laughed, but turned, with his mouth open, to show her.

“Good boy,” she said. “Swallow.”

He did then grabbed her head and kissed her. She tasted Tate on him, jammed her tongue deep into his mouth, her libido resetting and building again. She’d have to get another round out of her boys, but not yet.

When she broke free from Doug, she stretched out next to Tate. “Good?”

He smiled and crooked a finger at her, inviting her closer. She went and enjoyed melting into his embrace as he slowly kissed her, nibbling on her lower lip in the way he knew would melt her spinal column.

Doug draped an arm across her legs. “Hey, someone’s still horny down here.”

“Shut up,” Tate muttered good-naturedly. “You’ll get your turn.” He kissed her again. “So how did you enjoy the show?”

“I’m still enjoying it and looking forward to the second act.”

“Good.” He sat up and twirled a finger at Doug. “Okay, Mr. I’m Still Horny. Assume the position.”

Doug laughed as he turned around and rolled onto his back. Tate knelt between his legs and crooked his finger at Harper to draw close. Doug had closed his eyes, and when Tate showed her what he wanted her to do, she grinned and nodded.

Tate grasped the base of Doug’s cock with his hand and let the member slide up and down sideways between his lips, from head to base and back again. Harper took the other side, enveloping his cock between them.

“Fuuuuck!” he moaned as he started shifting his hips in time with their movements. Harper licked and sucked on her side of Doug’s cock while Tate did the same. “Holy fuck, that feels sooo good!” Doug gasped. “What the fuck are you two doing?” She noticed he lifted his head to look, then dropped it to the bed again. His hands came to rest on the tops of their heads, and it didn’t take more than a minute for him to grunt. “I’m gonna come.”

Tate deftly moved her out of the way as he swallowed Doug’s cock from the head down. She watched as Doug’s sac tightened just before he cried out and Tate let out a muffled chuckle.

She grinned. “I don’t need to see this time.”

Tate laughed as he swallowed, then kissed her. “Nothing says lovin’ like teamwork, huh, baby?”

Doug and Harper both laughed.

“Yeah,” she agreed, “and I think I could use a little more teamwork from you two.”

Doug sat up, grinning. “Aw, did our show make you all hot and wet?”

“Yes, you big meanies.”

Tate grinned. “Don’t worry, baby. We’ll never leave you hanging.” He gathered her into his arms, kissing her, his hands playing with her breasts and nipples as Doug climbed between her legs and let his magic tongue get to work.

The books lied. This is better than fiction.

Nothing could ever feel better than this. Not the sex, either.

The feeling of being loved times two.

It didn’t take long for him to make her come again, leaving the three of them snuggled together, the men flanking Harper. As she fell asleep, she realized her world could fall apart tomorrow, and as long as these two men were still by her side, everything would always be okay.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ten days after Harper’s surgery, on her first day back at work, her father walked into her office without knocking first. He closed and locked the door behind him, meaning he wanted a long, private chat with her. She was on the phone with one of their attorneys. Her dad sat in front of her desk expectantly, without saying a word.

She tried not to feel his gaze on her as she talked. Finally she was able to end the call, and she looked at him. “Yes?”

He raised an eyebrow at her.

In the pit of her stomach, she knew what this was about. She didn’t seriously worry about him pulling rank on her and firing Doug and Tate, but this wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have.

“What?” she finally asked.

“You know what, little girl.”

“I’m not a little girl.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and waited her out. A reminder from childhood, when he knew she’d done something, she knew he knew exactly what, and he waited her out to admit it so they could continue with the discussion of whatever happened.

“What do you want me to say, Daddy?” she finally asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“I want you to tell me what the hell you think you’re doing.”

“I’m trying to live my life. You’re the one, if you’ll remember, who threatened to push me out of the company if I didn’t get a boyfriend.”

“No, I said if you didn’t learn to balance your personal life. I never said go out and get involved in a threesome!”

“Do you have a problem with my personal life?”

“I—” His mouth snapped shut. Finally, he said, “What do you want me to say? That I’m happy for you having two boyfriends?”

“No, I want you to say you’re happy for me falling in love with two wonderful men who love me and each other and who want to be a family. Two men who are as dedicated to this company as I am, for that matter. Hey, you always said when I was growing up that you pitied the man I ended up with because he’d have a hard time handling me. Now I have two who can share the job.”

He stared at her, stunned, before he finally burst out laughing. She smiled but didn’t join him, still unsure the direction the conversation would take.

“You’ve got a valid point there, sweetheart,” he eventually said when he composed himself. “No one man would ever be able to handle you.” He sighed. “What the hell am I going to do with you, kiddo?”

“Let me run this company, and my life, the way I need to. It’s that simple. I trust both of them to be as dedicated to the success of this company as I am. You either have faith in me and my abilities, or you don’t. And if you don’t, say so now so we can decide how to transition the company over to another CEO.” She wanted to hold her breath while waiting for his answer. It was a bluff, because the last thing she wanted was to walk away from something she’d worked so damned hard for.

After a silence that felt like forever, he nodded. “You’re right. You’re an adult, and I do have faith in you.” He shook a finger at her. “If they hurt you, I’ll kill them.”

When he stood, she did, too. She rounded the desk and hugged him. “Daddy, they love me. I love them. I know it’s crazy, but it’s what happened, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“If you’re happy, that’s all that matters, I suppose.” He released her and headed for her office door. “Are there any other surprises I need to be made aware of?”

