“Of course she did. She loved you like the daughter she never had.” Mariah smiled with sympathy. “Her grandfather carved that box from a Madrona tree on the farm.”
Harlee was on the verge of losing it again when Jake’s office door opened. The two men walked out together, their expressions tense. The friction between them was like an unseen monster lurking in the dark woods. Everyone knew it was there, even though they couldn’t see it or touch it.
Rico paused to shake hands with Jake and thank him for his time. Harlee drew a breath and held it. Jake’s eyes swung to hers and imprisoned her gaze with the force of cool, dark granite—hard and unmovable.
He was pissed.
Mariah stood and picked up her coat, recognizing it was time to go. Rico took it and held it out for her.
“Thanks for taking the time to listen to me,” Rico’s polite expression couldn’t conceal the storm below the surface. “You’ll consider my offer?”
“I’ll consider it.” The stubborn set of Jake’s jaw stated that he’d do anything but.
“It’s nice to see you again, Mariah.”
“And you, too, Jake. Perhaps, the four of us could get together for dinner while we’re here.” Ever the peacemaker, Mariah attempted to smooth things over and salvage the unsalvageable. Rico shot daggers at her. Obviously, spending one more moment in Jake’s company didn’t appeal to him.
“That’d be nice.” Jake said flatly.
“Actually, we’re going dancing at the Island Bar tonight. We’d love to have both of you join us. Wouldn’t we, Rico?”
“Sounds like as much fun as an enema.” Rico yelped when Mariah gave him a sharp jab with her elbow and an even sharper look.
“I’ll be there,” Harlee said eagerly. “But I’m sure Jake has other plans.”
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. I might stop by. I’ll see how the night goes.” Jake’s attention shifted to Harlee. Their eyes met. She squirmed at the open challenge in his smoldering dark eyes.
Mariah raised one eyebrow, seeing way too much. Harlee’s face reddened.
“See you tonight, Harlee.” With one last knowing glance from Jake to Harlee, Mariah took Rico’s arm and left them alone.
Once they were out of earshot, Jake turned to her, a frown marring that handsome face. “I don’t want Sanchez in my office again.”
“Fine, you tell him that.” She turned on her heel to go.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “We aren’t through.”
“Yes, we are.” Harlee’s temper matched his. The nerve of the man to think that he could tell her what to do. “My working hours are over, and you’re too cheap to pay overtime, so I’m outta here, buddy.”
Jake searched her eyes. “Whose side are you on?”
“It’s not about sides. It’s about doing the right thing.”
“The right thing, huh?”
“Yes, the right thing,” Harlee stood up straight and put her hands on her hips. Unfortunately, she underestimated how close he actually was. They were mere inches apart.
Her body snapped, crackled, and popped. His expression softened—minutely—and something more dangerous took its place. He ran his index finger across her cheek.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she rasped.
“What I need to do.” He traced her lips with his finger. Sexual electricity sizzled and arced between them. The voltage could have lit up half of Seattle. Harlee whimpered. Jake groaned.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“No. I mean yes. I mean, I—this isn’t—I—”
He grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He placed his hand under her chin and raised her head until their eyes met. “Harlee, why do you do this to me?”
Whatever she was doing to him, he was doing to her and then some because given the chance, she’d devour him like a box of Whitman’s Samplers.
Harlee swallowed and leaned backward, seeking some breathing room. He shifted to fill in the blank space. The scent of his spicy aftershave tickled her nose and alerted her senses. He casually wound a lock of her hair around his finger.
“I want you. I’ve wanted you since that first night.” The huskiness in his voice did strange things to her insides.
“You were just impressed by my ass-ets, remember?” Her attempt at being a smart mouth didn’t deter him.
“Well, that too.” His face moved closer until it blocked the rest of the room from her view. Not that she cared about the rest of the room. His hand drifted to her jaw and her neck then cupped the back of her head. He wrapped his free hand around her waist, and tugged her body against his.
