California Secrets

by Jules Bennett

  “You can’t just ask me to marry you as some sort of business plan,” she argued, but her voice lacked the heat it once had. He was winning her over.

  Dane had always said Ethan was the reckless one, the twin who jumped headfirst into things without thinking them through.

  Well, here he was again. Wait until Dane heard about all of this.

  “I figured you’d appreciate an honest, laid-out plan,” he stated. “We marry, we raise our child together, we don’t have to get our attorneys involved. We both can continue doing what we love and have someone who understands and is actually supportive at our sides while we share the parenting responsibilities.”

  Harper pursed her lips and leveled a stare at him. “And what happens when you want another woman or I see a guy I’m interested in?”

  Ethan didn’t hesitate to leap from his chair, circle the table and brace himself over her. With one hand on the arm of the sofa and the other on the back near her shoulder, he leaned down so there was no question about how serious he was on this topic.

  “There will be no other men,” he growled. “My wife will be in my bed and only my bed. I won’t share.”

  Most people would be intimidated by his snarl and low tone, but Harper continued to stare, and she even had the nerve to pat his jaw and smile.

  “Calm down there, sweetheart. Your proposal is getting less and less attractive.” She narrowed her dark eyes and flattened her palm on his cheek. “There had better not be any other women, either. I also don’t share.”

  A burst of accomplishment spread through him.

  “Is that a yes?” he asked, inching closer.

  When she didn’t say a word, Ethan shifted to slide one hand over her bare thigh. He watched as her lids lowered for the briefest of seconds, her breath caught on a sharp inhale. Without taking his eyes off her face, Ethan trailed his fingertips over her stomach, straight up to the little knot tied between her breasts.

  “I... I never said yes,” she muttered.

  “But you’re thinking about it.”

  He gave the tie an expert yank, allowing the scraps of material to fall aside.

  Harper closed her eyes and chewed on her lip. He had her...in every way he wanted her. She’d marry him; she’d be in his bed. He’d ultimately have his revenge on her father. He worried how she’d react, but he had to keep moving with this plan and take baby steps when it came to Harper. He had to choose his words, his actions, carefully so she didn’t completely hate him at the end. He had to make her understand his side once everything was out in the open.

  There was no way Robert Anderson deserved a daughter like Harper, and the man sure as hell would have no part in the life of Ethan’s child.

  “I’m not thinking at all right now,” she told him as he cupped her full breast in his palm.

  Ethan eased his other hand behind her back, pulling her forward until she sprawled over his sofa. He wanted her on display before him. A body like Harper’s was meant to be worshipped.

  “Are you feeling better?” he asked, realizing he should’ve asked before now, but damn it, he couldn’t resist her.

  The health of her and the baby came above all else, though. Even his revenge against Robert would have to come second to Harper and the child.

  “I’m feeling pretty good.” Harper reached for him, her fingertips curling around his shoulders. “Don’t stop, Ethan. And don’t deny yourself like last night.”

  Oh, he fully planned on making sure they were both pleasured.

  “You wore this on purpose,” he accused, pulling her sheer cover-up off her shoulders. “Did you want to drive me crazy?”

  Her delicate mouth tipped into a smile. “Maybe.”

  Ethan’s body stirred at the little minx beneath him. That red material against her dark skin shouldn’t be such a turn-on, but hell if it wasn’t. Harper exuded sex and fantasies. Every time he had her, he wanted more. Now was no exception.

  Harper wriggled out of the cover-up and the bikini top. He loved that a curvy woman had the confidence to wear something so sexy, so skimpy.

  He hooked his thumbs in the waist of her little bottoms and eased them down her silky legs and flung the garment over his shoulder.

  “You better take off those shorts fast,” she warned. “Because I was cheated last night.”

  Ethan pulled his shorts off and laughed. “You were more than satisfied, so I’m not sure how you were cheated.”

  Her fingers ran over his abs, and his arousal spiked.

  “Because I didn’t get to see or touch you,” she told him. “Not like I wanted.”

  “Then by all means.” Ethan settled onto the sofa and eased back into the corner of the sectional. “Have your way.”

  Harper came to her feet. She tucked stray tendrils behind her ears as her eyes raked over his bare body. There was such a hunger, one that matched his own, staring back at him.

  When her focus shifted to his eyes, Harper took a step forward and lifted a knee. She settled her legs on either side of his hips, perfectly straddling his lap. Her breasts came right in front of his face and Ethan wasted no time in reaching for her with both hands.

  “If I marry you, there will be rules.” She rested her hands on either side of his head and leaned down. “My rules.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  His body ached for her to join them and right now. He’d agree to anything she said. He’d never been at a woman’s mercy before, but she was doing a damn good job of calling the shots now.

  Harper leaned down and captured his lips beneath hers as she sank down onto him, finally joining their bodies.

  She eased her hips back and forth, going much too slowly for his liking. Ethan took a firm grip of her hips, holding her in place while he set a new rhythm.

  Harper let out a sharp cry, followed by a moan, so clearly she wasn’t complaining. With her eyes shut, she tossed her head back and braced her palms on his chest. Her short nails bit into his skin, and he had to hold back his own groan at the delicious sting of pain.

