Conflict of Interest

by A. M. Kusi

  “I’ll be with Isa in Greece these next two weeks,” Harper explained.

  David furrowed his brow. “Missing two weeks of work and you haven’t even been there two months yet?”

  She hated hearing the disappointment in his voice. “I told you about the trip months ago. It wasn’t last minute,” she reminded him.

  While Sandra cleaned up dinner, David retired to his study with a book. River offered to walk out with Harper. Once they were outside, he asked, “Do you really like working for Dad?”

  “I mean, it’s still a job, but it’s fun. Always something different. Makes you have to get creative and organized, which I am working on.”

  “You seem different.”

  “So do you, lover boy,” she teased.

  River smiled. “Oh, is that why you are acting different too?”

  Harper blushed. “No!” she said a little too quickly and louder than she should have.

  “Oooh, Harper has a boyfriend,” he crooned.

  “No, I don’t. I just…” There was no use denying it. Lying would only put her deeper into the hole, and River might cause trouble with her parents if she didn’t give him something. “Okay, I met someone.”

  “I knew it!” His handsome face lit up, and his mouth curved into a half-smile.

  “But I am just getting to know him, and I don’t want Mom and Dad to know. It’s a secret until I am ready to tell them. Don’t say anything, please?” she pleaded as they approached her car.

  “Fine,” he promised.

  “Now tell me, how much do you like Ella?” she asked, changing the subject back to him.

  River smiled. “A lot. She’s something special. She’s gorgeous, and makes me really think about my life and where it is going.”

  “I like her already,” she said. She gave River a hug.

  “Bye, brother.”

  “Bye, sister.”

  Harper drove to her apartment after sending Jax a text that she was on her way. He was lying on her couch, watching a soccer game on the TV. She had given him a key to her brownstone, making it easier for him to come and go to her apartment during the last week.

  “How was dinner with your parents and River?” he asked, looking at her as she entered the living room.

  The central air kept her house cool, so she climbed next to him and covered herself with a purple throw blanket that she kept on the side of the cream-colored couch. “Same old, same old. Daddy asked me who I thought the best teacher was out of all his consultants.”

  Jax pulled her against his chest as he relaxed further into the couch. “What did you say?”

  “I told him it was a tie between you and Natasha.”

  When Jax didn’t respond, Harper turned her face to look at him. His expression was blank as he stared at the commercial playing on the TV, but his jaw was clenched.

  “Are you mad?”

  “No.”

  “You look and sound like something is wrong.”

  Silence.

  “Jax, I didn’t want to seem like I favored you. You wanted to keep us a secret. Natasha has taught me a lot of things; she’s smart and capable. I am biased towards you though. Natasha has never given me the type of satisfaction you have, or made me have very naughty fantasies while I work next to her.”

  He sighed. “I see. Tell me more about these salacious thoughts.”

  He ran his hands over her breasts as he kissed her. Her body instantly ignited under his touch. The more time they spent together, the stronger her affection for him grew.

  “You still mad at me?” she asked.

  “I think I could be persuaded to forgive you.” He smirked as his hands unbuttoned her shorts.

  “How come I am the one that needs to be forgiven? I did what you wanted and kept this,” she motioned her finger back and forth between them before continuing, “a secret.”

  He slipped the shorts down her legs, leaving her in her panties and T-shirt. “You’re right. Let me thank you with a few orgasms.” His chuckle rumbled in his chest as he climbed over her.

  “Well I certainly won’t argue with that.”

  He hooked his fingers in the edge of her underwear, moving them to the side as he plunged his fingers inside. The contact sent a shudder through her body. She would never get enough of this man and the things he did to her. An expert in her pleasure.

  She pulled his face towards her and locked her lips to his. Their bodies and tongues twisting, tangling, weaving together in a sensual knot. Using her body to tell him everything his ears were not ready to hear.

  He slid inside her. There was something about fucking with your clothes partially on that made it hotter. Like he couldn’t wait long enough to strip her, because he needed to be inside of her that desperately.

  She held on as he rocked her, covering her in his decadent dark shadow. Eclipsing every other thought with the avalanche of delirium-inducing shudders that wracked through her. Everything moved in slow motion as she was transported to the highest planes of ecstasy. Floating, weightless, her soul mingled with his, hovering over their erotic dance.

  She gripped his muscular shoulders, hanging on for her life as he drove deeper, penetrating to her very core. He roared as he pulsed and emptied inside her. Leaving a piece of himself behind.

  ***

  Jax wondered when he had become a snuggler. It was like one day he was living his life, and then Harper came crashing through, claiming every part of him as hers. He’d never slept with a woman—like, actually slept in the same bed. Now he was full-on spooning until the morning. The truth was, he had never felt more rested than when he spent the night next to her.

  Sunday morning, he woke to the smell of bacon and rolled over to see Harper’s side of the bed empty. Jax pulled on a pair of sweatpants, then made his way to her bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth with the extra toothbrush she kept there for him. He walked out of the bedroom, down the hall past her guest bedroom and office, to the stairs where he heard her grinding coffee beans. Jax had learned a lot about Harper in the time they’d spent together. Like the fact that she enjoyed domestic things like cooking, and she happened to be pretty good at it too.

