by Diana Nixon
“I will give it some thought.”
Our lips met in a blissful kiss. It was different from all those kisses we shared before, and somehow, more real than ever.
I didn’t know how we managed to get this far, but I couldn’t wait to see what was waiting for us tomorrow and deep down inside, I hoped it would be something good.
I couldn’t remember what I dreamed of before Harlee. It was like she made all of those dreams come true and made my present more colorful than my past. There was no more black-and-white for me. I could see so many other shades and colors, and all of them were bright and beautiful, thanks to her.
She made my small full-of-solitude world spin around her, growing to the size of the universe that was made of the invisible magic she brought to me. It saved me from the pain and regrets of my past and showed me a different kind of love that wasn’t an obsession, but a connection of two souls who were meant for each other…
***
“This dress is…good.”
“Dear Lord, Cole, who taught you to make compliments like that?” Jazmine spun around in front of the mirror in my living room and smiled at her reflection. “I’m ready to make Romeo lose his pants over me.”
“Just don’t rush with losing your dress over him,” Harlee said, standing behind her sister.
“Look who’s talking! You lost your head, your panties and everything else over him,” Jaz pointed at me. “Though I can’t blame you for that. The guy is a candy.”
“Well, thank you young lady. But save your compliments for the birthday boy or he might think you came to L.A. to see me and not him.”
“Right.” Jazmine kissed Harlee good-bye and so did I.
“Don’t miss me, princess. I’ll be right back. Meanwhile, open that red box on the table. There’s a present for you.”
“Another box? I’m kind of scared to assume what might be inside.”
“You will like it.”
“What’s in the box?” Jazmine asked as we left the apartment and walked to the elevator.
“It’s a…present.”
“A present that I’m too young to see?”
“Yep.”
“I didn’t know you were into BDSM.”
“It’s not what you think. It’s just a…nice lingerie, that’s it.”
“Oh…okay.” She didn’t even try to hide her all-knowing smile. “I’m sure you guys will have a lot of fun waiting for me to come back home.”
“And I hope you will have fun at the birthday party. If it doesn’t go as planned, call me.”
“Don’t worry, I remember the deal we made – I pretend to be a good girl, you – by the way, what was your part of the deal?”
“I pretend to be a bad boy aka myself.”
“Right. But now that I’ve seen you dragging Harlee into the ocean, I’m sure she’s ready for more wet surprises from you.”
“Watch your language, Jaz.”
She wordlessly mimicked me in the elevator’s mirror.
“No wet fun for you tonight, remember?”
“Yes. I told you, I’ll be a good girl tonight. Or at least, I’ll try to. I hate following the rules.”
“So do I.”
She punched my shoulder playfully. “I always liked you. Good to know that my sister has found someone as impossible as she is. You two are a perfect match.”
“My point exactly.”
By the time I stopped my car at Romeo’s parents’ house, his birthday party was in full play.
He didn’t lie about an all-boy party. I didn’t see a single girl there. But since we gave everyone enough time to celebrate and arrived closer to the end, I hoped most of his guests would leave soon. As well as I hoped telling Jazmine to surprise Romeo was a good idea. I didn’t want her to hate me for the rest of her life.
“You’ve got two hours,” I told her. “My driver will be here at eleven thirty. Have you charged your phone?”
“Yes.” She checked on her look in a small mirror. For a twentieth time since we left my place.
“Good.”
The next second I saw Romeo walk out of the house and stop, stunned at the view of Jazmine getting out of my car.
This time I didn’t interrupt them and let him enjoy the view. She was beautiful inside and out and I hoped he would be smart enough to appreciate it.
It took him a few moments to come back to his senses and then, he smiled at Jaz.
I breathed a sigh of relieve. I was glad to know I wasn’t mistaken about Romeo. He really liked her.
He stepped closer and locked Jazmine in his embrace. I knew it was time for me to leave and finally give them some privacy.
I started the engine and sped away, hoping to spend the upcoming two hours with someone I was so into.
The moment I opened the door of my apartment, I knew I was in major trouble – hot and too damn sexy trouble.
Harlee was sitting on the edge of my dining table, wearing a black lacy bra and matching thong that I left for her in the red box.
“I didn’t know your cousin sold lingerie.”
“She doesn’t. But I asked the delivery guy to bring the box to her shop so that you didn’t see it too early.”
“I like the new set.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” I put the keys and my wallet on the coffee table and slowly walked to take my present of that night. “Do you think this table is strong enough to hold the two of us?”
She chuckled. “Depends on what you have in mind.”
“You. Always you. On the table. Instead of my breakfast, dinner and supper.”
“Oh… Are you sure you can stand that much of me?”
“Positive.”
“Then take it. I’m all yours, Mr. Griffin. At least for tonight.”
“Wrong answer,” I said, standing between her legs. “You are mine for the rest of my life.”
“I haven’t said yes to this.”
“Yet. But I’ll make sure you do.”
“You are so full of yourself, Cole.”