This wasn’t a good idea. That pesky voice of reason warned her to stop now. In her teenage years, she’d never listened much to that particular voice. She didn’t care to listen to it now. She’d pay the consequences later.
Jake pressed against her. Her brain fizzled, wheezed, and sputtered. Her common sense ground to a halt. Jake’s hand tightened in her hair, tipping her head. With one pass of his arm, Jake swept everything off the desk. Papers carpeted the floor along with various office supplies. He hoisted her onto the desk and placed his hands on the inside of her knees. With amazing gentleness, he spread her legs apart and positioned his hips between them. Her short skirt grew shorter and bunched around her waist to reveal plain cotton underwear. Damn, she should’ve put on her red thong this morning. Yeah, but who would’ve guessed her boss would have her trussed like a turkey on a platter.
“You are the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in a pair of cotton panties.” Jake licked his lips. His eyes blazed with a black fire. “Very, very nice.”
She couldn’t remember anymore why this was a bad idea. Actually, it seemed like a very good idea. Harlee grabbed his fine ass and squeezed in a desperate attempt to solder her body to his. “I’m really a nice girl. We shouldn’t be doing this.” Her words contradicted her actions.
“Screw nice.” He growled in her ear and his tongue followed, swirling and licking. “I’d rather have you naughty. It’s a hell of a lot more fun.”
And naughty just about covered it. Her, spread-eagled on the desk with her skirt raised high. Him, between her legs with a fence post–sized hard-on. Both of them in his job shack without the door locked. That qualified as naughty in her book.
She shouldn’t be this stupid. Harlee wrapped her arms around his neck. “Kiss me.” Her raspy voice sounded foreign to her ears.
He abandoned his assault on her ear and wandered to her mouth, leaving a hot, wet trail and a hotter, wetter woman. His eyes locked with hers and then shifted to her lips. Her eyelids fluttered shut. Her body floated off the desk, no longer a victim of gravity. His lips, soft and warm, caressed hers, enticing her into mindless desire. Harlee whimpered and opened her mouth to his enthusiastic tongue. Her fingers dug into his short hair and urged him closer. Tongues entwined, lips devoured, and hearts pounded with a fierceness that defied reason.
With one kiss, Jake lassoed her heart and stamped her as his forever. Corny as it sounded, it was a fact. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed against him. She needed him like she needed water or air or…horses. Oh, Lord, she needed him more than horses.
“Oh, Jake,” she moaned against his mouth. He silenced her immediately. If she was talking, she wasn’t kissing, and talking didn’t seem to be what he had in mind.
He slipped a hand under her tight pink t-shirt and fondled one of her large breasts.
The door squeaked on rusty hinges. By some miracle, she heard it, even though she didn’t heed its warning.
“Well. Well. Well. What did I just stumble upon?”
The familiar voice poured cold water on their lust. Jake leapt backward and tangled his long legs in Harlee’s desk chair. He landed in a heap on the floor with paper scattered around him. Harlee shot off the desk and yanked down her skirt. Flustered, she danced around the room, trying to right everything they’d wronged. She skittered on the loose papers.
Jake rele
ased a string of obscenities that would’ve embarrassed even Harlee’s mother. He struggled to stand, grabbed the desk, and hauled himself to his feet. His dark eyes raged as he glowered at his brother. “You have a lousy sense of timing.”
“You’re right, I do. I should have waited another 10 minutes; then I’d really have gotten a show.”
“You fucking…”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. No way to talk to your big brother.”
“I’m going to…”
“Whatever.” Brad dismissed him with a wave of his hand. Jake stuck his hands on his hips. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have a job? In Seattle?”
Brad ignored him. “Harlee, believe me, this isn’t part of the job description. You should tell my brother to shove it.”
She thought that’s what she’d been telling him. Shove it. Deep and fast and…
The implications of what she’d almost done slammed into her. She was in manure up to the top of her muckers and sinking fast. This was not good.