  Jax entered the kitchen and saw her pouring hot water into a French press. When she was done, he wrapped his arms around her, his chest to her back, before dipping his face into the crook of her neck. He inhaled before he started kissing and sucking along her neck.

  Her light laughter tumbled out. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

  “Good morning, goddess.” Jax released her and she moved to the stove. She put the bacon onto a napkin-covered plate and flipped the eggs in the pan.

  “I love bacon,” he said.

  “My mama always taught me that a way to a man’s heart was through his stomach.”

  He watched her hands as she worked on buttering sourdough toast. He wanted more than anything to let Harper in all the way, but he just couldn’t. He needed to get all his ducks in a row, make the promotion, and then he could think about falling in love. Right now, they were just dating, getting to know each other.

  After they ate breakfast, they decided to stay in. He was worried about being seen together, especially since River was in town. They remained in their pajamas, watched movies, and played games. They laughed together and had fun. Harper was going to pull out all the stops and make homemade pasta for dinner.

  She hooked up the shiny silver attachments to her white KitchenAid machine. He sat on a stool as she kneaded the pasta dough, before coating the granite countertop in flour.

  Harper wasn’t an extremely organized person, but her kitchen was meticulous. She knew where everything was, and she kept her cooking space clean of clutter.

  She’d opted for a farfalle pasta, so she thinned the dough through the machine and used a little pizza-cutter-looking tool to cut the dough i
nto squares.

  She was completely focused on her craft. Jax could tell she had done this many times before, and recognized the care she put into her cooking was the same as his own mother. Harper showed him how to shape the dough into little bow ties and then they set the pasta onto a sheet pan to dry while they worked on the rest. After a few tries, he got the hang of it and kept going while she stirred a pot of sauce with ground sausage and lamb.

  “This smells so good,” he said, his mouth salivating at the aroma in the room.

  “My grandmother taught me. She’s from Italy.”

  “Ahhh. Your mom or dad’s side?”

  “My mom’s.”

  “Fresh pasta from a true Italian!” He laughed.

  “You’re in for a treat.” She promised. “I don’t make it as good as my Nonna does. I also add my own twist to the sauce. It might be sacrilegious, but I add bone broth. Gives it a richer flavor. She would probably roll over in her grave if she knew.”

  Jax laughed. “Your secret is safe with me. My mom is a good cook, and my aunties. All the women in my family know how to cook.”

  He didn’t normally share things about himself. Harper let him say as much as he wanted without pressing, and he loved that about her.

  Wait. Love? Panic tightened his chest as his mouth went dry.

  “I loved the sweet potato pies you brought to my graduation party,” she said, bringing him back to the moment.

  “You remember those?” he asked, surprised.

  “They were that good,” she replied, checking the water to see if it was boiling yet. She looked up and caught him smiling. Hearing her praise his mother’s cooking made that same heavy feeling in his chest churn and grow, the pressure building the more time he spent with her.

  “What is your favorite meal that your mom makes?” Harper asked, taking the pan of fresh pasta and dumping it into the pot of boiling water. She set a timer while Jax thought about it.

  “It’s hard to pick a favorite. She makes a mean mac and cheese.”

  “I think macaroni and cheese is like a staple for most moms. Even if it comes from a box.”

  They laughed.

  When the pasta was done, Harper spooned it from the colander into their bowls, before spreading the meaty sauce on top and garnishing with shredded parmesan cheese. She carried the bowls over to the table where she had a candle lit. Jax followed behind with two beers.

  He took the first bite. The burst of flavor exploded in his mouth—he had never tasted anything so good as Harper’s fresh pasta. “This is seriously amazing.”

  She smiled. She blew on her spoon before taking a bite. “Mmm.” She nearly moaned. “Perfezione!”

  He set his spoon down and stared at her. “You speak Italian?”

  “Solo un po.” She smiled. “It means ‘just a little.’”

  “That’s hot. What else do you know?”

  “Mi sto innamorato di te,” she said.

  Jax licked his lips as he finished chewing another mouthful. “And that means?”

  She smiled mischievously, but didn’t answer.

  “What other secret talents do you have that I don’t know about?” he asked.

  “I’ll show you another after dinner,” she said, licking the edge of her spoon suggestively.

  “Do you have to leave tomorrow?” he groaned.

  “Yes. I planned this trip with Isa months ago and I’m excited to go see Greece. I have never been there. I’ll bring back some fun recipes for us to try together.” She smiled. “I’ll miss you like crazy though.”

  Jax nodded. He would miss her too, but there was no way he would admit it. “I’m sure you will be busy exploring, and I’ll be stuck in my office catching up on a bunch of work.”

  “What do you have to catch up on? River doesn’t seem to take home work like you do. Not even my dad does, honestly,” Harper said, before taking another bite of her dinner.

