Secret Hunger (The Harper Sisters)

by Satin Russell

  While he appreciated her modesty, he doubted it. He had a feeling she would have figured out a way to make things work, no matter what. In fact, when it came to her family, he had a feeling she’d walk through fire to see they were safe.

  “You still miss them,” Mason said, sensing her melancholy.

  “Terribly,” Olivia agreed, giving Mason a poignant little smile. “I don’t think you ever fully get over something like that. You just kind of have to push on and learn how to live in spite of it.”

  Mason nodded. He could understand that. Wasn’t he trying to figure out how to do the same thing with the loss of his partner?

  “Have you ever considered going back to school?”

  “Sure, I’ve thought about going and trying to finish the program now that my sisters have both moved out, but it’s been four, almost five years, and I’ve got the café now. I feel a sense of responsibility to my employees. They took a chance on me when not many people would have. Jackie has been my best friend since high school and she’s just as invested in the café as I am. I owe it to her and Tom to keep it going.” She gave a wistful sigh. “It just doesn’t feel like school is the direction I’m headed anymore.”

  He watched as she shook the darker thoughts from her mind. “Anyway, enough about that, I think. Are you ready to go?”

  They both headed towards the entrance. As she put her coat on, he tugged the lapels on her collar and slowly drew her up against his body. His eyes had taken on their familiar intensity.

  Gently, he raised his hand and stroked a thumb along her cheek, then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her skin heated under his touch. Tension and yearning filled the air between them.

  His blue eyes pierced her golden ones. “I admire the hell out of you and what you’ve done with your life and for your family, Olivia. I don’t think you realize what a remarkable woman you are.” Her eyes grew round as she flushed with his compliment.

  He continued, “I’ve been attracted to you since I’ve laid eyes on you. I’m not sure where that’s going to lead us in the long run, but I wanted you to know. Regardless of anything else that may or may not happen, I find you amazing.”

  Thinking it was best they get going before things got out of hand, he carefully drew back and turned towards the door. “So, that being said, ready for a tour?”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Mason’s words had left her feeling flustered, and Olivia found she was grateful for the fifteen minutes it took to reach Melody’s place. She caught glimpses of the water between the trees as they drove steadily upward. La Luna Vista was set perfectly on top of a hill overlooking the Merrymeeting Bay.

  The house itself was set off of the road a bit. Mason pulled onto the drive that led up towards the shining, white house on the hill. Windows sparkled and reflected the weak winter sun.

  She admired the big wrap-around porch, black shutters, and iconic New England red door. Somebody, presumably his sister, had decorated in the region’s typical autumn extravagance. There was a leafy wreath hanging from the door and pumpkins along the porch railing. Large, brightly-colored potted mums graced the steps up to the door.

  About halfway up, the driveway forked and led to a large white barn sitting off to the right side. She could smell the salt of the ocean and hear the wind and waves crashing along the steep slope down below.

  “It’s so charming.”

  “She’ll be happy to hear you say so. I know she’s put a lot of time and hard work into making this place successful.”

  “I can’t wait to see inside.” He had barely parked the truck before she jumped out of the cab. Grinning, he hurried to catch up with her. Just as they approached the door, Melody opened it in greeting.

  “Hi. You must be Olivia. I’m Melody. So happy to meet you.”

  Right away, Olivia could see the family resemblance between the two siblings. Although she was shorter than Mason, Melody was taller than her. Probably about 5’8” or so, if she had to guess.

  She had the same dark, black hair as her brother, only hers was longer and had been woven into a French braid that hung down to the middle of her back. Her eyebrows arched gracefully over eyes that were a slightly softer shade of blue than his. She had the same high cheekbones, but her mouth was wider and fuller – more feminine. There was an unmistakable, easy air of class about her that Olivia instantly recognized and admired.

  “Come in! Come in. Mason tells me that you own the café in the middle of town. I’ve been meaning to stop in for ages, but I’m usually too tied up around here in the mornings to make it in.”