  Ethan held on to her hips, loving how she felt like a woman with all those luscious curves. They were so compatible, so in tune with each other.

  Marrying her would be the best decision on both fronts.

  Harper let out another cry of pleasure as her body tightened around his. She eased down onto his chest and claimed his lips once more as her climax hit her. He wasn’t far behind.

  Those lips of hers could make a man come undone all on their own. But it was her sweet little pants and cries that had him following her into oblivion.

  Ethan fell into the moment and didn’t worry about what would come next. She’d all but agreed to the marriage, and Ethan wanted this to happen fast. Before Robert arrived...and before he came to his senses.

  Nine

  “Say that again.”

  Ethan chuckled at his brother’s response, but Dane wasn’t joking. What the hell was his twin thinking?

  “I said I’m getting married,” Ethan repeated. “It’s sudden, I know, but I promise you’ll meet her.”

  “Are you out of your damn mind?” Dane growled, earning him a questioning stare from Stella across the room.

  Dane gripped the cell and came to his feet, suddenly unable to sit still and listen to this nonsense.

  “Who the hell is she?” Dane asked. “I just spoke to you a couple days ago, and you made no mention of any woman. Now suddenly you’re getting married?”

  Stella’s eyes widened as he neared. Dane shrugged, because he couldn’t make sense of this crazy notion of his brother’s, either. Ethan had always been one to make rash decisions, but marriage at a time like this? What the hell? He’d never been serious about a woman, let alone mentioning he ever wanted that lifestyle.

  “I’m marrying Robert’s biological daughter.”

  Dane sti
lled. He reached for the back of the sofa and kept his gaze on his fiancée. She reached for his hand on the cushion and squeezed, offering him silent reassurance.

  “Robert’s daughter?” Dane repeated. “You’re not seriously using a woman to get to—”

  “No. I’m not a complete bastard,” Ethan scoffed. “I had no idea who her father was when we started sleeping together. We were just a fling, and then she ended up pregnant and now I find out—”

  “Pregnant?” Dane yelled.

  Stella closed her eyes and shook her head. Yeah, that pretty much mimicked his internal reaction, as well.

  “What the hell, man?”

  “Obviously I didn’t mean for that to happen,” Ethan retorted. “Everything has snowballed here, and I’m doing the best with the situation I’ve been dealt.”

  “The best? You’re calling this your best?” Dane slid his hand from beneath Stella’s and reached up to rub his head, which suddenly started pounding. “You’re bringing a child into this chaos? Are you even thinking of the goal we agreed on?”

  “You think I’m not set out to take Robert down?” Ethan demanded. “That’s all I’ve wanted since Mom died. We’re so close, I’m not letting anything get in the way.”

  Dane blew out a sigh and reached for Stella’s hand again. She always calmed him, always kept him focused on what was important. For nearly two decades, Dane and Ethan had wanted to get back at Robert for taking their legacy from them. Dane had reclaimed the resort in Montana, and now it was Ethan’s turn. Then they planned on ruining Robert for good.

  Yet now his reckless, playboy brother was veering off course, and Dane couldn’t do much about the mess his twin was in.

  “Listen,” Ethan started in a calmer tone. “I had no clue who Harper was until this morning. She was just the woman I was having a fling with. I found out she was pregnant yesterday. Once my investigator told me who she was, I moved on that information. I’m not making apologies.”

  No, Ethan would never apologize. Not for this and not for closing in on himself when they lost their mother. Dane had needed his brother, had needed someone to seek comfort with during the hardest time in his life.

  But Ethan hadn’t been there. Not emotionally, anyway. Then Robert had stolen their financial stability and disappeared. Ethan had enlisted in the military, and Dane figured he might as well, too. Where else did he have to go? At least the military would provide a unit and stability.

  “Now what?” Dane asked.

  Stella wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. He loved this woman. He’d found her when he least expected to find anyone. He’d been so set on grabbing Mirage with both hands and never letting go.

  But Stella had stepped into his path, and somehow he’d managed to get everything he hadn’t even realized he wanted.

  “Oh, wait.” Dread hit Dane hard. “She doesn’t know you hate her father, does she?”

  “She’s not aware of our history, no.”

  Dane let out a string of curses that had Stella smacking his chest.

  “You know this not going to end well for you,” Dane added.

  “I’ll get Mirage. That’s what matters.”

  Dane snorted. “You don’t mean that.”

  His brother sighed heavily on the other end. “No, I don’t. I’m trying to keep my focus on the end result, but someone is going to get hurt, and now that all of this is in motion, all I can do is try to take the brunt of the blow when it happens.”

  Dane felt sorry for Ethan. For the first time in...well, ever, Ethan was feeling the ramifications of his actions, and Dane was truly worried.

  Someone was going to get hurt, but Dane couldn’t help but wonder if they were all going to feel the backlash from this series of events.

  * * *

  Harper stared over the various marble designs. All were in the same price point, all were equally stunning and all would make a killer impact in the lobby of Mirage.