“No, Daddy.”

He turned before he exited. “Don’t be surprised if someone, at some time, tries to use this against you. We’re in a business where people can be pretty cutthroat when going after contracts. I don’t have to tell you that. But if you want to walk this path, you’re going to need skin as tough as a shark’s. And you’re going to have to fight the urge to lose your temper if someone tries bullshit like that.”

She nodded. “I know, Daddy. It’s okay. I’m not worried about it.”

When he left, she plopped back down in her office chair. She knew he was right, but it wouldn’t change her mind about Doug and Tate. She loved them. She was done sacrificing her personal life. She could have them and her business, and god help anyone who stood in her way and tried to take either from her.

* * *

When she arrived home that night, Tate had gotten there first. They agreed they didn’t all have to go into the office together, or even at the same time. Sometimes Harper would go work out in the morning if she didn’t have meetings, and she treasured that alone time so she could clear her thoughts. She loved that the men wanted to give her space and not smother her twenty-four-seven.

“Hey, babe,” he said as she walked in and found him in the kitchen. He’d already started dinner. “What’s wrong?”

She set her briefcase on the table. “What do you mean?”

“The frowny thing. What happened?”

She slumped into a chair. “Daddy decided he wanted to talk with me today about our situation.”

“Oh.” Did he look a few shades paler? “And?”

“I told him it’s my life and that I’m an adult, and if he trusts me to run his company, he should trust me to run my personal life.”

His relief was obviously visible in how his whole posture relaxed. “Does he hate me and Doug?”

“No.” She grinned. “Not yet, anyways.”

He pulled her to him. “You get a kick out of yanking our chains sometimes, don’t you?” He held her tightly and nibbled on the side of her neck.

“Duh.” She moaned. Whenever either man did this to her it totally unhinged all her joints, started her clit throbbing, and usually ended up with them in bed in a very short amount of time.

Probably why they loved to do it to her so much.

Just as she was about to suggest they do just that, move upstairs into bed, Doug walked in. “Oooh, what am I missing?”

“Nothing…yet,” Tate teased as he released her with a final kiss on her neck.

“Not for lack of trying on my part,” she snarked.

Doug engulfed her in a hug. “Aww, is mean ole Tate teasing my poor girl?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, I promise we’ll take care of that after dinner. Won’t we, Tate?”

He’d already turned back to the stove, where something delicious was simmering. “Yep. Without a doubt.”

After dinner they made her wait until they’d cleaned everything up and the dishes were done and put away. Then Doug reached over and gave her a gentle slap on the ass. “Upstairs, young lady,” he teased. “March.”

She wondered for all of a second if scrambling full speed for the stairs counted as marching. Harper was already naked in the middle of the bed by the time the men made it upstairs and to the bedroom doorway.

“Hmm, she sure seems eager, doesn’t she?” Tate asked.

“Yep. She sure does,” Doug replied with a grin.

They advanced on her as they stripped, naked by the time they joined her in bed. She was ready for more than a show from them tonight. She wanted to go to sleep well fucked, and the doctor had cleared her to do it as long as nothing hurt.

Tate lay on his back, rolling her over on top of him. He kissed her, a firm fist in her hair holding her in place as she squirmed against him and tried to play Pin the Pussy with his cock. She was vaguely aware of Doug reaching for something before he returned to kneel behind them.

Then she heard the unmistakable sound of a condom pouch being ripped open. Doug delivered another playful slap to her backside. “Stop squirming. I can’t see what I’m doing.”

She reluctantly fell still as Tate distracted her with his tongue in her mouth. She felt Doug reach between her legs and realized he was rolling a condom onto Tate’s cock.

“Okay, now you can ride the pony, baby,” Doug joked. She felt him position the head of Tate’s cock at the entrance to her pussy. She slid him deep inside her with a happy moan. When she tried to ride him, Doug pressed one hand on the flat of her back. “Hold on, not yet. Just sit there and look pretty.”

Beneath her, Tate chuckled even as they still kissed. She finally lifted her head enough to talk without his tongue in the way. “Hurry up,” she whined.

“I’m hurrying.” She heard another condom pouch open before feeling cool lube drizzling down the seam of her ass.

She relaxed, her head on Tate’s chest, his heartbeat thrumming under her ear. It was finally going to happen. He slowly loosened her with two fingers. Both of them had done a lot of playing with her ass over the past few days. Her body had already learned to respond, her clit throbbing and cunt growing wet any time they played with her there, knowing it would feel good and soon end with an orgasm one way or another.

Doug withdrew his fingers and grabbed her hips. “Hold on, baby. Tell me to stop if it hurts.” She felt the head of his cock press for entrance and relaxed, enjoying the suddenly full sensation of both their sweet cocks stretching her at the same time. It was a sweet, delicious, momentary burn that soon turned into waves of pleasure as the men slowly began to move inside her.

She rose up a little on her arms, the sudden change in angle allowing both cocks to hit all her sweet spots at the same time.

“Oooh, yeesss!” she hissed.

Tate reached up and gently rolled her nipples between his fingers, adding to the pleasure. “You think you can come like this for us, baby?”

Before the sound of the question even died in the air, she felt the first orgasm swamp her from the way his cock stroked against her clit. She cried out, trying to thrust harder, deeper, but Doug wouldn’t let her.

“I think that’s a yes,” Doug said.