  “That’s right, The Three Sisters Cafe. Looks like we’re both in the business of feeding others their breakfast. This place is beautiful! Thank you so much for agreeing to let me see it. My sister is going to be sorry she missed it.”

  “Oh, well, she’s more than welcome to visit. Mornings are usually busy, but it tends to quiet down in the afternoons after the rooms are finished. Even then, things can get quiet around here, especially during the off-season. Sometimes I feel like I’m cut off from the rest of the world.”

  Olivia stood in the front entryway and admired the space around her. Melody had placed a beautiful, burgundy Oriental rug down on the dark, hardwood floors that had vines and flowers woven into it. The wood gleamed along the large staircase leading upward.

  The room to the right appeared to be a large formal dining room with a fireplace. To the left was a cozy living room, also with a fireplace. Mason took her hand, threading his fingers through hers. “I was thinking we could do a quick tour around the house and then maybe have a bite to eat. Does that work for you, Mel?”

  “Sure, go ahead and show her around. Just so you know, there is an older couple staying in the Snow Room on the second floor, so try to steer clear of there. They’re in town at the moment, so you probably won’t run into them.”

  “Snow Room?” Olivia inquired.

  “As you can imagine, we have an amazing view up here on the cliff. The moon, in particular, is a pretty spectacular sight, especially when it’s full. Hence the name, La Luna Vista - or the moon view.

  “I decided to continue with the moon theme and named my rooms after various full moons throughout the year. I have the Wolf Room, Snow Room, Pink Room, Flower Room, Strawberry Room, Buck Room, Harvest Room and Hunter’s Room named after January, February, April, May, June, July, September and October’s full moons, respectively.”

  Olivia laughed, delighted. “What a clever idea. I love that.”

  Melody grinned. “Thanks. I have my owner’s apartment on the fourth floor and privately refer to them as my Blue Rooms. It’s a good thing I only have the eight rooms, or else I’d ended up having to call one of them “The Worm Room” for March.

  “Why don’t you guys take a look around? I have some soup on the stove. When you’re ready we can have a late lunch, sit, and visit for a bit.”

  Mason gave his sister a quick smile, and led Olivia through the doorway to the left. The living room had a warm, comfortable feeling to it. It had cream colored walls that glowed softly in the firelight and there was another beautifully woven Oriental rug on the hardwood floor. In one of the corners by the window was a lounge chair and lamp that practically invited someone to sit and indulge in an afternoon of reading.

  There was a fire going in the hearth and a beautiful swag of fall leaves along the mantel with candlesticks strategically placed throughout the boughs. A conversation area with a dark leather sofa and two large chairs placed in front of the fireplace welcomed anybody passing to make themselves comfortable and stay awhile.

  She noticed a little banquet bar along one wall stocked with a decanter of whiskey and crystal glasses. Every detail seemed thought out and accounted for.

  “Oh, this room just makes me want to curl up, pour a finger of whiskey, and while away the rest of my day reading a good book.” She was utterly charmed.

  She turned to him. “I have to say, I’ve never actually stayed in a bed
and breakfast, but I’ve seen pictures online. They always appeared too flowery and overwhelmed with clutter. I love how she’s kept things welcoming, but minimal, letting the house speak for itself.”

  He nodded in agreement and opened the door on the far side of the fireplace. It led them to another sitting room. This one had a wall of windows looking out over the slope and to the water. She gasped. “Oh! Look at that view.”

  Here, Melody had kept the room lighter in color. The walls were a pale yellow and the creamy couches sat facing out, towards the bank of windows. Olivia noticed there was a pair of French doors at the end that led out to the porch. She could imagine sitting here in the summertime with the windows tossed open, the cool breeze coming up the cliff from the water, sipping her morning coffee, and just enjoying the magnificent view.