  “I don’t get everything done I need to because I have been spending time with you. I like to finish things much faster than I have been these past few weeks,” he said, knowing that he wasn’t necessarily behind on anything but his own standard, which far exceeded David’s. That was why Jax was going to earn this promotion and crush his competition. His career was his life.

  After dinner, Harper showed him her other secret talent. Leaving him unable to form words as she took every inch of him into her hot little mouth. Blinding him in intoxicating pleasure. Her mouth continued its assault on the crumbling walls remaining around his heart. That dense pressure clawing his insides, seeking to drown him in the desire to open every part of himself and let her in. Unease slithered across his skin, tainting the moment with his fear. She was seeing too much of him.

  He pulled out of her mouth, forcing her down to the bed, regaining a semblance of control. Though it was all an illusion. Harper made him feel unhinged as he spiraled and spun into her divine abyss. Leaving him unstable and volatile. It was maddening how much power she wielded over him.

  She willingly spread her legs for him. Always ready to fulfill his needs. She was a fucking fantasy. Those tan legs, quaking and trembling. Her sweet heat delicious and responsive. Lush curves in all the right places, giving him something to hold on to. She was all woman. And for right now, exclusively his.

  It was the last night they would be together for the next two weeks, and he was going to make the most of it. Crawling over her, he clamped down on her naked breast. She moaned. There was no escape. He plunged inside her, begging for the sweet release only she could provide. Skin slapping against skin. Sweat mingling and merging. His orgasm came charging after hers in a burst of white hot euphoria.

  Every muscle tensed and throbbed as she milked his last remaining bit of strength from him before he slumped next to her, spent and satiated.

  And so god damned fucked.

  Chapter 19

  The next morning, Jax dropped Harper off at the airport, kissing her goodbye in the parking garage so as not to be seen.

  “I’ll miss you.”

  “Have a safe trip,” he said, pulling her in for another kiss.

  “I’ll text you once I get settled and get some sleep.”

  “Sounds good. Should I pick you up two Saturdays from now?” he asked.

  “That would be nice.” She smiled and gave him one last kiss before she got out of the car. She dragged her suitcase behind her into the airport, waving one last goodbye and blowing a kiss to him before the automatic glass doors closed.

  He got through the first few days of Harper being gone by burying himself in his work. That was the thing about his job; there was always something to occupy his time when he wanted it too.

  Burying himself in projects the first week, he hoped to show David just how much he deserved the promotion.

  The truth was, he felt the loss of her in his bed every night. He missed waking up to her smooth skin against his, having a shower together, and never knowing what she was going to surprise him with next. He missed her cooking, and he missed her scent. He missed doing life with her. Jax had even gone as far as switching pillows at night so he could smell the faint rose perfume that she wore. He had really gone off the deep end. Even when she wasn’t there, she occupied his thoughts.

  Wednesday evening came, and Jax made it to soccer practice at the same time as Ethan pulled in. His friend got out of his car with his bag in hand.

  “Hey, Jax,” Ethan said.

  “You ready for tonight?”

  “Born ready,” Ethan laughed as he strapped on his shin guards and pulled the long athletic socks up over them. He stood and glanced around before asking, “So, you solve that dilemma?”

  Jax shifted where he stood, deciding now was also a good time to put on his soccer gear and avoid his friend’s eyes. “Yup.”

  “So, you’re leaving it alone?” he aske
d, pointedly.

  Jax stood back up and rubbed the back of his neck, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to admit the truth either.

  “It is written all over your face, man.”

  “I’m taking care of it,” Jax said, shouldering his bag as they headed towards the field.

  “I hope she’s worth it.”

  Jax felt a surge of protectiveness rear up inside him. He wanted to tell Ethan just how special Harper was, and how she ruined him in the best of ways when he was with her. He didn’t say any of that though. At the end of the day, his career was the most important thing. Once his job was where he wanted it to be, then he could think about the rest.

  He ran a lap around the field to warm up before he spotted River talking to Ethan. A beautiful tattooed dark-haired woman was standing next to his best friend. He assumed she was Ella, River’s new girlfriend. Jax would have to go over and introduce himself, but the less time he spent talking to River, the better.

  “Hey, Jax!” River called as he got closer. “This is Ella. Ella, this is Jax.”

  “Hey, nice to finally meet you,” Jax said, offering his hand to shake hers.

  “You too,” Ella said.

  Ethan started talking to Ella about Vermont and the inn she owned while River spoke to Jax. “Hey, I have been meaning to talk to you about Harper.”

  A bolt of panic ripped through his body as his guts twisted in unease. “Uh, we should get warmed up for practice, don’t ya think?”

  “Yeah, in a minute. She told me she was seeing someone.”

  Hot anger flooded his body. Harper had told her brother and not even given him the benefit of letting him know ahead of time?

  Jax looked towards the field, not responding, waiting to hear what River was going to say next.

  River continued, “I just wondered if you’d seen her with anyone while I’ve been gone?”

  Jax sighed, trying not to sound relieved that his friend was still in the dark. “She went on a few dates with Simon, but you already knew that.”