“I’d say so,” Tate agreed.

She came three more times, between Tate’s cock against her clit and hitting her G-spot deep inside, before Doug turned her hips loose. He grabbed her shoulders as he grunted. “Okay, baby. Time for us to let loose.”

She let them take total control, giving up trying to maintain any kind of rhythm as Tate and Doug fucked her. It wasn’t more than a few seconds before she felt both of their cocks grow harder and thicker inside her, then the men came nearly simultaneously.

As they lay there in a sweaty, sated pile, Harper smiled. “I love both of you,” she whispered.

Doug kissed the back of her neck. “We love you, too, baby. Don’t worry, you’re stuck with us no matter what.”

She looked down into Tate’s smiling blue gaze. He nodded. “No matter what. We love you and you’ll never get rid of us. So put that into your contract.”

Harper laughed. “I might write a clause in there that I have the right to hunt either of you down if you try to leave.”

Doug nipped the back of her neck. “Maybe we’ll write a clause in there that you have to get our names tattooed on your ass.” He sat up and marked out two spaces on her ass cheeks. “There, and there. ‘Property of Doug and Tate.’”

She wiggled her butt at him. “Maybe I need to get you two tattooed.”

Doug carefully withdrew, but rolled her off Tate and onto her back. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head. He liked to do that a lot, she’d noticed.

She loved it.

“Maybe,” he growled, “I’ll make you get a clit hood piercing so when you’re sitting in a meeting you’ll feel it and think of how well fucked we’re going to keep you for the rest of your life.”

Her breath caught. She knew he was teasing, but the fantasy of it was enough to send another gush of juices into her already swollen pussy.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, baby?” He nipped her below her ear. She was vaguely aware of Tate getting up and doing something, but Doug had her full attention. “We’d take you to the piercing parlor,” he rumbled in her ear, “and put you up on the table. Tell the guy you’re our girl. Tate would hold one of your hands over your head, and I’d hold the other.” He reached down and pinched one of her nipples. “Maybe get these done, too. Have a chain connecting all three to lead you around by at home.”

She whimpered and squirmed, trying to get traction against his thigh to rub her clit, but he wouldn’t let her move.

“Would you like that, baby? To know under your clothes you were wearing our piercings?”

Harper couldn’t respond, her brain totally disengaged by all her available blood flow pooling between her legs and not her ears.

He chuckled as Tate came back. He kept her arms and shoulders pinned to the bed, but shifted his lower body enough Tate could get between her legs.

Then she heard the unmistakable sound of the Hitachi being switched on.

She nearly came off the bed when Tate pressed it against her clit. She cried out as the orgasm went on and on. Relentlessly, Tate refused to back off, forcing her to keep coming as she sobbed and cried through the never-ending pleasure.

Finally, she took a gasping breath. “Red,” she managed.

Both Doug and Tate immediately released her. Doug gathered her into his arms as she sobbed against him.

“Good tears?” they asked in unison.

She laughed and nodded even as she still cried.

Tate flanked her, adding his sweet, warm embrace and completing their trio. When she finally could put coherent thoughts and syllables together again, she kissed Doug and then Tate. “Wow,” she whispered.

Doug grinned. “Good?”

“Damn good.”

Tate brushed the hair away from her forehead. “Oh, I can see when you’re back to one hundred percent and ready for more exhausting fun that we’re going to have a blast filling your sweet head with all sorts of dirty fantasies.”

“As many as you want,” she said.

But for now, all she wanted to do was curl up with them and enjoy falling asleep between them while they watched the late news and softly chatted.

No, she didn’t give a shit what her dad said. She’d live in a hovel with these two men and work any two-bit job she could get before she gave them up.

* * *

Harper didn’t waste making up for lost time with her men. She found the men holding her back in bed over the next several days, still concerned about getting too strenuous with their activities out of fear of injuring her.

“Hey, the doctor said I could do whatever I felt like doing.” She felt like pouting.

Doug stroked her chin. “You pull those internal sutures, you’ll end up back in the hospital and be out of commission longer. Is that what you want?”

She stuck out her bottom lip. “No.” She tried to get help from Tate but found herself stymied there, too. “Don’t turn the puppy eyes on me, sweetie,” he said. “I’m with Doug on this one. I was already nervous enough the other night that we’d hurt you. A few more weeks, then you can swing from the chandelier if you want.”

Actually, on the agenda that evening before they could go home and fuck like bunnies was another business card exchange. Tate said he’d go home, but Harper insisted on both men coming with her.

As being with her, not just as “associates.”

Doug and Tate both tried to reason with her, but she’d have none of that. She put her hands on her hips and stared them both down. “Why are you arguing with me on this?”

The men exchanged a glance. “Well,” Doug said, “do you really want to out us all like this now? In front of Tampa’s movers and shakers?”

She shrugged. “Why not now? You two have plans to go somewhere I don’t know about in a few months?”

Both men shook their heads.

She smiled. “Good. Then it’s settled. You two are both going with me.”

With the holiday season rapidly approaching, Harper knew this particular soiree would be packed. It always was. Meaning more-aggressive-than-normal approaches from people looking for charitable donations. She’d simply refuse to go if she knew her father wouldn’t give her holy hell about it. Considering the thin ice she and her men were already treading with her father’s good graces, ditching the business card exchange wasn’t an option this month. Her father knew she despised going to these things to start with. The fact that she’d attended this one in particular, with no grousing to him about it beforehand, wouldn’t go unnoticed by Harrison Wells.

