Deadly Proposal (Hardy Brothers Security Book 4)

by Hart, Lily Harper

  “Or?”

  “Or maybe someone from the court system has a grudge against her.”

  “Or?”

  “Or, maybe, it’s something else entirely and I’m completely on the wrong track,” Grady conceded.

  “Do you have a card?”

  Grady pulled one out of his back pocket and handed it over to Jake.

  “I’ll keep my ear to the ground,” Jake said. “If I hear anything, I’ll give you a call.”

  “Thank you.”

  JAMES let himself into Mandy’s office without knocking. She was sitting behind her desk, intent on whatever task was in front of her, and she didn’t immediately hear him.

  “Hello, sunshine.”

  Mandy smiled, not bothering to look up. “You’re early.”

  “Only fifteen minutes,” James said, closing the office door behind him.

  “I’m almost done.”

  “Okay.”

  James moved around the desk, running his fingertips over the glazed top as he rounded the corner. “Are you done yet?”

  “Just a second.” She was distracted.

  James glanced back at the door, wishing for a second that he had locked it. That wasn’t part of the fantasy, though, and he wanted this to be authentic. “Okay.”

  He stood, watching her work for a second. She was so focused that it bordered on cute. “Are you done yet?”

  Mandy glanced up at him, irritation flitting across her face. “Just a second.”

  James’ smile was slow and sly. He grabbed her chair, turning it at an angle as he dropped to his knees behind her desk. “Are you done yet?”

  “What are you doing?” Mandy hissed, glancing around the empty office.

  “Shh.”

  “James,” Mandy warned. “I … .”

  “Shh.”

  James spread her legs, running his hands between her thighs. She could only spread her legs so far due to the metal arms of the chair, so he tugged her lower. She was now slouching, the back of her head resting against the brown fabric of the chair.

  “James … .”

  “Shh.” James hadn’t been able to get her admission out of his head for days. He was going to fulfill her fantasy – and he was going to fulfill it now. He lowered his head, running his tongue over the silky flesh of her inner thigh.

  “Oh.”

  James pushed her skirt up, sighing when he caught sight of the garters. They drove him crazy. She insisted on wearing them underneath her pencil skirts. His mind wandered to them at least twice a day.

  He grabbed one of the elastic strings with his teeth, pulling back and letting it snap back into place. He did it again, and then pushed his face forward between her shaking thighs. She was turned on, and yet nervous. He liked it.

  James ran his hands under her thighs, tugging her even lower in the chair. He sighed when he saw his destination. She wasn’t wearing panties, just like he asked. He leaned forward, inhaling deeply, and then blowing the breath out, directing it toward his ultimate goal.

  Mandy squirmed in his hands. “James … .”

  James flicked his tongue out, making contact with her tender folds.

  “Oh,” she gasped.

  “Shh,” he admonished her. He didn’t really care if anyone found out what they were doing. He knew, after the fact, she would be mortified. He wanted to fulfill the fantasy and get away clean.

  James extended his tongue, pushing it flat, and then licked her. She was gripping the arms of the chair so hard James was worried she would rip them off. He attacked her moist core with enthusiasm, licking her up and down a few times before sucking her pleasure bud into his mouth.

  Mandy whimpered, and James relished the power he currently had over her. After two more licks, Mandy was orgasming with impunity. James climbed to his feet, swallowing her wanton cries with his mouth.

  He lifted her up, positioning her back to the door and settling her naked rear end on the desktop. Her skirt was completely around her waist now. James kept his mouth on hers as he unsnapped his jeans and pulled them down to his knees. It wasn’t classy, but he couldn’t risk pulling them down all the way.

  He spread her legs, slipping between them and guiding his throbbing erection to her warm hole. He gripped her rounded rear as he slammed himself inside of her. “I love you,” he murmured, his rhythm finding stability.

  “I love you,” Mandy said, her hands kneading his bare rear as she spurred him on. She wrapped her legs around his waist, tilting her pelvis for a better angle as she rested her head on the high ridge of the desk alcove behind her.

  James pistoned his narrow hips, his mouth claiming hers. It wasn’t long before they were both tumbling over the abyss together, Mandy’s fingernails digging into the hard planes of his hard-muscled bottom as his tongue thrust into her mouth. Sometimes dirty does it quickly, James realized.

  Their mutual cries died in the warm orifice of the other, James’ hips stuttering the second she started to convulse around him.

  He pressed his forehead against hers, relishing the feeling of her as she tried to quiet her breathing. After a minute, James kissed her one more time before slipping out of her and pulling his jeans up.

  He helped her off the desk, pulling her skirt down and smoothing her outfit and hair.

  Once they were situated, he couldn’t hide his smile. “How was it?”

  Mandy pressed the palm of her hand to his jaw. “You really are my everything.”

  Caught by the emotion moving across her face, James pressed his mouth to hers again. This time, instead of sinking into her womanhood, he surrounded himself with her love. Both were equally stimulating.

  Eighteen

  “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this.”

  James glanced over at Mandy, who was leaning forward in the passenger seat of his Explorer so she could get a clear view of the neighborhood, as he pulled into the Harrison Township suburb. Even though he’d made her promise not to search for a prospective house until things were settled, she’d been so excited when she found something on Zillow he couldn’t tell her no.

