California Secrets

by Jules Bennett

  It was those tiny red scraps of material that had drawn him in to begin with. Was she purposely taunting him? Not that he needed any help in finding her desirable.

  “I’d kill for a cup of coffee,” she stated, marching through his penthouse and straight to the balcony.

  He followed her out. “I’ll make you a cup.”

  “No,” she growled, shaking her head. “I’m trying to really be good because of the baby.”

  “You can’t have coffee?” he asked, holding on to his own mug.

  “Too much caffeine isn’t good.” She grabbed the pitcher of orange juice and poured a hearty glass. “I mean, I could have one cup, but I’d rather not.”

  He probably should figure out all the dos and don’ts regarding pregnancy.

  “Are you feeling okay?” he asked, setting his mug down on the table and getting a glass of juice for himself.

  “I’m starving and tired. And also a little nauseated, but I think I just need to eat.”

  She eyed his discarded mug. “You know, you can still drink that. I’m not offended.”

  With a shrug, Ethan reached for a plate. “I didn’t think you were offended, but I don’t see any reason why I can’t do this journey with you.”

  She stared another minute before shaking her head and muttering something he couldn’t quite make out.

  They made their plates in silence and settled into the corner at the table for two beneath a bright yellow umbrella.

  The moment they sat down, Harper made a face and held on to her stomach.

  “Maybe eggs weren’t a good idea,” she mumbled.

  Ethan stilled. “Are you going to be sick?”

  Harper closed her eyes and seemed to be taking some deep breaths. Without waiting for an answer, he took her plate away. If the eggs were the culprit, he’d throw them all out.

  He took the plate and the dish of omelets into his kitchen.

  When he came back out, Harper wasn’t looking so ill.

  “Sorry about that,” she stated, glancing up to him when he approached the table. “I read that smells can affect you more strongly when you’re pregnant, but I hadn’t experienced that yet. So, eggs are definitely out. Well, unless they’re in a cake. Then I’m sure they’re fine.”

  Ethan laughed, thankful she was feeling better and still had her sense of humor.

  His cell vibrated in the pocket of his shorts just as he sat. He spared her a glance as he pulled the phone out.

  “Excuse me,” he stated before glancing to the screen.

  His investigator. Not a call he wanted to put off, since his investigator wasn’t one to call just to chat. There had to be a development where Robert was concerned.

  “I need to take this,” he told Harper.

  “Oh, go ahead.” She waved a hand in his direction. “I’m fine.”

  Another reason to be attracted to her. She didn’t demand his undivided attention, and she understood the importance of work.

  Ethan moved to the other side of the balcony and answered the call.

  “Marcus. What’s up?”

  “Nothing dire, but something I found interesting in Robert’s communication with his assistant.”

  Ethan gripped the phone as he stared out onto the calm ocean. “What was said?”

  “Apparently Robert is making his way there, which you know, and he should be landing in the next day or so.”

  “And?” Ethan prompted.

  “We know he has a daughter based on his background checks, but he’s never mentioned her publicly. This is the first time since we’ve been tracking recently that he’s actually going to see her in person. Apparently, she’s staying at Mirage.”

  “She’s here?” Ethan asked.

  He didn’t know anything about Robert’s daughter except that she existed. He had no intention of involving an innocent in his quest for revenge. Everything going on was between him, Dane and their stepfather.

  “I figure since you’re there, maybe you could look her up.”

  “Give me her name.”

  It would be useful to at least know who she was so he could keep an eye on her for when her father showed. The old bastard might try to sneak in and out.

  “Harper Williams.”

  Ethan stilled, his gaze jerking across the balcony to the woman in question.

  “She’s going to have dark curly hair, dark eyes. Her mother is Jamaican, and you know the father.”

  “I know exactly what she looks like,” Ethan muttered.

  Ethan disconnected the call without another word. Keeping an eye on Robert Anderson’s daughter would be no problem at all...considering she was the mother of his child.

  Seven

  Harper smoothed a hand over her belly, which wasn’t flat and never had been. But she couldn’t wait to feel the baby bump, the little kicks—she’d even heard women discuss baby hiccups.

  Despite being dealt the blow of a child when she wasn’t even in a committed relationship, she wasn’t sorry she was going to be a mother. Sure, the timing wasn’t the best, but she couldn’t help but wonder how Carmen would’ve reacted to the news of being an aunt.

  Having a baby was exciting...this morning queasiness, not so much.

  Ethan came back to the table, and she prayed her berries and croissant stayed down. She’d been feeling a little saucy this morning when she donned her bikini, but yacking all over the place would surely ruin her sassy vibe. Just when she was sort of getting the hang of this newfound confidence...

  Every thought vanished when she saw Ethan’s face.

  “Everything okay?” she asked.

  He hesitated a moment before grabbing his cloth napkin and placing it in his lap. With a forced smile, he nodded.

  “Just some interesting developments with work. Nothing I can’t handle.”