She explained that to Tate and Doug as they left the office and drove west down Kennedy to the Westshore insurance company’s office building where this month’s exchange would be held. Doug drove, while Tate rode shotgun and Harper sat in back. Unless she was driving, this was their normal seating arrangement.

Something Harper didn’t argue with. Remembering that little exchange with her men still made her panties damp. They’d quickly learned that at home or in private, she was more than happy to cede control to them. They never did anything unprofessional at work.

At least, not unless they locked her office door first.

They pulled up to the building. “You two go on in,” Doug said, “while I find a place to park.”

Tate jumped out and helped Harper from the backseat. In that way, they were always gentlemen. She held on to Tate’s arm as they made their way inside and grabbed nametags. For a brief moment, she playfully considered writing “Harper Wells-Gillis-Holt” on her nametag and waiting for the questions, but she opted simply for her name.

Tate winked at her and leaned in as he filled out his. “I saw that naughty thought flit through your mind,” he whispered in her ear. “Don’t rub their faces in it. You already look like the happiest woman here.”

She giggled. Giggling? That was something she never did before Doug and Tate came into her life, yet she found herself doing an inordinate amount of it lately. Giggling, laughing, and full-out deep-belly guffaws.

They stepped away from the check-in tables and to one side of the large foyer. “Oh, shit.” Her good mood evaporated as she spotted Julia Carson hovering three gaggles over.

“What?” Tate followed her gaze. “Is that who Doug told me about?”

“Yes—aw, crap.” Too late for Harper and Tate to look away, Julia realized their eyes were on her. She pasted on a great-white-shark-worthy smile, disengaged herself from her victims, who made a rapid escape, and cruised on over.

“Well, Harper. Hello. Such a…whatever.” One hand already held a half-empty cocktail glass. She held her free hand out to Tate, doing her best to wedge her body between Harper and Tate. “And who might you be?”

Harper grabbed his arm. Tate just looked at Julia’s hand without bothering to take it. Instead, he slipped his arm around Harper’s waist. “I’m Harper’s boyfriend.”

Julia arched a well-plucked eyebrow. “Interesting. I thought you were dating that…him.”

Harper looked behind them to see Doug, who looked pissed upon spotting Julia, stalking across the lobby toward them. He took up a defensive position on Harper’s other side and slipped his arm around her, too.

And for tonight’s main event, we have the Dynamic Duo versus the Bacardi Barracuda…

“Hello, Julia,” Doug said. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Now at an uncharacteristic loss for words, Julia took a step back. Harper could see her trying to digest the situation in her brain. She pointed at Tate. “You are…” She looked at Doug and frowned. “And you…”

Harper heard phantom warning claxons and a ghostly chorus of “We told you so’s” echoing through her brain.

Julia grinned as the dots finally connected. “Oh, isn’t this rich. Daddy’s little girl is a slut. Or is whore the proper—”

Doug and Tate both stepped forward, driving Julia a step back. Harper grabbed their belts and tried to keep them from advancing, but one more step and Julia was trapped in a corner, backed up against the ugliest planter full of fake palms that Harper had ever seen in her life.

“Now you listen to me,” Doug growled. “Just because Harrison had the smarts to dump your skanky ass doesn’t give you any reason to give Harper grief.”

Tate seemed to want his chance. His voice sounded equally low and dangerous. “You’ll stay out of our faces if you know what’s good for you. It’d be a shame if people started hearing about some of your bad real estate deals. Like, oh, say, the three condo buildings in Miami that were foreclosed on because you couldn’t pay the tab to the contractors.”

“What?” Harper exclaimed. Harper looked at him, stunned. This was something even she hadn’t heard. She’d never investigated Julia’s past, but as far as she knew, her history in Hillsborough County was spotless. Julia dealt in real estate, commercial and residential.

Doug nodded. “Or,” he picked up the thread, “that the state board revoked your contractor’s license ten years ago after you defaulted on payments to five other subcontractors because the projects kept failing inspections due to contaminated site issues that you helped cover up in the permitting process in the first place.”

Ah, the barracuda gets de-toothed.

Julia’s mouth flapped open and closed a few times as her face turned a delightful shade of puce. “That was all my ex-husband’s fault!” she hoarsely whispered. “He used my name on stuff. I didn’t have anything to do with it!”

Tate chuckled. “Funny, the records list you.” He tipped his head toward the crowded room, which had yet to notice the confab going on between them. “Maybe we should go ask some of those people in there if they’ve heard about it, see what their opinion is—”

“No!” Julia pushed her way past Tate and looked at them. “If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll ruin you!”

Harper laughed. “Funny thing is, Julia, I don’t have anything to hide.” She let go of her men’s belts and held out her hands. “Nothing at all.”

Julia nearly tripped into one of the waiters carrying a huge tray of canapés. She turned and scurried for the front doors.

Harper took a deep breath and grinned. “Now that was well worth coming here tonight. How did you guys find out all that stuff?”

Doug smiled down at her. “Gorden is a damn good teacher.”

“You can say that again,” Tate agreed. The two men fist-bumped.

“Now let’s go get some food into you,” Doug said in a semiscolding tone. “You’re due to eat.”

She hooked arms with both men as they headed from the foyer into the main lobby where the snack tables were set up. “Wouldn’t want me passing out.”

“Again,” Tate said, barely concealing his amusement.