Brad continued to grin like a homeless person with a winning lottery ticket. The jerk had earned a spot on her most wanted list—most wanted to strangle. Later, when her sanity returned, she’d thank him for saving her from her stupidity, if Jake let him live that long.
“We were doing just fine till you came along, Brad. Take a hike.” Jake pointed toward the door.
“And leave you two to your own devices? I don’t think so.” Brad settled in a chair and propped his feet on the desk. He wasn’t going anywhere. Jake stood a few feet away, hands on his hips, his expression murderous.
“You’d best keep your mouth shut. We were just having a little harmless fun.”
Harmless fun?
Leaving them to duke it out, Harlee grabbed her purse and coat, skirted around the two brothers, and escaped out the door.
Chapter 6—Out on the Town
Harlee retreated to her cozy cottage. She took a lukewarm shower, but nothing curbed the emotions that rioted through her body.
Jake’s final words rang in her ears over and over. Harmless? Fun?
Bullshit.
She should’ve learned her lesson with Conrad. Rich boys weren’t to be trusted. Give your heart to one and he will slice it up into tiny pieces, put it through a shredder, and return the remains on a silver platter, expecting a thank you.
What made her think Jake was any different? Any man who chose Warren for a partner couldn’t be much better than Conrad. Sure, Jake had fooled her with his down-home ways and modest clothes—except for the boxers. But underneath that boy-next-door bull was just another spoiled, rich boy intent on destroying everything in his wake to get what he wanted.
She was far too gullible and trusting when she fell for a man. This time it wouldn’t happen. Too much rode on her ability to stay focused on her goal of saving Rose’s legacy. Jake might be a nice guy deep down, but he was the enemy where Rosehill was concerned.
She’d join Rico and Mariah tonight. Hustle herself a man to prove that Jake wasn’t anything special. She’d dress in her hottest dress, find the pick of the litter, and take him home. Okay, she wouldn’t take him home. She deserved better than a one-night stand.
She’d dance and flirt with him and let him buy her drinks. All thoughts of Jake would be purged from her mind and her body. She’d show him a little harmless fun, all right, if the ass had enough nerve to show his face.
Sighing, Harlee curled up on the couch with Rose’s jewelry box. She traced the rose carving with a fingernail as if it would capture a bit of Rose. With great care, she opened the lid. Inside were a few pieces of Rose’s favorite jewelry, including a gold horse pin. Rising, Harlee retrieved her purse and removed the worn letter. She carried it and the box to the bedroom and placed the box on the dresser.
Harlee’s hands shook as she unfolded the paper. The writing swam before her eyes. She blinked several times to bring it into focus. Even though she had the words memorized, she forced herself to read it aloud as shame washed over her like high tide over mud flats:
Dearest Harlee,
Despite our differences, I’ll always love you like a daughter. I know my motives seemed selfish when I tried to prevent you from following Conrad to Europe. To a point, they were. Yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the man was all wrong for you. Regardless, I want you to know that you’ll always have a home here, no matter what happens.
I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. You’ve risen above your past, and you’re making something of yourself. You can do anything, Harlee, don’t let anyone convince you differently.
I have one request to make of you, and I fear it’s a big one. I won’t always be around. A person never knows when their time on this earth will end. This camp means as much to you as it means to me.
For decades, Rosehill Camp has enriched the lives of children and done its small part in breaking the chain of poverty. I know Mariah is dedicated to its purpose, but she doesn’t have the personal ties to it or the understanding of it that you have. I am entrusting you to carry on its mission, the very one that my father set in motion over fifty years ago. I know you won’t let me down, and there is a small trust fund waiting for you in ten years if you’re successful.
