by Fiona Archer
There were reasons why Heath was such a good cop. Ever observant. “I am, but there’s nothing I can do right now except be there when it all goes to shit.”
“You’re planning on being around Harper then?” Heath raised a brow. “Stanton’s comeuppance could be far into the future, if it happens at all.”
Seth had no idea. “Let’s take everything that’s happening right now one day at a time.”
What more could he say? The one thing he was certain of, that he wanted to achieve without fail, was easy to answer.
Protecting what he held dear was of most importance. And damn it all, if a curvy little café owner hadn’t worked her way onto that list. The question was, who posed the biggest threat to her? The imposter who wanted to bring Seth down, her father, or the shadowy organization he worked for?
CHAPTER EIGHT
Harper drizzled salted caramel sauce over the top of the butter cream icing on the caramel cupcakes. The two dozen squat domes of calorie laden goodness, her second batch today, sat in four lines on the café’s stainless steel worktable. With Carol sick, Harper had kitchen duty. The lunchtime rush, especially the demand for their signature burgers, ensured her Friday was flying by.
Magda dumped a dish in the sink and moved next to Harper. The taller woman leaned over and scanned the baked treats.
“Good. You didn’t skimp on the sauce.” The chef’s sturdy face remained impassive.
“Magda, when would I ever skimp on caramel sauce?” Harper chuckled as the woman rolled her eyes. Poor Magda. She’d had to put up with Harper’s off-key singing. But thankfully, the ill-tempered chef had refrained from bonking Harper on the head with the closest heavy pan.
Must have been the macaroni and cheese with crispy bacon Harper had served her for a late lunch ten minutes ago. Who knew the bad-tempered Russian would be crazy for such an American comfort food classic.
The swinging doors whooshed open as Abby rushed in. The layers of tulle under her red and white polka dot skirt swayed around her legs. “You won’t believe who’s here.”
“Okay, I’ll bite.” Harper made big eyes at the barista. “Who?”
“The Aussie God.” Abby nodded at Harper’s smile. “And he’s got some sexy bearded dude with him.”
Joy bubbled up inside her. Seth said he’d drop in this afternoon before his trip tonight. Sounded like Zach came along, too.
Abby grinned at Harper. “And there’s a little—”
“Time for me to meet this Seth.” Magda cut off the younger woman and passed Harper.
Shit. “No need to rush these things.” Harper raced to catch up as her chef stopped near the coffee machine, leaving her caught behind.
And there he was, standing a few feet from the counter. Tall and gorgeous in an open necked navy shirt and charcoal gray dress pants. Zach stood beside him dressed in black jeans and a black T-shirt with his hair once again in a ponytail.
Seth’s gaze locked on hers, and for a second, Harper forgot about any possible impeding confrontations, at least until Magda folded her arms across her chest, blocking part of Harper’s view.
“Seth.” She tried to keep the desperation out of her voice as she edged past Magda. “I’m so glad you came.” If she could just ease the big Russian back a bit...
“You’re Seth.” Magda planted herself at the counter in line with Seth, forcing Harper further down a few feet.
Damn.
“I am.” Seth stepped forward and offered his hand. “And you’re Magda. We’ve heard a lot about each other. Good to finally meet you.”
Open. Direct. Excellent move.
Magda stared at Seth. She wouldn’t refuse his handshake, would she? Seconds later, the Red-haired chef grabbed his hand, her knuckles turning white with her grip.
Harper’s gaze flew from Seth’s mild expression to Zach standing beside him. The big mountain man-slash-biker’s lips twitched as he watched the proceedings.
Seth leaned over the counter, his extended arm now bending at the elbow. His gaze never left Magda’s. “You’re one tough lady who’s looking out for Harper’s best interests. Message received and understood.”
Oh, wow. Her pulse did that skip-dancing thing that left her as giddy as a schoolgirl hearing the doorbell ring on her first date.
She studied Magda. Pale blue eyes the color of a Siberian glacier narrowed. “Good.” She dropped his hand and swept her gaze over Zach before frowning at Abby. “You didn’t tell us there was a little fairy.