  Mason seemed to enjoy her reactions as she wandered through the room discovering things. His sister had set up a table surrounded by four chairs at one end of the room and lined the walls with books and board games. She wondered what it would be like to sit with him one afternoon and have nothing more pressing on her mind than who would win the next chess game.

  As if sensing the direction of her thoughts, he walked up to stand beside her, casually draped his arm across her shoulders, and looked out the windows with her. Idly, his fingers began to lightly brush the skin where her neck and shoulder met, causing her whole body to go on alert. She wondered if he even realized the effect he was having on her. “Let me show you the rooms upstairs.” He spoke softly in her ear.

  Shivering, she nodded in agreement. Being with him certainly kept her system in a constant state of need and anticipation. There was a low-grade thrum throughout her body whenever he was near.

  They walked back to the entrance and up the stairs. As she climbed the steps, she ran her fingers along the banister and admired the workmanship of the wood. “This house really is beautiful. What made her decide to come out here and open a bed and breakfast?”

  He shrugged. “I think my sister has always wanted a warm, inviting place to call hers. It’s not that we didn’t have a nice place to live when we were growing up, but it was always a little too perfect, too clean, and too hard to relax.

  “My mother liked to decorate all in white. White couches, white carpet, white walls, white everything. As kids growing up, we were constantly on alert about leaving things messy. We didn’t dare track dirt in from playing out in the yard, or leave our clothes on the floor… in the end, I think Melody simply craved a place that she could relax and be comfortable in.”

  Olivia thought about what he said. It sounded so different from the kind of childhood she had experienced. She had memories of messy cookie decorating sessions in the kitchen with her mom and two sisters, and her father coming home with stained overalls and grease under his nails. Disorganized chaos was just another part of life growing up in the Harper home.

  They headed down the hall and to the first door on the left. “What does your mother do?”

  “For the most part, she goes to the country club, plays tennis, volunteers on a few charity boards and does everything expected of her as the much younger, beautiful wife of an older, wealthy, and very successful international businessman.”

  He shot her a look. “Don’t get me wrong; when we were growing up, she was kind, in her way. It was important to her that we got the best training and education money could buy. She made sure that we went to the best schools and signed up for all the appropriate after-school programs. Dad was away a lot on business, so most of the work of raising us fell to her and our nannies.”

  As she listened to him describe his childhood, they made their way down the hallway. She noticed that each of the bedroom doors had small, brass plaques with their name on them. The next one she came across, she read aloud, “The Wolf Room.”

  Together they opened the door and looked inside. She noted the gray walls and darker wood. There was a chaise lounge in front of the fireplace with a fur throw along the back of it. She ran her hands through the softness. Even though it wasn’t real fur, it felt plush and luxurious.

  She poked her head into the attached suite and sighed at the Jacuzzi style tub and beautiful, sleek finishes. It reminded her of a very high-end spa.

  “Wow. How many fireplaces does this place have, anyway?”

  “Six, if I remember correctly. Basically there are two chimneys on either end of the front of the house, so all the front rooms have one, including four bedrooms, the front living room and dining room. The back rooms have the views, but no fireplaces.”

  “Oh, I get it. So the rooms named after winter months are in the front with the fireplaces, and the summer rooms are in the back with the views. Seems like a pretty nice set-up. Every room gets to have something special going for it, and it still leaves the fourth floor for Melody’s private space. She’s really thought this out.”

  “Melody has been pretty successful with it. Plus, she seems to love it, which should count for something.”

  Olivia nodded, and made her way back out towards the hallway. The door across the way was the occupied Snow Room, so she wandered back towards the other summer rooms.

  After poking her head into each, and taking note of the comfortable, tasteful décor, she turned back to Mason. “Your sister is really talented. She has a great eye for design and color, but manages to make it still feel comfortable and welcoming. What room did she put you in?”

  “I’m in the Hunter Room on the third floor. I think she thought it suited me.”