  “It’s awfully early for work to already be catching you off guard.”

  “Time means nothing in my line of work,” he informed her. “With things running on two coasts, plus my acquisition in France, I work all hours.”

  Harper smiled. “Then maybe you better get that coffee back, because you look like you need something stronger than juice.”

  His eyes raked over her, and she couldn’t help but tremble.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing a sexy woman in a red bikini couldn’t cure.”

  A wave of dizziness hit her that had nothing to do with his charming words. Harper closed her eyes and pulled in a slow breath, willing the moment to pass.

  “Harper?”

  His firm yet gentle grip on her arm had her shaking her head slightly.

  “Give me just a minute.”

  He didn’t say another word, but she heard his chair scrape against the concrete floor and the next instant she was swept up into his strong arms. Harper didn’t protest as she laid her head on his shoulder, but she kept her eyes closed. The nausea seemed to be subsiding, but she wasn’t so independent that she’d turn down the most romantic gesture known to woman.

  When he laid her down, Harper lifted her lids and focused on his face, which was so, so close to hers.

  “Okay?” he asked, obviously worried.

  “It comes and goes,” she stated, settling into the sofa cushions. “No need to worry. The doctor said this was normal. It’s just annoying.”

  “You looking like you’re ready to pass out isn’t normal to me.”

  Aww. He cared. His instant reaction wasn’t an act. She wasn’t used to someone other than her sister showing concern for her, and as independent she was, there was no way she could deny that having someone care made her feel special.

  “I assure you, I’m fine.” She patted the side of his face. “But this is adorable.”

  Ethan’s lips thinned, his brows drawing in as he eased back and stared down at her. “I�
�m not adorable,” he grumbled.

  Harper closed her eyes and rested her arm across her forehead. “Well, I think so. I’m feeling better, by the way. The dizzy spells just started yesterday, and they don’t last long.”

  “I think you should stay here.”

  Harper lifted her arm slightly and opened one eye. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

  “You should stay in my suite for as long as we’re both at the resort,” he amended. “It’s ridiculous for us both to have a place, and mine is larger.”

  Harper listened to what he said but didn’t say a word.

  “With a better view,” he added.

  “I’m not just playing house with you while we’re here.” Harper let out a mock laugh. “You’re not serious.”

  “Do I look like I’m joking?”

  Ethan eased down to sit on the table in front of the sofa.

  Harper shifted to look at him as his idea ran over and over in her mind. Why on earth would he suggest such a thing? He didn’t want a relationship any more than she did.

  “Is this because I wasn’t feeling well?” she asked. “Because that’s certainly no reason for me to move my suitcases up here.”

  “You’re having my child, and I want to make sure you and our baby are taken care of. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”

  Not when he phrased it like that, but still. Why did she need a keeper? She’d gotten along this far in life without someone hovering over her. She and Carmen always looked out for each other, but that was different.

  She and Ethan were obviously still attracted to each other, the baby threw out the whole “fling” thing and now they had to make some tougher decisions.

  They were adults who wanted the same things: freedom, career and a good time. There wouldn’t be any messy complications, even if the whole pregnancy thing would eventually make things a little tricky. They were both on board with no relationships.

  Sex, though...she’d be a fool to turn down twenty-four-hour access to that body.

  “I’ll think about staying here with you,” she informed him, unable to hide her smile.

  “Sounds like a yes to me.”

  Harper started to sit up, but he placed his hands on her shoulders.

  “No rush,” he said, easing her back down. “I can bring in your breakfast.”

  “I think I’m done with food for the time being.”

  She settled deeper into the cushions and stared up at the white beams stretching across the ceiling. Her designer eye loved how the penthouse seemed to be its own private beach house. The cozy style of the beams and the openness to the ocean breeze. The wall of windows and balcony doors were elements she hoped to incorporate into more rooms. She definitely planned on upgrading all of the oceanfront suites to have more of an airy, relaxing feel.

  “You’re working.”

  Harper glanced to Ethan at his accusation. “Guilty.”

  “You had that look on your face,” he said with a grin. “I know because I’ve seen it in the mirror.”

  “I just can’t wait to dig in to this place. My team will be here next week, and I’ve spoken to the manager so we can hopefully have a nice, smooth transition from one area to the next and not disrupt the guests too much.”

  “Maybe adding in some perks would be the way to go,” he suggested.

  Now she did sit up—slowly, but she was feeling better.

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “Nobody wants to be inconvenienced at all when they plan a getaway,” he explained. “Maybe for the duration of the renovations, couple’s massages could be free with a one-time limit per stay. Or one free room service meal. Just something so they know you’re aware of their needs. People save and spend quite a bit to come here.”

  Harper listened to him, taking in his suggestion and fully intending to run it by her father’s assistant.

  “I wouldn’t think someone like you would ever have a thought about saving money now that you have everything you want,” she finally stated.