Abby sighed. “I didn’t get the chance.”
Little fairy?
“Daddy, can I have a cupcake?” a child’s voice asked from somewhere near Zach.
Harper gave up trying to see past Magda and walked around the counter. As she reached Seth, he slid his hand into hers and kissed her quickly on the mouth.
“Are you Uncle Seth’s girlfriend?”
Harper started. She looked down at a little brown-haired cutie dressed in a light blue top dotted with sparkles and a matching colored skirt with a frill at the hem. A pair of giant, brightly colored fairy wings flared out from her back, held in place by bands worn over her tiny shoulders and ties that were knotted in a bow across her chest.
A pair of hazel eyes, so like her father’s, studied Harper with unabashed curiosity.
“I, uh...” Dear Lord, what could she say?
Zach tapped his finger over the tip of the child’s nose. “Milly, that’s not your business.”
“You think she’d make a good girlfriend, honey?” Seth asked as he gave Harper’s hand a squeeze.
“You kissed her. Why would you kiss someone you didn’t like?” Milly looked at her uncle as if such things were beyond debate.
Seth regarded Harper. “Kid’s got a point.” He whispered into her ear. “Fair warning, sweetness, Milly hangs around adults all the time. She’s precocious and misses nothing.”
Hmm, ignoring the subject would be safer. She bent her knees, making herself closer to eye level with Milly. “My name’s Harper. I heard you ask your dad for a cupcake.” The little girl’s eyes widened as she nodded. “If he says it’s okay, we can look at the display, and you can choose one you’d like. And since I’m the boss, you get to have it for free.”
Milly sent a pleading look at her dad. “Go on.” Zach chuckled at his daughter’s happy squeal, and glanced at Harper. “Appreciated.”
She held her hand out to the child.
“I’m Milly, and I’m nearly five,” the little girl informed her. Obviously being nearly five years of age was a huge difference than being just four. The cutie placed her hand in Harper’s, and they walked the couple of steps to the display. After much careful deliberation, the little fairy decided on a chocolate cupcake with mint icing and candy popping sprinkles.
“A fine choice.” Harper guided the child behind the counter.
Using a pair of tongs Milly placed her cupcake in a small pink box used for take-away purchases. Sure, the munchkin would likely start devouring the treat in seconds, but the ceremony of opening up the box and eating the cupcake would be all the more special.
Harper placed a gold seal printed with “7 Dishes” on the top of the box.
“Wow.” Milly’s voice was awestruck. Big eyes, full of wonder, looked at Harper. “Thank you, Miss Harper.”
Harper couldn’t resist stroking her thumb over Milly’s cheek. “My pleasure, honey.” A thought entered her head. She whispered to the child soft enough for only her to hear. “Do you like kitties?”
Milly’s cheek-widening smile said it all. Harper turned to her staff. “Heading upstairs. Back in twenty. I need to check in with Malcolm.”
“Malcolm?” Seth grinned. “You got another bloke on the side?”
“Actually, yes.” She had to bite the inside of her mouth as Seth’s jaw dropped. “Follow me and you’ll get to meet him.” She smiled down at Milly, who clutched her special pink box in one hand and took hold of Harper’s with her other. “Let’s go, boys,” Harper said and
led the way out of the café and through the front entry door and up the stairs.
“You live above your shop. That’s so cool.” Milly looked to Zach. “Like us, Dad.”
“Spot on, kiddo.” Zach grinned down at his daughter.
Milly turned back to Harper with dizzying speed. “My dad has a big barn where he works.”
Harper nodded as she opened her apartment’s front door. “Sounds like fun. Seth told me you guys live up in the mountains.”
“Uh huh. His barn is awesome.” Milly’s wide angel wings made it through the doorway with plenty of room to spare. “Dad and his friends builted it.”
“Built it, babe,” Zach corrected gently as he and Seth followed them into the living room.
“Yeah, built it.” Milly stopped near the sofa, her head turning this way and that. “Where’s Malcom?”