  But she couldn’t decide.

  She also couldn’t stop thinking of Ethan’s ridiculous half-assed proposal and her reply. What was she thinking? Sure, she could come up with some very necessary ground rules, but then what? Were they just going to play house and raise a baby like they were a happily married couple without having any kind of relationship beyond physical compatibility and a business agreement?

  Sex could only take them so far. At some point, they’d have to actually do things together if they wanted this to succeed for the sake of the baby.

  And how archaic did that sound? Was he just marrying her because of the baby? He’d made valid points of how they were both workaholics and they understood each other, but Harper had always envisioned marrying for love. Call her old-fashioned, but she truly believed there was a man out there for her.

  Ignoring the marble slats on the desk, Harper pulled out her cell and brought up her texts.

  Then she dropped her phone onto the desk and closed her eyes.

  This wasn’t the first time she’d started to message her sister for advice. In the past several months, Harper couldn’t count how many times she’d started to call or text. How did she deprogram herself from that? Would there come a time when it would just click into place that this was her new normal? That there was no family to go to for advice?

  Her mother had already stated that she’d raised her kids and now it was her turn to live. Her father was...well, not very loving.

  Who did she have?

  Harper truly hated this moment of self-pity, but she would like just one person to confide in. Someone she trusted to give her sound advice on what she should do.

  Who knew when she came to Mirage over a month ago that she’d be in this situation? A baby, a proposal, a project of a lifetime. There was so much change, so much happening all at once, she didn’t know where to direct her focus.

  She flattened her hands on the desk, and the lighting caught the gold bracelet. At least she had that reminder of her sister. Little glimpses were warming, especially now when she needed to feel closer to Carmen.

  The chime from her phone had Harper pulling from her thoughts and redirecting her attention to the new email. She quickly opened the message from her father’s assistant.

  The new budget was a go, and he’d even allotted an additional quarter of a million dollars. Well, that was certainly generous and shocking, but she didn’t believe she’d go that far over.

  Still, having a beautiful piece of property to renovate with virtually no top budget was a designer’s dream come true. Carmen would have loved this.

  This project meant so much for so many different reasons. Harper’s giddiness rivaled that of a toddler on Christmas morning in a room full of unopened presents.

  Harper shot off a quick reply and attached some of the files with her design sketches for the lobby, sample suites and dining areas. She doubted Robert would ever look at them, but she figured she’d show him anyway. He hadn’t asked for an image yet.

  Did he even care about the end result? Did he care she was here? She understood that he was a businessman first and a traveler second. She wasn’t sure where father ranked in that list, but she hoped somewhere.

  Every part of her wanted him to show up soon so they could maybe have a nice dinner and discuss goals and the future. This pregnancy was going to be a new chapter in her life, and she wanted him to be part of it. Harper just wasn’t sure that he would want the same.

  She was well aware of what Ethan wanted, though.

  Marriage. A business marriage. How unromantic could a proposal get? Because she was pretty sure this one was up there on the sucky proposal chart.

  Still, she might just be falling for the charmer. She’d never admit such things. He didn’t want love, and she couldn’t exactly say what she felt toward him, but the emotion was more than like and more than just sexual.

 
So where did that leave her? On the verge of saying “I do” to a man she knew very little about in the hopes that they could build some future together? Were futures really built on heated beach flings and accidental pregnancies?

  Harper sank down into the leather office chair and stared back at the marble samples. She couldn’t even choose a shade of rock—how in the hell was she going to make a final commitment for the rest of her life?

  Ten

  “What am I missing? There has to be a subtle blue undertone for the calming effect. But what if it’s too much?”

  Ethan crossed his arms over his chest and listened to Harper mutter to herself as she stood at the desk and stared down at samples. He couldn’t help but smile. She hadn’t even noticed him. When he’d been about to knock, he’d been struck by how stunning she was standing there.

  Oh, the punch of lust at the sight of her was nothing new, but the way she’d tipped her head and chewed on the tip of the pen was downright attractive. He admired a woman who got swept into her work. He’d already established that she was devoted, but seeing her so hands-on, so committed, was something he couldn’t dismiss.

  Then she’d started chatting to her work, and he didn’t want to cut in. Sometimes he was a total gentleman. But she was just so adorable that he was afraid he’d start laughing in a minute—which meant it was time to announce himself. If she looked up and saw him seemingly laughing at her, the conversation would not go well.

  “Am I interrupting?” he asked, tapping his knuckles on the door frame.

  Harper jerked her attention to him, then shook her head. “Just having a staff meeting.”

  Ethan laughed and stepped on into her makeshift office. She’d told him where it was, but this was the first time he’d actually made it down here. He’d had no reason to, really. Up until now, his days had been his, his nights had been hers, but they’d always been in his penthouse.

  He took a glance around the small space that wasn’t much bigger than a storage closet. Actually, this used to be a storage closet. Ethan recalled the many times he’d visit Mirage with his mother when he’d been younger and how he’d explored and learned every inch of it. She was so proud to show him the place that would one day be his. She’d done the same with Dane at Mirage in Montana.