“Not at all. But I really want you to be full of me. And I’m going to make it happen right now…”
I had been alone for so long; I wasn’t sure I knew how to share anything about my life with anyone but myself. I tried so hard to control everything that was going on around me; I didn’t see through the veil of a non-stop fight with the shadows of my past. I thought if I let my protection go, even for a brief moment, I would lose myself again. And I so didn’t want it to happen all over again. Once was enough.
And then I met Harlee and she shattered everything I had been holding onto for so long. She broke every wall that I built around my heart and got so deep under my skin, I didn’t know how to return the control that I never let myself lose.
At some point I realized I never lived a breath of my life before I met Harlee. Nothing in me was mine anymore because I belonged to her. And I didn’t want to change it. I just wanted to stay there – in the soft oblivion of her scent, in the warmth of her touch, in the sweetness of her kiss and in the fire of her eyes…
***
EPILOGUE
One Year Later
Michael
“I can’t believe my eyes,” Madison said, watching Harlee walk down the aisle, wearing a snow-white dress, decorated with lace and seed beads.
“I told you she was a perfect match for Cole.”
“Just look at him – who would have thought he was in the list of my bachelors on sale? I honestly believed he would stay a bachelor forever.”
“That’s why I made sure you got an invitation to their wedding. I knew you were dying to see everything with your own eyes. Besides, your files helped Harlee a lot.”
“But how? They never helped any of those girls who paid for them.”
“The answer is simple – she read them back-to-front and made sure she did exactly the opposite of what all the other girls did.”
“Even the scented candles?”
“Oh, as far as I know they mad
e the very first shot. Cole said she put them all over his house and lit them every time he crossed the threshold just to piss him off.”
“Does she still like candles?”
“They both do. Or one of them is pretending he does.”
Madison smiled. “Cole looks so happy. I’m glad he lost this game.”
“No, he didn’t. There are no losers here. Both he and Harlee are the winners. They won each other. What else could they wish for?”
“You are right. Now I can’t wait to make my next deal. Do you happen to know someone willing to buy the rest of my bachelors on sale? I hate the idea of keeping their files forever.”
I chuckled. “Sorry, Madison. But I only have one best friend, and as you can see - he’s hopelessly taken and lost to everyone but his soon-to-be wife.”
“Does he know what you did to help him find his happiness?”
“He knows I lied to him when I said I didn’t know about his return to New York. I made Harlee agree to the deal I offered, because it was the best way to make them meet. After that, it was a matter of time it would take Harlee to make Cole fall hopelessly for her. Turns out following the plan is not always a great idea. But doing everything backward is what works in the most lost cases.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for the next time my client says my recommendations are not working.”
I chuckled and looked at my best friend whose happy face was glowing like a full moon.
With his eyes focused on Harlee, he took the ring from the priest and put it on Harlee’s finger.
“I never thought I would be here again,” he said to the bride. “But I swear I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Harlee Bennet.”
I could see tears glisten in her eyes. She knew how much everything that was happening right now meant to Cole. I was there when he married Carol, and now I was here to watch him marry a different girl. But it wasn’t just the girl that was different about the moment.
Cole was different too. Time and meeting Harlee had changed him forever.
I knew how nervous he was to take this step, again. But I also knew he never loved anyone as much as he loved the girl standing by his side. She didn’t need any files to make him love her. He loved her for who she was, as well as for what she taught him to feel – a kind of love that made him become a better man who wasn’t afraid to open his heart to the new feelings and take them with him into the future, that he more than anything wanted to spend with her…
THE END
***
About the Author
Diana Nixon is the USA Today & International bestselling author of contemporary and fantasy romances. A Master of Law, she never thought she would betray the world of law and dive into fiction. But once her first book – Love Lines – was published, she realized that writing was her true passion. Since then, she has written more than 20 books. She can’t imagine her life without her fictional characters and she never stops thinking about the new storylines that haunt her dreams. She’s married and has two daughters - her biggest source of inspiration. She loves music, traveling, coffee and chocolate. She believes that writing is the best cure for everything that can be healed with words. Diana Nixon's books are being translated into Spanish, German, Russian, French, Portuguese and Italian.
***
More books by Diana Nixon:
Illusive
Louise (Louise, # 1)
Louise: A New Beginning (Louise, # 2)
Tess (Louise, # 2.5)
Set Me Free (Set Me Free, # 1)
In A Whisper (Set Me Free, # 2)
Shattered (Shattered, # 1)
Fragile (Shattered, # 2)
Serene (Shattered, # 3)
Faded (Shattered, # 4)
Love Undone (Love Undone, # 1)
In Your Eyes (Love Undone, # 2)
Checkmate (Checkmate, # 1)
No Strings Attached (Checkmate, # 2)
Back in the Game (Checkmate, # 3)
Love Lines (Love Lines, # 1)
Songs of the Wind (Love Lines, # 2)
From Scratch (Love Lines, # 2.5)
Diamond Sky (Love Lines, # 3)
The Curse of Blood (Love Line, # 4)
Upon the Stars (Love Lines, # 5)
The Souls of Rain (Heavens Trilogy, # 1)
The Prisoners of Dreams (Heavens Trilogy, # 1.5)
Hate at First Sight