“Bathroom. Follow me.” She ignored Seth’s questioning glance, and led the way to her master bathroom. After carefully opening the door and catching Mal sitting in his new blue circular bed next to the vanity, she stepped back as Milly and the guys, entered.
“He’s soooo cute.” The child squatted in front of Mal. The black ball of fur leaned forward to sniff her outstretched hand. Little girl giggles filled the bathroom as Mal licked the tips of her fingers.
“So, you’ve already moved on to some other bloke?” Seth’s amused voice rumbled next to her.
“You have one advantage. Mal isn’t house trained yet.”
Seth and Zach’s deep chuckles reverberated against the tiled walls. Mal gazed up at the two men who must have seemed like giants to the kitty.
“You’re still in with a chance, mate.” Zach bumped Seth’s shoulder with a fist.
“Where did he come from?” Seth face softened as he watched Milly speaking in soft whispers to the cat.
“I found him Wednesday night drenched and freezing in the back alley. Took him to the vet Thursday morning. He had no microchip. So he’s now mine.” Her voice softened on the last sentence. Hers. Her first furbaby. “The vet guessed his age at around three months. He’s been wormed and had his first vaccinations.” She smiled as Milly teased Mal with a catnip-filled felted mouse. Her hero kitty extended his paws above him and pounced, landing on top of the child’s hand and his toy. “Abby and I’ve been taking turns with quick visits every hour to check up on him.”
“I see you’ve stocked up on all the essentials.” Seth nodded at the new water and food bowls and the plethora of toys pushed to one side of the circular bed with its cut out opening.
“Of course.” Harper smiled as Seth crouched down beside Milly, placing one hand on her shoulder and extending a finger toward Mal. The kitty sniffed for a second and then bunted his head back and forth like Seth was his personal scratching post.
“G’day, little fella. Looks like you’re right at home.” Seth gently rubbed under Mal’s chin a few times before he faced Milly. “You think you and your dad can look after Mal while I talk to Harper?”
“Sure.” Milly looked over her shoulder at Harper. “We got heaps of critters at the cabin. I’ll be gentle. Dad showed me.”
That kid was just too damn cute. “Thank you, sweetie.” She eased past Zach and waited at her bedroom doorway for Seth, watching as father and daughter sat together in front of Mal.
Seth took her hand and led her back to the center of the living room. No sooner had they come to a stop than he pulled her into his arms. He took her mouth with a fierceness that surprised her, his tongue sweeping inside, his teeth nipping at her lower lip. By the time he lifted his head, her lips were swollen and her breathing rapid.
“I can’t get enough of you, coffee girl.”
A thrill of satisfaction dashed up her body. She made him feel that way. “Same here, handsome.” Wasn’t it fair to let him know the same? Games were for kids, not adults.
His mouth flicked at the edges, before his arms tightened around her. “I’ve got something to tell you and I want you to let me finish before you speak.”
She stiffened, but tried to relax on his answering squeeze. “Okay.”
“Heath and Adam have installed cameras in your building’s front and back entry, and the hallways.” Seth tightened his hold when she tried to push back. “You’re a target. Whoever’s behind this knows where you live. I said I’d protect you. That’s what’s happening. Get pissed, yell, whatever you want. But those cameras stay.”
Harper blinked, not sure where to start. “But you told Nitro and Ryan it was unlikely the guy would come back.”
“It is, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.” He leaned close, his gaze intense. “And I’m not leaving anything to chance.”
Her mind latched onto Seth’s earlier words. “Your brothers broke into my building?” She twisted in his arms, but no way could she break his iron-strong hold. Fine. She’d make do with panting and snarling. “I guess asking me was too much trouble?”
“The fact Adam gained access in less than a few seconds is proof your entry door is shit security.” Seth shrugged, not in the least shamed. “The fact you haven’t noticed the cameras shows his skill.”
A glance around the room provided a wealth of places to hide any extra recording devices. “What about—”
Seth pressed his thumb over her mouth and cutting her off. “There’s none in your apartment. I promise. The live feed streams to Adam and Heath’s laptops and phones. An alarm sounds when any door is opened to let them know people have entered the spaces.” He lifted his thumb away.