  It was Saturday, and James had finally agreed – after a lot of whining – to take a look. He had trouble believing they would find the right house on the first try, but he couldn’t bear to disappoint her.

  “And what’s the deal with this place?” James asked, checking his GPS before turning his attention back to the road.

  “Well, it was built in the 1960s.”

  “I’m not sure we should be considering an older home,” James said. “Those come with electrical issues.”

  “The ad says it’s been completely updated,” Mandy countered.

  “Fine,” James replied, sighing. Her enthusiasm was worrisome. If she was going to fall in love with the first house they saw, he was going to be a constant wet blanket moving forward. “Give me the specifics.”

  “It has five bedrooms.”

  “Why do we need five bedrooms?”

  “It’s not really that many,” Mandy protested. “We’ll have a master suite with two guest rooms.”

  “What about the other two rooms?”

  “We each need an office.”

  James thought about what she said and then shrugged. He was going to need a big office to keep all his files. Mixing her office with his probably wouldn’t work.

  “Okay, what else have you got?”

  “It’s got a finished basement with a laundry room.”

  “That’s good.”

  “There’s a big kitchen.”

  “For all the cooking you do,” James teased.

  “It’s modern and updated – although I’m not sure I like the white cupboards.”

  “Those can be replaced,” James said. “Tell me more about the house.”

  “There’s a formal dining room and a huge, open living room.”

  “I like that,” James said, turning onto a side street. “What makes this house so exciting to you?”

  “It’s what’s b
ehind the house that I like so much,” Mandy admitted.

  James glanced at her, cocking an eyebrow. Her face was flushed with excitement. She could sell him a shack right now and he would buy it. “What’s behind the house?”

  “Well, it’s actually on four lots, so there’s a lot of room,” Mandy explained. “There’s an in-ground pool with one of those hot tubs at the end that overflows into the pool with a waterfall.”

  James liked the idea of a hot tub. In fact, naked Sundays in a hot tub sounded pretty darn appealing. “I like that.”

  “There’s also a guesthouse.”

  “A guesthouse? What are we, the Clampetts?”

  “Who are the Clampetts?”

  “The Beverly Hillbillies,” James said. “You need to watch something other than horror movies. They’re rotting your brain.”

  “Yeah, like The Beverly Hillbillies is quality entertainment,” Mandy scoffed.

  “Fine,” James said, sighing. “Tell me about this guest house.”

  “Well, it’s two stories,” Mandy said. “The ground floor is – and I think you’re going to love this – designed as an old western saloon.”

  James pondered the statement. “Why will I love that?”

  “It’s got a hand-carved old bar,” Mandy said, her eyes sparkling. “The room is huge. I was thinking it would make a great television and game room. We’ll need a spot for the pool table.”

  James pursed his lips. She’d given this a lot of thought. “What’s on the second floor?”

  “It’s an open loft,” Mandy said.

  “And what are we going to do with that?”

  Mandy bit her lower lip. “I’ll tell you when we see it,” Mandy said. “I think you may need visuals.”

  James sighed. She was already in love with this house. “Okay,” he said. “I want you to just … rein it in, baby. We need to see it before you move us in.”

  “I know,” Mandy said, jutting her lower lip out into the pout James loved.

  James checked his GPS again, confirming the address, and then pulling into the driveway. He put the Explorer into park, leaning back into his seat as he took in the spectacle in front of him.

  The house was large and rectangular, a privacy fence at the back hiding Mandy’s selling point. James reached over to pull her hand into his. “For the love of all that’s holy, please keep your excitement to a minimum unless we’re alone. If the real estate agent smells blood in the water … .”

  “I got it,” Mandy said, leaning over the console to give him a kiss. “Aren’t you excited?”

  She was excited. That’s all that mattered to him. “Let’s go and look at a house.”

  The real estate agent waiting for them was young, about Mandy’s age. She had long auburn hair, and she was tall and shapely. James waited for Mandy in front of his Explorer, linking his fingers through hers when she joined him.

  “And how do you know her?”

  “Her name is Tanya,” Mandy said. “She was my roommate in college.”

  “You don’t have to go to college to be a real estate agent,” James said.

  “She went to college for acting,” Mandy supplied. “It didn’t take.”

  “Huh. You can’t become a famous actress at a mid-Michigan college? I’m shocked. How long did it take her to figure that out?”

  “Seven years.”

  James scowled. “And she’s our real estate agent?”

  “Be nice,” Mandy chastised him. “Please. For me?”

  James sighed, leaning over and giving her pouty mouth a quick kiss. “We’re not buying this house today. You know that, right?”

  “I know.”

  James wasn’t sure she did. He let her lead him up to the front door of the house, reluctantly letting her hand go as she squealed and embraced the auburn-haired woman waiting for them. After a few breathy exchanges, Mandy introduced them. Tanya looked him up and down, her gaze appreciative.

  “Well, aren’t you just … something.”

  James was uncomfortable under her scrutiny. “It’s nice to meet you. Mandy has told me a lot about you.”