“What?” Doug asked.

“Tell you later,” Harper and Tate said in unison then laughed.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Over the next month, Harper fully healed from her surgery. The three of them settled into a dynamic at home and at work that made her realize just how empty her life had been before the men took over her heart and her bed. Her father and Gorden, as well as Tate and Doug’s parents, all accepted their dynamic with a minimum of grumbling or disapproval.

Not that it mattered to the three of them, because they all agreed they would never give up the others ever again.

One Monday morning, Harper had just put down her stuff in the office after getting in her morning workout when Doug and Tate walked in, both looking grim. Tate carried a copy of the Tampa Tribune.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Without a word, he handed her the paper, the Metro section. On the front page above the fold, a headline read, “Local Aeronautics Company Under Investigation.”

She sat and read the story, written by Jared Stockholm. “Son of a bitch,” she whispered. “That bastard. ‘Anonymous source’ my ass. He talked to Bill James.”

“The problem,” Doug said, “is proving it.”

“This is written to sound like it’s some sort of fraud investigation. The GAO is just going through their normal auditing process. We haven’t done anything wrong! We’ve been through GAO audits before, it’s standard procedure. They do it on almost all of the big contracts, unless it’s black ops money.”

Tate nodded. “Unfortunately, this got picked up by the AP wire. I’ve already got a call in to John Eddings in public relations to do damage control.”

Harper stared at the story. “What the hell does James think he’s going to prove by doing this? We’ll clear our name in no time.”

“I think,” Doug said, “he’s hoping to stir up enough doubt and dust to scuttle the three contracts we’re bidding on now for the Navy. He’s partnered with a pissant start-up out of Washington state. Northwestern Pacific Navigational. Who, surprise, makes directional and navigational systems. One of the congressmen on the committee reviewing the contracts is from Washington state.”

“Assholes. Conflict of interest much?” She threw the paper onto her desk. “I sooo don’t need this bullshit right now.” She looked at the men. “I’d expect this kind of pettiness in high school, not from someone who claims to be a businessman.”

“You told him no,” Doug said. “It’s as simple as that. Someone like him, he’s used to getting his way. He’s been a big fish in a relatively small pond. Problem is, until recently he didn’t know just how small his pond was. He thought he was a big fish in a big pond. Now he’s starting to see the light, and he doesn’t like it much.”

“This still doesn’t make any sense. There’s got to be more to it.” She looked at the men. “Call Gorden in. He’s got a lot of contacts he can pump for information.”

* * *

Three hours later, after Gorden arrived and started making calls, they had what they believed to be their answer. They might have been a little too fast to lay the blame directly on James, but he most likely had a hand in it. More likely, the answer lay in the junior congressman from Washington state who received a lot of contributions to his fledgling reelection campaign coffers from people somehow tied to Northwestern Pacific Navigational.

Harper sat back in her chair and nodded. “That does make sense. This douche on the committee wants to make sure he can sway the other committee members to vote for his little hometown company so people keep pouring money into his campaign account. We just happened to get caught in the crossfire this time. Suggestions?”

Gorden glanced at Doug and Tate before returning his attention to her. “I say we bury the fucker. I can call in a few favors to bend some ears. Remind our own representatives in D.C. that our company employs far more of their constituents than some little pipsqueak company out west. One of the committee members is from Miami.”

Harper grinned. “God, I missed you.” She remembered her men standing there. “Sorry. No offense, guys.”

Tate smiled. “None taken. Believe me, I missed him, too.”

“Ditto,” Doug said. “I’m glad you’ve got our backs on this.”

“Hey, someone’s got to help you boys out,” he teased. “I imagine you’ve got your hands full just keeping her in line.”

She didn’t miss the look of love on both Doug and Tate’s faces. “You’ve got that right,” Tate said.

They were still talking when Eddings arrived.

“Cut to the chase,” she told him.

“Well, it’s like this. I think the fastest way to get in front of this is to talk to Jared Stockholm in person.”

“Fine, set it up.”

He cleared his throat. “It’s…ah…not that simple.”

“Why not?”

She didn’t miss it when he glanced at Doug and Tate. “When I talked to Stockholm a little bit ago, he said he’d be glad to interview you, would welcome the chance to do a follow-up piece.”

“Okay, so what’s the problem?”

“He asked me about Doug and Tate. Specifically, about rumors he’d picked up locally about you living with both of them.”

“Rumors?”

He nodded. “He said ‘a reliable source.’”

“Meaning Julia.”

“Probably.”

She felt her face redden. “That fucking son of a bitch! Get him on the phone right—”

“Harper!” Gorden snapped, silencing her. He turned to Eddings. “Set up the interview for late this afternoon. Four thirty. Doug, Tate, clear her calendar for the entire day.” He turned back to Harper. “You’re going to do exactly what I say and how, do you understand me?”

She wasn’t used to Gorden taking this kind of tone with her, but she nodded.

He looked satisfied. “They put the metro section to bed by seven at the latest, usually. We’ll keep him here and talking until at least six thirty. I doubt he’ll be able to put together a story in time.” He looked at Eddings again. “Who do you know over at the St. Pete Times?”

Eddings shrugged. “I know a couple of people. Why?”

“Get someone over here you trust, anyone who you think will be sympathetic, preferably a woman.”

Harper couldn’t help it. “What?”