All my love,
Rose
Harlee folded the letter, placed it in the box, and shut the lid. Sadness walked across her soul and left footprints of guilt. Tears of regret spilled down her cheeks and settled in her gut. Her emotions strengthened her resolve and shored up her determination. She wouldn’t fail Rose. Rose had trusted her, believed in her when no one else ever had. That faith hadn’t been misplaced. Whatever it took, she’d see to it the camp continued. To hell with the trust fund. She didn’t want or deserve Rose’s money.
Somehow, she’d convince Jake to reconsider. And if she couldn’t, well, there was still time for other options. The camp buildings weren’t scheduled to be demolished until after New Year’s Day.
Up until a few hours ago, her plan had been to appeal to Jake’s sense of decency. She suspected it was there, even though he hid it behind crap like his comment today. But this new development with his family could change everything. She couldn’t match their money, but never underestimate the power of a grassroots battle.
She’d do her research. Mariah would help, and Rico would muster celebrity support. Those Hollywood types loved a good cause. They’d jump on this bandwagon.
They’d interview everyone they could find who had attended the camp and had become successful members of society. She’d prepare a convincing report with her findings and present it to the Reynolds.
She doubted it would change their minds, but that would be part of the strategy. Large corporations were coming under fire a lot lately. Reynolds Corp wouldn’t appreciate the type of negative publicity she could generate by their lack of concern for at-risk kids and the environment.
She took out a piece of paper and started writing.
Plan A—Convince Jake and his family to do the right thing. Plan B—Go for the jugular with adverse publicity and a grassroots campaign. Plan C—
Plan C? Heck, what was Plan C? A more devious form of persuasion? She’d sacrifice her body for the greater good. History overflowed with stories of women who were the downfall of powerful men. Would she be Jake’s downfall?
She hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
* * * *
Jake sneaked out of the trailer when his brother went to the bathroom. He drove home and prayed Brad wouldn’t follow him. He hoped Brad didn’t rat him out to his parents.
Twenty-eight years old, and he still craved his parents’ approval. Wasn’t that pathetic? And a far cry from his teenage years when he hadn’t cared less. Now he fought an uphill battle to undo all the harm he’d done.
Until recently, he’d assumed he had all the time in the world. But now Jake realized that clock ticked with callous indifference.
He’d always considered his father untouchable, immortal. But his dad’s heart attack a fe
w months ago had changed them all. The entire Reynolds family was reevaluating their priorities, except Tight Ass Carson. Of course, everyone acknowledged that Carson was perfect, so why would he need to change?
Jake would be damned if he’d let his dad check out before he made his amends and rebuilt all those burned bridges. Developing Rosehill would play a large part in his campaign. Harlee would not. He couldn’t fall for her. For her sake, he needed to keep his emotions under wrap. Nothing good could come of a relationship between them. Now if he could just convince his body and his heart.
Harmless fun. Shit. He wished it were that simple. He wondered how Harlee saw it. She’d most likely had a lot of harmless fun in her life and never thought twice about, just like he had. Somehow harmless fun didn’t seem to work anymore.
Jake popped open a beer and downed it in several long gulps. It did little to alleviate his confusion and frustration.
What the hell was it that she had over other women? Sexy body, gorgeous curves, beautiful smile? Yeah, but it wasn’t just physical. Damn it. That made this whole thing more difficult. He liked her. Really liked her. She listened to him and didn’t make rash judgments. Sure, she didn’t approve of his plans for Rosehill, but she didn’t let that cloud her opinion of him as a person. She made him laugh, made him think, made him believe in himself. Hell, she made him believe in the impossible.
A few minutes later, Brad’s SUV screeched to a halt outside. Jake heard his brother’s feet pounding on the front porch then the door slammed open. “Hey, man. You took off like a shot. Were you afraid your big bro might wrench the truth out of you?”
Jake didn’t answer. He took two beers from the fridge, twisted off the tops, and handed one to Brad. He flopped down in an overstuffed leather chair and flipped through the channels on the TV until he found a football game. Brad, beer in hand, settled on the couch and kicked off his boots.
Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? Page 8