  He did look like a fierce hunter, with his unruly, slightly long hair, intense eyes, and broad shoulders. Not quite tame, she mused. Power, and the control to leash it. She could see him hunting the streets for bad guys, relentlessly pursuing justice. She thought his sister had chosen well.

  Together they climbed the stairs to the next level and walked into Mason’s room. Here she found dark, gleaming, wood floors and a big, polished sleigh bed that took up most of the space. There was a deep-cushioned leather chair in front of the fireplace and a lushly woven rug in front of the hearth.

  The walls had been painted mocha brown and Melody had used forest greens in the bedding. Butter yellow accent pillows brightened the space and gave the effect of sunlight filtering through the trees. The room was unashamedly masculine and smelled of sandalwood and Mason. Other than some change on top of the dresser and a pair of shoes outside the closet, the room was neat.

  She could feel him watching her as she explored his room. His intense gaze caused her to feel restless and needy. Unsure of herself, or the emotions he was stirring up, she wandered aimlessly towards the windows and found herself looking out at the view again.

  Gently, his hands settled on her shoulders and he turned her towards him. The desire she saw in his eyes set her blood on fire. Before he could do anything but tilt her head back, Melody called up to them. “Mason? Olivia? Lunch is ready!”

  With a half-groan, he gave her a grin before dropping a kiss on her nose. “My sister has the worst timing.”

  Flustered, she pulled back and ran her fingers through her hair, hoping doing so would help put some semblance of order to her thoughts, as well. She was surprised to find her pulse racing and a slight tremor in her hands. “I’m afraid I completely lost track of where I was for a moment.”

  “That’s a good thing.” He shot her a smug, supremely cocky, male look before taking her hand. “Come on, let’s go see what she’s cooked up.”

  “Ah, there you are.” Melody greeted them as they walked into the kitchen. Olivia took a deep breath and detected the comforting aromas of sage and thyme. “I made homemade chicken noodle soup. It’s been so cold; it seems like a good soup day.”

  “It smells delicious,” Mason said as he turned to grab some bowls from the cupboard. “Thanks for going to the trouble.”

  “Oh, it’s no trouble. I have some fresh bread I made this morning to go with it. Olivia, did you want something to drink?”

  “I think I�
��ll stick with water for now. You’ve done incredible work here. I absolutely love how you’ve decorated the rooms.”

  Beaming, she flushed with pride. “Thanks. It’s a lot of work, but it’s been so much fun putting everything together. There was a point when I was younger that I thought I’d like to be an interior designer. This gave me the perfect place to focus some of that natural energy.”

  “Did you have any official training or go to school for design?”

  “I took a few classes, but it wasn’t a part of my official curriculum, no. Although, my business degree has come in handy making sure this place pays the bills and stays afloat. I’m lucky I managed to find something that satisfies both my interests and my training.”

  Olivia laughed. “The business degree probably served you better in the long run. I ended up having to take a few crash courses at the community college after I opened my café. Those were long days. I’d wake up at 5 am, work mornings and afternoons, commute down to Portland for a late afternoon class, head home, feed Fiona and Liz, study, do homework and pass out. Then, wake up and do it all over again.”

  Melody shook her head. “I’m impressed. That’s a lot of work.” They all sat around the kitchen table. Olivia appreciated how warm and natural the familial setting was with Mason and his sister. Conversation flowed smoothly as they enjoyed their meal and got to know each other better.

  She laughed at the childhood stories Melody told her about Mason. She could see him as the rambunctious little boy, from running around with his water gun hollering, pretending to catch bad guys while playing cops and robbers, to scaring off her boyfriends in high school.

  “It must have been hard raising your two sisters after your parents died,” Melody said, after hearing her story.

  “Oh, I don’t know if I’d say I raised them, really. Liz was already a senior at that point and had made plans to take over the mechanic shop long before Dad passed away. Fiona was a sophomore and pretty self-sufficient. She ended up staying with me for her first two years of college to help save money, and only just recently moved into her own apartment. I’ll admit, the house feels really quiet without them.”