Gorden wheeled on her, glaring. She fell silent. He nodded and continued with Eddings. “See if you can get them over here before lunch.”

Eddings grinned. “You are a sneaky bastard. You want their story to run tomorrow.”

Gorden grabbed a legal pad off Harper’s desk and started making notes. “Of course I do. I want the Trib reporter to look like an idiot. Their story probably won’t come out tomorrow. And when the Times story does, they’ll have to revamp theirs to not look like idiots.”

Tate gave Gorden a mock bow. “You are the master, sir. I’d tip my hat if I was wearing one.”

Gorden didn’t look up from the notepad. “Is her calendar clear yet?”

Doug and Tate exchanged looks. “Um, no, we aren’t done here—”

“Do it.”

Doug and Tate glanced at Harper, who nodded. The two men left without further word.

Eddings also stood. “I’m thinking Ceelie Reynolds, on their business desk, will be perfect. She loves doing stories on local businesswomen.”

“Great. Get her here ASAP.”

Eddings left.

Gorden finally took his attention from the notepad and focused it on Harper. “Have I ever steered you wrong?”

She shook her head.

“You’re going to do and say exactly what I tell you to. No temper tantrums, no slamming the Trib story or Stockholm when he gets here. Understood?”

She nodded.

He smiled. “Good girl.”

Harper really hoped Gorden didn’t notice how she blushed when he said that. It was too close to how Doug and Tate both took control at home.

* * *

Ceelie Reynolds didn’t appear to be too much older than Harper, but she had a well-worn and comfortable air about her that made Harper think of a mom-type figure.

That, and her atrocious choice of clothes. The pantsuit she wore looked like it came from a thrift shop sale two decades earlier.

Gorden took point. “We’re not going to try to pull one over on you, Ms. Reynolds,” he said. “We’re here to get ahead of a pretty unfair and totally biased story that appeared in today’s Tribune.”

She nodded. “That’s what I surmised when John called me.” She smiled. “So what’s the payout?”

Gorden laid their cards out on the table. Harper had to do very little talking. Doug and Tate didn’t open their mouths either. Once Gorden finished the business portion of the discussion, he nodded toward Harper, who sat flanked by Doug and Tate, on the sofa in her office. “And it also looks like someone wants to get into the mud and turn this into a statement on lifestyle, as well. Harper, Doug, and Tate are involved with each other. Unfortunately, her father’s ex-girlfriend, who didn’t want to be his ex, has decided to bend a few ears as well.”

Ceelie had been taking notes the whole time. She nodded again. She did that a lot, Harper noticed. “Julia Carson, right?”

Gorden looked impressed. “Yes. How did you know?”

She smiled. “I wondered why she called me a couple of days ago wanting to know if I was interested in a juicy story. As soon as I told her where to go with her gossip, she hung up on me.” She looked up from her notes. “I scratch your back, you scratch mine, right? What’s in it for me?”

Gorden smiled. “In addition to putting the correct version of the facts regarding the GAO audit on the record, as a footnote you get to add that Wells Technology is making a holiday donation of twenty-five thousand dollars to the Shriners Hospital for Children here in Tampa. And you will get to break the story that we are currently in the process of starting an annual 5k fundraiser, in partnership with the local SPCA, to raise money for their outreach program to help low-income families be able to keep their pets.”

Jesus, he’s brilliant. Kids and animals. If he could shit rainbows, we’d have an unbeatable hat trick.

Ceelie looked suitably impressed. “Successful local businesswoman who employs thousands throughout our state, as well as elsewhere, and a philanthropist.” She grinned. “I’m surprised you didn’t tie a bow on it for me.”

Gorden laughed. “Well, we didn’t want to make it too easy.”

Ceelie stood and shook hands all around. “Thank you for the scoop,” she said. “I love being able to rub the competition’s face in it. I’ll e-mail a finished version of the story before I submit it to my editors.” She shook her finger at Gorden. “But remember, I won’t hesitate to come down on you guys if I find out anything contradictory.”

“I would expect nothing less than integrity from the Fourth Estate,” Gorden said.

She snorted. “Yeah, right. Puh-leeze. Have you seen Fox News lately? That’s a hoot. Thanks again.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when she left. “Well?” Harper asked Gorden.

He smiled. “I think it went well.”

“Hell,” John Eddings said, “I think you nearly gave her an orgasm, Gorden.”

“That was the easy part.” He glared at Harper. “You and I still have some prepping to do before this afternoon.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” she said glumly. “I’m surprised Daddy hasn’t weighed in on this yet.”

“Who says he hasn’t?” Gorden said.

“Crap. Is he upset?”

Gorden rolled his eyes. “I wish. If he was only upset, that would be a vast improvement. I spent a good amount of time this morning convincing him that burning reporters at the stake is usually not only frowned upon, but that I was fairly certain it was illegal in at least twenty states, including this one.”

Harper finally laughed at Gorden’s smirk. He always had a way of cutting through the tension.

“Should I call him?” she asked.

Gorden, Doug, and Tate all answered in unison. “No!” Gorden continued after shooting a silencing glare at the two younger men. “I got him calmed down. You know how protective he is of you. If he thought the big, bad reporter was showing up here later, so would he. I don’t think even my considerable contacts and skills could help whitewash that shit storm.”

* * *

Later that evening, the four of them, Gorden, Tate, Doug, and Harper, quietly looked at menus. They’d left the office shortly after the interview and convened at an Italian restaurant not too far from Harper’s house. She surreptitiously glanced at the three men, who had spoken very little since the interview.