  “And how did you two meet?” Tanya asked.

  “We grew up in the same town,” Mandy explained, clearly missing the predatory look on Tanya’s face. James figured out pretty quickly that she saw money and sex when she looked at him, a combination he wasn’t thrilled with.

  “So, show us the house.”

  Tanya put the key into the door lock, pushing it open, and then ushering them inside. James forced a smile onto his face as he passed the attractive real estate agent. He didn’t like her on sight.

  The first room they entered was a large foyer. It was clean, all straight lines and high ceilings. It felt … airy. James had to admit, even though the house was older, it had a modern feel.

  “What’s the electrical situation?” he asked.

  “Fully updated three years ago,” Tanya replied. “All the plaster and paneled walls have also been replaced with drywall.”

  James nodded, following Mandy into the room to the right.

  “This is the living room,” Tanya said. “As you can see, there’s plenty of room and Internet and cable interfaces are all upgraded.”

  James glanced at the far end of the room where a wrought-iron spiral staircase rested.

  “What’s the deal with the stairs?”

  “There are three different staircases on the main floor,” Tanya said. “Two are spiral. Since this is Harrison Township, and the lake is so close, this house has a nautical feel. The staircase behind the main foyer is wider.”

  The tour continued, covering the main floor of the house first. The first floor encompassed the huge living room, the open foyer, a full dining room, and an engaging kitchen with a homey eating area.

  James was a little charmed himself.

  Tanya showed them all five rooms on the second floor, with the master suite boasting a private bathroom and whirlpool tub big enough for two.

  When Tanya led them into the backyard, Mandy could barely contain her glee. James was more stoic, but even he was impressed. “How long ago was the roof replaced?”

  “I can see you know what you’re talking about,” Tanya said, practically purring. “It’s been two years.”

  James ignored her flirty behavior. “And the lining in the pool?”

  Tanya checked the file in her hand. “Four years.”

  James fixated on the rectangular guesthouse off to the right. “Let’s see that.”

  Tanya led the way, casting the occasional weighted glance in James’ direction. She was clearly trying to pique his interest, all the while he was trying to make his disinterest evident without tipping Mandy off that anything was going on.

  The door to the guesthouse opened into the saloon Mandy had told him about. The walls were paneled with wood, the bar authentic looking and entirely delightful. The room was so large they could have thrown a party with everyone they knew and it wouldn’t have been crowded.

  James ran his hands over the hand-carved bar, sighing. It really was beautiful. He saw the potential, and he couldn’t help but let his imagination run a little wild, too. Tanya led them up the stairs at the back of the guesthouse, into the open loft. Actually, the word “loft” was an exaggeration. It was really two rooms, both graced with bay windows that looked down upon a gorgeous expanse of trees and field.

  James watched Mandy as she looked around the room. She was beaming.

  “Okay,” he said. “Tell me what you want to do up here.”

  Mandy bit her lower lip, embarrassment washing over her features. “Do you remember our first date?”

  James stilled. He wasn’t sure what she was considering as their first date. He’d taken her out to dinner. A night later, he’d just taken her. Five hours after that, he’d left her in the dust. After realizing his mistake and reuniting, they’d gone to an art festival together. Those were his options.

  Actually, the more he thought about it, they’d never h
ad an official first date. There was no way he was admitting that to her.

  “Of course.”

  Mandy’s eyes narrowed. She knew what he was thinking. “What was our first date?”

  “Why don’t you tell me,” James suggested.

  “I was thinking of our first dinner together,” Mandy said.

  James wracked his brain, searching for what she was trying to tell him. Then, out of nowhere, something clicked.

  “You want to make this an art studio, don’t you?”

  The tension in Mandy’s shoulders vacated as she slumped in relief. “You do remember.”

  James glanced around the room again. That was the night she’d admitted that being a court clerk wasn’t what she’d envisioned for her life over the long haul. She’d said she had dreams of making art her future – if it was possible.

  James searched the room, overlapping his future fantasies with the realities of right now. It was perfect.

  He glanced over at Tanya. “I need an inspector in here,” he said. “If I like the report, we’ll make an offer.”

  The businesswoman in Tanya was thrilled – but the other part of her was disappointed. “Are you sure?”

  James cast his gaze around again. “We’re sure.”

  Mandy threw herself at him, pressing her lips to his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you.”

  Her smile – and her enthusiastic reaction – was enough encouragement for James to pay for an endless string of home inspections. Pushing all of that to the side, this house had everything they would ever need. And, despite himself, he could picture them there forever.

  This could be their life.

  Nineteen

  Grady and Sophie were mauling each other on the couch when his phone rang. He sighed, pulling his mouth from hers and glancing over at the screen. It was Sunday. Who would be calling him on a Sunday?

  “Who is it?” Sophie asked, propping herself up so he could lean over and grab the phone from the coffee table.

  “I don’t recognize the number,” Grady said. He slid his finger over the screen and pressed the phone to his ear. “Hello.”

  “Is this Grady Hardy?”

  It was a man’s voice, although Grady didn’t immediately recognize it. “Yes.”

  “This is Jake Harrison.”