  Ethan’s face tightened, the muscle in his jaw clenched. “There was a time in my life where I watched every single dollar that came in and out. Just because I have a padded account now doesn’t mean I’m not aware of other people’s perspectives.”

  Never in her wildest dreams would she have guessed jet-setting playboy Ethan Michaels cared so deeply about how others lived. But everything he suggested sounded so perfect, she only wished she had thought of the idea before.

  “You’re a pretty smart businessman,” she joked.

  “I refused to be anything but smart when it comes to business.”

  His tone left no room for humor, and Harper had to admire him even more. There were so many layers to Ethan, and part of her wished she was at a point in her life where she could look for a husband. Eventually she did want a family and a loving man, but she had to devote her life to Two Sisters and to her child for now.

  Part of her couldn’t help but wonder if this baby was a special gift. Like maybe she was being given another chance at family after her sister’s passing.

  She’d never given much thought to faith or the idea of a grand plan before, but with her mother off gallivanting who knows where, her father not much of a hands-on guy and her sister gone, maybe this was just a blessing in disguise.

  “I think I’ll have the concierge bring my things up later this afternoon,” she finally said, circling back to the offer. “If you’re sure you won’t get sick of me.”

  Ethan’s smile widened, the naughty gleam in his eye stirring her body.

  “Oh, I’m sure. In fact, I think we should get married.”

  Eight

  “Married?” Harper screeched.

  Ethan had to admit the words that had come out of his mouth had surprised the hell out of him, too. But he wasn’t about to retract them. This was Robert Anderson’s biological daughter. No way in hell could he let this prime opportunity pass him by.

  Obviously he never would’ve mentioned marriage had she not been pregnant, but why not?

  “I know we both agreed that we’re not the marrying type of people,” he started as the idea blossomed inside his head. “And I’m not saying I’m ready for the whole ordeal of marriage, but think about this for a minute. We are both driven in our careers, so we get each other. We both want what’s best for this child.”

  Harper blinked, then shook her head. Yeah, the idea was absurd, but the longer it was out in the open, the more he found himself wanting this to happen.

  The reasons for his insane demand were mounting. His mother had been single, raising two boys on her own for quite some time before Robert had entered the picture. But his baby had a father who badly wanted to be part of its life. Given that, where was the logic in him living somewhere else and having to shuttle the kid back and forth between them? There was no way he’d want to give up any amount of custody of his own child. But the real reason he was pushing for marriage, if he were being completely honest, was that he wanted every single leg up on Robert Anderson he could get.

  “That’s it?” she asked. “Because we both like to work and we want a well-rounded kid, you think we should marry?”

  Ethan shrugged, not backing down, but not about to beg. “People have been married for less.”

  “And divorced in no time when the marriage fails.”

  “I don’t fail,” he countered. “Ever.”

  Harper stared at him, but his gaze didn’t waver. The more she pushed, the more he had to see this through. This was the riskiest, most asinine move he’d ever made, but the payoff would be everything.

  Dane would have already called him a dumb ass and told him to think this through, but Ethan had thought it through...for a few seconds, anyway.

  “I can’t just marry you,” she repeated.

  “Think about it.”


  He came to his feet and started back toward the balcony. He could at least wheel the cart inside so he could finish his breakfast. Harper might pick around, too, if the food was in front of her.

  “Think about it?” she mocked at his back. “You tell me to think about it and then walk away?”

  He spared a glance over his shoulder. “I’m hungry.”

  By the time he had moved their breakfast and drinks back inside, Harper didn’t look like she wanted to rip his head off anymore, but she still kept that questioning gaze locked on him.

  “What changed?” she asked once he took a seat in the cushy white chair next to her. “You never wanted a relationship.”

  “I still don’t,” he explained. “This is nothing more than business. We both want what’s best for our baby, and we’re both workaholics. It’s the perfect merger, really.”

  Harper stood and crossed to the cart, where she poured herself another glass of juice. “A merger.”

  “Are you going to keep repeating everything I say?”

  She turned to face him with a smirk that made him wonder if he would get her to come around. He wouldn’t have it any other way. Ethan never backed down from a challenge, and Harper, their baby and Robert Anderson were all part of his past, present and future. No challenge, no payoff, had ever been more important.

  “Are you going to keep insisting this is a good idea?” she retorted.

  Ethan crossed his ankle over his knee and leaned back in the chair. He didn’t want to appear anxious or worried. He was neither of those. What he was, was determined, and that’s precisely how he’d gotten this far.

  “If you can move beyond the shock of my proposal—”

  “Is that what that was?” she mocked, taking a seat back on the sofa and curling her legs to the side.

  “Of sorts,” he conceded.

  Harper gripped her juice glass and stared down at the contents. Ethan waited, letting the kernel of an idea roll around in her head. She seemed skeptical, but she was still in discussion, so he wasn’t discounting her just yet. He had a way of being persuasive.