She finally put down her menu. “Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad!”

All three men eyed her. Gorden finally spoke. “It wasn’t that bad? I told you to do what I said. I told you to keep your cool. Calling Stockholm a ‘fucking, dickless douche’ is not my idea of keeping your cool!”

“I didn’t call him a douche,” she grumbled. “I called him an asshat. Besides, it doesn’t matter. Ceelie’s story will more than make up for any bullshit he tries to print.”

Gorden looked like he was trying to hold on to his cool. She didn’t care what Stockholm printed at this point. He’d taken the path they’d expected. After talking for all of ten minutes about business matters, he’d tried to get personal, asking her about her relationship with Doug and Tate.

“Anyway,” Gorden said, “let’s just hope the information Doug and Tate uncovered about Julia helps divert Stockholm’s attention her way. She’s a juicier story than you are at this point. No one locally knew about her business dealings.” He nodded at Doug and Tate. “My hat is off to you both. Good work.”

Doug smiled. “We grasshoppers tend to learn pretty well.”

“Yeah,” Tate echoed. “But I suspect someone’s earned themselves a spanking.” He looked pointedly at Harper, who blushed and suddenly found her menu totally fascinating, even though she’d eaten there more times than she could count and practically knew it by heart.

Gorden laughed. “I’m glad to see you two men keeping her in line. She needs it.”

* * *

Harper had forgotten about Tate’s threat by the time they got home. Apparently, her men had not. She came out of the bathroom, naked and ready for bed, surprised to find Tate and Doug still fully dressed and sitting next to each other on the side of the bed and wearing identical stern expressions.

Oh, crap. What the hell?

Doug patted his lap. “Come here, little girl.”

She fought not to blush, losing horribly. Her pussy was already starting to throb and grow wet. “What?” She didn’t move from the bathroom doorway.

Tate crooked a finger at her. “Don’t make us come get you. I told you, you earned a spanking today. You totally ignored what Gorden said to do during your interview with Stockholm.”

“I didn’t ignore him! I just… Hey, I was defending you two!”

Doug shook his head. “No, you lost your temper. And the two of us, if you haven’t noticed, don’t need defending. Our job is to take care of you.” He patted his lap again. “Now.”

Slowly, drawn more by their gazes than by willing desire, she slowly walked across the bedroom to stand before them. “What are you going to do?” She knew damn well what they were going to do. As badly as she didn’t want it, and knew if she flat-out refused, they wouldn’t do it, still she came to a stop in front of them.

But somewhere deep inside her, a dark, long-locked part of her soul creaked open. Yesss…

She didn’t want it, but she did.

Badly.

Doug gently grabbed her arm and pulled her face down onto their laps. He stroked her hair with one hand, then grabbed a firm fistful of it, the other resting in the middle of her back. Tate kept her legs pinned with one arm, his other stroking her ass.

“Time for naughty little girls to pay the price,” Tate said. Smack!

That wasn’t a playful, sexy swat. It was a full-on, stinging blow on her left ass cheek.

She squealed in protest when she felt Doug lift the hand on her lower back. “Yes, time for our bad little girl to learn her lesson.” Smack! Her right ass cheek was now stinging.

She squealed and squirmed and cried and tried to get away, and despite all the noise she made, she was embarrassed to admit her pussy was now so wet that if she didn’t leave a damp spot on their slacks, it would be a miracle. A few minutes later, they stopped, gently rubbing her stinging ass as she went limp and cried.

They helped her out of their laps and onto the bed, where Tate held her in his arms and stroked her hair. “Now that’s our good girl. Doesn’t that feel better?”

Doug gently pried her legs apart and used two fingers to part her labia. He slid them all the way in, slowly fucking her pussy with his hand. “Look how wet you are. Admit it, little girl. You want your men to keep you in line, don’t you?”

Her brain wanted to scream NO! and call them fucking assholes.

Her heart made her whisper, “Yes.”

“Good girl,” they softly said in unison.

She broke down sobbing. “Please don’t leave me!” Now where the hell did that come from? She felt like she was losing her mind. She should be pissed as hell, but all she wanted was for them to fuck her brains out.

Doug stopped what he was doing and moved up the bed to her other side. “We’re never leaving you,” he hoarsely said. When she looked, she saw his face was full of emotion. “Baby, we promise, we’ll take good care of you. You take care of the business, and we’ll take care of you.” He caressed her cheek. “All of you. The strong woman who needs us for backup, and the scared little girl who never wanted to let anyone close to her for fear of them seeing how scared she could be.”

Tate kissed her forehead. “If your dad fired all three of us tomorrow and we had to go work at a fast food restaurant, I’d still want to be with you, to love you, to protect you. Let us take care of you. Don’t fight us.”

Doug smiled at her. “Besides, it was only thirty swats. We would have stopped at twenty, but Gorden asked for an additional ten for his aggravation.”

She laughed. It’d felt like a lot more, but then again, she’d been too busy howling like a scalded cat and trying to get away to keep count.

“There’s our girl,” Tate said. “Now lay back. Good girls get rewarded.”

She relaxed as Tate kissed her and Doug resumed his plundering of her exposed southern region. He slipped two then three fingers into her pussy, finding and rubbing her G-spot and bringing her close to coming. When he leaned in and licked her clit, she exploded, her muscles contracting around his fingers.