“So Adam could have been watching us when we came up here earlier?” An unsettling feeling slid in her belly.
“Count on it.”
What was worse? A stranger watching her or the big, dangerous commando? “I don’t... that makes me feel…weird.”
“Understandable, but the surveillance isn’t overt. I’m betting you forget there are cameras in a day or two. And I need to update you on two latest attacks on my brothers.” He gave her a quick rundown, assuring her that Heath was still employed as a cop, albeit on desk duties while the incident was under investigation, which Harper was sure the detective would just hate.
Seth stroked his thumb over her cheek. She leaned her head into his hand, needing the reassurance of his touch. “Now it sucks I’m telling you this and have to leave, but, sweetness, I’m flying out in a few hours, and Dillon and I still have work to finish.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Why did you tell me? It would have been easier to keep quiet and avoid any grief from me.” Didn’t most guys think like that?
His voice deepened. “I share what I can, Harper. Especially when I need your trust and expect you to confide in return.”
Open. Honest. Joy spread over her like the sunrise reaching out over the landscape at the start of a new day.
This is what she’d been looking for. A man who didn’t use false words to hide an alternative agenda. Seth had shown her with his direct way of talking and manner before, but him not taking the easy way out with the cameras…this meant more.
“T-that...” She cleared her throat, and tried again. “That works for me.”
“Good.” He lowered his mouth to hers. She expected hard and urgent, but instead he gave her soft and lingering. Slowly, he built the pressure of his kiss, drawing her body closer to him. Her fingers dug into his shirt, bunching the material in her hands. She couldn’t get near enough to his hardness, the strength of his body.
Seth groaned as he twisted his hand in her hair. The strands tugged on her scalp making a slight burn. Oh, yes. She rubbed herself against him, trying to get as close to him as clothes allowed.
With a curse, Seth wrenched his mouth away and took a step back. His rough breathing matched hers. “Jesus, woman, you tempt a man.”
“Well, you know”—she straightened her caftan top that had slid to one side, revealing her pink bra strap—“I do what I can.”
Seth’s burst of laughter was met with her chuckle in return. He slung his
arm over her shoulders and guided her back to the master bathroom, where Zach was gently prying Mal from halfway up his jeans.
The bearded giant glanced over his shoulder at Harper. “The little bloke’s a climber. And he’s in the mood to play.” Zach handed him to her.
“I’ll stay a few more minutes and get him to settle.” Harper smiled as Mal looked around at all the adults, as if choosing which one to play with next.
“He’s cute. Can I come visit him again?” Milly scrambled to her feet.
“Sure, if your dad says it’s okay. Mal needs new friends.” Harper reached out and stroked a curl of dark hair off the child’s forehead.
“Awesome.” Milly grinned and reached for her dad’s hand.
“Sounds like a plan, but for now, we have to get going.” Seth steered Harper and Mal to the apartment’s front door. Zach and Milly followed.
Once there, Zach handed her a piece of paper. “That’s mine and my brothers’ phone numbers. Put them in your cell. You need us, call.”
“Thank you.” Her voice conveyed her surprise, but she couldn’t have hidden it for love or money.
Zach held her stare. “Seth’s given you his protection. That means you get the same from the rest of us, whether you want that or not.” Before she could say anything else, he moved out into the hallway.
Milly broke from her father and wrapped her arms around Harper’s waist, giving her a hard, fast squeeze before stepping back and waving. Then father and daughter started down the stairs.
Harper turned to Seth, still a bit shell-shocked from Zach’s declaration. “I didn’t think they liked me.”
“They’re getting to know you. And besides, they know I like you.” Seth glanced down at Mal. With such gentleness for a big man, he stroked a finger over the kitten’s head. “Look after our girl.” Mal booped Seth’s finger in silent agreement. “Good boy.”
“You’ll call?” She cringed at her slightly yearning tone.
“Absolutely.” He studied her face for a moment. “Your sister’s dinner is tonight, right?”