“That’s our good girl,” Tate said. “Let him make you feel good.”

Good? That was the understatement of the year. Doug didn’t bother removing his clothes. He sat up, unfastened his slacks, and pushed them and his briefs down past his hips. He was almost inside her when he stopped. “Fuck. Condom.” He started to withdraw to get one, but Harper hooked her legs around his and shook her head at him.

They’d discussed this, but she’d never been sure of a timeline.

Now, she was.

The men froze. “Are you sure, sweetie?” Tate softly asked.

She looked at him and nodded again.

Doug leaned in and kissed her as he slowly sank his cock home. She wrapped her legs around his hips, thrusting to meet him, wanting to feel him come inside her. She stroked his back, her fingers slipping on the fabric of his shirt as she met each stroke.

It didn’t take him long. She didn’t care that she couldn’t come with him, either. As he lowered his head and kissed her, she pulled Tate close, kissed him, then nudged the two of them together to kiss.

She loved to watch them kiss.

“You next,” she whispered to Tate.

Doug rolled out of the way, and at least Tate managed to get his pants all the way off before he plunged his stiff cock into her. He didn’t last long either, but cradled in Doug’s arms, she didn’t care. She suspected this time wouldn’t lead to her getting pregnant, because it was too close to the end of her month.

But it never hurt to practice.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Harper surveyed the large dining room table. When she couldn’t remember where they’d ended up, Doug and Tate had spent the better part of an hour scouring the house for the two extra leaves to put in it to expand it to its full length. They were forgoing the formality of dishes in exchange for paper plates. By her last head count, they would have at least twenty people for Thanksgiving dinner.

It would be a fantastic holiday. The GAO audit had come out successfully, as they knew it would. The Tribune follow-up story had made no mention of Harper’s personal life, especially after the glowing Times story. A day filled with all her “family,” blood kin and otherwise. Football on the TV, and freshly baked pumpkin pies on the counter.

All’s well that ends well.

Harper did another count of chairs. They’d bought some folding chairs to fill in, and seating would be tight, but hopefully everyone would fit.

Food wouldn’t be a problem. Between Olivia, Sarah, and Tate’s mom, Natalie, bringing dishes of their own, they’d have enough food to feed an army.

Tate walked in with three paper-mache centerpieces. “I’ve got the turkeys,” he announced proudly. He’d insisted on decorating the house, and she couldn’t refuse him. He was so cute. Doug had taken over the bulk of the cooking duties.

“You are a turkey.” She took one from him and put it in the middle of the table. This was the first time she’d ever had people over to her house for a holiday dinner. She playfully bumped him with her hip.

“Yeah, he is that,” Doug said from the doorway with an amused smile.

Tate stuck his tongue out at him. “Says you, ya big gobbler.”

Doug grabbed his crotch. “I’ve got a gobbler for you right here.”

Harper was already nervous about hosting everyone at their house. Her father. Gorden, Olivia, and their kids and the kids’ dates if they had one. Carl, Sarah, Eileen, Tina, and Tina’s boyfriend. Natalie and Jordan Gillis, Tate’s parents, and Tate’s three brothers and a sister. “Guys, please?”

The men hugged her. Tate pulled a small, wrapped jewelry box out of his back pocket. “We’ve got you an early Christmas gift,” he said as he handed it to her.

Her heart pounded. “A ring?”

“Open it,” Doug said.

She did, with trembling fingers. Inside lay a beautiful gold bracelet with a small tag attached. When she read the tag…

She looked at them. “Seriously?”

Doug laughed. “It was Tate’s idea.” He took the medical alert bracelet out of the box and fastened it around her left wrist. Then he kissed her. “Hey, we love you, and what if something happens when we’re not around? Especially now.”

She frowned. “Especially now what?”

Tate laughed. “Oh, come on. Give it a rest. Your period is two weeks late this month. You rode us hard nearly every freaking night last month. You do the damn math.”

She blushed. She didn’t think they’d noticed she was late. She was too worried to jinx it in case she wasn’t pregnant yet, didn’t want to say anything unless she knew for sure.

Doug turned when he heard a car outside. “Go take her upstairs and get it over with,” he told Tate. “I’ll stall whoever our first guests are.”

Tate started leading her up the stairs, but she balked. “Get what over with? We can’t go sleeping together right now!”

Tate laughed. “You dirty-minded little girl. We grabbed one of those home pregnancy kits at the store last night when we ran out for last-minute stuff. Come on.” He brooked no resistance and marched her up to their bathroom, where he handed her the box.

Her hands trembled, and she handed it back to him. “I’m too nervous. Read it to me. Tell me what to do.”

* * *

When they got back downstairs, Gorden and his family were already there. Doug tried to get with them to find out the result, but kept getting sidetracked by Olivia wanting to help in the kitchen.

Harper was about to just blurt it out to Doug when her dad walked through the door. She couldn’t help it. She burst into tears and flung herself into his arms.

The room went silent as Harrison frowned and everyone looked at Harper, who was now sobbing in her father’s embrace. “What’s wrong, sweetie?” He glared at Tate and Doug, who’d heard the commotion and rushed out of the kitchen into the foyer. He held Harper at arm’s length. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

She shook her head and smiled. “Nothing’s wrong…Grandpa.”

THE END

WWW.TYMBERDALTON.COM

Content

Contractual Obligation
by
Tymber Dalton

DEDICATION

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four